The cheers got louder and continued for a long minute. Capes began coming out from cover into the open as news of Leviathan's demise spread.
[Excellent work, only a few hours in and… Progress!]. Dross proclaimed loudly in Lindon's mind.
He looked up; the clouds were rapidly dispersing, leaving the sky a clear blue. Late afternoon sunlight cast long shadows and bathed the remains of Leviathan's corpse in fiery orange outline. Icy winds coming from the sea had already removed the stench of Endbringer's burnt flesh that had permeated the entire park during their battle.
Mercy was immediately away after the battle to check in on Yerin but Lindon had stayed to keep an eye on Eidolon. The cape was just standing there in a slumped manner, staring at the downed beast.
"How are the others?" He asked Dross, reached into his pocket and took out a potent elixir to recover some of his pure madra. Once empty, he put the vial back into the void key in his pocket.
[Good as new. Both are helping out at the hospital, some of the damage to its building was severe.] Dross replied.
Lindon involuntarily breathed a sigh of relief. It was stupid to worry about Yerin, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Both Yerin and Mercy registered vaguely in the distance to his senses, moving about with regular surges in power when they used a technique.
Then he remembered there were giant remains of an impromptu ice wall in the ocean. Those needed to be taken care of. He headed towards Eidolon, maybe the cape had some way of annihilating that too.
[Lindon.] Dross suddenly said.
Lindon sensed it acutely. On an impulse, he also reined in his spiritual senses somewhat—from being actively straining wider to a more passive sense focused nearby—the action dampened his ability to perceive Yerin, Mercy and the rest of the city, but heightened his awareness in close proximity.
A golden man in white clothes silently hovered high in the air, swaying cape trailing behind him. His long hair blew freely with the wind.
He was looking at them impassively.
There were louder cheers followed by audible murmurs at this arrival.
[He just appeared inside the city and flew here immediately.] Dross said, then mentioned that Mercy had seen him first and alerted everyone of this new development.
They all knew there was a very strong golden cape in this world, powerful enough to instill doubt in Endbringers and make them retreat by his mere arrival on a battlefield. Lindon and Dross had gathered that much after Consuming from Leviathan during the battle, and shared those findings with the rest.
But the demeanor of this man appeared strange, he just hung in the air, extremely still. His face blank, devoid of any emotions.
Eidolon too saw the new cape.
"Scion." He said in a whisper. "You are here. Well, he's dead." The cape continued in a croaking voice, waving a jerking hand at the Endbringer's remains.
Scion slowly drifted to ground and looked down at Eidolon who met Scion's eyes unflinchingly.
Lindon stayed quiet, observing.
The golden man radiated a sense of disgust mixed with sadness that would have overwhelmed Lindon had he been a child back in sacred valley, but it was curious how this cape with no mask and a blank expression had this emotional effect near him.
"If we try, we can kill the other Endbringers too, perhaps you can …" Eidolon spoke slowly, as if he wanted Scion to fully comprehend his words. But as he was speaking, Scion abruptly turned away. He drifted up a couple of feet and flew to the dead Endbringer's body.
Eidolon sighed and shook his head.
As he went by, Scion's eyes met Lindon's. He paused briefly, looking up and down at Lindon.
Lindon didn't think this man was normal, perhaps his powers had warped his personality somehow, like Subject One?
[He exudes depression, maybe that's his problem.] Dross offered. [Heartbroken? Seen too much tragedy? Lovesick? Too much travel? Tired?] He didn't stop.
Lindon ignored Dross's ramblings and gave Scion a brief nod, who didn't respond, just stared at him mutely before resuming his slow flight towards the corpse.
He looked at the scene of death for a few seconds before shooting up and away from them, leaving a golden trail glowing behind him.
Lindon kept his spiritual perception tighter than before. He'd only let go to exert his full authority and spiritual pressure on Leviathan, to make him submit. There was no need to flaunt it anymore.
Already they had revealed too many of their abilities in saving this city. Before they even had a clue of the whereabouts of the class two chaos fiend—or fiends—plaguing this iteration and the corruption they must have caused here. It was best to keep a lower profile as much as possible.
He didn't know what to make of Scion. They'd had a victory this day, the first of its kind if Lindon had understood anything, and the golden cape gave no response.
[Maybe he got jealous we took his kill away? Or that someone else might take his place as the strongest? Hey, I am only going by how you humans behave.] Dross said wryly.
Lindon chuckled.
But there was still work left to be done. He approached Eidolon and waited in silence for a few seconds as the cape appeared to be in deep thoughts, head down.
"Are you alright to continue?" Lindon asked when eventually Eidolon acknowledged him.
"Continue?" Eidolon said after a moment, his voice puzzled.
