Read aloud to me alt Taylor

by Kahlil Johnson

Dnd

18. Outcry2

2.3

As I'm left wheezing on the ground like a winded dog I try to recall the small bubbling kernel of fondness I once had for Miss Militia.

I can't seem to recall it much at all.

The Kurdish woman steps into view, smiling with far too much joy at my pain and misery.

"Having fun?" She asked

I groaned. "Was this like… your warmup routine or something?"

"Not a warmup." She answered with an easy shrug. "But a relatively light session by my standards. But you're young and need to put on a bit of muscle mass. It'll get easier I promise."

I nod, releasing a long sigh before she offers me a hand to help me get back on my feet.

Hannah smiles down at me, and the lines of her face are all softness and kindness. I find myself smiling back.

"The workout is done for the day." She nodded. "But if you're up to it I'd like to get started on at least the basics of fighting. Footwork, blocking and such."

I nodded, feeling a flutter of giddy excitement in my chest. "Yeah, definitely."

Maybe I was a little too enthusiastic, showing my age, because Hannah chuckled, then gestured for me to follow her to the mats.

When we got there, I noted a single crate of ash in the corner. I'd felt the static along the back of my mind of course, but then again, there was always some ash on base these days for use in case of emergencies.

"I thought you didn't want me to use my Brute rating." I asked.

"Oh, you won't." She shook her head. It's just something to use 'just in case you're more advanced than I thought you were, or if you're a natural."

That made me quirk a brow. "How advanced do you think I am?"

She looked at me and her smile was a bit apologetic. "Before Oni-Lee, you've never thrown a punch in your life have you?"

I opened my mouth… then shut it.

"Not… really no."

She nodded, because that's what she'd been expecting. "I saw some of Vista's helmet cam footage. You overswing your punches. Telegraph your intent. And if not for the brute rating most of the force would have been completely lost in those swings. Your footwork is… civilian like."

I squirmed where I stood. I know it wasn't malicious and I appreciated her taking her time for this but my instinctive reaction at having my shortcomings pointed out is… defensive. As a reflex.

She stood infront of me. "Alright. I don't follow any specific martial art. Over the years I've taken bits and pieces from several to fit me, my power and my preferences. Lets start with basics. Follow my moves please."

I nodded, looking at her stance before quietly mimicking it and we got to work.

(X)(X)(X)

By the time we were done, it was well in the afternoon. I was exhausted and Hannah somehow still had the energy to be ready for a patrol in two hours.

Meanwhile I was all but shambling into the Wards common area; with every muscle and joint in my body telling me to go lay down on a bed and drop dead until tomorrow.

I spotted Missy on the Wards couch, a bowl of jello or something in her lap. The TV was on; some kind of documentary with a guy who was way too enthusiastic about grabbing a snake that could kill him if it looked at him wrong or something.

…

Must have been in Australia.

"Hey Tay." Missy called.

I nodded back. "Shower." I said by way of explanation to not seem completely rude.

Dragging the near carcass that was my body to my room I pulled out some underclothes and a change of clothes to something more comfortable. I'll be on base all day today. I didn't have the energy to go anywhere right now and I had console duty from five to eight tonight. And no one said I had to be in costume for console duty.

Hopping into the shower, I was probably in there for a little too long, all things considered, as I felt the water go from boiling hot to lukewarm. Or my body was just acclimatizing. But the heat and the steam felt too good.

Washing the sweat and grime off of my skin and hair, soon enough I felt like a person again, walking out back into the common area with a contented sigh, dressed now in some sweatpants, socks and a comfy T shirt, I plopped myself down next to Missy on the couch, ready to watch the man enthusiastically put his hand in a gator's mouth.

"Jello?" She asked.

I nodded.

Space warping was a godsend. It let her bend the space between here and the kitchen countertop like taffy and then bend the space between the countertop and the drawer on the other side of it to pull out a spoon. Another twist and she was rinsing it in the sink. All without getting off the couch.

To say the visual of this gave me a bit of a headache would be an understatement.

But I didn't have to get up. Like… at all. So I'll take the headache to not have to get off my seat.

She offered me the spoon and quietly I began to nibble on her very large bowl of cherry flavored gelatin.

"So where is everyone?" I asked as the animal guy started regaling us with how venomous the spider crawling on his arm was.

"Dennis and Brendan are out in civvies, Chris is Tinkering, Aegis and Galant are on patrol for today."

A tickle at the back of my mind before I identified it. "And Stalker? Its kinda weird that she's just dropped out of nowhere isn't it?"

Missy shrugged. "Stalker's a bitch." She answered rather bluntly. "Bosses are pissed at her."

"Any guess on what happened?" I asked. More idle curiosity than anything.

Missy shrugged again. "Already said. She's a bitch and that's an understatement." She looked around, seemingly making sure no one could hear us. She warped space around the couch, stretching it so no one could sneak up or open the door to listen in.

Now I was curious.

"Stalker was a vigilante before she came here. Excessive force was kind of her staple. My guess. She went out on one of her solo patrols and did a bit too much damage."

I stared at the younger girl, blinking rapidly. "She killed someone?"

Missy offered one more shrug. "That's my best guess. It would explain why she's basically on Armsy and Piggot's bad side to the point of basically being under house arrest. We weren't even supposed to talk to you about it. Probably so you wouldn't think we're all assholes or something."

Huh…

"Damn." I said. "I guess. Seems a bit excessive though. I don't think I'd hold it against you guys just because some vigilantee girl was too violent."

Missy shrugged.

Sitting back as space reset itself around us; and we were back to listening in on the animal guy pulling the fangs of a snake with his bare hands until they dripped with venom.

…

"You think this guy's a brute or something?" I asked.

"Dennis thinks he's got some sort of stranger power where animals don't want to eat him."

(X)(X)(X)

Just before Console duty was done, at exactly 7:52 PM things… kind of went to hell.

It started with a call about some kind of fight happening downtown, a brawl based out of an illegal dog fighting ring. Normally cops would handle it, but it was supposedly one of Hookwolf's dog fighting rings.

So it was rerouted to the PRT and I routed the call to Armsmaster and Velocity.

There had been absolutely zero reports of Parahumans on sight.

I know because I checked.

Three times.

Apparently 'no reports' meant Hellhound from the Undersiders and Hookwolf, because of course.

Hellhound booked it in short order. Hookwolf decided to stay and fight.

Then Cricket showed up.

Then Stormtiger showed up.

Then Alabaster showed up.

Velocity could run interference on Alabaster and Cricket well enough, and Armsmaster was giving Hookwolf and Stormtiger plenty of fight, but soon enough all Protectorate capes were being called in to answer and what started as a minor brawl out of a Dog Fighting pit escalated into damn near running battle in the streets.

No fatalities; in the end. But Velocity nearly had his leg ripped off by Hookwolf, Miss Militia had been caught by shrapnel and Armsmaster's suit sounded like grinding gears as he walked.

Hookwolf, and Cricket got away. Stormtiger and Alabaster, not so much.

I tried to keep up with everything but I was more than grateful for Dean and Carlos back seat guiding me as things started happening and Armsmaster started barking orders for certain procedures to be made ready.

I was made to call New Wave; it wasn't super late but I was fairly sure Brandish wasn't happy at Panacea needing to be called in to nearly reattach Velocity's leg and heal Miss Militia.

Either that or the woman always sounded angry.

By the time everyone returned to PRT HQ, with to Containment Foam blobs that were the villains; they were all exhausted, but that didn't stop Armsmaster from calling everyone, including the Wards on Base to "suit up and meet in conference room D"

I was still kind of freaking out by that point. But Carlos, Dean and Missy suited up in short order, looking like this was somewhat… expected. So that lowered my anxiety levels as I threw on the undersuit one piece and emptied my four crates of ash to form my armor around my body.

I followed Aegis, behind Gallant and Vista, finding conference room D fairly quickly with him in the lead.

Didn't take long for others to start showing up.

The first was Assault and Battery; I hadn't really met them beyond a few quick greetings in the hall. Not out of any sense that they were avoiding me mind you, or callousness. They seemed nice. Just differing schedules for the most part. The two of them worked the early morning/late night shifts, usually when I was asleep

Following after them in short order was Hannah; and I felt my disquiet and concern grow as I saw how exhausted she looked. Patches of her suit were torn, flecks of dried blood still peppered her skin and clothes where she'd been injured before Panacea got to them. Her bandana was singed. She offered me a kind smile and I tried to smile back, even though the costume and helmet made seeing it difficult.

Finally Armsmaster, his suit still grinding uncomfortably as he moved, Director Piggot directly behind him.

"How's Velocity?" Assault asked.

"Resting." The Tinker answered. "I trust Panacea's work, but that injury was severe. I will inform him of this meeting in the morning."

The man stepped aside following Director Piggot as the woman made her way to the head of the conference table.

"We've done this song and dance before." Piggot growled. "We've captured two Parahumans affiliated with the Empire eighty eight. Stormtiger and Alabaster."

She sat down, and not to sound insulting but it was a heavy movement. Like she was bracing herself for a fight rather than a talk.

"We can hold them on the rig, almost indefinitely." She nodded. "But when they're to be transferred to a prison is when the E-88 will be moving to free them." She sighed, a sound full of aggravation.

"I don't want this to be a repeat of all the other times we've captured Parahumans." She snarled. "I want all hands on deck. Everyone. From PRT troopers, to Wards to every member of the protectorate as a whole that I have available right now." She turned and looked straight at me.

"Ashburn."

I found myself straightening at her tone. "Ahh.. Yes ma'am?"

"You're new." She said simply. "But those healing statues. That's something that can shift the balance here."

"Director." Militia began. "The Encounter with Oni-Lee was an accident. She's had little formal training, hasn't even debuted yet just beca-"

Piggot held up her hand, cutting off the protest. "This isn't something that's happening tomorrow Militia. Nor something that can't be extended as time demands. As already stated. We can hold them on the Rig almost indefinitely. But when this happens to not have a readily available source of healing that can self sustain much better than Panacea- I would be stupid not to involve her. I don't intend for any of the Wards to fight Hookwolf or Kaiser, that's your job. But do you truly believe the Six Protectorate capes on hand can take on the Empire's remaining twelve without at minimum her ability to keep you in the fight."

I couldn't tell from under the bandana, but I was fairly certain Militia's look was a grudging concession.

Piggot turned to Armsmaster. "Give me an actionable plan."

The man nodded. "Preliminarily?"

The woman nodded.

The Tinker cleared his throat, turning his attention to the rest of us in the room. "Needless to say, in protecting the prisoner transport, the Protectorate will be the first line of defense. Myself, Velocity, Assault, Battery and of course Miss Militia."

The man reached for the left vambrace on his armor, pressing some buttons. A screen lit up, highlighting the twelve remaining Empire capes.

"By order of their highest threat ratings-" He began. "Purity. Recognized as the second strongest Blaster on the East Coast. Hookwolf, One of the strongest Brute/Changer/Breaker powers. These two represent the Empire's greatest level of firepower. Purity has not been seen recently in many Empire operations- so it is a possibility she will not be a part of this one. Thus, I expect Hookwolf will be their primary instrument here."

Another press of some buttons. "Kaiser himself, a high ranking Shaker, and while it is likely he will engage the Protectorate it is unlikely he will push to the battle further to release his captured capes personally by hand."

"Why's that?"

I hadn't realized I'd spoken aloud until the others turned to look at me.

Armsmaster took the question in stride however. "It would be beneath him to fight Troopers and children."

Oh… good? I guess?

"Because of this, Fenja and Menja, the twin guards at his side are likely to also keep themselves at his side. Night and Fog, similar to Purity have not been seen overmuch during recent Empire operations. If they follow her lead, or are simply not present in Brockton Bay any longer, they will also not be here."

"That's a pretty big If." Assault cautioned. "Neither of those are exactly low priority targets."

"True. But that is why this is a preliminary plan for the time being. I will also ready countermeasures for both of their powers." The Tinker stated. "Those are by far the largest threats. And likely will be the ones engaging the Protectorate directly While that happens the remaining Empire capes will try to push forward. Most of them however, are vulnerable to Containment foam to some degree or other.

The remaining list of villains was highlighted.

Victor, Othala, Rune, Krieg, Cricket.

"Othala will not be present. She's too valuable to risk on the front lines. Victor similarly will not engage in a range that he might be hit with containment foam. Likely He and Krieg will run interference with the PRT troopers."

"While Cricket and Rune go after the actual transports." Piggot finished for him. "It makes sense. But it's a plan relying on three of their heaviest hitters not appearing. That's too much good luck you're counting on.

He nodded. "I will make modifications and as I said, devise countermeasures. If Night and Fog appear, I'm confident I can at least diminish their impact."

"And Purity?" Miss Militia called.

The Tinker was notably silent.

Before the silence became awkward and oppressive the man turned to us. "Aegis. As the captain I expect you to brief your fellow Wards on all the discussed Parahumans ratings, powers and engagement protocols."

"Yes sir." They didn't look my way, but I was fairly sure it was something meant specifically for me.

"You will also work out an actionable plan to guard the transport with your fellow wards and will then coordinate with me to determine its viability and account for all support parties."

"Yes sir."

Seemingly having said his piece the Tinker stepped back, ceding the 'floor' to the Director.

"You all know your jobs." She said. "Most likely this transport won't be happening for at least another few weeks. Get ready. Eliminating two capes, even relatively minor ones is a step in the right direction. Dismissed. Armsmaster, Militia, go to the infirmary. Panacea healed you, doesn't hurt for the doctors to give you another look."

Militia offered a nod, Armsmaster seemed to find the idea irritating judging by the purse of his lip.

My eyes trailed down to my hand.

They needed me to figure out this healing thing…

Looks like my timetable was just bumped up.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog

Last edited: Jun 4, 2022

386

Ld1449

Jun 4, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks Daniel Hebert

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 4, 2022

#4,048

Interlude: Danny Herbert

Daniel Hebert had promised himself long ago that he would not be like his father.

His father had been an aggressive man. A barely restrained drunk who couldn't control his temper. A bad father and a worse husband.

A large part of him was ashamed to admit that he was too much like his father despite his best efforts.

He was an aggressive man.

He kept it out of the house, away from Taylor. But he was. You didn't stay as head of a dockworkers union in Brockton Bay for years and years on end, finding jobs for your boys and keeping the gangs out of your business if you weren't aggressive.

He had his fathers temper.

He knew that. He didn't… release it. He made an active effort to never ever allow that. But it still existed. Silently smoldering under his skin and turning the edges of his vision gray as blood thundered in his ears while he forced himself to remain quiet and swallow down the rage.

He… liked to think he wasn't a bad husband.

At least before that night where he'd been arguing on a cell phone before…

He hoped he'd been a good husband.

But of all his failures in life in the effort to not be his father; these last two months had made it abundantly clear that his worst failure was in regards to fatherhood.

Because he had to own up to the fact he was a bad father.

Not in the same way of course.

He'd never abused Taylor, never even hit her. He'd never really raised his voice, or shown up at home drunk, even during the worst of his days. He made an effort to put food on the table rather than spend it on himself.

But in other ways?

In seeing to her happiness. In doing more than giving her a perfunctory greeting in the morning and one at night. In making sure her life was better than his in every way he could…

No. Danny needed to admit he was not a good father.

Even now, after this realization, he still couldn't claim to be a good father.

He'd focussed on the trials; of course. Both civil and criminal. He'd missed days at work, fought on her behalf as best he could, releasing the tight tether on his temper when it would be beneficial and held it in where it wouldn't.

But it was more of his old pattern just in a different suit. Throwing himself into a task. A job he could complete.

His interactions with his daughter were reduced to phone calls in the morning and evening.

Still distant. Still absent.

And the only reason that didn't drive him into sheer despondent sadness was because she seemed… happy.

It had been so long since he'd even seen her happy that he'd forgotten what it looked like.

And didn't that just say so much?

He hated it. This situation. This reality where he found himself. That his daughter was happier when other people were seeing to her needs better than he ever could.

He hated it but at the same time he felt he had to accept it. That he had to smile for it.

Because he'd done enough damage without allowing his hurt feelings and pride to get in the way of her happiness on top of everything else he'd done wrong.

She came by on the weekends. Friday evening until Monday morning when he drove her to school. And when she was here he made time for her, like he should have done- like he should have been doing for years now.

But he could still see that she was excited to return to the Wards. The Protectorate. Excited for this new sense of purpose.

And he knew it wasn't fair to equate that with her wanting to be away from him. But the shadow of his own failures loomed large and that's what it felt like.

But he kept quiet. Kept a lid on his feelings because she didn't deserve that. She deserved better from him and it was high time he delivered it.

Even so; it took effort to return home every night. To the four empty walls and damning silence.

When Taylor was here… there was a life in the house. Movement. Something that reminded him that he did more than just exist.

Monday through Thursday were the worst days out of every week.

Returning home today; it was late.

But it was always late.

Because it was easier that way. Too tired to think. Too tired to stay awake. Just shower, fall in bed and let the next day come. Counting down until friday.

But tonight, approaching the darkened driveway of his home, Danny felt himself stiffen.

There was a car in his driveway.

He pulled up, grabbing hold of his can of mace and the wheel club in his free hand. He contemplated stepping out of the vehicle, or just backing away and calling the cops.

Then the decision became somewhat moot.

The stranger's car opened, and from out the driver's seat Zoe Barnes stepped out of the car.

Danny felt the tension in his body diminish by a hair- though not fully leave him.

He stayed in his car for a few seconds longer. Making sure he had a hold on his temper before he shut the thing off, the headlights going dark as he opened the door and stepped out.

He eyed the woman standing not ten feet from him. "Think this still counts as ex-parte communication."

She winced. "The… settlement is done by tomorrow morning."

"Then come back tomorrow I guess." He answered simply. Pocketing his keys and beginning to march to his front door.

"Daniel, wait- please I."

He marched past her, up the two steps with the rickety step that he still hadn't fixed. "I told your husband to go screw himself when he tried to brow beat me into a deal so now he sends you to do the soft pitch. I'll-"

"Daniel, I threw Alan out of the house!"

Her shout brought him up short, the keys hovering over the lock on the door.

"Look I… I have something just… take it and if you want me to leave afterwards I'll leave, you'll… I'll never bother you again, ok?"

Daniel closed his eyes, counting back from ten, feeling his heart thump thumping under his breast.

What would his father do here?

Taking a breath. Unsure if it was even remotely the right choice Daniel turned, the keys rattling in his grip. "What?" He decided to ask, keeping his voice as level as possible.

Zoe seemed to stiffen, stepping back towards her car and opening the door to the back seat.

She pulled out a box, cherry wood and long. Daniel felt his breath catch.

He recognized that box.

She held it out to him, opening it to reveal Annette's flute, its metal frame glinting in the moonlight.

With ponderous slowness, Daniel reached for it, taking the box in hand, looking at the instrument and feeling his lips press together in spite of himself.

"Taylor said Emma destroyed it."

It was a statement. But the question was there regardless.

'Was she wrong?'

Zoe did not meet his eyes. "She… she did."

The swell of burning anger seemed to be matched by the open heartbreak he could see on Zoe's face and hear in her voice.

Slowly… he shut the box. And the silence between them became heavy. Oppressive.

He's unsure how long they were standing out there. Lingering on his front porch.

"Come inside." He finally says.

(X)(X)(X)

He doesn't want coffee. Not really. But it keeps him busy. Lets him center himself. Lets him brace himself for this conversation he's not sure he wants to have, or even if he should have it.

Is this a betrayal of Taylor? He's not sure.

Would a good man throw Zoe out without listening to her after she'd done him this… courtesy?

He's not sure.

Would a good father act to protect Taylor's interests no matter what? And throw Zoe out because of that?

He's not sure.

He knows it's likely what Alan Barnes would have done. So it's enough to cement his decision for now.

If there's someone besides his father Daniel doesn't want to emulate, it's definitely Alan fucking Barnes.

When the coffee is done, its too soon. And yet already part of him wants this conversation over with.

He pulls free two mugs. Fills them, carries them over, then offers his tray of sugar and cream for her to take. Zoe's voice is a whisper as she thanks him, her hands gripping the cup, warming her fingers.

Daniel sits. Drinking his coffee straight, he doesn't look at her. Not really. Just looks at her hands. He's not sure if she's watching him.

"You came here to talk." He finally says. It's the closest to an invitation she can manage.

…

"I… I don't know what to say." She finally says.

Danny grunts. He could relate perhaps.

"I'm sorry Daniel."

"Are you?" He can't help the bite in his voice. Or the sentiment behind his question.

"Emma does… everything you can think of to hurt Taylor short of killing her." Now he turns his eyes up, glaring at her. "And the first time I call your husband to clear things up his answer is to threaten me with a Lawsuit." He sees her wince and can't bring himself to care. "So are you sorry? Or are you just sorry because things didn't go your way!?"

She shakes her head, clenching her eyes shut, tears beginning to glisten at the edges.

He's made a woman cry. Another thing he has in common with his father now.

Zoe opens her mouth. Closes it. He sees her hands clench on the table, see's her whole body shake and see's her visibly pull herself together.

She's staring at the table now. Not at him. And though her voice is shaky at the start- he hears it gain strength as she talks.

"I… I want to tell you what happened." Her voice is barely a whisper. "After all of this you deserve… you deserve to know why don't you? Isn't that important?"

He snorts. "You're saying there's a reason for this?! Are you seriously trying to justify Emma's abuse-"

"No!" Her shout is something raw and jagged, she snaps her eyes to meet his and there's a snarl on her face as she bites out her next words.

"I am not my husband. I am not justifying what Emma did! Never. I… I-" The fury leaves her, letting her sag onto the chair, smaller than she was before. Spent.

"I loved Taylor." She whispers. "I loved Annette… and you. And I… messed up." She sniffles. "I didn't do what I had to do. And if I can give Taylor, or you some small measure of closure by telling you what happened- Doesn't that count for something?"

Daniel wanted to be angry. Being angry was easy. Everything else was complicated.

I didn't do what I had to do

The anger burnt away. Leaving embers on the kindling.

He leaned forward, now nursing his own half empty cup.

"Tell me then." He said quietly. "I'll listen."

And I'll decide if Taylor will hear the excuse. Went unsaid.

For a long while, Zoe didn't answer. Didn't speak.

Then she did.

Daniel sat and listened.

The Alley. The ABB. The Rescue by Shadow Stalker. Emma latching onto the girl named Sophia. Alan Barnes insisting everything was fine. Zoe… choosing to believe them. Not looking deeper. Not wanting to look deeper.

Years of abuse allowed by single instants. Single moments of simple easy choices. And his daughter had paid for all those choices she didn't make. All those decisions she couldn't have known about or influenced.

He listened.

And in the end it didn't… change anything.

It didn't absolve anyone.

"Taylor was still hurt." He mumbles. The coffee in his mug was now cold sludge. The tiredness of his body now reflected across his mind. "I can't… I can't just take this and say I understand Zoe."

"I'm not asking you to." She sniffles, wiping her nose with a tissue. Her eyes are red and puffy along with her nostrils. Zoe did not cry 'pretty' "I… I just wanted to tell her why it happened. In all of her journals it was a big thing… her wondering what she did wrong. She never…"

The woman stopped. Sucking down a shuddering breath. "-she was perfect." Zoe whispered. "She was always perfect for Emma.. and I'm sorry my daughter could have ever conceived to throw that away for Sophia Hess.

…

"Yeah." He nodded. He took a breath

She muttered something about her having Emma going to see a doctor. But by now he wasn't truly listening. He couldn't.

His hand drifted away from the mug. Grabbing hold of his keys.

"Come on." He mumbled, forcing himself to his feet. "I'll drive you home."

She jerked, her head snapping up to his. "What? But- No I."

"You're crying." He said simply. "You're not used to driving at night. You're tired." He rattled off, throwing on his jacket.

"Anne will drive you tomorrow to pick up the car. I-" He paused. "I hate this. All of this. Maybe you, maybe Alan and Emma. Doesn't mean I want to see you get hurt in an accident." He paused. "Your family… doesn't deserve that." He forced himself to say it. Forced himself to believe it.

"Let's go."

She didn't protest further. Either to not argue with him. Or because his face told her not to.

She got in his truck, buckling up.

They drove in silence.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to her home.

He said nothing as she unbuckled. Thanking him quietly as she stepped out of the car.

"You deserved better from us." She whispered.

… Yeah. He doesn't say.

"You're a good man Daniel."

My father wasn't… and I'm too much like him. He doesn't say.

"I'm… I'm sorry."

…

He shifts the car into drive, turns and heads back home. Back to counting the days.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog

462

Ld1449

Jun 4, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks Colin Wallis

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 8, 2022

#4,135

Interlude: Colin Wallis

The small ping that chimed through the lab was the only forewarning he received before he heard Dragon's voice through the speakers of his personal computer.

"Colin."

"Yes?" He asked, not looking up from his work. The tiny Phillips screwdriver was held firmly in his fingers.

The last time he dropped it, he'd had to disassemble his whole halberd just to get it out. And without the proper screwdriver to do it. Not something he was going to repeat anytime soon.

"Recently, I've been going over some of the footage from Ms. Hebert's most recent power tests, hoping to find a way to help the girl summon her ash idols on demand for healing."

"Hmm. Yes, Thank you for that." He remembered to say. She was doing it as a favor to him, after all. "Did you discover anything?"

"I noticed a discrepancy."

This time he picked up his head from where he was looking down, wiping at the bridge of his nose once before looking at his computer screen where Dragon's avatar took up the whole mass. "Discrepancy?"

"The data you and your team recorded during Miss Hebert's power testing. It's either wrong, or something changed. Knowing you, I'm betting on the latter.

Using his wheeled chair, he crab-walked around his workbench to make it to his computer. Then minimizing Dragon's image, he began leafing through his files to find Taylor's Power testing data.

"What did you notice?"

"The powers she demonstrated are noticeably stronger than before."

He paused, raising an eyebrow. "Is that it? With practice and experience, many parahumans ge-"

"Not like this." She used the back door controls he offered her so long ago to bring up two distinct images. "The flames she used during the initial power test were measured at roughly thirteen hundred degrees fahrenheit. But look here." She slightly enlarged one of the more recent recordings.

Curiously, it didn't have Taylor within it, but rather the burnt, ruined remains of the combat dummies left in her wake.

She paused the image, using software to highlight the remnants of a charred husk. Beside it was one of Taylor's ash idols.

"As you can see here, the dummy is already burnt, correct?"

"Yes." He said slowly.

