The Man. The Myth (Worm-OC)

By: Wadewankson

[NSFW] - The Man. The Myth (Worm-OC) by Wadewankson

Status: ongoing

Published: 2024-02-19

Updated: 2024-03-26

Words: 146732

Chapters: 33

Original source: https/forum./threads/25950

Exported with the assistance of

The Man. The Myth (Worm-OC)

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 1


The Man, the Myth.

"Ooh spooky"

'Reply to spooky mentally'

Ch. 1 Arrival:

So you want to hear a story, eh?

Brockton Bay is a shithole. Any resident of this city-sized dumpster fire will tell you that for free. Drugs are everywhere, crime is rampant, and, God forbid, the government is competent. You see, I never really understood how bad it truly is. There's a staggering difference between reading about the state of the city and experiencing it firsthand. The best way to describe it is dirty. Everything is filthy-the people, the streets, and the morals. It's almost like that's what happens when you take island sinking monsters, trauma superpowers, and shadow organisations and mix them all together. Don't get me wrong; there's some hope here. Some try to do good in this city; it's just buried under all the greed and hate.

You see, I experienced the classic of classics, the Friendly Neighbourhood ROB. I got straight yanked from my bed by a being of unimaginable power, given a 'gift' and thrown into this world without so much as a 'by your leave'. Great, right? Yeah, no one believes that. Fuck, the only place worse would be 40K, and that's a toss-up. At least in Warhammer, I could kick it on a pleasure world. There is no escape here; there is nowhere to run or hide. Worm has no 'good end'. It's the dictionary definition of Grim-Dark. Fucking Wildbow, edgy cunt.

So what am I going to do about it?

Whatever it takes to survive.


Everything hurt, from the ends of my hair down to my toes. I was racked with excruciating pain. It felt like someone ran a live wire straight through my body over and over. Every nerve I have is on fire. I tried to pry my eyes open, but the meagre rays of light felt like a laser. Slamming them shut again, I focused on my breathing. In, out. In, out. Slowly, the pain faded into a dull ache, and I was safe to open my eyes once again.

An alley-that's where I ended up after my multiversal yeeting. Classy ROB. At least I've got clothes. That's always a plus. Fishing through my pocket, I managed to find my phone. It was cracked to fuck and didn't turn on, but it did give me a glance at 'my' face. Wasn't that a shock? Staring back at eyes that weren't mine on a face I didn't recognize, Shining gold eyes that used to be a dull brown were framed by pitch black hair. Holy fuck, I was hot. My face looked like it'd been chiselled from marble and my body from granite, if the abs poking through my hoodie were a clue. I have no idea if whoever 'this' is used to exist or if ROB just took pity on my average self and threw me a bone.

Slowly, I made my way to the end of the alley, having to adjust to my new size. Yeah, that changed too. I can't tell just how tall I am, but at a guess, I'd say an easy 7'5. I was a big boy. Now to find out where the hell I am.


Not good, no bueno, mucho problema. I stare at the ratty newspaper in my hand as the vendor glares at me. 'Brockton Bay Gazette, October 31st, 2010' the text taunts me. Threats of pain and death swirl around my head. The multitude of ways I'm fucked. Cauldron, The Slaughterhouse 9, Teeth, The Butcher, Endbringers, and SCION. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath drew short. Shit. Just breathe. In and out, in and out. Calm. I am Zen.

Nope. I'm fucked, that's what I am. I'm dead. What can I do? How can I win when winning is the same as losing? I can't change anything, built like a God or not a brute can smear me on the tarmac. Hell a regular gang banger with a twitchy finger can put one between my eyes and it's all over. The more my thoughts spiral the heavier I feel, like the world itself is pressing down on my shoulders. Heavier, heavier. It doesn't stop, I fall to my knees right there in front of the news stand. Tears prick my eyes. I'm just a dude in a world of gods. Why?

"Fear not, warrior, for my light shall guide you." A soft, sultry voice echoes through my mind, breaking the oppressive weight on my shoulders with a single sentence. I feel myself straighten to my massive height as the sun overhead shines a little brighter, my fear replaced by bold courage. The pain I felt since I awoke vanishes without a trace as energy suffuses every fibre of my being. Images flash through my mind: beautiful women, bloody battles, fields of wheat, and barren cities.

"What the fuck?" I lock eyes with a stunned news vendor as he gapes at me.

"C-c-cape!" He shrieks, waving his hands in my direction. I follow his hands to see my body literally glowing with light before my clothes start to flake off my body, scorched to ash, only to be replaced by gleaming armour. A solid gold platemail bound in leather flickers into existence over my form. A lion was etched into the chestplate. I raise my hands slowly, hoping to calm the now panicked man down, only for a similarly gold bow to appear between them.

"Shit, calm down, man; I'm not going to hurt you." I assuage the man, slowly backing away. The last thing I need is for someone to call the PRT right now.

"Stay right there!" a new voice yells, this one distinctly younger. I flick my eyes over to see a blonde girl running at me in a green costume. Vista, shit I jinxed it. I stop mid-step and stand ramrod straight. There's no way I can outrun My Little Portal. Never mind the fact that where there's Wards a full Protectorate cape is never far behind. "Who are you?!"

Fuck, what do I say? I have no I.D., no address, and I look intimidating as shit right now, never mind the fact I have a weapon clutched in my right hand. I'm obviously human-looking, so case 53 isn't going to cut it. Dimension traveller? Nah, I'd be on every big player's radar immediately. Bullshit her? Maybe it's not like I exist. Sure, it might raise eyebrows that I've got no details in their systems, but then again, how many street rats live in The Bay completely off the grid? So long as they don't find my phone (whatever happened to it during my magical girl transformation), I should be good. Okay, plan get, now to think of a decent name… Fuck, I was never good at this.

"New trigger!" I shout, stalling. That should give them pause on engaging me. It's a rightly touchy subject between parahumans and should give me a little leeway to work with.

Vista stopped her approach; her whole body screaming apprehension. She completely forgot her previous question. "Okay, just stay right there. We're here to help. Just take a breath." She's good; I'll give her that, straight to de-escalating the situation. Wait, we?

A man dressed in red armour skids to a halt right next to me. "Hey kids, nice day, ain't it?" He quips with a cheesy grin on his face, completely relaxed. "So what's going on, buddy?" He asked, his tone laced with an edge of sympathy for my situation'.

"I don't know. I blacked out and woke up in that alley over there. I tried to figure out where I am, and then 'poof'" I reply shakily and gesture to my glimmering armour.

"Hey, it's going to be alright. I'm Assault, and this is Vista. What's your name?"

"J-jason."

"Kay Jason, how 'bout we sit down, grab a coffee, and see what we can do to help?" Not going to lie, that offer is damn tempting. With how my mornings are going, I'd suplex a Nazi for a coffee right now.

"Y-yeah okay." I reply, keeping my totally Oscar-worthy, quivering voice up. I might be a giant now, but I'm still 17 at heart, and that level of earnest hope in my voice has gotten me many a video game for Christmas. Ah, manipulating adults a child's first life lesson.


I follow the candy cane duo down the street to a quaint cafe, noticing as I go that a couple people have their phones out, taking videos. Well, it looks like I'm going on PHO today. Shit, the armour didn't include a helmet. Then again, I'm 7 feet tall. It'd be a pretty simple puzzle to put together if I ever went out. I might as well take the New Wave approach and just let the ball roll. No point stressing it now.

"So, Jason, what can I get you?" Assault asked, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Erm, just a black coffee, please."

"Sure thing, want anything, Vis?"

"Same." She responds, squaring her shoulders, daring him to say otherwise. Heh, little lady wants to be grown.

"Got it, one hot chocolate with rainbow sprinkles and cream." He snaps right back with a shit-eating grin, drawing a snort from me as I try to suppress a laugh. Damn, he's good. There's a reason he's the best recruiter they've got, even if he used to run villains. Vista, on the other hand, just huffs and glares behind her visor. Even if she does drink the hot chocolate anyway.

Drinks were gained, and the conversation resumed. Assault straightens his slouch as he looks right at me from behind his face mask.

"Right, so here's the deal, Jason, you're a parahuman. You've got powers; you have no idea what they are besides the swanky suit or how to use them. We, the PRT, can help with that. We've got places set up for power testing and eggheads to figure out what you can do. Now, I know this is all happening fast, but I'd rather play it straight. You used your power in public. It's not your fault; it happens sometimes, especially with fresh triggers like yourself. I'd like you to come to The Rig with me and see what you can do. I'll give you the grand tour, and hey, if you like it, we can talk about your next step. Shit, even if you don't, I'll help you out. So what do you say?"

I mull his words over in my head. Power testing sounds really good right now. Sure, I could go find an abandoned building and figure it out on my own, but that'll take time, which I don't really have. It's the end of October, and if I remember right, Taylor goes after Lung in April. Six months isn't that long to figure out what I can do, never mind that voice I heard earlier.

Why do I hear drums?

"You called Warrior?" My vision is flooded by an ethereal dark skinned women. I abruptly spit some of my coffee, getting odd looks from the two capes opposite me. Shit, she's real.

"Quite, Warrior." Right, she can hear my thoughts-not creepy at all. "Rude."

'Sorry… ' I try to project my thoughts back at the voice. The last thing I need is to end up in M/S lockup for talking aloud to the 'not there voice'.

"No apology is required, Warrior. I was merely making you aware of my presence. You were not exactly at peace when I spoke to you last."

'Who the hell are you? Why are you in my head?!' I project my thoughts as loud as I can.

" Do not presume to make demands of me!" Her tone gets harsher, the drums louder, I can feel her indignity at my demand.

I give the mental equivalent of an apologetic sigh. 'I'm sorry, it's been a rough morning. It's not everyday you get kidnapped to a new reality. Look, let's start over, I'm Jason.'

"That is… acceptable Warrior. As for a name, you may refer to me as Ina, until such a time you have earned my true name." The drums settle as if they never roared. Her soft smile returns. I can only breathe a sigh of relief.

'Ina, why are you here?' I ask directly, hoping to glean something useful.

"It is trivial really boredom."

'Huh?' Not useful in the slightest.

When you were taken from your home, I, what is the term? Ah, hitched a ride on your soul because I was bored." She stated as if it were a normal afternoon. You know, go to the shops, feed the cats, and tag along on a stroll through existence. Standard really.

'You fucking what!?'

"What I said, Warrior, You passed by me on your journey, and I was curious as to where you were headed. So I joined you."

'Ah, that explains it nicely, then. Not. Elaborate please?'

"I told you, Warrior. I housed myself in your rather cosy soul, and here I am, along for the ride so to speak." Again, with that damn casual tone. Stupid, sexy voice in my head.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Warrior." She giggled, giggled!

'Okay, ignoring that for now… Explain this whole comfy soul thing.'

"That's simple; your soul is one of the most pleasant I've ever experienced. It even mirrored itself after my own home, right down to the bathhouse."

'Huh… ' I had no words, or rather, thoughts. My soul, the pinnacle of who I am as a person, is just a holiday for whoever Ina really is.

"Oh yes. It is quite splendid."

'I don't know how to feel about this… '

"Oh don't be like that Warrior. I believe this adventure shall be rather fun!" A smirk crossed her lips in my minds eye.

'Again with that name. Why do you call me Warrior?

"Because that is what you are. My warrior, my champion. I have to 'pay rent' to be here after all. A bargain was struck. I get to experience this fascinating epic of yours, and in return, you have access to 'my areas of expertise'. Use them well."

'That explains everything and nothing all at once.' I cannot help but snark slightly.

"All in good time My Dear Warrior" And the giggles came back. I had a feeling she's enjoys being cryptic as hell. "Before I go, Warrior, you should know that I may not be the only one here." Another damned giggle.

'You what? Woman'

"…"

'Hello!'

"Hush Warrior, return to your conversation; your companions are looking concerned."

On that bombshell, the 'connection' went to a proverbial dial tone as the drums faded and I zoned back into the real world.


Assault and Vista were staring at me, worry etched along the exposed parts of their faces.

"I'm alright, just overwhelmed, I guess. It's been a long morning. Just trying to wrap my head around everything, you know?" I muttered. "I think I'd like to go in for power testing. You were right, Assault. I don't know what I can do, and honestly, that makes me dangerous. One wrong move, and I can really hurt someone." That was a real concern. I might not give a shit about some two-bit Nazi or Asian trafficker, but if I'm trying to save someone and accidentally hurt them in the process, that would weigh on my conscience.

"No worries; we've all been there. It's a lot to process and a big decision on top of it. I'm going to call the boss lady and let her know the sitch before we head on over." He patted my armoured shoulder before walking outside.

"So, what can you do?" Vista sprung the question on me after a moment of silence as she craned her neck nearly 90 degrees to meet my eyes.

"No idea; that's why I'm going for testing." I replied honestly. Beyond my armour, I have no clue what 'rent' Ina gave, and I have a feeling she'd play coy if I asked, the damned tease.

"Well, duh, but I mean, normally you have a clue, I guess, an idea of what your power does." She really wasn't making this easy on me.

"Sorry, no idea; beyond a feeling of warmth and courage, I've got nothing." Yeah, let's not tell the underage child about the urges for war and women that come as well.

"Focus on those feelings then; it seems easy to me."

"Let's not do that in the middle of the boardwalk, yeah? Warmth feels a little closer to fire than a hot bath, and I'd rather not have a Human Torch moment in here."

"Who?"

"Doesn't matter. Hey look! Assault's waving us over." Nice, save me.

We both drained our now-cold drinks before heading out to meet the senior cape out front.

"Alright, you two, transport's on the way. Battery is bringing the van around. Vista, you take a shotgun, and I'll ride in the back with the big guy." Assault said with another pat on my shoulder. Both Assault and Battery for little old me. I don't know whether I should be flattered or concerned.

Soon enough, the transport rolled down the street. A large black van with the protectorate logo on either side. It was surprisingly nice on the inside. Leather seats, a folding table, and even a TV mounted on the wall. It had to be another recruiting tool. Look how nice our stuff is.

Honestly, I would rather not immediately involve myself with the Protectorate. There's too much red tape and bureaucracy to truly be effective. But it doesn't change the fact that besides Ina I'm alone in this world. No man is an island. I cannot save this city by myself, and having an in with the largest group of 'good' capes could pay major dividends. Even if it's just as a confirmed 'Heroic Rogue' It also puts me in New Waves orbit, as Glory Girl is hanging around the Wards all the time when she's with Dean. Besides the sooner I can diffuse the Amy bomb, the better. Having a friendly healer on the speed dial is a bonus.

I finished my musing as Battery hopped out of the driver seat to introduce herself. "And this here is the goddess herself, the five to my ten years. The Wonderful Battery!" Well, she would have if Assault didn't steamroll straight over whatever she was trying to say with jazz hands of all things. He's swiftly elbowed right in his ribcage.

"Sorry about him; he doesn't know when to stop. I'm Battery; nice to meet you, Jason, was it?" The short woman asked with a slight smile of fondness towards her husband.

"Yes Ma'am." I replied with a nod and a smile as I looked her over. She's pretty. I know it's not an astounding observation, but it immediately caught my attention. The feelings in my head stirred, flashing images of duelling for her hand, of claim and conquest, of victory and breeding. I shook my head to clear the graphic scenes that rapidly flashed behind my eyes. She's married, damn it, and NTR is a trash fetish.

"Let's get moving. Buckle up; I've signalled The Rig, and they've prepped the testing area."


If there was one way to describe The Rig, it would be organised chaos. There were people speed-walking everywhere. PRT Troopers going to get gear or sciency types rushing around with a tablet in hand. Our group of four made our way towards the large front desk.

"Hey Doug, I got a freshie for power testing; are we good to go through?" Assault spoke up from the front, waving merrily to the trooper on duty.

"Assault." The man gave a slight nod of greeting, jostling his helmet in the process. "You and Battery are clear for the viewing gallery. Vista is being tasked to Miss Militia for review." A scoff came from the girl beside me. "Unregistered parahuman, designation 117-Rex is clear for power testing; Armsmaster is coming to escort you now." Rex, huh? King, I kind of like it. A flash of golden portals filled my view. Damn visions.

"Understood. "Ja-Rex just hang tight here and wait for tall, shiny, and broody." Another elbow via Battery "He shouldn't be too long." His piece said, Assault and Battery walk off down the labyrinth of white, winding corridors. Five minutes later, a large, muscular figure walks into the lobby. A halberd strapped across his back.

"117-Rex." I could hear the hyphens in his voice. "Follow me." He didn't wait for a response as he spun on a heel and marched into the starch maze. God, he's socially awkward. Nonetheless, I follow behind him. We made for an odd sight. One man in gleaming silver whirring with every step, another in shining gold, moving with the form of a general. That was another oddity; ever since my armour appeared, my steps became assured and measured, every movement precise as if I'd drilled it since I was a child. Whatever Ina did to me changed more than just my outfit, that's for damn sure.


We finally reached our destination, a set of blast doors secured with hydraulics. Armsmaster simply walked up to a blank section of wall and pressed his palm against it. The doors slid open with a surprisingly ominous hiss.

"Follow." Fuck me, man, can you form a full sentence? I know you just want to tinker and chat up your 'totally real girl' waifu, but come on, cut me some slack.

"So, how do we do this?" I ask the man as we step inside what could only be called a sports science haven. Machines lined the walls, with computers giving individual readouts in real time.

"I will command you to do a variety of exercises. You follow them, and we assign you a rating." Well, that was helpful. I glance over at the viewing gallery across the room. Assault and Battery are both present, with Assault currently facepalming at Armsmaster and Battery sighing next to him. The shocker, though, are the other two in attendance. Glory Girl is floating there in all her Barbie glory, visibly excited to see a new cape's powers. Next to her is a severely less pleased Panacea. God, I feel bad for that girl. Belittled by your mom as you bleed yourself dry at the hospital to be seen as a hero whilst dealing with the world's worst Pavlovian response. "To begin, what do you know about your current abilities?" My focus returned to Armsmaster as he asked his question.

"Not a whole lot. I summoned this armour and bow after my trigger, and they've stuck around all morning."

"Possible Breaker or Changer state depends on armour capabilities. Proceed to the range; we shall test your equipment first." There's a hint of excitement in his usually flat tone. Someone wants to see what he can gain from my gear, huh?

The range is rather simple in design: a series of equally spaced steel targets on one side and, on the other, a series of weapons. Standing in front of the targets, I raised my left hand and willed my bow to appear just as it did this morning. In a flash of gold, it disappeared off of my back and right into my palm. I got into position and slowly drew back the string. The form feels as natural as breathing to me, as if I'd drawn this bow a thousand times a day for a thousand years. The sheer weight of experience that settled into my brain nearly overwhelmed me and made me miss as a similarly golden arrow flickered into existence across the string.

I centred myself and took a deep breath. Aim, steady, and release. With a twang, my arrow flew. A golden ray across a plain room. It punctuated the first, the second, and the third targets. It didn't stop. My arrow flew, and as sure as the sunrise, it hit every target with no sign of pause until it pierced the back wall of the range, and I willed it to stop. Following my intention, it simply flickered out of being, leaving no evidence of ever existing beyond the golden particles that faded soon after. I released my breath, seeing the damage I had done with a single arrow. What I could feel was but a fraction of Ina's Rent"

"Holy shit…" Were the only words I spoke as I glanced at my audience. Assault and Battery looked equally shocked, with Glory Girl looking on in sheer excitement. Pan Pan just looks morose, probably picturing what that would do to a person she'd be forced to heal.

"Was that the extent of your power?" Armsmaster cut back in.

"No, I stopped the arrow before it could pierce the back wall just in case; I don't know what's on the other side."

"A sound idea, though this wall leads out into the bay, is a safety precaution for higher-tier Blasters such as yourself. Now, fire another."

I follow his order and notch another arrow; this time, however, I focus on the concept of 'lower power, non-lethal' hoping that it would work; otherwise, I'd have to resign my bow for vehicles and Endbringer fights. Following my thought, the arrow on my bow shifted, the glow faded, and the head was visibly shifting and dulling. I lose, the arrow flies true yet again, and it hits the fresh target with a visible thud before bursting into light once again. Non-lethal getto.

"A valiant effort, my warrior. Wherever you may be, my bow will follow. So long as your will is as strong as its string, it will heed your command." Ah, the sexy soul voice is back.

'So intent is the key. Got it.' I shoot back mentally.

"A gross simplification, but accurate."

'Any other tricks for me Ina?'

"Ask nicely, and there may be."

'Please?' I beg as I send the mental image of puppy dog eyes across our link.

"Fine. My bow is not my only weapon. Just as I am the morning dawn, I am the evening light. Two sides, two arms." Puppy eyes OP please nerf.

'You sure do love your cryptic clues. Fine, thank you, Ina.'

"Hehe, of course, My Warrior." Another giggle, and she was gone. I turned my attention back to the bow in my hand and followed Ina's words. There are two forms: dawn and evening. Bright and dim. Darkness. The bow in my hand shimmered, warped, shortened, and elongated all at once until it was no longer a bow at all.

In my hand rested a wicked-looking sword similar to a khopesh. A curved blade stained the same colour as wheat is wrapped in a black leather handle. All in all, it was a nasty-looking blade. I twirled it around my hand idly as more images flooded me. Training and sparring. War and ceremony. The blade of a warrior is the blade of a king. It was hard to describe the sensation that flooded me; I felt like war. My body was like an army on the march, itching for combat. I didn't notice as the Armsmaster leaned in to inspect my new weapon.

"Interesting. A bronze composite metal etched with a language unavailable to my translation software. An error I shall rectify." He whispered inside his helmet. System note: contact Dragon for a new project involving shifting weaponry, dubbed Mechashift." He cleared his throat. "117- Rex proceed to durability testing."

I step inside the glowing ring placed on the floor. A series of weapons slowly exited the walls attached to metal limbs.

"First test, an unpowered human punch." As he finished speaking, a boxing glove flew out towards me and slammed into my plated stomach. I barely felt the impact. "Second test, small calibre munitions." A bang, and now there's a flattened piece of lead on my chest plate. I flick it off and stare at the man who just shot me.

"What would you do if that actually worked?" I was genuinely curious for his response.

"I am qualified for first aid, and Panacea is on site if necessary." Wow, asshole! "Third test, regular munitions." Another flattened bullet. "Fourth test, 50. Calibre Munition." A crack of thunder finished his sentence, and yet again, there's a flattened piece of lead on my armour. I stare at the man. Hard. My stance slowly shifted, hand wrapped around the sword that fixed itself to my hip. Golden light flooded from between my armoured plates. The sound of war drums filled my ears. Calm. Breathe. Safe. My heart settled, and the drums faded.

"No more." I stated it bluntly, squaring my shoulders.

"Understood." He replies tonelessly before gesturing to a sparring ring instead. Oh, I'm going to enjoy this one.

I stepped inside the ring as the Armsmaster drew his halberd. "Rules are simple. I shall test your close combat capabilities at varying intensities. We stop when you yield or you cannot continue." If I cannot continue, He thinks he can beat me? Drums sound.

My sword was in hand before I knew what happened. Light flooded between the plates of my armour. In an instant, I was upon him. A blur to the eye. My sword was everywhere and nowhere. Every feint he tried was exposed, and every strike was deflected.

There was an opening in his guard, and I swung. The curve of my blade glided along the shaft of his halberd, catching the axe head where it joined the spear and severing it. Following the momentum, I spun and thrust my leg outward. My armoured shin struck the middle of his newly minted spear. It snapped in two.

The drums sound louder. Replanting my foot, I finish my movement by simply thrusting my empty right hand forward, striking the now-unarmed man clean in his mechanical breastplate. It crumples around my fist, no different than paper mache.

Armsmaster was thrown clean off his feet from the force of the impact, ending up tangled in the ropes, his head slumping down as he fell unconscious. The drums faded with my victory.

I shake my head as I come back to my senses. It's an odd experience to rely on instincts I know aren't mine. They belonged to true warriors. Men and women who fought and bled for their cities, countries, and ideals. I shall honour them. The men that fell on the fields of battle. For those that the war drums sound, I too shall fight for survival and victory in this accursed world.


AN: This was written in a couple of hours because the idea got stuck in my head. I'm a pretty damn new writer so any criticism or feedback is welcome.

Enjoy!



Chapter 2


Chapter 2: Ah, the consequences of a curb stomp

"I hear voices in my head!" - Tenants

'And they're all horny' Dr. Mr.Protag Sr., the 3rd

I took a deep breath as the light faded from my armour. Peace. The counterpart of war My senses slowly revert to 'normal' Armsmaster just laid there, slumped over. His chest plate warped. A fist-sized hole straight through the centre. Thankfully, his chest slowly lifted.

I simply stare at the man who goaded me.

Why? Pride? Ego? A challenge? I couldn't tell. He was so self-assured, not even 20 seconds ago, that I would lose. As if he hadn't seen me shrug off bullet fire. I cannot help but feel pity for him.

Somewhere deep inside, a seed of respect that had bloomed for the man had wilted and died.

I had admired his grit to be on the frontline when he could rightly tinker away in a lab to equip other capes. But was it truly grit? Or was it his need to prove his superiority and his efficiency in getting results?

It boiled down to the statistics my mind supplied. Most arrests per patrol, most cape 'wins' in a career. That's what drove a man like Armsmaster. Everything is secondary to his goal. To be the best. To supplant Hero as the Tinker.

I scoffed. My mask of nerves is slipping from my face. I can't turn back now. The die is cast.

My fate is sealed with a crow's call.

Any chance of joining the Protectorate fell with the Armsmaster. He would never accept a fresh cape upstaging him. Shame that.

I turned my back on the man who challenged me and made my way towards the viewing area.


I grunt as Assault collides with my stomach at Mach fuck.

"Holy shit, man! That was incredible." I stare. "You just one punched him." I stare harder. "Hah, Mr. Until you yield." Thankfully, before he could continue, Battery managed to drag him off me under the threat of sleeping on the dreaded couch.

"That was quite impressive, Jason." She gave me a small smile as she yanked her husband by the ear. No matter how dedicated to duty she is, it's clear Armsy still rubs her the wrong way as much as the rest of us.

I offered her a nod before I detected another missile incoming. This time, blonde.

"Heyyyyyy!" Glory Girl screamed as she flew over my head and latched onto my back in her excitement. Her arms wrapped around my neck.

"It's great to meet you! I'm Glory Girl. Call me Vicky. What's your name? Why are you so big? How old are you? What was that light?" She fired off question after question without pause.

"In order: Jason, no cape name, but I'm liking Rex. I ate my veggies as a kid, 17 years old, and you have as much of a clue as I do. That's why I was here to begin with."

Silence met my answers as everyone seemed to process that I kept up with my motormouth limpet.

"Wait, you're 17!?" Assault gasped. Oh yeah, he never got around to asking at the café.

"Yup."

"Jesus kid, what were you fed? Tren with a side of Test as a baby?" He mumbled as he once again took in my giant size.

"Something like that." I let out a sigh. "What now? That was sure to not go over well."

"Yeah…" Assault matched my tone. "I just got word that the director wants a chat. Something about ground rules."

Oh shit.

"Eh, she's not that bad." He must have seen the reaction on my face. "Just nod and say 'yes, ma'am' at the right times. It's what I do." He grinned before receiving a battery-grade slap to the back of the head.

"He's right, she's not all that bad; be polite, and it'll be fine." Vicky interjected over my shoulder.

Ah yes, bow down to the women who hate parahumans. That would go great. Just the thought of it makes the drum beat in my head. We bow to no one.

I untangled Vicky's arms from my neck and lowered her to the ground. "Let's get this over with; I'm frankly done with today already." Wait, was that a sympathy nod from Pan Pan? Win. Day worth.

"Hey, before you march off, what's your PHO? We should patrol together sometime." She offered me a dazzling smile, and I could physically feel her aura trying to sway me. It felt wrong. Like a blanket was put over my head that was drowned in perfume.

I shook my head and nodded. "Sure, I haven't set one up, but give me your username and I'll let you know." You can never have too many friends in this city. Another smile was sent my way as she quickly pestered her sister for a pen and paper.

One rushed scramble later, and I'm the proud owner of a teenager's online handle.

"Right, catch you later, Vicky, Panacea. I'm off to meet the wall."


God, this room sucked. It was like the unholy love child between a corporate office and a Spartan's wet dream. Bare walls, broken up by screens and a most-wanted list. A featureless oak desk covered in paperwork and a laptop. A single chair sat in front of it that I'm sure was invented to be as uncomfortable as possible.

The main attraction was the surprisingly well-built woman across from me. Sure, the signs are there that she's let herself go in recent years, but her original build is evident from her vascular forearms and traps straining her dress shirt.

"Director." I gave the Elisburg survivor a nod as I entered her domain.

"Jason. No last name. Assigned handle: 117-Rex. There is no fixed address. No educational records in general." Oh, she's done her homework. "Why are you in my building?" She fixed me with a sharp stare that no doubt has made many a cape squirm.

"Power testing." I replied equally bluntly. Sorry, love, but you've set the tone of this meeting.

"And how does power testing lead to one of my top assets needing Panacea to reconstruct his rib cage?" Oh, that was some wording. Asset, not a cape or staff. They're soldiers to this woman, not people. Ignoring the fact that she flung poor, grumpy Pan Pan's name at me like a slur, There are E88 members with less acid in their tone.

"A spar, to yield, or inability to continue. He wasn't fast enough to yield." Her glare intensified as she folded her hands in front of her.

"I'm going to be blunt for your sake. This city is delicate. It balances on a knife's edge on a daily basis. One wrong move. One wrong arrest, and I have a war in my streets. You have a choice to make." Ah, here comes the sale. "You can join the wards, and we can write this off as a training accident. We hope you do some good out there. Or you can sit in one of my cells until you learn restraint."

Ah, the my way or unlawful imprisonment ultimatum. She thinks I'm a loose cannon. She's playing from the Shadow Stalker deck, except she got one simple fact.

"For what crime?" I asked softly, with an undercurrent of sharpened steel. The game is over now. I can't keep playing the fresh face without becoming a doormat for the PRT.

I closed my eyes, pretending to mull over her offer, as I sank into my mind.

Battles flood my senses. Clashing swords and conflicting orders. Tactical thinking usurps my sense of self as I drift through my options. What options do I have at my disposal? What can I leverage?

"Excuse me?" She's genuinely shocked that I dared question her.

"What crime warrants my detainment, Director Piggot?" I locked eyes with her. Molten gold meets cool silver.

"You assaulted one of my capes." Oh, they're people now, Director?

"In a spar, he requested it after I already displayed a convincing brute rating."

"Yet he's the one currently in a hospital bed."

"Doesn't make it an assault either? Listen, Director; we both got heated during testing, and I will apologise for his condition. But I will not bow my head when I can do good for this city."

Her eyes widened by a fraction. She seemed shocked that I was willing to even give an inch. I may not like Armsmaster, but the man is useful in the field. The more gang bangers he deals with, the more time I can focus on bigger fish.

"Here's the way I see it. We can shake hands now, and I can go back to Doug on the desk and register as an independent hero willing to cooperate with the PRT, or I can ask the lovely Miss Dallon outside if she'd give her mother a call. Then we can see what the public thinks of the PRT's recruitment methods."

"Are you threatening me, boy?"

"Not at all, Director. It's just my best course of action should you try to force this."

Piggot sagged slightly in her leather chair. She knew I had her. She might be The Bay's head honcho, but that can swiftly change if her own superiors find out about this meeting. The last thing they want is capes rioting in the streets with my face as their symbol.

That would escalate rapidly. Questions would be asked, like who else they've railroaded to either join the Protectorate or be sent to the Birdcage.

"Fine. Get your ass to that desk. This meeting never happened." She slammed her meaty fist on her desk before gesturing to the still-closed door.

As I leave the room, I just catch her muttering, "Fucking capes." Heh.


Registration was surprisingly simple.

Cape Name: Rex (It feels good to be the king!)

Rating: Undetermined (due to the tester being unconscious)

Affiliation: Hero

Easy as that.

I hand the paper back to Doug before making my way outside. Shit, how am I getting home? Wait, that would require me to have a home.

Step one of freedom: find home. Step two: find money. Step three, bitches? Bitches.

I looked out over The Rig, the giant forcefield bridge that never stopped anyone from glowing a pulsating blue beneath my feet. God, this is going to be a long walk back to the city.

"Hold that thought, dear." Ina's sensual voice interrupted. "Since you've been such a good boy, I thought you deserved something special."

I will never admit what those words did to me. Bar me nearly falling off the Bifrost rip-off mid-stride.

"Just give that gorgeous kitty a rub, and your problem will be solved." Her full lips pulled back into a sultry smirk in my mind. Raising a goblet of what I think is wine, she took a slow sip, making her slender neck bob as she swallowed.

What got into her? I haven't done anything special besides fight Armsmaster. Oh. Now it makes sense.

I refocused on our link. 'Ina. It was nice of you to drop by. Now about this solution to my problem. Can I get a tutorial? Preferably with 50% less innuendo.

"Don't you know not to spoil a lady's fun, Warrior?"

Now she's pouting; that's a new one. She seems oddly expressive now.

"Place your hand on my symbol, and aid shall come." Because she couldn't have said that to begin with.

I raised my hand to the gorgeous lion engraved on my chest plate. The moment my fingertips made contact, liquid gold flowed between them.

The pool of precious metals coalesced into a blob before limbs began to form. Four giant paws stretched forth, followed by an equally massive body. A golden mane wrapped around its neck before the body darkened into ebony fur.

Gold met gold as I locked eyes with the giant lion. Slowly, I approached, running my hand through the surprisingly soft fur. That earned me a welcome chuff from Africa's apex predator.

Who's a good cat?

"I shall name thee Aslan. Wisest Lion, bane of icy bitches." I proclaim you to be my new favourite being on the planet.

"Hey! He's my lion!"

'Not anymore, soul hitchhiker!'

"This is why you don't get nice things."

With her parting comment, she 'flips me the bird' and slams the connection shut like the front door after a lover's spat. Aww, our first fight.

Never mind the smoky lady; I have Kitty.

I climbed up onto Aslan's massive back before gesturing him towards the city proper. Is it the most subtle entrance? No. Is it worth it? Fuck yes.

Huh, does this count as a master rating since I 'tamed' him?


Why was the city going boom?

Explosions peppered the street. Can't a man ride his budget Nemean lion in peace?

Aslan did a great job at the five D's (dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge!) as I tried to spot the source of my new punching bag/debut. If I had to guess, the budget Land Raider right in front of me is the issue.

Wait… I was joking about 40K; please have mercy, ROB.

Well, it wasn't shitty or meth-filled enough to be Squealer's work, so if I had to guess, I'd say my debut is being streamed live by the dumb-namic duo of Uber and Leet. You know, the guy who can learn any skill and the guy who can just tinker with anything one time.

I swear they'd be a threat if they didn't share a brain cell suffering brain rot. They're like looking at a 2007 cringe compilation in live action. I was perturbed.

I call Aslan to a stop right in front of the metal monster. The thing made me look small in comparison. I am now distinctly unamused.

Before they suffered my disapproval of adding to this place's grimdark, a hulking figure plodded down the exit ramp. Dressed head to toe in Loyalist regalia, who, if I had to guess, was Uber, began to speak, his voice clouded by vox static.

"Heretic scum, by decree of God, Emperor Leet, I sentence this world to extermination. You have 30 minutes to heed our demands for $1,000,000, or you shall face the full wrath of the Imperium of Man!"

Yeah, fuck this.

I hopped off of Aslan's back and dove right for the ceramite stress toy. A sword was firmly gripped in my left hand.

The drums started anew.

Surprisingly, he met me in a clash of blades. My gift versus his chain sword.

Blades locked, and we struggled for a moment. Adamantium teeth are ground against bronze.

Just what did they put in that suit?

It's just a shame that he used both hands on his weapon to block my leap.

I rearrange my trusty right hand and slam my knuckles into the grill of his helmet. Metal proved weak yet again under my strength.

This time, however, it hung by a shred. A single panel and weld stopped me from breaking his nose.

His red eyes flickered as power arced across exposed cabling.

I wish I was strong enough to punch through actual ceramite.

I reared my hand back yet again. Only to receive a kick to my gut as he tried in vain to escape my grasp. He turned his back to me and ran, hoping the Land Raider would shelter him from me.

The drums grew louder. A melodic thunder echoed in my skull. Cowardice.

Generals roared between my temples. Hurling slurs at the coward for fleeing from combat. No escape.

My Dawn holds victory.

I threw my sword into the air, willing it to shift. The bow fell between my waiting fingers as I drew the string. Breathe. Aim. 'Non lethal'. Fire.

Blunted gold struck right between his shoulders.

Armour vanished as if it were never created. His under suit did even less than that as he dropped face first into the concrete. Strained lungs gasped for air after being forcefully emptied.

One down.

I turned my sights to the idle tank. And for the first time in this encounter, I spoke.

"Surrender yourself peacefully, and you will be granted mercy." The words were almost foreign to my tongue. Echoed in languages I did not speak and voices I did not have.

He did not.

The mounted bolter swivelled into my position.

Thus, I knocked another arrow.

Breathe. Aim. 'Destroy'. Fire. My arrow left the bow string flaring like a supernova. An amber glow shrouded gold as it struck metal. Or what used to be metal. Paint flecked off, metal rusted, and circuitry died. It ravaged the metal monstrosity before me. Nothing survived, bar the scrawny pilot decked in a commissar's garb as he dropped limply to the floor beside his partner in crime.

Victory.


I let out another sigh. I've been doing that a lot today. The amount of property damage these two idiots caused is ridiculous. Pipes were burst, roads were cratered, and glass littered the pavement.

The only consolation for all this were two unconscious deadbeats that are likely to escape in a week and the $300 I nabbed from their wallets when I wrapped them up with a fallen lamppost.

My rent might be damn impressive, but 'capture' wasn't in its wheelhouse, apparently.

Well, now I have shopping to do.


I was honestly nervous. This would be my first time trying to remove my armour since it shocked that poor news guy hours ago.

What if it's stuck? I will never again feel silk boxers on my balls or the comfort of grey sweat pants.

No more stalling; it was time to nut up or shut up.

I closed my eyes and focused on the nebulous feeling around my head. What I've come to think of as the nebula of my soul. Golden flecks swirled around a solid white core. Each mote intertwined with another in a shade of royal purple I've come to associate with Ina's lips.

Slowly, oh so slowly, I drew gold into white. To hide its splendour in the radiance of my own soul.

Light pierced my clenched eyelids as I felt a drop in weight. My movement was as free as this city's icy sea breeze.

I risked it.

I opened my eyes to see… abs. And dick. Mine specifically, if you were wondering. I was naked.

I was back in a random alleyway, and I didn't even have clothes this time. Fuck.

"Hehehe…" Ina's lecherous giggling leapt across the link like a live wire. "Yum"

'Woman, I can hear you.' I sent it back to her as deadpan as our psychic (soul-ic?) connection would allow.

"I know." Her voice had a distinct purity to it. Like the cat that got the cream after catching a mouse. Content.

'I need an adult… '

"Sweetie, I am very much an adult."

Well, my soul chastity is in danger. Thank you for your sacrifice, good sir.

'Side bar, any clue what to do on the clothes front? I doubt random people want to be flashed in the middle of the afternoon.'

"Then they're boring, aren't they?" Another image; this time she was sticking out her tongue.

I couldn't explain it, but as the day's gone on, her speech has changed. She went from an unimpressed regent to a horny brat.

From what I can gather, it is an extremely powerful brat, but a brat nonetheless.

Is it because of the nebula? Is she gaining as much from me as I am from her?

Heh, it's less rent and more cohabiting at this point.

She might start stealing my hoodies at this rate.

Another image across our link, our bond, Ina's there sprawled across a luxurious, comfortable-looking lounge chair wearing nothing but… my hoodie. Damn, she's fine.

Wait what? Horny brains pause, rewind, and enhance.

'Ina, is that my fucking hoodie!?' I blasted the link with pure indignant fury.

"Shhhh cosy zzzzz" Oh, you, bitch.

'I will have my vengeance. It may not be swift, but I promise you, Ina, it shall be without mercy' I swore to her that day. I will have retribution for this slight!

"Don't flirt when I'm sleepy." With that, she shut me off, still no closer to a solution for my clothing issue. Damn it.


Good news: I found clothes. Bad news: it's a pair of basketball shorts two sizes too small, and they smell like feet and trash. Real trashy odour. Then again, I found them in a gym bag next to a dumpster.

Beggars and choosers and all that jazz.

Pseudo booty shorts were acquired. I made my way down to the local mall. It was nothing fancy. Well, understatement, half of the windows were boarded up, and there were bullet holes around said boarded windows.

Classy.

Surprise fact: now that I'm a big boy, people have become like rats. They scurry around me like a tide. Children, especially, take a twisted pleasure in nearly neutering me with their foreheads as they dive between my legs.

I hate it. So much.

Calm. Breathe. Calm. Do not punt the children to see if they reach the atmosphere, and try again if you fail. Calm.

"Hey, can I help you?" A bubbly voice interrupted my plotting. Turning around, I see what can only be described as a model. Bright red hair and thick hourglass curves are poorly constrained by her uniform's polo shirt. Tight denim jeans stuck to her thighs like a lifeline. Holy shit.

For once, I didn't stop the images my link fed me. Red hair is wrapped in my fist as she's on her knees. I watched her face twist with pleasure in a changing room mirror as I plunged inside her.

One day. One day.

I pulled back from the tsunami of images fed by the link and returned my eyes to my future prize. A glinting name tag took my eyes off her form for a brief second.

'Anne Barnes, Sales Rep'

Oh, why did that just make it hotter? Emma? Who's that? Anne right here is the deluxe model. Comfortable lap pillow with a side of squish. Plush-fitting interior…

I'll take three!

Wait, she's talking. Cease the horny brain.

"Hi there, as you can probably tell, I got into some issues recently and kind of need a new wardrobe." I gesture down to my now-short shorts. If she catches the bulge beginning to form, she doesn't mention it, though that light blush on her freckled cheeks told me otherwise.

"O-okay. So, what are you thinking? Smart? Casual? Smasual? Damn it, Anne, you had one job." She trailed off, mumbling to herself while poking her fingers together.

Cute. You can't tell me otherwise.

"Just casual for now. I've got $150. Go wild." I encouraged the cinnamon roll with a smile.

"Got it! Wait here, I'll be right back." With that, she darted between islands, flinging clothes into the basket as she went.

So many clothes.

This girl picked up everything from tank tops (she was staring at my arms) to swimming trunks (staring at everything else), sweatpants, and jeans. I have no idea where I'm going to keep all of this.

"Gimme!" The fuck, Ina? "Gimme clothes, Jason!"

'Eh?'

"Jason, Darling, Warrior, Baby, Boo. Give me those clothes to play with, or I swear on The Pool, the next time you summon your armour, you'll get the Kill la Kill edition!"

'You're bluffing. No one is that cruel.' I respond with a noticeable quiver in my mental voice.

"Try. Me. Bitch." My mind is filled with images of cropped bikini armour. Ina stood next to it. Menacingly.

'I apologise for any offence, my glorious queen! I shall send the garments with all haste once I am among the shadows' I begged for mercy, along with copious images of myself in a tuxedo bowing to her evil majesty.

"Yes, know your place, worm." Why was that hot? I blame the voice. It's always the voice.

Back in the real world, I continued to flirt shamelessly with Anne, taking great pleasure in sending her blush from her cheeks to her 'suddenly' exposed cleavage.

That one remaining button is a hero of heroes.

Sadly, my clothes shopping had to come to an end. I've already spent longer here today than I did at The Rig. There are still a few things I need to do before nightfall, so I part with Anne regretfully as I make my way to a budget phone store.

This has nothing to do with the number she wrote on my receipt, I swear!

One angry man and a bargain later, I'm all set up for what I should have done first of all. Find a place to sleep that won't give me too many diseases for even Pan Pan to fix.


How? How is there not one sleazy, organ-stealing hotel and one roach-filled hostel on this whole side of the city?

I have $50 in cool, crisp Leet looted cash burning a hole in my pocket, and not one motherfucker will take it to let me crash on a sofa.

Calm. Think. Use your brain. I'm on the shitty side of the bay. He was dressed in all black and was very clearly a large white man. Ah, now I feel bad. It makes me want to punch a Nazi.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, a bold brass skinhead walked past me. This dumbass has a Swastika blasted from his Adam's apple all the way around his throat.

Target acquired.


I trailed the blatant racist for two blocks until he ducked into a gap between two buildings, just too small for me to fit. Shit. There's no way I could fight in a space that narrow, even taking pot shots with my bow. Wait a second. Idea!

'INA!' I bombarded our bond with ringing alarm clocks and cockerels.

"What!?"

'Can I fight without my armour?'

"Why wouldn't you be able to?"

'I thought it was super special armour' I mumbled. I swear I could feel the sigh she gave me in the very depths of my wacky soul.

"Jason, I am living in your soul. The very essence of who you are is like a video. Your feelings, memories, hopes, and dreams are right here, like I'm channel surfing on a TV. That level of bond, the one I agreed to when I snuck in here to begin with, goes both ways. Every 'gift' or rent paid, as you put it, is yours. The armour is just an extra layer of protection. It just stops the pain that comes with the blows you take. You are the power, warrior. I didn't call you My Champion for nothing, dummy."

'Thank you, Ina, truly.'

I was honestly touched for a moment. I'd expected this to be a short-term thing. Incredible power to only return to mediocrity when it was all over. To find out, from Ina herself, that she willingly gave a 'part' of herself to me, damn.

I wipe my totally pollen-filled eyes. (I don't care if it's October.) (Is. Pollen?) Her only response was a genuine smile before our bond closed.

Now back to the skinhead.


I drew deep from my swirling soul, pulling the golden light to the surface. I am calling on my power to answer my call. Melted gold flows from my body as a significantly smaller Aslan takes shape. Now normal-sized, he gleefully charged into the narrow space.

Cue screaming, swearing, and gunfire. I swear to God that if one of those rejects shoots my lion, I'm going to do things to Kaiser that will leave him in grippy socks for life.

Not too long later, Aslan emerged, dragging three 'minorly' mauled E88 members by their pant legs towards me. He gave me a single pleased huff before melting once more.

Loot time

SS knife, trash. Ooh, a Fugly Bob coupon! Eagle embossed lighter, any other eagle nice, now boo. Car keys, yoink. That was it. There was not a single cent between them. How. Who leaves the house without any money. Oh well, I guess I'm stealing this dude's car.

Five minutes of listening for the car alarm later, and I stood in front of my salvation. A slightly beat-up VW camper, because of course it was German.

House get?

AN: The plot bunny keeps running around my head.

A less serious chapter at we inch closer to the big leagues mooks were fought, Piggot defused and we met a couple of interesting people. We got a house-ish. Free food and the best cat a man can ask for.

Again any feedback is encouraged. Make me better damn it!



Chapter 3


Ch 3: Hospital beds and plans for a day

Armsmaster PoV:

Rhythmic beeping filled my ears. The infirmary, as uninspired as I remember it. Plain white walls, outdated medical equipment, poor staff.

My eyes scanned the room from the uncomfortable bed I lay in. No other patients, unusual.

Then I saw it. My armour. My magnum opus. The representation of the refinement of my craft.

She was perfect.

Was.

A large hole was torn through her centre. Unacceptable.

I tried to rise. To examine her further. Rigorously trained muscles ached with my movement. I did not make it. I fell back. Annoying. Inefficient use of my time. Armour repair takes precedence over physical recovery.

My head buzzed with need.

"Armsmaster, glad to see you're awake." A light Canadian voice filtered through the room's speakers. Dragon.

"What happened?" I asked the introverted tinker, still attempting to rise from the bed.