"Apologies, but the ice wall you built has served its purpose. We should clear it before any damage to the climate and such." Lindon explained, then asked Eidolon, "can you do to the… you know, the pieces of ice what you did to… him?" Lindon gestured at the torn corpse behind them, his question also serving to satisfy his own—and Dross's—curiosity.
Eidolon seemingly understood and stood up to his full height, head cocked to one side. Gradually he became stronger to Lindon's senses. That must have been one of his powers.
[I'd love to study this hidden energy system of this world, and have a session with him in particular. He appears more adept at it then anybody else we've seen.] Dross let out a sigh as he voiced his wish.
"Thank you for helping out in the battle, your contribution was invaluable." Eidolon said in a formal manner and extended a hand. Lindon clasped it, keeping his Dreadgod arm's impulses in check. "I'm sure we could use your help in the coming Endbringer fights. You and your… team." Eidolon finished a little awkwardly and let go of the handshake.
Lindon was about to suggest that they should leave right away for the clean up but Eidolon spoke again. "Oh, and I'll take care of the ice, don't worry about it. My doing, so I'll fix it."
"Are you sure? Two can do it faster." Lindon offered.
"No no, I insist."
That annoyed Dross. [What is up with this guy? First he wants to make the kill himself then he rejects our help with a simple task. Does he want to be the only hero or something? Doesn't he realize we've helped him all the way today.]
Maybe he does that's why.
Dross conveyed strong disapproval.
Lindon could empathize. His Presence only wanted to study Eidolon and his powers more.
Meanwhile the cape floated up and flew away.
There'll be time enough for research. He reassured his Presence.
Dross already had a lot of data on Vista and the other capes they'd fought with but they understandably had no real information on the development of powers in this world and its 'sacred arts'.
If there were to be any promising candidates they would take under their wings, this was something they needed to understand.
He feet took him took him to the Endbringer's body, the material it was made from was extraordinary. Lindon hadn't seen anything like it before, at least not on an isolated world like this. The matter behaved like flesh but he knew from experience it was exceedingly strong and hyperdense.
He didn't need to take anymore from the body though. One of his city-sized void keys was filled almost to the brim with what he had Consumed from the Endbringer. Stupid amounts of strange matter, the water from Leviathan's echo, his flesh, all consolidated together in the void key, far more than was physically possible to take from just a building sized monster. The big question was how? Where did it all come from? Were the Endbringers connected to other dimensions for their healing?
His opened that void key and extended his senses inside.
During their training, Eithan had showed them a discarded fragment of an iteration that had been corrupted, before he'd removed it from existence.
The flavor of this Consumed matter felt similar to that; chaotic and faintly resonating with the Void.
Lindon's Soul Forge was sealed along with his other weapons but this substance would be useful there. Corrupt or not, there was a metaphysical weight to it, as if it was more than it seemed, part of something bigger perhaps.
The Endbringers definitely had some connection to the chaos fiend they were here to investigate and potentially confront.
That was another problem, everything was really murky in this iteration. As an Archlord his ability to see fate was limited in the first place, this world with its fraying connection to the Way reduced that to nothing.
He asked Dross. Has this ruse as a new hero team run its course? Should we tell whoever's in charge here at least a version of truth? We might get some answers about the situation. What do Yerin and Mercy say?
Dross relayed his message and said, [Tattletale asked if you were from another earth, which begs the question; are there multiple earths here? We know the locals call this planet earth. How does that work? We only know of one planet in this iteration where the fiend is active. What is going on here?] Dross let out a frustrated grunt.
[I really need to get a hold of, what did the sergeant call it? Yes, the internet.] He said.
Lindon did remember the girl asking her that and he had only smiled in response before jumping off of that rooftop. Perhaps that could be an explanation, three people come from another "earth" to save this one. Perhaps not.
But save from what? What appearance did the fiend take? Where was it? That's what they needed to find out.
[Heads up, company inbound.] Dross let him know.
Lindon continued his idle inspection of the corpse, his thoughts a whirlwind.
Very soon he was being hailed by a tall cape in plates of blue armor carrying a halberd in one hand.
"You there. Lindon, right?" he asked, coming closer.
He was accompanied by a few more capes, some adults, others younger. Most of them went to Leviathan's lifeless form, with a look of awe in their eyes and half obscured faces, those that were visible anyway.
Some few approached Lindon, among them was the girl Vista. Lindon replied to the tall man with a simple "Yes," and a nod. Then stepped closer to Vista and offered his hand, "an honor fighting alongside you, young uh... lady. You did well."
Vista hesitated then stood a little taller and shook his hand. "Well, it was a team effort… you did well too." she said.
"Armsmaster." The halberd guy introduced himself. "This is Miss Militia and you've met Legend." He introduced the other two accompanying him.
Lindon nodded to the woman who had a face mask most similar to his, with a gun strapped to her belt. He'd already met Legend who now carried a burn wound on his shoulder.