"According to my instruments, its temperature is at twenty-two hundred degrees."

That made him raise an eyebrow. Ashes were burning hotter than the flame?

She superimposed another image, this time of A volunteer trooper's body cam as he stepped towards the idol, a cut on his palm slowly beginning to seal shut.

Again the image was paused highlighting the… active ash idol. "Here, within the idol itself it's even more bizarre. My instruments are reading wildly fluctuating temperatures. From a thousand degrees to nearly ten thousand. All within seconds of each other. Something that is simply not possible with any non para-human temperature control."

"She's discovering new aspects of her power." He frowned.

"It's well known that Legend believed himself to be a simple Blaster before he discovered his ability to bend the beams and change their effects."

"She needs to be tested further then." He nodded to himself. "A complete top to bottom workout."

"I don't think so." He turned his head to her image, listening. "At least not yet, It does her no good to be constantly poked and prodded every time something changes. when, frankly, much about her power seems to change every other day in small ways. You should give it time to see where and how things… settle, before deciding to overhaul her ratings completely. Not everyone has your work ethic Colin. You can exhaust her; especially if you level too many expectations too fast."

He frowned.

He didn't like it. He didn't just 'appreciate' accurate information, he needed it. Without it planning around a Ward and what she could and couldn't do was an exercise in stupidity.

Even so… being aware of his limits and listening to Dragon's input had never hurt before.

"Is there any test you believe I should conduct? Short term?

"The only test I do believe you should run would be a brain scan to examine the Gemma and Corona again to see if they've swelled or if there's more activity. I… hesitate to say this but perhaps more direct combat? Or at least full contact sparring with a Ward of Protectorate member? Her power seems to be highly reactionary from what data we've gathered. The ash idols being the foremost proof of that. They only appear when she needs them to appear. She does not have a conscious control of it."

He leaned back in his chair, scratching at his beard."Then what need would she subconsciously perceive in keeping ash hot to the touch? She uses it for armor and the idols..."

"No idea. I'm just informing you so, you know to keep your eyes open for more changes. Perhaps give her a mounted camera on her glasses or combat gear. It'll be far more direct at least.

He nodded.

He'd been meaning to make the Hebert girl a custom helmet with a plethora of instruments and utilities she could use. As an… apology; however unvoiced it would have to remain.

He had failed in regard to the Sophia situation, and no matter how beneficial that failure turned out to be, his inattentiveness had allowed someone to be abused to the point of triggering.

He rolled back to his workstation. "I'll just finish this and go over the data."

He picked up his screwdriver again, swiveling the arm-mounted magnifying glass into place.

"What is it you're adding this time?"

"An experimental repulsor field, If I can get it to work, the sheer weight of the target and my swing will multiply the force of the blow to over a thousand times anything a normal human, or my armored self would be capable of."

"It should be capable of taking down Brutes then?"

"In theory, I got the idea from something Chris designed but never finished. You know how finicky his technology can be at the best of times."

"Colin. Did you ask him before adding this?"

...

"Colin. I suggest you go do that before continuing."

...

"He'll say yes..."

"That's not the point, and you know it."

...

He set down his screwdriver, sighing.

Before he could get very far in the next step of this process however, there was a knock on his door.

He blinked. Hannah and the director had gone home for the night, and outside of them, it was rare for the others to come here. "Yes?"

"It's Gallant."

Armsmaster looked towards the clock on his computer screen. "Come in?"

The door hissed open, sliding to the side into the wall.

Colin looked at the young man. He was already dressed in his costume, "What's wrong? You have patrol in five minutes by my clock."

Gallant nodded. "Yes, but I've come up here to ask you something." Without waiting for a reply, the youth soldiered on. "Where exactly is Hess?"

Colin frowned.

"She's violated certain clauses in her probation and is now under stricter house arrest confinement." He answered. "She will be called in case of emergencies and limited patrols but her freedoms both in and out of costume are severely limited."

"Did this sudden change have anything to do with Taylor?"

To anyone else, even one without emotion detection, Colin's pause would have been telling enough.

The veteran hero looked up, staring straight at the visor of Gallant's helmet. "And where exactly is this question coming from?"

Gallant stared no doubt his emotion detection was giving him more cues than Armsmaster's mostly stoic face. "Aisha's description of 'Psycho-bitch Trackstar' as one of the people that bullied Taylor in Winslow enough to trigger- made me wonder…"

Colin sighed through his nostrils. Already he could feel a headache coming on, enough to make him rub at the bridge of his nose. "The situation is dealt with now."

"Now? I saw Sophia three days ago when she joined me on patrol with Carlos. It's been months since Winslow so what's going on sir? Why was she still in the field? Why weren't any of us told about this?"

"Director Piggot determined that Sophia's skills could still be utilized in the Bay to help combat the criminal elements. Given the approaching transfer of Stormtiger and Alabaster, that may soon become necessary." He said with a firm nod. "She is being reprimanded as deemed appropriate, Gallant."

Colin could probably imagine Dean's face behind the mask. "So...what? You guys decided to just help her avoid the consequences of her actions and cover it up on your end to avoid a lawsuit? Taylor has every right to know about-"

"It serves absolutely no one to bring this to light, Mr. Stansfield. You know this."

"It serves doing what's right! If Sophia hurt Taylor badly enough to make her Trigger, this isn't something you just sweep under a rug 'for everyone's sake.' That's not how this works! You've all been lying to her from day one! You! Hannah! Everyone! You've been lying to all of us. This isn't something you're going to be able to keep from her perpetually!? How long before someone just slips for whatever reason!"

"If she finds out, we not only lose Miss Hess from the roster here, due to that we have no choice but to lose her, but very likely Miss Hebert as well in the fallout." Colin snapped back, leaning forward.

"I'm not going to pretend that this situation isn't a mess and I'm not going to pretend that I don't recognize the horror of a Trigger event and the fact that we are essentially helping the person that caused one; But exposing Sophia's actions would do absolutely nothing to help. It would do nothing for the Protectorate; it would do nothing for Miss Hebert except alienate her to you who have become her friends. Instead we'd be embroiled in a legal battle and Miss Hebert's distrust of our system would very likely send her on the path to vigilantism or even villainy."

There was a pause.

Colin saw Stansfield square his shoulders suddenly, his jaw no doubt setting under the helmet.

"Sir. I know you well enough to know this wasn't done in Taylor's interests." He shot back.

Colin glared right back. "Can you say I'm wrong?"

"What you're doing is not right; at the very least you have to tell Taylor. It's bound to come out eventually. It's actually a miracle it hasn't-"

Colin shifted "The situation is sensitive Mr. Stansfield. What we do or don't do is still being discussed. We will determine how to proceed with this situation and we will determine how best to handle Miss Hebert finding out should it come to that."

"You can't just-"

"Gallant." Dragon's voice emerged from the computer speakers, her avatar once more superimposing itself onto the screen.

The teen jerked, surprised as Colin simultaneously repressed his reaction.

He'd forgotten she was listening…

"Dragon?" Dean asked.

She nodded, her tone indicating her light smile. "Yeah. Nice to see you."

He shifted in place. "You knew about this too?"

"No." Colin closed his eyes. He could almost feel her gaze burning into the back of his skull. "No I didn't. But...Galant Colin has a point."

"You've got to be kidding me." The teen muttered, his hand rising to rub at his forehead.

"Only in that, I agree you can't just bludgeon into this situation. Look at your emotions, Dean. You're angry. Very much so, and you're not even the wounded party here, are you?"

He shifted from foot to foot, sucking down a sharp breath to keep speaking before he hesitated.

"Can you imagine just how bad this will be for Taylor? How much worse will this be for her? Even coming from a friend with good intentions."

"We can't just keep her in the dar-"

"I promise Dean informing Taylor is something I want to do too. But if it's going to happen, it has to be done the right way or not at all. Otherwise, you'll only end up hurting her more.

The young man looked like he would argue further then the alarm on his watch went off for his patrol.

He paused, looking at the traitorous machine.

"You're on the clock…" Colin drawled, speaking before anything more could be said by either his fellow Tinker or the younger Hero. "If you'd like to keep on discussing this, then you're free to come back when you're done. If you can handle five hours of sleep and school in the morning…do not overstep your bounds here, Gallant."

The young man looked at him, and even though Colin couldn't see his face, the look of utter betrayal on the teen was obvious and cutting even so.

Armsmaster sighed as the door opened and closed again. This time he openly rubbed at his forehead; that headache was coming fast.

"Colin."

The disappointment he heard in the synthesized voice was biting enough…

He spoke. "I'm not going to pretend this is...good Dragon. But can you believe me when I say it was for the best?"

"...I...I'll believe that you believed it was for the best...but you know if you try to ignore it this very likely will come back to bite you, Colin. This...coverup is...

He took a breath, punctuating every word. "It was the best solution…"

"No, Colin. It was A solution. And one I'm sorry to see that you took."

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" The Tinker snapped. "If we had just cut Hess and sent her to Juvie, that's one less parahuman on our side. Sophia wouldn't have gone quietly, she would have taken down everyone around her. Would have likely hired the Barnes attorney to stall out of spite. She'd have implicated the entire department in her criminal activity if not to anyone who would believe her, at the absolute least to Ms. Hebert herself. This. Was The Right. Call."

"So playing keep away and lying to Miss Hebert is your only option?"

"Perfect solutions don't work out for us. Picture it. Taylor Hebert. With her versatility and raw power. Where do you see her independently in a year? A month? I'll tell you where I see her. Across from me, on the boardwalk aligned with E88, either coerced or willingly. In an alley with a criminal, she just killed as a vigilante. She's better off here. No matter what we did or didn't tell her."

"You're forcing the dots to connect the way you want them to, to justify what you've done here, Colin. Don't." Dragon said it with such authority Colin was almost surprised to see the amount of emotion in the woman, who he knew to be somewhat reserved, usually.

Dragon sighed. "Yes. You're right. Taylor might have considered you an enemy. She might have been coerced or convinced into joining a villain group if she'd stayed independent. But you and I both know that is not a certainty. That is not something that was an inevitability if you hadn't taken this course of action."

"Not a certainty, but extremely likely." He protested.

"Perhaps. But what also might have happened if you'd been honest with her is that she might have chosen to be a hero with the Protectorate anyway. She might have decided to join with open honesty and a solid foundation rather than this fragile house of cards you've built up around her. How much worse do you think this is going to be when she finds out?

"She won't find-"

"Stop lying to yourself!" The woman demanded. "Anything could tip her off, Colin. An offhand comment or a slip of the tongue from anyone that knew Sophia's identity. The Wards, the PRT troopers, even Victoria Dallon knows who Shadow Stalker is. Do you think nothing will come out for years? You can't just try to ignore this, Colin. You had to know from the word go that this was untenable. You lied. Fine. You wanted Sophia and her skill-set on the team for a little while longer Or for Taylor to make friends with the other Wards so that her first impression of them wasn't completely tarnished. Don't keep digging the hole deeper in hopes of coming out the other side unscathed. It's time now to start digging yourself out now."

Colin sighed loudly in frustration looking at the woman on the screen. Dragon's soft look of admonishment was staring him dead in the face. The hero known as Armsmaster pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Fine…" He sighed. "I'll talk to the director. See when we can finally come clean. When we do, I'll bring her in privately with Hannah and myself. At least that way we can control how it comes out." He looked at her.

She nodded. "Timetable."

Colin blinked. "What?"

"I want a timetable." She demanded, raising an imperious eyebrow. "I know you Colin. You'll let yourself get sidetracked and distracted. Already you're planning to at least delay it until after Stormtiger and Alabaster's transport mission."

He frowned. "Ms. Hebert's idols could be the difference between that being a success or-"

"I'm aware. That's why I'm not pushing it. What about after?" She demanded.

Colin ground his teeth.

…

"Ten days." He said. "The Transport. Success or failure does not matter… and I will organize everything within ten days afterward. That should be more than enough time to be certain there won't be another immediate emergency, and get Hess'... paperwork filed." He promised.

She nodded. "Alright then. Though this was, as people say, pulling teeth." Dragon shook her head, a look of disappointment in her eyes."I'm going to go through diagnostics at the Containment Center. I'll talk to you later. Tomorrow if you're asleep. Goodnight, Colin." She disconnected.

Colin sighed and covered his face with his hands as he dragged them over. Looking at the screwdriver in his fingers, he tossed it on the workbench.

He didn't much feel like working anymore tonight.

Spoiler: Changelog:

418

Ld1449

Jun 8, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks 2.4

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 8, 2022

#4,136

2.4

Time, as it's wont to do, inevitably rolls on, and soon enough, it was the weekend again, the bell ringing shrilly to call an end to the last class of the day.

I started gathering my books, content to let the other students start filing out to not subject myself to the crush of bodies making their way out the door and into the halls.

"So what are ya doin this weekend!?"

I jumped, almost at least, turning and blinking at the brightly smiling Vicky.

I shrugged. The action came easier now, having grown at least partially accustomed to someone being… my friend.

"Not much, was gonna hang with dad actually. I think he's lonely."

Vicky blinked. "Huh. Yeah. I guess your whole… thing musta been a big change, huh?"

I nodded, adjusting my glasses as I noted that somewhere they'd gone a little low on my nose. "What about you?" I asked, beginning to move.

Vicky shrugged. "Ehh, Probably patrol, Drag Dean somewhere. Drag Amy somewhere else. Then on Sunday or Saturday get the band back together somewhere for milkshakes or something."

I shook my head. "Don't you ever just decide to have a quiet night at home?"

She stuck her tongue out, making a sound of disgust. "Bleh. No. Home is boring. Don't tell me you can stand just sitting around watching TV?"

"TV no," I answered. "But I like to read books. I've actually got a bit of a backlog with… everything."

"Hmmm." She hummed as we reached the front doors. "Any recs?"

"What genres do you like?" I asked.

"Romance!" She said instantly. "Gimme something good!"

I shrugged. "Not my biggest thing, but I'm pretty sure I've got one or two that are decent somewhere in my library. I'll text you."

"Sweet!" Vicky smiled, and she actually seemed excited by the prospect, not just humoring me. I found myself smiling back.

Vicky blinked. "Oh. Hey. That's your old man?"

I turned, following her gaze.

It was.

Dad was waiting here, standing by the side of his old beat-up truck. He smiled at the sight of me, I smiled back.

"Yeah, it is." I answered, beginning to march down the steps of the school, Vicky following after me.

"Hey Kiddo." Dad said, eyes moving over to look at Vicky.

"Hey dad. This is Vicky, Vicky, My dad."

"Hey there Mr. Hebert." The Dallon girl smiled, holding out her hand. Dad shook it. His eyes squinting a bit.

"Sorry. I… I just swear I've seen you before." He said.

Vicky snickered. "Yeah, I bet. With a tiara and a red cape."

Dad just looked confused, then his eyes widened.

"Oh. Glory Girl?"

And yup. That was smug pride on Vicky's face.

"Yeah." I answered. "She's actually been really nice at school." I decided to add. Because credit where it was due. Vicky was not another Emma.

Dad's look of gratitude was obvious, and he smiled a bit more. "Good. I'm glad." He looked around. "Probably a stupid question, but do you need a ride or-"

"Oh no, I got my own car, and I can fly," Vicky answered. "I was just sayin good bye. It was nice to meet you Mr. Hebert. I'll catch you later Tay, alright?"

I nodded back. "Sure Vicky."

She actually started floating away. Not very 'high', not even a foot off the ground, but it was there. "I'll text you later and see if you wanna hang out." She said, apparently already forgetting our previous discussion.

I shrugged. "Alright." I looked back to Dad. "Ready to go?"

(X)(X)(X)

The Drive back home wasn't tense. But Dad told me as soon as my seatbelt was buckled that he had something to talk to me about when I got home. So I was a little on edge, even if he assured me I wasn't in trouble and it wasn't anything 'bad'.

So I'm not sure what I was expecting when I got home.

But dad handing me the casing with Mom's perfectly pristine flute inside was not it.

It took… a long time for me to swallow down the urge to cry.

"I thought Emma destroyed it." I found myself mumbling.

My father's hands were on my shoulders.

"She did."

My breath hitched, catching in my chest like a fist.

"Zoe had it restored."

I felt my eyes burn, my teeth grinding as I shut the box and wiped my eyes.

"So what. She wants to buy us dropping the lawsuit!" I snarled. I… I thought at least Zoe would-

"No," Dad answered firmly. "I wouldn't have even spoken to Zoe if the lawsuit was still ongoing."

I blinked, looking up at him. "What do you mean? It's over?"

He nodded. "Yes. Alan and Zoe pleaded out. The evidence was too overwhelming."

"So they're… forking over all the damages?"

"Around eighty percent." He nodded. "I decided to drop the twenty percent when they pushed to pay our legal fees if we simply dropped the civil suit." He shrugged. "We more or less would have come out with the same amount if he hadn't, so I figured it was good enough- civilly.

That… made sense.

"And the criminal charges?"

"I have no control over that, sweetie." He said simply. "But from what I've gathered from the prosecutor. The girls will be getting hit with something. I believe Clements has been remanded to community service, not sure how many hours. I'm not sure what's happening with the Hess girl."

"And Emma?" If anyone was getting off scot free, it would be Emma with Alan in her corner…

Dad's eyes grew sad… and I felt my stomach opening up into a yawning chasm.

He took a breath, leading me over to the dining room table and dragging a chair to sit beside me.

I sat, trying to keep calm, my fingers gripping the cherrywood box

She's gonna get away with it.

She's gonna get away with it again.

"Some things have come to light kiddo." He said slowly. "The Prosecutor was aiming for a harsh sentence at the start but-"

"Just tell me, dad." I bit out. "How's she getting away with it?"

"She's not." Dad snapped, and my eyes darted to his.

He took a breath. "Emma is… Emma's been remanded to a psychiatric facility, Taylor."

I reeled. That was… not what I was expecting.

"She's pretending to be crazy!?" I never thought she'd be desperate enough to brand herself with that label.

Dad shook his head. "No Taylor. Emma is crazy. At least as far as the court doctor testified in her trial."

I blinked.

"I…" I trailed off.

A part of me should have expected this, I realize. People don't just change over a single two-week stint so drastically without something being wrong but…

I…

"I guess I never thought it'd be true," I mumbled, more to myself than him, my eyes trailing down towards the flute. "I… she spent so long saying that I was… weak that she had to throw me away-"

I spent so long thinking there was something wrong with me…

But there was something wrong with her…

Not me.

Dad's hand rubbed at my shoulder.

"Zoe told me what happened." He said. "When she brought the flute. She wanted to explain. She didn't know either. Not until recently."

I didn't answer.

"Would you… Like to hear it?"

My fingers hurt. Gripping the box.

"Does it change anything?" I asked.

…

"It might help." He answered after a long heavy silence.

I sucked down a breath I'm ashamed to admit is far too shaky for my liking.

"She's done this before," I confessed. "The 'I'm sorry' play. It was never real then. Why's this any different? Just her playing for different stakes?"

Maybe I was being irrational. Maybe I was being petty. Or paranoid. Zoe hadn't been involved. And I'd like to think at least someone in that family remembered me as something you didn't just scrape off your shoe.

Dad's hand squeezed my shoulder.

(X)(X)(X)

I spent the weekend at home.

Given my on-site presence four days a week, sixteen hours a day, it was easy to arrange my schedule so the other Wards could cover the weekend days when I wasn't around since I was taking so many shifts Monday through Thursday.

That didn't mean I was wholly cut out of the loop for three days, or blind to what was happening.

The Wards, Vicky, and some small short conversations I had with Miss Militia painted an accurate enough picture, as did the local news.

People accuse the PRT and Brockton Bay Protectorate of playing a game.

They said that there was a revolving door on Parahuman captures. That they were simply incompetent and couldn't hold criminals in prison even if their lives depended on it.

Once upon a time, I may have been one of those people.

Being on the other side of things… really opens your eyes to reality.

Criminals needed to be processed. Parahuman criminals were no exception.

Between their arrest, booking, sentencing, appeals and other legal remedies all needing to be carried out largely 'in absentia' given that they could not be removed from their secure containment on the Rig, the process of getting a Parahuman convicted took weeks and that was when they were being fast in the process.

Now, one might ask, how does this contribute to the PRT being incapable of holding them long term? Of Transporting them to a High-security prison?

The criminals are in jail; they can't get out. The heroes are fine. So how does this matter?

It matters because while the criminals are in jail, the PRT still has work to do.

And the other criminals knew it.

The whole Protectorate PRT couldn't just… call in sick. Give a doctor's note or something saying, "Sorry, need to rest up for the big prison transport day will help later."

No, they had a job to do, and they had to do it constantly.

Someone reported Hookwolf down by lords street. PRT had to answer it.

Someone reported a Gang Fight between ABB and E88; even without Parahuman sightings, PRT had to answer it. Because Parahumans COULD show up.

Someone reported Cricket killing someone in an alley PRT had to respond, even if it turned out not to be Cricket at all.

The PRT had to respond to everything, and the gangs knew enough to make them respond.

In the weeks leading up to the transport of Alabaster and Stormtiger, I watched and listened and ground my teeth in helpless frustration as I watched the PRT and protectorate being run completely ragged.

Twenty-seven different calls requesting Parahuman assistance across the city in an hour. Thirty seven other calls deemed to be completely false flags meant to do nothing more than waste time.

There were twelve cape 'fights' in just one week with the E-88. Fights that the Protectorate needed to respond to be called out of their homes or their daily lives for, only for the cape in question to beat a swift retreat once things started getting even remotely hairy.

And even if there were no 'Cape captures,' that didn't mean there were no captures at all.

Low-level hitters, pushers, gang members. These could be caught. And they needed to be processed too.

Process meant staying on scene until proper transport arrived. It meant filing incident reports. It meant filling out paperwork. Dates, Times, records, taking witness statements, corroborating filed evidence with new evidence for discrepancies; bringing the director up to speed, giving answers to potential depositions when they lawyered up.

It meant wasting time. It meant less rest. It meant more time where the E-88 ground the heroes down without ever lifting a finger before the first punch had even been thrown.

And all the while, the Wards, on paper, weren't allowed to help.

It was infuriating.

The E-88 could choose their fights. They could choose when, where, how, and how far they took those fights. And they could cycle through their roster of capes to keep the pressure up without risking the same level of exhaustion ever becoming a concern for them.

After all, I doubted Hookwolf went back home and filed a fucking report on how many people he killed or injured when he was done.

And before the day was out, any injuries the villain group had were cleared right up by Othala.

The PRT had NONE of those options. They were forced into engagements, and they were forced to employ the same capes over and over again. And not just for the E-88, because the ABB and Merchants weren't quiet with the increased activity either.

So no. I realize now it's not fair to say the PRT ENE is 'incompetent'

They're just so unbelievably outnumbered it's a miracle the city hasn't completely crumbled into the sea by now.

The ONLY thing that was even remotely leveling the playing field- Was me.

Because now the PRT had a healer of their own.

Panacea, of course, could do this. But she had other responsibilities. And was a cape that was not affiliated with the PRT. Calling her meant calling New Wave. It meant owing an independent Hero group favors in more ways than one.

I didn't have that baggage.

Granted, it wasn't as convenient as Othala's, or as absolute as Amy's.

I couldn't heal with a touch, nor could I really do it without… hurting myself, but I could heal groups of people with just one statue. And as long as I stayed close to it it didn't deactivate. At least none I'd made so far had.

I hadn't mastered it. I still couldn't summon them on demand.

But a cut across the hand that bit down to the bones was simple enough..

Armsmaster had looked grim but offered me his thanks, as the warm light eased the aches and pains of the troopers that passed by and possibly some of the Protectorate capes that came as well.

I know it's not the best way for this to work, but until I figured out how to bring them about when I wanted them, not just when I needed them I would just have to deal with the… uncomfortable connotations.

I sure as hell wasn't telling Dad how it worked, that's for sure.

The downside was it didn't work for mental exhaustion, and while I was keeping the team 'fit' even my amateur eye could see they were getting close to the breaking point, healing or no healing.

Soon enough, the Wards needed to fill in more and more 'Protectorate' level duties.

Patrols in worse parts of town, responding to low priority calls with unconfirmed cape sightings, supporting PRT troopers when they intervened with someone with a four or lower on the threat scale.

It was adding up. More than that, it was ramping up as the day loomed closer and closer.

(X)(X)(X)

When the day to transport Stormtiger and Alabaster came, it came quick.

The Judge's gavel had barely banged on the bench before Armsmaster called everyone 'fit for duty to show up.

Protectorate, PRT troopers, and the Wards.

Of course everyone being 'Fit for duty' was a qualifying statement.

Triumph, Assault, Battery, and Miss Militia were the only Protectorate capes present. Velocity and Dauntless had been taking three days worth of overtime to try and give the other five enough respite to be here and in relatively top form.

The Wards were equally short-staffed. I was here; of course, so was Aegis, Vista, Clock and if rumors were to be believed, Stalker was also on her way.

All targets that, technically speaking, could either utterly avoid risk to themselves or shrug off potentially fatal attacks.

The plan was still, in broad strokes, the same as it had been for Armsmaster's preliminary plan.

The Protectorate engages the 'big targets.

The PRT troopers are a wall of warm bodies with containment foam and bullets to stop anyone that slipped past the Heroes.

And the Wards, in theory, should have anyone that got past those two main groups outnumbered at the absolute least.

If that didn't happen. If the Wards were engaged by more than two Parahumans or 'A number of unpowered criminals that would endanger the wellbeing of the Wards, ' we were supposed to retreat immediately.

The main 'change' in the plan was that Miss Militia would be staying with the Wards to act as the commander, rather than leaving it up to Aegis given the dynamic situation and the fact that no one could really be sure How many capes were going to be here for this breakout.

If the Wards needed to retreat, she would make the call.

The main roads were closed off to the public and cleared by the cops. If something were to happen, there'd be less risk of collateral damage.

Even with this state of emergency and 'all hands on deck, I noted that Armsmaster was keeping Shadow Stalker firmly away from me and the other Wards, riding in a wholly separate truck.

Even so, I put that situation out of my mind soon enough. Riding in one of the transports with Vista, Clock, and Aegis. Four other PRT troopers were with us as I felt my stomach open into a flutter of nervousness.

It was only because of the constant check-ins that I knew where the hell we even were by the time things started happening.

We were just at the city's outskirts. Where the wall of buildings 'ended' and more 'open' highway began.

The sniper round ripped through the tire of the first truck, all but destroying the front right of the vehicle, making the whole column stop.