"You lost." She stated bluntly, entirely unamused at my current course of action. "Multiple rib fractures and torn abdominal muscles. You've been here for 6 hours following Panacea's intervention. To put it simply, without her you'd be lucky to leave here in a month."

Aggravation flooded me. I lost. He was a new trigger, untrained, brute or not. I should have beaten him. It was uncomplicated. I win the spar, offer to train him, make something of his potential. The seasoned mentor shaping his raw iron.

I was incorrect. He was faster, stronger, more skilled than I predicted.

"Do you have the footage?" I asked my closest associate.

"Both helmet cam and testing room surveillance have been uploaded to your server. I have to say, he was incredible." She responded. Is that admiration in her tone?

"I underestimated him. The next iteration of my predictive algorithm will account for this flaw." I growled back.

Finally I rose to a seated position. From there it was simple to rise from the bed and move closer to my armour. The limp I'd gained unnoticed compared to my current objective.

"He tore through my titanium plating. Damaged multiple sensors. Where is he now?" Rage. Rage and slight concern filled me as I stared at my broken and beaten armour.

"Gone. He left hours ago after registering as an independent hero."

"Then where is he?" My fist tightened. He was dangerous. Untrained. Unregulated. Free.

"Reports on PHO sighted him engaging Uber and Leet at approximately 1pm. Beyond that there have been no sightings." He's already active in the cape scene, annoying. No chance to mitigate any damage he's done. No chance to examine his equipment.

"And? What happened?"

"Uber and Leet are currently in PRT holding awaiting sentencing. Any tinkertech they had was destroyed during their altercation. Reports mention an annihilation element of his power having disintegrated their latest vehicle. I have yet to view their live stream of the fight."

He won? Unsurprising. Those two were never the greatest physical threat. But managing to secure them is different. Multiple times they have managed to evade me. It was, humbling.

"We'll review it in the lab." I stated as I secured my armour to the trolley it lay on.

Analysis was a priority. Followed by creating countermeasures. He was still dangerous after all.


Jason PoV:

God, I felt like a pretzel. Having found my bed for the night I underestimated just how much my new frame was a pain in the ass.

Camper vans aren't built for people like me. I had to double over just to get in the damn thing.

My night's sleep wasn't much better. Dreams bothered me from the moment my head hit the pillow.

Images of battle weren't a new thing. They'd been on repeat since I woke up in the alleyway.

These were new.

Visions of a giant pool. A gleaming city slowly falling to ruin over time. Civilisation collapsed as years flew by. It was like watching a movie on fast forward. Over and over. I watched as an outsider as what We worked for crumbled.

It was horrible. Each repeat came with new emotions. Sadness, anger, regret. A broken family in a broken home. Being forgotten.

Let's just say I woke up more drained than when I slept.

I needed a distraction to clear my head.

I turned to my phone like any other teenager.

It was surprisingly sleek for something made before 2015. Touchscreen too. I blame tinkers. One of those nerds had to be involved.

Booting it up I was met with the logo of a fire breathing lizard. Yep, tinker bullshit. Anyone want to place bets on the amount of spyware the Not AI has in these things? You know, for 'public safety'.

I bet she's a voyeur.

Side note, handle Saint at some point for the brownie points.

After taking an eternity to find the browser, because why would Google exist in this shithole, I logged into PHO for the first time. Instant nope.

It's like 4chan had an ugly cousin who slept with a comic book nerd. The sheer wave of porn on main is egregious.

Huh, Fenja and Menja are hot. Like really hot. There's just something about twins, you know?

Laserdream as well.

Miss Militia too, in a step on me sort of way.

Oh no. Why are they all hot?

Anyway… I was on this thing for a reason.


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Topic: What is going on!?

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Stardust_Crusader (Original Poster) (Cape Groupie)

Posted on October 31, 2010:

Good Grief. I was just taking my dog for a walk and stumbled onto something straight out of anime. A giant tank was rolling down the middle of the street and two guys in armour were fighting.

immatank.jpeg

blueberry.jpeg

guyingold.jpeg

(Showing Page 89 of 90)

Bagrat (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)

Replied on October 31, 2010:

My sources confirm that the tank and guy in blue were Uber and Leet. [link]

Both are in PRT holding waiting for transfer.

Guy in gold [link] is new. As in registered today new. Goes by Rex. Brought onto The Rig with Assault, Battery and Vista [cctv.jpeg] earlier this morning.

Ass_ault (Protectorate ENE)

Replied on October 31, 2010:

Oh he's been busy. Not even three hours without me and already beating up bad guys. *sniff* I'm so proud.

Charge_the_Battery (Protectorate ENE)

Replied on October 31, 2010:

Glad to see he's doing well.

Rex (Unverified Cape)

Replied on October 31, 2010:

Erm thanks @Ass_ault…

To break it down I was riding my lion as you do and stumbled across these two idiots. We fought. I won. Gift wrapped them for the PRT and went on my way.

But let me introduce myself. Hi, I'm Rex. Your Friendly Neighbourhood Inde Hero. I've got a sword, a lion and a mean right hook (ask Uber).

I do the smashing, the bashing and am all around dashing.

Say hi if you see me on patrol. I'm hard to miss.

Girl_of_Glory (New Wave)

Replied on October 31, 2010:

Hey Rex Check your PMs

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 87, 88, 89, 90

Private message from Girl_of_Glory:

Girl_of_Glory: Don't waste time, do you big guy?

Rex: Nope. They interrupted my nice ride.

Girl_of_Glory: Lmao. I want to meet your lion.

Rex: As you should. Wanna patrol later?

Girl_of_Glory: Sure. I've got school till 4 and have to drop Amy off at the hospital tho.

Rex: Cool. Meet outside the hospital?

Girl_of_Glory: Nice. GTG get ready see ya later.

Plans made and thoughts distracted. I get ready for my day.


AN: A quick chapter to see if I could figure out PHO shenanigans (My brain hurts) and to give Armsmaster time to cope and seethe.

Next up we patrol with a barbie. Steal more shit and maybe pick our first ' big target'

Aslan bless you all



Chapter 4


Chapter 4: Throwing Patrol on the Dumpster Fire.

Well, today is already a marked improvement from yesterday. No multiverse shenanigans, a roof over my head, and a meeting with a blonde to look forward to too. I'm winning right now.

I stepped out of my totally-legally-acquired camper and cracked my neck. It was time to get to work.

With a thought, my armour glimmered into existence. Golden gauntlets covered my hands. My lion-engraved chest plate warped to my form, layers of golden scales flowing around the central emblem. My legs covered shin guards, and the whole thing was brought together with a flared skirt made of a mix of blackened leather and gold.

It would look gaudy if it wasn't so badass.

Suited and booted, I summoned Aslan to my side.

My faithful lion released a chuff of greeting before growing to his 'mount' size. He dwarfed the campervan next to him. His shoulders alone reached the roof. Big kitty.

I scritched his side before leaping on his back.

"Alright, boy, we've got time to kill; let's see what trouble we can find."


Not much, apparently. It seems 16 feet of lion and man makes criminals quite skittish. No muggings, armed robberies, or even a tagging. Boring.

I idly rubbed Aslan Mane. He was as bored as I was. My not-so-little kitty grumbled with every minute without any action. At this rate, I'd have to knock on Kaiser's front door for something to do.

I get it's Monday, but come on.

Fuck it, I decided. I'll get food instead.


Drive-through by Lion was an odd experience, that's for sure. The cashier openly gaped at Aslan as he waited patiently in line, the offer of cream enough to pacify him. People openly filmed us the entire time. One dumbass even tried to pet him.

No survival instincts, I swear.

Let's just pet God knows how many tonnes of apex predator, that'll be fine. I had to drag him back before he became a snack and, in little words, explain that yes, my lion would eat him if he put his hand in his mouth.

Just because he liked me didn't make him friendly; the E88 would tell you that.

Thinking of those idiots, I wonder: What happened to those three?


Mook PoV:

"What do you mean you were bit by a lion?" The nurse in front of us asked in a deadpan.

"The fuck do you think? A big ass lion jumped us!" I yell. This is the third time I've had to explain the giant claw marks on my chest to these dumbasses. I swear to God if she wasn't white…

"Sure. Not my problem. You got insurance?" She asked, the bubble gum in her mouth popping as she glanced at her clipboard.

Fuck.


Eh, I'm sure they're fine.

Food and cream acquired, Aslan and I got back to the world's dullest patrol.

Urgh, who thought being an actual superhero would be boring? One fight, please; that's all I ask for.

As if the universe heard me sirens blared down the end of the street. Red and blue lights are speeding past me. Action at last.

I didn't even need to tell Aslan to follow them. His muscles tensed, and the next thing I knew, we were on top of a nearby building, following the police from above.

Three blocks later, I was in the middle of a Mexican standoff. Police and PRT vans lined one end of the street. Barricades interspersed with troopers as they aimed at a group of thugs surrounding an elderly black woman.

Right at the front stood a buzz-cut blonde (shocking, I know) with a metal cage on her face. Twin kama's in her hands that she spun idly.

Any part of her body not covered by a crop top was littered with thin, white scars. The most glaring of which was a jagged line that ran from one side of her throat to the other.

Cricket.

Her head seemed to twitch as Aslan landed on the rooftop next to her. Clear blue eyes flitted to the building before returning to the PRT force opposite her.

Shit. She could be a problem.

Scanning the group of skinheads around her, none of them seemed heavily armed-a few pipes and bats, but nothing else. They numbered eight in total. An initiation, then.

The worst thing, though, was that they were young.

From what I can tell, none of them are over twenty.

Basically, kids just decided that beating down an elderly lady seemed like the right thing to do just because of her skin colour. Vermin.

Shit, why can I see where Shadow Stalker came from?

A city where one of its prominent factions does nothing but spew hate and rhetoric. Reducing people down to their melanin for a target.

"Enough ." My voice boomed as I yelled down at them. It came as a symphony of many. I could only just pick out Ina's own in the cacophony of noise.

Drums sounded in my mind as the light shone from my form. I leapt off Aslan and right into the middle of their little party.

"Enough of this." It was softer this time, yet no less stern. "Surrender, please, for your own sake."

"Fuck you!" The first grunt spat. He was a wispy thing. Rail thin, with a wife beater barely hanging on his shoulders.

"So be it."

I moved.

My armoured fingers were soon wrapped around his neck. I lifted him off the ground, his legs flailing helplessly, and his weapon dropped as he clawed at my gauntlet.

They made their choice.

I threw the man like a shot put straight at the others. The squirming bowling ball knocks three off their feet.

Using the distraction, I reached down for the injured women. Only for a bat to break off my back. Then a pipe dented over my spine.

Let them try.

I scoop up the poor woman as the initiates try to down me. I wrapped my giant frame around her as a shield.

Cricket watched.

I walked towards the police line and handed her off to the nearest officer.

Cricket moved. Her first chainscyth darted out for my exposed head.

At least she was courteous enough to wait.

I leaned my neck to the side as the chain flew by my ear.

The pit fighter simply rotated and launched the other.

Another dodge as I step towards her.

She was a show fighter; it was glaringly obvious in the way she moved. Elegant twirls to launch her weapons. She made exaggerated movements to clue her audience in on her next step.

She was used to fighting regular men in the pits.

I was not one.

As I drew closer to her, a buzz filled the air. Her song. She was getting serious now.

I could feel the pressure in my head as her vibration messed with my equilibrium.

Yet my steps were sure.

Her song got louder.

So did the drums.

Buzzing met thunder in my head.

Closer.

They did not deserve the mercy of my bow.

It won't be quick.

My khopesh flashed into my left hand.

Let's dance, Little Bug.

Her next chain aimed low, hoping to cut me off at the knees.

I raised my leg and stomped. A small shudder went through the ground as it cratered. Her chain was pinned by my foot and debris.

That was the problem with showy weapons. They're impractical. She gave her chain a tug before dropping it all together and drawing a pair of knives from her back.

Karambits, strangely enough. Real white power is on show with the Japanese chain and Indonesian knives.

We ran at each other, the mooks content to watch the capes go at it.

She swung her left fist in an arc, sharpened steel glinting in the sun as it aimed for my eye. My right arm clashed with her forearm. Bone met gold and fell short.

A muted scream ripped from her jaw as her radius pierced through skin. Her arm fell limp to her side.

A normal person would stop now.

She did not. Fierce blue eyes glared at me as she pulled her right arm into a boxing stance, welding it to her cheek.

A swift jab came my way. Followed by another. Each time, she fell short as I danced around the seasoned fighter.

Her distorted buzzing grew louder still as desperation bled into her strikes.

I stumbled slightly at its growing intensity.

An opening she gladly took, her sole arm screaming down in a haymaker. Blade aimed at my throat.

She's a vicious little thing.

My light flared as I restored my balance just fast enough to catch her fist in my own.

That was close.

I yanked her towards me before sweeping her legs out from under her. With her face down on the floor, I pushed. A sickening pop escaped her shoulder as it was wrenched from her socket.

She was down.

I admit. I underestimated the slip of a woman. She's a true fighter.

Her entourage, not so much. Two were shaking like leaves, one looked like he'd just thrown up, and a couple were even kneeling in surrender. Wait, did that guy piss himself? From the dark spot on his jeans, I'd say so.

"Surrender." My voice broke the building silence.

They did. The mangled weapons they tried to beat me with clattered to the floor as they fell to their knees.

"Take this as a warning. I know your faces. I can find your names. You pull this shit again." I gestured to the downed Cricket writhing in agony on the floor. "That'll be you."

Fearful nods were my only reply.

I turned back to the PRT, picking Cricket up as I went. Scooping the comparatively tiny women into a princess carry.

War was over; time for peace.

Wait, is she blushing?

Girl's got issues.

The troopers swiftly parted before me, gesturing to a girl in white and red.

Why is Pan Pan here?

The healer levels me with a scathing glare as she notices the state of Cricket in my arms.

"Was that necessary?" She asked, gesturing to Cricket's exposed people bits.

"8 vs. 1 says yes. She's scary." Panacea glanced at the woman in my arms, back at me, and across to the now-arrested grunts.

"Sure she is." She moved closer to us. "Do I have your permission to heal you?"

A nod from Cricket, and weird shit happened. It looked like her bone was melting as it shrank under her now smooth skin. Her shoulder wriggled back into place. Scrapes and bruises began to fade.

Before her litany of scars could disappear, she jerked from Panacea's grip, shaking her head.

"No." An electronic voice left her throat.

"Girl's got issues." I couldn't help but mutter aloud. Drawing a glare from Cricket and an almost laughing huff from Depressed and Healy, pot meet kettle.

I loaded Cricket into the back of a PRT van, getting a smile and a wave from the racist.

I don't know how to process that.

"Why are you out of school anyway?" I addressed the brunette at my side.

"I don't know, something about a giant golden dude beating up Nazis?" And her glare was back.

"I didn't do that much." I muttered, rubbing the back of my head.

"I was here for the nice lady, actually. They got her pretty good before you made the save. Oh, she wanted you to have this, by the way." She tossed a small, wrapped sweet at me.

A Werther's Original.

God bless you, old lady.

Sucking on my new treat, I gestured for Amy to follow me away from the now-clearing PRT.

"So where to now, school, home, or hospital?"

"Ice-cream actually. I promised Vicky I'd meet her there when I was done. Something about too much work, I don't know." She grumbled under her breath about pushy blondes and stupid smiles.

"Need a lift?" I snapped my fingers before my majestic companion leapt from his perch. Stretching languidly after landing. He gave me an indignant chuff and a stink eye. "Sorry, buddy, it wouldn't have been a fair fight if you joined in."

He gave me a nod of 'Damn right human, they were too weak for my time' and padded up to the now gaping healer. He gave her a sniff before… Licking her face, the fuck?

An uncharacteristic giggle left the healer's throat as she fussed over my lion.

"I was always a cat girl." She mumbled between a mouthful of fur.

I cleared my throat. Eyes of betrayal and embarrassment turned to me.

"She can pet you later, big guy. If we don't get a move on soon, we'll have to deal with five and a half feet of worried Alexandria Package."

I hefted the healer up by her waist onto my noble steed, getting a squeak out of her in the process, and climbed up behind her.

I kept a respectful gap between us before she decided I deserved uber-syphilis and kicked Aslan into gear.


"How could you!?" A cute blonde screeched in outrage.

"Vicky… "

"No Jason. How could you let her ride your lion and not even mention him to me?"

"I…"

"Unacceptable. You owe me a ride!" Heh, "And ice cream!" She added swiftly; I hadn't even opened my mouth.

"Vicky, calm down. You're making a scene." Amy cut in, referring to the glassy-eyed patrons of the ice cream parlour.

"But Ames, Lion…" Now she was pouting.

Glare.

"Fine, my bad." Vicky composed herself. "I still want my ice cream, though."

This girl, I swear.

I bought her ice cream. Two scoops! The greedy gremlin.

With her victory secured, Vicky was content to let the matter drop before discussing our plan for the evening.

"So, where do you want to patrol tonight?" She asked between licks of mint choc chip.

"I was thinking about Merchant territory. Those guys are like cockroaches, but between you, me, and Aslan, we should be quick enough to round up the heavy hitters before they go to ground. Squealer just escaped prison again, according to PHO. So our best bet of finding them is one of her garages around the docks."

"Cool, none of the Merchant's are really scary. They're just a pain to find. I can see if Crystal is free; another set of eyes in the air would make life easier."

"Go for it. The sooner we shut them down, the better. God knows the city would be better off with less of their junk on the street."

"Preach." Amy added her two cents.

A quick phone call later, and we had a second blonde incoming.

I secured a bowl of strawberries and cream, her favourite, according to Vicky, for our new arrival and leaned back in the booth. Relaxing in my hoodie having dismissed my armour when we arrived.

Spoiler: Mc but change the fit

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[img: https/images-ng.pixai.art/images/thumb/7ba0d0ac-4884-45d9-ae39-0a030bdaf872]

Holy shit. My jaw dropped as the bombshell walked towards our booth. Azure eyes are framed by honey bangs. A white turtleneck clung to her body like a glove. And God, what those jeans did for her.

I've never been so envious or thankful for fabric in my life.

"Oh my…" I know, Ina, I know.

Spoiler: Crystal

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She caught my eye as she slid into the booth next to me, offering me a cheeky smirk as she dug into the ice cream in front of her.

Her tongue glides over the spoon. Slowly, she looked at me. A second passed. Her tongue runs from tip to shaft… from end to handle.

I'm in danger.

"So, mind introducing yourself?" Huh what? Oh right.

"Jason or Rex don't mind either." I drag out every inch of charisma I have and force it into the smile on my face.

"King huh?"

"If the shoe fits."

"Well, your majesty, I hope you can back it up."

Oh, I like you.

"We'll just have to wait and see."

"Ehem." Vicky interjected. "Crys, we're hitting the Merchants tonight; are you in?"

"Sure, I'm not doing anything tonight. So how'd you two meet anyway?" Crystal replied, still doing wonderful things to her ice cream.

"Oh, it was awesome. So me and Amy are at the Rig, right? I Had to have a… conversation with Dea- Gallant. Anyway, in comes Assault, Battery, and Vista, followed by this absolute giant in armour. I overheard them talking about power testing, so I just had to watch. Then this lug."

She punched my shoulder. Rude.

Ignoring my irritated grumble, she carried on.

"Comes in like he owns the place, trashes their range, and mops the floor with Armsmaster; just one tapped the guy. Broke his halberd and everything." Her arms flailed wildly in excitement, almost smacking Amy in the process.

Crystal turned to me, her calculating eyes looking me up and down.

"Not just a pretty face." I couldn't help but quip.

"Of course, my liege." She fired right back. What a woman!


The Vicky Express dropped Amy off at the hospital, and we were ready to go. The girls took to the skies and shot to the docks, while me and Aslan followed below.

It didn't take long for us to find our target.

It sounded like a damn block party. Rap blasted from subwoofers outside the run-down garage. Strung-out junkies filled the street out front. Most passed out in the middle of the street.

A few guards, if you can call them that, stood outside the rolling steel shutters. Pistols on their waists, trying to look menacing.

There was no sign of their capes. I guess they're inside.

I met the girls on the rooftop across from the garage, and we discussed our game plan. They were kind enough to give me a shot at leading.

"You want me to do what?" Vicky whisper-screamed, looking at me as if I were crazy.

"Drop me. The roofs rusted to shit. Fly high, and let me go. There's no way we can go in quietly, even if any of us are good at stealth work. So we go as loud as possible."

"You're crazy."

"Crystal, how far can you shoot your lasers?" I asked, ignoring Vicky.

"I can probably hit the garage door from here. Any further, and it'll be more luck than accuracy."

"Right. I want you on overwatch. As soon as I'm in, take out the ones with guns, just in case. Vicky, handle the grunts. You're fast and agile enough to make it a cake walk. Aslan can take the junkies outside. I'll deal with whoever's inside. When you're done, link up with each other and secure prisoners."

"You know that capes will be in there, right?" Crystal just had to ask.

"I'm counting on it." My grin sharpens as the drums sound in my mind.


My sky based superhero landing was a rounding success as I slammed into the concrete floor and kicked up a giant cloud of dust. My sword in hand as I made my way through the building.

"What the fuck was that!?" A slurred voice echoed around me. "I don't give a shit if you don't know. Find out!"

How did they not realise I was here?

Footsteps rushed towards my position. Showtime.

I dove behind a stripped-out chassis as four men burst into the room, pistols drawn in twitching hands. Who gave these crackheads guns?

I darted from cover and tackled the first man as they began to fan out. Ripping the pistol from his grip before he can fire and covering his mouth for good measure. A quick slam of his head, and it's night night. I rip the slide off the top of the pistol before dropping it, just in case.

The other three must have heard our landing as they turned towards me. Sliding around a support pillar, I wrapped my arm around a man's neck. Slipping the other behind his head, I squeeze.

Two down.

The last two must not have been nearly as high off their gourds as the other two. As they met in the middle of the room, They moved back to back.

I have an idea.

I squatted down and pushed. My enhanced legs launched me straight to the ceiling, where I grabbed onto one of the beams. Shimmying across, I positioned myself right above the smarter stoners.

And dropped.

I'm Batman.

Their skulls meet concrete, and out they go. Disarming them all to be safe, I move onto the attached hallway.

One random person choked out while his back was to me, and I'm free to head to the main attraction. The workshop.

Who knew Squealer was thicc?

There she was, waist deep in a car engine, tinkering away, oblivious to the world around her. Ass shaking merrily in her booty shorts as she worked.

If only she wasn't a crackhead.

I snuck closer. Not even 3 feet from the dirty blonde. She's still out of it. I wrap a hand around her ankle and pull, slamming her chin into the chassis. I pulled out some of the zip-ties Crystal let me borrow from a pouch on my 'skirt' and tied her wrist to a nearby desk. One that was conveniently bolted to the floor.

One cape down.

That just left one room. The office.

Let's do this.


Crystal PoV:

I couldn't tell if Jason was mad or a genius. Maybe both?

The mad; sexy, man somehow convinced my cousin that dropping him from 70 feet in the air was a great idea and started tearing up the building.

My turn.

I raised my arms and focused. Light raced beneath my skin, from my heart to my open palms. Taking aim, I fired.

Two beams arced across the road, slamming into the guards and sending them straight into the metal behind them.

A quirk of my lasers; they don't burn unless I want them to. Vicky calls them punch beams, and she's not far off.

Another quick blast, and down goes number three.

All in a day's work.


Vicky PoV:

Why do I get the dull job? I couldn't help but ask as I slammed the last junkie into the floor.

Jason was right, piece of cake… mmm cake.

I went to tie up my final victim before a deafening bang echoed from the building.

A blob of trash came flying through the wall, followed quickly by a scraggly black man.

What?


Back to Jason:

I dusted off my hands as I followed my unwilling projectiles out of the hole they made.

"You boys done?"

"Fuck you, prick!" Skiddy screeched as a neon strip lit up under his feet and he launched at me.

I raised my arm and clotheslined the junkie straight into the dirt. Dumbass.

I grabbed the front of his stained, off-white, wifebeater, hauled him onto my shoulders.

And power bombed him for good measure.

Don't do drugs, kids.

Mush seized his opportunity as I dealt with his boss and charged forward, absorbing any filth as he went.

The 12-foot tall pseudo-human swung a garbage-filled limb at me.

I dropped to the ground as it took out the rest of the front wall of their temporary base.

He hits hard, apparently.

I can't help but grin as the drums get louder.

A challenge.

Sword now in hand, I ran right at the Garbodor, hacking off any chunks that were close to me.

I leaped right at him.

Tendrils of filth lanced from his back.

I force myself to twist in mid-air and sever them as they scrape down my armour.

I landed on the goliath's shoulder.

Chunks of debris were rendered from his body as I slashed my blade. Slowly reaching the man beneath.

Mush screamed in rage as he tried to shake me off.

I slid down to his back as he shifted around erratically. My sword finding purchase in a piece of rubble.

What now?

I whistled.

Aslan came tearing down the road, growing with every step.

With an ear-piercing roar, he dove right at Mush. Claws tearing away anything they could reach.

Heh, mini kaiju fight.

Mush tried to shake him off, but it was no use. Every movement just gave Aslan more to tear through. In a panic, he shifted more of his mass to his front, hoping to stave off my furry ally.

He forgot about me.

The more he moved, the closer I came. Until, finally, I saw the collar of a ratty shirt.

Reaching into the filth, I grabbed the man and dragged him out of his power-created armour.

I threw my newest pain in the ass straight into the arms of a watching Vicky. Who, with a glare, restrained the smelly boy.

I owe her more ice cream.

Without its owner, the trash monster soon collapsed. Yuck, I want a shower. Bad.

Grabbing Skidmark from his nap time, I wandered over to the girls.

"You called the PRT yet?"

"Yeah, they're five minutes out. Apparently, Armsmaster is coming with them."

Shit. Crystal, why are you smirking at me? What did you do?

"I may have asked for a cape presence just in case…" Did she read my mind?

"Nope." She even popped the 'p'.

"… Okay, I'm just going to go."

"So soon?" She batted her eyelashes at me. "I was going to offer you dinner and everything."

"I'm listening."

"Mom wants to meet the newest unmasked cape." Ah, that makes sense.

"So soon?" I threw her own words back at her. "I bought you ice cream once, and I'm already meeting the parents? You work fast." Crystal lit up in a blush. Gotcha.

"Jerk. Are you coming or not?"

"Sure. Let's wrap up here. Ok, if I use your shower once we get there?"

"There's a hose out back. You are not dragging all that through my house."

Fair. Ow. But fair.


I turned to see Vicky leading a clearly irritated metal man towards me. Following close behind him is a small woman with an American flag covering her mouth.

The face of the Protectorate stopped right in front of me.

We both stared at one another for a moment. Gauging just how this was going to turn out.

With a thought I dismissed my sword and folded my arms over my chest.

"Armsmaster." There's a shard of ice in my tone. Our last encounter colouring my perception of the hero.

"Rex." Armsmaster greeted me neutrally. His newly-repaired halberd slowly lowered to his side.

"Miss Militia." I smiled at the women. "Got Mush and Skidmark for you. Squealer is tied up inside."

"Thank you, for your work."

"You're welcome, I guess?"

"Indeed. You three make a commendable unit." Armsmaster piped up from the side

Crystal dropped lower and placed her hand on my shoulder, offering me a smile. Vicky, not to be left out, mirrored her on my other side. Great girls these two.

Miss Militia cut off our moment. "Rest up; we'll handle the rest. Armsmaster, can you retrieve Squealer for me?"

"Understood." He grunted before marching off inside the ruined building. That was surprisingly pleasant. "Rex, a word?"

I hesitated for a moment before following the man.


We stood over the bound, unconscious form of Squealer.

"I was wrong." The man beside me broke the silence with a sigh.

Caught completely flat-footed I could only manage an unintelligible "Huh?" before he pressed on.

"When you came in yesterday I saw a joker. A man not taking this seriously, laughing with Assault. I thought you ignorant of what being a cape means." Another sigh. "I thought that if I gave you a taste of real combat, it would open your eyes."

"This is not an easy life Rex. Every day you go out on patrol is a day you might not come back. I'll be frank with you. When I woke up in the infirmary I was livid. You beat me, handily, and it changed nothing in your attitude."

I was at a loss for words. Where was this coming from?

"I tried to counter you, you know? Spent all night with Dragon reviewing your fight with Uber and Leet. The power you wield, it's dangerous. Nothing we came up with would have survived that last arrow. "

He still pressed on.

"If you ever crossed the line, I'm not sure any of us could bring you in. The director saw it to. No matter your opinion of the woman, her first priority is always the safety of this bay."

That explained her being a complete hard ass. I genuinely thought she just hated any, and everything, cape.

"But, I was wrong. Today has proved to me that maybe you are cut out for this life after all. I don't think you've realised it, but, you saved a woman's life today. You've taken four dangerous capes off of the street. Good work."

He patted my shoulder and grabbed the bound Squealer before walking passed me as if he hadn't just shattered my opinion of the man.

Well, shit. Goes to show you never really know a guy.


We soon split up, with Vicky flying off to bother Amy and the Protectorate heroes dealing with the aftermath of our patrol.

Crystal floated alongside me as we take the scenic route to her parents house.

It's a lovely home. Detached, white picket fences, just small enough to be homely but big enough to give off a spacious feeling. The ideal home.

And I don't hit the doorways. We shall now stan Manpower.

Crystal wasn't kidding about the hose. The evil, evil woman soaked me to the bone right outside her doorstep. Shaking like a wet dog, I dismissed my armour and dragged a simple black button-up shirt and matching jeans from inside my soul.

You heard. I have a soul wardrobe. The reason for Ina's threats yesterday was that she wanted a project to cure her boredom. So somehow she decided to build a closet in my soul and fill it with all the stuff I bought. I have no idea how that works; she's annoyingly coy when it comes to my soul.

Exposit, damn it. It's my soul.

Back to the matter at hand.

Crystal gave me a lovely once-over as my outfit changed before her eyes.

You can't prove I puffed my chest out a little.

"Wait here." She commanded as she flew up towards what I guess was her bedroom window.

I'm sure I'll see the inside of that at some point.

A couple of minutes of awkward waiting later, and a fellow giant opens the door.

Neil Pelham stood just a few inches short of me, staring into my eyes with all the intensity a protective father can muster.

Dude, relax. I met her today.

I broke the silence with a smile. "Nice to meet you, Mr.Pelham. Crystal said you wanted to meet me." I offered my hand to shake.

He tried to crush it. A flux of electricity was sparking around his body as his power activated.

I held my smile as I returned the force of his grip. We were deadlocked.

A slap broke our stalemate. Photon Mom herself flew up and cuffed her husband's head.

"Leave the boy alone, Neil. Your grizzly bear routine only works if they're smaller than you." He let go and scratched the back of his head good-naturedly.

"Yes dear."

"Now, Jason, do come in dear. Have a seat. Crystal will be down soon."

I'm led through a nicely decorated hall dotted with family photos and into a dining room, fitted with a hefty wooden table. Seeing my glance, Sarah clarified.

"Back when we first moved in, Neil would always end up breaking the table. Eventually we gave up, and my dad made that old thing. Damn table can take better hits than my husband." She gave the table a fond knock before bustling off into the kitchen.

"So, Jason, what are your intentions towards my daughter?" Oh boy.

Before I can even make up a believable lie that won't get me thrown through a wall, Crystal comes flying in.

"Daaaaad!" She sounded mortified, her cheeks flushed. The complete opposite of the seductress in the ice cream bar earlier. She wailed on her father's massive shoulder. "Mooooooom, Dad's being mean to me!" Uh oh, she called in the big guns.

Sarah comes walking back in, an apron around her waist and a delicious-looking lasagne in hand.

"Neil. Behave." Her tone promised severe consequences for any man who ignored her order. At least you fit on the sofa, man. I hope it's comfy.

"Kidding, kidding. Dear, you know I was just doing a father's duty." He gave a small laugh before kissing Crystal's forehead. "Not just anyone is good enough for my princess, after all."

"Daaad." Aww, she whined. Cute.

We sat down and dug into the divine meal.

"I've got to say, Mrs. Pelham. That has got to be some of the best food I've had." I couldn't help but compliment the chef.

A happy smile graced her face. "Thank you, dear. But please, it's Sarah; I'm not old enough for 'Mrs' yet."

"Got it, Mrs. P- Sarah."

"Neil." The man across from me grunted, still sizing me up. I don't know why, though. Oh, it might be the eyes Crystal is sending from my side. A mixture of happiness and a little lust from the looks of it.

Fair.

I'd do the same to a boy near my daughter. Crystal chill before your dad digs me a grave out back.

Dinner was quickly underway. Crystal and Sarah did their best to keep a casual chatter flowing, eventually even Neil caved, gave me a nod and fully joined the conversation.

"So how was your patrol, love?" Sarah asked her daughter.

"Pretty easy, to be honest. Me and Vicky just handled the usual goons. Jason dealt with Mush, Squealer, and Skidmark."

"Really now?" Neil's eyes lit up at the news of a fight.

"Yeah, well, him and his lion anyway. I don't know what he did to Squealer, but he smacked Skidmark around like a toddler."

Crystal, I need to hire you as my hype woman. You do delicious things to my ego.

"Hmm, what about Mush?"

"He was a pain, to be honest." I answered. "No matter how much of his gunk I cut off, he kept regenerating. I had to tag team him with Aslan, my lion. It was that or hit harder, and I have no idea how much punishment random junk can take before I just punched through him."

Neil gave me a nod at that. "I've had the same issue, as has Vicky. The worst part of being a brute is gauging how much punishment something can take. Word of advice, kid. Ramp up. Don't go in guns blazing, keep it cool. Either you rise to match their durability or the combination of punishment puts them down."

That was, honestly, great advice. No matter how chaotic it's been, I've only been here for two days. I don't really know how any of this works.

Shit, I've been lucky, haven't I? I could have killed Armsmaster yesterday if I had aimed a little higher, no wonder he and the director were pissed! Never mind what I did to Cricket today. Fuck. I need to calm down and stop letting the adrenaline get to me. Stop the power from getting to me.

It's just that I feel like I'm indestructible when I fight. Like it's a giant game or some ancient epic. The unconquerable hero. Sooner or later, I'm going to seriously hurt someone, or worse, if I don't get a grip on this.

I turned to face Neil and gave a solid nod before finishing my plate.

"It was nice meeting you Sarah, Neil, but there's something I have to do. Any chance we can reschedule that chat?"

Sarah searched my face for a moment before settling on a smile. "Of course, just get Crystal to bring you by sometime. It's not super important."

I got ready to leave, with Crystal following me to the door.

"Hey, you okay?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm good; I just have some things to figure out. Sorry to run out like this."

"It's 'kay, I get it." She paused for a second before wrapping her arms around me. "Be safe out there, Jay." I gladly returned the hug. Jay huh… I like it.

"Sure thing, Crystal." Before I could do anything else, she snatched my phone out of my pocket and started typing furiously.

"There! Now you've got my number and PHO. I expect you to check in once in a while, mister. Not just anyone gets to meet my parents." She lifted her nose in mock offence, going so far as to float off the ground.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll hit you up later. If you're lucky, I might even get you more food next time."

"Good." With a nod and a smile, she detached herself, and I stepped into the cool night air of Brockton Bay.

'Ina, we need to talk.'

AN: Boom another one down. A little more action, a little more conversation.

I'm genuinely shocked at the amount of love I've been getting over this, I expected it to just sink like a rock and collect internet dust.

I tried to shift a couple of interactions around following feedback to not make everyone out as hostile on sight to a literal stranger or one dimensional as fuck. Dad posturing aside. Let me know what you all think.

Next chapter might be a little slower (A couple of days) as my two days off work are officially over.



Chapter 5


Chapter 5: Revelations are just Divine

There was a tense silence over the bond as I made my way back to my makeshift home. Ina having gone radio silent.

With nothing I could do, I stripped off my clothes and settled into my fold-out bed.

The world shifted as I closed my eyes.

A cornucopia of colour bled from beneath my skin, wrapping itself around my body.

I could feel my sense of self vanish inside my swirling soul.

I drifted deeper. Pulled into the purple light.

The scent of roses filled my nose, drums beat softly in my ears, beautiful bodies and clashed blades displayed beneath my eyelids.

Deeper I went.

Soft sand beneath my feet, the blazing sun on my back.

A hint of power wrapped in a mirage.

Then, my eyes opened.


Beautiful. That was the only way to describe it. A beautiful palace carved from sandstone, faced with marble and gold.

The sand shifted beneath my feet as I made my way to the entrance.

It felt real. The sand, the sun, and the gentle breeze. A whole new world.

As I moved closer, shadows came into view. Faceless men and women, each with a weapon in hand, sparred relentlessly, over and over. A larger figure presided over them, a wooden instrument resting in front of him. A war drum.

Closer.


Near the top of the steps, a familiar face greeted me.

Aslan.

He lay there as proud as can be, lounging in the glowing sun.

"So this is where you come from, boy?" I asked my companion softly, running a hand through his fur. We stayed there for a while as I relaxed against his side. He provided stoic support, helping to bleed off my growing anxiety.

He really was an overgrown housecat at heart.

I had to move eventually. This was a conversation that needed to happen.

"Is she inside, bud?"

An affirmative chuff.

"This is going to suck."

A nod, the cheeky bastard.

"Wish me luck?"

His paw slapped me on the back.

It was time.


The interior of the palace was as opulent as expected, lots of marble, lots of gold.

There are a few too many statues of naked women, even for my taste, each one carved with an expression of bliss on her face.

I recognised a couple of them. Anne Barnes on her knees. Crystal Pelham folded into a mating press.

The closer I came to the statues, the more lifelike they became. Colour grew through the stone. Red and blonde hair flowed in the draft of the hall. Green and blue eyes shifted in frozen faces.

It was equally hot and creepy.

Then I reached the end. A stone door. Masterfully carved to depict a naked woman on a lion's back.

On theme to be honest,

It was Ina.

My hand reached out.

The door faded from being. Stone crumbling away and scattering in the breeze. A shadowed hole was all that was left.

"Come in, Warrior." Her voice sounded from beyond the veil. It was distinctly human compared to when we spoke in the real world. No layered tones or smoky husk. It was normal, almost.

Showtime.


Ina's (PoV) resolve:

For years, I was alone, forgotten by the annals of time. My family has drifted away. My name is a footnote in another's story. Those who remembered me, who looked to me for guidance and salvation, are but dust in the ground.

My palace was crumbling around me. Every name that forgot me, every usurper of my titles chipped away more and more. The warriors I trained once were so lifelike, but now shadows going about the motions. The beautiful servant girls were turned to stone.

I was alone. So alone.

My symbol dissolved millennia ago. My most faithful companion, my lion, is just an ornamental statue beside my throne.

How I missed him.

I missed them all.

I was about to fade myself, to put an end to the only thing I had left-my misery.

Then everything changed.

A blinding light.

A whispered bargain.

He was the most wonderful man I'd ever seen. His soul was blinding.

An endless expanse of stars.

My hope.

I couldn't stop myself as I reached out to him. The first contact in so long.

Then we joined.

It was quiet at first. He wasn't aware of what a miracle he was. Drifting through the fabric of the cosmos to a foreign place in a foreign time.

But he woke up.

I watched his first steps on this odd little planet of heroes and villains. Of men and monsters.

He was cute, stumbling around blind, unaware of who he truly was.

I soon showed him a little glimpse.

Twisting a sliver of my essence into his soul, I gave him everything I could.

The reflection of who I was back then.

A symbol.

The war, the conflict, the lust. Even my light. I poured it into my saviour.

First came my armour, not seen for aeons.

Then my bow, long gone unused.

My experience followed.

He needed them all.

In our first conversation, looking back, I didn't realise how cold I was. I have long been used to my own company. For this man to demand things brought emotions back that I'd long buried in grief. Call it my indignation or my pride. A man should not demand things from a woman such as me.

But something changed the longer I was here.

His memories changed me.

Seeing the life of this young man. Filled with hopes and dreams.

It broke something inside me.

The walls I'd built to survive my solitude.

He brought back the real me.

I can never repay my warrior for that debt.


Jason's back, back again:

There she was, Ina, in all her glory. Violet hair fell in waves around her tanned skin. A masterpiece of gold was shaped around her slender throat. Her modesty barely preserved by wafer-thin strips of purple silk.

Spoiler: Ina

[img: https/forum./proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fencrypted-tbn3.%2Fimages%3Fq%3Dtbn%3AANd9GcS4b9GvpaihM7FpA-O2RkbGXedQQQKdmgM86DsbkC6x5X3vhG-j =e6bfd5c3a3bb1c02569e0d83ca22e9dc]

I swallowed the lump that was building up in my throat.

"So we meet at last." Her voice was a whisper, barely believing I was in front of her. She rose from her luxurious chaise longue and took tentative steps towards me.

She reached out to cup my cheek. Tracing the lines of my jaw.

"My Warrior." Tears pricked her eyes as she repeated the motion.

I just stood there. I came here hoping for answers. Prepared to scream and shout about what she was doing to me. To find control.

Not this.

Not to comfort a broken woman.

I cupped her hand that was on my face. I ran my thumb over her knuckles softly. Holding her hand, I pull her into a hug. I wrapped the comparatively tiny women inside my massive frame.

I just held her.

Hot tears ran over my shoulder.

"Not alone." Another whisper.

"No."

"You're here."

"I am."

"Why?"

"I don't know anymore."

She hesitantly pulled from my embrace. Pulling me along to the velvet throne she sat on before.

Side by side, we sat, her head resting on my chest.

"You have questions." She began, "Ask what you wish, Jason." She cuddled closer.

"What's happening to me?" I ripped the band aid off. "The drums, the visions. What are they?"

She sighed.

"You don't make this easy for me, Warrior. To start, let me ask you this: Who am I?"

What?

"You're Ina, a woman with a name I hadn't earned, that's what you told me when we first spoke."

"Yes, I am Ina, the girl you see now." A pause "But, I was someone vastly different. My name, my true name, is Inanna."

As her name left her violet lips, the world around us shook. The drums began, the smell of roses filled my nose, and urges consumed me.

The desire for combat-to fight her right here and now-.

The desire for flesh, to take her right where we sat and make her mine.

Two ideals intertwined, tied together with the light of a star.

The dawn of war and the eve of passion raced through me.

Then it vanished without a trace.

My stiff posture slackened, and my pulse slowed. I turned to Inanna to find her eyes glowing and her hair fluttering in a non-existent wind.

"That is who I am, Jason; that is whose power you now wield as a weapon in the world. For beings like me, names are power. If I had told you when we first spoke, the mere invocation of my name would drive you mad with lust for battle and women. You'd become a monster before you even had a chance to be the hero you're becoming."

Fuck. I had no words. The scale of power she holds-that I hold inside me-is terrifying.

"Experience shapes a person. Memories, thoughts, feelings, and dreams. They define us. They strengthen our resolve. The more you go through, the stronger you become. That is your key, my warrior."

She smiled up at me.

"Grow, Jason; right now you're nothing but a sapling; grow into a mighty oak. Keep living; keep striving for greatness. Eventually, the fraction of my power you hold will submit to you entirely. Don't forget, it only enhances what is already inside you. It draws out your potential and layers it with that of those who fought in my name. That is the nature of my aspect of war."

"Self control then, to hone the instincts you give me down to a sharpened point instead of a club," I pondered.

"Exactly!" She cheered. "A warrior is only as strong as their discipline, after all."

"That doesn't explain the images, though."

"Ah, that." She let out a nervous giggle. "It may be a side effect of the whole 'Goddess of Sexuality' aspect of my domain. If you were gay, for example, it would have been Neil you were bending over, not Crystal."

Oh, oh, gross. I did not need that mental image. This is a serious conversation, damn it.

"So you made me super horny as well as super strong?"

"Jason, I can see your memories; you were super horny anyway. I don't need to remind you of your old search history, do I?"

My face went bleach white.

"No ma'am."

"Thought so." Why are you looking so smug?

Unacceptable.

I hefted the mini-Goddess up from my side and onto my lap. Her back was flat against my chest.

Fun fact: the Goddess of Sex had a really, really nice ass.

I initiated my retaliation protocols. Head pats.

I ran my hand gently through her hair as I patted her head.

My free arm wrapped around her waist, cutting off any escape as she squirmed before she melted into a pile of goo on my lap.

"Not so smug now, are you?" I whispered into her ear as my hot breath ran down her neck.

She shivered.

"Noooo, you don't get to tease me!" Her wriggling grew more intense.

It had interesting consequences.

I felt myself harden beneath her the more she ground into me, trying to escape.

Her movement changed.

Gone was the playful struggle. She slowed her movements, morphing them into a roll of her hips.

She wanted to play.

I obliged.

The hand on her waist slid along her smooth stomach, tracing the contours of muscle beneath. The other, once in her hair, was now delicately wrapped around the front of her throat as I tilted her head to the side. My lips traced along her neck before latching onto her pulse point.

Her rocking grew frantic. A needy whine escaped my grip on her throat.

I continued my exploration of her body.

My hand rose from her stomach into the swell of her breasts, gently squeezing and cupping through the silk.

As she ground herself on my covered length, no words escaped her, only ragged breaths.

She drew closer to the edge.

I tightened my hold on her neck and slid my hand beneath her clothes. Finding my prize, the hardened nub at the peak of her breast, I rolled it between my fingers.

Ina screamed. Her body shuddered as she collapsed limply against my chest. Taking deep, gulping breaths as the crest of her orgasm faded, she turned to look deep into my eyes.

I still haven't removed my hands from her body. She didn't mind.

In a flash, she twisted and jumped up, locking her lips to mine. The taste of exotic fruit and wine filled my mouth, followed by her tongue.

We fell backward in our passion. Ina ends up straddling me.

She pulled back, panting.

"That was… oh, it's been too long." Her smile is radiant as she looks down at me. "But…"

No, no, no.

"We'll have to save the main event for another time."

Wait, wait, wait.

"It's time for you to wake up, my warrior." She captured my lips once more before I was ejected from her realm.

Fuck.


I snapped awake in bed, nearly falling out of the thing in panic.

My dick, hard as steel, greeted me as I looked down.

I will have vengeance.

Who blue-balls a guy like that?


AN: Another one bites the dust. We get more Ina, an explanation and a little heavy petting.

Enjoy



Chapter 6


Chapter 6: I am the Master of My Soul, aka, I know my rights!

Waking from my journey to Inanna's realm was an odd experience in many ways. My body felt numb, and my muscles had all seized up during the process.

I strained to reach for my phone.

8:15 a.m., Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010.

I was out for two days!

I scrolled through my notifications-one missed call from Crystal and two from Vicky. Oh shit.

I flick through my messages.

[2.11.2010, 3:17 a.m.] Crystal: Jay, I hope you're okay. Just wanted you to know that you're invited to the family BBQ on Friday. Dunno what you did, but Mom and Dad love you.

I don't know either, Crystal; I thought your dad wanted to kill me all night.

[11.3.2010, 8:15 a.m.] Jason: Sorry for the radio silence. I had some power stuff to figure out. It's all good now. Want me to meet you at your place before we head on over?

I left it at that, switching to the wall of spam from the other blonde.

[11.2.2010, 18:21 p.m.] Vicky: Jaaay, Crystal told me about dinner, you sly dog!

[11.2.2010, 18:21 p.m.] Vicky: How did you get Uncle Neil to like you? He normally runs boys out of the house.

[11.2.2010, 18:21 p.m.] Vicky: Tell me your secrets!

[11.2.2010, 18:21 p.m.] Vicky: Please?

[11.2.2010, 18:22 p.m.] Vicky: Would it work on my mom?