[Grazed by a lightning strike.] Dross said.
Legend spoke this time, voice raised and addressing all those nearby, "This is a day for celebration! Yes, we lost many defending this city and we will mourn them, but we've also achieved something unprecedented. Leviathan is dead." Many of the capes roared in triumph.
He paused before continuing, and pointed a Lindon, "I'd say you and your team played an important role in that, so from the Protectorate, accept our gratitude." Lindon just shook his head at that.
Armsmaster shifted his halberd from one hand to another and said, "Since the truce will be in effect for a couple more days, we'd prefer if you could come to the PRT offices for a debrief?" The cape left the unsaid question hanging.
[What truce?] Dross asked. Yes, what was this truce? Was this place also at war? Armsmaster's invitation only raised more questions for Lindon.
Keep both of them updated. Lindon told Dross. Let's see what this PRT is and how it works.
"Sure, but what about the, you know, civilians and the rest? So much is destroyed." Lindon inquired.
Legend answered his question. "Our teams are taking care of that. And I'm sure the government will allocate additional resources for the rehabilitation of the civilians. An Endbringer is dead after all."
"Let's get you to the HQ." Armsmaster said.
Lindon invited the cape to go first with a gesture. "Lead the way."
With a parting nod to the other capes, they left. Lindon walked beside Armsmaster as they moved through the city towards their destination. He asked sporadic questions about Brockton Bay and then half-listened to the cape escorting him.
He had another discussion going on too in his mind, Yerin was in favor or just laying out the truth and dealing with whatever consequences come their way. Mercy preferred a more circumspect approach, more in line with what Lindon had suggested; posing as capes from another earth. Although he himself didn't fully believe in that idea.
There were parallels; their native 'earth' or planet could be Cradle, and the backstories—should they need them—pretty much the truth. The Dreadgods could be their versions of Endbringers and Dross could show those memories to anyone if needed.
And when the time comes, if it comes, they could divulge the existence of Abidan and their connection to the organization, that would also mean adding this world to the list of higher iterations who had the knowledge of Abidan and their purpose, but that was a problem for later.
Before everything else, they needed information on what the deal was with these different earths, the other planets in this system were uninhabitable for regular people. Where was this earth Tattletale spoke of?
[Why don't you ask him if he has internet? Or his phone? Maybe he'll lend it to you.]
No. Lindon replied and decided to give Armsmaster, and his clipped comments about the city, his full attention. The local cape was particularly forthright on how the rescue efforts would go.
Part of the reason they were walking to their destination instead of a quicker commute, Lindon realized, was so that the leader of the Brocton Bay Protectorate could wave and nod at civilians emerging from their shelters. A few times he stopped and reassured those distraught at the damage to the city – that things were under control and an Endbringer was dead. His words of encouragement often extended to capes and uniformed officers coordinating the relief efforts.
Lindon was subject to much attention, he just politely nodded along as Armsmaster comforted the civilians.
Leviathan's arrival and the battle had levelled the city's infrastructure to a crippling degree in Lindon's estimation, especially in some areas. The rebuild would take time. Still, there was an air of jubilation about things, despite the death and devastation, people had smiles on their faces and hope in their eyes. It was a monumental event, an Endbringer dying. Lindon could hear the chatter among the city's population gradually turning excited.
They reached their destination; a partially crumbling structure in one corner, but not in any danger of collapse. There was a hospital at the side with some activity outside, people moving in and out.
Armsmaster ushered Lindon inside through a lobby and then another hall to a conference room with some chairs and a screen at the head of the center table. Some drinks and snacks lay waiting on a tray.
"I'll be back shortly, with the rest. Make yourself comfortable. Have a drink, or cookies." Armsmaster said before pivoting and walking out of the room.
[Sure, have a drink Lindon why don't you? Not like we don't have anything else to do. Do you think there is a phone here? Also, is this where those teenage capes live? There were those pictures outside, I recognized a few.]
I guess so. Let's just wait. We need to decide now what we tell them. Lindon told Dross. He didn't want to speak out loud to him inside this building.
[Yerin is asking what's there to discuss? Just demand to see their leader and let them know we're here to help.] Dross played the messenger between them.
Lindon really couldn't decide what to do, he recalled his last conversation with Eithan before coming here. Leading a mission like this came with many responsibilities, making correct decisions principle among them.
[Mercy disagrees with Yerin.]
He'd expected that. In many ways Mercy's judgement would be sounder than both her teammates, since she had way more experience leading diplomatic missions. It wouldn't be a bad idea to follow her lead in this.
[You know what I think?] Dross whispered in a conspiratorial tone, [Mercy might just want you to be the one to decide. I wouldn't be surprised if she actually agrees with Yerin. We do want to get this mission done as quickly as possible, there are other worlds to save after all.]