I heard panicked shouts and Armsmaster calmly barking orders into the comlinks as everyone started moving.

Console; now being manned by an experienced PRT comms officer rather than one of the Ward sor Heroes- started relaying confirmed sightings and locations of approaching threats. As Armsmaster succinctly and quickly dispatched his 'resources' to answer.

The weapon that damaged the lead Vehicle it's on the Chem-banks building to the North east. Take cover. Break Line of sight from it if possible Approximately on the twelfth story. Be advised, shot likely taken by Victor. Probability of Othala's enhancements high.

Assault, Battery, we have a confirmed sighting of Kaiser, Fenja, and Menja approaching from the main highway ahead of us. Intercept

Triumph approaching from the South; Krieg, and Crusader run interference if possible.

Hookwolf confirmed sighting- I'm going to intercept with Ward Shadow Stalker.

And just like that, a minor war seemed to erupt all around us.

Miss Militia took command from there, giving out orders to the surrounding troopers and the Wards as a whole. I heard the squeal of tires, dozens of cars and trucks, and everything just bursting with E-88 unpowered gang members. They all opened fire and turned this stretch of highway into the third world war.

PRT troopers made barricades out of containment foam. Shot out tires and let loose with tear gas and flashbang grenades in retaliation

More than once I saw Aegis stopping himself from rushing to join the fray even as Vista stretched and shrank space around the troopers to give them an edge.

And still more kept on coming.

They always say that the E-88 is the largest gang in the city.

You don't really appreciate it until you see a quarter of the PRT's entire troop division getting swarmed, and then there are ten more cars to spare rushing in to bring more gang members right up to you.

I allowed my ash to move. The cloak around my shoulders vanished to form a wall of unbreakable gray.

The lead car smashed into it, the others rushing to get around it.

Vista stretched the space of the car's hood, the fuel, engine, and oil suddenly needing to be pumped through a mile of cords and tubes rather than just a few feet.

The car sputtered and died; another had the engine block suddenly shrunk, the whole hood exploding in flames, much to the panic of the occupants.

Clock planted himself in front of one, touching the vehicle before it could swerve out of the way. All the men inside were suddenly trapped, the car slamming to a top as the men inside were thrown about like straw dolls.

There was a spray of gunfire trailing up to Clock, and I saw him turn himself inviolable as the bullets kept rising to take potshots at him.

Aegis rushed in Miss Militia, cursing as the green of her weapon whorled in the air, settling on a monstrous handgun.

The PRT troops were moving to reposition, space distorting to shorten the distance, the unpowered men and women rushing to try and actually shield us.

Damnit! Triumph here. Crusader's gotten past me. Krieg is keeping me busy. I can't intercept!.

Be advised, Victor confirmed on site on his way to the engagement with Rune, riding telekinetically held platforms, approaching from the Chem building.

I spared a glance in that direction, seeing that, yes, there were at least five platforms moving towards us, and two of them had 'riders.'

Armsmaster here, be advised Hookwolf is retreating, but Night and Fog have joined this engagement. I am unable to disengage to provide assistance. Ward Shadow Stalker has been ordered to quit the field immediately. Fog is targeting her!

"Miss Militia here-" I heard the Kurdish woman call. "All Wards pull-"

The rest of Miss Militia's sentence was cut off because, leaping from yet another vehicle filled with E-88 members, Cricket literally leapt from the back seat. Knives and sickles in hand.

My ash moved, circling through the air to try and catch the woman with the mass of gray before something made my whole stomach lurch, nausea violently cramping my guts and nearly making me throw up inside my mask/helmet.

Distantly I recognized troopers stumbling, falling or indeed, throwing up themselves as the Nazi woman darted forward, making a beeline straight for Miss Militia.

I heard the cracking of bones, the ashen idol appearing in front of me, cutting off my line of sight before I stumbled to get around it.

Miss Militia's gun barked once, and Cricket twisted in mid-air, avoiding the shot entirely before Militia's weapon transformed into a single trench knife, Cricket's sickle screeching as it met the weapon. The villain's free hand drew a knife, darting out to try and slice open Militia's stomach with it.

The Kurdish woman moved then, her knee coming up to crack against Cricket's wrist, hard enough to dislodge the knife.

Aegis here, attempting to intercept villain Crusader!

I moved to rush forward on shaking, stumbling legs trying to help before a slab of stone careened down, slamming into me with the force of a train.

It knocked me down, punching the wind out of me as I coughed and sputtered, Victor leaping from his perch as he shouted an order at Rune, rushing to join the fray against Miss Militia.

Cricket was fast, unnaturally graceful, and Victor was skilled, but somehow the woman seemed to keep up with both of them.

Her weapon shifted, transforming mid-swing from a knife to a war hammer. The swing's sheer speed barely has time to change with the sudden weight difference. The hammer clanged hard against the cage covering Cricket's skull.

The head of the weapon was nearly tangled in the now sundered openings before the energy dispersed and reformed again, turning into a gun as she fired on Victor, who had to duck out of the way. Another swing and she was nearly taking Crickets' leg with a long saber, the blade turning into a tower shield as Victor returned fire before it whorled into a sub-machine gun that spat half a magazine at the man before it rounded on Cricket, forcing both villains to back up.

"Wards Retreat! Now!" The woman barked.

My heart stuttered in my chest, concern lancing through me.

I heard Vista hissing through the comm line. "We're not just leaving you here!"

Miss Militia didn't have time to answer, lunging behind one of the armored trucks to avoid a hail of gunfire from the unpowered humans who'd broken through the PRT line.

"Fuckin sand nigger bitch!"

My blood boiled, and the ash swirling around me rushed forward, and suddenly three men were too busy having their skin sanded down by a whirling storm of ash to think about shooting!

Wards this is Console. You are not authorized to engage a threat level this high. Your presence was always to be a deterrent force not a combat force. As the acting commander on scene Miss Militia has given the order, Disengage immediately!

"Vista." Aegis called. "Get the team out. South Western side is clear. Let's move."

"We can get Miss Militia!" I insisted on watching as Cricket re-engaged the Protectorate Heroine. Victor was now rushing with Rune towards the Armored prisoner transport holding Stormtiger and Alabaster.

She'd be outnumbered six to one once Crusader gets here! "If we leave without her the Empire's going to kill her!"

Wards I repeat. You are not authorized to engage at this threat level. Your commanding officer on site has given you an order-

I heard Miss Militia scream.

And I didn't listen to much else.

I sprinted across the stretch of highway between my car and the other, ignoring Aegis, Galant or the others shouting behind me, leaping onto and over the roof of the car.

I saw Miss Militia immediately.

One of her eyes was shut in pain, Cricket's sickle carving into and through her forearm, its curved hook-like point emerging out the other end.

I could see the Nazi grinning, pulling on the blade in a way that sliced the tear wider, scraped against bone, disabling one arm with as much pain as possible.

Miss Militia's other hand was holding onto Cricket's free wrist, keeping a knife at bay.

I saw the green energy shift, a gun forming in the hand that was gored on Cricket's sickle.

Cricket's eyes widened in surprise.

The gun went off.

Cricket howled, blood exploding out of the side of her head as her ear was shorn off by the grazing shot, the metal cage around her head squealing as metal tore and rent itself.

The sickle was yanked across Militia's forearm in a shower of gore and viscera, the pain making Militia's other arm slip as Cricket slashed across the Heroine's stomach.

My own scream sounded distant in my ears.

Cricket's gaze snaps over to me as Miss Militia falls down. The heroine is hissing as she presses herself against the side of the truck.

The Nazi woman is stumbling, her preternatural grace seemingly absent, one hand rising to what would have been a ringing ear, blood staining her pasty white skin.

My ash surges.

She tries to move, to dodge.

I don't let her.

The ash around me is a weapon, but so is my armor.

I'll recognize it as a stupid move later, but I don't care.

This Nazi bitch tried to kill Miss Militia!

Most of my armor sloughs off me, and as Cricket rushes to dodge left or right, ashen walls box her in. She's scrambling, rushing to leap off the surfaces only for them to suddenly become soft, letting her foot and leg sink into the mass of ash, trapping her.

Then I start grinding.

Cricket screams silently. A wheeze of air through a ruined voice box, trying to force herself free as I make my ash chew through her trapped legs.

Her eyes snap to me, hands drawing a knife, ready to throw.

I don't let her.

The ash rushes forward, grabbing her wrists and arms.

She hurt what was yours.

I squeeze.

The sound of broken bones and Cricket convulsing like a worm on a hook snaps me out of my rage. I let her go, suddenly horrified, the ash rushing back to me.

A shot rings out, the hit cracking against my, once again armored shoulder and I pitch to the side, off the roof of the car to land heavily on my back.

Victor runs in, Alabaster and Stormtiger right behind him as he leaps off the side of the overpass, and all five Nazis are suddenly rushing away on Rune's platforms.

There's still fighting happening. Unpowered thugs have to run the old-fashioned way, but as I hear Armsmaster and the others calling in that the Empire capes are retreating I start scrambling to move, rushing towards Miss Militia.

The woman's arm is a ruin. A jagged, shorn hole is carved into her limb. Blood is pouring from the wound, but I can almost see straight through to the other side.

Her stomach looks just as bad.

"It looks worse than it is." She assures me.

I look at her.

She smiles, though more likely it's a pained grimace under the mask.. "I'll be fine, hun."

I shake my head.

I look down, finding the backup knife in the woman's boot.

I don't hesitate.

Reaching for the knife, I can see her confusion, and then sudden alarm as I peel the ash off my hand and stab myself straight through my palm.

"Ta-Ashburn!" She screams, then coughs.

It doesn't matter.

The bones crack. The fires burn. The whispers come.

The healing energies wash over her, and I see them taking effect, feeling relief even as I remind myself to pull the knife out of my hand.

When her hands grab my shoulders, her grip feels like iron, even through the ashen armor.

Her eyes are wide, not angry. It's close to anger, But not exactly.

"Don't ever do that!"

I cringe. "You were hurt!"

"I told you it looked worse than it was!" She shouted back.

"Well, it looked bad alright!?

"Armsmaster is already on his way. His equipment could have stopped the bleeding long enough for me to reach Panacea. Or Clock could have frozen me entirely if it was really desperate!"

"Well, I didn't know that!" Now I was shouting. "You were hurt and I could help!"

She glares at me, and I can't see the lines of her face under the bandana as she shakes her head.

"You are more important than your power." She repeats. "Your heart is in the right place Taylor. I know that. But I want you to promise me… you won't do this as the FIRST OPTION!" She's screaming by the end.

I've never heard her scream.

"But I-"

"This isn't up for debate!" She hissed, cutting me off and the look in her eyes reminded me, oddly, of Dad. "You do not hurt yourself out of… expedience! Never again! You promise me. Right now. Or my next act as soon as I get back to base is to recommend you off the Wards program!"

My eyes widened a spike of something that wasn't quite shock and wasn't quite fear cutting through me.

Whatever look she saw in me, it made her features soften.

"Promise me." She implored.

I didn't trust my voice, and I refused to let the stinging behind my eyes turn into tears as I nodded.

I could still hear the whispers of my idol. Still feel the heat of the flames and the feeling of its soothing healing pulses.

But all I could hear was Miss Militia's heart and the warmth of her skin as she hugged me tightly.

…

"Miss Militia here." I hear her whisper. "Be advised. Ashburn healing idols present near center of transport column."

(X)(X)(X)

"Are you joking!"

In the face of my incredulous anger, Piggot seems remarkably unphased.

"Have I given you the impression that I joke often Miss Hebert!"

"You're punishing me for saving Miss Militia!?" I'm not sure if this qualifies as shouting yet. "That's bullshit!" The profanity is unprofessional. I know it won't win me any points in this argument but it's out of my mouth before I even realized I was about to say it.

"I'm punishing you-" Piggot bites out. "Because your actions exceeded several forms of acceptable force!" Now she's definitely shouting and the heavy *stamp* of her fingers slamming down onto keyboard keys does a remarkable job of emphasizing her anger.

An image pops up on the nearby wall, a video, shaky cam, but as shaky as it was I could still see, very clearly an image of myself just a few hours ago, flaying the skin off of Cricket's legs and crushing her arms like twigs.

Despite myself, I wince; seeing her moving in twisting, desperate pain is… horrifying.

"That," Piggot snarls. "Has been making the rounds on PHO as of forty-seven minutes ago."

"Ma'am." Carlos says, stepping up beside me. "That was likely taken by one of the unpowered E-88 members."

"Do you think that matters?" Piggot hisses. "All the public sees is a Ward torturing a restrained prisoner in broad daylight."

Her baleful glare rounds on me. "So Yes, Ms. Hebert. Remedial courses. All centered around acceptable force! If that seems like a punishment for you; perhaps I can arrange for you to head down to image department and start doing their jobs. Now that they're working overtime covering for you!"

I want to protest. Argue Cricket had been ready to kill Militia! Broken bones was the least I could have done. Did everyone forget I could make fires that immolated damn near anything in seconds?

But there was no point. Even I've known Piggot long enough to know that arguing will get nowhere with her.

My fists clench, and I have to force the words out. "When is this supposed to start?"

"Tomorrow." She answers. "And I want your incident reports on my desk by tonight. Now you're excused. I need to hear from Aegis why he chose to engage Crusader in one on one combat as opposed to assisting Miss Militia himself given that he can somewhat contest both Victor and Cricket. Or better yet retreat as he was ordered to"

I stood up, tossing Aegis a look that he stoically ignored in favor of keeping his eyes dead ahead as I marched out.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

Ok Before anyone gets on my case regarding two things:

1) Taylor's relative "passivity" during the fight. Because just by knowledge of what Taylor can do a single ash wall is a pretty... minimalist impact on the fight when this girl could have been pulling off an ashen version of the gates of babylon with fire to boot.

Taylor at this juncture is so green she pisses grass. And being dumped in the closest equivalent to "battlefield conditions" she could experience here, relatively cold is bound to make anyone hesitate, which is why she was more paying attention to the other Wards for cues than actively "demolishing" the oposition.

She'll get better but you kinda have to learn to walk before you can run.

Unless you replace the running with sheer rage.

2) Piggot:

Before anyone says that Piggot is being unreasonable or she should be prioritizing Hannah's survival vs Public image; shit *really* isn't that simple.

Taylor is a teenager not an adult. If this was say... Dauntless or Armsy who just *threw his spear/halberd* through someone's chest to save Miss Militia then Piggot would likely do little more than ask him, politely "Was that necessary" He answers "yes" or that he saw no other way to save Militia's life and she'd believe him. Because they're experienced, they're adults and they are very much aware this is not *acceptable* as a pattern to get into.

Teenagers are prone to taking a mile if you give them an inch. And that's true of ALL teenagers regardless of their status as protagonists.

She is very much appreciative of the fact that Miss Militia is much more important than a Nazi. But Taylor quite literally just *destroyed* Cricket in half a second and from an outsider's perspective it was like ripping the wings off a fly. If Othala wasn't a factor Cricket would be permanently crippled.

She's very much concerned that Taylor found it so easy if she DOESN'T nip this in the bud as harshly as possible she'd be nurturing a budding propensity for a Ward inflicting as much damage as possible when engaged in combat and allowing the 'slippery slope' of "I felt it was necessary" to set the tone for things going forward.

Last edited: Jun 8, 2022

386

Ld1449

Jun 8, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks 2.5

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 8, 2022

#4,137

2.5

"How do I get her off of my butt. Literally"

The words brought me up short, and I almost jerked where I was standing. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said," Kid Win sighed as he was hovering over the rooftops on his board. "How do I get her off me. Aisha. The girl is a… horny handful!"

"Well, she's interested in you," I replied, looking up at him from the sidewalk, strolling the rows of shops on the Boardwalk. I looked to the side, seeing my reflection in the glass windows.

I changed my ash armor daily. It was a little bit of...vanity...and a little bit of curiosity and an interest in just mixing and matching. Some days I have more armor around my legs. Some around my chest. My fingers usually had claws.

Dean got on my case, and Dennis made jokes, but I liked how it looked, so they could just be ignored on this issue.

The big change though, usually was my helmet. Typically the change was just skin deep, so to speak; maybe one day, my helmet had Raven-style wings. On others it'd be a bat. Maybe one day it'd have a dragon-style motif. Sometimes with a T-shaped visor, others with a V.

This time though, the upgrade was a lot more significant.

Instead of a normal PRT issued helmet under the ash; this one was handed to me just the other day by Armsmaster after we did another Power Test Session.

The Helmet was customized just for me. It had a built-in communicator that could connect to the PRT communications and Police Dispatch, a black visor with a Heads-Up Display with my heartbeat and vital signs, and those of my Ward teammates nearby.

A simple disk-shaped 'map' of sorts showed how distant they were from me in a diameter of around thirty-five meters.

A temperature sensor to view how hot my fire and ashen Idols were growing and a full visual spectrum. And the Night vision lenses were designed to block out bright lights automatically so no glaring off my retinas by using my fire.

So it was like the old glasses. But more professional and hero-ish and...a million times more awesome.

It was… definitely a highlight of the week so far.

Between the 'remedial courses' on excessive force and PHO basically exploding to debate whether I was a sadist, totally justified, or a 'Pussy who shoulda finished the job' Armsmaster's gift was definitely a notable plus side to this whole… mess.

"Yeah but still, I mean, I appreciate it but...like...I'm…" Kid Win sounded unsure, his voice dragging me back to the previous conversation. .

"You're what?" I asked him, waving at some passers-by.

They waved back a little stiffly, staring.

"I mean, is Aisha cute? Yeah...hell, she's kinda hot...she's peppy, funny, but...is she just messing with me?"

I paused.

I… hadn't considered that.

Stupid of me. Winslow was the kind of place where leading someone along would be 'funny'

Was Aisha like that? I'd like to think not, and she'd been honest with me but…

"Maybe ask Dean?" I ventured with a hesitant shrug. "He might be able to tell you for sure?"

"Maybe." He groused.

"You think you'll go out with her if she's not messing with you?"

"I… think so." The admission seemed to pain him. Like someone confessing they really really really wanted to pet the man-eating tiger or something.

I chortled at the mental image. "Well, I-" I cut myself off. "We got a call." The communicator in my new helmet crackled to life with the voice it was from Battery. The two of us instantly shut up and listened in.

"Black woman assaulted pretty badly. En route to the hospital now."

"Suspect??" Miss Militia's voice this time.

"Before she passed out, she described the perp as white. Shaved head. So likely E88"

"Location?"

"Found by the boardwalk, a couple blocks north of downtown near the shopping district. The person that called the police called as the attack was taking place so Empire boy couldn't have gotten very far. Probably ran when he heard the sirens. Attack happened when the woman, Andrea Young, was just getting done at her part-time job and walking home."

We are in the vicinity. My hand went to my helmet, but Kid beat me to it.

"This is Kid Win and Ashburn. We're by the boardwalk. Search and Intercept?"

"Affirmative. You two know the drill." Battery signed off, and me, and Kid Win looked at each other.

"Ladies first?" Kid Win gestured as his hoverboard kicked up into the sky.

I started jumping, hopping buildings with ease, hearing the whine of Kid Win's board overhead.

I leapt, arms flailing as I jumped to the ground, landing on the sidewalk and continuing my run unhurt. I'd have to practice to make that look a bit more graceful.

We advanced a few blocks, our eyes panning over the streets as best we could, searching for any sign. Bloodied knuckles, a bloodied shirt, even a slightly harried or nervous-looking bald guy that would fit the E88 look.

During the search, we jumped at a loud noise of crashing and clanging. It was quite a ways off, but it was still loud.

I looked to Kid, and he hefted a laser pistol.

Moving forward, I dropped down to street level and moved as quietly as I could, Kid was on the roof, ready to shoot down with his lasers once I was in position.

"Ready." He whispered.

"Yeah," I answered, my back hugging the wall.

"Now!"

I swiveled around, hands lighting up in flames, and...stopped.

"Fuck fuckity fuck fuck!" The person in the alley was on her knees checking a person's pulse.

"Glory Girl?" I asked, the New Wave heroine flinching as if lightning shot down her spine.

"Oh...hey Ashburn. What's up?" She asked, laughing nervously as I approached, the look on her face akin to a child caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Kid Win landed behind her and looked down.

"Vicky?" He asked before looking down at the man slumped against the wall. "You-"

I found myself looking between the New Wave Heroine and the crook. "What happened here?"

The blonde stood up, hand behind her head, scratching it.

"Well...c-can it wait? I need to call Amy. He's hurt bad."

"Is he a cape?" Kid Win asked, pointing at the dumpster that I now noted had a very distinct handprint in the metal with scrapes and scratch marks on the pavement under it.

"No, he isn't...that was me." Glory Girl sighed in defeat as she got out her phone, probably looking at her map as she murmured, "where am I…" My eyes went up in surprise.

"How hard did you hit him?" I asked, then looked down. "Oh crap! Is he dead?" Could Panacea even fix this?

"He pissed me off, okay! Stupid skinhead." She put her phone to her ears. ""Hey, sis? Yeah...well...I uh...kinda sorta-messed up." She winced and I could almost hear Amy's shrill voice on the other side of the phone. "Yeah. Look, I'm sorr-" She sighed. "Ok, can we talk about this later? Yeah. I'm at Spayder and Rock. There's this little road that runs behind the buildings. Right by the boardwalk, yeah. Yeah? Thanks."

As Vicky was talking I heard and saw Kid walk aways off, likely spinning a… less damaging story to Console, at least until we had a handle on what the hell happened.

I knelt by him. All Wards learned quick first aid, but this was...damn…

"How is he?" Chris asked, returning;

I switched on my helmet's diagnostic function. God and Scion above praise Armsmaster and Tinker-tech.

"Broken collar bone, shoulder blade, cracked hip joint. Lacerated spleen.Two cracks in his spine..."

"Mother of fuck." Victoria cursed. I turned on her.

"You nearly killed him!" I heard Kid exclaim. I closed my eyes, a headache pounding at my skull.

"I know alright! Damnit, should have taken care of it faster, maybe slapped him. Wouldn't talk shit with a broken jaw…" She muttered as she leaned against the wall, arms crossed.

"How did you find out about-" Kid Win paused, sighing in open aggravation as he answered his own question. "God damnit, Gallant."

…

Oh, for fucks sake.

Dean really has to keep his lid shut on stuff like this.

"Hey! He didn't tell me alright! You think New Wave doesn't have its own police scanners or people that call us in the department? I was the one who found the girl he beat up! I was already on this before you guys were even here."

"Vicky, this went way over the line here. He's a normal." Kid sighed, rubbing at his face.

"I didn't mean to! I...I snapped okay." She sighed, hand to her head. "He called me...See You Next Tuesday."

My face scrunched up in confusion. "See you next-Ohhhhhhhh."

Yeah, that… was a bit of a berserk button. Even the Trio hadn't called me that. Not yet at least..

But...still. "This was too much, Vicky, even if he...called you by that word. this went way too far.." I shook my head. That just about summed it up it seems.

"Oh damnit Ash! You know how this crap is!" Glory Girl tilted her head. "Don't pretend I'm the only one that ever hit a normal too hard. You almost flayed some ABB guys with an ash cloud on your first night out! And pretty much turned Cricket's arms into ground beef when she pissed you off! Don't stand there and pretend I'm the bad guy here! You have no right!"

I was taken aback, my mouth clicked shut…

"Victoria?" Both of us turned towards the alley, seeing Panacea in her white robes approaching. She stopped as she saw us, her pale face a little paler."What are you two doing here?" The tone of her voice was clipped and sharp.

"We were in the area, and we heard about the attack" Kid Win filled in for me. Panacea seemed to understand the context and sighed.

"God damnit, Gallant."

"Oh for the love of Scion, leave Gallant alone! He wasn't the one who told me and if he had he'd just be trying to help!" Glory Girl shouted.

I could feel her intimidation aura slamming over us. My own warmth power quickly countered the effects before the foreign influence could take hold. I saw Kid swallow hard, looking away.

Amy didn't say a word, marching past us to place her hand on the goon's face. She let out a hiss that could have been a curse in and of itself. "For fuck's sake Vicky!"

"I'm sorry alright!? Look just...fix him up ok."

Amy turned, glaring at her sister. She opened her mouth to say something but then seemed to remember we were still standing there and clicked it shut.

Three seconds later- "Done. Broken bones are fixed. Left the cuts and bruises though"

Victoria turned to us breathing far easier it seemed. "Ok...Right. Its done then. You guys...er."

I blinked. I knew where this was going. "You don't want us to tell anyone what happened?"

Kid shifted where he stood, and suddenly the tense atmosphere of the alley became a choking mess of apprehension.

"Please guys. This was a mistake. An accident. I...if this got loose…"

Kid frowned, his look sad. "New Wave was supposed to be about accountability Vicky."

"I am New Wave." She snapped, hands rising up to thread through her hair. "Me and Amy; that's all that's left! Dad barely goes out, mom's behind a desk, Crystal's in college...everyone that's supposed to be New Wave is just off doing their own thing. I'm the one that comes out here, day after day, and still tries to do something. It was an accident. And it was just a Nazi for gods sake! Everything I've done can't be outweighed by this piece of garbage!"

Her voice was shrill as she ended her rant, tears were prickling at her eyes as she panted, shutting her eyes tight as she pleaded. "Guys… Please"

Amy stood, looking at the two of us. "Look. He's fixed. This is done. This won't happen again ok? Just let it go. We'll take this guy to the cops and move on with our lives. He's not worth the BS for any of us. The public outcry would destroy New Wave and Vicky! It's just a Nazi."

Public outcry…

That's what they were worried about. That was their concern. Not that Victoria almost killed somebody. Probably would have killed somebody if her sister didn't have these specific healing powers.

Public outcry...

I shook my head. I couldn't do this right now. Couldn't deal with this.

I turned, stalking out of the alley, and had to struggle to not run out rather than walk ignoring Kid and Vicky as they called after me.

It was minutes later that I heard the thrum of Kid Win's hoverboard behind me, and we stopped.

"You ok?"

I shrugged, shoulders rising before slumping back down."Are we going to report this or not?" I asked.

"I…" He sighed. "I don't know...I mean...it is a Nazi and they said this was a first time mistake… The last thing we need is to hurt the good guys by giving some E88 goon ammo to shoot out Glory Girl's wings…"

I nodded...it made sense…

I still felt...filthy.

Its just a Nazi Taylor…

Just a Nazi.

Same as it had been Just Taylor.