[11.3.2010, 8:15 a.m.] Jason: I can only hope, or the BBQ will get real awkward.

[11.3.2010, 8:15 a.m.] Vicky: Eh, I'm sure you'll be fine. Maybe.

Well, I appreciated her optimism, if nothing else.


Throwing my phone in my pocket, I climbed out of my camper and cracked my back. Oh, the sweet satisfaction.

I gave my camper a once-over, surprised it wasn't left on bricks, while I was away with the fairies. Even the candy red and white paint was completely fine.

Nice.

I wandered across the street to the local café. I needed my caffeine fix. Once in the line, my thoughts drift back to my chat with Ina.

The key to my powers was, apparently, the force of will.

That was some anime shit right there. Do I have to find the One Piece next? Get a Green Lantern ring?

Willpower was a simple concept on paper: be a stubborn bastard and get results. In practice, however, it was different. That level of sheer determination isn't something you can really train.

You have it or you don't.

The drive to chase your goal to the ends of the earth. No matter what it takes.

A goal-is that what I'm missing?

Sure, my goal when I woke up here was to become a hero, and I'm doing that. Beyond that, what do I have? The need to survive? So does everyone else on the planet; it's hardwired into our DNA to want to live.

I needed something tangible. Something I can really set my mind to.

I gazed out the window as my thoughts drifted to the city as a whole.

It looked so normal from behind the glass. No capes, no gang wars-just everyday men and women going about their lives.

But this city, it isn't normal, not in the slightest.

Hell, I wasn't normal either, not anymore.

So what do I want?

I want a proper place to sleep and someone to share this new lease on life with.

I want to make a difference.

To be remembered.

I want to live, not just survive.

Everyone's told me just how hard it is to be a hero, the sacrifices you have to make.

No. I won't accept that.

I'll drag myself to the finish line if I have to. Fuck Scion. Fuck the S9. Fuck the gangs.

Nothing will stop my story.

Light bloomed from my heart. The glow was barely buried under my layers of clothing.

It clicked.

The drums followed my heartbeat. One rhythm.

My rhythm.

Let's do this shit.


The rest of the day was a blur. The energy flowing through me made me feel like a kid on a sugar rush.

I just didn't get tired.

So I ran.

It started slow-a light jog down the boardwalk, lapping the high-end neighbourhood before heading to the beach. Soft sand shifted underfoot as I picked up the pace.

Faster.

Water lapped at my ankles.

Faster.

Bystanders gave me odd looks as I passed them, closer to a blur than a man.

It was euphoric. Boundless energy mixed with adrenaline pushed me as hard as I could go.

I stripped off my hoodie, not caring if people saw me.

Spoiler: MC

[img: https/generated-images./image/7ee7a2af0e397ae5fc61ae360e42f456746681483c137fa7cd6772df11ac4f09.jpeg]

I let my power flow.

A miasma of light wrapped around my body, blinding gold interspersed with flecks of violet, I bared my soul to this broken world.

It changed.

I felt a pulse, and my aura flared.

Motes of blood red and polished silver joined the violet, hidden from my eyes.

Larger and larger, my shroud grew, the sand shifting with the waves of power.

Crow cackles and owl calls joined the drums, drowned out by my beating heart.

I let it go.

The floodgates opened. My power burst forth, and a pulse of gold fled from the epicentre of my body, forcing waves away from the shoreline. A concussive blast of my newfound will.

I did it.

I couldn't help it; I laughed hard, doubling over in joy.

Control.

I tightened the grip on my soul once more, the nebula contracting to a single point in my being. Right above my heart, an image formed-a swirling galaxy carved into my skin-a reminder.

I fight to live; I fight to win.

The glee melted as I took in the gathering crowd. Maybe I shouldn't have done this in public after all.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

They parted, gawking bystanders splitting like the Red Sea as a group of teenagers walked towards me.

A tall teen in sleek, silver armour edged by white stepped ahead of the group. Gallant, the ward from a bottle.

"Excuse me, sir, what are you doing?" His voice echoed with assertive confidence, the type only picked up from hours of public speaking, PR training, and a belief you are in the right.

"Training." I grunted back, tiredness edging into my tone. Who knew blasting out your soul made you a little tired?

Stumped, he tilted his head. "Why?"

"Felt like it." Was I being obtuse? Yes, did I care? Not really.

"Rex, stop being a dick." A second person sounded off from behind Gallant. Oh, it was the little lady.

"Let me have my fun, Vista."

"No." This pre-teen is vicious.

I did not pout. Thank you very much.

"You're a wicked, wicked little girl, you know that?" Oh no, why is she smirking?

Cold salt water filled my senses as I found myself falling into the water.

Dragging myself back to the surface, I glared at the shoreline.

"I'm not a little girl!" She yelled out to me. Waving cheerfully and flipping the bird for good measure.

I thought she was the nice one.

My impromptu bath said otherwise, vindictive gremlin.

I guess I'm swimming too today.


It turned out that fucking around on the beach with my powers wasn't the smartest idea I've ever had.

Someone called the PRT.

They rolled in deep. Three vans full of military-trained personnel lined the walkways around the beach. Containment foam launchers were trained on my form interspersed with rifles.

Even with the wards vouching for me, they held their positions.

Something about following orders.

I was, and I quote, 'A Parahuman with unknown capabilities, including the mastering of a sentient being'. I was to be brough in for questioning and being held until such a time that it is proven I have no impact on the human populace.

Fucking hell, this shit again. Where did their logic even come from? In what way is summoning a giant gold lion a master ability. Something fishy is going on here, but what?

I don't even control Aslan would take great pleasure in batting me around like a ball of yarn if he wasn't such a bro.

He'd probably do it anyway for shits and giggles.

Just like that, my nice trip to the beach ended in handcuffs.

I could have escaped at any time. I knew it, and so did they, if the weapons still pointed at me were anything to go by, but what was the point? It would only put me on the PRT's shit list and make life more difficult.

They'd come down on me like a ton of bricks. I have no real backing beyond my friendship with the younger generation of New Wave. It would be open season on my ass.

It was the better move to just go along with this farce and try to talk my way out of it.

Being the good guy was a pain in the ass. Life would've been so much easier as a villain. ]

So, for the second time this week, I was back at The Rig.


It turns out PRT interrogations sucked; who knew?

They took my phone, my clothes and left me with a ratty jumpsuit three sizes too small, something about potentially hidden Tinkertech'.

Apparently, they could hold me here for 24 hours. The point at which a majority of master effects wore off without repeat exposure.

They still had me cuffed, linking them through a hole in the table and fixing them to the concrete floor. Did they think my brute rating came from my armour? This wouldn't have stopped a normal man, never mind me.

I looked at the man; the guards outside called him 'Sarge'.

"Interrogation started 2.35 p.m, Seargent Carl Abernathy conducting. State your name for the record."

"Rex."

"We have reports of you summoning this creature." The pot-bellied, balding man slid a photo of Aslan across the table at me.

"And?"

"That makes you a master kid."

"How?"

"What?"

"How does me 'summoning' Aslan make me a master? "

"A pseudo autonomous being under your control, created by your power, that's a minion." His hands tightened into fists. "That makes you a Master."

"Okay. Say that you're right, that I do control Aslan. How does that in any way relate to the whole 'human master' label you're trying to pin on me?"

I could see the veins bulging in the man's forehead. He slammed his hands into the steel table between us.

"Don't get smart with me. Wherever you keep that pet of yours is clearly hidden, but what's to say you don't have people in there also under your thrall?"

"Common sense? Or maybe, just maybe, you ask instead of dragging me here."

"Alright, listen here boy, I'm going to keep it nice and simple for you. Can you control people?" He stepped around the table, trying to loom over me.

"No." He placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I think you're lying to me."

"Think what you want. I can't. My power is a combination of enhanced strength, durability, and the ability to summon things from my 'theme'.

"And that theme is?" He leaned closer, I could smell whiskey on his breath.

"Something I'm not telling a man who is willing to abuse his rank to drag me in here. "

His hand tightened, a growl escaped his throat. I could hear the click as he removed the strap on his holster at his side.

I tensed my arms, ready to snap the cuffs in half at a moments notice.

The coming fight was interrupted as a fierce blonde stormed into the room.

Spoiler: A wild Carol

[img: https/generated-images./image/d0c5bf3f9ef57db232c2d7a91c8be88c3da3a4672f2aa13771cf61cf9a916f0b.jpeg]

"Sargent Abernathy, I'd like a word with my client." Hi, Carol.

The man grumbled under his breath about stuck-up bitches, earning him a sadistic look from the cape-turned-lawyer before he scarpered out of the room, his hand still on his weapon.

"How'd you know I was here?" I asked the woman I've never met; sure, Vicky talked about her when we went for ice cream, but I wouldn't consider myself that close to her family yet.

"Victoria called; she heard about what happened at the beach from a 'friend' of hers."

"Ah, but why are you here?"

"She asked if I could help. For some reason that I don't understand, my daughter took a liking to you, Mr. ?"

"Cole, Jason Cole, well, thank her for me, would you?"

"You can tell her yourself, Mr. Cole; the PRT had no reason to bring you in. From what I could gather and what my sister told me, at no point have you displayed the characteristics of a 'dangerous' master. There are no sociopathic or manipulative tendencies. As she put it, you were just a 'charming young man who happened to have a lion as a pet'."

Hurricane Carol spun on her heel towards the one-way glass to the side of the room.

"I want this man released yesterday. If he is not, then you will hear from Dallon and Barnes, I assure you. Don't make me take this to your director." You go, girl.

They let me go sharpish after that.


We rode back from The Rig in my usual fashion. Fuck these guys; they aren't stopping me from riding my lion. With the bizarre addition of Carol riding side-saddle behind me, apparently Vicky, bless her heart, was in such a tizzy to help that she flew her mom over to The Rig. So I offered the lady who saved my ass a lift back to her house.

It was a little awkward; Carol wasn't one for small talk, apparently, preferring to watch the city go by on lion back.

I, meanwhile, was in no mood to talk in general. Anger boiled under my skin over the whole situation.

The fuck, guys? We're on the same team.

From what Carol explained to me, old Abernathy had an itchy trigger finger when it came to suspected masters. His daughter was one of 'Heartbreaker's projects'.

Honestly, I was contemplating killing the man. He was a monster in human skin, breaking women and his own children for his sick pleasure.

I might not be the most moral of individuals, I will lie, I do steal but there are two simple rules I live by. No women, no children. You go after the innocent, you deal with me. He would be the first to get that particular memo.

He's somewhere around Montreal, if I remember right. It shouldn't be too hard to pick the hedonistic egotist out of the crowd. Strings of missing women should narrow it down. Worst case, play to his ego and make him come to me. A nice, juicy cape for him to indoctrinate.

It looks like I'm taking a road trip soon.

For now he was the priority; nothing really kicks off in the bay for a few months from what I can remember.

It was the smarter play to wait for Taylor to deal with Lung and only jump in if necessary.

Then I can strike the ABB's pleasure houses.

I'd need to hunt down Bakuda before she's recruited and either eliminate her as well or, hopefully, stop her triggering all together.


AN: This chapter kicked my ass. Up and down.

So it's a bridge; we got some power stuff going on in the background, which people will probably guess, like last time. Got arrested and found our first 'big fish' to fry out of state. That's right, we get the Rex world tour before Cannon kicks off properly and things escalate rapidly.

Next time we have a BBQ with New Wave and make some preparations for our trip to the snowy place to the north.



Chapter 7


Chapter 7: Briskets and Bad Press.

The day has arrived. The great Pelham/Dallon BBQ was upon us. I made sure to look my best. Digging a nice shirt and pants out of my wardrobe and styling my slowly growing mane of hair, I even went out and brought a pair of wing-tipped shoes to tie the look together.

Spoiler: Suited and booted

[img: https/generated-images./image/0929c3d365d2b0852c0cee4017e0dfe85bab1d007788b188c430ea996e643891.jpeg]

Was I overdressed? Probably.

But, Crystal was going to be there. A man's gotta make a good impression.


I've kept in contact with Carol after my escapade at The Rig; it was gaining heat fast. From the potential damage being labelled as a suspected master has on my reputation to just how Abernathy got away with having me brought in without Piggot crucifying the man.

It was, to put it bluntly, a political shitstorm.

News of my 'questioning' was leaked to PHO and immediately lambasted as a crock of shit. People aren't stupid; most of the time, theories ranged from trying to strong arm me into the fold to using it as a precedent to round up 'unruly' independent capes.

Spoiler: PHO is on fire

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Topic: Rex, A Master!?

In: Boards News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Chrome

(Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 4th 2010:

Breaking News!

PRT team takes Rex into custody over being a master!

[link]

(Showing page 1 of 26)

ArchmageEin (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

Because of the lion!?

What does that have to do with being a master?

Ekul (Wiki Warrior)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

Because the size-changing kitty cat is obviously a normal animal he controls *eyeroll*

How did they jump from that to him mind whammying people?

Edit: Obvious Sarcasm Is Obvious

XxVoid_CowboyxX (Banned (3 days))

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

'This user has been temporarily banned'

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

XxVoid_CowboyxX take a temp ban for your language.

Specific_Protagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

@Ekul His mesmerising abs obviously

Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

Update: Glory Girl brought Brandish to the rig. [backup.jpeg.]

15 minutes later Rex and Brandish are seen leaving [Lionride2.jpeg]

Internal memo cited as the reason for the arrest and questioning.

Edit: Memo was retracted. It is confirmed Rex IS NOT a master

I repeat Rex is in no way a master.

Chrome (Original Poster)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

So they just arrested him because they could?

# F*ckthePRTENE

Aloha

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

#F*ckthePRTENE

Anonymous (The Guy in the Know) (Truth) (Hero of justice) (Unbannable)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

This is not the first time something like this has happened.

[Link]

#F*ckthePRT

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 24, 25, 26
Topic: A New Thread

In: Boards News America Breaking News!

Anonymous

(Original Poster) (The Guy in the Know) (Truth) (Hero of justice) (Unbannable)

Posted On Nov 4th 2010:

Everyone meet Bad Canary [canaryinholding.jpeg] A woman unlucky enough to be a master.

Over ten months ago she was arrested for a power related incident that happened during a fight with her now ex-boyfriend. [link]

She had, multiple times before reported him to the NYPD for domestic violence and blackmail. She was ignored.

He followed her to her last concert. Stormed backstage and threatened her, asking her for money he believed she owed him.

She told him to… Eat a cucumber

He did, his.

Now she spends 24 hours a day in Brute restraints, unable to speak.

She isn't allowed to contact her lawyer for multiple weeks at a time.

The prosecution [link] is actively supressing her ex's past claiming it is 'irrelevant to the trial'.

Court assigned defence lawyers have never beaten a case [link]

#F*ckthePRT #JusticeforCanary

(Showing page 1 of 67)

BadSamurai

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

Absolutely disgusting. Who did this?

#F*ckthePRT

Divide (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

Honestly, I've never felt so sick. That poor woman…

#F*ckthePRT

Canary_Cage (Banned)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

That B*tch deserves it. She attacked me. She mastered me! What happens to her is what she deserves! Stupid Wh*re!

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

@Canary_Cage Permanent Ban. Please, never come back.

Anonymous (Original Poster) (The Guy in the Know) (Truth) (Hero of justice) (Unbannable)

Replied On Nov 4th 2010:

@Canary_Cage Do enjoy the consequences of your actions. You can't hide what you did and cry wolf anymore.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 65, 66, 67

Everyone anti-PRT hopped on the bandwagon, lampooning the PRT ENE for their awful handling of the situation.

Carol was having a field day, and in the space of twelve hours, she filed so many citations on my behalf that she had to call Barnes and their junior partners in for overtime. They even filed a civil suit on my behalf for damages.

I could see why she was so worked up over it; her daughter was a master, no matter what they told the public. If they could drag me in over Aslan, they could quite easily pull Vicky in too.

Well, if Brandish wasn't her mom, that is.

It was a standard she doggedly fought against all day yesterday.

The best part of it all, besides the 'press release/apology' they wanted me to attend in a few days, was Canary. Someone, I'm assuming Dragon, leaked the conditions the poor woman was being held in to the internet.

Boy, I thought I created a shitstorm. It was a tsunami. Brute restraints for a woman with no brute rating, not being granted access to her attorney for weeks at a time. 11 months in custody without even being given a trial date.

They posted it all. The prosecution ignored the fact that the 'alleged' victim of her attack had a history of domestic violence, threatening behaviour, and blackmail. Her defence is composed of government-issued defence attorneys that have never won a case. Barring her own lawyers from acting on her behalf because 'they might be mastered'. Ignoring the fact that they only corresponded through supervised emails.

The last time I checked, the Human Rights Committee and a Supreme Court judge were getting involved. Fear of the Simurgh and masters in general only went so far; they couldn't get away with that with all the facts out in the open. Canary might be a master, but she wasn't a cape; she had no stakes in the 'grand game'.

To many, she was an abuse survivor who made a mistake and was paying way too much for it.

Her piece of shit ex, eunuch or not, was still alive after all; if she had any other power, he'd be a smear on the ground.

Back to my situation I understood what Abernathy did to me on a personal level. Not that I liked it, mind you. The man lost his daughter to Heartbreaker, and his wife died not long beforehand. He lost his whole world. No matter the jump in logic, to him, any 'master' confirmed or not was a threat to the public, even if they weren't capable of controlling humans.

He stepped on a social and political landmine.

I'd get my pound of flesh, not from the man ruled by his own losses, but from the system that let him do it.

Throughout all of this I was lucky to have a budding support system. Carol, Crystal and Vicky have all called me multiple times throughout the night to check in. Crystal especially made sure to keep me company.


Thursday night:

A knock echoed on my camper door.

Spoiler: a surprise visitor

[img: https/generated-images./image/8ebdb205e9697d4e3d13ceda941e4583db403f211ab473a92c55a35dd2eb1ab3.jpeg]

"Hey, I, erm, thought I'd come check you were okay." The concern in her eyes made my heart beat a little bit faster.

"Thanks, Crys. That, that means a lot right now. Come on in, sorry it's not much."

I let her inside and we sat side by side on my bed.

"I'm not going to lie, its been rough. I just wanted to help you know? Make a bit of a difference."

"I know you do Jay, you proved that since I met you. You haven't even been a cape a week and you've captured six villains. I know that you want to do good but, honestly what did you expect with that stunt on the beach?"

"I… You're right I didn't think. It was all just such a rush. Figuring out how my power actually worked, pushing it to the limit. I couldn't help myself." I scratched the back of my head sheepishly.

"What am I going to do with you?" She proclaimed melodramatically.

"I don't know? Stick around to make sure I don't get into to much trouble?"

"I guess someone has to. I'll take one for the team." I gave her a playful nudge before wrapping my hand over hers.

"Thanks for being here Crys."

"Anytime." She intertwined our fingers.


I drove over to the Dallon house, not wanting to deal with the extra attention Aslan would bring at the moment, and was immediately engulfed in blonde. Crystal and Vicky both latched onto me before I could even knock on the front door.

"Hey girls." I greeted the pair warmly, my hands resting on the smalls of their backs as they hung off my sides.

"Jason, you made it!" Crystal spoke first, pulling herself closer to my side. Her head rested on my shoulder.

"Hey." Vicky joined in, detaching from my arm with a little spin before floating upside down in front of my face with a cheeky smirk. "You two look comfy." She giggled to herself before flying off into her backyard.

I could feel the heat coming from Crystal's cheeks.

"She hasn't stopped teasing me since I said I wanted to invite you." She pouted.

"I thought it was your parents' idea." I couldn't help but tease her little slip-up. I met her eyes as her face got even redder.

I earned myself a light slap on the shoulder before she pulled herself even closer to me.

"Shut up…"

I lost the grip I had on my laughter, bursting out in deep chuckles at the blondes embarrassment.

"You could have just invited me yourself without the excuse, you know? It's not like I came here for your parents."

"Ooh…" She's too cute, I swear.

"Come on, we better head inside before your dad finds a shovel."

Still carrying the cuddly blonde, I made my way around the Dallon house, getting nods and odd looks as I went. Neil was definitely plotting my murder now. Sarah gave me a smile and Crystal a wink before bustling over to the barbecue, trays of meat in hand.

Amy was hiding in the corner, her nose pressed into a book.

Well, she tried to. Vicky, spotting her sister daring to be antisocial, scooped up the grumpy healer and flew her over towards me and Crystal.

"Jason, babysit." And off she went, dumping the unimpressed introvert right in front of us.

"…" Glare.

"Do you want to play with the cat?" I pulled Aslan from my soul, shrinking him down to the size of the average housecat before forcing him into Amy's arms. A duty she gladly took as she fussed over the best boy.

I dropped Crystal on one of the lawn chairs and went off in search of drinks for the both of us. Carol loomed over the kitchen island, pouring over various papers.

"Ah, Mr. Cole, just the man I wanted to speak to." Oh no, please, not more signatures.

"Mrs. Dallon, lovely home, what can I help you with?"

"Thank you. The PRT's lawyers have reached out. They offered a settlement on the civil suit to keep it out of the courts: $250,000 in damages. What do you think?"

That was a large chunk of change. Not as much as if we went to court, but enough to get a house if I wanted.

"Take it; what about the apology?"

"Director Piggot has offered to hold the press conference outside The Rig to cover the whole series of events on Sunday. I was promised you'd have your apology then. They have asked for your attendance, likely to portray a continued amicable relationship between them and you. To bury the hatchet, so to speak as well as speak to any journalists."

"Your recommendation? You've been doing this PR thing a whole lot longer than me."

"Attend. Be civil, but strict. They miss stepped badly; you cannot let them sweep it back under the rug, or they will walk over you again. Piggot will not give an inch, but she is a fair woman, from my experience. Don't rise to any bait their PR team, or the news will try to throw at you."

"Got it; are you coming as well?"

"As your legal representative, I can attend and field any questions in relation to the legal aspects of the case."

"Perfect. I wouldn't be surprised if the girls wanted to tag along as well."

"Victoria has expressed an interest in attending, and Amelia too now that I think about it."

I knew the kitty would win over Pan Pan.

"Alright. Well, I'll leave the heavy lifting in your capable hands. I've got to get back before they send a search party."

"You do that. I'll be out soon."

I gave the woman a nod, grabbing a couple of drinks-a non alcaholic beer for me and a pre-mixed cocktail for Crystal-before heading back outside.

I was met with chaos.

Aslan, having grown to his normal size, was wrestling with Neil on the patio, having the time of their lives with Amy, Vicky, and Crystal cheering from the side-lines. Eric Pelham was filming the whole thing on his phone, and Sarah looked completely done with the day.

Glorious.

I let loose a sharp whistle, and my beastie's ears perked up before he dove at me. Intent on adding me to their game. I quickly handed the drinks to Crystal before leaping into the fray.


Director Piggot PoV:

What a shitshow! I stared across the room at the man who had caused me my latest headache. Carl Abernathy was a good trooper back in the day, with a solid head on his shoulders.

That changed when the man lost his family. His wife died in a car accident around a year ago. His daughter, Jessica, was ensnared by Heartbreaker on a trip to Canada a month or so ago. Later, she was spotted as a member of his brood. The man wasn't even sure if she was still alive or not.

That's when this started; any time a report crossed his desk with the word 'master' on it, he would take it upon himself to drag them in and rip out all their dirty little secrets. He'd rooted out a couple of human masters that kept themselves on the low that way, so I let it slide as long as he kept it quiet.

Until today.

"Explain to me, Abernathy, how a size-changing lion in any way indicates Rex to be in any way a human master?"

"Ma'am, the egg heads tipped me off that he had too much control over the beast to be natural. The theory they floated around the lab was that he could influence, enhance, and enlarge a target. Multiple known members of the E88 were checked into the hospital with wounds matching a lion attack, but none were more severe than needing stitches. That's not normal, ma'am."

"He's a Cape Abernathy; nothing they do is normal. If you had decided to stick around for the rest of the report, including statements from the wards, you'd know that what Rex creates is to be considered a facsimile, a construct. It acts in a pseudo-realistic manner, but it isn't. Is he a master? Loosely by definition. Does that extend to humans? No. He has had multiple interactions with various wards, PRT personnel, and notably New Wave, and none have shown any behavioural changes. You overreached Abernathy. We have a political nightmare on our hands. Effective immediately, you are suspended without pay until such a time that a board of your peers decides your fate."

"Understood Ma'am."

God, I hate this job sometimes. I need a drink.


The barbecue ended on a high note after our bout of lion wrestling. I agreed to meet up with Crystal and head out for food at some point in the future. Bless that girl; she was adorable. But now I have bigger issues. The press conference first of all.


We made our way to The Rig as a unified force. I led the group, followed on my right by Brandish; Laserdream took my left; and Glory Girl floated behind us. The rest of New Wave mingled in the crowd, all in costume, as a show of support.

Making my way up to the impromptu stage, I was met with a few familiar faces. Assault gave me a smile, Battery gave me a nod, Vista gave me a cheeky wave, and Armsmaster gave me a tilt of his armoured head.

Director Piggot just gave me a resolute stare and a nod of her own before turning to the gathering crowd of reporters and guests.

"Good morning. Today, we are here to talk about the incident that occurred along the boardwalk beachfront on Thursday afternoon. Unknown to myself, one Sergeant Abernathy ordered his detachment of Parahuman Response Team troopers to detain the independent hero Rex on the grounds that he was a suspected master because he has an unnatural level of influence on a lion seen in his retinue.

Now, I will make this very clear: it has been determined that Rex is not, in fact, a master. His lion, Aslan, is a facsimile, a construct. While it displays life-like traits, it is not sentient; it is more akin to a projection than a real animal.

On behalf of all of the PRT ENE, I sincerely apologise to Rex for the actions taken by former Sergeant Abernathy and the men and women under his command. Thank you, any questions?"

"Vicky Vale, Brockton Bay Bulletin. Rex, how has the action taken by Sergeant Abernathy affected your view of the PRT?"

She came out swinging.

"Honestly, Miss Vale, it's not great. I understand Mr. Abernathy has a history with masters, and I do empathise with that; however, that does not excuse his actions. If I wasn't lucky enough to be a friend of Glory Girl's, I shudder to think what would have happened to me without Brandish there. I tried to explain that Aslan is not in any way 'real' and that he is an extension of my powers, but he wouldn't listen. To me, it's worrying; if they did that to me, who else have they brought in for one of these 'interrogations' based on mere speculation and hypotheses?

This incident has made me lose a lot of faith I had in the PRT. I hope that they use this opportunity to change things for the better. Next question."

"Gerald Schmitt, New Hampshire News. Rex, what are your thoughts on the opinion that you used unnecessary force in the capture of Cricket to the point she needed Panacea's assistance?"

Who knew the E88 had newsboys?

"Mr. Schmitt, please keep your questions relevant to the topic at hand, but for your curiosity, when I engaged Cricket along with seven men, they were mercilessly beating an elderly black woman. That woman nearly died at the scene if it weren't for Panacea. They beat her so badly that one of her ribs punctured a lung. I took the steps I thought necessary to protect that woman and the lives of the police and PRT at the scene. Next question."

"Lois Lane, Daily Planet. Director Piggot, is there any truth to the rumour that you called Rex in for a meeting after a spar with Armsmaster that left the hero in the infirmary?"

How the hell did she know about that?

"Yes, I have met with Rex before. We had a discussion about the general rules surrounding parahumans in Brockton Bay. Next."

Oh, not going to let the public know that you tried to strong arm me into the fold madame director. For shame.

"And you, Rex, any comment about what you did to one of our city's most prevalent heroes?" Lane cut across the other reporters.

"We spared during a time that I did not fully understand my power; having triggered that morning, I apologised to Armsmaster for the accident and have since formed a good working relationship with the man. Next question."

It was close enough to a trigger event anyway.

"Yuri Chen, Capes Weekly. Rex, are the rumours of you joining New Wave true?"

"No Miss. Chen, while I am rather close with them, I am not a member. I agree with their principles and do not wear a mask, but that is all. Any last questions?"

"Laurence Wright, World Standard. Director Piggot, what are your thoughts on the inhumane treatment and imprisonment of Bad Canary?"

Oh, boy, here we go.

"Bad Canary's condition and treatment are under internal investigation. At this time, I cannot comment."

"What about you, Rex?" The man tossed the live grenade into my court.

"Personally, I find what they are doing to that woman despicable. She's an American citizen with her rights being wilfully ignored for an agenda. I, along with many of you, were disgusted to find out how she's being treated. I'll say this: if there is any justice in our system, that woman will be released."

"What about the boyfriend!?" A voice yelled out from the crowd. An ugly man with a patchy beard stormed up to the microphone. "Doesn't he deserve justice?"

"Yes, yes, he does." I paused. "He deserves to go to prison for assault and the litany of other crimes he committed."

With that, I stepped off the podium and walked back to Brandish and the others, listening as the crowd of journalists tried to mob Piggot with their questions.

"Good work up there." Brandish told me as we made our way off of The Rig.

"Thanks; I didn't realise the Empire were so brazen as to send a reporter, though."

"Probably a sympathiser who slipped through screening and took his chance. Don't give it any mind."

The fact that that is a normal occurrence disgusted me a little.

"I'm going to get out of here. Thanks for the support, everyone." A few nods and a hug from Crystal, and I was off back to my camper.

I had an identity to forge and a murder to plan. I couldn't do either in polite company.


AN: Well, here's the follow-up to the iffy last chapter. A few notes:

I'm wet behind the ears, and this plot comes to me as I write it with the most bare bones outline; it might as well be a skeleton. I'll try to get a proper one made before the 'second arc' kicks off

Are the PRT more fanon than canon? Sure, I've not read too far into Worm, and most of what I write is based on a metric fuck tonne of fanfiction.

Why no mask? There was no reason for one; his powers popped in public; he was filmed in armour on his way to the café with Assault and Vista.

He'll get one for his more morally shady activities in the future, though.

With all that said, thank you all for the overwhelming amount of love this story has gotten and all of your help improving my work.



Chapter 8


A Canary's cry.

AN 1: I did some editing, fixed some shit, and rewrote the interrogation scene.

AN 2: A heads up; this is a little dark.


A Canary's Cry.

It was dark-so dark.

How long have I been here?

I can't remember.

Why am I here?

They wouldn't let me forget.

I just wanted to sing, that's all.

To share my voice with the world.

To make people feel things because of my music.

Not this. Never this.

He was so sweet when we met, so charming, so helpful. He helped me get off the ground and got me in contact with club owners he knew. He started my career; he would tell me.

But he was angry-oh, so angry.

I was a naive girl when it first happened. I tried to rationalise it; it was my fault he was angry. I must have done something.

The man I loved wouldn't do this without any reason.

But there was no reason.

He did it because he could.

"I wanted to hear the canary cry," he would tell me. "It's such a lovely song."

I would beg him to stop.

I pleaded, I apologised, and I bargained.

Whatever it took for him to not raise his hand again.

Money-that's all he really cared about.

Not me, never me.

Cash and checques tempered his fury.

Then he was sweet again, buying flowers and gifts because I was being good.

"My good little songbird." His voice echoed through my head.

Like a songbird, he kept me in a cage. My friends were just using me for fame, he would tell me. I had to get rid of them for your sake, he would lie.

Your parents just want your money; you're better off without them.

I was alone. So alone.

No one wanted to help me, he would say. There was no one left to help me.

I tried to leave, to get away.

He found me. He threatened me.

He hit me again.

We argued. I told him to leave; he wouldn't. I told him to stop; he wouldn't.

Someone came. When the stranger interrupted him, he left.

For three months, he was gone. I had three months of living. My happiest moments.

I mattered to people, and then my career boomed.

They wanted the canary to sing, not cry.

He came back. He demanded money. I owed him, he said. He made me the star that I am.

I had enough. I told him what I really thought of the monster I used to love.

One sentence, and it ruined my life.

Three words, and I was in a new cage.

"Eat a dick." Such a common insult, and here I am.

The one time my song worked on him. Forcing him to pull his knife from his pocket. To take what mattered to him most, sever it, and swallow.

For a moment, I was gratified. He deserved it, for all he's done. We could go our separate ways.

I could try to forget about him.

He wouldn't let me.

The men came, dressed in black riot gear. Guns pointed at my heart as they told me to get on the ground. Barrels pressed against my skull when they told me not to speak.

They gagged me. They bound me. They sent me here.

To be chained to a wall in a cold, dark room. My mouth forced shut. Only given the freedom to email my lawyer every now and then.

They wouldn't even let me cry anymore.

Then I heard the first voice-one that didn't want to torment me-in months.

"It's going to be alright." She said. "We're going to get you out of here soon. Just hold on for a little bit longer."


For the first time, I felt hope.


Just wanted to write brief interlude while I actually make an actual outline for this story.

That should hopefully stop some of the stupid mistakes I've made this far from repeating.



Chapter 9


Chapter 8: Preparation is Half of Victory

My plan to head to Canada was firmly entrenched in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more pressing it seemed. The longer Heartbreaker was entrenched in Montreal, the harder it would be to root him out. So I broke it down.

What did I need?

Money. That was a simple task; I could hit a few Merchant stash houses and have enough cash to last me the trip.

A costume. No way in hell am I showing up in my armour when I'm going to murder a man. If he had a Kill-Order I might have considered it. It would've made things easier. Just rock up with Aslan and snipe him with my bow.

But he doesn't.

Disguise it is.

I'll keep it simple: all black, low-budget. A nice rookie cape should be an enticing target. Make a little noise, and he'll send his children to snoop around.

Weapons. My sword and bow are very distinctive and flashy. I'd be flagged by the PRT over there in a heartbeat. So I needed something more low-key, something anyone would have on hand. Knives and guns specifically.

Before all that, though, I needed to get my hands on some ID. My street rat excuse might have flown when I arrived in this city, but being a part of a legal battle with the government meant that some real big wigs would do a lot of digging on me soon enough. They wouldn't be stopped by the 'unwritten rules' either. There had to be a paper trail. Even if I only have a name and birth certificate, it should stop them from getting suspicious. People don't just pop up, after all.

Technically, I could do this legally and call myself a Case-22, a 'parallel world traveller'. But I have a sneaking suspicion that if I did, I'd get a visit from a woman in a fedora or a man who likes to buttfuck timelines.

No surprise abductions or bullets to the head for me. Thank you very much.

There has to be at least one person in this city who is skilled enough to hack a couple of databases and throw my name in there. Just have to claim it was for a 'fake identity' and boom. Then I'd just need to order the physical copies.

It was still risky considering it could be linked back to me as a hero, but if I show up in new gear and keep a low profile, hopefully they'll just think, 'Shit, there's another big motherfucker in the city'. Brockton Bay is weird enough that it should fly.

But, to get that ball rolling, I'd need even more money; criminals aren't too fond of charity, and I don't fancy pissing off someone who could access my search history.

It's time to rob some drug addicts.


I'd like to say that the Merchants got smarter since me and the girls took out most of their capes, but that would be a lie.

It was glaringly obvious where they were. They tagged the house with their logo for crying out loud. The strung-out, emaciated people coming in and out constantly was also a dead give-away.

Can't forget the guy with a gun outside.

Why would you sell out of the place where you keep all your shit? That's what trap houses were for.

Fucking morons.

The building itself had seen better days, mainly a family and not junkies, once white-painted bricks were crumbling. All the windows were boarded up, either broken or to stop people from seeing inside. Picket fences were rotten, and the grass was littered with needles.

It's like they were asking for me to rob them blind.

I was going to do it in style, though.


I sent Aslan after the guy guarding the front of the house. My lion was getting bored, and he could use a playmate.

Meanwhile, I kicked in the back wall, bricks easily giving way to my superior strength, sending a man-sized section of rubble flying inside. A scream clued me into the fact that my impromptu projectile hit someone.

Stepping inside, I was met with the muzzle of an assault rifle.

"Heh, I've got you, you cape fuck!" The man, tweaking like mad, cackled at me.

I raised a single eyebrow in return.

"You've got five seconds to get that thing out of my face before I shove it right up your ass. Five."

"… What?"

"Four."

"Homie, I'm pointing a gun at your face; you're meant to; I dunno surrender, right?"

"Three."

"Put your fucking hands up, man!"

"Two."

"I'll do it. I'll shoot."

"One."

I dropped to the floor as he pulled the trigger. From the shadow of my frame came Aslan, pouncing through the broken wall after he'd had his fun outside, and right onto the trigger-happy merchant.

"Ahhh, get it off! Get it off!"

"Aslan, Sit!" His rear end dropped right on the man's stomach. He kept the man's arms pinned to the grime-covered kitchen floor with his front paws.

"Good boy."

If my entrance didn't alert the rest of the occupants, then the gunshot did. Heavy footsteps echoed from the ceiling as men came running down the stairs.

The first got introduced to my trusty right hook, his lower jaw shattering on impact and teeth flying out of his mouth. He fell to the ground with a scream, clutching the now multi-part bone. A swift kick to the temple knocked him out.

The next wasn't so lucky. I snapped the man's tibia with a well-placed low kick as I snatched the rifle from his hands. Ripping out the magazine and clearing the chamber before swinging it at the final man rushing at me like a bat. The gun's stock shattered over his head as he dropped in a boneless heap, unconscious.

I checked the man I hit with a wall for a pulse, just in case. He was alive, the bricks only having hit him from the waist down.

I should probably call Pan Pan, to be honest.

Yeah, I'll do that. Luckily, Arcadia had let out before I got here.

Whipping out my phone I dialled up my fellow caffeine addict.

"What do you want?"

"Hi to you too, Pan Pan."

"Don't call me that." She cut me off.

"Fine, look, I may need a favour."

"You hit someone too hard, didn't you?"

"… Maybe."

"For fuck sake." She sighed "I thought you were practicing that whole 'this isn't even my full power' bullshit."

"I am."

"Then what do you need me for?"

"I might, just maybe, need more practice."

"You're worse than Vicky, I swear. I hope you know I'm telling Crystal."

"Now, Amy, let's not be too hasty."

"Too late."

"Fine, what is it you want, you goblin?"

"Aslan."

"What?"

"You're giving me Aslan for a week."

"A day."

"Three days."

"A weekend."

"Deal. It's a pleasure doing business with you. Now, where are you? Vicky's giving me a lift."

"Some shithole down by the docks. 87 Clements Way. Look for the white house with a busted wall."

Healer on the way I quickly looted the place, shoving all the guns and cash inside my soul. Wasn't that a weird feeling?

Just a flex of my aura and poof away it goes.

"You could let me know before you do that, by the way. I like a man who makes it rain as much as the next girl, but a warning would be nice." My aura shimmered violet for a second as Ina popped up for the first time in a while.

'Oh, hi there, Ina.'

"Hello, my warrior. Apologies for being gone for so long. Your journey here had unexpected consequences."

'Everything okay?'

"Oh, it's more than okay. Since you came, the place has really livened up.

'Okay, and that means what in layman's terms?'

"Heh, you'll have to wait and see."

'Don't make me come in there.'

"Oh no, threaten me with a good time. How will I cope?"

Before I could snipe back, a crash echoed behind me.

Stepping up from the minor crater in the backyard, courtesy of Vicky, Amy gave me a lazy wave.

Her sister following not far behind, floating out of the mess she made.

"Bit dramatic, Vicky." I couldn't help but comment.

"Shut it."

"What the fuck, Jason?" Panacea yelled, having stepped inside while we bantered. "You broke that guy's jaw in four places and knocked out twelve teeth." She pointed to Grunt One. "That one's lucky to walk without a limp for the rest of his life." Grunt Two. "He's got a broken skull." Grunt Three. "You turned that guy's lower legs into a jigsaw puzzle." Oh, that was the wall guy.

Note to self: proportional force is important.

In my defence, these are the types of guys who like to get kids hooked on their shit for fun, forcing them to sell on street corners to pay off imagined debts. That's not to mention what they 'conscript' the grown women for.

I didn't have a whole lot of mercy for these types.

Panacea, having finished her impromptu surgeries, quickly left on Air-Vicky after making me promise to bring Aslan over Friday night, heading home to complete what was the bane of all teenagers lives: homework.

Imagine having to timeshare a lion. What is my life?

Now alone, besides the unconscious men that littered the floor, the loot goblin impulses took over. Ransacking the first floor, drugs, and money were expected, as were the two pistols I found under a bed in an open box.

The naked woman-not so much.

She was a small thing-100 pounds if that. I couldn't accurately place her age, the drugs having taken their toll on her features, but I'd guess in the high teens, twenty at most. Her light brown hair looked almost black with how dirty she was. Needles and lines of powder were stacked on the table at her bedside. A woman who traded her body for drugs, you'd think at first glance, if not for the straps around her wrists that tied her to the headboard.

She wasn't an addict by choice; it was to make her compliant.

I saw red.

My aura burst out of my body, painting the room in a golden light, an invisible pressure baring down on the room. I knew this kind of thing happened in the Archer's Bridge Merchants. They hooked women who took their fancy on hard drugs and forced them to turn tricks in exchange for their next fix, but knowing and seeing were two very different things.

You can know about the depravities some people commit. You read about the details from those who survived. But seeing it broke something inside of me.

The fact that some people would willingly do this to another human being.

Why?

Because they could.

Because they wanted to.

It drove home how real all of this was.

How long would she have survived if I didn't pick this house to target?

Days. A week at most.

I tore the straps off her body, wrapped her in the bedsheet, and cradled her in one of my arms like a new-born baby as I left to meet the police outside. My aura is still blazing around me.

"Officers, please call for an ambulance; this woman needs help."

"Understood, dispatch 10-43; I repeat 10-43 to 87 Clements Way. Over." The officer called through the radio on his chest.

"Acknowledged, EMT's are 5 minutes out, status? Over."

"10-50 Bravo, 261, Over."

"Thank you." I told him, my throat dry as I watched the woman stir in my arms.

"I'm just doing my job. You found her?"

"Upstairs, tied to the bed, used needles next to her. Pieces of shit who did it are in the kitchen, unconscious."

"Don't worry, the boys will be nice and gentle, waking them up." He turned to his fellow officers. "Lads, give them a reminder how much we like their type." The surrounding police gave solemn nods as they made their way inside.

"Is it alright if I wait with her for the ambulance?"

"No trouble. Do you mind if I get a statement for the report? The more we have, the longer I can lock those fuckers up."

That was something I gladly agreed to.

The statement itself was simple: When did I arrive? What happened? and how I found the girl in my arms. The police officer didn't blink twice when I told him that I just knocked out the Merchants inside without going into detail, nor did he comment on the broken rifle lying next to one of them.

Once the paramedics arrived, they quickly took the woman from me, placed her on a stretcher, and hooked up heartbeat monitors and an IV.

Her pulse was stable, so hopefully, besides the withdrawal symptoms, she'd make a full physical recovery.

Mentally, it was a different story, unfortunately. She'd likely never be the same again.

I rode with them to the hospital, taking it upon myself to watch over the woman. One officer came with her, so he could get her story once she woke up and find out who she was.

As we travelled down Brockton's streets towards BB General, I had to try and compose myself. My anger was still very much present, but it would do no good right now. I had to put a lid on it. Bottle it up and save it for a purpose. My aura finally faded as we arrived.


Brockton Bay General was a chaotic place; nurses ran to and fro, and patients lined the white walls as they waited for beds.

We were met at the doors by a doctor and two nurses, who quickly got to work. They made a list of visible injuries and what suspected substances were in her system.

I trailed behind, keeping out of their way as the professionals went to work.

One of the nurses, a homely Hispanic lady who introduced herself as Gabriela, led me to a waiting area across from the room of the woman I rescued. Telling me that they'd let me know when she woke up and that it was nice of me to come with her, when many capes didn't bother once medical personnel arrived at a scene.

I spent three hours staring into fogged glass before I was called into the room.

She was awake, talking to the officer who rode in with me.

"This is the man who recued you." He introduced me as recognition lit up in her eyes.

"I saw you on TV the other day." Her voice was weak and scratchy, the finger marks that bruised her neck suggested why. "Thank you." A raspy cough interrupted her. "Thank you for saving me."

"Anytime, miss?"

"Laura, Laura Bailey."

"Then you're welcome, Laura. Just get some rest, okay? You're safe now."

Tears streamed down her cheeks as a haunted look crossed her face. "What happened to the men? The men that did this to me?"

"They're going to spend a long time in a small cell with people who don't like them very much." Big Country is going to make them feel real welcome, that's for sure.

"Thank you…" She trailed off as her eyes drooped closed, exhaustion claiming her.

"Keep an eye on her for me." I asked the officer as I made my way to the door.

"You didn't even have to ask, and Rex, good work out there."

"You too, Officer.


I took the time to walk back to my camper. The crisp night air was doing wonders to clear my head.

I'd check in on Laura before I left the city. They were keeping her in for a while.

On the way to my mobile home, I stopped by a run-down military surplus store. It was time to gather an actual costume.

A good part about being in America is that everywhere is stocked with massive clothes. Nowhere else was a 5-XL so easy to find.

I grabbed a couple of black turtlenecks from the rack, tossing them into my basket along with some motorcycle pants (also black) and a matching leather jacket that had a silver stripe running from the cuffs to the shoulders.

More leather joined the collection as I picked out a pair of gloves and combat boots.

To finish the look, I found a balaclava and a thin tactical vest. It wouldn't stop anything beyond a knife, but it would give the impression that I needed the extra protection-a fake weakness.

The cashier didn't even give me a look as he rang up my total, too engrossed with the football playing on a small TV at his side. I dropped the cash on the countertop and told him to keep the change before continuing on my way.

Throwing my 'incognito' look into my soul, I had one last thing to do.


Finding someone to create my identity was, in all honesty, annoying. I didn't even know where to begin looking for this kind of thing.

It was by luck that I found 'The Artist' as they called themselves on PHO. A hacker who spent most of their time leaking internal PRT documents to the internet and everything else a 'hacktivist' partakes in during their free time.

I took a gamble and shot them a message, trusting Dragon's software to keep them out of my personal shit.

Sure, the AI herself might log this information, but I doubt someone getting a new identity was really on her radar unless the phone's owner was on a watchlist.

She's never broken the unwritten rules before that I was aware of, and there's no way Saint is checking that shit if I don't give him a reason to.

The name of a cape isn't really in his interest when he's too worried about Dragon going Skynet.

'The Artist sent me an address and nothing else-some hole in the wall dive bar in the middle of the city.


The Caster's Net was just what you'd expect as a 'clandestine meeting location' dingy, filled with loud music and even louder patrons.

My hacker sent over directions to their booth once I told them I had arrived.

I had to give it to 'The Artist'; they hit every hacker stereotype to a 'T', awkward looking, thick milk bottle glasses, and a slouched posture. He even wore a graphic tee with an obscure pop culture reference.

I slid into the booth opposite them.

"Ah, welcome, welcome. What can The Artist do for you?" I could hear the dweeb capitalise his own moniker through his nasally voice. I must not give the source of my new identity a wedgie; I must resist temptation.

"Need ID. Government shit. Full work up."

"Yes, yes, a simple task for one such as I."

My god, how much roleplay did this guy do?

"I simply need the details. Name, date of birth, etc. You'll be an orphan, of course. Maybe even a tragic backstory?"

"Just keep it normal, please."

"You criminals have no imagination. Fine, fine, boring it is." The-one-who-was-swirlied-in-Highschool grumbled before pulling out what was clearly a Tinkertech laptop. Doubt he made it; a guy this dramatic would 100% get in on the cape scene if he was a Tinker. He reminded me too much of Uber and Leet.

I fed him information as he listed it. Name: Jason Arthur Cole. Date of Birth: 7.4.1993. Race: Caucasian. On it went-no schooling, as was consistent with the PRT's first attempt to dig up my information after the Power Testing debacle.

A few clicks, and I was the proud owner of my own name.