No, we can't think like that. If we fail here we may not get the chance to save other worlds. Execution or imprisonment, that's what the Judges had told him during his swearing in as a Reaper. Both were much more likely than success in the long term.
Even if we unveil the truth, we should be careful. He insisted.
Caution called to him instinctually, the lack of information reinforcing his natural habits. Every other mission they had been to, they mostly knew what they needed to do, and those iterations had been under Abidan protection for a long time prior to their troubles. None of those things were true here.
But on the other hand, as Reapers they had a responsibility to rise above their instincts and make the soundest decision, regardless of the natural inclinations.
He juggled both options and more in his head.
Alright, how soon can they come here? Lindon finally asked Dross.
[Couple of minutes] Dross replied after a second.
Good. Here's what we'll do.
Lindon explained his plan as put his mask back in his void key, picked up a cookie and had a nibble; it was excessively sweet. He shrugged and ate it whole.
He ate another as he waited for everyone to arrive.
"Door."
Contessa walked through the portal into the offices of the PRT headquarters in Washington DC. Specifically, the Chief Director's office. She settled into the oversized chair and reviewed her Paths; all of them in this city were on course. Nothing unexpected.
In stark contrast to the recent complications that had originated in Brockton Bay. It remained to be seen if any ripple effects from those developments would disturb Cauldron's wider plans.
A minute later, the door opened and Chief Director Rebecca Costa-Brown walked in. She hesitated for a fraction of a second upon seeing Contessa in her chair, but otherwise stayed unperturbed.
She closed the door behind her, walked over to the mini-fridge tucked away in one corner of the office, and with measured precision, poured herself a drink. Contessa received a raised eyebrow in inquiry but she shook her head. No alcohol for her.
"So?" Costa-Brown, otherwise known as Alexandria, but only to a handful of people, broke the silence. "I know an Endbringer just died but I have a feeling you aren't here for that." She retrieved a clip from her impeccably tailored business suit and secured her long hair.
"Not far off the mark." Contessa replied. She waited for the other woman to sit opposite her.
"Our new friends then. If they are 'friends' that is." Costa-Brown said.
"What did you find out?" The woman in the black hat asked.
"Nothing. No records of anyone like them so far in PRT, Guild, Suits and other unofficial records. They do have a vaguely Asian look about them. The one I spoke to; her accent was ever so slightly off."
"And?"
"Our intelligence is incomplete, but no such capes in the Yangban or in other Asian nations have been seen, heroes or villains. Certainly not working together with such precision. They are either recent triggers with some Teeth like memory and skill inheritance or something we don't quite know."
"As expected. There is no mention of anyone remotely like them in Cauldron's records either. All case 53s and others we've dispersed in different worlds; no one was like them, with a powerset this strong or versatile."
"None of the explains why you are here." Costa-Brown said after a few moments.
Contessa adjusted her hat, "The paths in Brockton Bay are in a disarray." She admitted.
"How do you mean?" Costa-Brown asked, then her eyes widened, "they are your blindspots?"
This was the strange part. "No," Contessa replied. "Well, not exactly, I can path them in a way, but it keeps changing, it's like my agent is learning but still can't stick the landing."
She could almost see her counterpart's mind churning at the news behind those deep brown eyes, their unfocused gaze drifted towards the room's plain glass window and beyond.
Contessa let her think.
"They are not some new kind of Endbringers then. Or more Scion like beings. But I suspect weaker precogs would still be blind to them." Rebecca concluded.
"Yes." Contessa confirmed. "But," she raised a finger, "we need you to find out who they are. More importantly, they need to be on our side come the end. Convince them to join us, they'd be better off that way." So would we, she thought.
"I see." The Director of the Parahumans Response Team responded after a couple of heartbeats.
"Doctor Mother feels that if necessary, we might even bring them in, show them around."
"Doctor Mother huh? What about the rest of you?" Alexandria asked, letting amusement show.
Contessa just spread her hands.
"And I gather your power is no help in deciding when it becomes necessary?"
"Precisely. That's why we need more information. Ideally, we'll maximize their potential with the right path. Throw them at Scion at the right moment and what have you." Contessa laid out the bare bones plan.
"And assuming we have another Sleeper or Ash Beast situation at our hands, what is the consensus then?" Costa-Brown asked.
"That is unlikely. But on the off chance they turn out to be nuisances, we have the usual protocol." Divert them away from key strategic assets, keep them distracted and keep them alive.
"And hope that they're there at the end of the world." Alexandria finished her thought for her.
"Exactly, so they can be useful." Contessa smiled without humor at Alexandria before continuing, "now I know you have a meeting to attend, I'll let you get on with it."
She stood up. "Try not to fail Chief Director, we might have been gifted our silver bullet. We can't waste it." She turned, and said, "Door." Then walked through the portal next to her.