Just that nerdy girl when measured against the Trackstar and local high school model. I was just that insignificant when looked at next to them…

I didn't hurt anyone. I didn't discriminate… The comparison was superficial but it was there.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

I…

"I'm going home...after patrol."

"You have to report in-"

"You handle it...I'm going home."

I couldn't do it….I could not do it. I would not sit there and lie bold-faced to cover this up right now.

My disgust was warring with my anger, my disappointment, and my sadness. I could feel it churning in my gut.

I wasn't going to deal with this right now.

Kid didn't look at me, but I caught his nod out of the corner of my eye and his whispered "Ok."

"Let's just….get this over with." I sighed.

(X)

We finished our shift on patrol and made it back to the PRT HQ without much of a word.

Chris de-costumed and went to give his report, and I went to the Wards dorm to get my stuff.

It was late and quiet. I was hungry, but didn't want to settle in and eat.

I went up the stairs. I could hear the lull of Missy's low-volume pop music from behind her door, and I went to my room. I sent my ash into a sealed and pressurized container and closed the lid shut. I removed my watch and helmet and placed it to the side.

Then I picked up my cell phone.

He answered after the first ring.

"Hey, kiddo. What's up? It's a little late. You've got school tomorrow."

"Hey, dad. Can...can you come pick me up?."

"...What happened?" His tone was strange. I didn't have the energy to place it but it was close to angry...or seemed like it. Maybe worried too.

"Nothing happened…" I shook my head. "I'd just really like to go home today."

A slight pause.

"I'm on my way."

"Thanks, dad. I'll...meet you at the boardwalk, I guess."

"No. You stay there. I'll jump through the hoops and talk to the checkpoint people. There's no traffic at this hour so I'll be there soon."

I nodded, then I hung up and got my backpack and books for tomorrow's' classes, and left the dorm. I didn't see Chris.

I grabbed my phone again. Hesitated. But after a moment decided to send the message. I didn't need them freaking out about me leaving without a word.

Going back home for the night. Will be back tomorrow after school.

I sent the text. Didn't get an immediate response. Hopefully Hannah would catch it late enough that I could avoid twenty questions.

Soon enough, I walked out the front doors, PRT guards and personnel were either coming or going with the shift changes. I moved quickly to avoid any that might want to ask. Walking down to the main gate and waiting at the curb.

About ten minutes later, I saw my dad drive up the bridge and around the loop here by the main gate. He parked right in front of me as I jogged up and opened the door to get into the passenger seat.

"Hey, Taylor."

"Hey, dad." I responded as I buckled up and felt him drive down the ramp. There was no traffic at this hour.

"So, you wanna talk?" He asked, looking at me.

I shrugged. Didn't say anything. It was unfair, I know he's only trying to help, but this isn't a conversation I want.

We drove on in an awkward quiet.

Dad pulled up into a Quick-Stop drive-through. "What do you want? Number three or number five?"

Even though my diet plan told me to stay away from fast foods...I can indulge once.

"Three. It's too late for spicy."

By the time we arrived back at the house it was already past midnight. Thankfully we managed to talk on SOME things, mainly how my school has been going and what my friends have been up to.

Dad opened the door and we walked inside and I settled down on the couch and dad sat next to me.

"Okay. So, we had dinner. We talked on school and friends. I'm glad to hear they're doing well. So how bout we talk about what's bothering you?" Dad said as he focused his attention squarely on me.

The frown came back as the subject matter reared its head again.

"Taylor. Please don't think you have to keep secrets from me again…"

I winced.

It took me a moment. A lot longer than it should have really. But I did eventually start talking. "Well...at school. One of my friends...well, two actually, they did something...bad."

"Bad as in..."

"Well..." I measured my words. Trying to make it gender-neutral. It wouldn't take a genius to link something like this to Victoria, considering I was the only other female Brute in the bay.

Wait...does Battery count as a brute?

I shook my head. "There was a fight. Words were exchanged. Shoving here and there. And...my friend got a little carried away."

"What did your friend do?"

"Well...the bad guy got a lot more hurt than he should have. Like...I don't even know… Let's just say it was that bad and leave it there."

Dad didn't say anything.

I had to fight to stop myself from wringing my hands like some nervous wreck... "Anyways, another friend of mine came, and I saw what happened and...well, no one else knows about it…"

Dad took a deep breath through his nose. Looks like he'd caught on to what the issue was.

"No one knows." I continued. "Only me and the friend that was with me. And I just...don't know what to do. I was asked not to tell because it would cause a lot of problems for…My friend... But how is that different from Winslow, where everyone covered for Emma, Sophia, and Madison?"

Dad took a deep breath, removed his glasses, and picked at his eyes a little. "Oh boy…" He muttered as he seemed to be deep in thought.

For a long time, neither of us said anything, just sitting in the half-dark living room, the light from the kitchen filtering in on us.

Then he said the very last words I wanted to hear from him right now.

"I don't know how to advise you. I can't say covering up something like this is the right thing. But I know how much you want to make friends. I can see how happy it makes you that you have them now. And I know how much damage coming out into the open with this could hurt those friendships no matter how good your intentions are and you'd be doing this, for someone who might even deserve worse than whatever your friend did to them or might not even appreciate the sacrifice you'd make."

He took another breath, this one releasing it in a huff. "There are two sides of me right now...as...I'm sure that there are two sides to you. One wants to be the good parent; wants to say do the right thing Taylor. Tell them what happened. Be honest. And there's another part of me that...knows...that doing the right thing can sometimes lead to the worst outcome.…"

He swallowed, taking off his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose. The grimace I could see on his face I no doubt shared at some point today. "And I've just seen you go through too much pain already to ask you to take on more kiddo."

I bit my lip, sniffing. I wasn't gonna cry. Heroes don't do that. I swallowed down the lump in my throat.

"In the end…" He finally breathed. "-you just gotta know that whatever you decide...I'll back you one hundred percent no matter what."

I bit my lip and looked up at him. I knew he would support me to the bitter end, and I hugged him. "Thanks Dad..."

"Your welcome kiddo. Anytime." He kissed my head. "Now, you get to bed. You have school in the morning. I'll wake you up." I smile and nod, standing up and heading up the stairs, saying "Goodnight" as I did.

"Dad?"

"Hmmm?" He perked up at me as he was locking down the doors.

"Thanks." Dad smiled.

I smiled back and went upstairs to my bedroom. Still, the same as I left it the last time I was here. I shedded off my clothes, got into my pajamas, and crawled into bed and under the familiar covers. I sighed in contentment. I can hear Dad's footsteps as he turns off any lights and goes into his bedroom.

I yawn and feel my eyes slowly close as I get to sleep.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

378

Ld1449

Jun 8, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks 3.1

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 8, 2022

#4,138

3.1

I was in Arcadia's cafeteria. I was with Chris. Carlos and the others too.

I…

Is this a dream?

Strange...aren't you supposed to wake up when you recognize you're in a dream?

We seemed to be having a good time. But...I don't remember getting here...What was the last thing I did?

I heard whispering and hushed voices, and I saw my friends look up. Their faces are...strange. I turn back around to see what the deal was.

It was Victoria walking alone and holding her backpack as she was rushing through the cafeteria at a brisk pace. I stand up but felt an arm grip my own, pulling me back down. I look and see Aisha.

"Don't Tay." She hissed.

"Killing a normal." Said a voice I didn't recognize. I looked around, searching. I don't find it. Don't see anyone speaking. They just...stare.

"Just because the guy was a Nazi doesn't mean a parahuman can get away with that!"

"They tried to cover it up too. Just as bad.."

I blinked, the voices hammering away at my senses as I try to focus. I looked at Victoria. She's stopped in the middle of the cafeteria, beneath all of these accusing eyes.

"She's a loose cannon."

"Glad she got taken down to size."

I stood up again, and this time I pulled free of the hand that tried to hold me back.

I tried to trudge through the faceless crowd. Trying to get to the retreating Victoria, now dressed in jeans and a jacket, her hair is uncombed.

I reach forward

My hand brushes her shoulder.

Then she's not there. She's not there and the eyes are on me now.

And I'm the one they're glaring at now, the one standing isolated in the center of the room.

'Look at her. Can't control herself. Should have seen that on her first day.'

'She burned down the whole school. Nearly killed all the students. Probably wanted to kill them.'

'Psycho Carrie Bitch.'

'Tore off a womans arm. What would she have done to some normal causing too much trouble?'

I shook. My hands had risen up to my head, gripping at my hair. 'Its just a dream...its just a dream.' I hissed, shaking my head. 'Its not real...I just have to wake up.'

I tugged at my hair, feeling no pain.

Its just a dream...Its not real...I just have to wake up...its just a dream.

'Let me go. Let me go!'

Its just a dream!

"What's wrong Taylor?"

My eyes snapped open and right there, right in front of me was Emma. Smiling that little grin of hers. That little...goddamn smile that just told me she just wasn't done quite yet.

Then my hand was wreathed in flame.

And my whole world was on fire as they all screamed as they burned. The smell of burning flesh hit me. Their skin blackened and charred.

I'm alone.

Alone.

Alone

Alone

You will be alone sweet daughter.

Ash danced around me.

And then I felt her grip on my hand. Tugging me free of this place, the flames dying.

Then it was quiet and there was...dark…

Peace.

Dulcet laughter, as beautiful as it was reassuring. I felt her arms coil around me, a warmth spreading across my thoughts. The fear, the pain, the anger. It all...melted away.

I looked up. But her face was hidden in shadow...I could see nothing but her smile…

It was…

I hugged her tight.

"Mom?"

Her hand caressed my cheek...

Because alone... you will always be MINE.

(X)

I awoke with a start and a gasp, still in bed and sweating. I stared up at the ceiling. My old ceiling with chipped, off color white paint.

I'm panting, eyes going this way and that way, before I finally felt myself calm down. My heart was thundering in my chest.

"Just a dream," I muttered, sitting up, swiveling around, so my feet touched the ground. "Just a...really weird dream…"

I sat there for a while before I finally pushed myself onto my feet and went to the bathroom. I washed my face. And gripped at the sink. Half feeling like I wanna throw up.

I stayed there for minutes. Quiet. Thinking. That dream was...but so vivid I could almost feel mom's arms around me like they were actually there…

I could still smell burning flesh in my nostrils…

I can still hear the silence of absolute solitude.

I shook my head. Opened the bathroom door and looked across the hallway to the clock we had hanging on the wall.

I blinked. It was a little later than my usual wake-up time, actually.

I closed the door, opened up the faucet, and washed my face again, trying to wash away the sleep as much as the strangeness of the dream itself.

I got out, went back to my room, and picked out some clothes to shower. Now that I was a bit more aware of myself, I could hear Dad down in the kitchen making breakfast.

When I'm finally ready to head down, Dad is scraping some eggs out of the skillet with the spatula.

"Morning, Taylor." He greets, not looking away from his task.

"Morning, dad." I shifted from foot to foot. "Dad. I'd rather not go to school today."

He turns from his cooking, looking at me. "I think I know the reason, but I wouldn't mind hearing it."

I took a breath. "I want a clear head to decide this. I want to *know* that what I'm doing is right either way. I don't want… my friend trying to convince me again, or us ending up arguing. I want to decide, not to jump into something I'll end up regretting and I don't think I can do that if I go to school today.

Danny sighed. Then he nodded. "Alright...I get it. But Taylor. This is just for today. If you don't decide today, then you are going to class tomorrow, come hell shit or high waters okay?"

I nodded. That was fair

He turned back to his cooking. "Well. Now that our pressing need to be early for your classes is over, I can make something a little better than sunny side up eggs."

I laughed. "Like what?"

Dad smirked. "I remember it's been a while since someone had those blueberry pancakes that they like so much."

"Don't you have work?" I asked, smiling at the back of his head.

"I've been clocking so many overtime hours out of boredom without you kiddo, that they'd still owe me money if I missed a whole week."

"It's good to be the boss, huh?" I laughed.

"Damn right."

--

We got into the car over an hour late, and he began driving.

It was quiet, really.

It wasn't...awkward per-se. But we could both notice that there was a subject we were choosing to ignore. Me, still contemplating what to do. Him allowing me to do so.

Either way, by the time I got back to PRT HQ I'd decide one way or another.

I barely even recognized when my dad started talking. "-adio says there was an accident on the 95. We'll need to make a detour unless you wanna be stuck in traffic for an hour.." His eyes went up, trying to think of the different ways he could make it to the PRT HQ from here.

I smiled, "There's an app for that." I got my phone out and began looking on my Sig-Alert app. I almost reeled as I saw some heavy traffic a couple of intersections up ahead.

"I remember when phones were just phones. Not a whole appliance store." He grumbled.

"Hey, dad, we can get to the 103 if we cut through Concord Heights. The intersection on the other side is clear. We can also go through Vess road but it's estimating ten more minutes driving time."

"You know I remember when we had intuition and deduction to figure things out. We can take the thirty-eight. It's early so most of the businesses there are still closed." He chuckled.

"Thirty-eight has twenty more minutes." I smiled.

"That phone's just plain old wrong." I noticed he did take the road to go to Concord Heights regardless.

A few minutes later, we were in the nice part of town. It was hilly, and there were climbs and drops, but still, lots of great houses to look at.

My phone began to ring, and I looked down, it was from "Unknown"

I picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Yes, would this be the correct line to call about chimney cleaning services?"

I cringed. Honestly, I get that they have to use code-words to avoid someone else picking up the phone and the guy on the other side just blabbing out more information than what would be prudent.

But still, Carlos' job was "Personal Trainer" Kid Win was "Computer repair". Vista had freaking Photography. And I have cleaning chimneys? Does anyone even have chimneys in Brockton bay?

"Yes." I answer easily. "We deal with all manner of fire and ash damage." I answer the fairly simple passcode.

"Ashburn, there's a situation. Bay Central Bank is being held up. Undersider Gang." I perked up. The Undersiders are robbing a bank?

The operator kept talking before I could get a word in edgewise. "There's a quick response truck already en route to your location. ETA is three minutes. We need you to stop there and get in when they arrive. All Wards are being called in for this. We would have brought you out of your classes, too but you're not present in Arcadia."

I ignored the accusation, choosing to focus on what didn't make sense to me right now. "All the Wards? What about the Protectorate?"

"All Protectorate personnel are currently out of the Bay"

Out of the Ba- Oh crap. That thing was today?

I nod, then nearly slap myself for doing that over the phone. "Right, we'll be waiting on your arrival" I hang up.

"Three minutes." The man repeats.

Dad was looking at me. "What's up kiddo?"

"Dad we need to-Stop the car!"

Dad's foot slams on the break at the sound of my voice, tires squealing, the seat-belt digs into my shoulder and chest as I lurch forward, almost hitting the dashboard with my face before I jerk back into my seat.

I hear a thud against the hood and feel my heart drop. Dad hit someone!

My eyes snap upwards, and I realize, no, Dad didn't hit someone. The person is hitting the hood with their hands.

It's a little girl.

"Help me!" She screams. Tears are streaming down her face. She's still wearing her school uniform.

She rounds the car, and Dad is still getting his bearings when she yanks open the car door beside him, crying, grabbing onto his jacket and Dad just grabs her, as confused as I am when the girl starts muttering. "Eighty-seven point three percent chance. Eighty-seven point three percent chance!"

Dad's hands seem like they don't know what to do with themselves, stuck between grabbing at the distraught girl and gripping the steering wheel for dear life. "Ok, Ok honey what's-"

There's a sound, I don't rightly recognize it, but the next thing I know the front windshield is shattering over us and a wave of heat hits me with the shards of glass.

Dad's hands finally find what to do with themselves as they grab the girl and pull her into the car across his lap, draping himself over her.

I look up where I've ducked down, and I find eleven men in what looks like Tinker-tech gear circling us…

I'm about to tell Dad to put his foot on the gas when I notice that our hood currently had a hole melted straight through it, about the size of a fist.

We're not going anywhere…

I need ash...something to burn.

"Secure the package." I heard one say in a tech-scrambled voice. I wouldn't have been able to tell which had he not moved his hand and one of his men stepped forward to do as asked.

"Eighty-seven point three percent...Eighty-seven point three-" The girl kept muttering to herself, shaking like a leaf in Dad's arms. Dad himself was looking around now, like a deer caught in a couple dozen headlights. His head whipped to and fro, taking in the whole scenery.

One of the men stepped forward, circling around the still open car door. He reached in towards the girl and grabbed her by the back of the school uniform.

Dad finally seemed to catch onto what was happening.

My dad cocked back his foot, then kicked the armored soldier in the face.

The merc reeled back, and the rifle dangling from its strap was once more in his hand, pointing at my dad as he grabbed at his ankle and half pulled him out of the car.

He's pointing a rifle...at my dad!

You have nothing to fear from kindling

I don't know if he's going to shoot. I don't wait long enough to find out one way or the other.

My hand rises over my father and the crying girl, and then there's a stream of bright, impossibly hot fire streaking out of my fingertips towards him.

I catch what must be surprise behind the lens of his visor as he tries to dive away.

It's a second too late.

The flames hit him, the force of the attack pushes him back, and the next second I hear him screaming

It's a horrible scream.

He writhes and thrashes on the floor.

My fires eat him alive.

It doesn't take long, perhaps three to five seconds, for him to go still.

It was the longest five seconds of my life.

There's crackle of voices over radios and helmets, surprised, angry.

"Shit!"

"Cape!"

"Take her down! Center mass!"

I'm lucky the dead guy pulled Dad a little out of the car. I could never do this otherwise.

With a thought, all my clothes, the seat directly beneath me, and the carpeting on the floor the plastic and foam of the car door and armrest on either side of me are all on fire.

Rifles come alive with clacks, snaps, and whines of charged tinker tech power cells.

I don't have enough ash. Not nearly enough. I haven't burned enough!

I use the lever at the side of the seat to lower the back; now I'm laying down, my hand grips the back seat, lighting it up and then drifting down to the floor to set the whole thing on fire.

Then they start shooting.

I dive into the floor of the back seat, using the flames now swallowing the car to cover my movements, leaving them shooting at the empty front seat.

Then my mind goes blank with pain as I feel what must be a jagged wire lance up my calf, shooting from my leg up my spine and straight down again to my foot with raw, burning agony.

I bite down on my tongue to keep from screaming and giving myself away.

I've just been shot!

Dad is shouting my name, only his side of the car is still 'intact' but that's changing fast, he's gotten out of the car, the little girl is screaming.

I lay there for a second, breathing fast as I try to gather my wits, try to remember where they were standing, how far dad is from them.

A thought comes to my head. The Car is probably gonna blow up soon.

The fires burn, it's an inferno. I can barely draw a breath, the fire's just eating up the oxygen.

I make it burn hotter, eat up their fuel faster.

Burn it all into ash and cinders.

At that point I discover with my power, something's already been consumed, there's more ash than what's in the car.

I realize it's the man I burned.

I don't care. I pull his remains towards me with a thought, hear the snaps and cracks of bone fragments and clinks of tinker metal and tech splinters getting dragged across the ground as the ash slips into the car to join the rest I'm creating around me right now.

I can't wait anymore. My lungs are burning with an entirely different fire. I gather the ash around my torso, my arms and legs. As much as I have. More of it every second. My head is bare, most of my back as well.

I stand as best I can in the back seat, and my eyes see the silhouettes through the fire, standing in front of the car and beside it.

I grip the driver's seat and lunge.

I can only imagine what I must have looked like to them, raw brute strength making me explode out of the flaming wreck of my Dad's car, clawed fingertips lancing into Tinker tech armor to cut into the Merc's shoulder while my other hand crunches and cracks his metal helmet.

He screams. He's trying to shoot me with his tinker tech gun, but its too long. I'm too close. He gets off three shots somewhere behind me before I bring him down to the ground. His cry of alarm is abruptly and brutally cut off as my hand smashes the back of his head down into the pavement.

I look to my left, to where Dad is still holding the girl

"Run!" I scream at him.

He's looking at me, shaking his head, refusing as he clutches at the child.

A bullet slams into my elbow, the paper thin layer of ash makes it feel like a sledgehammer rather than a paintball shot like it normally did.

I turn, and I drag my victim with the movement, placing him between myself and his team members to the right of me.

They're shouting now, a half dozen voices all screaming over each other. I feel warm blood trickling down my leg. Whatever adrenaline I had couldn't fully block out the pain now that I'm putting my full weight on it and I don't have enough ash to form one of my statues yet.

I see more of them, circling around the car, moving to get behind me where I don't have any ash to protect myself.

I look at the man in my grasp.

He is fuel.

I feel nothing as I burn him with my flames, armor and flesh coming apart beneath my fingers in seconds, the remains gathering over my skin to become another piece of my armor.

Then I feel like I'm hit by a freight train.

It takes me a second to realize I've been knocked on my ass, that I can't breathe, that my chest and lungs must be wrapped in barbed wire because it just hurts that bad.

I struggle to stand, hearing the girl screaming, and my Dad struggling.

Dad…

I get my hands under me, just managing to get up onto my hands and knees when my arm feels like its just snapped in two and I'm falling flat on my face again.

"The hell is that thing!"

"Shoot it!"

Like a warm salve, I can feel the warmth flowing through my limbs, the pain ebbs and melts away.

I move to stand, and whatever hit me before hits me again, the top of my shoulder this time, the blow shoves me back on my ass.

I don't know where the shooter is.

I finally bring my eyes up, the men are retreating, the girl is with them, Dad's on the ground, bleeding…

My heart stops.

He's not moving.

Dad isn't moving.

Those men…

My father…

My father is not moving!

They took what was yours

It's an insidious whisper through my mind, a swell of some...vile, twisted madness burning through my thoughts to swallow everything as I stare at my father who is not moving!

There is but one answer

I shake my head, crying as I stumble onto my feet, running towards him. "No no...nononono!

Ash and Cinders sweet daughter

His glasses are broken, there's a hole in his chest the healing aurora should work. It should work The wound should be closing!

No no no no nononononononononononono!

Burn them

"We've got the package. Returning to base."

My eyes snap up, I can only imagine the expression that must have crossed my face as my eyes find the backs of the retreating soldiers.

Burn ALL of them.

I hear her voice again then...mom's voice…a loving, soft whisper I can't help but be aware of...

I listen...

... I can hear you laughing... Is that you Mom?

(X)

Coil snapped the projected timeline closed, eyes wide in mild alarm at the sheer destruction that had just been unleashed on the center of Brockton Bay.

"That was…" He was not...expecting that.

Miss Hebert had, evidently, been holding far more back than what he or even the Protectorate gave her credit for.

His men had seen that first hand. They'd certainly had plenty of time to scream.

"Sir. Your orders?"

His men were still standing by in this reality, waiting on the fringes of the street, still out of sight from the occupants of the car as Dinah cried into Daniel Hebert's chest, screaming about her visions, the numbers, about the men coming after her as the Heberts sat there, trying to calm her hysterics.

He could try to go for it. Could order his men to refrain from trying to kill the Heberts this time...to not kill the father as they had.

But no. Not worth it at the moment. This was a cape in her civilian identity, More than that, it was a Ward he risked too much. Even from his own hired help, if they suspected he'd upped the ante so drastically they would fold.

The Undersiders would likely cut ties. As would Faultline.

New Wave alone would make it their mission to hunt him down. The situation would remind them too much of Fleur, that's not to mention the PRT response.

With a full investigation and perhaps the villains looking into it as well due to a breach of the unspoken rules, it wouldn't take long for the link of the mercenaries here and his own forces, which mostly consisted of mercenaries, to be drawn to him.

He pressed the button so his men could hear him. "Fall back, captain. Miss Alcott will be headed to the Protectorate. For now, at least."

"Understood. Package unsecured. Returning to base."

Coil rested his chin on top of his interlaced fingers, scowling at his computer as he let out a sigh through his nose. Tattletale and the Undersiders had held up their end and were already escaping with the money. They'll be getting a paycheck for a diversion that was ultimately successful but bore no fruit.

A setback...but a minor one.

In fact… that whole mess with Shadow Stalker… he'd been hoping to use that information to smear Piggot when the time came. But he may have just found an even more… fortuitous usage for this blunder the Director and Armsmaster had so conveniently bumbled themselves into…

Quietly, Coil picked up a phone.

He had a few calls to make.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

My thanks go out to Xegzy for the changes and corrections :)

Last edited: Jun 8, 2022

461

Ld1449

Jun 8, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks Emily Piggot

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 9, 2022

#4,208

Interlude: Emily Piggot

The click of her heels on the white tiles of the hallway was the only warning Emily Piggot offered the Wards before she placed her hand on the panel to let it read her handprint, opening the door to the medical room just in time to hear Gallant's voice directed at Panacea.

'You sure? It's not like her to not come to school, and she sounded upset over the pho-" He cut himself off as she walked in.

Her eyes panned the pristine white walls and the Wards themselves, who occupied the various seats available.

Fresh cuts and bruises were recently healed, just now, in fact. She'd been timing her arrival for when Panacea would ultimately finish avoiding the need to stand around and wait.

This situation had just gone from complicated to dangerous, and it was quickly becoming apparent that she had no time to spare.

"Panacea." She nodded at the world's most famous healer.

"Director. I was just finishing with Aegis now." She replied, standing up from where she'd been sitting at Carlos' side.

"So I see." She stepped aside. "Forgive me for being abrupt, but I need a word with the Wards about the situation at the bank."

Dennis was the one that spoke up. Of course, he would. "We already told Amy what happened at the bank while she was healing us Direc-"

"What I'm going to speak to you about regards more than just the Bank, Clockblocker." Her voice came out with the crack of a whip. They did not treat the Wards as a military unit and sometimes, particularly when friendships or relationships were involved like right now, it showed. Doubly so with Dennis, who had some issues with authority, to begin with.

"It's fine. I'll see you all outside." The girl answered before marching out and past her.

She barely waited for the door to be shut before she turned back to the Wards and Aegis in particular who was standing up from where he'd been lying down.

"Your report." She demanded.

"Ma'am." Aegis took a cue from Miss Militia, standing at a typical parade rest stance as he spoke.

It did a lot to demonstrate professionalism and hide nervousness. Militia, Aegis, and Triumph before him were the only ones to do it. The other Wards tended to fidget, giving away their emotions at times. So did the Protectorate Heroes, for that matter.

Battery crossed her arms; Assault paced, and Velocity allowed his leg to move up and down if he could. Armsmaster was the only one who stood stock still. One hand at his side, the other gripping the halberd that was tall as he was.