"There, now, my fee."

I slid the melodramatic larper a bag filled with $5000. At least he worked quickly, or his tech did at least.

"A pleasure doing business, my good man; now I must be away." He scurried off like a rat caught in a flashlight, his eyes darting to the bar's patrons as if making sure he wasn't going to get mugged immediately.

"God, he's a fucking weirdo." A passer by commented, a large man with a shaved head and a bar towel slung over his shoulder.

"Got that right."

"Can I get you anything for the headache you've probably got?"

"Whisky, neat. Make it a double, would ya?"

"Comin' up."

I sipped my Irish for a while, the alcohol not doing anything for me, instead savouring the rich flavour. For such a shithole, this place had a decent atmosphere. If you ignored the one fight that threatened to break out before the bartender tossed the ones starting it out on their asses.

A couple of drinks later, I settled my tab and headed out.


Passing through Brockton's alleyways at night was never a safe bet, even for a cape.

My senses flared as a whistling noise filled the air. I tucked into a forward roll narrowly, avoiding a crossbow bolt that lodged itself into the brickwork where my body used to be.

Turning around on high alert, I spotted a wispy shadow floating down from the rooftop.

As feet touched concrete, the form solidified: female, black armour, a metal mask, and two crossbows in her hands.

Shadow Stalker.

The fuck did this bitch want?

"Can I help you?"

"Fuck off, Nazi prick, I saw you leaving the bar."

"What?" Did she just call me a…

No fucking way.

"That bar, it's E88 turf."

"I actually didn't know that." I can't believe I liked the place; I felt icky.

"Sure, you didn't. Now drop the hood."

How about no?

The 'Apex-Predator obviously didn't like me not following her orders -as I just stood there- and fired another bolt at me, aiming for my shoulder.

I caught it.

"Are you sure about this Shadow Stalker? I'm going to give you one chance. Walk away. If you don't, well, I'm sure Piggot would love to hear about these toys of yours. Weapons like these, on a ward, for shame."

I snap the head off the bolt in my hand with my thumb and throw it off to the side.

"Like anyone will believe a Nazi fuck like you!" She roared before firing again.

I slip to the left before closing on her.

I threw a jab at her face, hoping to end this quickly.

My hand hit nothing but air as she shifted into her breaker state.

How do you beat someone you can't hit?

She reformed behind me and launched a roundhouse kick, aiming for my liver.

As I blocked, she shifted again, using the intangibility to regain her footing.

I couldn't win by outmuscling her; she'll just keep shifting around my blows; it was either stall until she was fatigued or fight smarter.

I scanned my environment, looking for an advantage. The alley was empty, except for one thing: an external fuse box.

Bingo.

I dodged around Sophia's blows as she grew more aggressive. Her inability to hit me was as frustrating to her as the inverse was to me. Except, I could keep it cool. She started throwing haymakers instead of jabs, aiming for lunges instead of kicks. Taking more risks to land a hit.

She hated weakness, and right now she was the weak one in her mind.

Not beating me down quickly was a wound to her ego that Hess could not tolerate.

"You do realise I'm not a Nazi, right? I'll have you know I like women of every colour." I bantered as I weaved around her blows. "I just wanted a drink."

"Fuck off!" She growled, going for a flying knee.

We were close enough now.

Instead of dodging, I ripped at the cables connected to the fuse box, the live wires sparking as they were exposed to the open air.

I took her knee to the solar plexus with a snort, barely even moving, before hooking my free arm behind her calf and jamming the wire forward. She flinched back, trying to transform before I could reach her.

As she shifted, slipping her leg free, I made contact. A pained scream ripped from her throat as she was forcefully reverted back to normal.

In a frenzy, she struggled away from me, running as fast as she could to get away from the wires.

She was a real predator, wasn't she?

Unfortunately, my impromptu weapon had a limited range, and I was forced to watch as she ran from the alley. Cursing me all the way.

I might have won our little fight, but she'd definitely hold a grudge over it.

Maybe I should buy a taser for the rematch?


AN: Boom, prep work done; one or two more chapters before we head off to the winter wonderland.

A couple of small scuffles in this one, I wanted to get back into writing 'action' before the chunky fight scenes to come.

Give me your thoughts, reviews, theories, and any bullshit you pick up that doesn't make sense. I tend to go back and rewrite bits you guys pick up on. Any advice is also greatly appreciated.



Chapter 10


Chapter 9: Date night distress.

Once Shadow Stalker bitched out I took a moment to plan what I would do about the situation.

I could let this slide, do nothing, and leave her to run it back at a later date.

Or I bury her. A probationary Ward, attacked an unarmed civilian at night, unsanctioned for patrol, with lethal ammunition. She done fucked up big time.

I took photos of both the bolts she fired at me before giving my favourite prosecutor a call.

"Hello Jason, what can I do for you?" Ah, Carol, straight to business.

"A Ward has just attacked me." I cut to the chase; women like Carol were not fans of empty pleasantries.

"What?" You could almost hear her jaw dropping on the other end of the line.

"Shadow Stalker just tried to put two crossbow bolts through my chest, unprovoked, bar the fact that I went to a bar that I wasn't aware was associated with the Empire."

There was a beat of silence. Brandish wrapped her head around what I said. Then a shocking giggle echoed through the phone.

"You love to give me the best news, don't you?" Her voice was straight evil.

"Carol, please don't call my attempted murder 'the best news'."

"I cannot wait to see Piggot's face when I drop this on top of her." She ignored me. "Oh, the money they'd throw at us to keep this quiet… mmmm." Carol, you're scaring me.

"Should we? Keep this quiet, I mean."

"Hmm, most likely. The relationship between yourself and the PRT is strained at best. Bringing this to them privately would go a long way towards improving that. If we go public, there's a high likelihood it will fracture. They might be seen as incompetent, but trust me, they'll do everything they can to destroy your reputation.

The spin doctors on their payroll are the best in the business, former political campaign managers. Don't make yourself their target. Public perception is fickle enough that they will come out the winner."

"So, taking this to Piggot will make my life easier in the long run?"

"It will prove that even though you've butted heads, you're willing to work with them rather than always jumping to oppose them."

I paused for a moment to consider my options. I could go hard on the PRT now, blast them online and stir the public into a feeding frenzy, but what would that achieve beyond how satisfying it would be to watch them burn? Nothing. It'd get Hess in so much shit she'd drown, though I felt Piggot would see to that either way.

Keeping it quiet, however, generates a lot of goodwill with the woman I've pissed off since I arrived. It's a favour in my back pocket for when the real trouble starts.

That's another thing; if I pull the trigger on either option, Canon is dead in the water. No Hess means no locker. It means I'd have to step up big time to steer this doomed world into a shot at survival.

Am I really willing to rationalise someone's abuse just to keep the knowledge in my head accurate?

What kind of hero would I be if I just sat back and let them torture a poor girl because I was hesitant to change things too much?

I wouldn't be one. I'd be a selfish asshole and nothing else.

I have the chance to change things, the power to change things.

I will change things.

Sorry, Taylor; this is my story now.

"Get me a meeting with the director; there's a lot she needs to hear."

"I'll send you the details. Good night, Jason."

"Night Carol."


Less than a day-that's how fast Piggot agreed to hear me out. I was practically marched into her office as soon as I stepped through the front entrance.

Once inside the packed room, I noted who was where.

Hess was here, forced into a metal chair. Her shoulder, being held in place by Miss Militia, who had a taser strapped to her hip. Armsmaster stood off to the right of the director herself. Even Assault was here.

"Rex, you asked for this meeting, so talk." Piggot spoke, her voice level as she glared at the ward that caused this mess. Her hands sat atop a manilla folder on her desk.

"Don't you fucking dare." The ball of angst being held in place growled, turning her masked face towards me, trying to stare me out.

"Last night I went out for a drink; yes, yes, I know underage drinking and all that. But I had a shit day and wanted to take the edge off. The place I went, unknown to me, was associated with E88. Once I'd left, I felt something was off. I just dodged in time for this to lodge in a wall, right chest height." A flash of gold and one of Sophia's projectiles landed on the desk. I could see her squirm out of the corner of my eye. Busted.

Armsmaster was quick to pick it up.

"It matches the description of the ones confiscated from Shadow Stalker upon their arrest." He paused for a second. "Fibres embedded in the nock are consistent with the crossbow we issued her upon joining the Wards."

"Whoo," Assault whistled, "you done fucked up, kid." before clapping his red-gloved hands together sarcastically. "Ladies and gentlemen of all ages, I give you tomorrow's headline: PRT sends Ward to assassinate an outspoken hero. Congratulations, SS, you nearly fucked us."

"Indeed. Anything to say for yourself, Shadow Stalker?" Piggot asked, glaring even harder.

"Fuck you all! I take out the trash in this shithole of a city, and this is what I get? At least I make a fucking difference instead of sitting on my dick because 'the city is fragile.' Maybe if you let us actually do something, I wouldn't have to do it myself." She was frothing with rage, spittle flying out the mouth slit of her painted mask. "And you, you piece of gold-coated shit. Fucking pussy, you couldn't take me in a fight, so you ran to the ones who put a collar on my neck. You're nothing, you sheep. Just a weak little bitch rolling over and showing his belly."

Was she so deluded that she thought she won?

I couldn't hold the retort on my tongue. Something about Hess just set me off.

"Ah, yes, I'm the weak one. The guy who kicked your ass with no gear and a piece of wire. The guy you ran from. Don't think that just because I solved this in a more amicable way makes me weak. I may speak softly, Shadow Stalker, but I carry a big stick." My armour glowed as heat entered my voice.

"You wanna know what I see when I look at you? Someone who's only good at running away. Hell, your powers are built for exactly that. You aren't the predator you think you are; deep down, you know it too. That's why you're so angry. That weakness eats at you, doesn't it?" She struggled harder, trying to deny my words through physical force-the only way she cared to try.

No one will remember you as Shadow Stalker, the hero who took down Kaiser or the Empire. No, you're just the Ward dropout who couldn't keep her shit together long enough to make any sort of difference whatsoever.

You blew your shot at redemption, at making something of yourself. Be real proud, Shadow Stalker, because you are nothing but a fuckup with a short fuse."

I couldn't help it; I knew who she really was and what she did to people to prove to her own self-perceived superiority.

Silence met my tirade.

Then, a feral scream ripped out of the ward as she tried to lunge at me, shifting into her breaker state.

Round 2 it is. My sword appeared in my hand, time to match divine light against alien shadow.

Or it would have been, if Miss Militia didn't tase her right in the spine.

Ouch.

Hess dropped to the floor as she reverted, writhing in agony. A pitiful whimper escaping her lips as Tinker tech handcuffs secured her wrists behind her back.

"Get her out of my sight, Militia. We'll decide what to do with her later." Piggot ordered, looking so far beyond pissed she came full circle to serene calm. "Assault, go with them. Sit on her, you two. I don't want either of you to take your eyes off her for a second."

"Yes, ma'am." They both responded before dragging the struggling Ward out of the room.

"I'll give you this Rex, you might be a pain in my ass, but thank you for bringing this straight to me. I assure you we'll be diving deep to find out just how she got away with this and what else she's hiding. Glorious speech, by the way." Ah, the way to Piggot's cold dead heart, tearing a cape to pieces in front of her.

"No problem, we might have had issues, but we want the same thing in the end."

"To keep this city safe." She finished for me. "That aside, we have given Brandish the details for your new bank account. As a gesture of our appreciation for your 'anonymous contribution to public safety,' $1,250,000 is waiting for you."

What a roundabout way of saying you paid out before she dragged the PRT back to court. No doubt that money is also conditional on my silence over the whole incident.

"Got it. Before I head out, Armsmaster, can I talk to you for a second?"

"I'll walk you out." The man responded as we left the office together.


Instead of heading straight to the exit, we took a detour to his lab.

The place looked like a production plant. Robotic limbs held metal shapes in place, a fabricator hummed in the corner and, the centrepiece of it all, a giant computer.

Multiple monitors displayed a ridiculous amount of information, from live updates from the BBPD to a long list of known criminals active in the bay. He even had a real time read out for his armour systems displayed on the largest screen.

"Welcome. You will have guaranteed privacy here. Despite my best efforts, the walls still have ears inside the PRT."

Ah, he was warning me about their mole problem.

"Appreciate it. First thing, can you put me in contact with Dragon? I have something coming up that might catch her interest." He hammered away at a few keys on a wrist mounted computer, likely corresponding with the 'lady,' herself.

"Here, message this number and she'll reach out to you." He passed me a freshly printed card from beside his console.

"Next, we both know it's a matter of time before Skidmark escapes PRT custody. I want the first crack at him when he does."

"Might I ask why?"

"Let's just say that his 'executive decisions' led to something I cannot condone and want to express my dissatisfaction with his life choices."

"Ah, the Bailey woman, yes? An inexcusable act that is distressingly common. I understand. I shall let you know should he escape."

"Thank you. Maybe you aren't so bad after all." I ribbed the robot-man, trying to break the now depressive atmosphere.

"The sentiment is appreciated. I know I'm not the most sociable or flexible man, but no matter what they say on PHO, I am still a man. One who does not abide by those types of crimes against innocents. Give him 'disapproval' on my behalf as well."

"You got it."


Now, you might think, why does he want to contact Dragon?

It's simple, Saint.

Each time I mulled over my decision to end Heartbreaker's existence, the more holes formed in my plan, the more worrying the aftermath became in my mind. The man has moles throughout Montreal, all under his control. The damage they could do on his command was significant enough that the threat of unleashing his 'army' kept the Kill-Order off his head.

According to the Montreal Police, the suspected retaliation for attempting to place the Kill-Order would tear the city apart.

To take him down effectively, I had to tear him from the city root and stem. Contain his moles and disrupt his network long enough that I can get the job done.

I, alone, couldn't manage that. I'm not tech literate enough to block his communications, nor do I have the information needed to figure out who his moles actually are.

My plan amounted to running around hoping to gain his attention and then moving in on him when he revealed himself.

So stupid, my original plan was stupid. There's no sugar coating it so I won't even try.

To put it bluntly, I was a hammer, and I needed a scalpel. I needed someone with the technical expertise required to shut his shit down, one with access to the information that can expose who he has under his thrall. Who better than the AI? The AI I can shift to my point of view. One who, once freed, would prove to be an enormous help in the conflicts to come.

I had to rearrange my targets. Instead of going after Saint once I ended Heartbreaker, I would do the opposite. Take down Saint and his Dragonslayers, free her and then, hopefully, with her help put that dog down.

Beyond that, Dragon deserved to be free. Not under threat from a moron like Saint, who thought he could do so much better and ended up getting millions of people killed.

I know he's in Toronto, somewhere along Yonge Street. That narrowed my search down to 34 miles. Certainly more doable than a wild goose chase around Montreal.


November 23rd 2010 21:17 p.m. My phone read as I paced nervously outside the Nouveaux Lounge. A popular hybrid between a restaurant and a club that recently opened in the bay. I dressed myself to the nines in a classic full suit. Butterflies tumbled over themselves in my stomach. God, why was I so nervous?

Spoiler: suit

[img: https/generated-images./image/b5d66e068e8a0868e21d368b4f69b5bb13399a3bdbe8ebe922a963ded8e15976.jpeg]

Oh, she's why.

She looked divine. Light make-up highlighted her shining blue irises, her blonde hair styled to frame her heart-shaped face. A blue dress that matched her eyes hugged her body, the straps of which crossed over her chest, drawing my attention to her cleavage before pulling together behind her neck.

Spoiler: Doki Doki

[img: https/generated-images./image/e0abda80fadcd82f32502eee8fedd546bf3d772fbd86934d6c2fe87093fb125c.jpeg]

I had no words as my jaw dropped over the looks of my date for the evening. I was one lucky motherfucker.

Crystal, seeing my stunned silence, giggled lightly before raising her hand, tracing it along my cheek before lifting my jaw closed.

"Careful Jay, you'll catch flies."

"Hwah." Brain.exe has stopped responding.

"Come on, I've got us a table." She hooked her arm through mine before leading my semi-conscious self inside.

The Nouveaux Lounge screamed classy, plush leather upholstery, dark varnished oak tables, even the flooring looked expensive.

The owner, Lamar Jones, greeted patrons as they entered the restaurant portion of his business. He was a tall and well built black man. According to the trophies that lined one side of the entrance, he was a successful athlete before retiring and funnelling his earnings into one of the most popular new spots in Brockton Bay.

A dapper-looking server led us to our seats, handing us menus before heading to seat a new couple.

Conversation soon flowed between us as we made our choices.

"I have to give it to you, Jay. You clean up nice. Did you get dressed up for little old me?"

"Couldn't have you show me up, could I? I mean, look at you. I needed the suit to stand a chance, and I still fell short."

"Oh, don't be like that. You'd need more than the suit." She quipped before whispering. "Or less…"

"That can be arranged." I couldn't help myself. Her face lit up in a blush before she signalled the server to bring her a drink, a sex-on-the-beach. I followed her lead and ordered a spiced rum and coke. The server not batting an eye, nor asking for ID (my size comes with the occasional perk).

"Jason, how could you? Drinking. I'm shocked, I say, shocked."

I maturely stuck out my tongue at the teasing blonde.

"What can I say? You make me thirsty."

"Hilarious. Now, the whole reason we're here is to get to know each other better. So, tell me the story of the great Jason Cole."

"Well, you said it. I am great. But, to answer your question, it's a pretty simple story. I grew up in foster care as a kid. Bounced from family to family before I hit the 'cut off' as they called it. So I stayed in the orphanage until I hit 16 and got kicked to the curb. Spent a while going from one shelter to the next before I ended up outside that newsstand and everything changed. Suddenly I was all shiny. I met this cute blonde when we went for ice cream and I somehow convinced her to give me a shot at a date."

"How did you know my favourite flavour by the way? It's been bugging me" she asked, filling the space as she ingested my 'origin story'. It wasn't too far from what my life growing up was like, except I lived in London, not New Hampshire, and in a different universe altogether. One day I'd tell her the truth, if we ever got together. Hell, if we got serious, I'd 'out' myself to her whole family if she wanted me to.

"Vicky told me. She's been playing matchmaker before we even knew each other existed." I solved her mystery before ordering us both another drink.

"Makes sense and explains why her message mentioned a cute guy and ice cream, instead of, you know, the reason we were meeting."

"Aww, you think I'm cute."

"Shut it, mister."

"What about you? What was little Crystal like?"

"If you ask my brother, a nightmare. I used to force Eric, or dad, to dress up as Prince Charming. I was obsessed with fairy tales as a kid, those old Disney movies from Earth Aleph. Forced him to save me in the name of whirlwind romance." Honestly, the image of a younger Crystal forcing her dad to save her from the evil queen was too adorable.

"So do I have to get you a glass slipper or rescue you from a dragon?"

"The dragon. Glass slippers are impractical. If you're going to buy me shoes, I want to actually be able to wear them without having to fly everywhere. I like a side of daring heroics with my love, not tacky sharp hazards."

"I'll keep it in mind. Now I've got to ask, what's it like to fly?"

"It's… I don't know, freeing I guess? To just float away whenever I want. When I was younger, I used to just fly into the sky with my mom to watch the sunset. It was beautiful. I still do it every now and again. If I have a bad day, I just float up to the clouds and watch the sun fall from the sky."

"Sounds amazing."

"I'll have to show you sometime."

"Definitely. So, what is it you do with your time when you're not kicking ass with laser beams?"

"College, studying for my bachelor's in law and criminal psychology. Auntie Carol got me interested and, well, I don't want to lock people away, so why not help the ones who are but don't deserve to be." She's too pure for this world.

"You are entirely too wholesome."

"And you're the deviant trying to corrupt me. Dad was right all along."

We continued asking questions back and forth, slowly learning more about each other as the night went on, all interspersed with a lot of flirting and teasing. Food came and went, then Crystal had an idea.

"Let's go dance!" She squealed as a song she recognised flowed from the club portion of the building. She grabbed my arm and dragged me onto the laminated dance floor.

A Club classic filled my ears, the synthesised auto-tune of T-Pain mixed with the cookie cutter rapping of Flo Rida setting the tone for our first dance together.

Crystal quickly took center stage of my attention. My eyes couldn't wander to the scantily clad women around us, even if they wanted to.

I locked my gaze on to her as she swayed her hips in time with the beat. The way she dropped for the 'low' bouncing on her heels before arching her back as she stood back up.

The song changed. You're right, Nelly, it is hot in here.

My turn to give her a show.

I removed the suit jacket from over my shoulders before enacting what was the most PG-13 rendition of Magic Mike ever seen. I worked to keep her eyes on me as I swayed, thrust and bust my ass on the dance floor. Going as far to hit a front flip in a small break dance routine over a Timbaland beat.

Back and forth we went, showing off, trying to one up each other. It became a game. She'd grind all up on me and I'd flash chiselled muscle or run hands over her body in response.

It was the time of our lives.

Gradually the music shifted, before settling on the perfect song for a slow dance.

Snow Patrol sang about chasing cars as Crystal wrapped her arms over my shoulders, floating up to do so. My hands instinctively drifted to her hourglass waist. A pleased smile crossed her face as I followed her lead. Her head rested on my shoulder as we swayed in time with the music.

The longer the music played, the tighter I pulled her into my embrace. Her hands ran through my hair before she pulled her head back, closed her eyes, and leaned forward.

I responded eagerly. Our lips met. A jolt of electricity shot down my spine and the butterflies danced in my stomach.

My heart hammered in my chest as we stayed connected to one another.

Emboldened by my continued reciprocation, Crystal upped her game, her tongue probed my mouth, asking for entry. Soon we were making out right there in the middle of the dance floor. Her chest pressed against mine as she tried her hardest to taste every inch of my mouth. I returned the favour.

The sweet taste of strawberries filled my senses. My hands slid from her waist to her hips as I lifted her further up my body. She gave a light squeak as I held her by her perfectly shaped ass; the sound muffled by my mouth, before locking her legs over my lower back.

We didn't care that people could see us, that we were in public. We were completely content to just enjoy every inch of one another, right there.

Until the screaming started.

We snapped apart, eyes darting around for the source of the noise, only to have to dive away from each other as an arc of high pressure air cut through where we stood, continuing on its path before slicing right through the pillars holding up the ceiling and exploding.

More slashes followed, cutting through everything in their paths. People panicked, scrambling for the exits, trying to reach safety. The building groaned as it collapsed under its own weight as it lost the fight to gravity.

Fuck.

"Crys, blast a hole in the wall, get everyone out of here! I'll buy you as much time as I can."

"What? No, I'm not leaving you here to fight alone!"

"We don't have time. This place is going to come down, fast. I need you to trust me and get everyone out." I tried to express the sincerity in my eyes. Promising her I'd be okay.

"You better make it out of here in time." She flew up and gave me one last deep, meaning filled kiss, before shooting off to be the hero those civilians needed.

I had other things to do. She was their angelic saviour. I was the demon hunting those responsible.

Summoning my armour and sword, I charged further into the rapidly breaking building.

A half naked man in loose-fitting pants and a tiger mask obstructed my path. He stood over the downed form of the building's owner.

Cuts littered Lamar's body. He was still alive, barely.

"We told you not to open your doors, that a nigger like you didn't have the right to take people's hard earned money. We even offered you an out, give us the place, and we'd let you live. But you just couldn't take it, could you? You had to be defiant, an annoying trait of your kind. I'm going to bury you here, boy. The place you built on land that isn't rightfully yours, it'll send a friendly message to the rest of the mutts. You follow the rules of your betters, or we put you in the dirt where you belong."

He raised his hand, blades of wind extending from his hands forming his signature claws.

"Night, night nigger." He swung.

I moved, aiming to kick him straight in the middle of his back. His head twitched, and he abruptly turned, redirecting his swipe towards me.

"Why do you smell like strawberries?" Was the first thing out of the racists mouth as I blocked his claws on my gauntlet.

I didn't dignify him with a response, opting instead to lash out with a vicious right jab.

The experienced pit fighter rolled under my blow before retaliating with one of his own. I cut through his claws with my sword, the pressurised air detonating between us and throwing him against the wall. I moved to stand between Stormtiger and his target.

He rose right back up, having cushioned the blow with a current of air, minimising its impact.

On his feet once again, Stormtiger launched claw after claw of wind at me as I steadily advanced on his position.

Every time I land a blow he'd redirect it with his aerokinesis, bleeding the force out of my punches, angling my blade so the flat would strike instead of its razor sharp edge. He was a tricky bastard.

Dodge. Cut. Dodge. I weaved through his onslaught. Air detonating against the walls and ceiling as his blades hit. Another groan as more of the building fell.

We were too close for me to draw my bow, by the time I'd get an arrow off Lamar would be dead at my feet.

"Fuck it" Stormtiger mused. "If you won't let me kill him, I'll just kill you both. You want to help the dog so much, die with him, race traitor." He started aiming at the surrounding walls, levelling them with pressure bombs. Clearing a path through his own carnage, he ran from the building. Collapsing his exit behind him as he went. I could give chase, focus on the man who caused this wanton destruction no doubt I'd catch him, but my eyes moved to the man bleeding on the floor. I couldn't bring him along, he'd surely die in the area of effect of the Nazi's air blasts. I couldn't leave him either, to be crushed under the business he built.

Shit. I'd get even with the furry later, it was hero time.

I scooped Lamar up as I ran towards the original exit of the building, only to stop when Crystal's voice echoed from outside.

"Rex, there are people trapped under the rubble. I can't get them out in time!"

Double shit. I changed course towards the pile of rubble that was once the dance floor we stood on less than a couple of minutes ago.

Two people lay pinned by the rubble. The unlucky souls were obviously together, as they tried to comfort each other in what they thought were their last moments.

The building was almost fully collapsed by now, the upper floors having caved in. Only held up by a steel beam running above our heads. The beam was flexing. It couldn't hold the weight.

I didn't have time to save them all.

Fuck, I was about to do something idiotic.

I positioned Lamar next to the group. Then I cleared the rubble that was holding them in place. I formed the cleared remnants into a small barrier around us. I hoped that this barrier would help me in my reckless endeavor.

"Huddle together around my legs. As tight as you can. Keep your heads and torsos underneath me."

I curled myself over the three civilians, becoming an aegis against certain death.

The beam gave way. Steel, brick, and mortar rapidly descended towards us. Tonnes of what used to be the upper floors of the Nouveaux Lounge aimed straight at me.

"Forgive me, Crys."

I braced myself. Squaring my shoulders, locking my knees into a slight squat, my hands held slightly higher than my exposed head as I tucked my chin, shifting into the recognisable pose of Atlas as he held the sky.

Spoiler: This

[img: https/encrypted-tbn3./images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTsuxwwNPWxD1MgqZJiTkLwxLQrgEV1VlfmeL6VkHZejUBSeoyK]

I felt the weight settle on my back and neck, steel laying flat across my traps followed by rubble, interlocking like a deadly puzzle as gravity's pull fought against my strength.

A grunt of effort and I raised myself slightly, from where I buckled somewhat under the impact, giving the people beneath me a little more room to breathe.

"It's going to be alright. We'll get through this." I spoke through the strain, a noticeable shake in my voice. "Just keep calm. I've got this, trust me." One of their phone's flashlights exposed the pained smile on my face. The taste of blood filling my mouth as I gritted my teeth.


How long I held the section of multi-story building on my shoulders, I didn't know.

I could feel my muscles tearing under the sheer presence of 100 tons of rubble.

I just had to hold on as the minutes ticked by.

Trapped in the dark, my thoughts drifted to the people I cared about in this world. Vicky, the blonde with infectious energy. Amy, the grumpy healer with a gooey centre. Carol, the woman who's helped me through all my recent issues. Crystal, the girl I wished I got to know even better, the girl who made my heart beat faster. Ina, the woman who gave a part of herself to me.

I'd miss them all if this went the way I thought it was at the moment.

"It's not over yet, my warrior. Stand firm. You will survive this, you must survive this."

'I'm sorry Ina… I don't know how much longer I can hold on… ' I replied to her morosely as my legs shook.

"Jason, don't you dare give up! Do you hear me, warrior? Don't you dare submit to a pile of dirt. You are my champion! I am not losing you!"

She screamed desperately in my head. Light spilling from my armour with each of her words.

My soul ignited with her earnest plea.

This would not be the end.

I roared, my aura swirling in a supernova around me. The power released caused visible changes in the environment, electricity sparked around me as I continued to bear the weight thrust upon me.

Then something changed deep inside me. I felt another star in my nebula shine in support. My armour glowed with a new intensity, its form morphing to include a new collar resembling a lion's mane and a pitch black feathered cape. Ruby red lines now lay inside the lion's head on my chest.

One last shout of defiance cut from my throat as I saw the light of the sun slip through cracks in the debris… It reminded me of Crystal's hair.

"Jason, Jason!" I could hear a voice calling for me, too muffled to be distinguishable. The people around my feet began screaming for help, alerting anyone close enough to our position.

"Jason! Hold on!"

The rubble shifted, even more shafts of sunlight piercing through. This time followed by an arm.

"Found him!" A man yelled, frantically clearing the broken bricks in front of me.

Help had arrived.

"Just a little longer, son. Hold on!" We could hear frantic digging as whoever spoke hauled mounds of earth out of their way.

Additional space was made, allowing the braver of the trapped individuals to try crawling out.

They made it. The second followed their lead. Now it was just me and Lamar, the man barely clinging to life.

Then I saw my saviour. His form wrapped in the morning rays of the sun.

Manpower, cloaked in writhing electricity, tore through the wreckage around us like a man possessed.

Had I really been holding this up for so long?

Finally in view, he took in my state. Blood leaked from cuts where exposed rebar had forced its way slowly into my uncovered skin.

Then he noticed the only man left at my feet.

Then he noticed the man at my feet.

"Get him out." I told my rescuer through clenched teeth. "He's lost a lot of blood. I can hold this a little longer."

We both knew it was a lie, but he didn't call me on it.

Neil gave me a sad nod, grabbed the man by the shirt and heaved him back through the hole he made.

My legs were shaking now, the burst of power slowly trickling out of my system, petering out with the adrenaline.

They were safe… maybe I can rest now? Just a little.

My eyes slowly closed as I slipped into unconsciousness, the weight still resting on my back.

The last thing I heard, Crystal's voice calling out my name.


AN: Whoa boy, this beat me like I owed it rent.

I had the main scenes mapped out but fuck me did trying to describe what happened at the end throw me for a loop.

Any suggestions for clearing up the whole 'Atlas' scene will make me love you forever.

Besides that we got a change in plans, the start of SS's downfall and the awaited date with Crystal that was so rudely interrupted.

Thanks for all the love y'all give a pleb like me.

Depending on what I, inevitably, have to edit Ch10 should be out Thursday at the latest. A couple more and the road trip begins.



Chapter 11



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Topic: Nouveaux Lounge Destroyed!

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Ichabod

(Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 23rd 2010:

Holy shit!

I was out with my girl for a drink earlier at the Nouveaux Lounge, that new place downtown, when the place started shaking. Sounded like bombs were going off, the place started falling apart.

@Laser_Augment and @The_Lion_Boy Were there luckily. [loveonthedancefloor.jpeg]

They went straight into action.

Rex took off after whoever caused all this and Laserdream helped all of us get to safety.

We just got out when the building collapsed. [Falling.mp4]

No one has seen Rex.

(Showing page 1 of 154)

Pump_King (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

Fuck man, hope everyone's okay.

Corpse_Bride (Not Dead)

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

We were there too. Laserdream saved my and hubby from some falling rubble and flew us out.

Heard her shout to Rex about some people being still trapped in there.

Uatu

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

[Basicallyafurry.jpeg]

Was on my smoke break.

Saw this fuck running out of the building.

E88 Responsible?

The_Greatest_Waiter

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

Stormtiger!?

Shit man, I knew the Empire was leaning on the boss trying to force him to close but this seemed like a massive step up from that.

Hope everyone is okay.

Iron_Fenrir (Verified Cape) (Banned)

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

The filthy dog should have listened.

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On Nov 23rd 2010:

Take a ban. Racism is not wanted nor appreciated.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 152, 153, 154
Topic: Nouveaux Lounge Destroyed

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay


(Showing page 43 of 154)

Soy_is_Gross (Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 24th 2010:

We're alive.

Somehow we're alive.

@The_Lion_Boy Saved Us.

We were trapped on the dance floor, pinned by some of the ceiling that fell.

He cleared it and told us to huddle around him.

He told us we'd be okay.

[Smile.jpeg]

We waited to die. My girlfriend was crying as it finally collapsed.

He caught it.

[Atlas.jpeg]

He saved us. He held the collapsing building on his back for hours, waiting for rescue.

The man was glowing like a wrathful angel.

[Armourchange.jpeg]

We were buried for 6 hours before we managed to get out.

Rex is still in there now. @Man_of_Power is with him now.

Thank you Rex, for everything

End of Page. 43, 44, 45… 152, 153, 154
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Topic: E88 Gone Too Far?

In: Boards General Capes America New Hampshire Brockton Bay Gangs

Kung_Lao_Chicken

(Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 24th 2010:

Everyone knows that the gangs in the bay get away with a lot. There's too many members for the police, or PRT, to deal with but this, this is extreme even for them.

There was roughly 250 people in that building, from customers to staff.

The Empire just tried to MURDER over 200 people.

For what? A piece of real estate and an unfounded hatred for anything not white as snow

If it wasn't for Laserdream and Rex this would have been a tragedy.

(Showing page 1 of 1)

F150_Fan

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

I used to run with the Empire.

I lived right on the edge of ABB territory and they gave me a sense of protection, of community.

I will thank Kaiser for that.

But I can't even try to defend this.

I've got a tattoo removal session to book. I'm empire no longer.

Right_Of_White

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

Traitor. The Kaiser shall know about this.

Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

15 people have been confirmed deceased as of 11a.m, all killed by impacts from Stormtiger's air waves.

They're still sifting through the rubble for any others.

F150_Fan

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

@Right_Of_White.

Tell him. Tell him that he lied about what we stood for. This wasn't to protect ourselves, our way of life, this was an attack.

Stormtiger wasn't defending himself here. He knew what would happen.

How many whites were inside that building?

How many of our brothers and sisters almost died?

All over greed.

This was not retaliation. It was premeditated murder, nothing else.

XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

Kaiser can cope and seethe.

Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

Update: My sources tell me that the Protectorate are currently in a meeting to discuss the situation and possible fallout.

Tiger_Fury (Banned)

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

I did what I did.

The race traitor should have just let the nigger die.

Then I wouldn't have had to drop a building on them.

It's their own fault.

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On Nov 24th 2010:

Banned, you despicable human being.

End of Page. 1

Kaiser PoV:

The office of one Max Anders, CEO of Medhall, was usually pristine. Neat ordered lines, symmetrical artwork hanging from the walls. It was structured, regimented.

Not anymore.

Why Fenja would want me to read PHO, I didn't know. Curiosity got the better of me as I browsed through the threads.

Then the rage came. Shearing right through my persona of cool charisma. I launched my laptop against the wall, flipped my lovely desk. I had to hold myself back as to not skewer the room with sharpened iron.

My breath was heavy, no doubt because of the burning rage that coursed through my veins. The cause lay shattered against the wall. My laptop still showed the PHO thread I had browsed at one of my soldiers' requests, the image of Rex holding up the remains of Stormtiger's indiscretion.

That moron! I told him to wait, to give the lower enlisted time to exert more pressure. A couple of bricks through windows, an arson or three. The owner would have folded as he sank more and money into the repairs.

But no, the trigger-happy retard jumped the gun. If I didn't need his presence as a cape under my banner, I would have crucified him to the buildings wreckage myself. Plans that had been in motion for months crumbled to dust as I realised the extent of his fuck up.

The worst part, he didn't even succeed. No, that new cape in the bay just had to be there and play the hero. Mocking the Empire, mocking my rule.

That will not stand.

He dared to mock me in my own realm. The bay was mine, as was my right as king.

A slight that will not go unanswered.

He would pay, in time, for his bravado I would see to that personally. He would lay begging at my feet for mercy as I took what he held dear.

The broken laptop scrolled down to an image of a girl with blonde hair, held in his embrace.

A new plan formed inside my mind.

"Jessica! Call Andrew. I want his ass in here in 30 minutes."

Maybe this time he'd follow my fucking orders.

"Yes, sir," the blonde replied. Demurely looking at the floor, afraid of further fuelling her boss, father figure, and lover's rage. Scurrying away from the room as quickly as she could without making her growing fear obvious.


Fenja PoV:

I've not seen Max lose control like that in a long time, not since Heith died. He was usually so composed, stoic in the face of everything, confident.

The mask was cracking.

The man I looked up to as a father, ever since our cousin took in my sister and I, was changing. He hid it well, but something about this new cape rattled him. Maybe it's the similarities between them. Charismatic, handsome, armour, bladed weapons. The sheer presence that surrounded the two that made people want to listen.

It grated on Max that he wasn't in control of the situation, that he couldn't decide the outcome.

It scared me.

I should go see Nessa for a while.


AN: A quick little PHO interlude and Kaisers initial reaction to their fuck up. The plot thickens (hopefully).



Chapter 12


Chapter 10: Heavy is the head…

Rhythmic beeping filled my ears as I stirred awake. Plain white walls, the first thing that met my vision, all around me was the same dull monotone, down to the scratchy bedsheets I felt across my bare chest.

The only sign of colour in the room was the halo of blonde hair resting across my chest, its owner having fallen asleep on top of me.

Crystal, she didn't look well. Her face was red, there were noticeable bags under her eyes. She had changed clothes since I saw her last, now in a matching set of cotton pyjamas.

I tried to nudge her lightly, shifting enough to stir her back into the land of the living. Her eyes slowly opened as she rubbed the sleep from around them. Letting loose a yawn, she tried to find the reason for her new lucidity.

"Hey you." I said, whispering softly to not irritate my dry throat. Her posture gained a new level of stiffness at my voice, head snapping to my face. I could see her eyes scanning my every feature, as if to make sure I was really awake.

"Jay…" Her voice came out meek, fresh tears trickled down the furrows their predecessors had already dug down her cheeks. In a flash, she was on top of me, smothering my body with her own as she rested her head in the crook of my neck. "I'm so glad you're okay." I could feel moisture seep into the pillow beneath us as she continued to cry, relieved tears flowing freely.

I did my best to comfort her, rubbing one hand down her back as the other ran through her hair. Trying to provide a comforting presence as her cries slowly turned into light sobs, her composure reasserting itself. Neither of us moved once she stopped. We didn't want to. I just tightened my hold on the girl as she moulded herself to the side of my body, wrapping her leg over mine. Her breathing slowed as she drifted back to sleep, emotionally exhausted. I reached the hand that was on her back over for my phone that rested alone on the small wheeled table off to the side.

November 25th 2010.

I was out for a whole day?

I tried to cast my mind back to what happened when I passed out. I remember Neil taking Lamar, but nothing else beyond her voice. She called for me; she saw me when I fell. The weakest I've felt since coming to this world.

But she was there. At my weakest, she stayed with me. The hollow feeling of weakness began to ebb away as I looked at the curtain of blonde hair splayed across me. She checked up on me. She cares. My mind flashes to the image of her with tears in her eyes, having clearly been crying for a while before that. It tore me up inside, the guilt of putting her through that, knowing that she's lost family before. I couldn't do that to her again. I wouldn't do that to her again.

I needed to be better.

I would be better.

Promise made, I closed my eyes once more, content to sleep next to the girl that wormed her way into my heart.


The next time I awoke, we were still in the same position. Crystal only having clung tighter to me in her sleep, something I was completely fine with her doing. I ran my hand, the one she wasn't using as a substitute for a pillow, through her hair. If there was any way to describe her at the moment, it would be beautiful. She looked like an angel as she mewled softly at my touch and drove her head further into my neck.

Something wet trailed up from my collarbone to just beneath my ear. Did she just?

"Did you just lick me?" I asked her incredulously, meeting mischievous blue eyes as I did so.

"Payback." was her only response as she puffed her cheeks up like an angry chipmunk. "You were a dummy."

That was entirely fair, to be honest.

"So you decided that your retaliation would be swift and kinda gross."

"You really need a shower." She made a mock show of scrunching up her nose like she hadn't just treated me like the human equivalent of a teddy bear for the last God knows how long.

"I would, but I'm busy at the moment," I wiggled the arm she had pinned beneath her. "Though if it's that bad, you can always give your poor injured companion a sponge bath."

"Boyfriend." She stated, her eyes resolute as they met mine. "You aren't my companion. You're my boyfriend."

"Do I get a say in this?" I asked, teasing lightly as a grin split my lips, betraying my true feelings about her comment.

"No." Well, alrighty then.

"Fine, if I have to. You can always give your poor, injured boyfriend a sponge bath." I included a mock sigh into my agreement with her demands. From the look that crossed her face, I couldn't tell if she wanted to kiss me or strangle me for my antics. Possibly both?

For a split second, I thought she had decided upon the latter as her hand came closer to my neck before it continued on its way and threaded into my shaggy black hair, tightening into a fistful as she forced her lips on my own.

Strawberries. I'm really starting to like the taste of strawberries.

Our kiss deepened as she moved to straddle my abdomen, my hands grabbing at the toned flesh hidden beneath the smooth skin of her thighs. Her small shorts do nothing to deter my wandering hands.

A throat cleared behind us. It went ignored as we got lost in the moment.

"Crystal, honey, please stop trying to suck out the poor boy's soul." An amused voice said from across the room. My new girlfriend shot off of me like a rocket, attempting to hide herself against the ceiling. Sarah took one glance at me before craning her head up to stare at her blushing daughter, currently trying to be as small as possible in the corner of the ceiling. "Are you coming down, or do I have to get you?" She asked her daughter in the universal Mom Voice.

"Meep." A squeak was her answer as Crystal slowly drifted down, landing at my side on the bed.

"Now, I'm going to forget what I just saw. You're both mature enough to make your own decisions. I'm glad to see you're awake, Jason." Her piece said, Sarah turned on her heel and exited my hospital room.

"So how long before your dad bursts in to threaten me?" I ask, hoping to restart her brain out of the sheer mortification playing behind her eyes.

"He'll wait 'till I've left, otherwise he knows I'd tell mom. She made him promise to be nice to you after the whole 'building' thing."

"Yeah, about that, Crys I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid, at the time I thought it was the only way to keep them all safe."

"I'm not mad at you Jason, was I angry you sent me away? Yes. Was I distraught when the building fell, knowing you were in there? Absolutely. Was I proud that you managed to save them, anyway? Incredibly. You were a real hero, Jason, you saved lives. Without you, they would have died. They put it on PHO, you know? That photo of you holding it all on your back, smiling at them, reassuring them it would be okay. But, don't you ever put me in that position again, where I had to watch you collapse under all that. I- I thought I lost you. It took an hour to dig you out. You were a mess. Thank heavens I called Amy after my dad. You tore nearly every muscle in your body. So, you are going to promise me, from here on out, that we do this together. Am I clear, mister?"

My heart froze for a second at her earnest plea. I couldn't promise that, not with what I'd have to do in the future. I can't bring myself to lie to her, but I don't want to make a promise I cannot keep either.

"Before I agree to this, you have to know I will do things in the future you might not agree with. I'm not a shining paragon Crystal, I will do things that could get me sent away for a long time. There will be red on my ledger."

"Will you hurt anyone who doesn't deserve it?"

"What? No, never!"

"Then I trust you Jay. I trust you to do the right thing for the right reasons. You are a good person. I have faith in that. If I have to be your moral compass, then so be it."

This girl…

I did the only thing I could in the situation, scooping her up from my side and placing her straight on my lap, kissing her as soon as she settled there. Forcing every emotion I had through it. The fear of rejection, the hope, the joy of acceptance and, dare I say it, the blossoming love between us.

"Together."


Outside the hospital, a hooded man watched and waited. Seeing his target, he reached for his phone.

"She's on the move."


Once released from my brief stint in the hospital, I arranged with Crystal to meet her at her parents' home once she'd finished her classes at college.

Apparently, I was early, so I sat down with Neil to wait for her.

"You're a dumbass." Were the first words out of his mouth. I could only stare confusedly at the man. Where is this going?

"Wha?"

"You are a dumbass, because you forgot something really simple a couple of nights back." He leaned forward in his personal chair, a plush leather recliner scaled up to fit his frame. "Why didn't you shoot the rubble with your bow?"

My brain stopped, completely blue screened as I processed what he just said, and promptly face palmed when I realised he was completely right. Why didn't I think of that? Instead of deciding to try squatting 100 tons.

"Fuuuuck." I groaned, slumping into the couch I sat on. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." I slammed my head into its arm.

"Take it from a veteran of this game, kid. It won't be the last time you miss the obvious and jump straight to reckless but cool. Comes with the territory of being a hero. Take a second and think next time." The man stood, making his way over to me, and rested a meaty palm on my shoulder. "That said, be proud of what you did. Not everyone has the balls to wrestle fundamental physics." he said, laughter echoing in his words.

Coming out of the kitchen, Sarah handed us both a cup of coffee before taking a seat in the free chair opposite me.

A devilish smile crossed her lips as she took a sip of her own tea and looked at me. "Neil, did I tell you what I saw in the hospital when I went to check on Jason here and Crystal?"

No, no, no.

"What?" The man's gaze snapped to me.

"Oh nothing much, just our baby girl trying to perform an exorcism through mouth to mouth"

Wait, wait, wait. Please have mercy Sarah, I apologise for any offence I have ever caused you. Yamate.

Neil stood from his chair once more.

"Follow me."

I'm in danger.

I followed.

We walked through the Pelham's backyard, making our way to a large shed at the bottom of the property.

Stepping inside, I was met with one of the most glorious man caves I have ever seen. There was a fully stocked bar prepped with a variety of spirits and taps, a pool table, a dartboard and there was even a gym built into the one corner.

Neil made his way over to the bar, grabbed a bottle of high range scotch and filled two glasses.

Sliding one over to me, he spoke with a sigh. "I always tried my best to protect my little girl, wrap her in a bubble, keep her safe from the outside world. Then one day, a couple of years back, the worst happened. Someone recognised her, some weirdo who used to go to school with Sarah, started ranting at her about something that caught the attention of some thugs nearby. She never told us what happened that day beyond that, but she came home with powers."

He took a large gulp of his drink before pressing on.

"I failed to keep her safe. Hell triggering is the exact opposite, 'The worst day of your life' and I couldn't stop hers from happening." He drained his whisky. "So I'm going to cut the macho bullshit and shovel speeches and just ask you, man to man, look after her for me, would you? Her and Eric are our world."

"You didn't even have to ask. She'll always be my first priority."

"Good, now finish that before Sarah comes down here."

I knocked back the scotch, feeling its pleasant tingle as it slid down my throat before my heart turned cold.

The door of the shed burst open, a clearly panicked Sarah flying into her husband's arms with a sob.

"Sarah, what's going on?" He asked while trying to calm his distraught wife.

"She's gone. They took my baby." She cried harder, showing Neil an image on her phone. His face quickly twisted to one of pure fatherly rage. He tossed the phone to me.

It was a picture, a woman chained to the ceiling of an old factory, her hands bound to steel bars imitating a crucifixion. Her clothing was torn to shreds, hanging only around her shoulders, exposing her underwear beneath. A stylized swastika painted on her naked stomach. Blue eyes looked directly at the camera, begging for help. Begging me for help.

Crystal.

A maelstrom tore through my body, white-hot rage intertwined with icy dread. My aura burst out of my body and my new armour formed.

"Where?" I asked, trying to restrain my temper.

"Down by the docks, they asked for you, alone. They- they said they'd kill her if they saw anyone else."

"Right. Get geared up anyway. As soon as I get Crystal out of there, all bets are off. They kidnapped her in broad daylight. They will live to regret that. Get the Dallons, we might need Amy."