"As you know, we were called out of Arcadia High approximately thirty minutes after our first-period classes began because the Undersiders gang was holding up Brockton Central. We arrived on scene and proceeded to cover the entrances and possible exits as best we could. Browbeat was in the back, covering one possible exit. Kid Win was on the roof."

She turned her eyes to Browbeat; the boy shrugged. "They didn't come my way. Walked in and out the front door." He offered.

She nodded. "Yes. I also heard you had a plan to switch costumes with Clockblocker so he could freeze their team's dogs when they inevitably went after you. What happened?"

"Tattletale happened." The aforementioned trap/bait spoke up. "That thinker they got figured it out. Or at least, that's our guess. Told Hellhound to sick her dogs on 'me' and then one of them… err… the villains, not the dogs, kept making me trip all over myself. I barely got three feet before falling flat on my face, and he kept on doing the same to Vista too."

She looked to the youngest Ward, who looked about as happy about the situation as if someone had made her drink vinegar. Her injuries were healed, but the rather jagged crack that ran up the length of her visor indicated she'd taken a nasty hit to the face somewhere. Probably on the ground.

"Kept trying to get out of range-" She muttered sullenly. "-but every time I tried to stand, he'd just trip me up again. Looks like he can target whoever he can see. Either that or his range can extend for miles, which I doubt."

Something to consider later, Piggot mused.

"Then Grue covered the whole bank in that dark crap, us too; we couldn't see or hear anything." said Dennis again.

"I still knew where they were-" Missy added, "-and I kept trying to run interference with distance , but this stuff was disorienting, and they released a lot of the hostages all at once to add to the confusion and nullify my power. By the time I got everything straight in my head, Hellhound got her dogs to trample over Aegis, tear Kid's hoverboard, and rip Gallant's jetpack off."

"Then they ran." She drawled.

"Then they ran" Aegis confirmed with a grim nod. "At that point, I was the only one that could still pursue… and I'd be outnumbered four to one. Seven if you count the dogs. And in the dark we would never have been able to communicate or coordinate with each other at all."

"Where was Taylor?" Dennis asked.

Kid, who had been quiet up to now, swiveled his head around to look at him.

The clock-themed cape held up his hands. "Hey, don't get me wrong, I'm not mad or anything. But she's one of our heaviest hitters. Could have probably punched out those dogs and covered the place in ash to match that Dark crap. Hell, where the hell is Sophia? It's been ages since we saw her stalking the halls around here like Christmas misery come early or something. Didn't she have a grudge against that Grue guy???"

"That-" Emily spoke before anyone could continue the conversation. Hopefully they'd ignore the question of Sophia once she spoke. "Is why I'm here. Taylor was called in but ran into… interference." She answered carefully. "Did the Undersiders mention anyone else they could be working with? Or for? Anything at all?"

"To be frank," Aegis answered. "We weren't exactly in a place to talk or listen. Even if they were speaking, the darkness Grue's power generates blocks out all sights and sounds."

She resisted the urge to curse as she sighed.

"This does not leave this room." She looked pointedly at Gallant. "While on her way towards the Bank, Ms. Hebert was approached by a Parahuman whom we are under strong impressions, is a Precog. Quite possibly a postcog though, that has yet to be confirmed. We're tentatively rating her a Thinker seven with the possibility of such a ranking going up on further testing."

Dennis whistled while Brendan's eyebrows shot up.

"This parahuman-" She continued, ignoring him. "Was, allegedly, under attack by a team of possibly powered individuals or unpowered individuals with access to Tinkertech. We've corroborated evidence gathered on traffic cameras and a handful of eyewitness accounts and can confirm that there was indeed a team of people after her. A team that backed off the second she intercepted the Heberts asking them for help."

She allowed that to sink in.

It was Gallant that spoke- "But that would mean-"

"We have a leak." The word tasted like bile at the back of her throat. "If it was just the bank robbery occurring the same day the Protectorate heroes would be out of the city, that'd be fine, so to speak. Many organizations knew of our presence there; the leak could have come from them. But the fact that these men knew to back away from a Ward means that someone knows Hebert's civilian ID. Knows it accurately enough to recognize her in her father's car from half a city block away."

"That means all our Civilian ID's could be outed!" Chris near shouted.

Her features were grim as she nodded. "That's correct."

"B-But who would know that? Hell who else would know? It might not be just this… whoever. The ABB? E88? Another out-of-town gang?"

"We don't know yet." Emily cut him off. The last thing she needed was the Wards going off on wild speculations and flipping the hell out. "Rest assured, we will be running cross-checks with all of the faculty in your school along with the agents and heroes here. Everyone will be under a microscope, and the leak will be found and we will determine how far the damage goes."

The young Parahumans now looked concerned, nervous.

There were rules about this kind of thing. The penalty for breaking those rules always promised retaliation, but that tended to happen after the damage had been done.

"There is good news, however." She said, watching as the Wards perked up. "The Precog was able to very quickly narrow down our list of suspects before she succumbed to a Thinker headache."

"How narrow?" Aegis asked.

"Coil." The Director shrugged. "One Hundred percent probability Coil is responsible for her attempted kidnapping. She was suffering of the effects of a Thinker headache before she could say more, but with a little recovery she should be able to give us more information with this ability of hers. Finding him with her… enthusiasm will be remarkably easy.."

Now the Wards looked more at ease. Kid Win visibly sagging with the breath he released.

She nodded, it would do no one any good for them to worry themselves sick.

"However-" She decided to caution. "Depending on how extensive this leak is Coil may already be aware of how much information the Precog granted us. If he is, he may try to cut his losses and flee. So this isn't over until I say it's over. Are we clear?"

"Yes Ma'am." Aegis nodded.

"That means you stay on your guard. You don't leave your phones. You don't leave your designated patrol routes. You don't do anything that isn't personally cleared by Miss Militia, Armsmaster or myself."

Each of them nodded, a broken chorus of 'Yes ma'am' flitting through the room.

"If your parents agree, and if you wish it, we'll be gathering each of them into protective custody for at least a week." She promised. "You'll be allowed to stay with them in the secure hotel accommodations or on base. But beyond that you cannot return home until this is resolved.

Her phone rang before they could answer her. "Piggot here." She answered sharply.

"Ma'am. The Heberts and Ms. Alcot have just been brought in."

"Send them to my office." Her voice was a bit clipped as she hung up.

She was about to turn around when Aegis marched up to her. "Ma'am"

"What is it Aegis?"

"Requesting permission to conduct independent investigations into the Undersiders."

Even if she said no, none of them would listen, not with this. She couldn't really blame them either.

And his logic though knee jerk was sound.

Without an absurd level of coincidence the Undersiders were involved and knew who was pulling all the strings. "What you do on your own time is your business. Do as you like." She said by way of answer. "But you, none of you are authorized to act independently based on your findings. When you find something, come to me immediately. I don't care if it's at three in the morning or on Christmas morning or when the Endbringer sirens are blaring, you bring what you find to me. I am your first and last stop. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

The Ward nodded. Dennis gave a hand gesture of a the thumb and index finger connecting in a circle; the other three held up "Capiche ma'am.".

She turned and walked out, marching towards her office.

Time to find out just how valuable the Mayor's niece was that this puppeteer would go through so much trouble to acquire her.

(X)

The girl was a mess.

Bloodshot eyes, her knees, and hands scraped where she'd fallen in her run, school uniform wrinkled and filthy.

She looked like she had just run through a backyard school brawl.

Hebert was in the room, covered from head to toe in her ash armor. It was polite fiction to pretend Dinah Alcott didn't already know Taylor's identity. The girl had run straight into her because Taylor had the highest possible chance of keeping her safe.

As the Ward that had 'rescued' her, Taylor herself was, in essence, a material witness as much as a PRT/Protectorate agent. Her father was in another room, giving his statement.

Along with Ms. Alcott was Rory, out of costume, of course. The girl had clung to him like a lifeline and refused to let go almost as much as she'd refused to be parted from Ms. Hebert.

They were currently waiting on the young Alcott's parents.

Given that this was the Mayor's niece, she was, in effect, walking on eggshells of a sort.

The last thing she wanted to deal with was an angry Mayor to top her list of 'Shit I don't need to deal with' right below finding out who had leaked the Ward's civilian ID's and who currently was benefiting from that leak.

When her office doors opened, a man with a passing resemblance to Rory, who was sitting with the girl on her office's couch, all but ran in. "Dinah?"

"Daddy!"

She got up, running straight for him as he knelt and picked her up in a great hug, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you okay baby-girl?"

Evidently, whatever wall the child had tucked her emotions behind came undone as she was held in her father's arms.

She began bawling her eyes out as Rory stood and went to speak to his uncle.

Piggot took a breath, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

She wasn't entirely unsympathetic to the girl's emotional rollercoaster. Anyone who had gone through her ordeal, especially at her age, would probably do the same. But time was more important right now. Every second wasted was another second for the villains to cover their tracks. Or for their mole to decide to pack up and go.

As such, she barely waited for the crying to be reduced to hiccups before she stood, pointedly clearing her throat. "Mr. Alcott."

The man looked up, maneuvering his head to look over his daughter's mop of hair that was resting on his shoulder. "Y-yes?"

"I'm director Emily Piggot of the PRT. Please, take a seat."

"I-I don't...Should we call a lawyer?"

She refrained from rolling her eyes. "That's not necessary. You're not under arrest, and your daughter is not in trouble…" She almost amended the statement with 'From us' but held herself back.

"Well, what's going on? I was just called from work and was told you had Dinah and that she'd been attacked. Now she's here and crying and-"

One could almost hear what little patience she still had, audibly… snap.

She had a mole in her organization, the threat of every Ward's, and possibly every Hero's Civilian Identification in the hands of a criminal. One who might just upload those identifications to a public database out of spite.

Mercenaries were chasing children through the street, her Wards publicly bested by a small-time gang that managed to escape with at least fifty to two hundred thousand dollars in cash, a PR catastrophe currently brewing in the media with every Hero being out of the city when all of these situations went down, the Mayor ringing her secretaries phone off the cradle with calls every fifteen minutes.

She was not exactly in the mood to humor this civilian's fears and play the softball game.

She opened her mouth.

The door to her office hissed open.

She was sure the clack of her teeth could have been heard on the floor below.

She glared at the most unwelcome intruder.

"Yes, Calvert?" She all but bit out.

The man looked at the assembled group in her office, Rory, the Alcotts, and Hebert before turning his eyes to her, pulling a file out from under his arm. He cleared his throat. "Forgive me for the interruption," He said drolly, not looking the least bit put off by the curious glances or her heated stare, marching past the lot of them to hand her the file. "But I thought you should know, that situation with Shadow Stalker has not been resolved."

Her incredulity was naked on her face.

Hess? Hess! There were multiple crises sitting in her lap, and he wanted to bring up Hess NOW!?

She hadn't even assigned this case to him!

She should have expected this. Judging by the small, smug little smile on his face, the bastard was most likely relishing in the fact that he'd apparently figured it out and was ready to lord this over her head. He'd always been angling for her job.

Her glare sharpened into something hateful.

He continued, unperturbed or oblivious. "Apparently, there was an error with the paperwork."

She grabbed the folder and tossed it on her desk without a second glance. "I'll deal with it myself later."

He shrugged carelessly. "I figured you should know since you wished it handled without… certain new parties becoming aware."

He tossed a look Hebert's way. One that the girl very clearly saw.

As soon as she was done with Coil, she was wringing this bastard's fucking neck, even if she were out the way door while doing it.

"Understood." She snarled. "I will handle it. Now Leave."

He offered a thin smile before nodding and turning with a sharp about-face.

Her eyes could have cut stone, she was sure. If she were to trigger right now, it'd be with a blaster power out of her eyeballs to kill him where he stood.

She made a point not to look at Hebert for a while longer; even as the girl looked at her in obvious confusion and curiosity.

(X)

That night

"So...we have a traitor amongst us. One who's given up our identities." Armsmaster mused as he scratched at his beard with one hand, the other holding the Halberd. He was one of two heroes present, in part because Emily knew he was too much of a glory hound to go rogue. Miss Militia was another Hero she had on the very short 'highly unlikely to be the traitor' list. Nearly everyone else was fair game as far as she was concerned.

Paranoid of her. As far as someone like her could trust parahumans, she trusted the batch of them working in her city. But better a little paranoid right now than not.

"We do," Emily growled as she looked out the window towards the Bay. She turned towards the Tinker Hero. "Given everything we know, it's very likely someone relatively high on the chain… or worse, multiple people."

"Your tone suggests you have no idea who. "

"The Mole himself, none. The man employing him is Coil." She growled. "I take it you haven't had time to read the transcript of the Alcott girl's interview?"

"Not yet. I was informed she could tell numbers, hard percentages of event probability. Useful. Especially if they can cover both pre and post cognition."

"Uncertain for now" Emily nodded. "She fingered Coil immediately, didn't have to ask her anything."

"Hmm…" His lip curled. She couldn't blame him.

Out of the four primary criminal powers in the bay, Coil was the biggest enigma of them all.

All they knew was that he employed mercenaries. They didn't know if he had any other parahumans in his employ or if he even was a parahuman himself.

And for all they knew now, the most they could figure out was that he had hired the Undersiders. They didn't even know if it was a one-time deal or a permanent basis kind of thing.

She grit her teeth. The cogs in her own mind turned. "The Central Bay heist was a diversion. Coil hired the Undersiders to do it. He used them to distract the Wards and sent in his mercenaries to kidnap Dinah while you and the other Heroes were outside of the city. He knew exactly how long it would take us to scramble the Wards and get them to the bank and knew exactly how to counter Vista's power with a mass group of people to allow the Undersiders to escape. That information is highly classified."

"It could have been the Undersiders' Thinker. Tattletale. Still, should we do interviews?" Armsmaster straightened up. "I can talk to some of-."

She shook her head. "You can, but not yet. Coil's mole could very well be a parahuman, or someone with Tinker tech, or even under Master-Stranger influence. I want every damn base covered, so we'll use Dinah to help us. I don't want to tip them off at all. As of now, only five people know what we're discussing. The three of us, Ashburn and Triumph. No one else knows, and no one else needs to know… Clear?"

They nodded.

Piggot leaned back in her seat. "Now. Here's the troubling part. I questioned Miss Alcott earlier regarding her safety. She answered that there is only a fifty-eight percent chance she's safe inside PRT HQ."

Armsmaster reeled.

She nodded. "Specifically within the next thirty-two hours. Her chances significantly improved after that."

"That means Coil's going to act very quickly. He knows Dinah's power and knows that if he waits for much longer, we'll find both the mole and his base of operations."

"That's what I'm assuming."

"Did you ask her anything else?"

"If she was in her home. The answer there was abysmal but not unexpected. Twelve percent if she returned home to her family. More troubling though is that if we took her to an out-of-state safe house, her chances of being safe were only twenty-seven percent."

Armsmaster frowned. "That would suggest that he either has the ability to track her-"

"Or the infiltration is so deep and so widespread that even newly classified information can practically reach his desk the second it hits ours."

The man shook his head.

Coil's network was bigger than any of them thought. They'd been so fixated on the Dragon and the self-styled Emperor that they never noticed the Venomous Snake slithering up in the grass behind them.

"Why did you stop questioning her?" He suddenly asked. "We only have a window of a few hours before Coil makes his move against us. If we can narrow down the location of his base with a map, we can-"

"Don't insult the both of us, Armsmaster." She cut him off. "You think I wouldn't have this girl in a room right now if I could? I got as much out of her as was possible."

"What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately, she never explained that she gets thinker headaches with repeated use." She looked like she drank curdled milk. "I… wasted so many questions before that!" She rubbed her forehead. "Even the specialized pills our pediatrician offered only managed to ebb the pain for one or two more questions after I realized the mistake. She's been utilizing her power all day in order to escape. When she got a nosebleed after the last question, her parents stepped in. Her power puts a strain on her brain in putting in the numbers and probability. Right now, she's in the Wards dormitory. Her father went back home to get a change of clothes, so we sent PRT agents with him. Her mother is in one of the… jail cells, actually."

Miss Militia's look of surprise wasn't unexpected, but Armsmaster looking at her as though she'd grown a second head nearly made Emily chortle in spite of the situation at hand.

In the end, she repressed the mirth and offered a shrug. "This is the PRT. Not a hotel. It's all we had to offer without placing her in the barracks or the Protectorate rooms. Both of which would be a high breach in security that we simply do not need more of. She took it. The door's unlocked, and she's close to a bathroom with a shower. At any rate, if Coil plans on trying to get to Miss Alcott again within the next thirty-two hours, he's going to have to go through every member of the PRT to do it."

"Hmmm… we should have at least two heroes stick by Dinah at all times." He said.

She nodded. "Already ahead of you. Velocity and Triumph volunteered for the first watch. We'll also be keeping patrols to a minimum." She continued. "Unless Lung is blowing up the city, or Kaiser declares some holy war against all minorities, we all stay firmly put until Coil is dealt with."

"Understood."

Miss Militia nodded, "I'll head to the Ward dorms, get them up to speed on the situation and our plans."

"Do so." She dismissed.

Armsmaster stayed behind, not unusual, but she was drawing a blank on what the man might want to discuss.

"Something further?"

"This isn't the best time to bring this up." He admitted, and Emily felt her eyebrow hike its way up to her hairline on its own. "But if I leave with this whole situation, I'll likely forget. We need to discuss the situation with Hebert and Hess."

Ahh. That headache.

She leaned back in her chair. She needed a drink.

"Talk then."

He frowned. No doubt in consternation that she was actually making him talk this out rather than simply deducing what he wanted to bring up on her own.

"This… situation is growing increasingly precarious. Gallant has already figured out that Hess is connected to her Trigger. Aisha Labourne, a non-powered friend they've made in Arcadia, is aware of the relationship between Hess and Hebert; our involvement is unknown to her as of yet. Between these two things, it won't take long for the rest of the Wards to find out, and from there, there is no way that Miss Hebert will not find out as well, and the situation will become unsalvageable."

She stared at him. "You realize if Miss Hebert is utterly unwilling to listen to reason, or worse, her father is unwilling to listen to reason, and this truly goes completely sideways, it will likely cost both our jobs?"

The man's lip curled, but he didn't deny it.

Piggot sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

She should have figured it was always going to be untenable.

And now Calvert knew.

This wasn't a priority. Not like Coil. But it was a brewing crisis. One she had to manage along with everything else.

Armsmaster shifted where he stood. "I've promised… that I would reveal the situation in no more than two days time. If possible, I'd like to keep that promise."

She frowned.

Who had he promised? Gallant? Miss Militia?

She supposed it didn't really matter. She sighed. "If the situation is already known to Gallant, then we can't wait much longer. He's never been one to sit well with lying, even lies of omission." She closed her eyes and thought. "Thirty-two hours is the time frame we have on Coil's attack. Let's deal with one hydra head at a time. That first. Then Hebert."

The Tinker frowned.

She glared. "What."

"There is… one possibility." He ventured, and she realized the frown wasn't distaste but rather a consideration.

"If Coil is aware of Sophia's identity… and her connection to Hebert…" He trailed off.

Emily stared at him. Then snarled.

"Mother fucker…" When it rains, it bloody well pours. She moved to pick up the phone.

Just before yanking it off the cradle, the damn thing rang, a chirp of a ring before it was in her hands.

She cursed, pushing a button to accept the call "Piggot speaking."

She listened.

Her eyes went wide, surging to her feet.

"What!?"

(X)

Within his base, Thomas Calvert, now with his mask and black body-suit in the visage of Coil, looked at the myriad of monitors arrayed in front of him and his grudging employee, Tattletale.

It'd been a busy few hours since he'd left the PRT. Hours that had cost him a considerable amount of money and resources. And a negotiation where he'd had to lay down assurances and assuage fears.

He'd been burning through timelines. More than he'd ever used in a single day. The earliest vestiges of a never before felt Thinker headache were beginning to bloom behind his eyes.

But he had no choice.

Piggot was not stupid. She was remarkably fast on the draw when she set her mind to it.

He had hours at best before Miss Alcott was questioned in just the right way with just enough information that he'd have the PRT smashing down his door.

He'd invested too much in the Bay to lose it over a single happenstance of his pet finding the One 'hero' in the city who could burn down half of it in a pique of anger.

He could still turn this around, and he very much would.

"Status?" He called.

"We're ready." Was Grue's darkness-warped voice, he could hear the crunching of bone and the whimpers of dogs in the background.

"This is Trickster. Are we doing this sometime today?"

"Faultline here… you have one shot Coil. This plan of yours doesn't go exactly according to specs, and we're gone."

"Of course." He nodded. He'd heard that line at least seventeen times by now.

All the pieces were in place. Now it was time to call check. "Tattletale."

Lisa stepped forward, her eyes panning over the cameras for a second. "Trickster, you're going in first-"

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

Last edited: Jun 10, 2022

388

Ld1449

Jun 9, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks Tattletale

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 9, 2022

#4,209

Interlude: Tattletale

The Brockton Maximum security Prison for the New Hamshire state third district area of the PRT East-Northeast.

When people thought of a Parahuman 'Jail'. They thought of 'The Birdcage.'

That was not the final solution for all Parahumans.

Maximum security prisons were still in existence, and they could hold the vast majority of Parahumans once delivered into their walls.

But these weren't simple 'prisons' anymore.

They couldn't be. Not really. Between Masters and Strangers alone, anything that didn't have PRT personnel, training, and security equipment was practically gift-wrapped for an escape attempt.

As such, Maximum security prisons were little more than an informal extension of the PRT personnel. One that ALL branches had a solid investment in protecting.

After all. If even after capture. Even after jumping through all the hoops. Playing by all the rules and succeeding in getting your 'catch' into PRISON, someone could come over and just break them out ANYWAY…

Well… It made the prospect of being a Hero outright pointless.

Some targets were acceptable. A fresh capture. The PRT HQ of any given city. Even the second to last step of catching the villain mid transport TO the containment facility.

But once they were THERE at that containment facility?

No.

The PRT would not accept ANY group ever breaching a Maximum security prison and getting away with a successful escape.

EVERYONE would answer on the Heroes side.

And Lisa did indeed mean everyone.

The last attempt, nearly five years ago ended up with Legend arriving in Miami. From New York, In Less than a half-hour.

Within a week, the entirety of the Gang that pulled off the attack and subsequent escape was either in prison themselves; or dead.

The message was clear.

Once the PRT actually gets them behind the walls. Prison escapes were off-limits.

Full stop.

So these days, there was typically one prison where everyone went to. Parahuman and non Parahuman alike. The only way you were remanded to a purely non-powered, low-security facility was if you were a juvenile or had no criminal record related to any known villain affiliations. Even if your old gang or what have you was out of state, you would still be remanded to a facility just like this one somewhere in the US.

Here in the Bay, Parahuman criminals were kept in specially sealed Vaults at the lowest level of a three-story basement. Every one of the cells could be flooded with Containment Foam instantly, as could the hallways, the maintenance access areas, and even the recreational yard held underground with artificial sunlight could be foamed to capture any out-of-control Parahuman or anyone really.

In this place, there had only ever been one attempted assault on the location back when the Teeth and Marquis were still household names here in the Bay. The Butcher had gotten it into his head to spring one of his captured Parahumans.

Nine minutes.

That was the response time.

Between minute one and minute nine, the entire PRT had been mobilized, as had the Protectorate, the then "Brockton Bay Brigade", the full police department, and the national guard. Somewhere on the internet today, there was still an image of an entire military convoy of Tanks and military APVs grinding their way down first street.

Rubber bullets weren't used by any of them.

Needless to say, that had been a disaster for the Teeth. And had marked their death kneel in the Bay. The Empire was not going to let them recover from losing almost 3/5ths of their manpower in the span of nine minutes.

Now, with Dragon's systems possibly coordinating rapid response teams, you could cut that time by two to four minutes.

Her job was to make sure this went far better than that.

Namely, by completing their objective in three minutes.

Her eyes panned over the screen, just managing a glimpse of Coil in his black body suit a few feet beside her.

Is Confident/Is Nervous. Has run this plan before/Is attempting this with new information. Has a Trump Card in play/Is Desperate. You're Crucial to the plan/Has a gun. Is ready to kill you if you don't follow the plan/Has killed you already for not following the plan-

Pain lanced through her head. As usual, a confusing jumble of contradictions and false information bombarded her as soon as she looked at her boss.

Right. Gun. Ready to shoot her.

Play the part.

She turned her eyes over to the various screens and monitors.

Her power drank in the proverbial buffet. Dozens of snippets of information poured over her. Minute details becoming obvious.

"Trickster. You're up first." She called.

"Go ahead?"

"Get us a radio. The walkies Coil gave are the exact same brand and model. You can switch it with one from one of the patrolling guards." She threw a look her boss' way.

A pause. One of the guards kneels to pick up the radio that 'slipped' off his belt.

'Done.'

"They're using frequency six two four," Coil called behind her.

Knew that already/Has done this before. His techs have never done this. Working on hacking frequency now.

Fifteen seconds later.

"We're in." One of the technicians called. "Whatever they say, we'll hear."

"Can we give orders to them?" Somebody else asked.

The man looked at his computer, shaking his head. "Honestly, wouldn't risk sending more than two. This gear is practically running on full power just to get a peek in through the back door. Anything more and Dragon's systems will know something's wrong and start tracing us back to this location."

She tossed a look back behind her.

Unpleased/Unsurprised. Already knew what would be said. Non reactive. Non responsive.

She turned back to the monitors.

"Alright. First things first, diversion. Biggest baddest, heavy hitters. Bitch, Grue, Ballistic, Spitfire I want you three over that west wall in thirty seconds, go!"

She sucked down a breath and waited.

She was the first to see it in the cameras as a blanket of Grue's darkness rushed close. One guard on the tower did a double-take, leaning close to the railing to see if his eyes were deceiving him. The two men in the monitor room caught it five seconds later. One lunged for the walkie, the other for the phone.

The Guard on the tower spoke.

"Control this is northwest tower I...I'm not sure if-"

Then the darkness was gone, and she saw Bitch's dogs lunging out to claw their way up the sheer stone wall.

Countdown start.

"Shit! Control! Control this is northwest tower. we are under attack by unknown numbers of parahuman forces! Under attack!" The man ran into the tower, emerging a second later with his friend, holding some tinker tech long-rifles.

"Grue, dark field as much as you can!" She shouted!

The black abyss bloomed out from him like a sheet of night; the cameras were all blacked out on the northern side.

She looked to the Travelers and Faultline.

The alarms were going off in the barracks, seventy-five on-site agents scrambling to put on their armor and grab their weapons as others scrambled from locations across the prison compound.

Massive stone slabs shot out of the dark like they were fired from a cannon. Moving impossibly fast, the stones hit the northwest tower with brutal, timed precision, almost rhythmic.

Crack!

Crack!

Crack!

By the fourth, the neck of the Tower was crumbling, the sheer weight of its crown making the thing tilt and snap itself in two to tumble onto the wall itself. One officer dove off the tower walkway onto a nearby roof, alive but definitely with something broken.

She didn't see what happened to the other one, though her power helpfully provided its opinion on how many different ways he broke his neck.

The southwest tower was then hit by another impossibly fast slab of rock, while cameras on buildings four and six, closest to the cloud of darkness, caught sight of towers and walls being set on fire, blocking the nearest exits.

Thirty seconds.

"Faultline, you're up."

"Moving to the control tower."

"No, no," She shook her head. "That tower is a decoy. The computers there are just glorified hard drives where they keep their records. You're heading to the very south corner of the east wall. Punch straight through, then into the building across, and then punch through two floors to get to the Room that's housing the control center for the whole prison."

"Better be right about this bitch."

'Well fuck you too, buddy.' She grit her teeth...oh what she wouldn't do to lead her straight into the barracks full of armed and angry guards!

She shook her head, once more tossing Coil a look out of the corner of her eye.

Their reason for being here was bullshit. That much was obvious to her the second he opened his mouth. No group of people was this important. Especially not to him. He'd sooner have them all killed in a prison yard 'accident' than go through all this trouble to get them out.

Wants to Draw the PRT and Protectorate away from PRT HQ. Wants to give them a target they can't ignore. That they must respond with all their force. Is worried of reprisal. Reduced Worry due to Trump Card at play.

She still didn't have enough information to discover what exactly his endgame was but she would.

The bank was a distraction job too. Distractions seemed to be Coil's favorite modus operandi.

She wished she'd have taken a minute or two to peruse a newspaper before she collapsed on her bed after the bank.

Maybe she'd have found what was so important.

"Genesis!" She heard Faultline call through the radios. "Help us out here and flank them."

"Genesis is making her way towards the armory," Ballistic called back over the comm. Faultline sighed in frustration.

"Then you come. The guards and automatic defenses are pinning us down! Where is the place anyway?"

"Okay, you just have to make a straight beeline to the control room. Should be about thirty yards from your position, right down the hallway and past the walls."

"Ballistic?"

"Working my way there now. Gotta take down these foam guns before they get a bead on us. Just hang tight."

Tattletale's eyes panned over the monitors, her power feeding her more information.

Grue's team splits up in the dark, hitting many targets, trying to get as much confusion as possible, cover Ballistic so he can use his power in peace.

Faultline takes care of turrets by splitting whole walls in half, cutting the wiring inside them, and bypassing others.

Newter is handling the normals on the south, ambushing, hit and run tactics.

Genesis slipped into the armory, hitting the guards before they can arm themselves.

Faultline sprinting to up-link room. Gregor's covering her. Trickster running interference with the guards as he listens in on the walkie he has.

Then, through the chaos, Faultline reaches the control room.

The merc leader places a hand on the door. Then there's no more door. That alarm joins in with the hundreds of others ringing through the place.

"I'm in. What next?"

Coil raised his watch. "Log into the server. The password is Tommy-Harry-Xavier-One-One-Three-Eight."

Knew Already. The answer was practiced. Expected question. Expected timing. Has done this before.

"Putting it in now...I'm in."

"Next, there's an emergency command prompt for the doors. It's installed for an Endbringer evacuation. Press these next keys in this exact order, and it will immediately shut down all automatic defenses while it's at it. None of the prisoners will be foamed, and the override code to end the evacuation protocols can only be pressed manually. Destroy the computer when you're done to avoid that. " Coil sat down at one of the computers and began reading the series of keys to Faultline himself.

Has done this before. Does not remember the exact code. Has it written down. Needs to read it out. Fresh information. Used me to get it. Has done this few times bef-

"Cell Doors to all quarters unlocked. Inmates freed. Defenses shut down."

She gave her boss a thumbs up, and he leaned into a microphone.

"Greetings, gentlemen." Coil addressed, probably hacking into the intercom. "Congratulations. I have deigned to give to you what has been taken away. Freedom. If you wish to be free, then I suggest you cooperate with the parahumans already fighting on your behalf. Either fight, or stay in your cells, but whatever decision you make, do so quickly; this window is rapidly closing for all of you, and the Protectorate will not be kind to those they find still in here once we're done. If you wish to arm yourselves, the password for the armory is seven, seven, three, eight, Beta, Zulu, nine. With that said." Tattletale saw his mask shift; she didn't need her power to see that he was smirking. "I give you leave to make certain they don't capture you again."

Has hacked the armory before. Knows code now by heart. Recent information. First time arming prisoners, is gleeful to see the result-

Inmates confused, wary, others are getting out of their cells, running. Others getting up, following, understand opportunity to escape.

'One minute twenty-seven seconds. Right on time.'

He leaned back in his chair, satisfied with himself.

Plans to use inmates as cannon fodder and distractions against incoming heroes.

Stall tactic. Wants to keep the heroes bogged down. Exhaust them?

No, simultaneous strike ready to take place. Other computer techies are tuned in to some other operation, whispering.

She furrowed her brow, the crease only a reflection of the headache coming on as she tried to narrow down the list of possible targets. The banks were out, and a list of important people was discarded just as quickly.

One by one, her power definitively ruled out the other alternatives leaving only one target that was still viable. Much as she might not want to even consider it.

Wants to hit the PRT HQ.

End goal?

Drop-in public support?

No.

Cause panic?

Unclear.

Coil picked up his phone, dialed and spoke, his voice altering in its pitch and tone to sound alarmed as he spoke to the person on the other end. "This is agent James Edison-"

Her eyes widened as her power fed her new information as she listened.

Draw heroes out. Wards too. Leave PRT HQ undefended for a secondary assault

There was a call to his cellphone, which was answered on the second ring. "Speak."

Being careful not to use his name. Person on the other end knows it. Avoiding use because of me.

"You're sure?" He questioned before nodding. "Good." He hung up the phone and then picked up the other he'd been using to call before.

Person on the phone just gave information. Important information. Possibly target of the whole operation.

The patterns were there, all coming together like the interweaving threads of a complex tapestry being pulled and strung together to paint its picture. Individual pieces impossible to discern alone, coming into an identifiable place in the design.

Luring PRT to a trap.

A trap, to what end!? This was still just the means for the goal.

"This is Trickster. Do I move in?" His tone was becoming annoyed now.

"Patience, Trickster. You'll move in shortly. For now, hang back, and then you will move in on my personal order." Coil spoke into the watch. "Tattletale. Status on our heroes?"

Tattletale closed her eyes and thought, extrapolating information based on distance, transportation, and heroes that were reported to be on base.…

"Another forty-five seconds tops." She answered.

"Genesis, I need you to control the prison's automatic defense systems now. Stop wasting time."

Is irritated. Genesis only unknown factor. Hasn't done this before. Now nervous. Last piece needs to come together before feeling secure.

"You try fighting your way through this crap!" They heard the girl shout. Lisa began switching through monitors trying to find her.

Finally, they did. Genesis was punching her way through a half dozen PRT prison guardsmen in a combat form that looked like a cross between an alligator and a gorilla.

"You're going the wrong way!" She shouted. "There's nothing in that room they're guarding, it's just another decoy."

"Then where the hell is it!?"

She stood up and back, as far away from the monitors and the blueprint layouts as possible. Letting the sheer scope of her eyes gather in everything as her power flooded her mind with information. She could feel a major headache starting to form in the base of her skull.

"Another building, building Three, Cellblock seven two. One cell was empty!" She shouted, then looked at the computer satellite imagery tracking the team.

Closest…

Bitch.

"Bitch! Into the building to your right!"

"Why?"

'Because you're gonna hack Dragon's security systems today, dog girl.' Now there's a thought she never would have guessed to cross her mind. Any other person would have been thrilled. But nope, it has to be Bitch.

"I'm what!?"

"Do it, or we're all fucked, and you wont' see your dogs ever again because you'll be arrested movemovemove!!" She shouted in a fast, highly pitched tone. She switched to another camera, one covering the courtyard, and saw Bitch wheel Brutus around and literally smash through the building's cement wall.

She trampled several of the escaping inmates and combated guards that were in her way, crushing them under Brutus or tons of brick and cement.

"Turn left, down the hall!" She demanded!

Coil got up, muttering "human error" as he shook his head and then spoke into Genesis' comm frequency. "Genesis, you have to move now; follow my orders to rendezvous with Bitch immediately! You're still the only one that can upload the backdoor virus."

"Goddamnit your plan sucks!" Genesis got on all fours and began bolting down the hall, charging through two guards who were foolish enough to stand in the way of a rampaging Gorillagator.

"Get off Brutus! He's too big for the halls, and you'll take too long to break through."

"I'm not leaving my dogs!"

"You're not!" She agreed. "You're just telling him to stay. You'll be right back. There are no guards in your immediate area; he'll be fine. Relax."

She heard the snarl in her ear. But saw Bitch dismount and move down the hall into the open cell blocks in a sprint.

Tattletale looked at Coil with exasperation in her eyes. Coil looked back, seeming to express a moment of solidarity in their exasperation.

"Ok...Ok…" Lisa muttered, chewing on a nail. "Cell...cell number…. Section N. Hall C2 Cell Number 1701."

Finally, she reached the cell.

"I'm here..."

"There's gonna be a false wall or a fake floorboard; find it."

As she waited, she turned her attention back to the others. The prisoners were now brawling with the guards in the middle of the prison courtyard. The overwhelmed force was completely on the back foot, and it was only a matter of seconds for the whole prison to be subdued as it was now.

Good. Lisa could already hear the sirens approaching from the various screens around her.

"Found it. Needs password."

Lisa looked at the monitor. The faint wear and tear on the keys stood out like they'd been marked just for her.

"Larry-Oswald-Larry-Two-One-Three-Three-Seven-Four-Ulysses." She blinked. Then snorted. LOL 2 1337 4 u? That was it.

"Now what?"

"Genesis is almost there. She'll upload control to us here."

Ten agonizing seconds later, Genesis barreled into the cell block, looking for all the world like she had just barreled through a Warzone.

Probably had.

"Alright, I'm here!"

Coil answered. "Put the USB into the control system and open the command prompt. Should pop up when the virus is inside the system."

"You know if I didn't know what a command prompt was, this plan would go to shit."

He ignored her. "Input the following commands-" Tattletale's power fed her new info. Bitch was already running back to Brutus.

Coil provided USB Hacking probes to Genesis, worth a pretty penny, should lock out Dragon from the computer. Permanent? No. Gamble. Ten-minute window tops.

"Gotta hand it to you." She said. "Using their guns against them is pretty clever. How much did hacking Dragon's security systems cost you?"

"Not much."

Lying. Cost a fortune. Actually dented his budget a bit. Toybox make.

"I believe that when you attack a castle, you don't have the intention of destroying it. You aim to control it and use it against your foes. It's common sense, and common sense and warfare make the most beautiful of bedfellows."

"Riiiiight…" Tattletale focused back on the screens, hearing Coil input his commands via the hacking device.

"We're in." One of his technicians called. "Access to prison security systems. Ready to input commands."

Tattletale felt a shiver down her spine. She thanked god that most, if not all, of the automatic defenses, were just non-lethal containment foam. The thought that Coil could draw in the heroes and wipe them all out in the span of a few minutes was not one she wanted to entertain.

"Good." Coil relaxed back in his seat and raised his watch. "Everyone, auto defense systems are under our control. Take positions for defense and prepare to acquire objectives. Grue, Faultline, Spitfire, Ballistic. Head to the armory and lead prisoners with you. Help distribute firearms to the inmates, as well as yourselves."

Two minutes... fifty-three seconds.

Seven seconds ahead of schedule.

"This is Trickster. I see Armsmaster riding down the street. Dauntless is right along with him too."

"Sundancer," Coil ordered.

"A-alright...you sure these places are empty?" Said the hesitant voice of the other female of the Travelers. Tattletale's power fed her information but Coil beat her to it.

"They are!" He snapped. Tattletale was surprised. Not every day she sees her boss with a raised voice. "The buildings were abandoned after the Teeth's first attempt at a mass breakout. Now use your power and cut them off!"

One of the technicians spoke. "Auto defense systems all activated, even backups. Ready to fire on your order."

Tattletale saw the glare on her screen as Sundancer's sun suddenly dropped down from the sky like Scion's wrath. Dauntless stopped, turned on a dime to avoid the sheer heat, and flew above and past it.

Armsmaster was still limited to the laws of physics, though. He turned his bike hard, the whole thing falling and grinding across the asphalt, edging closer. He grabbed onto the Halberd mounted on the bike's side and used the grappling hook to yank himself free in a move that would have ripped off anyone else's arm.

On the other hand, his bike was reduced to half-melted slag by the time it came to a stop. The army of PRT and police cars behind them were slamming on the brakes to not get any closer to the extreme heat.

"We have choppers inbound," Trickster called.

"How many?" She asked.

"Thre-no, si- eleven. Eleven choppers coming at us!"

"I'm seeing an army of armored cars coming in here guys!"

Mother of fuck...so this is what a pissed-off Protectorate looked like.

"Newter are you almost to Trickster's position?" Coil asked.

"I am. I see PRT vans and police coming from the roads Sundancer isn't covering. They're going around the sun."

"Good. You know what to do when you get there."

"On it."

"This is Grue. We're at the armory, arming up inmates now. Genesis opened the door for us before heading to the cell block."

"Good. Keep at your posts. Faultline, head to point B with Gregor and Ballistic. Bitch, Regent, Spitfire, and Genesis head to the Courtyard with whatever prisoners are armed. You'll be the line of defense behind the auto defense system and Sundancer's sun." Coil said. He got affirmatives all around and leaned back.

"Shit!"

Newter's voice, surprised, alarmed. Not woun-

"Argh!"

Scratch that, got hit. Got hit by target. Only one on field that could do it. Armsmaster, has countermeasures. Came prepared. Tagged Armsmaster, but stunned. Shocked.

"Newter's down. Armsmaster had some electrical field. Switched him with an unconscious guard on the North Wall." Trickster.

"This is Grue, lots of inmates coming out. They're pissed and looking to shoot. Still have some to go."

"Faultline here. I'm going to get Newter now."

"Yo. This is me to you. Just wanted to let you know we've got Miss-All-American-Immigrant with a BFG on a chopper. Guys with not so BFG's are with her, these aren't containment foam BFG's by the way." Regent.

"Engage," Coil said, not minding Regent's unprofessionalism in the slightest. "The inmates are armed. You know what to do." He stood up and left his chair, giving Tattletale a pill bottle and walking away. "Tattletale, I need to make an important call, I'll leave the rest to you. Have Trickster fall back." Tattletale opened one of them up and downed a tablet with a swig from a water bottle.

"Got it." She looked back into the screens as the drug began to null out the pain in her head, and she was fed more information.

Coil going to call PRT contact? No. But...someone involved with them. Has to do with the operation. Body language anxious. Important part. Lynchpin of the whole plan.

She had another swig of water and watched the screens of the battle. Militia was shooting the Foamgun Turrets with a sniper rifle on the choppers. Impossible shots that she was pulling off with pinpoint precision. Using armor-piercing rounds to punch straight through the Turret's casing to destroy the inner mechanisms and clear the way for Armsmaster and the others.

Dragon must have warned them.

The police and PRT forces that could get past the sun were now smashing down the prison gates with what amounted to a tank. The sheer shock and awe value outweigh the cost as they stormed in with an array of weapons leveled out against the prisoners.

Then the firefight started, and this whole thing went down into a clusterfuck of lots of dead people.

Three minutes, forty-six seconds in.

Velocity zoomed into the Prison, the red blur of his costume quickly mixing into the inmate crowd. Armsmaster was right behind him, standing at seven foot something in his power armor, which now bore a glowing riot shield coming out of the left vambrace as he advanced.

She could see Grue finishing arming the last inmate and giving a thumbs up to the camera.

Ballistic was with Sundancer and Trickster, Ballistic and Trickster guarding Sundancer as her sun was now the size of a beach ball. She was creeping it closer to the prison gates, giving the Police and PRT plenty of warning. Not wanting to harm anyone. Ballistic was firing molten hot pebbles, heated by the sun and skimming off the ground, and attacking PRT and police from their rear.

They were effectively trapped between the hammer of angry prisoners and the anvil of a very deadly contained fireball.

Tattletale turned and looked into the satellite feed currently covering the bay and another covering the state itself.

"This is Tattletale. Dragon is en route to the prison. In one of her quick response suits." She spoke. "And…." Her power fed her more information.

"Wards are coming in. Assault and Battery are on their way. But you have another two minutes tops before they're all there."

"We have confirmation." One of the Technicians said. "The New Wave Heroes have just left their homes; they're en-route ETA one minute and thirty-four seconds."

Fuck!

Too much. Way too much. The whole Empire could be here helping them, and it might still be too much. They'd never be able to win here.

What was Coil's true goal...What is the snake hiding…He was telling the truth when he mentioned that he had a plan to get them all out of here. She made sure of that ten times over before accepting the deal.

And he didn't fail.

It was that above all that had kept her from blowing his brains out herself.

"This is Trickster. I've got eyes on your new Ward Coil."

Her power gave her information. Inflection, tone, voice patterns.

Trickster was telling her loud and clear what she'd been asking.

Lisa's eyes moved to an ash-covered girl.

Target acquired.

--

Spoiler: Changelog:

395

Ld1449

Jun 9, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks 3.2

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 9, 2022

#4,210

3.2

A Klaxon had me nearly leaping out of my bed my heart thundering under my ribs, and a sharp breath sounding out of me like I'd just sucked half the room's air in a single gulp.

I stumbled, hands flailing, fingers tingling awareness and sharp clarity lancing into my brain better than any coffee or tea I've ever had.

I heard shouts from the others, cries of alarm and soon enough I'm stumbling out of my room and into the Ward common room as the klaxon goes silent, only the yellow emergency light flashing.

My eyes rove over my teammates, finding all of them in various states of sleepwear. Dinah is wide-eyed, standing next to Missy and damn near clutching at the Ward

The door whooshes open and Triumph is standing there.

"Emergency." He barked. "Everyone suit up! Fast!"

Nothing else needed to be said, all the Wards immediately rushed back, ducking into their rooms and I was no different.

I found my undersuit first slipping it on easier now than it had ever been beforehand. The bins of Ash came next, opening five of them to let the grains of gray wash over me forming my armor, helmet, and 'cloak'

I was the first one out of my door, Vista a close second, slipping on a helmet.

"What's going on?" I called down to Triumph.

The former Wards captain looked up at me, tearing his eyes away from Dinah. "The prison is under attack. We're scrambling everything to stop it. New Wave is being called in. Armsmaster, Dauntless, Militia, and Velocity are already en route. The National Guard is mobilizing."

"Holy crap are you serious?" Dennis asked, coming out of his room, hopping on one foot as he tried to pull up his boot. "Coil?" He asked as Aegis, Gallant, Browbeat and Kid all started emerging from their own rooms, costumes in hand.

"Likely." Triumph nodded. "Undersiders are confirmed on site."

"Guess that proves they're working with him." Kid Win cursed. "This is way outside their MO."

"You can ask them when you get there."

"Seven-" A whimper and all our eyes snapped to Dinah, the Pre-Cog clutching at her head as Missy placed a hand on her back. "Seventy-eight point three six percent chance I'll be caught if you go!"

That sent a cold chill down my spine.

"Shit." Aegis cursed. Clutching his helmet with visible aggravation. "This goddamn guy!"

"The orders are already given." Triumph added, his teeth visibly grinding. "This isn't a target we can ignore. The city will be a warzone by tomorrow if we don't go…" He growled. "I'm making the call. I'm overriding Piggot's command in regards to myself. Vista, Browbeat. You're staying with me!"

"WHAT!?" The girl screeched, "Are you serious! It's a prison break! I can literally keep EVERYONE from escaping."

"No, you cant." Triumph answered easily. "The place will be swarming with people. Troopers, Criminals, Villains. You'll barely have room to operate. Here, you can turn this room into an inescapable maze."

"What about me!?" Clock raised his hand. "I can turn every wall and door inviolable until this whole thing blows over… and I have ice cream in the freezer that Vista's gonna steal."

Ignoring the joke the former captain shook his head. "No. There are going to be injuries. Likely life-threatening. Ones. They might need you to keep men and women alive until Panacea can reach them. There's no kid gloves in this fight."

I felt my spine stiffen.

Before anything else could be said, we heard the tramp of heavily armored feet rushing down the hallway.

"We're out of time, move. I'll take the heat from Piggot if something happens!"

Dinah suddenly stood, rushing across the upper walkway. "It's not a lie!" She shouted.

I thought she was heading towards Triumph, but the small girl grabbed at my hand and wrists, the rough texture of the ash roughly grinding against her fingers and hands.

"It's not a lie." She cried, tears percolating along her eyes. "It's not a lie! It's not a lie!" She repeated, fingers squeezing mine as tightly as she could.

"I know you're not lying Dinah," I said, trying to console the girl.

Triumph stepped up to the walkway, marching up as he grabbed hold of the crying girl, lifting her.

I didn't ask, but I didn't need to.

He shook his head.

"Go." He ordered. "Your fire can't really be used in here safely. Go we're out of time."

The other Wards began to file out of the room; they looked about as uneasy as I felt.

I stepped, hesitating as I ground my teeth before following after the group.

We descended from the Wards dormitories down to the lobby and from the lobby out into the main garage where I felt like I'd just stepped into a full metal jacket style movie.

I don't think I've ever seen this many troopers.

Men were arming themselves, helmets, body armor, weapons. Not containment foam rifles either.

"Wards!" I heard one of the captains shout. "Into the trucks! You're moving out now!"

"Ashburn!"

My head snapped to the side, finding one trooper standing by his van, jerking his thumb towards it. "Come on! We're your ride!" He said, voice nearly lost among the din and clamor of the mobilizing force around us.

I jogged over; the trooper opened his van door before ushering me inside.

It closed with a slam.

A second later he was jumping into the drivers seat, his partner seemingly checking a weapon shortly before we drove off, rushing out of the garage.

We moved and I saw the other Wards moving to hop into their own transports two apiece. If the others had come I probably would have been paired with Vista or Browbeat.

The shrill ring of a phone as we exited out the main gate made me jump, the passenger side trooper pulling free a PRT issued phone.

"Yeah?" He called.

I barely heard murmuring on the other end of the line, merely watching as the trooper nodded quietly.

"Got it." He said, snapping the phone closed. He turned, looking at me over his shoulder.

"We're getting reports. Coil put up some Tinkertech and is using it to track our communicators. Ya gotta get rid of the commlink."

I frowned. "My helmets Tinkertech."

"Armsmaster's the one who sent out the warning. Said his stuff's compromised too." Here." He reached down, under his seat. Pulling free a standard-issue helmet. "No comm on this thing. You won't hear shit but you at least won't be tracked. Might even be able to catch some of them off guard."

I looked at the helmet, feeling my own misgivings scratch at the back of my head. I hadn't had Armsamsters gift long but its functionality was impressive.

Giving it up, I felt like I'd be walking in blind.

Still. If I took it and the… whatever it was affected me then I was doubly screwed.

Letting the ash cascade off me with the sound of falling sand I removed the Tinkertech helmet and replaced it with a standard one. Letting the ash once again impose itself over the structure like a grainy skin.

"Here." The Agent that gave me the helmet reached down, handing me his phone. "Some of the information we've got on the supervillains so far."

I opened up the phone, it was almost impossible to read in the tiny text and bumpy car but I saw the Undersiders there. Grue the darkness maker, Tattletale the Thinker, Regent who did some kind of remote muscle control, and Hellhound with her monster dogs.

I skimmed over them, I got most of this information from the others earlier. Who else was here…

Travelers…

Faultlines crew…

Was Coil hiring everyone???

I was just gonna turn the page to the next when my ears finally picked up the sounds of the fight, gunfire in particular.

Absurd levels of gunfire.

"Christ, are they fighting a war?" The driver asked, turning to look out the front windshield.

"Prison breakouts have to be put down hard and discouraged. This shit is hitting the fan quick." The driver answered. "Heard Dragon's on her way too."

"Shit." The driver muttered.

I looked behind us; "How far behind us are the others?"

One minute; tops." The passenger answered., Armsmaster, Dauntless Velocity, and Miss Militia are already on scene."

I nodded. More to myself than them.

We rounded a corner and I was convinced I was suddenly looking at some scene out of some over-the-top B-movie.

Was that a sun in the middle of the road?

"We're going around." The agent said as he swerved the car and began driving toward a different street. I could see explosions down the road past the sun, which was melting everything in a nearby radius.

Even I could feel the heat of that thing. We went up over a road divider and around another building, a sharp turn after a block and another half-mile, and the van stopped outside an alley.

"You're about fifty yards away from the prison. If you want to burn anything else for ash, use the dumpster stuff over there. The other Wards should be pulling in soon." The agent told me as I got out and used my fire on the open dumpster to accumulate more ash for my armor.

"Good luck Ashburn!" He shut the door and drove off. I turned around, facing the alley and the small maze I would have to deal with before going right into a warzone. I licked my lips, gulped, and took a deep breath. I ran into the alley.

Charging onward and towards the wall leading into the prison. My hands were alight in flames as I gave a mighty leap pure Brute force letting me rise high enough to reach the prison wall in a single bound.

Standing atop it; what I saw was pure pandemonium.

Officers were in lines firing into prisoners and prisoners were firing into officers. Those that didn't have any weapons were improvising them with molotov cocktails and bombs made out of gas tanks that they were tossing into the crowd of riot shields and armored trucks

I saw some kind of beast. All corded muscle and protruding bones, almost demonic-looking, riding through and bashing anyone too slow to get the hell out of its way.

Armsmaster was the only one I recognized in the hellish pit. His power armor was fully sealed up, panels covering his mouth and eyes with armor as he used his Halberd to fight while launching tear gas grenades from a wrist-mounted launcher.

I only just caught the blur of speed that was Velocity. I'm not sure how, but suddenly, in the air, one of the helicopters was lit up in a ball of fire, the whole thing spinning round and round before smashing down onto the wall across from me, the flaming hulk of metal tilting to crash into the street just outside the perimeter.