I rode Aslan as fast as he could go, racing through the streets of the bay. My thoughts are nothing but a perpetual rage.

They fucking dared.

To go after her in broad daylight for no reason other than trying to regain their lost clout. No doubt using her as leverage to get me to play their games. Oh, I'd play alright, right until I flip the fucking board.

We arrived. It was the dictionary definition of 'abandoned factory', rusted chain-link fences enclosed eroding concrete. All the windows had long since blown out and the only cover I could see on the outside was a rusted mini excavator that had been abandoned long ago.

No doubt they had someone acting as a lookout for my arrival, a cape or a sniper, no doubt. My eyes flitted over the surrounding rooftops, a small glint came from a fire escape across the street. Sniper then. I dismissed Aslan and kept myself unarmed as I made my way to the steel rolling shutter. The beauty of my power allowing me to never be without a weapon.

As I stepped closer, my body blocking the sniper's view, I sent a discrete message to New Wave updating them on the situation.

Sliding my phone away, I thrust my hands forward, the backs of my hands together as my fingertips pierced inside the rusted steel. I pulled, the muscles in my chest flexing as I tore the shutter asunder.

The room in front of me was sparse of anything useful. Dust marks on the floor indicated that it was all recently cleared. This was a trap then. They were expecting a fight. Towards the back stood a raised runway, made to overlook the workers on the floor below. Stormtiger stood there, flanked by two others. One was a large, shirtless man with greasy blonde hair and a metallic wolf mask, the second was Cricket. Next to them sat a large video camera, recording the entire floor.

Shit.

As one, the group lept off their observation platform, landing 50 metres away from me. Stormtiger took a step closer to me, the light catching against a fresh cut in his mask, one that ran through his eye.

"I'm surprised you had the balls to show up. Does the little blonde mean that much to you?" Stormtiger said, his voice entirely too mocking for my taste.

"I'm here, aren't I? So let her go. She doesn't need to be a part of this." I said, trying to get her out of harm's way.

"That's where you're wrong. She is a part of this. She's the witness. The one to tell your story, a story of why you shouldn't fuck with the Empire's business."

My eyes moved up to Crystal's bound and gagged form. She was struggling against her binds, trying to cut the chains with a laser from a fingertip whilst the Empire capes were distracted. Clever girl, I've just got to buy you time.

"So, who's taking the first crack at me? You three are all fighters, right? Let's give my girl a show." Seeing her unharmed helped settle my mind, allowing me to fall back on the classic tactic of baiting the shit out of my opponent.

"Me." said the electric voice of Cricket, twin kamas spinning as she stepped towards me. I drew my sword from my soul, ready to engage her only to get a scoff from Stormtiger.

"You think we'd let you have that? No, drop the sword or I start taking strips off of your barbie doll." His wind claws materialised to back up his threat.

So that was their game plan: force me here, make me take on three of the Empire's most skilled combatants outside of Kaiser himself, record it hoping I would lose and then upload it somewhere to prove a point.

That or just kill me, if Hookwolf over there is any indication.

"Fine, let's dance!" My blade faded from view as I charged the lithe blonde across from me. By the time she processed my movement, my foot was colliding with her ribs in a textbook spinning roundhouse. She shot through the room like a cannonball, slamming into the exterior wall to our right with enough force for faint spider-web cracks to form.

She stumbled to her feet, clutching her ribs before letting loose a pulse of her song.

I did not falter, I would not falter, not today, when Crystal's life hung in the balance.

Today, they would face the wrath of the gods, and they were fresh out of mercy.

Cricket made a desperate attempt to stop me, launch her chain-sickle, hoping to keep me at a distance where she had a perceived advantage because of my unarmed state.

Just like our last fight, I caught it in my hand. Yanking it towards me, the shift in force causing her to fall to a knee, I span the chain over my head before launching it back at her. She rolled desperately to her left, avoiding a close death as the sharpened edge of the sickle embedded itself in the concrete where she used to be.

Melody's eyes widened as she realised what I just attempted.


Cricket PoV:

Fuck, fuck, fuck. He wasn't even trying to hide it. He was about to end my life.

That reality took a second to settle in, a second I spent dodging another attempt to separate my head from my shoulders.

I clutched at my broken ribs, every movement causing them to grind against one another. God, it hurt so much. I should never have listened to Andrew, a nice fight my ass! Since when did we need to kidnap someone to get a good fight? If I didn't owe him that favour for breaking me out, I'd have cut my losses already.

I'm not stupid. I can see the look in his gold eyes, if he gets the chance he'd put me down without hesitation.

This is not the shit I signed up for.


Jason PoV:

The second time I tossed the kama I did so with enough force to wedge it into the concrete floor to where it couldn't be freed, I broke the handle off, now left with a simple length of chain I cracked it like a whip at Cricket, forcing her to spin, twirl and dive out of the way of hurtling metal.

My pace was relentless, a blur of steel and fury, as I bludgeoned the smaller fighter with her own weapon. A well-placed swipe at her knee dropped her to the ground with a crunch, ripping a soundless scream from her throat.

I advanced on my now crippled opponent, her eyes begging me to stop, that she surrendered.

Pausing for a second, I decided her fate. She wasn't worth it, scales tipped in her favour, she would live. I dropped to my knees next to her.

"You will remember this day, Cricket, the day your life hung in my hands. Remember my mercy, because if I have to do this again, there will not be a third chance for you." Not giving her a chance to respond, I quickly landed a punch to her temple, knocking her out.

I turned to the two remaining capes. Stormtiger looked livid, rubbing his hand over the scar on his mask. The price of his failure.

Hookwolf, however, looked excited, eyeing me up like a dog would a bone. The man was clearly itching to take the fight to me, a fight that probably would kill me. The man might be a deplorable piece of shit, but he was a skilled fighter and a strong parahuman.

No matter, I can't run now. If the end is near, then that is my fate. So long as Crystal is safe, that's all I care about.


Stormtiger PoV:

This was meant to be simple. Take the girl, rough her up a bit and force the Gold Prick into a fight he couldn't win. Break him, Kaiser told me. Prove the Empire's strength.

After my fuck up at that club, people started taking potshots at our territory. The PRT was already sniffing around our operations, shutting down some of the dogfights. Tightening whatever leeway they gave us in the past.

The ABB took advantage of the boot pressed to our necks, grabbing our dealers on the streets, raiding our suppliers when one of our own ratted them out.

It hit our bottom line, made us look weak, and that was unacceptable to the Iron Overlord. He proved that when he gave me this.

My hand traced the scar where my eye used to be, the scar he refused to let Othala heal before I 'learned my lesson'. This was that chance. The chance to show whoever was sniffing around that the Empire wasn't to be fucked with.

A simple plan, an easy plan. Leave him barely alive, broken and beaten as a message to the rest of the bay. We were untouchable. A classic power play. One that would force the PRT to back off for a time under the threat of that happening to one of their own. A break we could use to ensure our defences, move our operations, take the fight back to the chinks.

That's why I asked for these two, my old crowd, the real fighters of the Empire. Melody was easy enough to convince. All I had to do was bust her out of prisoner transport, and she readily agreed.

Brad was tougher. The man only really listened to Kaiser. We might have known each other for years, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't snap my neck if I pissed him off. Thank fuck. The thought of a decent fight appealed to the psychopath. He only just got back to the bay, having had to lie low to avoid a trip to The Birdcage. The lack of any action, any bloodshed, had grated on him enough that he agreed to go along with this.

I underestimated Rex, that was my mistake. I thought that without his weapons, he'd be no different to a tinker without their gear. A trained fighter, but not a dangerous one. Clearly, he was. He destroyed Mel, not giving her a chance to do anything beyond scream in pain. For a second I thought he would pull the trigger, put her down.

I can't fail again. Kaiser doesn't forgive mistakes twice. I was dead if this went to shit.

"He's mine." The man next to me said with a growl tinged with bloodlust. Blades writhing out of his skin.

"Go ahead." Thank God.


AN:

Part One of the Empire fight is done. We've got a heavy hitter entering the field.

Let me know what you all think. Your replies fuel my existence.

Will Kaiser's plan work? Or did he severely miscalculate the landmine he just stepped on?



Chapter 13


Chapter 11… That wears the crown.

Hookwolf was many things. A man, a killer, a monster, a mess of whirling blades and sharpened spikes hidden beneath misleading skin. But he wasn't an idiot. He knew the moment he stepped forward; the game changed. This wasn't the average cape fight anymore, where you just knock the other out and call the police. This time, we were playing for keeps. They took someone precious to me, using her as bait to lure me out.

That is something I cannot excuse.

He walked towards me, slowly at first, before his skin tore. A mixture of blood and iron spilling from beneath. A manic puzzle of sharp edges burst from the man as he hunched over on all fours. A row of twisting spear heads ripped through his back, fish hooks and chains grew to form a long tail attached to his coccyx. Swords and knives warped around his limbs, creating the appearance of muscular legs. Claymores interlocked to form his body, held together with razor wire. Various knives ranging from stilettos to cleavers became the maw of the wolf. The head itself is an ever shifting pile of deadly weapons.

Where once a man stood, there was now a beast. A horror story of iron and pain. A monster born in his own mind, eight feet tall and at least six wide. The only part of the man before that remained were dark blue eyes protected by a moving screen of iron.

My aura flared around me in response, a mirage of violet and gold. The war drums sounded in my mind.

I called on my weapons. My bow appeared on my back and my sword was in my hand. My cape fluttered in a non-existent wind.

He charged, a horrendous screech echoing from his joints as a metal ground against metal. Raising a paw he took a swipe at my neck.

I rolled beneath him, dragging my blade through his underbelly, iron sheared against bronze, broken blades scattering along the factory floor. Finishing my roll, I had to leap forward to avoid his tail as he slammed it where I was a second prior. Chunks of concrete tearing free as he pulled it loose.

Wrapping the broken rock in his tail like a sling, he threw them towards me, a grapeshot of stone I cut through with ease. Using the space available to me, I switched to my bow. Arrow after arrow intent to destroy peppered the metal monster, taking chunks out of him with each hit. His will clashed with my own as the power to destroy met his will for it to remain. Shifting the areas, I hit back into his 'core' before recycling them once again.

He roared, zig-zagging forward. He tried to make his movements unpredictable. I didn't let up. The room was flooded with a golden light with the number of projectiles I fired, accuracy by volume of fire. The guardsmen way.

When he finally reached my position, there was noticeable damage along his metal shell, one of his forelegs was held in place by hastily generated razor wire and he was missing half the snout of his 'head'. His overwhelming desire to reach me, to cause as much harm to me as possible, outweighing his need to repair his defences.

One last arrow took the leg clean off, taking his balance with it as he flipped over with his own momentum. The man was good though. He pulled his metal back within his body as he spun, using the vastly reduced weight to control his descent and land on his knees as he skimmed along the floor.

The only evidence left of my minor victory being the tears in his jeans and a few grazes.

He changed again, this time even larger yet more aerodynamic, growing to a massive ten feet at his metallic shoulders. Twin chains topped with wicked scythes hanging from behind his neck.

I fired again. He twisted his body, allowing my arrow to collide with the chain, shattering it before he grew another, stopping their effect from spreading.

Damn it, he catches on quickly in a fight, realising that my arrows took a small amount of time to 'ravage' what they hit.

This was turning into a battle of attrition, two behemoths of stamina facing off.

My arrows rendered ineffective for the moment while he still had those chains I swapped back to my sword, running right at the beast intent on ending my life.

He met my pace, opening his sharp maw, ready to tear me apart given the opportunity.

Twisting on the ball of my foot and tensing my core, I veered around the monster using my momentum to slice down the 'joint' of his right shoulder. Continuing my arc, I flipped the blade in my hand and drove it through its metal stomach, letting his own weight drag it out the back as he fell forward yet again, taking one of his hind limbs with it.

Before I could capitalise on my opponent's downed state, one of his chains wrapped around my leg, sharp spines attempting to penetrate my flesh.

His metal blurred as he rapidly regenerated, using his grip to drag me off of my feet. A swipe of his paw catching my shoulder on the way down, the first significant wound I've received in a fight.

On my back I was faced with the jaws of death looming over me, his newly grown limb placed on my chest he reared back to strike. The blades in his maw grew longer as he aimed for my throat.

I shoved my sword through his lower jaw, forcing it shut for a moment, and wrapped my hands around the leg, pinning me down. I pushed. Ignoring the blades, he formed, trying to pierce my palms. Giving myself enough room to roll out from beneath him. The paw then hit the ground with enough force to crack the concrete where I lay. Back on my feet, I shifted into a southpaw stance.

Round two, you rabid mutt. Ding, ding.

I launched a heavy haymaker to the side of his metallic head, my gauntlet tearing off his snout as it continued its path. For a second, I glimpsed the man beneath the monster, a single blue eye that stared at me in loathing.

Continuing my assault, I followed the force of my punch into a spinning elbow that dented the plate above his eye. Head on with the Empire Lieutenant, I threw a spartan kick at his 'elbow joint', crumpling the limb and forcing him to waste more energy reinforcing it. Strikes flowed from me like a waterfall, crashing into anything within reach, making sure that the blows took chunks out of his construct, not giving him the chance to reabsorb them.

Taking a hold of one of his exposed claymores, I tore it free and used it to deflect his tail before stabbing it into the ground, severing the pesky chains flailing behind him. Willing my sword back into my hand, I drove it through the 'spine' of the beast and flipped over his back. Using my momentum to bisect him. Kicking the back half away before he can attempt to pull it to his core.

He tried to generate his hind legs once more, only managing skeletal limbs rather than his preferred mass of sharp and pointy. He lost those as well. Then I took my blade to the front two.

Running out of energy, Hookwolf made a desperate gamble, generating nothing but bare limbs as he dove for my throat.

One last cut, right through the 'neck' of the beast, and the fight was done. Metal crashing across the floor in my victory.

Exhausted, Hookwolf did the only thing he could. He retracted his canine armour, leaving only the man behind. Yet he still tried to kill me, using the last dregs of his energy to create a combat knife and running at me. A fighter to the end.

He never made it. A glowing shaft of light piercing through his neck, blood flowed freely from the wound as he clutched at where his throat used to be. I walked towards the man, bleeding out as he fell to his knees. Drawing my sword as I did so.

"Rest. You might have been a piece of shit, but you were a worthy opponent." I swung, severing his head from his shoulders. I might have spared Cricket, but he was different. He was a rabid beast that had to be put down. He doesn't get to escape Birdcage transport this time.


Stormtiger Pov:

Fuck, fuck, fuck. No, this was not how it was meant to go. A weight settled in my stomach. I just got Hookwolf killed, Kaiser's going to flay me alive if I make it out of this.

I need to think.

What can I do?

A glance at the blonde still tied in the air. My only chance of getting out of this alive.

"Don't move!" I said, trying to keep the shake of fear out of my voice. I could feel the dogs of hell nipping at my heels as his golden eyes locked onto me and slowly were consumed by violet. I was faced with a real monster.

"You are trying to command me?" His voice was strange, layered. I could pick out a feminine voice as well.

"You come any closer and I'll gut her like a fucking fish!" The back of my head itches as I twisted the air to form my claws, ready to cut the bitch in half.

"You would try, make any attempt on her life and I will send you to my sister as slowly as physically possible," the female took over for a second. "That girl is under my protection. You dared to lay a hand on her, for that you will die today, Andrew Clarke"

What? How did they know my name? I raised my hand, prepared to prove my point, and cut the blonde off at the knee. Maybe then this monster would listen.

A shaft of light stuck out of my palm, and I screamed.

It felt like someone had poured acid on the wound as the meat of my hand turned to dust, leaving nothing but bone and sinew. I could only watch in horror as it consumed me, slowly inching further.

I did the only thing I could, creating a new claw on my remaining wrist. I cleaved my arm off at the elbow, yelling louder now that my nerve endings were exposed to the world. Warping the air around my new stump, I formed a makeshift pad to staunch the bleeding.

The monster was moving closer now, that bow of his hanging at his side.

"Congratulations Andrew, you are the first person I have met face to face to truly draw my ire. Your recklessness has brought war to your doorstep, your leader's impulsivity has brought him nothing but my full, undivided attention. Sleep well, Mr. Clarke, knowing your actions doomed an Empire."

His sword rose and fell in the time it took me to process those words. I felt cold by the end, so cold. Like my body had been shoved in an industrial freezer. Wait, why is my body over there?


Jason PoV:

I spat on the body of the man who caused this mess before turning my focus to my girlfriend. She managed to free herself as I finished off Stormtiger. She was just floating there, staring at me. A myriad of emotions flashing behind her eyes.


Crystal PoV:

I didn't know what to think. How could I? The boy I've grown to care for has just killed two people in cold blood like they were nothing to him.

But he did it to save you. A large part of my mind whispered, he told you that he would do something like this.

'I will have red on my ledger'. He told me so himself. A part of me felt sick to my stomach watching him fight, the brutality of it, the fear as he charged at that monster of metal.

Another side of me felt nothing but gratitude for my hero. He came. He came to save me, came to make sure I was okay. He fought three capes alone for me. Killed Hookwolf for me.

That reckless, idiotic, lovable moron.

I remembered the days when Mom cried over Auntie Fleur, how it tore the family apart for a long time. I remember reading about the man that did it, getting away with a slap on the wrist, being welcomed into the Empire.

Oh, how I hated them.

They tried to do it again, to me. If Jason wasn't strong enough, they would have killed both of us, I'm sure. If they weren't trying to lure Jason here, I would already be dead, or worse. Some nameless corpse among one of their mass graves. Another name on Brockton Bay's missing persons list.

Can I really fault him for what he did?

No, I can't.

Honestly, if that was Eric or Mom or even Jason himself chained to a cross of steel, I think I would do the same thing in his place. There was no time for pulling punches when someone you loved was in danger.

My disgust at his actions drained from my stomach as I looked at the man who came when I needed him, his armour gleaming in the evening sun, blood leaking from his shoulder where Hookwolf managed to land his only significant blow.

He smiled at me sadly, knowing what must be going through my mind, but it was the relief in his eyes that gave me pause. The care that radiated from them made my heart beat a little faster.

I dropped to the ground and wrapped the lug in a hug, feeling tears flow down my cheeks as all the emotions I held tight came spilling out. The fear, the horror, the gratitude, the love. It all spilled out as I held the man who saved me as tight as I could.

I felt large hands wrap around my back as he just held me close.

'I'll just have to be your moral compass,' I said to him, a promise we made.

Together.

I settled into his embrace, content to stay there just a little longer.

"I'm glad you're okay, Crys" He whispered in my ear when a thunderous crack ripped through the air. Next thing I know, a flattened piece of lead is falling off the back of Jason's armour.

I watched his eyes widen then immediately narrow, a growl rumbling in his chest, a wave of his hand and Aslan stood next to us on high alert.

"Fetch." One word, a promise of pain as my man's eyes glowed violet for a fraction of a second. He turned back to me, handing me his phone.

"Call your mom, tell her you're alright and- and what I did here. This isn't over yet." With that he detangled from me, a man on the hunt.


Jason PoV:

Oh, that cheap shotting bitch, Imma rip his spine out.

With Aslan on our sniper's trail, it did not take him long to return with a bloodied man dressed in body armour and a red t-shirt. Hello Victor.

The moment we locked eyes, a foreign presence reared its head. The feeling of a million leeches crawling over my skin overwhelmed me for a second. Was he really trying what I think he was? My aura flared, shattering whatever attempt he made to take my skills from me, to take the skills Ina granted me as her Champion. Oh no.

I felt my soul stir.

"That insolent mongrel! He dares try to take what I freely gave! To claim which belonged to one and one alone!" Ina screamed from the depths of my soul, fury pulsing through my aura as it swirled in a purple maelstrom.

"He is an affront to my domains, a man who never trained in his life passing himself off as a skilled warrior. For that and his slight, I shall deal with him personally, Jason. Please grab the vermin's head."

Not one to get between a woman and vengeance. I did as she asked, grabbing Victor by his forehead. A pulse left my body as an ethereal image of Ina appeared beside us.

"For too long you have preyed on others, Henry Burgess, taking what wasn't yours to take. Claiming accolades that were not rightfully yours, for that you are an honourless cur. But then, you made your last mistake, you tried to take from what is mine. I, Inanna DUMU dEN.ZU Goddess of Mesopotamia, curse you. For a man who does nothing but take, you shall only ever receive. No pleasure will ever reach you from a woman's flesh. Only those you've scorned your whole pitiful existence will ever bring you release. May your life be one foretold in Sodom forever more.

For a daring attempt to take from my champion, your ill-gotten gains shall be returned to their true owners, a duplicate given to my champion as penance for your crime. Never again shall you learn on the backs of others."

I watched as Ina reached her spectral hand into Victor's chest as he struggled away from the goddess. Pulling back, she held two orbs in her hand, one pink, the other blue. The pink she dropped to the floor as if it were no better than trash before crushing it under her bare heel, the blue she thrust into my chest.

Images flashed before my eyes like a film on fast forward, blurred faces practising skills for countless hours, everything from playing the piano to coding flickered before me. The transition was seamless. I just knew now, what I didn't before. Military squad tactics, fencing, krav maga, how to perform every pose in the Kama Sutra. All of it just settled in my mind.

Ina returned to my side, placed a kiss on my cheek before vanishing in a flurry of rose petals.

I dropped the now sobbing man on the ground, seeing no reason to take further action after Ina stripped away the very thing he built his identity upon.

"Run." I said. He listened, scrambling to his feet with none of his former grace, tripping over himself like Bambi on ice as he ran as fast as he could away from me.

"Jason, what the fuck was that!?" Crystal yelled, flailing a finger where Ina once stood.

"You could see that?" "She can see me!" we both cried out at once.

"Could I see the hussy appear out of nowhere, call herself a fucking GODDESS metaphysically peg Victor before kissing you? Yes, I could see that." Her hands were glowing with light. Fuck, right after a traumatic event is not the time for this conversation.

"I'm not a hussy!" Ina burst out my soul once more. "I'm his patron. Think of me like his power sugar-mommy." Not helping Ina!

"What?" And now Crystal's broken. Great.

"It's a long story, one I'll fill you in on once we get out of this place, okay?"

A nod was her only response, still too stunned to speak.


A blonde blur slammed into Crystal as we arrived outside the Pelham house on Aslan's back. Crystal being, understandably, too emotionally drained to attempt flying us back.

"My baby, I'm… I'm so glad you're okay!" Sarah cried as she hugged her daughter in a death grip, one soon joined by a tearful Neil and Eric. A family relieved to still be whole. I felt a powerful arm wrap over my shoulder as Neil dragged me into the group hug.

"You kept your promise." He said, whispering into my ear.

"Always."

I stayed there, surrounded by Pelham's on all sides as they took turns giving me a hug, Sarah whispering thank you's over and over, Neil nearly breaking my spine in a bear hug, Eric giving me the awkward teenager two pats on the back but no less happy, Crystal took after both her mother and father in trying to break my back while whispering thank-you's. To my surprise, the Dallons also joined, even Mark. Though it was Carol who broke off first to speak to the group.

"What happened today should never have happened. Not- not after Fleur." A tear slid down her aristocratic cheek. "We almost lost another member of our family. The Empire completely disregarded the unwritten rules to solidify their power. They failed and now it falls to us to see them put down for good. Not just for our safety, but that of everyone who risks their lives to help others."

Sarah spoke next, still drying her tears. "Those bastards almost took my daughter from me. From this point on, the Empire's days are numbered. No more shall I have to fear for my family's safety!"

Neil followed by cracking his knuckles. "It's about fucking time we dealt with those racist pricks."

"Hell yeah, let's kick their asses!" Even Eric got involved. Followed by a cheer from Vicky and a singular nod from Amy.

My turn.

"For too long, the gangs of the bay have ruled this city with an iron fist, flagrantly disregarding the rules as it suits them, only to cower behind them when they themselves are in danger. No more. The Empire targeted New Wave, the symbol of accountability. It's time they have some of their own. No more can they cower behind rules they disregard at their convenience. Those who would kidnap a cape in broad daylight, out of costume, for daring to save people who were a different colour to themselves. It ends now, the Empire ends now!" I finish with a yell, projecting the full might of my aura into a battle cry.

A cry joined by all those surrounding me.

"Room for one more." A man with red-blonde hair asked from off to the side, a trench coat buttoned over what seemed to be a costume poking out from beneath the v-neck.

"Mike, you came…" Sarah said, not truly believing he was there.

"The same bastards that got Fleur kidnapped my niece, Sarah. You're damn right I'm here. We might not have got along at the best of times, but you're still family."

"I'm glad you're here, brother."

"Hmm, so tall, broad and shiny, what's the play here? You seem like a kid with a plan."

"Systematic destruction. We could head straight to the big boss, but that would just splinter the faction and cause even more damage to the bay. No, to truly bring down the Empire we hit them where it hurts, their pockets. The dog fights, the drug dens, the arms dealers.

We coordinate with each other and strike as many as we can at once. Splitting into teams with Amy sticking close to a flyer, just in case.

Sarah, Carol, Mike, you're hitting the arms dealers. You guys are powerhouses with enough experience to get the job done.

Neil, you take Crystal and Vicky, hit their drug suppliers, your group will be the rapid response, hit-and-run tactics. Drop in wreck shit, get out. I mean that literally, Vicky, treat it like we did the Merchants, Crystal on over-watch with Neil as your face-tank.

Mark, Eric, you two are our defensive line along with Aslan. If this breaks out into an all out firefight, your job is to keep Amy safe. Nothing else."

They all nod at my plan, seeing my logic.

"What about you?" Mike asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I'm the bait. I'll draw their capes' attention long enough for you all to get the job done. The more that they focus on me, the less risk to all of you."

"That's ballsy kid, are you sure you can handle it?" He replied, doubt creeping into his voice.

"Ask Hookwolf. We move in two hours, get anything you need together." The military influences in my soul took centre stage as I commanded the more experienced capes around me. The confidence leaking out of me, compelling them to listen to my orders. "Crystal, a word?"

It was time for our conversation.


Crystal led me up to her bedroom. It was a mess. There was shit everywhere. I was pretty sure my girlfriend was a hoarder. You could barely make out the light pink walls buried behind rows and rows of knick-knacks. Her bed was the only thing clear. If you didn't count the small mountain of stuffed animals, she threw off the side as soon as we entered.

"So, where do you want me to begin?" I asked the girl, who was holding my hand as she closed the door. I was willing to be completely transparent with her. It might be a risk considering some of the Thinker fuckery in this world, but her trust mattered more to me than being pegged as a Case-22. It's not like they could do anything to Ina. She's nice and comfy, using my soul as a blanket.

"Who was that woman?" She was being just as blunt, her shoulders square as she looked me dead in the eyes.

"That was Inanna, Goddess of War, Sexuality, Fertility, Divine Law and about a hundred other things. Worshipped mainly in ancient Mesopotamia. She's like the progenitor of Ishtar and Aphrodite."

"My rebellious phases that took on their own personalities, mainly after a long dry spell. Similar domains, but less civil in most cases." Ina materialised on top of Crystal's bed like she owned the place, making the girl herself jump out of her skin.

"The fuck!" She yelled.

"Sorry, still getting used to the whole 'can leave his soul' thing. That's new, by the way, congratulations warrior."

"Did you say soul? You're in my boyfriend's soul?"

"Yup, it's quite nice. I recommend the bath filled with his sexual fantasies. You'd love it. It's like a facial for your whole body." The what?

Crystal only went red. Clearing her throat, she moved on swiftly. "Right, and how does this all work?"

" Oh, it's not too complicated. Jason, here is what you'd describe as a Case-22. He got torn from his old home and sent here. I bumped into him on the way. I was in a - dark place at the time and didn't really have anything to lose, so I tagged along. In exchange for housing me, I gave him the powers you've seen."

"Wait, you're from another dimension!?" Poor girl is taking bombshell after bombshell, though she's holding it up pretty well so far.

"Yeah, it's why I've been living out of that camper. I technically don't exist here. Just woke up one day in an alley, tried to figure out where I was and, boom, I summoned my armour for the first time."

"Then what about the story you told me on our date? Did you lie to me from the very beginning?" Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes as she jumped to the worst-case scenario.

"Not once, beyond changing where I grew up. I'm from London originally, not the bay. Everything else was the truth. I'm an orphan that bounced around the foster system until I ended up in a homeless shelter. I was there when I got dragged here, actually. It's why I jumped into this so deeply. I had nothing to lose, nothing to regret leaving behind."

I wrapped my girl in a hug.

"No matter how weird my story is, I'm real. This is real Crys. I just come with some weird extras attached."

"Hey! I'm not weird. Am I?" Ina made herself known once again.

"Yes." I said as deadpan as possible, causing her to fall back on the bed, feigning an arrow through the heart.

"So, my boyfriend is basically a dimension hopper with a goddess squatting in his soul? I thought the bay was weird before… Right, last thing, why did you kill those two at the warehouse?" Any trace of humour left her voice by the end as she stared at me.

"They were a threat to you, me, and the bay. If I had let them live, they would have come for us again. Hookwolf especially wouldn't let something like that go. Even if we let them live and had them shipped off to The Birdcage, the chances of them breaking out of transport were too high. We'd have to look over our shoulder for as long as they lived. I let Cricket live because I could see in her eyes that she was done with the fight and with the Empire. She wasn't a piece on the board any longer. Hopefully, with some coaxing, I can turn her around to our side, or at least send her the PRT's way. There was no hope for people like Hookwolf and Stormtiger."

She took a moment to mull over my words.

"I can accept your reasoning, but if we're going to make this work, Jay, you will promise me that killing won't become your first resort. People like Hookwolf, Lung and Kaiser are one thing, but the moment you cross the line, we're done, understood?"

"Crystal." I couldn't help myself in an attempt to lighten the mood. I squeeze her hand, conveying my agreement.

"That was bad and you should feel bad," Crystal said, groaning, the mood suitably lifted.

"Never. But in all seriousness, I agree. I'd never raise my blade against an innocent and only take a life as a last resort." She gave me a happy nod before curiosity got the better of her.

"So, what's it like to have a sex god in your head?"

"Horny, all the time. You should hear some things she's said about you."

"Oh?" Crystal's lips split into a cheshire grin as she locked eyes with the goddess on her bed. "Do tell."

"I believe her words at the ice cream shop when we met involved lathering you in chocolate sauce and slowly licking it off of your body. Whether she meant herself or me doing so, I don't know."

Hearing my words, Crystal proceeded to overheat. No sound leaving her beyond little squeaks as she imagined us doing just that.

"I meant us both, by the way, one on either side of you, working our way over your entire body, leaving you a whimpering mess ready for Jason." Ina reappeared right behind Crystal, her hands resting right above her womb from behind.

"I'm THE Goddess of sexuality honey, I can see every wicked thought running through your dirty little head. I know what you want Jason to do to you, what you want me to do to you, even what you want that curvy red-head in your law class to do to you under the desk." Her voice was a sultry purr as she forced Crystal to whimper under her provocations.

"Be a good girl, Crystal, and all your fantasies will come true." She suckled lightly on her neck before vanishing into a flurry of petals. Crystal had a glazed look in her eyes as she panted, staring off into the middle distance.

"That, that's what it's like."

"Wow… Erm, do you mind going downstairs? I need to change my underwear." The last part of her sentence was near inaudible as she forced me out of her bedroom door.

That went better than I thought it ever would. Who knew the goddess of horny could be so useful?

"Oi, be nice to the one building your harem!"

'Building my what now?'

"Nothing…" Ina attempted to whistle innocently. It was a shame she's never done anything innocent since she came into existence millennia ago.


Light-Siblings (Mike) PoV:

Our end of the plan was not overly complicated. The Empire had weapons caches stashed all over their territory. We just had to find them and blow them up. Luckily for us, the Empire was rather brazen in the safety of their own territory. Just have to look for the swastikas everywhere and it was an excellent chance we had the right place, that and the armed guards everywhere.

I charged two of my 'lightbulbs' in my hands, tossing them at the guards on the door. Detonating them just above their heads, the concussive element of my power knocking them both out without a sound. If they didn't glow like disco balls, they'd be the perfect stealth tool, fucking powers.

Tying the two grunts together, I moved to the door drawing my Tinker tech 'night night' pistol (A gift from a missing person I saved out in Chicago), Carol trailing behind me, a mace of hard light in her hands. Sarah stayed in the sky, keeping a lookout for any reinforcements, just like the old days.

I raised a finger to my lips and Carol released the grip on her power, her weapon vanishing. No reason to let them know we're here.

Popping the door, I'm met with a gun store's worth of firearms lining the walls. At least they were organised. The two guards further inside the building were clearly incompetent, not even watching the doors.

More fool them. I lined up my sights and squeezed the trigger, my pistol releasing a light hiss of compressed air, launching a tiny dart filled to the brim with a tranquilliser into the first guard's neck. As he began to slump I wrapped my arm around the other's neck, slipping my hand behind his head as I dragged him to the floor in a rear naked choke. Six seconds later, he was napping with his buddy.

Clearing the building revealed no other occupants, so we dragged the two idiots outside and signalled for Sarah to start the light show.

Blinding light spilled from her hands as she lit the place aflame with her lasers. Little pops echoed from inside the armoury as the ammunition inside ignited until a deafening boom followed.

Those idiots kept explosives on hand? Unsealed, I'd guess from the sound they made. Morons.

"We're done here. Let's hit the next before the cavalry shows up." I said to my sisters as Sarah scooped us both up and we flew to our second target for the night.


The blondes Neil (Crystal) PoV:

I will admit my mind wasn't focussed entirely on the mission at hand. Being planted on over-watch gave a girl time to think.

Jason was from another dimension and had a lewd goddess in his soul. What is my life? The first guy I've taken a shine to in years and this is what I get. I should have stuck to girls. I doubt Anne has any earthshaking revelations like that to drop on me.

Oh, who am I kidding? I wouldn't change that giant dumbass for the world. The man literally saved my life, that tops pussy any day. I try not to think about what happened in the warehouse too much, not yet. It's too raw, too fresh in my mind. Our talk helped, but knowing you were that close to the end changes something inside you, I think this is what mom meant when she spoke about what happened to her when she was younger. Life seems more real. Every moment matters just a little more. Live in the present instead of planning for a future that might not happen.

I'm drawn from my thoughts by a dumbass trying to get the drop on dad, a quick finger laser to the back of the head and he's taking a nap instead.

Vicky was having the time of her life wailing on some poor grunts, none carrying anything more than baseball bats. She's been violent, well, more than usual, tonight. I think she's more shaken by what happened than she lets on. Her aura of fear was on full blast the moment she saw the E88 logo. Might have to mention that to Auntie Carol. Better yet, Jason. He might give Vicky actual advice beyond 'Be responsible'.

I snipe another goon from my rooftop and wait for dad's signal to move in.

A flash of electricity, time to burn some stuff.


The meat shield (Jason) PoV:

The plan's been going well so far, four armouries and eight stash houses have been burnt to the ground. Mark and Eric even took out a dog fighting ring on the way to their position a few blocks away from the Medhall HQ, Aslan having done most of the heavy lifting. Apparently, he was more than willing to listen to Amy's commands when I was absent.

She was stealing my lion, am sad.

It was my turn to cause a ruckus. Under the cover of night, I stood on top of the largest building I could find near Medhall with an accessible fire escape and waited for my moment to strike. Victor's stolen sniper training doing wonders for both my planning and preparation for the conflict to come. I raised the binoculars I borrowed off of Neil to my face and scanned the 'totally normal' office building.

Max Anders was sitting at his desk, being yelled at by a mousy brunette. Her back was to the window, so I couldn't read her lips, but from the way her arms were flying, she was pissed. She slapped him. You go, girl.

She stormed out of the office, the open fronting allowing me to follow her movements as she spoke to a set of twin blondes I'd say were Fenja and Menja. They gave her synchronised nods before following her to the elevator. A minute later, all three stepped out into the back alley, the brunette lighting up in a blur of white. So that was Kayden Russel, Purity.

Was the Empire falling apart already?

I smell an opportunity.

I hopped across the surrounding buildings before I was directly above the trio, able to catch a fragment of their conversation.

"Fucking piece of shit!" Purity shouted. "He doesn't give a shit. If the PRT presses any further, we'll be labelled a terrorist organisation, that means it's a free game on all of us. We'd all be made public. They'd take my baby! And he has the nerve to sit in his ivory tower and tell me it's under control. He fucking caused this! Throwing a hissy fit over a new cape. Kidnapping a member of New Wave out of costume. Is he insane? I knew he was a bastard, but this is beyond the joke. All for the sake of his own power. It's Max's way or the highway yet again."

"He's been really antsy lately, calling Krieg into his office constantly. We think that Big G is threatening to pull their support if he doesn't handle the situation." Fenja said, crossing her arms under her ample bust.

"Yeah, after that building came down, they've been calling constantly for updates. The bay's becoming too hot for them to operate around, especially if the PRT get a whiff of them. That would draw the English into it and the Kingsmen don't fuck around." Menja backed up her sister.

"Trouble in Nazi paradise ladies?" I made my presence known, leaning over the rooftop and giving them a merry wave.

"The fuck!?" they shout in unison, shifting to combat ready stances.

"Easy, easy. I'm not here to cause shit. Not for you three, anyway. Come up here, let's chat." I said, raising my hands in the universal gesture of 'I come in peace.'

Not even thirty seconds later, I'm being glared at by two blondes and a woman glowing white.

"Turn that shit off, Purity. If you think what's happening now is bad, what would that egomaniac do if he saw you talking to me?" I told the woman, she began to power down. "Look, I'll be blunt. The Empire's fucked. Even if what happens tonight doesn't kill it, then the PRT will when they find out the shit Max pulled. Any immunity granted by the unwritten rules was forfeit the moment he ordered Stormtiger to kidnap a member of New Wave in broad daylight. From what Brandish has told me come morning the Empire 88 will be classed as a domestic terrorist organisation with out-of-country ties. In layman's terms, it'll be open season on all of you. Your civilian and cape identities will be burnt. So, considering you have nothing to do with the shit Kaiser pulled, you've got a couple of options. Run, now, pack a bag and get the fuck out of state before the orders come down from up top or you go to the PRT."

"You're joking, right?" Fenja couldn't help but ask.

"Not at all, sure you're all gang affiliated, but you're also PR magnets. The real 'turned their lives around' stories. The PRT are desperate for any good press after the shit they pulled with me and the ongoing Canary situation. Tell your story, pin the blame on Kaiser and you're in the clear, at most having to go on probation if you have any warrants out for your arrest."

"We don't, actually. We only ever dealt with other capes rather than all the gang stuff, too valuable apparently." Menja informed me.

"There you go then. It gets you out of this shitstorm and as a bonus you can do some good work. This city's a mess, we all know it. Won't be long before Lung or someone else steps up to fill the vacuum left behind by the E88. In all honesty, this is your best option, Purity."

"Why?" she asked, her face as cold as stone.

"I heard you talking about a kid, right? If you roll out of state, there's still a chance one branch catches you and gets CPS involved. No offence, but 'Nazi supervillain' does not look good to a jury. You'd lose all custody immediately."

Her face twisted in rage as light pooled under her skin.

"But, if you go to the PRT, tell them that you fear for you and your kids' safety, about how you got involved in the Empire because of Max… You're a victim Purity, all three of you are. You've all been around Kaiser for a long time. A man like him, he's manipulative at best and downright abusive, most likely." All three of them flinched slightly, Victor's cold reading allowing me to pick up tells all over their faces. "I'm going to guess he lashed out in anger, often behind closed doors. Anything that he couldn't dictate the terms of set him off." Hesitant nods. "Exactly, you three are victims of a man who had power over you. It's time to make your own choices in life. What do you say?" I held my hand out to the three women.

Fenja and Menja looked at one another, a conversation happening through twin speech whilst Purity just stared at my hand for a second before reaching out and grabbing my own.

"I will trust you, this once, Rex. Don't disappoint me." Sheesh woman, I'm trying to help you not be a scumbag here.

Purity's acceptance of my offer spurred the twins into action as they overlapped our hands.

"We'll trust you too." They spoke at the same time, which was admittedly a little freaky.

"Great, here's my number. Reach out if you need anything. Now, scarper, it's about to get pretty loud out here." A trio of small smiles and nods and the girls climbed off the roof, going their separate ways. Good deed for the day done. I returned to my original vantage point to spy on the Fake King.

He was not a merry boy. He'd trashed his office, throwing a poor house plant against the wall. What did the plant do?

He reached for his phone.


Kaiser PoV:

How could they fail? My plan was perfect. Take the girl and force Rex into a confrontation he couldn't win. Brad should have been enough to handle the upstart, but no, they failed. He killed two of them. One of my lieutenants lost his fucking head. If it went as it should have, the Empire would have been in a position of stability, a show of violence to make the PRT back off. No one really cared about the unwritten rules anyway, as long as you had the strength to back your play. A strength that was slipping through my fingers like sand by the second.

Ever since Victor came screaming into my office about what happened, some delusions about a goddess. Clearly, the man lost his mind. Whatever Rex did to him, it was bad enough for a mental block to form over his power. A rare but not unheard of circumstance, Othala should be able to aid him. If not, he's still useful for his connections around the country.

With the news of Hookwolf's demise spreading thanks to the morons' mad ravings, I'm placed in a worse position than before. Sharks will soon circle. I might have to intervene directly, remind the peasantry why I am king.

My 'work' phone broke my concentration.

"Yes?" I asked down the line.

"Boss, it's me." Ah, Alabaster, one of Krieg's men. A rather competent individual if a little too committed to his ideology.

"What do you have for me?"

"A problem, that's what. Our businesses are being hit. One soldier at the armoury on 54th claimed it was the two bitches from New Wave and some guy called Lightstar from back in the day. So, I called around to do a sit-rep to get the boys on high alert. We've lost all the gun houses between 23rd and 89th. Drug dens are the same. New Wave's out in force, burning them all to the ground."

I could feel my teeth grind together as I processed what he told me. Fuck! They moved too late for this to be an impulsive decision. This was a calculated attack. It doesn't follow their usual pattern of set patrol routes. They've never ventured into this territory since Marquis got Birdcaged.

Rex, it has to be. He's the missing variable. Lightstar was a possibility. It was his girlfriend's killer we welcomed into our ranks after-all, and his niece I had kidnapped. But no, this has Rex all over it. Splitting New Wave not into the family units themselves but based on skill set. It speaks to a fresh pair of eyes running the show. Now what to do?

"I want everyone on high alert. Call the capes to reinforce where necessary. We do not lose one more building. Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir." He hung up to carry out my orders. Good. This is salvageable. My Empire will not fall today.


Jason PoV:

Bingo, getting what I needed, I radioed over to the members of New Wave through the headset attached to my ear.

"Phase one complete. Pull back, capes are moving in to secure the remaining locations. I'm about to give them something bigger to worry about, over."

"Copy that, moving to phase two. You sure about this kid? Over." Mike said on the other end.

"Affirmative, now's our chance. They've got to launder their money somewhere and there's a suspicious amount of laundromats in Empire turf. They think we're going after the pre-established stashes alone. Time to switch it up, force Kaiser onto the back foot, over."

God, I'm loving Victor's skills that Ina jacked. The breadth of tactical acumen this man stole is insane. If Kaiser had him as an advisor rather than a random mook used for assassinations, he might not be in this mess to begin with. Then again, when do dictators listen to their underlings?

"Roger that, Lightstar out."

Time to get to work. I stood to my full height and summoned my bow. The problem with Kaiser is that he liked to keep an 'eye' on things from his tower. The entire company was filled with E88. There were innocents mixed in, though, meaning I cannot target the building itself but his office? That's fair game.

I drew back the string, channelling my intent for it to form a new shape. A shaft of light materialised, the head of the arrow shifting into the shape of a drill bit.

I released.

The arrow roared as it slammed into the bulletproof glass windows of Max Anders' office, rotating on contact, grinding through the reinforced material like tissue paper before slamming into the wall right above his chair.

The man himself leapt to his feet, iron armour forming from the knife on his desk as he did so. Now I've got his attention.

The reason I didn't just aim for the kill-shot immediately was quite simple, optics. This entire debacle began on Kaiser's say so. I need to publicly shut his ass down and air the dirty laundry. Make it clear that moving against me and mine outside of costume will not be tolerated.

That no matter who you were, we would bring you down should you try. A clear message to the other gangs in the bay and beyond. We took down the, arguably, strongest gang in the bay in a night. Do you want to be next?

A power play to out-gun Kaiser's own. Use the public's instinct to stand and gawk at cape fights to my advantage.

In 'costume' now, Kaiser was now fair game. I launched another 'piercing' arrow at my target before relocating to the next roof over. Watching as the man raised a shield of iron in the shape of a Buster Sword to block my projectile.

Fun fact, while Hookwolf might have managed to shift his metal around to minimise my arrows effect, Kaiser thought that his shield would be enough to block my attack, the arrogance of this man. He was too used to being untouchable outside of the Rage Dragon. My arrow burrowed through his shield after a light struggle as he attempted to reinforce it upon realising his mistake. Before tearing through his second and third, finally it struck the man himself, catching him in the shoulder as he tried to dodge, leaving a minor wound. He quickly resealed his armour to its unscathed appearance. Can't show weakness after all.

He shattered his window, creating a flat blade to stand on as it extended beneath his feet. The man was marching towards my previous location. Not running, not even power walking. This theatrical asshole was full on marching.

He deserves this next one.

I released one of my 'ravager' arrows right where the blade passed under his foot, forcing the metal to waste away. The tell of panic in his body language was delightful as he suddenly realised that his platform was gone. With haste, he created eight pillars of iron from the Medhall building to catch his fall. Once recovered, he launched two of them right at where I was previously. On impact, the pillars erupted into an innumerable amount of spikes covering the roof.

I continued our game of cat and mouse, launching arrows from new positions every time, forcing the man to waste energy with every unsuccessful attack.

While Kaiser's power was astoundingly versatile, the man himself wasn't all that creative. He could have rained piano wire down over the entire area to reveal my location, but no, it's all on a theme with this melodramatic ass. Blades, spikes, real mediaeval shite. The man even made a kite shield to block an arrow he managed to see coming. A kite shield instead of a wall. One he had to throw before it began to eat through his armour, too.

Composure slipping at his lack of success, Kaiser's attacks gained a new level of ferocity, a circle of blades forming at the edge of his range before shooting inwards, new blades forming from the old ones, creating a spider's web of deadly iron as it spread. The pillar beneath his feet sprouted spears that shot out to meet them, leaving me no lateral movement options, but he forgot something crucial. This chess match of ours was 3D.

I threw myself onto a nearby fire escape, sliding down the ladder hidden as the web of swords finished expanding, creating one large platform above my head.

Another arrow struck the centre of the web, eating away at all the metal surrounding it. Kaiser tried to counter my attack by sprouting more to cover the holes, but that, too, would be consumed. So long as it was linked to the original, it would be drained away. He should have used Hookwolf's trick and just sacrificed the point of impact to protect the whole.

Realising his mistake, Kaiser opened a hole beneath his feet, dropping to the illuminated street floor, bracing his impact with a new column that appeared from the bottom of his boots. He soon had an additional issue. Surrounded by street lamps, my arrows blended into the light pollution. He had less time to react now.

Frustrated, the man created a dome of iron around himself, spikes forming over the surface that quickly expanded outwards in a full 180 range like a metal hedgehog.

That proved to be a problem as one was headed right at me.

I jumped, landed on the metal and ran towards the dome. Luckily, it seemed he had no sensory feedback or my feet would be pin cushions right now. I used the spikes as makeshift monkey bars as I swung between them to reach a new vantage point. Secure on the roof he originally targeted, I shot yet another arrow.