I jumped down into the chaos.

As I went to land, I felt my leg twitch out from under me and I landed off-balance, nearly falling, a second later I lost all of my remaining footing and crashed down onto the slanted roof face first and tumbled, falling three stories down to slam onto the prison yard pavement.

I blinked, dazed and confused.

What the hell?

The memory came to me. Vista complaining earlier. Twitching limbs that made her trip.

... I… Damnit. The Undersiders. The stupid-looking one. Regent!

I hissed, picking myself off the ground, and looked up to see if I could spot him.

I found him sitting atop one of the massive monsters I now knew to be Hellhound's dogs. He waggled his fingers in a wave my way.

My hands blazed up to toss a fireball at him focussing through the involuntary twitch I forced the ash that covered me to keep me perfectly still, avoiding the involuntary movement.

I moved forward, snapping my armor into rigidity to counter him even as I let it go to let me move at all.

Before I got too far I felt like I was hit by a truck and sent flying. I skidded on the ground, shaking my head as I looked up, seeing another demonic-looking mutt with a dog-masked face villain riding my way.

Shit. Did they all know where I was?

I fell flat on my ass as it came close, sliding underneath the beast and firing a blast into its underside as I did. The dog gave what could only have been a pained yowl, but in this state, it could almost pass for threatening.

I got back on my feet, tossing another fireball into its side as it tried to turn to face me.

I clipped the pant leg of Hellhound, who screamed bloody murder as she turned and fell off the dog to try and bat away the fires on her ankle. I moved to charge, seize the opportunity, then I fell flat on my face mid-run, skidding on the ground with my speed, and again when I tried to recover and stand, the third time I actually pushed myself into a wall. Bitch grabbed onto the dog, and both mount and rider charged into the crowd, away from me.

I could hear a roar and looked up, seeing… something charging at me, its fist already swinging.

I blocked it with my ash-covered arm and realized I was looking at a hybrid of a gorilla, or at least… it had the arms of one.

Its body, legs, and head were some kind of reptile, with a squat nose and jagged teeth.

The thing snarled and grabbed me with its two massive paws, the sheer strength catching me off guard as she headbutted me. I staggered a little, but Genesis staggered more so, caught off guard by how tough my ash was.

I recovered first and reached up, a fist smashing into the thing's throat, if its anatomy was even remotely human that must've-

I was lifted and thrown, my body punching straight through a concrete wall and into one of the prison's administrative buildings.

Guess that anatomy isn't remotely human then…

It jumped through the hole I'd made, finding me easily and charging like a mad bull.

I charged back and just as we were about to hit each other, I dove.

All of the ash-powered force of my charge and whatever amount of power was behind her own charge slammed into Genesis' wide open knees.

My shoulder smashed into her shins like a battering ram. A squawk escaped the inhuman thing's throat, I wasn't sure if it was from pain or surprise before she flipped up and over me to slam into the ground behind me.

I stood, turned right around, and grabbed her by the scruff of the neck, lifting.

I swung, full power, decking Genesis in the disproportionately large jaw and sending her flying down the hall, past a ruined barricade that some of the guards had made in the lobby of this building.

There was a crunch of boots on gravel, I turned, fire ready in my hand.

"Stop!"

It was Armsmaster, voice booming out of his armor.

"Armsmaster- Its Genesis she-"

"You have to leave!" He cut me off. "You've been-"

Whatever he was gonna say, it was cut off, a stream of fire shooting out to splash onto his face, clinging there like liquid napalm. I turned and just managed to catch a glimpse of that Spitfire girl from faultline's crew before something slammed into my side, harder than anything I'd ever experienced.

I felt my arm and rib cage snap like twigs as I was launched clear out of the building, crashing through another wall to bowl over whatever the hell was unfortunate enough to be on the other side of it before I finally came to a stop by the prison wall, slamming into it with enough force to make me black out.

Seconds later, It must have been seconds… The battle was still going, I was waking up again, three Ash statues beside me, their healing auroras knitting the flesh and bone of my body like the damage never happened. I got up, staggering and stumbling.

I felt nausea and pain fade away as the multitude of statues healed me. I looked up and saw the fight still going full bore. Aegis was hitting one of Hellhound's dogs with an oversized pipe, Gallant was firing into the crowd from a vantage point on the wall.

I shambled forward, unsteady steps turning to a faster run as I rushed towards Aegis, the statues crumbling behind me, allowing me to gather the ash into a rapidly spinning wheel that orbited me.

A prisoner, a stupid one, caught sight of me, turned, and swung with a rifle that must have been empty of bullets.

I batted out of his hand with a downward blow, then used the same hand to backhand him into a wall, barely breaking my stride.

What did break my stride though was another of Hellhound's dogs crashing onto the ground in front of me, snarling with ropes of drool trailing out of its maw.

It moved to lunge… and stopped.

Frozen.

I leaned around it, eyes searching, and found Dennis waving happily beside the beast.

"Looked like you needed some help."

"Aegis!" I turned and pointed. "Let's get to Aegis!" I could still see him, punching and clawing at the dog that was gnawing on him like a toy. The most annoying bastard of this whole fight, Regent, was on the thing's back.

I tripped and fell flat on my face, just in time for some prisoner to club me in the back with a pipe or something.

I snarled and punched the prisoner in the gut, watching him double over as I stood, then elbowed him in the back, sending him to the floor.

When I got my hands on this country fair reject I was sure the catharsis was going to be downright euphoric… for one of us anyway…

I rushed through the prisoners, dodging and weaving through the crowd of combatants, sprinting as fast as I could, Regent tried to make me trip again, and again, but my reflexes were getting better, locking my armor mid twitch to turn a full-on trip into little more than a stumble.

The renaissance-themed asshole turned the dog around, apparently getting ready to run again.

Then there was a white blur and the animal was lifted clear off the ground, up, over my head, and slammed back down; Regent tumbling across the pavement.

Victoria

New Wave had just shown up.

Then we were swallowed by black.

All light, sound, and vibrancy of the world was suddenly cut off. In a single instant, there was nothing.

It was…

The Dark.

Peaceful…

I went still.

Strangely… I felt like… taking in the scenery…

I shook my head

Shit!

Focus. Focus.

…

It was like a ripple on a still pond. The small ringlets moving outward, the echo that reached me was faint. But in this place, it might as well have been a gunshot.

The one that made the Dark

No.

The thought is firm. Final. I find myself unwilling to argue even though there's no one here to argue with.

Grue did not make The Dark.

The thought; the very Idea, was somehow disgusting and abhorrent.

I shook my head, and then I jumped.

When I cleared the darkness, the sound of the world came back like a whitewash; I rose up over the blanket of midnight black, trying to get my bearings.

Then there was an arm around my waist.

I started to struggle, moving to elbow whoever it was in the face when they spoke. "Calm the fuck down Ash it's just me!"

Victoria. I stopped, and a second later she had shifted her grip from my waist to my hands, keeping me aloft.

"Gotta find Grue." She hissed, peering into the black void. "They can see just fine inside the dark, probably some Tinker bullshit. Armsmaster's already confirmed that he can see through it too and that they're regrouping. He can't see clear enough to say exactly where the hell they're gathering up though."

I look down, searching the chaos below. "Grue is the one in black, right?"

"With the skull helmet. That's the guy." Glory Girl said as I acted as a turret for her, sending down fireballs in a swivel to the criminals. I saw several inmates catch fire and start screaming, but that didn't matter now. For now, Grue.

The minutes felt like hours standing there, hovering above, trying to find some break in the pattern, something that could-

"There!" Glory Girl followed my arm and flew in the direction. I saw Grue atop one of the buildings, almost directly below us, the dark pooling out of him into the courtyards below.

He was fighting someone.

"Alright sweet! Stalker girl's keeping him distracted! Now we just-'

Then she let me go.

My eyes snapped up, and I saw Victoria's equally surprised eyes snap down towards me as she scrambled to dive and catch me.

It took me a second to realize what had happened.

"Fucking Regen-!"

I smashed into the building directly below me, down through the sheet metal ceiling to crash onto a now shattered desk…

I picked myself up, slowly moving to try and get to my feet again.

I spied Grue through the window, still standing on the rooftop. Would have thought Glory Girl would have attacked by now…

Even so, Stalker was keeping him busy!

I ran towards the window and lunged.

The glass shattered, and in a single leap, I was latching onto the edge of the higher ceiling, pulling myself up to face the dark-shrouded leader of the Undersiders.

"Time for a show…" He muttered, shifting from foot to foot.

Ash swirled around me. "I'll give you a show!"

"Stay the fuck out of this!"

I stop, surprised that Stalker sounded so venomous.

I'd heard she was bad but-

"Trickster!" Grue shouted.

I blinked and missed it. One second I was staring into the stern, severe face of Shadow Stalker's mask… the next… it was gone, whatever took its place clattering to the floor to reveal…

I don't know when I took a step back… but the next thing I know, my heel is at the very edge of the roof.

I see naked surprise on her face; she fumbles, searching for her mask before she snarls.

The surprise on her face is gone, and she wraps the collar of her massive coat over her lips and nose..

She's glaring at Grue.

"You're a fucking dead man" Then… she turns back to me. And I can see it there plain as day. The expression I've seen so many times before. Always lingering in those dark eyes. "And you, Hebert. One fucking word, and I'll make you wish you were back at Winslow!"

It's like a splash of cold water on the face. It shocks me back from whatever stupor gripped me.

You need not listen sweetling

And in an instant, the rage I feel is a living, breathing thing inside of me. And my hands are burning with more fire than I've ever used in my life.

I see her eyes go wide with surprise and for a second, I relish the look there, savor it.

Fire burns away Shadows.

In my thoughts, I can picture it… imagine it… I can just… almost see the light die in her eyes. And I know that I will see it happen today. Tonight.

The blow that struck me came from behind, and I only saw it coming because it was Grue that shouted out the warning.

I only barely catch the glimpse of the armored car a second before it hit me.

I feel my body break!

I smashed down and into the building directly below us, tearing a hole straight through. At some point, I hit unyielding concrete and pavement below, scrape across it and slam into another building, punching through reinforced walls and rebar like cheap paper…

I hit something else, my body tumbling through steel, concrete, wood, shrapnel, and… I don't even know what.

The armored car was shredded to pieces as I finally came to a stop, cement and concrete having torn the metals like wet cardboard at those speeds.

I try to breathe. My chest starting and spasming in reflexive jerks. My throat clicks; the sound loud in my ears as I keep trying and failing to force air into broken ribs.

The pain was blinding, all-consuming. My whole world was pain.

Gray dark crept along the edge of my sight, my body struggling to move.

Like static brushing across my thoughts I felt the ash moving. Felt it answering.

I hear the sound of bones breaking the idol forming beside me.

Somehow, as I listen; through the pain, through the creeping dark at the edge of my sight, through the noise and the chaos and the agony… my thoughts trailed back…

Sophia…

Sophia Hess.

Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker.

It… What does that mean?

…

It couldn't be her… I had to be wrong…

It couldn't be her.

"No…. no…." I shook my head or tried to. It did nothing but send bolts of fire down my spine, razors sliding across my head.

This had to be some sort of trick. It… it couldn't. Be. Her.

I shook my head… "It… can't be." I somehow rasped out through a torn voice.

It couldn't be her.

It… No.

There was a crackle. Not bone.

"What. Don't tell me you actually thought they gave a shit about you Hebert."

I gasped, and the sudden gulp of air, pitiful as it was, felt like it set my chest to explode.

The pain was all around me now; seething and sharp.

Where did that voice-?

The helmet? My helmet?

"Wha…."

"Oh come on now, you're just precious."

My helmet. Radio in my helmet. I… it has a communicator?

"You actually believed them, didn't you? What did they say? That they were your friends? That you were part of the team now?"

The warmth of the idols washes over me, and my body sings with agony. Torn muscles. Broken bones, sheared ligaments, ripped tendons knitting themselves back together beneath my flesh in a chorus of writhing torture.

I try to scream.

I don't have the air for it.

"Here's a hint, Hebert. Nobody gives a shit about you. Only reason you're even on their radar is because you won the power lottery. Otherwise, you'd barely be a stain to scuff off their boot.

I try to move, the ash coming to my limb but its slow, sluggish and when I try to move my hand at all; I only succeed in screaming, broken bones and sheared sinew keeping me still.

You actually caused a lot of headaches when you burnt down Winslow. Lots of cleanup to make. Had to transfer Stalker, hide the evidence from you. The funny thing was how you just ate. It. Up. They were laughing for days you know?"

The ash gathers, slow and sluggish though it might be, and I use it to move my hand, screaming even as I ignore the self inflicted torture of forcing the limb to move and rise- of forcing broken fingers back into place to try and rip the helmet off my head, get this girl… Emma's voice away from me!

But my my strength is gone, my focus slipping with the haze of bloodloss and agony.

My statues… they healed me faster than this… what was wrong?

I shook my head, tears burning in my eyes. "Shut… shut up. Shut up! They… " My voice cracks, a fist in my throat suddenly choking me. They-

"They what Hebert? Didn't lie to you? Didn't trick you? Come on. Aegis is the team captain. Think they wouldn't tell him at least? Didn't you find it odd how everyone always walked on eggshells when she was mentioned?"

I wanted to scream.

"They knew Hebert. Can't keep a secret like that… well… unless it's from you- of course! You just made it so fucking easy"

My chest rises. I'm sucking down air and yet I can't catch my breath. My blood is thundering through my ears even as my heart feels like it stopped.

I can't breathe…

I can't breathe!

"Remember how they changed the subject? Or all those times they shared little inside jokes? I'm sure Stalker does."

My head is shaking,

She promised… she promised.

It took me a moment to recognize that the sound I was hearing was coming from me.

A keening broken cry I struggled to pass through a chest that was far too tight, a throat far too constricted.

"Oh god, you're actually crying!"

Emma laughed in my ear.

"God you really are the saddest excuse for a Hero."

…

I don't notice when my hand stopped struggling to rip the helmet away.

I don't notice when the ash stopped gathering.

I don't notice the words tumbling out of my mind through broken lips and a bleeding tongue.

"I want to go home…"

My voice was a whisper.

"Did you even check to see if they investigated? Ever looked into your old school? I mean really looked? Or did you just swallow what that PRT lawyer told you? Wanna know what they did to Miss Barnes? Your old school teachers? The principal? Huh Taylor? Wanna guess?

Nothing.

I recognized Emma's voice. The smug vicious smile pulling at her lips, showing teeth.

Blackwell's taking a job on the school board, a fucking promotionfor her exemplary service in keeping Winslow's GPA on the national average."

…

Had Dad lied to me too?

"Wanna know what happened to Clements? She's living it up in Immaculata, clean as a whistle. Wanna know what happen to little old Emma? Just gotta look at that little magazine she's still modeling for in New York. Nothing on that end either. They told you they put her away and you bought it"

I don't have the energy to cry.

"Please…" I barely have it in me to beg. "-stop!"

I hear her whispering in my ear.

"You really are-"

"You win Emma…"

I hear my voice.

And it is my voice.

Broken.

Shattered.

What I swore to myself they couldn't do.

"You win…" I whisper.

…

"That's what you've wanted right?" The urge to laugh bubbles up and dies just as fast, the sobs burning fire across my chest.

"You win," I repeat, and I can't find the strength to keep my head up. "Just… let me die."

Emma stopped…

Let me die… let me just… crawl into the black… let me leave…

I heard her voice again, the smile, taunting me through the radio I simply couldn't remove.

"Oh… Oh this is rich. God, Hebert, your life is a fucking joke with you as the punch-line.

"Ashburn!" I heard the shout above me and looked, my eyes finding a chopper circling overhead…

Miss Militia.

"Oh… the biggest liar of them all. Remember how she smiled at you? Promised you how she'd just take care of everything? What'd she tell you honey? That YOU mattered to her? Not your power? She didn't even need to look past some B-rated cape movie dialogue. Were you really that desperate for someone to lie to you?

Hmmm. Quite the actress really. Oscar worthy even."

The tears in my eyes flowed, and the wracking sobs sent shards of agony through my chest as Emma just wouldn't shut up!

…

…

They knew…. They swept it all under the rug. Everything that happened to me. They all fucking knew….

I looked up, And I could see Miss Militia still circling overhead, only recognizing her costume. My sight was out of focus… blurry.

Miss Militia… she promised…

And… she…

She lied…

From the very start.

Twisted everything, used everything I ever said to her.

They all… All of them!

I hear… I hear her song… Mom's song. The one she used to play with her flute at night…

Our song.

The sound of fighting falls away.

The crackling flames.

The sound of the chopper overhead.

Nothing matters.

None of it.

Let me go.

Let me… disappear.

I closed my eyes… into The Dark..

I feel her arms around me,

I bury my head into her stomach, crying and whimpering against the very last person I could trust!

"It's all right…" She whispers

Loving and Kind.

What the world would never be.

"Just let it go little owl..."

Mom.

"Let it all go… we'll make things better now."

I Feel her smile.

"Just let us make it all better… My. Little. Owl."

There's no one else.

There's no one left to trust.

I'm alone.

So I let her.

She'll make it better.

(X)

When he saw her get hit by the flying car, Chris literally froze in mid-air, standing on his hoverboard like a wide-open target before his brain caught up with the situation.

"Ashburn!" he yelled, flying over, ignoring Dauntless' commands to stay with the platoon of PRT troopers that was carving its way into the Prison. The prisoners were being beaten down into the ground by this point.

Only the most idiotic were still fighting, still trying. The villains were hiding in a cloud of dark but even that wouldn't keep them safe for very long! The troopers could handle themselves.

He flew into the gaping hole caused by the bus thrown by Ballistic and jumped off. His board was yanked onto his hand by magnets.

He jumped through the hole, debris and cement dust clogging his throat as he tried to breathe, coughing as he called out her name, "Ashburn! Ash!" He shouted.

He heard Dean on the com, calling him back screaming that something was wrong.

He saw a hand sticking out from underneath rubble and wreckage, his heart stopped, and it was with endless guilt that he realized he felt relief as he noticed the wedding ring on the young woman's finger…. Not Taylor… a civilian.

He felt like garbage at that moment, but... that was all he could think of.

He looked deeper into the building; another hole had been shorn through the building's wall. He moved to run through it when his blood froze in his veins like ice.

The voice was… wrong. Lilting. Like it was going to break into a song or a lullaby.

But he couldn't hear it… He didn't hear it! It was… all around him… inside of him. A worm in his mind. An analogous fusion of a man and a woman. It made him freeze and brandish his pistols.

It was...

"Who's-"

He placed his back to a wall, listening, trying to discern from memory if any of the Parahumans reported to be here could do this.

"Ash!" He called. "Ash, is that you?"

The searing heat that blasted out of the hole in the wall was the only warning Kid had, one which he took. He dove for the ground behind the rubble, covering his head.

The explosion, he'd later learn, had leveled the building, and it was only a scant few seconds that had separated him from death. Panacea had almost been unable to save him.

Just a few more seconds...

For years they'd ask. And if he would ever answer, he'd only be able to say that he heard a single thing in that fire.

A deafening roar of vengeance, hate, and rage; but above all else… pain.

It was a sound to reduce the whole of the world to Ash and Cinders.

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

381

Ld1449

Jun 9, 2022

View discussion

Threadmarks Ashes and Cinders

View content

Ld1449

Ld1449

To the last, Kill them all

Jun 9, 2022

#4,211

Interlude: Miss Militia

They killed her!

It was the only thought that came through Militia's mind as Ballistic launched an armored truck clear across the length of the Prison to slam it directly onto Ashburn.

They'd targeted her, and they killed her.

Her gun was transforming before she knew what she was consciously doing. The marksman rifle converted into the highest caliber anti-material rifle she could fire without breaking her own arm.

Someone shouted. Someone must have seen her and shouted a warning because Genesis was there. Shoving Ballistic away, trying to shield him.

She fires.

The guns kick is enough to bruise, it rocks her back even where she sits. It hits Genesis square in the chest throwing the Changer back straight into Ballistic.

She reloads. They're scrambling to get up and into cover.

They make it.

She doesn't miss.

The bullet tears through the concrete, punching clear out the other side. She sees blood spatter across the floor hears the scream even from here.

If he's not dead she'll finish the job in a moment. Her gun transforms again; now a grenade launcher.

A glow caught her eye, and she saw the telltale sign of Taylor's ashen idols beginning to form.

Not dead.

She's not dead!

Her eyes snapped over to the wreckage of the impact site. "Bring us closer!" She demanded, rushing to secure a line.

There were a dozen reasons why she shouldn't do this. The Travelers were aware of her. Knew where she was. She'd be vulnerable on the descent. She couldn't defend herself or move. Genesis was a flier. Ballistic wasn't dead, and he could kill her just as easily as she could him.

And it didn't matter!

She secured her harness, hooks, and ropes clicking together with practiced efficiency brought about by an almost desperate speed. Her heart thundering under her chest.

The chopper hovered in mid-air, holding her aloft.

She looked down.

The ashen idols were crowding around her; Taylor lay there limbs twisted and broken, staring up at Militia with a look the heroine couldn't describe.

She turned away, double-checking her line, ready to jump.

And it was only because she had hooked herself into a rappelling line that she didn't plummet to her death.

The explosion, when it hit, seemed to make the very air shake. Alarms blared across the chopper's controls, the two pilots shouting out warnings and struggling to regain control of what was now a spinning deathtrap.

She herself fell straight out of the thing, her arms flailing to try and grip at the edge of the chopper's bay, or one of its legs. It was only her perfect memory that allowed her to recall that the line rapidly slipping through her harness was still there.

Her hands gripped it, and she could feel the burn through her gloves, her right shoulder wrenched in its socket with a pain that knocked the breath from her lungs.

She looked up and saw that the tail was on fire, dark orange flames eating through the tail blades, visibly warping and melting the metal before her eyes.

She looked down to see that there was a rooftop just ten feet below her before letting go.

She hit the roof hard, one ankle twisting as she tried to roll. Her wrenched shoulder, unable to take more abuse, was pulled fully out of its socket as her hand tangled in the rappel line mid-roll, sheer momentum making her roll again into an uncontrolled tumble, her ribs smashing onto the edge of the roof as she nearly tipped straight over.

It spoke to her experience that she had the presence of mind to use the quick release mechanism on her harness seconds before the chopper crashed down in the middle of the prison courtyard.

She rolled onto her back, cradling her arm, trying not to move her leg, trying to will the pain away as the heat of the fire rolled over her.

The fire…

"Taylor…"

She moved as fast as she could, pushing herself to her feet with one arm, the other held tightly to her chest and stomach, and limped across the building's roof to get to where she'd last seen her Ward.

When she got to the other edge… it…

The… man, if it could be called as such- stood at a height with the Simurgh, fourteen, sixteen feet easily, the fires that danced and fluttered through the ruins of the building played with the light, casting dark shadows across the surface of his black armor.

She saw it reach down, and from the ground, he pulled a sword that was twice her size.

Brute. Shaker to make the sword. She reached up to her communicator. "This is Miss Militia. Unknown Parahuman caused the explosion. I've got eyes on him."

She formed a sniper rifle in her hand, heavy caliber. With a barrel rest attached to the tip to hold it steady and laid herself flat on the floor, ignoring the pain of her dislocated shoulder.

"I've got him!" Velocity.

"I see him too! He's huge!" Aegis.

"Colin. We're gonna need you up here." She demanded.

"I'm on my way!"

"So this was Coil's trump card."

Velocity all but flew across the courtyard, the red blur circling around the massive creature to get behind it. He gave him a wide berth, but the giant, if it noticed him, didn't pay him a single glance.

Stepping down from the ruined building, the monstrous cape crushed concrete underfoot, marching like a beast descending onto a battlefield.

Aegis was flying in closer now with Dauntless, Gallant peeking his heads above another building to approach.

She grabbed the rifle again and took aim.

"Everyone back off!"

Colin's voice was a sharp bark in her ear; she jerked. It had been a long time since she'd heard him so alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

"My scanners analyzed the surface of that armor. It's made of ash."

Her heart stopped.

"You're telling me that thing is Ashburn?!" Aegis shouted over the comms.

"At the very least its controlled by her. She might be under Master/Stranger influence! Or an Unstable second trigger. My instruments are picking up life-signs inside. She's in there. Do not use lethal force if you can avoid it, am I clear?"

"If it's a Master it might be close by!" Velocity called.

Militia's eyes sharpened.

Regent. Hijack.

"Before you do that find Kid Win!" Colin hissed. "The suit's warning just reached me. His life signs are critical!"

"Kid's down too!?" Clockblocker shouted.

Velocity summed up her thoughts adequately. "Fuck!"

Then he ran off to search.

Taylor.

She took aim, the armor-piercing round in her chamber becoming a rubber bullet.

Then the thing moved, its head swiveling around to the building across from her. Where she could see Grue the darkness wielder fighting… Sophia?!

The roar that bellowed out of the thing shook the bones in her chest! The giant let out a bestial sound that would have been more fitting for one of Hellhounds dogs.

It jumped.

When a thing of that sheer size moves like that, one discovers a whole new meaning to the word awe.

It didn't even bother grasping onto the edge of the building, it just battered straight through the cement-like it wasn't even there, brick and concrete exploding across the rooftop, and then the giant's footsteps were pounding across the remains of the roof towards the two surprised Parahumans.

It took her brain a second to make the connection as the giant veered towards one of them.

Sophia… Taylor was after Sophia!

"Cover Shadow Stalker!" She shouted into the communicator, taking aim as best she could with one arm.

She fired center mass, not trusting herself to aim for the head in her current state, and watched as it did a whole lot of nothing. The Giant of ash didn't even stagger or give any sign he'd felt the rubber bullets at all.

She heard Sophia curse, phasing out of a corporeal state as the massive blade smashed down over her, cracking the rooftop like an egg.

The girl darted behind the thing, firing her crossbow into the exposed back, using her phasing ability to make certain they pierced the outer shell of ash.

If Taylor was in any kind of pain, her construct didn't show it. It whirled with seemingly greater speed, the massive sword would have cleaved Sophia in two if she didn't shift back to her shadow state, it would have taken off Grue's head if the villain hadn't fallen back on his ass, scrambling to get away.

Sophia jumped away, the wispy shadow state allowing her to rise fifteen feet in the air to get escape.

Hannah fired again, this time with an armor-piercing round, and clipped the creature in its left arm, the one holding the blade…

Taylor wasn't left-handed…

There was a puff of displaced ash, it barely lasted half a second before the armor was flawless once more.