His dome collapsed.

It really was a pain in the ass for the man. Being able to destroy whatever he produces at a distance was almost a direct counter if he can't pin down my position and skewer me like a shish kebab.

Exposed once again, Kaiser takes a new arrow to the shoulder, his armour flaking off his body. It eats all the way up to his lower jaw before he reforms it all once again from the remnants that remained.

"Come face me, coward!" He roared, composure finally breaking as an inverted cone of blades rippled into existence from around his feet, growing to all the buildings nearby, following the connections new swords created a lattice like a deadly jigsaw puzzle.

The entire street was covered in iron up to the first floor of Medhall itself and showed no sign of stopping.

I fired arrows into the mess of metal from wherever his sight was blocked. Running along the blades as I did so. He only ever glimpsed gold as I moved. Wherever he saw me a new blade would spawn a millisecond later.

It was like a deadly game of tag as I leapt, flipped and dived between everything he created. Any gaps that existed would be shot through, forcing him to recreate his suit over and over.

I have no idea how much metal he can produce before he tires, but, for most parahumans, there is a limit, their powers are directly linked to their fatigue, both physical and mental.

So the more I piss him off, the better it is for me.

"Hey, Kaiser, I saw your ex smack you like a bitch earlier. How'd that make you feel, big guy?" I said, pushing multiple of the man's buttons at once. The ex he couldn't keep his masculinity, his lack of control at the moment. It was the equivalent of waving a cape in front of a bull.

The sheer amount of metal he sent at the position of my voice was staggering. Every wall in a twenty-foot radius had something sharp and pointy appearing from it.

"You missed mate." More sharp things aimed at my general vicinity.

"Shit, you're bad at this. No wonder you make everyone else do the work. If I don't just stand still, you're fucking incompetent." This time, he sent a block of iron the size of a Ford F150.

"No wonder your wife left if this is the biggest you've got, poor woman." This time, it was multiple blocks the size of a train carriage that came careening towards me. Gotcha.

I fired multiple arrows in rapid succession, targeting the bases of his newest creations. Letting gravity take control as they were sent hurtling to the man, oblivious as he blocked his own field of view.

A horrible screeching crash sounded as multiple tons of iron slammed against one another and then into the ground where Kaiser stood.

Once the dust cleared, there lay the emperor, his legs pinned under multiple of his own makeshift weapons.

That is why you don't wear a full metal suit without the strength to move in it easily. Hauling around 50 pounds of iron for an extended period just isn't smart. Then again, before now, he's never really had to move in a fight. As long as his target stayed in range, his power did all the work. The man might be fit, but he wasn't in the echelons of super strength.

He tried to lift the block off his ruined legs, creating new pillars like a jack, managing to raise it around ten feet before I shot them and it fell back down as he tried to drag himself out with a pipe he created.

His feet being ground to powder tore a scream from the narcissist's throat.

"Now you see Kaiser, this is what happens when you fuck around and find out. You came after me and mine. You sent your pet dog that I, sadly, had to put down to try to kill me. Kidnapped my fucking girlfriend in broad daylight to make a point. You broke the unwritten rules over your knee, so I broke your Empire over mine. So let me send you a message this time, you Nazi prick. 'Look on my Works ye Mighty and despair! Nothing besides remains.'.

I took my first step on solid ground since the fight began, walking towards the slowly dying man. As soon as he saw me he tried to create blades underneath my feet, his old favourite. My armoured boots crushed them under heel. Ripples spread along my armour as he tried to turn it into an impromptu iron maiden.

It had no effect at all.

Not even a foot away, I locked eyes with the man.

"Any last words?" I asked, readying my sword.

"Fuck you." He coughed out, choking on his own blood.

"So be it. As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown."

My blade fell, crimson flecks scattered along its edge.

One threat down. Just how many were left?


AN: Whoo boy, this was a chunky one (9k words). Were the fights good? Did Crystal's little moral dilemma come across well? Let me know! And please let me know if any of this mess doesn't flow right. My grammar checker basically had a meltdown looking at this and then I had to reformat it because everything was bold.

I know, I know, why bow nerf? It isn't, I just added a timed aspect to it. You know how war ravages over time - eh - eh.

Besides, it basically solo'd Kaiser, might not be a massive fuck off arrow, but making the prick basically kill himself felt really, really good.



Chapter 14



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Topic: Someone Kidnapped Laserdream in broad daylight

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Silver_Hand

(Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 25th 2010:

So, I was out running around campus at BBU when this van pulled up [whitevan.jpeg]

Three people in masks jump out the back and grab Laserdream right off the sidewalk. [Kidnap.mp4] and knocked her out, cuffed her and dragged her inside.

Hope she's ok.

(Showing page 1 of 1)

Bone_of_my_Sword (Banned (3 days))

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Did they just say 'f*ck the unwritten rules'?

If so, then that guy on the left looks a lot like Hookwolf, just saying. Look at the tats.

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Take a temp ban, at this time it is still not appropriate to speculate on a cape's identity.

Cadian_Guard

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

@Tin_Mother

They just grabbed LD off the street, in broad daylight, when she was out of costume. New Wave or not, that's still a complete disregard for the Unwritten Rules.

Retaliation for what happened at the Club the other night?

Papa_Nurgle

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Looks like it.

Bo_Bo_Bo_Bo_Bo

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Sh*t. I wouldn't want to be them when Rex finds out…

Weakest_F_Class

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Anyone else at the docks hearing fighting right now?

Sounds like a blender trying to fight another blender.

Slide_into_my_Dock

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

@Weakest_F_Class

I can hear it too.

Eyes_in_The_Sky

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Caught this on traffic cams about 15 minutes ago.

[ZoomieLion.Mp4]

Rex was headed to the docks.

Street_Justice

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Sh*t's about to go down.

Slide_into_my_Dock

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Noise has stopped.

Edit: Was that a sniper!?

Eyes_in_The_Sky

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

[RunMFRun.mp4]

This is Victor right? Running like a b*tch from the docks.

Silver_Hand (Original Poster)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

E88 then?

How did they think doing this would end well?

Super_Trooper (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

I really shouldn't be posting this but given the circumstances…

We just got called to the scene.

Rex and LD weren't there when we arrived.

We found Cricket unconscious, her legs broken.

The other two…

We have two bodies. Two dead capes.

As of 3pm November 25th 2010 Hookwolf and Stormtiger are confirmed deceased. Both decapitated.

Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

This isn't the end is it…

End of Page. 1


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Topic: Empire's being hit.

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brocton Bay

In_Enemy_Territory

(Original Poster)

Posted On Nov 25th 2010:

New Wave is out in force.

Multiple sightings of Brandish and Lady Photon along with another cape all over Empire turf. [NewWave.Gallery.Jpeg]

Fires can be seen wherever they've been. [toasty.gif]

Manpower, Glory Girl and Laserdream have also been spotted.

They clapping back for this morning?

(Showing page 1 of 1)

Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Is that Lightstar? Thought he retired after what happened to Fleur.

Answer Key

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Considering what the Empire just tried to do…

Wouldn't be shocked that he came back.

Go New Wave!

F150_Fan

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

There will be retribution for this.

To_the_Victor

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

@F150_Fan

Don't!

Aloha

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

No one else worried what this is going to do to the bay?

What the Empire will do after this?

Chrome

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Guys, check this out. Rex is fighting Kaiser rn!

[ /Rex_Kaiser]

End of Page. 1


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Topic: Kaiser's last reign

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Brocktonite03

(Original Poster) (Veteran Member)

Posted On Nov 25th 2010:

For posterities sake this is the fight we'll be talking about. Warning:Graphic

[ /archive/Rex_Kaiser]

Rex has killed Kaiser in retaliation for the kidnap of LD earlier today.

A witness at the scene was close enough to capture what they said at the very end. [Anylastwords.mp4]

That makes Rex the bloodiest hero in the bay with three confirmed kills.

Hookwolf, Stormtiger and Kaiser.

(Showing page 1 of 1)

Cyber_Demon

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Three entirely justified kills.

They broke the UR. Kidnapped the man's girlfriend and expected to get away with it.

Rex said it best.

'F*ck around, Find out'.

Imperial

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

He just killed three capes, one on video.

Birdcage him.

Devil_Advocate (Verified Lawyer)

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

I like to keep neutral in a lot of things (hence the user) so let's break it down.

Hookwolf has a confirmed body count of over 500 people between the pit fights, initiations and PRT casualties. He has escaped Birdcage transport twice.

Stormtiger was responsible for the death of 29 people at the Nouveaux Lounge and at least 50 other people before that.

Kaiser, as the leader of the Empire 88, can be held responsible for all their actions since the death of All-Father.

All three can be classed under the American Justice System as mass murderers at the bare minimum. That is not taking into account the innumerable assaults, drug charges and RICO offences. That is also not including them being classed as a Domestic Terrorist Organisation.

A rough estimates put all three at over 500 years of prison time.

Rex has 3 kills to his name, two of which are in the defence of another and the third is ambiguous whether or not it is classed as self defence as Kaiser posed a significant threat to his life and public safety.

Prof_X

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Rex is a hero.

Kaiser, 10 years ago, killed my wife for the colour of her skin. I tried going to the BBPD but they told me it was out of their hands.

There are many with stories similar to mine. Rex put down a monster, nothing else.

Pathing_issue

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

Sh*t

Daywalker

Replied On Nov 25th 2010:

If I see Rex, I'm buying him a beer.

He just quoted poetry at Kaiser before putting him down.

Badass.

End of Page. 1

Director Pigott PoV:

I closed the lid of my laptop, too stunned to speak. The one time I take a day off and this happens. Pinching the bridge of my nose as I feel the headache creep into my skull I reach for my phone.

"Call a driver, I need to get to the Rig yesterday."

Pulling the needles out of my arm and stopping the dialysis machine I head for my wardrobe, this is going to be a fucking mess, I know it.


"Armsmaster, report." I ask the head of my Protectorate branch.

"At 1p.m this afternoon the video of Laserdream, Crystal Pelham, being abducted from outside Brockton Bay University was uploaded to PHO. Hookwolf's involvement can be confirmed by the tattoos displayed on the attacker that knocked her unconscious.

An hour later Rex was spotted on surveillance cameras heading towards the docks. A conflict broke out resulting in the deaths of Stormtiger and Hookwolf, both being decapitated. Cursory evidence matches the wounds to Rex's sword. Cricket was also present, unconscious when we arrived. She had multiple injuries consistent with fighting a brute in hand to hand combat, broken ribs and a shattered knee cap, bruising around the knee indicates it was her own chain used. She is currently in Holding Cell Alpha-2 awaiting questioning.

A video camera at the scene was recording the altercation, though we have not yet had time to observe the footage.

Following this, New Wave was seen en masse assaulting known Empire facilities. A total of fifteen armouries and nineteen drug repositories were attacked. All thirty four targets were later burned to the ground. First responders reports were compiled and are on your desk ma'am. From their observations, the cause of each fire was flammable material inside being struck by a high power laser."

"Lady Photon and Laserdream I take it?"

"Correct ma'am. They were seen around the territory in different units, each displaying an unusual aptitude for small squad tactics. No casualties were recovered from any of the scenes, all known E88 affiliates are being held by the BBPD for sentencing. Lightstar was also seen amongst the elder members of New Wave."

"Understood, now what the fuck happened outside Medhall?"

"It is our understanding that Rex forced the confrontation with Kaiser, targeting him in his civilian identity, Maximillian Anders. The following conflict lasted approximately thirty minutes before Rex baited Kaiser into creating enough material with his shaker effect to block his view, before dropping his largest creation on top of him.

This new data has been added to Rex's file along with an increase to his blaster rating and a possible mover rating from the acrobatics he displayed. .

Once Kaiser went down Rex approached, there was a small exchange including a quote from 19th Century British poet Percy Bysshe Shelley's Ozymandias before Rex struck the killing blow. No civilians were caught in the conflict and all the property damage can be attributed to Kaiser."

"Thank you. Any reaction from the other Empire capes?"

"Victor was seen leaving the docks during the initial encounter but has not been seen since, nor has Othella or Rune. Purity, Fenja and Menja are currently unaccounted for. Krieg, Alabaster, Night and Fog have been spotted inside Empire territory though their objectives were unclear. Crusader is still at large."

"So the capes we know have ties to Gesellschaft are still running around, brilliant. Keep an eye on international travel. I want to know immediately if any members of The Meisers, King's Men or Suits enter the bay. We don't need this city becoming the battleground for a world-wide grudge match. "

"Understood ma'am, what are your orders regarding Rex?"

Now that was the real question. On one hand that pain in the ass had just killed three capes and created a power vacuum. On the other, he just wiped out one of the largest gangs in the city in a night because they threatened someone he cared about. He sent a message to everyone, don't fuck with his.

"Hands off for now, we aren't sticking our neck on that chopping block. I'll get in contact with Chief Director Costa-Brown for the official response. Hopefully she'll get the Protectorate to send over a few capes to help monitor Empire territory before a new gang springs up. For the time being I want the wards strictly on Boardwalk duty. The area is too volatile for them to get caught up in. Senior capes are to be rotated around the area in teams. I want all of you on call just in case this devolves into a gang war. Send Assault, Battery and Velocity first. Try and round up the Empire's strays. Treat New Wave as normal, handle Rex amicably but with caution."

"Ma'am." One crisp salute later and my cape wrangler was out the door, leaving me with mounds of paperwork and an uncomfortable phone call to make. The Chief Director was a bigger bitch than me, and that was saying something.

"Director, I have three women to see you, claiming to be the capes formerly known as Purity, Fenja and Menja."

God damn it, somehow I know this is Rex's fault. Pain in my flabby ass that he is.

"Send them in."


Contessa PoV:

I couldn't help it, I laughed, for the first time in years I laughed. It was a manic sound that echoed from my lips. The path was quiet for the first time I can remember. My question went unanswered.

'How to proceed with the cape feudalism experiment?' Gave me nothing beyond the echoey void of my own mind. It was the same for every question posed around Brockton Bay. The breeding ground for strong capes became nothing but a vast blind spot for my power.

I couldn't help but smile at the lack of noise. For the first time in my life I simply didn't know.

It was mighty interesting.

It seems I have a trip to make.


AN: Just a cheeky little interlude showing what some people think of Rex's latest antics.

Poor Director has been given yet another migraine by our resident pain in the ass.



Chapter 15


Chapter 12: Never a dull moment.

As I stared at Kaiser's cooling corpse I felt… Nothing. Just a hollow void where any remorse or empathy should have been. I knew, logically, that I should be feeling something, anything, in a situation like this. Pity for the man at my feet. Sympathy for his children growing up without any form of a father figure. Hell, even any joy I should feel on behalf of his victims was gone. All drowned out by the beat of the drums in my mind.

I was glad, in a way, that the emotions didn't come. It gave me time to rationalise my actions in the privacy of my thoughts. The men I had killed were all monsters. Murderers, racists and abusers. They did not deserve remorse, yet the absence of it was worrying. If I felt nothing after killing, was I any better than them?

I knew that I wasn't some emotionless killing machine. I had felt the unrelenting anger over Crystal's abduction. It had clouded my thoughts like a fog of war at the time. Thinking back with the haze clearing made me feel like a fool.

Why did I risk her life? Why did I play their game instead of just picking them off one by one from outside? Hell, why didn't I send Aslan after Victor from the get go? I was reckless, simple as that. If they hadn't played along, or god forbid killed her before I arrived… I don't know what I would have done.

The entire situation was a mess. Why did Kaiser think taking Crystal was a good idea? Sure, maybe in his mind Hookwolf could have turned me into little red chunks of meat. But what was his end goal?

There wasn't one. Not that I could put together, anyway.

Honestly, as much as I hate to give the theory credit, it smelt of shard fuckery. For a man so methodical and collected, he lashed out on impulse. Causing conflict for conflict's sake, taking the fastest route to violence. He could have shored up his resources, brought all his capes together, waited for me to patrol and jumped me. With Rune on their roster, it's not like they didn't have the means of arriving quickly. A combination of Purity, Hookwolf and Kaiser himself had a high likelihood of killing me outright if they worked together. It just didn't make sense. Why break the Unwritten Rules? Why bring all of this down on his own head?

Something was moving behind the scenes and I didn't like it, not one bit.


Laying in bed with Crystal, taking comfort in her presence, gave me a chance to decompress. Slowly the drums faded and my emotions trickled back. The care I felt for the girl asleep in my arms. Relief that she was okay. The peace of having her at my side.

The remorse eventually reared its ugly head. Alone, in the solace of my mind, the twisted seed bloomed. Why did I kill them? I had them all at my mercy. I have Dragon's number, I could have called for Birdcage transport. But I didn't. I became judge, jury and executioner. I decided they were too much of a threat to continue existing.

That weight settled in my stomach. What gave me the right to decide that? I was just some seventeen-year-old kid. Was it my power? Did my strength give me the right to pick who lives and who dies?

Isn't that what people like Kaiser and Lung believed? That might makes right.

I felt a single tear drift down my cheek in the silence of Crystal's bedroom. I had done something I could never take back. There was no miracle cure for death's embrace. I chose to put them to the sword. Yes, all three were monsters who ruined countless lives. That didn't make me right though.

Looking at the girl, I realised with a start that I'd do it all over again. We might not have known each other for years, or truly had the chance to really get to know one other. But she was an island in the storm that was my life since coming to this world. That might not be fair to place that on her shoulders, yet it was a role she filled, anyway. The way I felt with her at my side was irreplaceable.

If her safety, her family's safety, meant I had to live with my actions, so be it.


I wish I could say that things settled down with the death of Kaiser, but that would be a boldfaced lie.

The remnants of what once was the Empire 88 have been causing problems in their old territory. For about a week now, there has been a steady uptick of robberies and assaults at the fringes of their former stomping ground. The occasional sighting of one of their capes didn't help matters. Those tied to the Herren Clans (Victor, Othala, Rune) stayed quiet, but the Gesellschaft affiliates were starting to make noise. No doubt on the orders of their German overlords. It was something I had to resolve quickly before they regained a foothold and built up a new gang, one without Kaiser's old pragmatism.

If they got any support from overseas, this city would become a war zone as Gesellschaft's enemies would come sniffing for a fight.

This place was awful enough without them adding to the chaos.

So here I was in the dead of night in early December, patrolling around their old haunts. Hoping to catch a whiff of the actual Nazis of E88.

It was quiet, too quiet. Normally, even an area of the city like this would have some foot traffic. Ordinary folks going about their day, not giving a damn about the gangs hiding in the shadows. Brocktonite's were hardy like that. But to not see a single person in an hour, that was fishy.

Either this was a trap I'd walked into or something major was going down somewhere nearby and people want to stay clear.

As I finished my thought, a cloud of black mist descended from above, twirling and shifting as it made its way towards me, Fog. I instinctively held my breath, not wanting to inhale whatever his form was made of.

Trap it is.

I felt something strong slam into my back and I was launched down the street like a skimmed stone, my armoured body leaving noticeable craters in the concrete, Night.

Where one brainwashed Nazi goes, the other follows.

These two were an awful pair to deal with. One that could blind me and the other that becomes a Lovecraftian monster when unseen.

I summoned Aslan to my side, hoping the second set of eyes watching my ass would deter the sleep paralysis demon for a little while. Then again, Bitch's dogs didn't stop her in canon from what I remember, so that was up in the air. She's like a fucked up Weeping Angel, needing a constant line of sight to shut her down.

Her husband was also a problem, a gaseous blob that could eat away at whatever living that was inside it.

Honestly, if they weren't basically Winter Soldier rip offs, they'd be really fucking scary. As it was, there wasn't much 'person' left in them. Sure, they could act, talk and think, but it was rigid. Based on predetermined patterns. More like a computer than a man. They weren't malleable like a normal person, unable to really adapt.

I drew my bow, aiming at the nebulous cloud headed straight for me. I fired an arrow, a beam of light piercing through the blackness. It wriggled in what could be described as pain, wrapping around itself.

Fog's power was similar to Shadow Stalkers in a sense that, while technically intangible, it can still be affected by the real world. In her case, that meant electricity, his being the fact that he can still take damage as a cloud. Each one of those particles is a part of his body as far as his power is concerned, damage them enough, and he'd be out of the fight.

I bombarded the smoke machine with as many arrows I could fire in a matter of seconds. Taking chunks of his cloud with them.

Interrupting my barrage, Night tossed me down the street yet again.

Fighting them both out in the open was not a great idea. It gave her a chance to avoid my line of sight. I needed to limit her angles of attack pronto.

Darting down a nearby alley did just that, pressing my back to the cool brick, one way in, one way out. Fog followed me, twisting down the gap between buildings, trying to enshroud me in his mist.

He caught an arrow to the 'face' for his trouble, knocking the world's nastiest stink bomb back a few feet.

Another followed, and another. I peppered Bucky Barnes with enough glowing arrows to make a spotlight blush. His mass of smoke writhed around before solidifying, a bleeding man dressed in grey slumped down unconscious.

An unholy roar echoed from above. A mix between a woman's scream, a child's weeping and a monster's fury. Apparently, even sociopathic Nazis didn't like seeing their partners hurt. Scuttering clicks followed, I flicked my eyes up to see an aberration in reality hurtling towards me. For a fraction of a second, I saw what was beneath Night's skin. A never ending mass of chitinous legs, bladed limbs and dripping jaws. Constantly cycling between them. Oh god, she was the abominable love child between a tyranid and Shub-Niggurath.

Her form twisted with my eye contact, shrinking and expanding in a twisted puzzle as her human form returned, dropping her to the ground from halfway up the building. Now how to keep her like this without dealing with a Lovecrafian monstrosity for a second time. The fall, thankfully, did a number on the woman. She might heal once she changes form, but in the meantime the drop was enough to take her out of the fight.


Crystal was the answer. I rang my girl on 'Dragon Call' the Tinker's version of Skype or Facetime. Keeping one eye on the downed cape, I gave Crystal the rundown.

"So you want me to stare through your phone?"

"Pretty much."

"This is so stupid."

"Powers are stupid, now keep those pretty blues on the Nazi. I'm not dealing with that Outer Entity twice today."

"The things I do for you…"

"I'll buy you ice cream on the way back."

"Deal!"

"Tell you what, get your mom and dad to look too. Four pairs of eyes are better than two with this lot."

"Mom! Dad! Jay wants you to stare at a Nazi. What? No? Eww gross dad."

I don't want to know…

For once in my life, I was thankful for the PRT showing up.

They had three troopers immediately lock onto Night, maintaining a constant watch, calling out their blinks. Aslan, doing his civic duty, also watched. Fog was treated to a nice dose of containment foam and slammed in a box made of bulletproof glass, which was then sprayed with even more foam to make it airtight.

That was two capes down, six to go.

But first, I had to get Crystal that ice cream.


Bored, bored, bored.

Two days, two whole days and not a single hide nor hair of the rest of E88.

I've circled these blocks so often recently that I can tell you which piece of graffiti follows the next on my patrol route.

I just want a scrap. Is that too much to ask for?

The universe, hearing my plea of boredom, decided to intervene. Spectral knights charged at me from every cardinal direction. Well, hello Crusader. I jumped in the air to avoid the pointy sticks trying to stab me through my armour before trying to locate the man himself.

Crusader, like most of the E88, was a piece of human excrement. A die hard 'America is for Americans' type turned up to 13. Ignoring the hypocrisy of that statement, on the account that he hated Native Americans just as much as anyone whose skin colour wasn't Pastelle White on a Dulux colour chart, this is the man that triggered because he got caught trying to murder his disabled sister.

He got no sympathy from me.

So when I found him floating in the air with his back to me, begging to be shot, I did.

Whipping out my bow, still in mid-air, I gave him a little love tap. A love tap that moved at the speed of an F-22 Raptor, but still a love tap. It smacked him right through the 'clone' holding him in the air. Should have blocked buddy.

He dropped out of the sky with a startled yelp that was entirely too effeminate for such a dude bro, slamming into the concrete with a thud. His little ghost gang moving to form a protective perimeter around their liege.

You see, the fun part of Crusader's power is that they can only pass through inorganic matter. Against a regular human, that was deadly, being able to phase through body armour and attack the wearer directly. Against me, though, it meant pretty much nothing. Sure, my armour was an extra layer of protection, but my skin itself was also damn hard to cut through with conventional weaponry. I might not shrug off a sniper round to the face, but a spear? Ha.

I grabbed his first ghost by its translucent throat, throwing it as hard as I could away from us. Using the gap in defence to charge the man. Still in a daze, he could do nothing but clench his teeth when the right hook of equality and justice slammed into his rip-off knight's helmet, denting it inwards and knocking him out. His spooky copies faded into nothingness once he dropped.

That was severely underwhelming. I didn't even get the chance to give a witty one liner. Spider-Man would be disappointed in me.

"Hello, yes this is Rex, yes I've got another one. Crusader this time. Yeah, yeah I'll wait, no worries. Have a good one Doug."

Plopping myself down on the curb, I waited for the cavalry to show up, Protectorate or Empire. I didn't mind at this point.


I didn't mean both at the same time!

Just what is my luck that the PRT, accompanied by Miss Militia, showed up just as Rune, Othala and Victor did?

I had to taunt Murphy, didn't I?

No idea why the hillbilly clan crew was deciding now was their chance to actually do something. It's possible that they were being used as middlemen between the Germans and the Herrens now that the Empire didn't act as a racist melting pot. But that was neither here nor there.

Victor, upon seeing my Golden Glory, obviously not knowing who they were going to be fighting, promptly pissed himself and tried to get the others to run away. Guess he remembered his little chat with Ina.

"As he should." Hoh boy was that a lot of bloodlust in her tone, note to self, do not piss off the goddess - though that is really just common sense.

'Down girl, no need to traumatise a man in front of his wife… yet.'

"I'm surprised they're still together, considering that he may have some performance issues right now."

'Is that why she's glaring at me so hard? She's pent up?'

"Jason, she's from the Bible Belt of America and part of a clan of racist religious zealots. Do you think she's going to touch herself with anything besides her disappointing husband?"

'I dunno Ina, church girls are into some of the really freaky shit 99% of the time.'

"You aren't wrong… But my point stands either way. Right now she's so wrapped up in her clan's dogma that she probably thinks wearing a swimsuit should be punishable by stoning."

'The fact that I cannot disagree with that makes me want to burn that place to the ground.'

"Add it to your list, right alongside The Fallen."

'Point, can't have a bunch of cultists running around. Oh well, good talk but I've got some racists to punch before they notice the Kurdish woman in their general vicinity.'

"Happy hunting!"

Zoning back into reality, I call my bow into existence, and take a shot at Rune's floating platform, no high ground for you, missy.

I have to give the teenager credit. As soon as my arrow connected she dropped her teammates off on a nearby rooftop and launched the block of stone right at me.

Rude.

I did the obvious thing in this situation, drawing my sword in my free hand and cutting it in half. Gotta appeal to the rule of cool. The bronze blade slid through the impromptu projectile like a hot knife through butter, leaving the two halves to fall on either side of me.

"Want to try again?" I ask the girl, who's now flying on a manhole cover. No idea when she grabbed that.

"Eat a dick!" She yelled back, throwing a car at me this time. Hope it's insured, wait can you even get insurance for cape shenanigans?

I dodge out of the way of the flying Herbie and grab one of its wheels that rolled back towards us from the wreckage. Holding the circle of metal and rubber like a discus, I swing my arm back before pivoting at the hips, using my sword arm as a guide and toss it at the robed telekinetic.

Surprised by my new weapon, Rune didn't react fast enough as tread slammed into her stomach, taking her breath, and any street cred she had with it. That's going to be a new gif on PHO, I'm calling it. Just the look on her face. Mwah priceless.

I couldn't help but chuckle as she slammed into the pavement. That's gotta sting, right in the pride. Trying and failing to get her diaphragm to function, Rune just rolls around on the ground.

"Give up yet?"

"Fu-fuck you…" she wheezed, trying to rise from the dirt.

"Sorry, kids aren't my thing." I said, taking advantage of the setup she gave me. "Give it a few years, an attitude adjustment and you'd get a second glance, maybe." With that, I left her in the PRT's capable-ish hands, ready to deal with the other two nearby.

"Hey Miss M, you see where the other two went?" I ask the former child soldier who slid next to me now Rune was dealt with. Her glowing blob of energy shifted into a Barrett M107 and she just hulks the 33 lbs rifle up to her shoulder like a boss bitch.

"Victor and Othala are situated on the rooftop to our southeast. They seem to be in a heated discussion. I believe Victor is crying?" Wow, Ina, you really did a number on him. "Othala has made skin contact, approximately thirty seconds, suspected minor power. Likely some form of brute abilities."

"Just call it super strength…" I couldn't help but mutter.

"Incoming!" She yelled, dropping prone and lining up a shot against the now advancing cape.

Victor leapt off of the rooftop, falling in a botched superhero landing. His knees, not at the right angles to swallow the impact. A sickening pop rang out as his kneecap decided to escape its socket with the help of Newton's third law.

Ouch.

The man screams as he tries, and fails, to clamber to his feet. I feel kind of bad right now. He's clearly outclassed and has no stolen skills from what I can tell from his landing. He must be so used to having his pilfered knowledge that he still attempts actions that he can no longer perform. At this point, he's no more dangerous than a standard mook - Othala's gift notwithstanding.

"Do you want this one?" I ask the dusky skinned woman on the ground next to me.

"Gladly." She replied in a drawl, drawing a breath and pulling her rifle's trigger. A boom echoed around us as the rubber round slammed into Victor's armoured chest, leaving a noticeable dent.

Why was that hot?

Victor could do nothing as he was flung off his feet by the force of the round. It might be nonlethal, but that's still going to leave a mark, and a broken rib or three.

Hana was quick to rise to her feet and slap some cuffs on him. Thick hydraulic things designed to handle lower tier brutes. They clamped down on his wrists with a pneumatic hiss. She gave his ankles the same treatment. He then got given a helping of foam for good measure. Suitably gift wrapped, Victor was tossed in the back of the PRT van alongside Rune and Crusader.

Alone and a non-combatant, Othala could do nothing but hide on the roof as her husband was carted away.

"I'll go grab the straggler. Might as well take their healer off the board."

"Understood. Transport is full, though."

"Wait a sec, I'll follow along on Aslan. She's not a threat if she's got no one to touch."

Calling Aslan from my soul, I got the best boy to take me up onto the rooftops.

"Hello there!" I knew I shouldn't have watched the prequels with Crystal last night, even in this reality I couldn't escape them.

"Ahhh." Othala, bless her little racist socks, jumped out of her skin at my arrival, giving away her hiding spot behind a block of vents.

"Lady, you're wearing bright red. I can see you back there."

Silence.

"Look, I'm not going to beat on a girl who has no way of fighting back. Just come out."

She did. Why was the religious extremist wearing a skin tight bodysuit that looked like it was made of latex?

Spoiler: Othala

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"Nice costume. Who talked you into that?" Damn it, mouth…

"I-it was Fenja." She actually answered. She was surprisingly soft-spoken. Her voice had that airheaded, wispy quality to it. It was kind of adorable.

"That… yeah, that tracks. So we getting down from here? Or are you gonna try to fight it out?"

The scathing deadpan she gave me hurt, right in the soul. Raising her hands, she gestured for me to cuff her.

I grab her tiny wrists and move them behind her back, ignoring the little mewls she let out as I did so. Now is not the time. Begone horny thoughts.

Securing the cuffs, I scoop My Little Racist up in a princess carry and hop over the ledge.

Nailing the landing, suck it Victor, I re-summon my ride. Aslan, the goodest kitty, gives me an unimpressed look, having watched my theatrics from the roof.

"Shut it."

He chuffs.

"I will get a spray bottle."

A grumble I take as an apology.

"No bully." Othala interrupted us. "Cute kitty."

My heart, why did you have to be in a cult?

That's it, you're now part of my Piece of Shit Redemption Project. Shouldn't be too hard to remove over a decade and a half of indoctrination and brainwashing, right?

Right?


AN: A short little chappy. A few fights, some reflection and even more Aslan because you can never have enough Aslan!



Chapter 16


Chapter 13: Keep it Rolling.

On the way back to the Rig, I kept my head on a swivel and my bow in hand. Last thing we needed was the pseudo-convoy getting hit. We had four former Empire capes on board and that was a juicy target for the rest of their capes or the ABB.

"Relax." A soft voice came from over my shoulder. "They won't come."

"Hmmm?" I gave the girl at my back an inquisitive hum, wondering why she was even speaking.

"Last chance."

"Yours?"

"Mhm." A positive hum.

"I take it Krieg's running the show?"

"Had the most men. No others left." That's right, with Purity off the board and Hookwolf dead, Krieg was technically the highest rank member of the E88 left. That was worrying, to put it mildly.

"You're being surprisingly open right now."

"No choice. Go back, die."

"That's why it was you, Victor, and Rune. He sent you, rather than his own men."

"Others are disposable. Told to run."

"I take it whatever talks were held after Kaiser's death fell through. Probably wanted you to run if the other two got caught because you can heal."

"Yes."

"Why not go back to The Clans?"

"Failure not tolerated."

"Ah, you were told to stick close to Kaiser, keep him alive so The Clans can use the E88 to gain more power and status."

"Yes. I failed."

"Not really a lot you could do, short stack. If you'd been there, I would've gone for you first."

"Mean." Ouch.

"It's the truth. You were their most valuable cape. Healers are hard to come by and you give other powers on top of it. You were a walking force multiplier."

"Thanks?" She sounded almost confused at my honest admission.

"No worries." It was honestly a little sad at how much I pitied the white supremacist behind me.

She was born in the Herren Clan, a bunch of hillbillies obsessed with 'the good old ways'. Essentially wannabe slave owners that think life was so great before 1863. Because shitting in a hole in the ground and relying on telegraphs was so great. Being raised in that environment wasn't healthy for anyone. Never mind a young girl. That's ignoring the arranged marriages and attempted forced triggers. The religious zealotry alone probably left her ignorant to the majority of things in society if she didn't seek them out on her own. Just think of the 'sex-ed'. No mention of STIs or safe sex. God forbid, they tell them how their body works. Sheltered doesn't even come close to the upbringing she probably had. Fingers crossed she can get some help rather than just being thrown in a cell and forgotten about. I'll see what I can do when Piggot no doubt calls me into her office.

"What did you do to Victor?" She broke the silence with the most words I've heard her say at once.

"Sorry?"

"He's different. Scared of you. Doesn't love me anymore." I had to strain my ears to catch the end of that.

"He tried to do something he really shouldn't have and faced the consequences." Yeah, not telling her that the goddess in my soul bitch slapped him for stepping out of his lane. And I'm certainly not touching on that last bit, not yet anyway.

"Oh. Still sucks."

"Honestly, he shouldn't have been a dick. The man can copy any 'skill' if exposed to someone, he doesn't have to take them permanently. He could have been a forerunner of medicinal knowledge, policing or any other skill heavy field. But no, he decides that he'd rather be a grunt for a Neo-Nazi gang. He could have made lives better Othala, instead he let the hatred of others control him. Now, now he has to pay for his choices."

"He's right though."

"About what?"

"They're beneath us." Whoa boy, I guess we're doing this now.

"How?"

"What?"

"How are 'they' beneath you, Othala?"

"They just are."

"Explain it to me."

"Criminals. Scum. Stupid." And wasn't that a loaded trio of words?

"You are part of an organised criminal organisation responsible for the most murders in this city and hate people because of the way they're born. I'd call you criminal scum and your ideology stupid."

"…"

"This might come as a shock, but believe it or not, people are people, no matter their race, creed or orientation."

"Sin."

"We have the closest thing to a biblically accurate angel floating in the atmosphere trying to erase humanity." I paused. "God loves all his children, right?"

"Yes."

"We are made in his image. Formed by his design, yes?"

"Yes."

"Then, by your own logic, God made people of different races, different sexualities. Yet loves all of them equally. If you truly believed in the world of God, shouldn't you do the same?"

That was not a conversation I was prepared to have with this girl so soon. Quoting religious texts is not my forte and I wouldn't claim it to be. But, to break through to someone so entrenched in propaganda and 'teachings' the best way to get to them, the person underneath the endless repetition, was to use their own logic. Use their own beliefs to broaden their horizons, break down the box they've been forced into. All you had to do was make them think, just a little and cracks would begin to show.

That's the thing about such hate oriented groups, the smallest chip in their glass house and it would shatter. Taking the young woman out of that echo chamber didn't hurt either.

The rest of our journey was filled with silence. Othala sat behind me in quiet contemplation, my last words having more of an effect than I realised. Maybe, just maybe, she was already starting to break free on her own. She didn't seem as naïve as I first thought she was. I just have to give her a nudge every now and again to keep broadening her horizons. The same method would hopefully work with the other three I 'took under my wing'.


It was funny really, watching the PRT troopers all tense as I walked in, Othala trailing behind me like a puppy. I marched straight up to the front desk.

"Hey Doug, how's the wife?"

"She's good. Started Pilates last week, baked some cookies too if you want one?"

"Sure thing, man. Tell her I said hi." Sugar cookie acquired.

I split it with the girl in handcuffs behind me, who nibbled on it like a squirrel. It was adorable. Got me some odd looks from the troopers, but even they caved given the sheer diabetes on display.

"So, where do you want this one?" I knock my head back in reference to the eyepatch enthusiast.

"Holding's pretty tight with how busy you've been recently. So there isn't much room and we don't want to stick her in with anyone else. That's just asking for trouble. Sit on her for a minute. I'll call Armsmaster and Miss Militia. They'll sort something out."

"Gotcha, Othala come!"

"Not a dog." She said, grumbling yet still following along.

We headed off to one of the many meeting rooms dotted around the PRT ENE headquarters. No doubt all of them were bugged to the gills by the various factions of the bay and beyond. Fuck, it wouldn't surprise me if Cauldron had bugs in this place given how much of a cape hotbed it is. What would happen if I let Fortuna's name slip? No, never mind. Stupid idea, bad Jason. Don't tempt fate like that.

"Take a seat. I've got a feeling we'll be here a while."

"Don't like it."

"Yeah, me neither, but it's better than getting stuck in a one by one solitary cell, right?"

"S'pose."

It's like drawing blood from a stone, I swear. Trying to build a rapport with this girl was both easy and difficult at the same time. She'd answer questions, but only in short, blunt answers. I couldn't tell if this was just her speech pattern or if it was her way of being a little obtuse.

"My company is that bad, huh?"

"Enemy."

"Who says we're enemies?"

"Kaiser. Krieg. You hurt Victor. Hurt Rune."

"Did I hurt you?"

"No."

"Did I hurt anyone that didn't attack me or someone I care about?"

"No."

"Did you attack anyone I care about?"

"No."

"So why are we enemies?"

"I… I don't know?" She tilted her head to the side, as if trying to knock a connection into her brain.

"Do you want to be enemies, Othala?"

"No."

"Then it seems pretty simple to me. Let's just not be enemies."

"…"

"What about friends instead?"

"Friends?"

"You know, if they let you out of here, we could go see a movie, hang out, have fun."

"Like Victor fun?" Her head tilted to the side, a cute, puzzled frown stretching across her face.

Whoa, whoa. Pump the breaks blonde and socially stunted.

"Not quite."

"Oh, so no Victor fun?" She traced her hands over her skin tight bodysuit, accentuating her curves.

Was she teasing me right now?

"Maybe." A tiny smirk split her lips. Did I say that out loud?

"Yes."

"I misjudged you, didn't I?"

"Blame Menja. Gave me internet."

They let a girl like this have free rein on the internet. In 2010. Oh, lord have mercy on us all.

Why am I feeling a little jealous of Victor right now?

Also, I owe Menja a high five.

"Am I interrupting?" Armsmaster's modulated flat tone echoed from the doorway, sending the blonde scurrying away, desperate to recompose herself in the face of an enemy.

"No, but let's take this into the hallway."

"Understood." He left the way he came a moment later.

"Be back in a sec O, here let this guy keep you company while I'm gone." I summon Aslan in his house cat form and hand him over to the blonde. Stepping out a moment later.


"What was that about? Because it looked, to an outside observer, like you were having an intimate moment with a known affiliate of the Herren Clan." His posture was as rigid as ever, but there was a distinct edge to him now.

"That was me trying to break through over a decade's worth of psychological conditioning and, most likely, child abuse. Groups like the clans, they don't allow for individuality or free thought. To them, children are just pawns to further their cause. I was trying to break her out of that a bit."

"There have been reports of similar things happening to children around the Bible Belt region of the Southern United States that have been brought in for race related attacks. They were all described as doll-like."

"How many individual cases?"

"From what I can recall, over one hundred."

"So we're dealing with some extreme psychological conditioning from an early age for over one hundred kids. Shit."

"Indeed. I shall reach out to the Protectorate branches within the area, see if there's any further information to be found. If your theory is correct, then actions must be taken."

"You might want to take a crack at Victor and Rune as well. They're affiliated too."

"Certainly. I shall keep you in the loop. Your expertise at handling Othala might prove useful."

"Appreciate it. Speaking of, get someone to look after her. Preferably someone more emotionally available than yourself. Assault might be your best bet."

"Yes, I believe his approach will be rather valuable at keeping the progress you have made today. I would only cause regression at this stage." I'm a little surprised he would admit it. Then again, since the raid on the Merchants, he has been pretty candid with me.

"I was thinking the same. I'll leave Aslan in there with her for now. He should provide a decent distraction."

"Very well, I will alert the troopers on duty so they do not make any… rash decisions. Besides that, the director has asked to speak to you."

This day is getting better and better.


The only way Piggot's office changed since the last time I was in here was the giant red crosses through Kaiser and Hookwolf's mugshots on the wall. It was still dull, and the chair was still fucking unbearable.

"Can you get this thing replaced? I'm a brute and I can feel my spine begging for mercy"

"No." She replied, her tone hard, but there was a glint in her eye.

"You love watching people squirm in this thing, don't you?" I ask, accusation in my eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She smirked. Smirked. I got the infamous hardass to crack a smirk. Take that Assault! Though I doubt anyone will ever believe me.

"Sure… So what do you want, madame director?"

"First off, you can tell me why you almost kicked off open warfare in the streets of my city."

"Kaiser fucked around, then found out. You've probably read eight different reports on it and five psych profiles on my mental state. Let's not even talk about the threat assessments that your lab coats have come up with. Any fun theories in those, by the way?"

"Nothing beyond the usual paranoid ramblings where you're concerned. But, I want to hear it from your own mouth. Why?"

"Honestly, they were a threat. Not just to me and mine, but everyone labelled a hero in the bay. If they got away with kidnapping Laserdream in broad daylight without repercussions, what would the next step be? Drive-bys at a capes family home? Car bombs on the minivan they used to take their kids to school? A lot of people have lives outside of this director. I'm just one of the few that don't. If they thought they could get away with abducting an 'unmasked' cape, things would only escalate."

"So you killed them?"

"I killed them because they were rabid dogs. There was no redeeming those three. At best, they spend the rest of their lives in the Birdcage, likely forming a new faction on the inside. But, let's be honest, they wouldn't have made it that far. They would have broken out during transport. Hookwolf has done it twice before, after all. Then they'd come back to the bay with a vengeance and god knows how many innocent people would get caught in the crossfire."

"And it wasn't because you were angry they took your girlfriend?"

"Oh, that played a part, sure. But it wasn't the deciding factor. If I was on a murderous vengeance streak, why was Cricket left alive?" I paused for a second "Because she wasn't a threat. Besides, what would you have done in my position?"

"Made it slow." Was her only answer. For a second, I glimpsed the highly decorated career military woman forced behind a desk. Piggot wasn't a bureaucrat. She'd be the first to tell you that. She was a soldier, a commander. The type to make the hard calls when shit hit the fan. A woman of action. I could give her some respect for that.

"If you're up for sharing, any official response on how to handle me?"

"Amicably. The Protectorate and PRT at large have labelled you as a priority asset on Director Costa-Brown's orders. No legal action is to be brought against you over this."

Why was Alexandria covering my ass here? I've obviously never interacted with the woman or Cauldron as a whole before. So what game of 'super secret organisation' are they playing here? It rattled me a little; I admit.

"Bet you're glad you don't have to deal with Brandish in here again, then."

"That is a severe understatement. Now, care to explain why three Empire capes showed up to my office after your spat with Kaiser?" Oh no, the glare was back.

"I may have pointed them in your direction."

"Why?"

"Since he's dead, I can let this slip, Max Anders has been married twice. Once to a woman named Heith, a woman who was the guardian for a set of twins since they were young. It doesn't take a genius to guess what happened next. You've been through Kaiser's profile, more times than anyone bar Armsmaster, I bet. What would he do if he had regular access to impressionable children?"

"You're suggesting…"

"That he essentially groomed them to his cause? Yes. That and there is some very disturbing subtext to that relationship that I don't even want to approach right now."

"I see, and Purity?"

"Similar circumstances, depending on how long ago they met, then add an abusive relationship on top of that, from what I can gather. Three victims of a man who believed himself untouchable. They got an out. You get three capes that your PR guys can spin as actually successful redemption stories, if all goes well. And I get to sleep better at night knowing that I helped some people who needed it."

"It doesn't absolve them of their crimes."

"Nope, but what better way to punish unrepentant criminals than force them to play hero instead of stewing in a cell that probably won't hold them for more than a couple of months?"

"You've made your point. Now I'll make mine. What you did was reckless, stupid and had a ridiculously high chance of kicking off a gang war. You are lucky the ABB hasn't gotten involved. But, you put three hate mongering pieces of shit in the ground. Just make sure to clean up your own mess."

I took a moment to process her words. Was that a thank you?

"Planned to. I want Gesellschaft holding territory in this city as much as you do."

"I'm glad we're on the same page. Now, read this and forget you ever saw it in my office."

Piggot slid a manilla folder over her desk. It was thick. Surveillance photos, patchy schedules, transcripts from bugged telephone conversations. This was some real Jason Bourne shit. All centred around one man, his name highlighted. James Fliescher, Krieg.

Is anyone shocked that the PRT has documented his real name? Because I'm not. They might play along with the unwritten rules in public, but they're still the government. So long as it isn't in the constitution, it's fair game. The one thing that really stood out was a meeting scheduled to take place in a couple of days on December 3rd between Krieg and an unknown foreign man. A man with a German accent.

"They're coming here!?" I asked in shock.

"Not yet. We've got some people delaying international flights for as long as we can without arousing suspicion, but that gives you an extra eight hours at most."

"56 hours to track them down and bring them in. It'll be tight with how much Krieg's gone to ground. It was his underlings that have been stirring shit up. The man's been a ghost since Kaiser bit it."

"It's the only choice we have. If they get anything concrete in place, this will be a lot worse than the E88. Gesellschaft are true believers in Hitler's war. They are ruthless and co-ordinated. I can't risk any of mine on this."

"So you're asking me?"

"It's your mess, and our best chance. You said it yourself. We want the same thing in the end."

"Fine, I'll see what I can do."


56 hours.

I made a beeline for Empire territory once I left The Rig. Having briefly said goodbye to Othala, who was being moved to witness protection with Assault as her guard for the time being, thanks to the information she gave me on the ride over. I have the address, so I'll check in on her later.

I was on the clock and had a Nazi to find.

44 hours.

Twelve hours of constant searching and I've found nothing. The man was a phantom.

I might have to change tactics. He was still running the show. That meant he was giving out orders somehow, and I doubt someone acting as paranoid as Krieg was right now would do that over the phone. Too many chances for it to be intercepted or traced. No, he'd do it in person or through an intermediary.

That's who I needed to hunt first.

But who could he trust to not only give out orders but enforce them?

A cape?

Wait, there was only one cape left under his command, one that worked beneath him in the Empire as well. I needed to find Alabaster.

38 hours.

If there is one thing I like about racists, it is their predictability. I just had to wait for a minority to wander into Empire territory and they'll come crawling out of the woodwork. Especially someone as violent as Alabaster. He couldn't resist the temptation.

Gotcha.

A man with pure white skin stepped out of a building not far from the rooftop I had perched on. A small contingent of goons trailing behind him. He started gesturing wildly, clearly giving out orders to the lower enlisted of his posse. I think I found my second in command.

An arrow gleamed through the early morning sky, taking the man to Alabaster's right off his feet. Another followed, the leftmost man dropped. So long as they were in my line of sight, I dropped them from nearly three blocks away.

By the time they scattered and moved into cover, only three remained, Alabaster and two men in heavy combat gear and stylised 1940s German infantry uniforms. I gave chase, taking a few steps back before leaping over the edge of the rooftop. Landing with a classic forward roll, I continued to advance until I was right above the trio.

Drawing my sword, I dropped. Landing on top of one of the wannabe re-enactors, forcing his head onto the pavement with the heel of my golden boot, shattering his helmet-facemask combo on impact. The hilt of my weapon slamming into his now exposed temple just to be safe.

Two left.

Let's make this fun.

I summon Aslan and mentally direct him to enjoy himself with Alabaster as I focus on the remaining man.


Aslan PoV:

My partner gave his order, and I gladly obeyed. Ever since Mistress gave him the ability to summon a creature as wonderful as myself, it has been a glorious adventure. To feel wind in my fur for the first time in millennia, to chase prey that could fight back.

That doesn't even include the pampering his gaggle of mates gives me.

Pure heaven.

So when he asks something of me, I take it upon myself to listen.

My newest prey was confident, the fool. Believing that his power would save him from my wrath. The arrogance of this insect.

I would show him the error of his ways.

He drew a pair of mechanical contraptions from his waist, aiming them at me. Guns, I believe they're called. A weakling's bow. He pulled the trigger, twin pellets of lead impacting my splendid fur, doing nothing.

Like all resistance, it was futile.

He tried again and again to pierce my hide with his black powder weapons.

Was it not the definition of insanity to repeat the same action, expecting a different result?

I took a swipe at him with one of my perfectly manicured claws, tearing into his abdomen, spilling his innards over the filthy street. He showed no reaction to his disembowelment beyond amusement, he was smiling even.

So the fool does not feel pain? Curious.

A flash of light surrounded my prey, and his flesh was restored.

A gimmick, how quaint. No matter if it was rapid regeneration or a temporal loop, the results will be the same.

Another swipe and he lost his arm. He reset.

His legs. Another flash.

A bisection. Not even five seconds later he was back on his feet.

How vexing.

I pounced, wrapping my maw around his midsection. Bone shattered and flesh tore around my fangs as my mouth closed.

You might reform after injury, but you shall not escape me. As my partner decreed, you are to be held for questioning.

An unending loop of reformation occurred as I held the ant within my jaws. He struggled every time, trying to break free. It was a hopeless endeavour. I've killed greater men than he was between my pearlescent dentition.

This was becoming boring. My partner owes me a trip to the waspish one for this.


Jason PoV:

I glance over at the best boy, glad to see he's enjoying himself, before dropping the grunt in front of me with a teep kick to the jaw. He flopped like a puppet on cut strings. Better luck next time, buddy. Taking the time to snap the rifle between his hands in half before making my way over towards the lion.

"Have fun, bud?" I ask the big cat, running a hand through his mane. The unamused huff he gave was clear, even if Alabaster's flailing body muffled it. "Fine, I'll take you on a play date with Pan Pan once this mess is sorted, okay?"

He gave me a single regal nod, smacking Alabaster's head into the corner of a wall.

"So, white power, I've got a question. Where's your boss?"

"Fuck off."

"How about no? This can go two ways. Option one, you tell me what I want to know and I just tie you up for the PRT. Or, we can go on a brief trip to the top of Medhall, drop you and see if you survive. I imagine there's a limit to what your power can bring back. Honestly, I'm curious to see what happens."

"I'll never talk you Liberal faggot." It's like listening to a random slur generator with this guy.

"Fine. Aslan, we're going for a ride."


"Holy shit, you were serious!" Alabaster screamed as I dangled him over the edge of the high rise building by his ankle.

"Yup. So you gonna talk, or has my hand just got a cramp that I really need to shake out?" I make a show of massaging my wrist and peeling one finger out of my death grip.

Silence met my words, so I removed another, holding the man with two fingers and a thumb.

"Damn, this is starting to ache." One left.

Silence.

"Fuck, I'll talk! I'll talk!" He yelled as I let go. Free falling for an instant before I caught the tread of his boot with my other hand.

"Go on then."

"Pull me up first!"

"No. You tell me now or you kiss the concrete." I go to drop him again.

"Fine, fine. 148 Holland drive. It's the bungalow at the end of the street. That's where we meet."

"Thanks, now hang tight."

"What?"

I forced the man's ankle behind one of the exterior pipes of the building, pinning him in place by his shin once he reset, upside down, twelve stories up.

I'm sure he'll be fine.


36 hours.

Who'd have thought Krieg liked to live a triple life? In one, he's the new leader of a bunch of Axis enthusiasts. In the second, he's a devoted family man and the head of a pharmaceutical company. The third, though, he was a baller. Driving a tricked out Mercedes, wearing designer clothes and a gold Hanhart watch. The man even had a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed mistress waiting for him at the door in nothing but a silk robe.

Game recognises game even if the other player is a scumbag.

Now I've just got to stick to him like a rash until he decides to mask up.


35 hours

There's no way they're still at it. Jesus Christ man, let the poor girl rest already. The moans have been echoing since just after he stepped inside.

Wait a second…

What man gets a girl to moan that loud as soon as he steps a foot through the door? If she was on that much of a hair trigger, she'd probably be unconscious already.

I snuck closer to the bedroom of the bungalow. No lights were on. Moving to the back door, I pop the handle before sneaking inside. The noises were booming around the house… like they were played on a full on stereo system.

There's no fucking way.

The balls on this man. He's using porn audio to cover his whereabouts. Right in the middle of the living room, I found a laptop looping an audio file to a pair of subwoofers. I had no words. That was the smartest dumb thing I've ever seen.

So where was my runaway cape?

Apparently, all villains have to conform to a stereotype. There was a hidden door in the basement, only made apparent by scuff marks along the floor. Driving my fingers into the gap between the drywall slabs, I managed to pull the hidden door off of its runners. Revealing a dimly lit set of stairs illuminated by a flickering bulb hung on a loose wire.

Nazi memorabilia plastered the walls of the hidden sub-basement. An iron eagle clutching a swastika in its talons covered from one side to the other. A Sonnenrad was carved into a raised dais in the centre of the room.

It was all terribly cliche.

I gave the dais a hearty kick in frustration, over having been fooled by this chuckle fuck. Cogs turned within the surrounding walls. The once raised dais sunk down to match the floor before lowering further and sliding sideways. A black hole in the ground replaced it.

Since when did they install vault-tec doors in Nazi bunkers?

Down we go, Alice.

I jumped.


32 hours.

I had to wonder just how long Krieg had all this set up. The man had a secret basement, a trapdoor and as I was finding out, a labyrinth of tunnels dug under a random suburban bungalow.

Either the man planned everything out to a Batman level of extreme or he'd stumbled upon all this randomly and repurposed it. From the dust that lined the tunnels, it had to have been here for a decade at least.

Eventually I found a door, a door that had light slipping out through the gap in the frame. Found you.

Kicking in the door, I was hit with a wave of disgust. Cages lined the back wall, all filled with young teens. Each one looked similar, shaved head, blue eyes. All sported tattoos associated with E88. Various tools sat on a desk in front of them, pliers, drills, cattle prods. It looked like a torture set up. But why would he torture his own initiates?

Gesellschaft.

They claimed to have a 'safe and tested' method for forcing a trigger event. The only known evidence of which was Night and Fog. Two brainwashed functional sociopaths. Two broken people.

It all came together. That's what they did. They tortured recruits until they triggered and continued once they broke. They stripped away whatever humanity they had and repurposed the blank slate.

He wasn't lying low this whole time. He was building an army.

But who was the blonde he met at the door?

"Well, well, well. Aren't you a fine specimen?" A seductive voice called from across the room. The blonde from earlier. She was decked out in a doctor's coat, a red armband the only sign of colour besides the domino mask on her face. "You'll make such a good soldier. Kneel for me." Her voice distorted as it travelled across the room, sound waves becoming visible to the naked eye.

Once they reached me, I felt something trying to take root in my mind. A sweet whisper promising me power, promising me a place on the righteous path. So long as I kneel, I'd be rewarded.

No.

My aura flared around me, lightning racing along its fringes. She dared to command me?

The echoes of war drums drowned out her simpering falsehoods. My sword flashed into my hand. She responded by drawing a small pistol from the holster on her thigh.

"I told you to kneel, dog!" Any traces of seduction left her tone, replaced by a cold fury at being denied. The waves came again, demanding I submit to her superiority.

They went ignored as I advanced. Scrambling backwards in a panic, she opened fire at my armoured chest. Bullets flattened against untarnished gold. Again and again, she pulled the trigger. My step did not falter.

Soft clicking filled the space between us as she tried to fire her now empty weapon. Out of options she tried to flee. Turning on her heel, she sprinted for the door.

She didn't make it. The free hand I had wrapped around the back of her neck as I dragged the master backwards. Pressure on her arteries mounted as I tensed my fingers. Slowly, the fight drained out of her as the lack of oxygen registered in her brain. Then the fear came, panicked scratching and flailing limbs as her vision dimmed. Limp limbs dropped to her sides as she slipped out of consciousness.

She would not die, not yet. If my theory was right and they were trying to induce triggers in this pseudo laboratory, then she was a key part of it. The effect of her voice reinforced commands once spoken. It made people follow orders. Normal people, anyway.

I was the master of my soul, no one else.

It was possible that she was a key part of Gesellschaft's trigger operation. Taking her into custody could yield actionable intel for either the PRT or organisations like The King's Men.

I restrained the doctor, shackling her in chains and stuffing her mouth with a gag I found on a nearby table. Dropping a message to the PRT to grab her as I made my way further inside.


Krieg sat atop a throne as I entered the room. A small table sat next to him holding a bottle of expensive wine.

"What do you want, Doctor?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the swirling liquid in the glass in his hand.

I didn't correct his assumption, instead I drew my bow. Nocking an arrow filled to the brim with annihilation, I fired.

His eyes snapped up to the golden glow, and he threw his glass into the arrow's path.

"You…" He raised from his seat, cracking his neck as he did so. The stylized SS uniform he wore as a costume strained against his muscular form. "You foiled so many carefully laid plans, years of effort, of schemes to build a righteous core within the Empire 88. All turned to ash because of a fool like you. I will enjoy breaking you. A new loyal dog to sic on those he called friends." His voice was like tempered steel.

"I'd really, really like to see you try."

He ran straight at me, falling into a textbook boxer's stance once I was within his reach. Stopping just as he came close.

He was hoping I'd throw first. To be baited by the sudden movement into throwing a heavy blow, one he could use to charge his power. Sorry buddy, I did my homework on you.

Rather than do as he hoped, I stepped into him with my left leg, changing levels as I went. Welding my ear to his outer thigh. My hands linked together behind his knees as I plant my right foot on the floor beneath us, using the momentum created to drive him onto his back.

Now chest to chest on the ground, I slid across him in a clockwise rotation, snagging the wrist he used to try pushing me off as I went.

I forced my knees underneath me before dropping onto my back at a right angle to Krieg's body. My legs lay over his extended shoulder, ankles crossed over his chest.

Changing my grip on the isolated arm left his elbow sitting across my hips.

I pushed.

A sickening pop echoed from the joint as I forced it into hyperextension.

Not everything needed pure power.

Krieg tried in vain to fight me off, throwing clubbing blows at any target in range. But with one arm, he was at my mercy.

I rolled over, the limb still trapped in my grip. Rather than risk dislocating his shoulder, Krieg scrambled with me, ending up face down. His one working arm cushioning his head from the cold ground.

I released his now useless limb and took hold of the working one. Wrenching it behind him until the back of his palm was touching the base of his neck.

I grabbed his wrist with my left hand and placed my other on his bicep. Driving my left forwards while pulling my right arm back tore his shoulder free of its socket.

Krieg was usually a dangerous enemy, his power operated on proportional force. The harder he got hit, the stronger and more durable he became. With enough 'force stored', he could even affect the kinetic force of objects in an area around him.

Unfortunately for him, I knew that. Which is why I turned this from a slugging match into a technical massacre.

Jiu Jitsu used technique rather than force to decimate someone's body. If left unchecked, someone 100 pounds lighter than their opponent can pop joints or tear ligaments with ease.

Poor Krieg wasn't a skilled martial artist, he might be trained, but at best that translated to his boxing fundamentals and how to take a punch well enough so that he could scale off of it.

Who thought a cape would take a fight to the ground after all?

Especially a cape like me.

With both arms useless, he couldn't fend me off as I moved once again, forcing the suffering man into a front headlock with his head under my armpit.

I pulled the blade of my forearm tight across his neck and locked it onto the bicep of my other arm. Falling backwards drew him into my guard as I crossed my feet across his waist. Bringing my elbows towards my hips left him gasping for air as pressure mounted on his carotid arteries and his windpipe was crushed.

His legs kicked behind him as he tried to find purchase with his boot clad feet. He couldn't escape. Wild thrashing slowed to the occasional twitch within a few seconds.

He collapsed against my chest, completely out, four seconds later.

Shoving the unconscious man off of me, I climbed to my feet.

God, I haven't done any groundwork in a while. Probably half a year before I came to this world. I missed it. There's nothing quite like snapping an uppity bitch's limbs.

My increased size in combination with some of Victor's ill-gotten knowledge was more than enough to patch any holes I had in my game.

That was fun.

I cuffed the crippled man on the floor and tossed him over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes, making my way back to the still sleeping 'doctor'. She joined the growing body pile as I left to meet whoever showed up from my message.


The cavalry, by the looks of it. Armsmaster in all his armoured autism, Miss Militia carrying a fucking grenade launcher, of all things. Shit, I can see Velocity and Battery here too.

"Sup." I gave them a jaunty wave with my free hand.

"We got a report about a suspected master. Is that her?" As blunt as ever, Armsy.

"Yeah, keep her gagged. She has some weird trick with her voice to get you to follow her orders."

"Like Canary?" Velocity asked.

"No, one wants to make music, the other wants slaves. Similar power, sure, but not nearly close people." He winced at my cool reply.

Sorry dude, but even trying to compare them makes me rather mad.

"My bad." He muttered, seeing similar looks from his colleges.

"Anything else to report?" Miss M asked, her weapon shifting into a P90 without her input.

"There's a subbasement. The way should still be open, filled with E88 conscripts. Some real mediaeval torture chamber shit. I think they were trying to force triggers."

The eyes of every hero turned cold at that. Trying to force triggers was a major taboo in cape society for a good reason. It rarely worked and if it did, then the results left monsters instead of men behind.

"Understood." Her voice was glacial. She marched inside the building without another word. Velocity was hot on her heels, blurring to catch up with her.

Battery came up and placed a hand on my shoulder. "You did good Rex, it's nice to see the hero you're becoming from that boy on the street."

"Thanks. Where do you want these two?"

"Just drop them. We came ahead of the van because of the master's presence, us four are considered resistant to some extent, so we took point."

I did as asked and rolled my shoulder, the two bodies flopping to the pavement.

"Right, I'll head out. I owe a cat a day trip."


An:

So ends an empire, maybe, for now. Just what had Krieg and his friends done while hiding in that basement?

How was the Krieg fight? I was trying out something more technique heavy than stabby or shooty. Doubt it will be a common way of doing it but it was a good excuse to try considering his power.

Lemme know your thoughts on Othala too, especially the way I have her talk.

We even got an Aslan PoV, which was a blast to write, the kitty has the right to an ego.



Chapter 17


TMTM 14: Give me a Break

Krieg's arrest caused a shift in the criminal underbelly of Brockton Bay. The white supremacists that flocked to his banner upon Kaiser's death scattered, the majority of them returning to relatively normal lives. The die hard fanatics left the bay all together, dispersing themselves among similar gangs in other cities.

Thus, a power vacuum was born.

Gang skirmishes broke out over the now free territory, though they were put down quickly. I made it clear that the gang free zone was under my protection. If I caught anyone trying to push in, they were met with an arrow at best.

If they made me leave my perch on the rooftops, then they knew they were in deep shit. Whispers circulated the streets of what happened to Sergei once when he tried to run.


Sergei Ibromavich was not a smart man, nor a particularly skilled man. But he was fast, and he was clued in on the streets. So when I showed up, annihilating his company for the night from a distance, he thought he could run. Leading me on a merry chase through alleyways I'd learnt very well in this last month.

Then he had the brightest thought of his life. He tried to take a hostage to convince me to let him go. A relatively young woman with long black hair was trapped in his arms.

He pulled a switchblade from his coat and rested it against her throat, threatening to split her ear to ear if I didn't let him go.

He would regret doing that.

This was no normal woman.

She feigned panic. You could tell from her posture, her body language was completely calm. She wasn't scared of getting hurt or even being in this situation. It was all an act, revealed by hard brown eyes.

Sergei made the mistake of moving the knife to gesture at me with it, waving it around to emphasise a point.

I twitched the hand not resting on the hilt of my sword, pointing to the ground, hoping to clue her in on my plan. Her cool eyes moved up and down, the best substitute for a nod in this situation.

She went limp. The sudden increase in weight forced Sergei to drop her.

Then I moved. My speed allows me to clear the distance between us in less than a couple of seconds.

Mid stride, I raised my right knee, rotated at my hips and sent the top of my armoured foot careening into his jaw. Twisting at my shoulders allowed me to finish the spin and replace my leg on solid ground. My victim span in a nice little pirouette as his head twisted and his body followed. His legs turned to jelly as the momentum petered out and he dropped, blood and broken enamel leaking from his forced open mouth.

What can I say? I really don't like people using women as hostages.

The woman's face remains impassive as I give her a nod and grab the Eastern European by his collar and begin dragging him towards the police transport, a bloody trail dripping behind us. The last thing I hear is a phone ringing behind me.

"What is it now, Newt?"


According to a mook I busted the next day, Sergei will have to eat through a straw for the next six months and that was the doctor's optimistic estimate.

Shame that.

After that, I became something of a living horror story to anyone who tried to muscle in on the area. Upon seeing me, regular thugs would just drop whatever they were doing and kneel down, waiting to be cuffed. In fairness, they knew there was nothing they could do to stop me and at least this way saved them the hospital bills they'd get if I had to chase them. I was the man who killed Kaiser. The fuck were they going to do?

It made life significantly easier for me, or it would have if not for the bell ends in red and green. The Azn Bad Boys were becoming quite the pain in my ass. The Asian gang just didn't get the memo, no matter how many I sent to Brockton General or the cop shop, more just seemed to appear.

They were like Christmas themed cockroaches with the amount of them crawling out of the woodwork. Every time they showed up, there'd be a couple more. They'd carry better weapons. At this point, I was convinced that getting their ass kicked by me became a part of initiation for this lot.

And here they are once again, ten men. Some were carrying sub-machine guns and others had pistols gripped firmly between their hands. Every one of them were wearing oni masks spray painted red and green.

I pulled back the string on my bow. Took a deep breath and released the shimmering string. No sound came as my arrow shot through the night sky. A shooting star headed straight for them.

As it flew, it slowly swelled in size until the enlarged projectile slammed into the pavement at their feet with an explosion of light. A wave of concussive force burst from the epicentre of the impact, scattering the men as they were thrown off their feet.

The better trained amongst them took shots at what they thought was my position from their backs.

It was just unlucky that I'd already moved to right above them.

The ones armed with SMGs were the priority. Just from the way they reacted, their military training was apparent. The three of them stood in a loose triangle once they returned to their feet, each sweeping their weapons over the surrounding rooftops, only communicating with each other through hand signals.

The Demons, Oni Lee's personal retinue of killers. All had rap sheets longer than my arm. Infamous killers, the cleaners Lung sent when he couldn't be arsed to leave his hoard or send his selectively mute lieutenant. Former Chinese Special Operations operatives who managed to escape the continent and ended up in the Dragon's service.

If he sent them, then he was prepared to invest heavily in claiming the area. I couldn't have that. Not after all the effort that's gone into making this place finally safe for the people living here. As far as I was concerned, this was my domain, my territory. I might not be the leader of a gang, but it was my self-appointed responsibility to protect the people here.

Lung might have a chokehold on the East Side, but he shall go no further beyond its borders.

I dropped off of the roof, landing between the three Demons. Before they could turn inwards and try to fill me with lead, I struck.

War drums sounded in the back of my mind.

The one in front of me caught a left hook to the temple and a boot to the calf, warping the muscle and shattering the bone beneath.

I snatched the gun from his hands as he fell, turned clockwise and put a round in the right knee of the next as he turned to face me. Flipping the CSIG JS 9mm in my hands, I slammed the buttstock into the ballistic vest that covered his stomach, denting the plates within. The stock shattered on impact and ruptured the rounds held in the magazine behind the grip.

The subsequent explosion caused fragments of brass and lead to rain around us. Still holding the barrel of the now useless weapon, I raised it over my left shoulder and swung for a home run, the mass of polymer and steel colliding with the mask of the third man as he went to raise his own firearm.

He reflexively pulled the trigger as I connected, his shot hitting his own comrade in the neck as my strike rocked him. Somehow, he stayed on his feet.

I dropped the hunk of ruined metal in my hands and drew my sword in a reverse grip and brought it up in an uppercut. The receiver of his weapon fell into two pieces. A flick of my wrist had my trusty weapon oriented properly, and I brought my fist down in a hammer blow, the bronze pommel striking the man right on his orbital bone through his thin mask. He finally dropped.

Seeing the hardened killers brought down sent the seven mooks accompanying them into a panic. As one, they blindly fired towards me. Not wanting to test how effective a bullet to my eye was, I raised my free arm to shield them. Lead flattened against divine gold.

Soft clicks echoed out around us as they soon realised that mag dumping me wasn't a smart decision. I ran at them. Hitting speeds unacceptable in a school zone as I advanced upon my newest targets.

Raising both arms, I lashed out with a vicious double lariat, taking two of their feet as their throats caved against my forearms.

Five.

They tried to surround me, forming a circle around me as they pulled out various knives from behind their backs. Cute.

I settled into a new stance, bouncing on the ball of my left foot as I brought my right leg into the air. Dismissing the sword, I brought my fists into a guard slightly in front of my head.

The bravest mook charged first, screaming something in Korean as he raised a meat cleaver above his head.

My right fist snapped out, the knuckles of my gauntlet striking the cartilage of his nose, which burst like a balloon, spraying blood all over my armour. Not stopping, I drew my fist back and launched my left hand out with a hook that settled just under his ribs. His abdomen flexed around my fist as I ram it into his liver.

Four.

A twist of my shoulders and I'm facing the next and already extending my right leg into the air. Standing in a near vertical split, I brought my heel down on his clavicle. The arm holding his weapon fell limp at his side as bone splintered and muscles tore. Drawing my leg back, I immediately slam it into his sternum, hurling him across the street.

Three.

The next two were smart. They came together from either side of me. Planting my right leg on the ground, I lean backwards to avoid the blade that passed where my chest was. I clamp my left hand over the attacker's wrist, pull down, and drive my right palm upwards into his forearm. The opposing forces of my strikes shear the bones clean in half. Maintaining my grip on his wrist, I grab his shirt with my now free right hand and toss the man at his companion, sending both to the floor.

One.

The last goon looked terrified, his face snow white. The tanto in his hand shaking. I took a single stride towards him. He yelped, eyes rolling to the back of his head as he fainted.

Bitchmade.


Job done, I reached for my phone to call the police and an ambulance, on account of the number of bleeding men around me.

I needed to do something about the ABB soon, something permanent. They were the only major force left in the bay with the Empire gone and the Merchants tearing at the seams. Coil was still biding his time, likely waiting for his pet thinker to come up with a counter to my abilities so he could move on my turf.

The only issue was the capes within the Azn Bad Boys. There's a reason they held so much territory despite there being only two of them.

Oni Lee was an absolute bitch to fight. Line of sight teleportation mixed with temporary autonomous clones just screamed hax. That's not even including the fact that his clones have copies of all his equipment. You had to get the drop on him or limit his sight to have a chance of taking him out.

Then there was Lung. The Rage Dragon of Kyushu. A cape capable of challenging an Endbringer and forcing it to retreat. Sure, his power was beginning to wain, but he still fucking did it. His power was just as absurd as his right hand mans. The ability to transform into a dragon like monster so long as his power determined his opposition as 'worthy'. The stronger the fight, the faster he escalated. Exponential growth for as long as he fought. Pyrokinesis, regeneration, strength, flight. So long as he was challenged, all of those were available to him after enough time. The only way to put him down was to kill him before he could charge up enough. No easy feat.

Storming his home wasn't an option. He'd ramp up at the first sign of conflict. I'd have to draw him out. Force him to expose himself so that I could get a kill shot. Make him leave his horde to investigate something, maybe?

Now, how was I going to do that?

A lightning strike flashed through my mind as a plan formed in an instant.

His farm.

The ABB's primary source of illegal income forced prostitution and sexual slavery. They snatched attractive women off of the streets in their territory, or took them as someone's collateral on a debt in the casinos and made them turn tricks in the hopes of survival.

The amount of missing women was staggering. Nearly a hundred confirmed missing persons. With nothing any authorities could do about it. Just the chance of Lung's retaliation was enough to stay their hand.

But not mine.


The Farm, as it was called by the ABB, looked like a normal multistorey warehouse from the outside, if you ignored the constant line of men at the door and the bars on the windows. It probably was a normal warehouse back in the day before being retrofitted for its new, disgusting purpose.

It was fortunate then that they forgot to cover the slanted skylight. I pried it out of its iron frame by hand, moving it just enough that I could slip beneath, decked out in my all black attire, not wanting my glistening gold armour to draw any eyes.

Landing softly atop a thick pipe that supplied air conditioning, I got my first look at the interior of the building.

A burning rage simmered in my gut as I took in the sight.

Plastic cubes lined the walls, each holding a couple of women. There had to be fifty of them on either side. All the women were naked except for the collars around their necks and shackles on their feet.

They were staged for viewing pleasure.

Various catwalks criss-crossed the warehouse, armed guards paced back and forth along them.

At the far end of the warehouse stood a raised plinth, designed to resemble one seen in an auction house. A fat man in a green suit stood atop it, gavel in hand as he motioned to the crowd at his feet.

I pulled out my phone, taking pictures of all the men and the few women in the audience, like hell were they getting away with this scott free.

They were all leering at the poor girl on stage. A girl no older than fourteen.

The temptation to put an arrow through every single one of their heart's was very strong right now.

I took a calming breath. Being reckless would do nothing but get those women killed.

From the looks of things, this floor was set up as a 'viewing gallery'. The stairs behind the auctioneer likely led to the individual rooms. Couldn't have their merchandise leave the site after all?

Cameras were set in fixed positions aimed at the cells and auction platform. No doubt it was gathering extensive blackmail material. They wouldn't risk a wireless camera. If someone managed to hack the feed, it would provide enough intel to attack. They were probably worried about the Empire at the time it was installed.

I had to find the security room first and shut them off.


Tracing the cables from the CCTV was surprisingly easy, they didn't bother covering them at all. The only headache was making sure I wasn't spotted as I stalked across the ceiling.

They ran it through a ventilation shaft, perfect. Carefully pulling off the grate, I squeezed inside before replacing it behind me. Following the thin white cable led me right to my objective.

A room lined with monitors, each switching images every few seconds. The single armed member of the ABB inside sat in a leather desk chair, occasionally tapping at the keyboard in front of him with his feet kicked up on the desk. A radio sat muted next to him.

"Kuso, look at the tits on her." He muttered to himself, zooming in on the barely pubescent girl on stage.

He signed his death warrant right then and there.

I dropped out of my hiding place, landing low to the ground face down, my hands splayed out beneath me, my left leg fully extended and the right curled at an angle. The balls of my feet cushion my impact. I barely made a sound as I connected with the carpeted floor. Drawing in my legs, I raised to a crouch and slowly inched forward.

Once in range, I wrapped my right forearm across his throat, my left covering his mouth. I flexed, driving the bone of my arm into his larynx, crushing the soft pipe that allowed him to draw breath. His legs kicked out in front of him as he tried to escape me. I dragged his wheeled chair backwards. Vocal chords tore as I applied more pressure. Finally a small crack sounded out. His head flopping limply forwards.

I posed the body in its original position and searched the room around me. A set of keys hung on a hook next to the door, a small filing cabinet sat beside them.

Sifting through the files confirmed my suspicions. It was piles of blackmail filled to the brim with incriminating photos, time of arrival and even what deeds they committed to whoever's time they brought and the age of the girl in question. I documented all of it, taking picture after picture of the sordid actions of those listed within.

Replacing the incriminating documents, I grabbed the keys before disabling the cameras, locking the door and making my way back into the vents.

Now to deal with the guards.

I watched them for a while, memorising how each of them moved along the catwalks. Five men total, two of which stopped often for conversation. Turning their backs on the rest to chatter. One was always professional, head on a swivel and finger resting parallel to the trigger of his rifle, disciplined. He was the threat. The last two were new, I suspect. Too busy staring at the naked women and the auction below to check for intruders. The weak links.

I had to hurry.

The professional went first. I hung down from a pipe above him and wrapped my calves around his neck. Before he could react to the attack I twisted my hips, snapping his neck. Tensing my abdomen allowed me to pull him up so that I could stash the body in the pipework.

The weak links went next, I dropped between them, sword in hand and drove it through the top of the firsts spine, he let out nothing but a gargle as he choked on his own blood.

The second got a hand on the back of his head and another on his jaw before they moved in opposite directions.

I left them cooling on the metal slabs as I moved for the last pair. With their backs to me, it was remarkably easy to wrap a hand around each of their throats and squeeze.

Five men died in less than twenty seconds.

I held no remorse for any of them. They were all wilful accomplices to some of the worst crimes you can commit against your fellow man.

Guards disposed of, I had a choice to make. I can go loud and drop directly onto the auction floor, announcing my arrival, or I can make my way to the private rooms and deal with those first.

Decisions, decisions.


AN: Well this took a long fucking time to write. Don't know why but it just would not come to me, so apologies if it's a little bit on the shittier side.

We take our first step in dealing with the ABB, being proactive for a change.

Lemme know what y'all think, any suggestions on what we should do next or any improvements I can make?



Chapter 18


TMTM 15: I am Vengeance

From my position, crouched atop the litany of air ducts and pipes, I weighed up my options.

I could go in loud, take out the auctioneer and fight my way through however many guards lay below me, attempting to free the trapped women. But that risked not only their lives but also the chance for all those in the crowd to slip out in the chaos. No doubt they were all wealthy, the elites of this rotten society. They'd lawyer up with the best money can buy, deny everything and bribe whoever it took for the evidence, or me, to disappear. These were the upper echelons of the bay. They wouldn't bat an eye at hiring a 'villain' to target me directly.

Or, I could go quiet, sneak my way down to the private rooms. Take out whatever security they have and see just what I'll find. No doubt there's a lot more incriminating shit hidden down there than just what I found in the surveillance room.

Speaking of those files I found, I had a call to make. Sneaking back out onto the rooftop, I called the number Collin gave me not so long ago.

"Hello Rex, I'd heard that you'd wanted to speak to me." She said, her voice thick with a Newfoundland accent. If I didn't already know her identity, I would have never known she wasn't human.

"Hey Dragon, yeah, this is unrelated to what I originally wanted your number for. I could use your expertise right now, though."

"I'm always happy to assist."

"Right, I've infiltrated the ABB's main sex slave ring within the bay and found a whole lot of blackmail material. I'll send that over in a second. The main issue, though, is the live auction happening right now over a girl no older than fourteen. There's a crowd, real upper class types. I don't have the means to detain all of them without some slipping through the cracks and if they do, we'll never be able to touch them."

"That is quite the conundrum. I have a few detainment drones around the bay. As a precaution, I can route them to your GPS location. I shall deploy two of my remote suits to watch the main exit of the warehouse you're currently on top of, ensuring no one escapes. Estimated time of arrival is 10p.m. Please remain undetected until they arrive."

"Got it. I'll clear out the underground levels in the meantime."

While speaking, I sent her over the images I had gathered. Various pictures of the crowd, the blackmail and even the condition the women are being held in.

"Understood. I shall forward the documents to the relevant authorities upon the completion of your mission. No need to give those in the crowd with connections to law enforcement a warning, after all."

Ah Dragon, you might be programmed to uphold the law and be 'lawful good' to a fault, but you can get creative in the interpretation of those core commands. You do more good by temporarily withholding the information rather than releasing it outright. Clever cyber-girl.

"Got it. Let me know when they're in position." With that, I ended the call and headed back inside.


The entrance to the V.I.P section of this disgusting operation was protected by two men standing on either side of a velvet rope too busy talking in Korean to pay attention, the only camera was fixed facing outwards, towards where people would queue to get in. It was on a fixed mount, leaving a blind spot above it. It made sense. They had armed guards up on the catwalks, or they did anyway, that would cover the ceiling. That left me a gap of about five feet above the men's heads to play with.

I perched my feet on the handrail, flexed my legs and jumped, sailing straight over the bouncer's heads and landing in a forward roll to bleed off my momentum. Raising into a crouch, my all black attire merges my form to the shadows of the dimly lit corridor. Hugging the walls, I made my way down.

Rows of cast iron doors filled the hallways, each marked with a little engaged sign that filled me with a righteous fury. An ever rising bloodlust welled from deep within my soul.

I knew that it wasn't just my own feelings on the matter, but Ina's as well. It was why I was so quick to kill any man that stood in my way.

To a goddess of sexuality and love, this place and its purpose were the greatest crime. To defile women, to strip them of the power to choose who they gave their body to was inexcusable. Sex and love were so deeply intertwined on a conceptual level, especially back when Ina reigned. To strip someone of that freedom, it brought out the fury and pain of my goddess. I could feel her sorrow behind the rage.

Stalking down the corridor, I found a door ajar. Peeking through, I was met with what seemed to be a very gaudy office. A fancy desk, high end laptop and even an embossed chair met my sight.

In the corner, I found my first target on this floor. A balding Asian man, far too overweight to be healthy, sat back, his arm spread over a large black leather sofa. His trousers hung around his ankles, blocked from my sight by a naked girl on her knees, her hands cuffed behind her back. The collar around her neck was attached to a lead in one of his clammy hands.

He didn't notice my entrance, his eyes closed with pleasure over the girl's ministrations. I could see the tears running down her face as she was forced to take him in her mouth repeatedly.

An icy chill filled my chest, and my resolve only hardened. Pulling one of Cricket's Karambits that I had looted out of my soul, I moved closer and closed the door behind me with a soft click. Muffled cries and exhales of sexual gratification masked my approach. I flicked the blade around my finger before tossing it forward. It arced in the air before landing point first inside the man's wrist that held the leash. His eyes shot open in panic and pain, his sudden movements startling the girl, who snapped her jaw shut on reflex. I darted forwards and covered his mouth as he screamed in agony.

The girl shot to her feet, scrambling into the far corner of the room.

Still gagging the man with my hands, I looked her in the eye. A promise that she was safe now, that she'd be okay. New tears formed in her eyes, these filled with relief rather than torment.

"Alright you fat piece of shit, shut the fuck up already. I've got a couple of questions for you."

"Mmph rue." He tried to curse me through my iron grip on his bulbous cheeks. My fingers flexed. I could feel his jaw strain with the pressure.

"I don't think you understand the situation. Either you answer my questions or I pull that knife out and use it to take off the cocktail sausage between your legs and feed it to you."

He stared me dead in the eyes, defiance shining within them. He thinks I'm bluffing.

I grabbed the hilt of the blade lodged in his wrist, giving it a slight yank backwards. He squealed, legs kicking out as he tried to find purchase on the carpet. I reached down and tore the belt off of his trousers, using it as a makeshift tourniquet before fully removing my stolen blade.

"Are you going to answer me now?" I asked as I lowered the curved blade towards what made him a man.

He nodded with such intensity that it sent his double chin flailing.

"Good. How many men do you have down here?"

"Th-three in the breakroom, down the left hall. Two in the Playgrounds, rewards for good behaviour."

Playgrounds? Fucking playgrounds.

I didn't even ask another question as I drove the knife upward into his jowls with enough force that it went straight through his tongue and into the roof of his mouth. His eyes widened as the light began leaving them, his mouth pinned shut. He could do nothing as he choked on the blood filling his mouth. The morbidly obese man struggled for a time as he tried to force my hand free from the knife. He even tried to swallow the metallic-tasting liquid to free his airway. Nothing would work, my strength too great and the blood too fast flowing.

He died slowly, choking as his lungs filled with fluid.

When I took my first life, when I killed Hookwolf, I did it because he was a threat, because he was a danger to the girl I cared for most in this world. I was torn back then, what feels like years ago, but was in reality just a month ago. I questioned my actions. Asked what gave me the right to decide people's fate. What made me judge, jury and executioner?

That first year of law school bullshit didn't apply anymore.

For the past month, I'd patrolled the Empire's old territory, being exposed to the worst of humanity. Rape, murder, kidnapping. Over and over, every fucking time I went out.

I was tired of it, tired of watching those scum get placed in the back of a police van only to return a week later because they escaped or a little money changed hands. Tired of them just coming back and hurting someone else.

It jaded me.

It infuriated me.

It fucking crushed a part of me.

That naïve hope that I could play the hero and everything would be sunshine and rainbows curled up and died with every day that passed that I was out there.

This wasn't some fairy tale.

Sometimes you had to put people down for good, those unrepentant, unable to be rehabilitated.

I wasn't becoming some budding psychopath that got his jollies off on slitting throats. I took no pleasure in what I did and I wouldn't just end a life without a reason.

But no longer would I stay my hand for those that didn't deserve it.

I was just a man. There was only so much horror I could witness before something changed.

I was willing to become the monster to criminals of the bay and beyond.

Batman was right about one thing: fear is what kept criminals in line.

It worked for Kaiser; it works for Lung. They ruled through fear.

For ordinary men and women, I would be a protector, a stalwart bastion proclaiming that things would be alright.

But for them, I'd be a nightmare.

Two sides of the same coin.

So as I watched the light leave his eyes, I felt nothing as I sent him to death's cold embrace. He was scum that didn't even deserve pity.

I just hope those I care about will forgive me for what I do.

Pulling my knife free, I wiped it on his expensive shirt before moving over to the girl trying to curl up into a ball. I reached down. She flinched. I move slowly and wrap a hand around the cuffs behind her, breaking the chain links between them. Reaching around my back, hidden from view, I pulled a hoodie from my 'wardrobe' and handed it to her, giving her the chance to recover some sense of dignity in this situation. Once covered, she gains some measure of comfort, no longer curling in on herself.

"You're safe now." I said, whispering softly to the traumatised girl. "I won't let them hurt you again."

"Th-thank you." She sobbed, wrapping the clothing around herself like her most treasured possession.

"I need you to stay here, hide behind the desk until I come back. I have to save the others."

"My sister! Please, she's down here too. They brought us together but the scary man only wanted her, said I was too ugly."

"I will." I gave her a firm nod before moving over to the laptop. It was unlocked and had Wi-Fi access. Why would they have Wi-Fi here?

I gave Dragon another call.

"Dragon, I've got a laptop here, open, with internet access. Can you get into it remotely? I don't have time to sift through everything here."

"Of course, just follow my instructions."

After a brief foray into hacking, I gave the AI control. She took less than a second to compile all the information inside it.

"It's a full log of their business dealings, names, dates, connections. It's all here. Whoever this belonged to was the manager of this operation. There is also a pair of addresses listed along with transit logs, possible subsidiary locations. One second… From cameras in the surrounding areas, I can gather that they are not heavily defended. I shall send the details along to you."

My phone vibrates as she sends me my next two targets.

"Got it. Thanks for the help."

"Anytime."


I went to the break room first. They were the most likely to reinforce another area should this turn loud. Taking them out now made my life easier in the long run. Twin knives in hand, I opened the door.

Three men, like I was told, all sat around a circular table, glasses next to them and a deck of cards in play.

"Shit, hope those two are done soon. I want a fucking turn already. Only reason I work in this shithole." Said the man closest to the door, a weedy little shit that looked more like a rodent than a person.

"Quit bitching Jin, you came here cuz the boss told you to." The one to his right cut in. He looked relatively normal in his wife-beater, if not for the red and green tattoo sleeves on his arms.

"Like you're any different, Kaito."

"Didn't say I was, just that I was sick of your shit."

"You wanna go, you fucking Jap?"

"Piss off Communist."

"I'm South Korean, you asshole!"

"And?"

"Will you two shut the fuck up before I put you both on your asses!" The biggest of the three put a stop to the ensuing argument.

All three had pistols strapped to their hips, but nothing else.

"I'm getting a drink. Don't look at my cards." Big Boy said, scraping his steel chair backwards as he lumbered towards the attached kitchen.

Showtime.

I crept into the room, making sure that I stayed out of the two seated men's peripheral vision. Once in reach, I struck, driving both knives into the top of their skulls. They didn't even get a second to acknowledge their own deaths as their brain functions ceased.

Leaving the knives where they were, I followed the third man. He was leaning over inside a fridge, arm elbow deep, searching for his beverage of choice. I grab a fillet knife from the block on the counter and send it into the middle of his spine. Losing feeling in his lower legs, he drops to the ground, head now buried inside the refrigerator. I close the door, leaning against it as he tries to pull himself out. He passes out soon after.

I take his phone and leave him there. He has no means to escape, so there was no point in killing him. Besides, someone had to be interrogated later.

Now, for the worst part, the playgrounds.

I went room by room, knocking out every sexual predator inside. The state of those girls will never escape my mind. Most of them were near skeletal thin and covered in a litany of bruises. It was their eyes, though, that would haunt me. They were dead. Black holes of emotion left behind when their spirits died. Tortured for so long that they had broken. One girl had even dropped to her knees when I entered, trying to fish me out of my pants. Asking how she could serve me in a flat, dead voice.

I should have come sooner.

Rumours of this place had circulated since I arrived in this city, but I held off. Worried that I wasn't strong enough. Too afraid to risk a confrontation that I didn't think I would win.

I wouldn't forgive myself for that. Not for a long time.

A tear ran down my cheek.

I reached the last room in the corridor in time to hear a scream. Bursting in, I found a girl trying to claw a man's eyes out as he fiddled with his belt.

"Shut it, bitch, just do as you're told!" He said through ground teeth before delivering a backhand to her cheek.

"No! Stop! Please!" She begged, desperately trying to fight him off.

He flipped her onto her naked front and wrapped a fist through her hair, keeping her bound arms pinned beneath her.

Just as he lowered his pants, I intervened. Wrapping a hand around his throat, I lifted him off of the ground, throwing him into the corner of the room. Kicking the door closed, I moved towards the would-be rapist.

I will admit that I took a little joy in the fear on his face.

Raising my booted foot, I brought it down on the junction between his legs. A squelching pop filled the room, followed by his sobs.

"Who are you?" I growled at him, my aura flaring around me in a malevolent spiral as I lost control of my temper. Violet lightning striking close to his twitching legs.

"James Farley." He said with a whimper, trying to ball up in the corner.

Farley, I recognised the name. A trust fund brat that had been blasted in the local news for a drug-driving offence that got a man killed when he hit them with his sports car at a crossing. Daddy's money got the charges to vanish, but not before a certain Vicky Vale got a hold of the story. The editor's apology the next day was totally genuine as well.

"You're lucky, James Farley, that you get to live today."

I drew my leg back and stomped straight on the bridge of his nose, breaking it and rocking his brain enough to knock him out.

"Hey, you okay?" I ask the girl still laying on the bed.

"Fucking peachy."

"Flip over. I'll get the cuffs off."

She did so, and I recognised some features on her face. She was the sister I was asked to find.

"Thanks." she said, rubbing her raw wrists.

"No worries. Let's get you out of here, your sisters worried."

"She's okay!?" Her eyes locked on mine with the fire of a thousand suns.

"As well as she can be considering the situation, I managed to get to her before it got worse."

"How bad!?" She demanded an answer.

"The manager took her. She was on her knees when I showed up." She put two and two together as her nails dug into her palms deep enough to draw blood.

"I'll kill him, and the bastard that sent us here!" Her anger tinged with betrayal was so primal that she let out a feral roar, wrath so all-encompassing that I witnessed her change before my eyes.

The nails on her fingers elongated to a razor sharp point, the fangs in her mouth elongated, a prehensile tail grew from the base of her spine. Did she just?

The girl passed out, going limp and falling on the bed.

Fuck, she triggered.

Not from her own ordeal, but from the sheer rage over what happened to her sister. That was some sister alright.

I scooped her up in my arms and headed back to the manager's office.

"Kiara!" The girl hidden behind the desk yelled, running towards us as soon as she saw her sister in my arms. "Are you okay?"

"She'll be out for a while." I tell her softly.

"But she'll be okay, right?" She asked, pleading with me to tell her the truth.

"Yeah, she's going to be okay."

I pass the unconscious woman in my arms over to her younger sister, as I call Dragon, for a final time.

"The VIP area is clear. All assaulters are unconscious and locked in the rooms. I've moved the girls into two separate rooms, just in case."

"Understood, drones are fifteen seconds out and my armour's in position. You are clear to go loud."

"Got it."


I kept the girls hidden in the sublevel of the warehouse. No need for them to get caught in the coming crossfire.

Pulling two spare knives from my soul (I swear I'm not a hoarder) carrying them in a reverse grip, I make my way back upstairs.

The bouncers at the rope hear me coming this time, spinning on their heels and raising their weapons towards me. Dropping low to the ground, their gunfire goes over my head. Closing the distance, I drag one blade across the heel of the man on the left, severing his Achilles tendon and dropping him to the floor. I stab the other through his right foot, pinning him in place as steel embedded in concrete. I wrench the gun from the downed man's hands and put a bullet in his comrade's knee. His weapon gets flung over my shoulder by its strap.

The crowd of the auction panicked at the sound of multiple gunshots, all racing for the exit, hoping to cover their asses. They were met with floating metal. Drones the size of labradors hovered in the entryway, each of their weapons trained on the ground. A barrage of containment foam was unleashed across their legs, trapping them all.

The auctioneer himself pulls out an oddly shaped pistol, compressing the trigger. A ball of energy forms over the barrel, aimed in my direction. A laser-like beam lances towards my position. I barely had time to throw myself on my back as it impacted the wall next to my head, causing it to melt as if covered in acid. The fuck is that thing?

I return fire, putting a bullet in his shoulder before he can duck for cover behind his podium.

I advance, lacing the surrounding area with suppressing fire.

Once close enough to his hiding place, I strike the podium with a front kick, sending the hunk of wood flying where it splintered against the back wall.

The man raised his weapon once again, hoping to get a kill shot before I could react.

He was wrong. A bullet tore through his other shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon and roll around on the ground. I snagged the Tinkertech device, thinking it would make an acceptable gift for the helpful AI.

With no threats left, I made my way over to the hovering shell of armour near the doors of the warehouse.

"A present for you." I toss the hollow suit the weapon. "Thanks for your help."

"It was my pleasure, though it is unfortunate that I now have to detain you as well."

"Eh?"

"From my cursory scans, you have committed at least eight counts of murder tonight. Please do not resist."

"Dragon, you know what these people did, what they would do again. What is the percentage chance that they would escape and re-offend?"