She caught sight of Grue jumping off one side of the building, away from Taylor and Sophia. He landed on the ground with a roll and kept running, moving to intercept one of Hellhound's truck-sized dogs.

The villains were fleeing.

No…

She looked.

Faultline.

Travelers.

They weren't scrambling to flee. They'd been ready for this.

They planned this?!

No. It couldn't be. Taylor had never done anything like this. Or… Coil? A precog?

She saw Glory Girl coming in close, hearing her shouting.

"Ash? Ash snap out of it!"

The response was an idol sprouting up directly beneath her and bursting with dark fire.

Glory Girl soared up, out of its reach.

A second later she caught sight of Gallant's blaster attacks, the concussive force going off like a grenade.

"This is Gallant." She heard over the comm frequency. "Glory Girl. Don't try talking. The emotions here… they're almost suffocating. She won't hear you."

"We have to try damnit!" The New Wave Heroine howled, clear enough to be heard with or without comms.

The Giant moved again, launching itself off the roof and crashing onto the concrete, every footstep reverberating through the whole courtyard.

Then it started swinging.

Anything that was in the Giant's path was fair game, it carved a bloody swathe through the prison yard, making a beeline towards Sophia.

Prisoners, Guards, Police. Every swing of its twelve-foot blade ended with another group of people dead, bodies being cleaved open.

People were scattering now, yelling in fear as they tried to get away.

"Stop her!" Aegis shouted, diving straight down towards the sixteen-foot monster.

He slammed into it, and the flying shoulder tackle that could have tipped over a car barely even broke the thing's stride. Aegis was the one forced to move as it swung its massive blade at him.

Ducking beneath the monstrous sword, the youth came up ready to deliver an uppercut when the pommel cracked him across the face in a hit so brutal Hannah saw the boy actually reel.

Aegis, who shrugged off Squealer's truck running him over once, who didn't even pause when a bullet went through his eye, looked like a puppet with his strings cut after a single blow.

Then the giant grabbed him by the throat, wrenched him up, over its head and slammed him back down into the pavement with a guttural growl a second before it was hit in the back by one of Gallant's blasts.

It ignored the blast and stabbed down into Aegis' chest, the massive blade cutting a hole straight through his entire torso from neck to stomach.

"Damnit, what the hell could have caused this?!" growled Dauntless. Miss Militia crawled on the roof, trying to get a better vantage. She noticed Dauntless rising over the flames along with members of New Wave.

"It doesn't matter. We need to contain Ashburn. She's targeting Shadow Stalker!" Armsmaster barked.

"This is Velocity. I've got Kid… it's… bad. I have to get him to Panacea now!"

"Go! Everyone else, engage. Faultline, The Undersiders, and the Travelers are fleeing. Coil planned this."

"How could they?! Taylor's never-"

"I don't know how!" Colin snapped. "But this is far too convenient! A Precog perhaps. Maybe Coil's power is that of a Master. It doesn't matter. Every one focus on Hebert! We can't let her run through the city in this state! Dragon will be here in four minutes to back us up!"

Sophia was shifting between states, firing bolt after bolt that was practically laughed at by the juggernaut. The armor was shifting. The tiny grains of ash that made it up allowed her bolts to slip through them like sand after they were stopped, letting them clatter to the ground uselessly.

It looked like it was about to reach Sophia when a glowing barrier interposed itself between the two of them. Hannah's eyes trailed upwards.

Lady Photon.

The blue field was twenty feet tall, just enough to actually be a barrier to this thing rather than an obstacle to jump over.

She's seen Lady Photon's barriers stand up to an amped-up Lung. During a bout of testing years ago, these same barriers had stood up to her power, bombarding it with a Howitzer cannon for almost thirty minutes.

This thing shattered it like glass in a single bull rush.

Sophia phased through one of the fallen choppers, running and reaching one of the wrecked buildings, choosing to take cover there. "Sophia! Sophia move to the courtyard, you have to bring Taylor out into the open!" Hannah yelled with cupped hands.

The electronic voice of her communicator chimed in her ear. "Opening private frequency:"

"She can't hear you. Her communicator is running on an entirely different frequency. So was Taylor's. My systems have been trying to hack the frequency for minutes now." Colin answered.

She blinked. "But...that would mean-"

"They were both picked up by Coil's men. Not ours! He knew and used it against us!"

Before it could reach Sophia's hiding place, something finally made a dent. Slowed it down.

Glory Girl.

The white-clad heroine swooped down from above in a dead man's dive, sweeping upwards a second before she hit the ground to slam both fists into the creature's diaphragm, lifting it up, off its feet and launching it back into the courtyard.

The armored beast hit the ground with a crack of asphalt, reaching its feet a second after, completely unhurt.

Victoria charged again.

For a beast of its absurd size, it was fast. One second Glory Girl was moving to punch it in its armored helmet, the next it ducked beneath her, sword low.

Victoria shot past him, stopped, and turned on a dime, ready to attack with a drop kick. It wasn't the first time someone tried to avoid her attacks by ducking.

It was the first time, however, that her target was faster than she was. It stepped forward to duck, allowing the tip of the massive sword to rest on the ground, with a shift of its upper torso, it was facing Glory Girl's back a second before she turned, then it swung the blade from floor to sky.

The blow was massive. The sound of its impact felt like a concussive blast in and of itself. It sent the young woman that could make a decent impression of Alexandria soaring.

She came crashing back down to the ground unconscious.

It just took down their toughest Brute in a single hit.

The remaining PRT officers at this point had regrouped and opened fire into the thing.

Conventional rifles and tinker tech weaponry pelted the ash armor that burst and rippled before reforming itself.

She saw Gallant, Laserdream, Lady Photon, and Shielder all join in on the Volley, hovering above and firing down from a multitude of angles.

She could hear its growl from here. Hateful and wroth. It was the only warning it would give them.

It turned with a swing of its massive sword.

Then they were burning.

One second the men were alive. The next, they were all screaming, dozens of men and women screaming as the flames moved out of its sword, living thinking things seeking to devour them.

The fire swept out like a wave from an ocean, a wall of red that washed over everything on ground level.

'Oh my God.'

She wasn't sure who said it, but the thought was universal as the screams, and the stench of burning flesh threatened to make them sick.

Men and women howled. Flailing. Writhing. Begging for help even as the flesh melted off their bones and the bones themselves charred and blackened.

It gave the field... a singular crawling effect even as it fell utterly still.

The thing turned, free of interference from the troopers and ignoring the blasts pelting it from above.

It turned and saw Sophia just an arms distance from it.

A second before, the girl tossed a belt of grenades.

To her relief, rather than an explosion of fire and shrapnel, the explosion was of containment foam, slathering the charcoal giant's face, torso, and hips.

She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

The thing kept moving, struggling to brute force his way through the rapidly hardening foam.

It couldn't.

Not even Alexandria could get out of it. There were only a handful of capes that could ever hope to escape. Sophia and Eidolon were among them, and those were two very distinct circumstances.

The armored behemoth snarled and used the last of his possible movements to grip the massive blade in both hands, holding the tip down to the floor in a reverse grip.

Then its sword burst into hellfire.

The heat was… impossible.

She was at least fifty yards away, and she could feel it like she was standing in front of a furnace.

Sophia went intangible with a scream of pain. Armsmaster, who had been approaching stopped mid-run, his suit's systems no doubt screaming warnings at him.

Containment foam was fire resistant. It had held Lung, it had held Burnscar, and it was melting.

"Shielder, Laser Dream!" She recognized Sarah's voice, and a second later, overlapping force fields of hard light slammed over the sixteen-foot monster, encasing it and its flame in an airtight bubble.

The flames kept burning, eating away the oxygen within, but the armored giant didn't seem to care or notice.

"Keep it up til she blacks out- she has to brea-"

Sarah's sentence was cut off by an explosion that Militia felt like a physical blow.

The hard-light shields broke like glass. The shockwave slid her back across the rooftop gravel, stars danced across her eyes as her dislocated arm was jostled even further. She heard the three New Wave heroes scream in pain and alarm. Though they'd been in the air, they were still closer than almost everyone else.

She lay there for a moment, sucking down pained breaths through clenched teeth.

She went to move and stopped, her whole arm and leg flaring up like they were on fire. The adrenaline's effects were wearing off. Tendons had been torn, the bone was pinching a nerve...

(X)

Spoiler: Armsmaster

(X)

She could hear the battle raging below, Armsmaster, Dauntless…

The heat of the flames rolled over her, even from here. She forced herself to move, biting down a groan as she pushed herself to her feet.

She moved to the edge of the roof, just in time to see the ash idols erupt with dark fire, driving back Dauntless and Armsmaster. Her eyes panned over the battlefield, searching, and managed to catch sight of Sophia on the other side of the courtyard, hands rubbing furiously at her eyes.

Get her out of here.

Without a target, Taylor might calm down, might snap out of it…

She half ran, half limped to the edge of the building, jumping over with a single movement, one hand grasping onto a drain pipe she'd caught sight of while still on the chopper.

One hand on the pipe, one foot on the wall, she held herself as steady as possible, trying not to move her arm. She slid down and arrested her movement before she hit the ground, jumping off to land on her good leg.

She turned her sight back onto the armored monster as a squeal of tires reached her ears and she saw the armored vehicle smash it into a wall.

She rushed across the courtyard, stepping over burnt and charred corpses, hissing with pain every time she had to put weight on her bad foot.

"Colin. We have to get the Wards out of here." Dauntless pleaded. "This is insane! We're throwing everything we've got at her and she just shrugs it off and keeps on coming!"

He was right… if they stayed here, they were all going to be killed.

"This is-" She heard him cough, it sounded wet. "-Armsmaster. All Wards are to commence an evacuation with all PRT and law enforcement personnel, we are in full retreat. Dragon, are firefighters on the way?"

"You're telling us to abandon Taylor. I'm not doing that!" Aegis.

"It'll be worse for Taylor if she kills any of you in this state.

"Aegis…"She gasped looking around, trying to find him... "Taylor would never forgive herself if she killed any of you. We have to-"

"No!" He shouted, angry and emotional. "We can't just-"

"Enough!" Colin snapped- she turned him out, only half listening as she finally reached the car Hess was hiding behind.

"Sophia!"

"God-fuck! What the hell is wrong with your fucking radios!"

She turned the corner.

Her hands were burnt, what she could see of her face above the mask that covered the lower half was already peeling with a terrible burn, and her eyes were shut.

"I can't see…" The normally acerbic girl was visibly struggling not to panic. "Militia. I can't fucking see!!"

She knelt beside her, staring into her clenched eyes, tears leaking out to trail down her cheeks. Her forehead and cheekbones were an angry red, the skin peeling. The flesh under her mask was probably no better.

They couldn't do anything for it now. "Come on, we have to move. Come on!" She reached down, grabbing her forearm, Sophia screamed. The heat must have been enough to burn her even through the thick clothes. "Taylor isn't going to stop as long as you're anywhere in sig-"'

She pulled the girl up, beginning to run towards the prison entrance, only for the ground beneath their feet to just drop out from under them before rushing back up, knocking them both off balance and into a tumble. She looked up, over her shoulder in time to see the black giant stomp down on Colin's skull.

Then… it turned to her… and Sophia.

Militia felt her heart stop.

The Giant straightened, and though there were no eyes… she could feel them. Feel that hateful, wrath-filled gaze.

"Sophia…" She half whispered half gasped. "-shift to your breaker state."

"The fuck is-"

"Don't fucking argue and do it!" She shoved herself onto her feet, forming a rifle in her hand… Then she thought better of it, shifting the thing into a grenade launcher as her chest clenched painfully. "Taylor!? Taylor, honey please list-"

It roared, and the sound hit her like a physical wall.

It lunged.

She fired.

The blast went off point-blank, exploding barely two dozen feet away, the concussive force hit her like a sledgehammer, knocking her off her feet to hit the ground hard. She coughed, trying to suck down a greedy breath of air.

Sophia gasped beside her, the concussive force had forcefully dispersed her gaseous form, forcing her to return to tangibility.

"Run!" She screamed.

Sophia tried.

The massive blade swung, fire and sheer force carving through Sophia's breaker state, once, and again. The heat battered Militia across the face as she emptied a massive handgun into the monster's side, bullets that it completely ignored.

By the third swing, Sophia was yanked back to her corporeal state with a gasp, her form too dispersed to maintain.

"Taylor don't!"

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!

Hannah's blood went cold, she saw Sophia's arm, her leg… it simply vanished in flames. Tongues of dark fire ate away at her clothes, burning her alive as she tried over and over again to shift to her breaker state before she finally managed it long enough for the fire to die with no more fuel to feed it.

Sophia couldn't maintain it; the concentration slipping, letting her fall and collapse onto the ground. Her cries and whimpers cut through the night as she writhed on the ground in agony.

She lay there gasping down the air that would not come, her remaining hand shaking as she tried to grip the stump of her arm, her whole body trembling, eyes going glassy as she went into shock.

Hannah could hear her. Sophia was gasping like a trout.

Hannah shot to her feet, stumbling as the green energy that was her power shifted through a dozen weapons, her mind whirling through possible strategies and tools, even as it rebelled against the idea.

This was Taylor.

She needed something. Something to help. Something that could stop this without killing Taylor!

But there was nothing. Nothing she could do. Her power was completely useless…

In a costume that was ripped and tattered, Victoria came in like a shrieking missile, smashing into the Giant's side. It stumbled and with a massive stomp, it dug its heel into the ground, digging its legs in to bring itself to a dead stop.

Was it getting stronger!?

She turned her attention away from the fight, running towards Sophia, falling to her knees at her side, eyes panning over the terrible injuries that were killing the Ward right before her eyes.

"This is Miss Militia! Sophia is down! Velocity! Aegis! Anyone! Get her out of here now or she dies!"

"Give her here!"

She looked up, Lady Photon, her suit half burnt and torn. Miss Militia moved to lift her when her dislocated arm made itself known again, the pain lancing up her whole side.

Lady Photon swooped down, grasping Sophia in a single movement before taking off again like a bullet towards the sky and away from the fighting.

Then, at her side, Victoria hit the ground like a brick, slamming into the asphalt and bouncing like a stone on a pond.

It was the first time Miss Militia had ever seen Glory Girl struggle to stand back up.

But get to her feet, she did, all grit teeth and sheer determination.

The girl charged, heedless.

The black Giant stood tall and roared in return, one hand on its massive sword.

When Victoria got within arms reach this time, the thing barely even seemed to give it effort. It moved one hand and grabbed the blond girl by the face, bringing her forward movement to a dead-stop that should have broken her neck had she been anyone else.

Behind it, Gallant was firing blast after blast into its back. It ignored him.

It slammed Victoria down to the ground, cracking black tar beneath its armored fist once, twice, a third time before throwing the young woman like a fastball into another burning building.

Hannah shut her eyes and used her power.

When she opened her eyes, the next sound that met her ears was the roar of a howitzer cannon going off.

Once.

Twice.

Again… and again… and again.

The heat of the explosions was a distant thing, the crushing blows against her chest from the concussive force of the blasts almost seemed in time with her own pounding heartbeat.

She stopped. And when the smoke cleared, the armored monster was still standing there, barely even moved. Barely even damaged.

Then she heard the sonic boom above her.

(X)

Spoiler: Galant

(X)

"This isn't right!" She heard Victoria's pained voice through Gallant's radio.

She found herself shaking her head. 'No… it isn't.'

Taylor was a good Ward. A good person. This…

This should never have happened!

Not to Taylor… not like this. She…

Not this.

"I know." She answered.

She saw the massive, burning sword rise and fall, tearing into metal scales to rip through Dragon's suit, sheer brute force tossing the Tinker's weapon away, fires bursting from the earth around her.

She should be fighting at Dragon's side rather than against her. She should have been a Hero…

But now…

"Militia!"

She turned her head, and Velocity was at her side, scuffed and smudged with black soot. "Come on! We have to regroup, get you to Panacea before she rips through Dragon's suit!"

She nodded. And the man reached down to lift her, soon moving as fast as he could with her in his arms.

Hannah ducked her head, closing her eyes to look away from the flames now swallowing the prison.

When they made it to the barricades almost three blocks away, Velocity didn't even have time to get her to the ambulances before one of the agents rushed up to her.

"Miss Militia, agent Walker here." She looked up and saw a rather fresh-faced PRT officer recruit. Looked to be straight out of the academy and college. "With Armsmaster… unconscious, I had no one else to report to ma'am."

"Hey, could you let her at least sit the fuck down Jesus Christ!" Velocity snapped, brushing past him.

"I-I'm sorry sir." He looked like he was about to sink into the ground in shame. "I-I didn't know who to report to…"

She swallowed down her emotions, pushing them into that place within her, the one born out of sheer need after so many years.

"Go ahead, agent. Report." Miss Militia groaned as she felt someone apply some ice to her leg.

"It's… Headquarters ma'am. It came under attack. Assault and Battery were recalled to try and help."

She straightened. Their suspicions now confirmed. "Why didn't we get word on this when it happened!?"

"This is why ma'am." The agent answered. Pointing out some device on a tripod a little farther away. "Communication jammers. Tinker made. They were activated after the prison personnel called for help. It would connect to other jammers set around the prison in the form of a net tuned to a certain frequency. All communication was cut off from here to HQ. Dragon was still able to get in contact with us via different frequency."

"Coil…" Hannah hissed.

Her eyes grew sharp emerald jewels turning into slits of poison and steel. A promise in them.

…

...

Coil would pay for this…

She would make sure he paid for this.

...

'You're a dead man. You just don't know it yet'

(X)

Coil

Coil's hands were laced in front of his mouth, his expression was completely inscrutable behind the mask as his eyes panned over the multiple screens of the Prison Yard that he had playing on loops, capturing every angle of the fight against the Black-armored giant.

Twenty-three separate attempts. Twenty-three attempts he'd made at breaching the prison. Almost a dozen beforehand in trial runs in having Miss Wilbourn break Taylor Hebert.

Right there at the end. Six separate timelines just to measure enough force to disable her with Balistic's attacks rather than kill her.

He had the mother of all Thinker headaches. Which he'd never thought was possible.

Sheer brute force trial and error runs that had him sifting through layers and layers of false information, blueprints, guard patrol routes, defense stations, lockdown routines. And even now, this time, there were still errors, like the false security control room.

Seven hours of split timelines culminating in this. Finally surging onto this attempt now at two in the morning.

"Coil!" He didn't bother to turn as the door opened. Grue led the way, his longer strides allowing him to carry ahead of an equally furious Faultline.

"You son of a bitch, what the fuck was that!?" His darkness warped voice hissed out. He turned, looking at the screens that were currently displaying the massive Black Giant exchanging blows with Glory Girl.

"That was our way out!?" The de-facto leader of the Undersiders pointed a finger at the screen, "That… thing?!"

"Yes." He answered simply. "Is that a problem?"

"Yes, there's a problem, you son of a bitch!" Faultline snapped. "This was a snatch and grab. We-" She gestured to herself and Grue. "Provide the distraction, disable security, and this bastard-" She pointed to Trickster. "Teleports your people out. We're in and out fast before the heroes arrive, and everyone's going for the throat. You had them ambushed in the street! Sundancer's attack. Ballistic tossing fucking cars and prison buses at them! And whatever that thing was by the end of it!? What do you think is gonna happen now? You can crawl in a hole. I actually can't, you mother fucker! I could have laid low with the original plan long enough for this whole thing to blow over. Now they'll want blood, and mine is the easiest to find!"

"Not only that, you had us de-mask a Ward!" Grue joined again. "You broke the rules, you stupid bastard, and used me to do it! This doesn't fucking work like that!"

He took a breath leaning back in his chair. "What's done is done. Unwitting or not you played your part perfectly and I thank you dearly. I will forward the agreed-upon payment-"

"You pay us double!" Faultline snapped. "You fucking lied, we're upping the price."

Predictable. Best to not cave in too easily, though. He opened his mouth to speak when she pressed forward, cutting him off.

"Do it. Or we spread the word about this bullshit. You think this'll look pretty when word gets out? Using the Civilian ID's of Wards. Using prisoners as human shields. How many of those prisoners were Empire? Or ABB? Or even out-of-state gangsters? I'm gonna paint a bulls-eye so big over your head the Simurgh could see it from orbit enough to take pot shots at you!"

"Where's Tattletale?" Grue hissed.

He gestured to another door. "She went to the restroom just before you arrived. Down the hall, second left. Some stomach bug I'm sure."

Grue turned to look at Rachel. "If I'm not back in five minutes, rip him to pieces."

Bitch nodded, arms crossed.

" Regent" Without waiting for a word, he marched down the hall, Regent following after him. Bitch stood silent, her dogs by her side.

He held his silence, waiting for them to return.

Three minutes later, Grue returned, Regent and Tattletale behind him. The girl looked pale, sick even.

He leaned forward, ready to speak. "Very well. Your payment will be upped. One million apiece."

"And?" Faultline snarled.

He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a single, black memory stick.

"This would be all the information I possess." He answered blithely.

She reached her hand forward, snatching it free of his grip.

"If you wish for my honest suggestion." He drawled. "I'd recommend dropping that particular line of inquiry."

"I'm done."

He turned his attention back to Grue.

"This crossed every line in the book. Several times over. You give me my money, you clear my sister's papers immediately, and after that, you don't contact me again. I'm fucking done."

Angry. He'll calm in a few more days. Perhaps stalling his sister's adoption papers if he really needed to keep him to heel. Then again, Grue could be replaced, if need be. Or Tattletale would become the Undersider's leader.

For now, he turned to the others. "Anything else?"

"Yea." Regent spoke out. "That thing-" He pointed to the screen. "You know, the one now kicking Halbeard in the face." He looked, finding the recording of the Giant stomping Armsmaster's helmet into the pavement. "Uhh yeah. I suggest you call it off Boss. If it kills all the PRT and Protectorate we'll have the Triumvirate shitting down our throats in the time it takes Eidolon to teleport them here."

"He doesn't have control of it." Tattletale hissed silently, glaring at him. The sneer just barely held off her face. "It's an out-of-control cape. He can't stop it any more than they can."

That made everyone in the room shift with surprise, their anger renewed.

"Sooooo" Regent supplied. "When it's done buttfucking the PRT, it's gonna buttfuck US next? Am I hearing this right? Someone tell me I'm not hearing this right."

"If the heroes all get axed, Regent's on the money. The PRT nationwide won't let this stand. We're all gonna get the headsman's block! And that's if that thing doesn't burn down half the town! You… You goddamn mother-" Grue stepped forward only for Tattletale to grip his shoulder, stopping him.

"Stop." She hissed. "He has his men watching. They'll come in and gun us down." She jerked her head. "And these guys aren't exactly on the same homicidal page as us."

Krouse marched forward, around the desk to stand beside him, the Travelers following his lead. "She's got the right of it."

"Let's not have this whole thing descend into violence, please. I'd rather keep amicable relations with my employees." Coil shrugged.

"Oh, we're way beyond that shit." Grue hissed.

Faultline tapped Grue on the shoulder. "I'll be in contact. This bastard backstabs you or me…" She trailed off.

He nodded.

Hmm. Somewhat unexpected but manageable.

He looked to Lisa.

He'd seen several forms of loathing in his life. Lisa's was one of the more memorable at this moment.

She was not loyal to him, cordial out of necessity and fear perhaps. But never loyal. And now she was particularly angry. He'd have to keep an eye on her for the next few weeks.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." The blonde swallowed thickly, turning on her heel, Grue, Regent, Bitch, and her dogs following after a moment, Faultline and her crew doing the same.

"By the way. Dragon just went down." She called out behind her.

He switched the monitor's from the recording, back to the live feed. That had been faster than expected.

"What the fuck are you gonna do?" Ballistic finally asked. His voice was thick, slurring with pain as he leaned on Sundancer. The bleeding had been stopped. The high-grade medical tech he'd been given when they met up with his mercenaries at the rendezvous doing enough to keep him semi-lucid. But he was barely keeping himself from collapsing.

Militia had been aiming to kill him. He was lucky the bullet might only take his arm.

In other timelines neither he were the travelers were quite so lucky by the time she was satisfied.

"They're right." Genesis scoffed. "The second this hits the national news you're gonna get shit on from so high you'll swear it was God taking an interest in you."

"You need not concern yourself." He drawled. "I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Rest assured, you all will be safe."

"In case you forgot, you are my concern! We need you alive." Krouse hissed, pointing at the screens. "That is my goddamn problem! They're going to kill you!"

He almost laughed.

No. They wouldn't kill him.

They would kill Coil.

People tended to forget that masks could be replaced when the old one was too worn or torn to be useful.

He didn't answer. Didn't say more. His attention was drawn to something far more concerning.

His phone.

He answered. "Speak."

"Bravo, Team here."

He held his breath.

"Target secured; moving to rendezvous."

'Got her.' Coil's mask shifted as he smirked underneath.

He nodded. "Good." and said no more, hanging up the phone. Too much risk of their signal being traced. He would receive the full report later. It seemed as though he'd be keeping this timeline after all.

It was then that he noticed something very wrong with the cameras that were still functional.

The Courtyard.

The Penitentiary.

The Administrative Building.

The medical facility.

Solitary.

Guard barracks.

Control tower.

North Wall, South, West, and East...

All the cameras found burning debris and corpses, and the shredded remains of Dragon's fast response suit lay broken and in pieces in the courtyard.

But no Black Giant.

He looked to one of his technicians. "Where do the PRT channels place her?"

The man turned to him. "The PRT is regrouping behind a barricade. They haven't reported any movement."

Coil blinked. He… did not expect this.

"Then where the hell is she?!"

(X)(X)(X)

Spoiler: Changelog:

My thanks go out to Xegzy who as a total madlad completed this monstrous batch in record time, delivering all of this to everyone :)

Next week might not see another batch. Partially to allow Xegzy to enjoy his camping trip and partially because the next batch is likely gonna have some significant overhauls/ original chapters cut from whole cloth as seen previously.

That and I have to finish/update Exodus and First Huntress Ruby.

So fun times all round :D

Even so; I think this will tide you all over til then :3

For those of you who never read the original. I hope you all enjoyed :)

Last edited: Jun 10, 2022

463

Ld1449

Jun 9, 2022

View discussion

First

Prev

2 of 6

Next

Last

Threadmarks

Sidestory

Apocrypha

Media

Informational

Voting

Staff Post

View content

You must log in or register to reply here.

Share

Worm

Style chooser

Contact us

Terms and rules

Privacy policy

Help

RSS