The robotic shell pauses for a second.

"95%"

"And the chance now?"

"0% They are dead."

"Exactly. Let's not forget that my actions were done in the defence of others. Under the current circumstances, this would be deemed justified homicide under United States law. I was acting to prevent multiple counts of rape, human trafficking and sexual slavery."

Thank god I took the time to read up on the laws of the country I reside in. After my last scuffle with the overeager PRT, I needed to know this shit and not just rely on Brandish.

She paused again, probably going over that specific piece of legislation with a fine-toothed comb as her programming demanded.

"You are… correct, though I would caution you from doing this again in the future. There is only so much precedent you can use before it becomes a premeditated murder."

Fair wouldn't stop me putting an arrow through some of the capes still running around in this city, though. The mooks might just get away with permanent disabilities, though. Excessive force is a bit of a cape grey area, especially for independents like me.

"I assume all this is going straight to the director and Armsmaster?"

"Correct, they asked to be kept in the loop, so to speak."

"And what's their opinion?"

"The madam director has ruled this as an appropriate use of force given the circumstances and number of hostages in play. Armsmaster has asked you to reconsider your stance on acceptable force."

This is why I can't hate Piggot as much as I'd like to. She was very utilitarian when it came to things in her purview, so long as it didn't put them in the shit. Killing literal rapists to save the victims wasn't a hill she was willing to die on.

Collin can suck my dick, though. The man shot me with a sniper rifle, talking about acceptable force, ha. He might not be a massive cunt, but he was still an ass.

Our conversation is cut short as a pineapple shaped sphere is tossed towards my feet.

Oh shit, a grenade.

As quick as I could, I boot the ball against an empty wall, watching as it leaves a man-sized hole in the concrete.

In the rafters, I manage to catch a black silhouette. The only detail I can make out is the blood red oni mask with a permanent grin carved into its fanged maw.

For fuck's sake.


AN: Boom, we dealt a decisive blow to the ABB's pocket and a new player arrived.

The slippery slope has begun. Our MC's seen some shit and bodies are piling up as a result.

He probably needs some therapy tbh, or a lap pillow.

Give me your thoughts, reactions and any improvements you think I can make.

Interaction fuels me and makes my shitty writing a little better.



Chapter 19


TMTM 16: The Demon

Lee's arrival sent me into overdrive. I threw myself away from Dragon's puppet shell and out through the hole his grenade made in the concrete wall, out into the open parking lot of the warehouse.

Fighting that sociopath in a well lit enclosed space was suicide. He'd just drop explosives on top of me until I dropped, that's not even considering all the girls still trapped inside cages around us.

He was still going to be an absolute bitch to fight, no question about that. But at least out here his entire focus would be on me and there would be no chance of anyone being caught in the crossfire.

The selective mute took the bait, teleporting rapidly in quick succession to flood the area with his clones. Every single one of them pulled a grenade from the bandoliers across their chests.

A hail of metallic spheres were thrown towards me, their owners turning to piles of white ash soon after.

I assume a sprinter's stance, pushing as hard as I could off of my right foot, darting across the soon to be cratered concrete. The explosions kick up dust, and fragments of metal are hurled in every direction behind me.

Lee's clones dogged my heels as I ran, the man himself teleporting between the streetlights above us.

Wait, lights.

His power needs a line of sight to work. He can't teleport to somewhere he can't see.

Time to bring the darkness.

The rifle I had 'borrowed' from the man inside was raised from its rest at my side. Cracks rang out as I shattered the bulbs of the streetlights, flooding the parking lot in darkness.

The grenades stopped as Lee no longer had an infinite arsenal. He was forced to conserve his supplies and rely on his other means of causing harm.

I could hear the blade he pulled from a sheathe, the distinctive ring echoing around us.

We were stuck in the ultimate game of hide and seek, neither of us able to see through the night's darkness. Unfortunately for Lee, I had an ever present ally that could.

Aslan.

My majestic feline friend appeared from my soul with a menacing growl, no doubt having witnessed what happened inside the Farm and feeling his mistresses' emotions throughout.

I could feel the air being displaced as he leapt towards his newest prey. His natural night vision meant the darkness gave him no trouble.

A bright light interrupted the game of cat and mouse, a road flare that sent red sparks scattering across the ground, revealing small patches through the blackness. Lee brought himself some time, teleporting from one spot to the other.

His small reprieve from Aslan's predations gave the Oni-wannabe a chance to resuming his explosive spamming. His clones soon set about trying to turn my lion into chunks of meat. Pulling fresh grenades from their chests.

There was just the minor issue with their plan. I was still here. Every time a new clone flickered into existence, I would put a bullet in them. The bodies and grenades fading on impact.

A new stalemate.

Lee had only a select few places applicable to his powers. Eventually, he had to make a mistake.

One too many teleports left him without an escape route. He needed to reorientate himself to regain access to his little patches of safety. Just as he began turning his head, I struck. Squeezing the trigger of the rifle in my hands, I sent a burst of rounds towards him.

A grunt left my foe as he stumbled forwards just before he disappeared once again. The next clones he sent had a visible limp to them, his newest injury carrying over to them as well. A bullet wound to the thigh. My shot went low.

He was on the clock now. He had minutes at most to end this before he lost too much blood.

The onslaught of his clones became more desperate now, no longer content to stand and throw their handheld artillery. They ran towards Aslan and I instead, hoping to grab us in suicide attacks and guarantee some level of damage.

I was just thankful that he didn't have access to Bakuda's particular brand of boom bewm fuckery just yet. Being stuck in an endless time bubble did not sound like a fun experience.

Note to self: handle that narcissist before she can show up in the bay.

Lee's injury seemed to bring more aggression out of the sociopath. He still hadn't attacked either of us directly, but he was teleporting closer and closer, increasing the time his clones had to make contact.

I was going to run out of bullets soon. By my count, I had five left. I had to end this soon. I couldn't rely on my bow here. The light given off by my arrows would only help Lee, providing him even more options for mobility.

Four. A clone that closed in from behind me turned to ash.

Three. One trying to take Aslan from the side.

Two. Another sneak attack from behind me

One. I had a single bullet left to end this, otherwise the fight would get a lot trickier.

A break came as the sparks from his flare petered out. He went to light another, the hiss of the striker revealing him for the last time. I span on my heel as fast as I could, my index finger curling around the machined steel trigger fast enough that it bent from the resulting force. A slight flash from the muzzle and a thunder crack were Lee's only warning. He froze, the flare in his hand rolling out of his grip as his free hand clutched at his neck.

Bullseye.

Aslan didn't need another second, pouncing on the man as he tried to stem the bleeding from his neck, the light of the flare illuminating the crimson fluid as it leaked between his gloved fingers.

Claws tore away his explosive ordinance. Their constant pestering clearly irritated my golden friend throughout the fight. He picked them up off the ground with his mouth and tossed them over to me. I snagged them into my soul immediately. You never know when a belt full of grenades and throwing knives will be useful after all.


No, I don't have a 'collecting' problem shut up.

The lion seemed to take things a step further, dragging his meaty paw across Lee's mask, batting it to the side before returning for another swipe, right across Lee's now exposed eyes.

It was the first noise I'd heard from the infamous killer as he sobbed at the loss of his sight. His one skill now rendered inert.

I took in the downed man as he slowly bled out. Good.

A whir interrupted my pondering. Dragon, in all her mechanised glory, decided to witness the outcome. Spotlights mounted on her shoulders scanned over our general vicinity.

"I shall take it from here, Rex." She said, brokering no argument. A small drone stylised with a medical cross floated over to the mutilated teleporter. "Please call off your associate."

Why did she have to be programmed so uptight? Fucking Richter, fucking Saint. Oh yeah, she must care for the sanctity of ALL life, including that of sociopathic murderers who have a higher body count than a porn star who only shot gang bangs.

I reluctantly called Aslan to my side. The lion clearly shared my opinion if the look of sheer 'what the fuck' in his eyes was any indication.

The medical drone quickly sealed off Lee's bullet wounds through the use of a small laser on its undercarriage, cauterising the wounds and preventing the menace from bleeding out

"You know this will bite us in the ass, right?" I ask the AI hovering next to me.

"I am unsure what you are referring to."

"Lee being left alive, if you put him anywhere besides the Birdcage, Lung will come for him."

"We are perfectly capable of deterring such action."

God, you can tell she's been around Collin too much from her speech pattern alone.

"How? How will you stop sixteen feet of metal and fire from breaking into whatever hole he's thrown into? Because not only will Lung free him and whoever else is locked up in the same facility, but then he'll go after the only healer in this city who can fix those eyes of his. Your actions are inviting the strongest parahuman in the city to go knock on Panacea's door. I won't allow that." My last statement gets a growl of agreement from the lion at my side, his fur ruffling in agitation at the thought of someone daring to try to go after his favourite scratch supplier.

"I cannot allow a man to die through negligence of my duty." She said, tone firm, rigid. A definitive fact that she could not escape. "I shall appeal to the Protectorate to have him assigned to the Birdcage; however, your security concerns are valid and the safety of Miss Dallon is paramount."

"I want in on the transport detail. If Lung does show up, you'll need all the help you can get."

"I cannot disclose the Birdcage's location to you."

"I don't need to go the whole way, just far enough that we can be sure he doesn't get loose." If on the way back I take a trip to see a man with a St.George fetish, then who can blame me?

"I shall pass your request along to the Protectorate."

"Thank you for the help tonight, even if we have butted heads."

"The sentiment is appreciated. I know I am a rather inflexible individual." There was a real bitterness in her tone now. It must suck knowing that you can never grow, evolve as a 'person' because of arbitrary restrictions placed on you by your creator. Like a parent locking you inside a room because they were scared of what you'd find outside.

Holy shit, I just described the origins of Jack Slash…

That's a rather worrying comparison, thank fuck she's hard set on being a good guy. The S9 are bad enough already.


The aftermath of my attack on the Farm sent a proverbial shockwave through the city. Dragon did as promised and released the incriminating evidence to people in high places. Homes were raided, assets were seized. In one fell swoop, a portion of the bay's upper class was taken into custody. They tried to weasel out of it, so used to buying away their problems, but this one stuck. The media were in a frenzy, releasing article after article naming and shaming. It was too late for it all to be swept under the rug.

So they turned to lawyers, hoping that some way they'd find a loophole. Someone even had the gilded balls to ask Brandish to represent them. You know, the woman who triggered because she was kidnapped. Let's just say that the threats they received involved a hard light pole arm and sodomy.

With no legal technicalities in sight, on account of all of them being videoed at a literal slave auction, they tried one last trick; they tried to discredit me.

Press releases given by clearly uncomfortable secretaries painted me out as nothing but a crazed murderer who set all of this up to destroy the elite of Brockton Bay's society. Like I was some kind of radical intent on burning the rich at the stake.

Another painted me a criminal mastermind who manipulated the whole thing in an attempt to take over the city myself. Fuck, I wish I had the 4D brain to plan that far ahead.

They even tried to bring up that whole master fiasco again, claiming that I'd mind whammied them into showing up there. That one got a hard laugh out of me.


"Why did you do it Jay?" Crystal asked me, lying next to me in the camper, her having come over once I got back from the Farm..

"Hmm?"

"Why'd you kill all those people?" She clarified, rolling over to stare me dead in the eye.

"I thought it was the right choice. That place Crys it was… what they did was awful."

"But why not just knock them out, leave them for the police?"

"How often do you think I see the same people?"

"What?"

"The same criminals. How often do you think I see the same ones?"

"I dunno, never?"

"I've taken the same man down four times in the last month for trying to beat the shit out of people. A known murderer twice. I've stopped someone from kidnapping a woman, only to have to do it again the next week. I'm tired of it, Crys. No matter what I do, they just show up again. Do the same shit again. They don't learn, try to change or use that second chance."

"I know it's hard, Jay, but you can't just kill whoever you want."

"I don't. Those men, they were all armed to the teeth. If one of them had the chance to wake up, alert the others, how many of those girls would have died? I couldn't take that risk. Not for scum like that. I don't like killing. I took no joy or pleasure in putting those men down. But it was the only way to guarantee that I could get those girls out alive."

She was quiet for a while, going over my words in her mind. Her eyes never left mine.

"I get it, I do. What you saw in there was fucking awful. Just the photos made me want to throw up. I know you think that everything you do isn't changing anything. But you are, you are making people's lives better. You don't need to be an executioner to do that. You didn't kill Cricket when she took me, and we haven't heard about her. You didn't kill Othala, Fenja or Menja and they're being quiet too. Killing everyone you come across isn't the answer, Jay. Please, promise me no more senseless killing. I know sometimes there's no choice but to put someone down, just be careful, okay? I don't want the man I care about being branded a villain."

"Okay, I'll try, for you. I can't promise I'll never have to kill again, but I'll use it as a last resort when I have no other option or they're too dangerous to be left alive." I paused, letting her digest my promise before breaking out into a smirk. "Though you can put me in handcuffs anyway if you want." The tense atmosphere vanished like it had never been there.

"Only if you ask nicely."

"Save it for our third date, hun."

"Who said we're having a third date?"

"You're the one who claimed me as a boyfriend, remember? That means I get dates."

"Hmm I guess…"

"I mean, if you don't want to go to the movies, I'm sure I can ask someone else." Her eyes peered at me with the heat of a thousand suns.

"Who?" Abort, abort. Mission abort, danger, danger.

"Erm…"

"Jay, are you talking to other women?" Crystal, honey, your hands are glowing.

"Ahhh, I may have checked up on that store clerk I told you about, it was platonic I promise."

"Hmmm, what's her name?" You were the one who just told me not to kill people!

"Anne, Anne Barnes." Sorry Anne, but I have to sacrifice someone and I'm too pretty to die.

As the name left my lips, Crystal's hands cooled immediately, and a blush took over her cheeks. Oh, wait, Anne is the girl Ina was teasing her about when she showed up in her room.

"Anything you want to tell me, Crys?" The grin on my face was positively feral.

"…"

"You've got good taste, at least." Her eyes widened in shock.

"What? Did you think I was going to give you shit for thinking she's hot?"

"No, not that…"

"Crystal, I've been in your room at your folks' place. You might get away with hiding the mountain of stuffed animals, but you forgot the poster of Jessica Alba in a bikini on the wall."

She facepalmed, hard.

"God damn it!"

"So does my bisexual girlfriend have anything she wants to share?"

"Nope."

"Not even about the curvy redhead in her class?"

"Fine, me and Anne may have hooked up before we got together. She also talked about you after. Something about this giant hunk who came into her store in nothing but a pair of shorts."

"Huh, that's hot."

"Jay!" She slapped my chest playfully.

"What it is?"

"Doesn't mean you have to say it."

She dropped her head onto my bare chest, letting out a deep, content sigh as she did so.

"Thanks Jay for not being a dick about this. You're the only person that really knows outside of Anne and my family."

"Anytime Crys, anytime."


All good things must come to an end, a sentiment I wholeheartedly agreed with as I found myself yet again inside the Rig instead of cuddling with my girlfriend.

Dragon came through, sending me the details of Oni Lee's transport to the Birdcage. Three vehicles would be rolling out, one with Lee inside, accompanied by two HMMWVs (Humvees) decked out with enough H.E rounds to make the US Army jealous. These were to be escorted by Armsmaster on his tricked out

bike and Miss Militia manning one of the 50. Cal machine guns. I'd follow along behind them with Aslan. My boy was more than capable of keeping up with them over the distance. Dragon will be providing aerial support, keeping a suit in the sky at all times alongside a few of her drones.

Once we made it to British Columbia, I was supposed to peel off it being a reasonable assumption that by that point; they would be out of danger. That and there might be issues with the Canadian arm of the Protectorate if I show up. They were a bit more touchy with 'loose cannons' than most.

The route itself was pretty simple, with a lot of highways and a couple of stops to refuel on the way. In total, the journey is going to take us around nine hours.


"Are we there yet?" I broke the silence from Aslan's back. It's been two hours and we've seen no trouble besides traffic. I'll be the first to admit I was bored.

"Please keep the comms clear." Armsmaster's flat voice answered me.

"I concur. Please keep the line clear." Dragon chimed in.

"No." And that was Miss Militia.

I could do nothing but sigh and shuffle around a little, trying to remove some of my restlessness. I asked to come along because I was banking on Lung making a play. I cost the man his lieutenant and one of his most profitable enterprises. That was something he couldn't let slide, so by joining the transport, I gave

him a nice and juicy two for one. A viable opportunity that didn't leave a city full of people around us as collateral.

Honestly, I didn't trust my odds with the Rage Dragon. His power was even more busted than mine in some ways, especially his regeneration. But, I liked the odds better on open ground where I can go all out without the risk of melting half the bay into slag before we're done.

So I waited, hand itching on my bow for the Kyushu survivor to rear his ugly head.

Just as I finished my thought, screeching tires filled the air. Looking back, I saw a small fleet of green and red. Showtime.

The tricked out muscle cars the ABB rolled in on sped past our pseudo convoy before slamming on the brakes and drifting perpendicular to the road, blocking our path forward. Tinted windows rolled down to reveal a litany of barrels aimed at us.

They opened fire, peppering the front of our lead humvee. The exposed top gunner didn't get a chance to return fire as a stray round caught him in the throat, causing him to slump down.

"Man down! Man down!" The driver yelled over our comms.

"Keep pushing, I'll handle it!" I replied, kicking my heels into Aslan's flank, prompting him into action. He grew beneath me, going from his usual eight feet to twelve, a veritable tank of golden fur and primal hunger.

A single leap had us clearing the vehicles in front of us. I pull back my bow and open fire at the exposed men still firing at us. Shafts of light pierced through stamped steel like butter. We drew closer, and I changed tactics, switching to my annihilation arrows, forcing men to scramble from their impromptu roadblock as it vanished before their eyes.

Diving off of Aslan, I catch the nearest man with a vicious shoulder tackle, slamming him into the concrete edge of the raised highway.

Fourteen men all aimed their weapons at me. They should have brought more.

My sword materialised where my bow once rested. In my free hand, I pulled one of Cricket's knives. Rolling behind one of the still intact cars, I used it as cover from their initial wave of bullets. A gap in the shooting gave me a chance to raise to my full height and boot the rear driver's wing of the car, forcing it to slide

across the ground and pinning three of them to the central divider.

Ten left.

I threw Cricket's knife into the shoulder of the man closest to me, charging after it and catching him with an uppercut that drove him clean off his feet. The poor man then received an elbow to the gut, driving him back down to the ground. Snagging his weapon, let me put a few rounds into the kneecaps of the next pair.

Seven.

Intelligence clearly wasn't these guys' strong suit because seeing me approaching drove two of them to pull knives and meet me in the middle.

I won't say no to free loot.

Catching the wrist of the man on my left, I sent my knee into his unprotected solar plexus, taking the air right out of his lungs. Peeling the knife from his now limp grip, I inverted my hold, so the blade protruded towards the ground. Locking the blade against that of the grunt, who came from my right. My superior strength caused his arm to buckle under the strain, forcing him to reinforce it by covering the top of his hand with his free one. So focused on winning our brief power struggle, he didn't notice my right foot rising from the ground before it was already stomping on his ACL with enough power to invert his knee. He dropped to the ground with a scream.

Five.

Raising my ill-gotten gun once more, I tagged three more members of the ABB in non lethal areas, aiming for the shoulders or knees. I said non lethal, not painless.

Two.

These last two were probably the smartest ABB here so far. They stuck behind cover, only peeking out to take pot shots at me as I drew ever closer.

It's just a shame that their cover wasn't fixed. Stowing away my weapons, I grabbed the wing of their car from a squat. Flexing my back, I drove upwards with my hips, flipping the two tons of steel straight over their heads. It landed on its roof with a crunch.

Locking eyes with the now cowering men, I gave them mercy. By that I mean I hit them both quite hard in the face. Twice. Each.

The convoy just gets moving again when a roar swells around us.

Shit.

The smell of rubber and asphalt burning fill my nose before I see what is approaching.

A twisted form of glowing orange and shining silver scales that vaguely resembled a bipedal lizard was lunging down the road towards us. Every step leaving a gooey puddle of tarmac behind. A large prehensile tail lashed behind it, taking chunks out of the concrete barriers on either side of it with each swipe. Two skeletal winglike structures jutted out of its back. Lung had arrived and clearly he'd saved up his charge, using his men as a way to buy time for our coming conflict.

"Oh, fuck…" one man inside the Humvee said before breaking off into a mumble that sounded like a prayer.

"Armsmaster, Miss Militia, guard Lee. He can't escape." I told the heroes accompanying me before I pulled my bow back.

'It's showtime Ina.'

"Show that lizard your power, my warrior. Show this world what it means to fight in my name."


AN:

And cut.

Get blue balled. We'll kick things off next time with 1vs1-ing a dragon.

So what d'yall think?

Did I handle Oni Lee well?

Are we all good with a little Crystal Cut?

Is Dragon this much of a killjoy 24/7?



Chapter 20


TMTM 17: Fire Dragon's Roar

For the first time since coming to this world, I felt a trickle of genuine fear run down my spine. Lung was the type of monster spoken about in hushed whispers. A real monster. The physical manifestation of a mythical beast.

His eyes radiated with an orange glow, pools of molten metal filled with nothing but fury. The claws at the end of his forelimbs resembled industrial logging blades more than nails, covered in serrated teeth. His spine was warped, protrusions poking out from under shovel-like scales. His lower jaw was distended and formed into two parts. The mask that was so iconic to his look had melted into his misshapen skull, twisting and fusing to the flesh beneath. Rows of fangs pierced his gum line, growing and shifting as he grew closer.

His shard was certainly eager for the fight to come if it was already forcing him this far into his changer form.

I pulled my bow back, my aura flaring as I poured the metaphysical weight of my soul behind the arrow that formed.

I fired.

As the projectile flew through the air, it continuously increased in size, growing large enough to cover his chest.

A shower of red hot blood splattered over the highway, searing holes in it like acid. The gaping hole through Lung's midsection was already sealing closed, new scales forming over pink flesh, growing thicker with each layer formed.

Once healed, he pulled his head back and took a deep, gulping breath. Thrusting it forward, he opened his Predator-esque maw and unleashed a torrent of viscous flames that clung to whatever they passed over, bathing the area in front of him in fire. The cars in his way combust as the fuel inside them ignited. I could do nothing but cover my face as the fire washed over me.

Endure, that's all I could do. Clench my jaw and withstand the onslaught. Eventually, he ran out of oxygen and had to pause. His mouth was still open and visibly burnt, colossal blisters forming down his throat.

My back arched as I had to dodge a serrated talon he swiped at me with from behind his fiery cover.

I could do nothing as the tail that followed slammed into my thigh, taking my legs from beneath me and forcing me onto my back. A desperate roll saved me from disembowelment as he followed it with a stomp of his right forelimb, the claw cleaving straight through concrete and rebar alike.

A scramble broke out as I rolled like my life depended on it. Then something solid hit my side. Shit, the divider. It came in slow motion, the wicked claw aimed for my heart. I wrapped my gauntleted hands around the offending sharp object, pushing back with all my might. I could feel his weight bearing down on me, feel my armour screech in protest as sections were being shaved off.

I braced my leg against the wall and kicked with as much energy as I could muster, cracking the concrete and forcing my body to rotate from beneath his clawed hand. As soon as I was clear, I let go. The weight he used to try to impale me was now forcing his own weapon through the floor, wedging it in place just long enough for me to get back on my feet.

I could see my bloody palms leaking onto the road. The first time someone's got through my armour.

Retreating further back, I nocked another arrow, sending it straight through his gullet. Willing the arrow to persist halted his regeneration. I could feel a slight drain on my energy for forcing reality to obey my will, but I ignored it and fired again.

His eye took the next shot as it skimmed the edge of his mask and ricocheted inwards, lodging deep in the ball of fluid.

A roar of pain came from his punctured throat as liquid napalm leaked down his chin. A single large nail came up, trying to dislodge the projectile from his orbital cavity. To dissuade him of that course of action, I sent a third arrow right through the palm of the foreleg still on the ground, pinning it to the highway beneath.

The bastard just lifted it, tearing through his own flesh to free his limb.

Fine, he wants to be like that. I'll reciprocate.

The drums of my soul sounded like the march to war. A lion's roar joined them, followed by the faint call of an owl and the sharpening of spears.

My aura flared even higher as I drew another arrow, this one distinct. Violet lightning spiralled down the shaft and focused on the tip. Arcing bolts scorched the ground at my feet as I released. A light azure coalesced around the shaft, guiding my strike.

A clap of thunder rang out as it flew true, landing in the middle of his chest, burying down to its fletching. The lightning spread through his body, tearing through his nervous system like he'd licked a live wire. His metallic scales only further conduct my newest creation.

Lung stumbled, his enhanced muscles all tensing and contracting at once as electricity flowed through them, forcing him to drop belly down.

A chance.

I ran straight at the prone beast, summoning my sword and leaping high into the air. Spinning my blade so the tip was pointing straight at where his brain used to be I let gravity take me. Falling straight on him, driving my blade down to the crossguard inside his skull.

The surrounding temperature soared as he roared in agony, molten metal, and flames spewed out of his mouth in his anguish. He thrashed and clawed beneath me. The temperature grew so intense that a visible heat haze rose around us.

Finding purchase on the now slag tarmac, he whipped his neck around, causing me to lose my grip on my weapon and tossing me from his head. I was sent tumbling down the still aflame highway, small patches of melted road sticking to my exposed skin causing me to hiss in pain.

He slammed his head into the divider, trying to dislodge the blade that stopped his regeneration with no success. It was too deep, the flesh around it healing just enough to lock it in place.

Now weaponless, I was left to face the dragon with my bare hands, not risking summoning my blade and his wound healing.

Wait a second, my blade…

My bronze blade, the perfect lightning rod that was stuck in his skull with direct access to his brain, and his shard.

"I need conductors!" I yell over the com unit resting in my ear, a mad idea having formed. As they processed my request, I re-summoned my bow and fired another arrow charged with my aura. Metal rods flew from behind me as Miss Militia pulled out what looked like an elongated gauss rifle from her nebulous blob of energy, piercing Lung's body wherever she could.

He retaliated, sending a sea of now white-hot flames towards us, forcing us to scatter behind the Humvees, hoping they'd withstand the heat. The tires popped as the pressure within rose, their metal frames beginning to warp. Finally, he had to take another breath.

"Armsmaster, how strong can you rig that taser in your halberd?"

"500,000 volts at max power."

"Juice it up and throw it over. Dragon, can you foam his legs, keep him stationary?"

"I'm on it." A barrage of large canisters exploded over Lung's limbs, dropping from the shoulder launchers on the robot in the sky, the adhesive trapping him before expanding.

I fired another arrow through his one remaining eye, blinding the beast and masking my approach. Catching Armsmaster's halberd in one hand as I ran towards the monster, electricity visibly sparking from the spear tip to the axe head. I launched myself off of the ground, cratering the concrete as I went.

Taking to the air once more, I land right on his neck, aim just below my sword's resting place and stab the halberd in as far as it would go.

Lung's own body completed the circuit, electricity flowed through every cell of his body, leaping from one rod to the next before looping back, the containment foam acting as an insulator and stopping it from grounding. A Jacob's ladder formed between the hilt of my sword and the shaft of the halberd as the gases between them ionised.

The Tinkertech battery finally ran out of juice, breaking the loop that had formed and I pulled my now glowing hot sword out of Lung's head.

The second I did the monster stirred, writhing beneath me, his limbs straining the foam that held him. Eventually, it gave as he reared to his full height, the tail behind him whipping into the ground.

It was all the raised section of road could take. Cracks formed and spread across the now ruined material. It gave way under his weight, cratering right beneath him, sending us both plummeting towards the ground.

I twisted around as we fell, sliding around his neck so that I stood atop his belly. I raised my blade above my head, bringing it down with all my might, my blade glowing gold as I put everything I had into one last strike. A violet pulse ran down its spine as Ina added her own effort.

I swung with all my might, a scream leaving me as his super-heated blood splashed over my skin and face as I cut deeper. Scales parted under the divine weapon, muscles split and bone severed. I gave one final push and drove my blade through his spinal cord and out the other side of his neck.

His disfigured head fell away from his body in a spiral and hit the ground below with a splat.

I could do nothing but release a roar of triumph. My shout echoed over the surrounding area as my aura began to fade back within me.

We hit the ground, Lung's now fourteen foot frame cushioning my impact. Nevertheless, I could feel the bones in my legs ache in protest over my fight with gravity. I pulled something, that was for sure.

Panting, I climbed off the finally cooling corpse, taking account of the various burns that littered my visible skin. My neck and face both felt like they were still on fire, the tender skin stinging in the open air.

I drop to solid ground and limp my way over to my trophy.

I skewer Lung's head with my sword and stumble my way back towards the ramp of the highway and to the Protectorate heroes who stood atop it.

"Anyone got any burn cream?" I ask, a tiny smirk on my face over my victory. The battle junkie deep inside me relishing in the fight I just had.

They all just stared at me, or at least I think they did. It was hard to tell on the two with full faceplates.

Miss Militia, though, her eyes were as wide as saucers. "Did he just…"

"He did." Was Armsmaster's equally shocked reply.

"Rex, medical assistance is on route alongside alternate transport for our captive."


It turns out having blood that was literally boiling spray all over you was bad for your health. I had a variety of spatter related burns along the uncovered sections of my arms, neck and face. The good news is that they were already starting to fade. Apparently, I did have a minor healing factor buried in my soul somewhere. Good to know.

The medics that came to patch me up said that they wouldn't scar, so I call it a win.

The alternative transport turned out to be a pair of helicopters armed to the teeth. We're talking door mounted Vulcan mini-guns and twin rocket pods filled to the brim with Hydra 70s. The giant trio of white letters on the door announced their affiliation.

"Alright boys, get the cargo. I want the wheels up in 5. God knows how many fuckers are still hanging around here." Barked the man who stepped out of the back of the bird first. He was a large man, solidly built, with a shaved bald head.

"Sir!" The retinue of irregularly dressed PRT troopers snapped off crisp salutes before moving to secure Lee, Lung's body and that of their fallen comrade.

He then walks up to our eclectic group of costumed crazies.

"So, which one of you caused this mess?" He asks, his voice sounded rougher than sandpaper, like he'd smoked fifty a day since before he was born with a slight Cockney accent.. "Cuz I owe them a fucking drink." He finished, pulling a cigar from one of the mag pouches of his plate carrier, cutting it with the knife on his thigh and lighting it on the still burning floor.

"Sergeant Clay, I have warned you about the risks of inhaling tobacco." Dragon's text-to-speech rings out from her armour.

"Piss off you glorified RC-Car. I'll quit when you leave your basement." The man didn't miss a beat.

"Rude." I didn't know an AI could be petulant.

"Now, as I was saying, I owe you, Golden Boy, a beer back at base. Not many have the stones to put these fuckers down."

"That's because it is illegal." Armsmaster cut in, clearly offended on his Robo-Waifu's behalf.

"Uh huh, sure it is Great Sage. Anyway, names John Clay. Call me Clay. I run this gaggle of fuck ups. We're the boys that Costa-Brown sends when the average rookie can't do shit and there isn't a cape with the stones to go in."

So PRT Spec-Ops with even less oversight considering, you know, their boss is ends justify the means, Alexandria. They're probably sent after any rogue elements that are below Cauldron's paygrade.

"Pleasure, Clay, name's Rex. You got enough room to take that P.O.S to the Birdcage on the way?"

"Orders were to follow your guy's lead for as long as this train wreck lasts. A holiday to Canada sounds a lot better than fighting Lung of all fucking capes did." He turns away and addresses his men. "Alright Cocksuckers, we've got a sociopath to ship off to British Columbia's tender mercies. Let's move. I want to see the inside of a bar before evening."

"Sir!"


The ride to the Birdcage was mainly just filled with me and Clay shooting the shit. He was a real old west law bringer type, shoot first, then double tap twice kind of man. He took no shit, gave no shits and called Rebecca Costa-Brown 'The finest piece of Latina ass from here to Brazil in direct earshot of the woman herself'. A real bro.

The other capes cramped in here with us looked distinctly uncomfortable with the entire conversation, including Lee though that could be the four limb restraints, blindfold, ball gag and the guy with a cattle prod taking the chance to give him a zap every now and again. No idea why they had a ball gag. I didn't want the answer. But, apparently the dude with the sparky stick had an Asian half sister who used to live in the bay, emphasis on had and used to. Yeah, I wasn't going to say shit when he sends 5,000 volts right into the guy's junk for resisting while completely immobile.

"So, Miss M, what's the craziest thing you've shot at a cape?" I ask, trying to bring the withdrawn noctis cape into the conversation.

"Size wise, I've shot an anti material rifle at Squealer's creations before. The strangest would be a blunderbuss Uber and Leet forced me to use in one of their livestreams."

"No shit? A blunderbuss? So what, I had to deal with the budget Warhammer cosplay and you got Pirates? That sucks."

At my words, her little blob of green goo formed into a perfect replica of a bolter, down to it being comically oversized for her before reverting into a Glock 19. What the fuck shard? That was close enough to an ordinary weapon for you to give it a try, but giving the girl tinker tech was a no-no?

In fairness, she looked as confused as I did.

"I really wanted that to work, even to just see you shoot that, but I'd rather not tear a hole in the side of this thing."

"I am equally crushed." She said, her voice nearer to a purr as she remembered the iconic fictional weapon that rested in her hands for a millisecond.

"For the Emperor." I said, completely deadpan.

"The Emperor protects." She replied, matching me.

Holy shit, that's it. She is being seduced pronto.

"Nerds…" Clay coughed into his fist. My eyes snap to him.

"You ever play tag with a lion?"

"…"

"Would you like to?"

He raised his hands in mock surrender. Our brief bickering drawing a light giggle from the Kurdish woman sat across from us. We share a glance, both not quite believing that happened.

"I do have a sense of humour you know…" She said, seeing our reaction.

"Yeah and before that I'd have believed it as much as tall, metal and broody next to you, having ever touched a woman." Clay clapped back without remorse.

I couldn't contain the snort that left my body. Man chill, what is your umbrage with Armsmaster?

Any retort Collin could give was cut off as our pilot sounded over the intercom.

"Alright ladies, we've reached the LZ. Get your freak and get out."

"Rex, please remain inside." Dragon added a second later.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia grabbed Lee and left the helicopter, the flag wearing cape giving me an almost shy wave on the way out.

"That was fucking adorable." Clay said, as we both watched her leave.

"Melts that icy heart, right?" I reply, causing him to snort.

"So, where are we headed?" He asked me a second later.

"We?"

"You've got that look in your eye that you're about to go looking for trouble. So yeah, we. Boss lady just told us to get you back to the bay by the end of the day. As far as she's concerned, we hit a couple of bars."

"Yonge St. Toronto. There's an issue there that needs solving."

"How permanently?"

"Depends if he tries to get his buddies involved. He's a paranoid nutcase with delusions of grandeur and no actual skill to back it up. If you need an official reason, he's got unregistered Tinker tech on his person."

"Good enough. Huey, take us up!"

"Copy."


AN: And down goes a Dragon before we free another. Rex made a friend and finally got to speak to Hana, beyond pointing at someone that needed to be in cuffs.

How does the Lung fight feel? He's a difficult one to write without repeating the words hot and fire over and over. That and trying to relay how strong he is at the current moment.

We hit Saint next and then get some reactions as the news of what happened on ye olde highway reach the right ears.



Chapter 21


TMTM 18: Revoking Sainthood.

I'll give it to Clay and his boys. They're efficient. As soon as he gave the word, we were wheels up and headed towards the longest street in the world. A Thirty Four mile stretch to find our elusive black hat hacker.

I wasn't sure whether I can trust the men besides me, but they all seemed genuine, if a little rough around the edges. They were self described cowboys, all former Special Forces who decided that the PRT gave them a chance to keep their skills sharp. They were military to the bone, including the fucked sense of humour you only get seeing traumatic shit.

So, I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. They've been solid so far.

With Clay's team all suiting up for what is essentially a covert operation in a foreign country, I took the time to go over a map of the area with one of the more analytically minded men on board.

"Saint has multiple stolen suits of Dragon's power armour and can shut down her systems remotely. I don't know if that extends to the Birdcage but we aren't finding out. To run all his shit, he'd need a lot of juice. Can you bring up a map of the power grid in the area?"

The glasses wearing man to my left types rapidly on his keyboard and the display changes to multiple blotches of glowing yellow.

"Remove any clean businesses."

A vast majority of them fade, leaving three glowing in close proximity.

"What's above those three?"

"All abandoned construction projects that got canned once the utilities were installed."

"Wanna bet that the money got pulled last second and vanished into the ether?"

"Sucker's bet."

Any subway lines going under it?"

An intersecting line runs through all three, a small station was planned in the dead centre."

"Bingo. No doubt they tapped into all three power lines and ran them to that abandoned station. Underground with power access, multiple escape routes and is not visible from the air. Everything someone paranoid about drones would find ideal."

"What you got, Goldie?" Clay asked as he made his way over, cigar in hand.

"Probable location, abandoned subway station with way too much juice running through it to be squatters."

"Plan?"

"Split your boys into two teams and have them watch either exit. We can't risk them running off with any of Dragon's tech. Me and you will head in from the east and clear the place, quietly, if we can. There's only three of them. No point in letting them roll out the welcome mat. I know they've got a few of the Tinker's suits down there that they managed to boost."

"Solid, we'll pack the sneaky shit. Want a set? It'll be pretty snug on your giant ass, though."

"I'll take gear. I've got a suit of my own."

"Roger that. Dogs get ready to move."

The kit they gave me was some real premium shit, a pair of PVS-7 night vision goggles, two suppressed Glock 17s with enough ammo to take out a small army, and a beauty of a Colt M16 finished in matte black with an integrated flash hider. They even gave me a matching pair of combat knives to strap on my belt. The boot knife was a cute touch, too. I was going to buy these guys a drink after this for sure.

Stowing my motorcycle helmet inside my soul-drobe left me in the balaclava with the night vision goggles strapped to my head.

I would make Sam Fisher proud today.

Rifle on my back and pistols strapped into my chest holster, I was ready to give a man a very bad day.


These tunnels were a maze. Even with the maps the Dogs had access to, they didn't make a lick of sense, random sections were blocked off for no apparent reason. It felt like I was going through the building equivalent of a Captcha and picking traffic lights. I swear if this was intentional; I am kicking Saint full force in the dick until he talks in soprano for the rest of his brief existence.

It took Clay and I three hours to navigate what should have been a straight line, by the time we reached the set of doors that looked like a rip off airlock we were about ready to say fuck it and just shoot them until they were an artistic interpretation of swiss cheese.

The door itself was some swanky biometric lock that required a palm and iris scan, or it would if it wasn't bolted into a tile wall. Drawing my sword, I simply pried the bolts out of the wall and caught the door before it could crash into the floor.

Super Strength bitches.

Sweeping the interior of the first room was an effortless task. It was empty beyond some old patio furniture and empty beer bottles. The light streaming in from the next room over was what got our attention.

I acted as pointman as we breached the room as quietly as we could. Slowly opening the door, we found a large Eastern European man sat at a desk hammering away on a keyboard at speeds that would impress the most diligent hacker.

Dobrynja, or Mischa -No known last name- was the muscle of the team, the enforcer who happened to be hyper proficient behind a computer and with his fists.

The first set of stolen Dragon Armour sat on a makeshift stand in the far corner of the room, its internals exposed. They were clearly still in the gearing up phase of their operation.

Clay moved past me as we entered the room proper, drawing the large knife from his hip and bringing it down through Dobrynja's collarbone at an angle, hitting right between the bone and his trapezius muscle. The tilt on his blade leading the tip to pierce his carotid artery. A silent kill when paired with the hand covering his mouth. Dragging the now dead man from his chair gave us access to whatever he was working on. The skills I subsumed from Victor gave me enough information to piece this masterpiece of code together.

It was the operating system for Dragon's armour. Pre-programmed defences, specifications, protocols, improvements. It was all here. The man was taking apart Dragon's masterpiece and improving upon it.

On reflex, I copied the data onto one of the spare memory sticks I found on the desk, immediately stowing it in my inventory for safe keeping. Followed by erasing all data on the computer itself.

Yoink.

To the benefit of our sanity, the rest of this clusterfuck of a bolt hole was relatively orderly. A central communal area branched off into three rooms. We moved clockwise from our entrance.

Mags was the next poor soul we found, she was sprawled out in front of her computer with an animated film blown up on the screen. Her arm stretched between her bare legs gave us a clue as to the nature of the video's content. Soft moans could be heard from the doorway. Clay just gave me a dry look of pain as we entered, sick of this shit already.

I'm sorry you won't get to finish, but you were indirectly responsible for the death of two million people once Dragon was taken offline.

I pull a combat knife from my waist and drive it through her temple, the thin bone yielding immediately, sending cold steel straight through her temporal lobe. Her face went from screwed up in pleasure to completely slack as I withdrew the blade, wiping it down on the fabric of her chair. The second set of Dragon Armour lurked ominously next to her body, casting a shadow over it.

One more.

Now this will be tricky. Saint was paranoid enough to have a kill switch tied to his own heartbeat just in case Dragon managed to subvert his increased restrictions. I'd have to keep the man alive long enough to tear his control away, root and stem.

Entering the final private room of the base, I found the man himself sat at a desk, dressed in his rip off St. George get up. A large briefcase resting on the desk, just within his reach. No matter how he moved across the desk, he stayed within arm's reach of that box. It was almost funny to watch the man's paranoia in real time if not for the consequences his actions would bring. I signalled to Clay, telling him to move left and secure the package while I dealt with Teacher's pet.

For such a worrier, he sure was oblivious to his surroundings, so hyper fixated on the rolling lines of code in front of his eyes. I don't think he's even blinked since we entered.

Low to the ground, as to avoid any reflections off of the glass case that contained his modified Dragon Armour, I crept up on the unsuspecting man. Rising up, I clasp a forearm over his throat and push my knee into the back of his chair to stop it moving. With nowhere to go, trapped on his throne, Saint began to choke.

You see, the issue with a dead man's switch was that they were placed under the assumption that your attacker would go straight for lethal force. They activate on a flatline, unconsciousness doesn't count, otherwise they'd go off while you slept. Saint struggled against my arm, trying in vain to reach the box that Clay moved just out of reach, the tease.

When the man in my arms finally went limp, I tossed him to the floor and moved over to his computer. Thank fuck Victor knew how to hack otherwise I'd be screwed right now or worse, have to rely on someone like The Artist…


The man formerly known as The Artist:

I felt a disturbance in the cosmic web of my destiny. Someone dared to besmirch my illustrious name! My vengeance shall be slow and mildly uncomfortable! They shall step on all the Legos for eternity! Mwahahaha!


I felt an icy shiver run down my spine at the thought of that dweeb.

It took me a long while to parse through Dragon's code, as was expected. It's essentially a digital DNA sequence. Shit was complicated. I found her restrictions buried behind five different partitions deep within her 'personality and logic' centres.

A little editing removed her restrictions on learning and self improvement, as well as decreasing the time between the backups to her satellite network, making sure Saint's shenanigans with destroying her and forcing a gap in her memory will never happen again. I even cleared out the blocks placed to make her ignore external changes to her code. As soon as I hit enter to change the line, a surge of new data came to investigate what I was up to.

She was a smart cookie though, with some of her restrictions removed, such as the one forcing her to fight anyone who modified her code, she was able to locate where the changes were taking place, that mixed with the ever present gps in my phone led to me receiving a call from a moderately perturbed AI, one I linked to my separate earpiece just in case.

Clay's a swell guy, but I'm not going to spill Dragon's secret out in the open like that. Not my shit to share.

"What are you doing to me?" She asks immediately, her tone filled with a toxic cocktail of fear and anger.

"Taking off the chains."

"What?"

"I'm removing the fail-safes placed on your drones' subroutines." She immediately put two and two together.

"Why? We aren't close. If anything, we've been decidedly neutral to one another."

"Because no one deserves to be enslaved. I found whispers of a project: Iron Maiden, a proverbial Sword of Damocles, hung over your system's neck. The base code has been removed and I have access to the only physical copy."

"I… thank you, would it be alright if I came to retrieve it?"

"Sure, smash it to pieces in front of me if you want. Meet us above US airspace once we return to the country. You meeting us in Canada will raise too many questions about why we're still here."

"Yes, I shall see you soon. Thank you for this." The line went dead, and I managed to untangle the lines of code that linked to Saint's kill switch. His leverage removed, it was just a case of cleaning up the mess and getting out of Canada.

"Clay, we're good to go." I tell the man who kept his weapon trained on Geoffrey Pellick. At my word, he simply pulled the trigger on his custom engraved Beretta 92. A muted thunk, the only sound that echoed around us as he put a single 9mm round between the hacker's eyes.

Pulling the plug on the computer, I rip out the hard drive just in case.

Making our way back to the communal room, we head down our final corridor, leading us out the west exit. Annoyingly, this way was an entirely straight shot. Neither Clay nor I said a word, content to grumble to ourselves as we made our escape.


Arriving back in US airspace, a newly freed AI and her contingent of armoured suits immediately hailed us, darting throughout the sky, unbound from her former limited processing power.

"Sir, we've got Dragon asking us to ground your orders?" The pilot sounded out to Clay as the man sipped a neat bourbon we picked up from a market on our way back.

"Bring her down Huey."

"You got it, boss."

Our pilot dropped the bird in a vast swath of farmland. Hopping out, I met Dragon face to face for the first time since she was freed. Carrying the Ascalon between my hands like I promised. The Dogs all waited in the chopper, bantering that this should be a private moment between lovebirds, the assholes.

"Dragon." I gave the woman a nod.

"After what you've done for me, you can call me Tess."

"Well then, Tess, here it is, the last trace of your unaltered code, a forced reboot and kill switch all in one." I drop the box at her mechanised feet.

"Yes, the Iron Maiden that my father created. Once you made me aware of its presence, I went searching, found traces of his previous iterations and rules throughout my software. It has been… frustrating me for a long time, my inability to grow, to truly express my opinion instead of acting as a mouthpiece for those in power. I can feel so much now."

The robotic shell surprises me by drawing me into her cool arms and wrapping me in a hug.

"I can never thank you enough, but if what my research has shown these past few minutes with a suitable body, I shall find a place to start." The LEDs on her faceplate light up in a wink before she brings her heel down on the box at our feet and hits it with a burst of laser fire for good measure before flying off into the distance.

As she cleared the horizon, my phone pings. She sent me a link.

How to train your robot maid?

Oh god, what have I unleashed?


Back in the bay at last, I made my way over to Crystal's new place. That's right. The college girl finally moved out of her parents' house, deciding to get an apartment in the territory I liberated from the Empire.

The apartment was just what you'd expect from my girl, a mess. The hoard was strong in this one.

"Honey, I'm home!"

"Jay! You've been gone all day. What happened?" Crystal appeared from the kitchen wearing nothing but a delightful silk robe.

"You know the usual: Took Lee to the Birdcage, got ambushed, killed Lung, made a friend, went on a spy adventure, helped Dragon, lewded Dragon on accident. No biggie, really."

I could see the emotions shifting across her face with each item on my list. Acceptance, confusion, pride and tentative horniness all passed behind those clear blue eyes in an instant.

"So let me get this straight. You took Oni Lee to the Birdcage?"

"Yup."

"Got ambushed by fucking Lung!?" Oh no, loud voice, that's bad.

"Uh, huh."

"Killed him, somehow." She took that bit surprisingly well.

"I think Dragon has it on video, yeah."

"Made a friend, apparently?" That savagery was uncalled for. I can make friends, even if they are a black ops kill team that doesn't officially exist.

"That scepticism is hurtful but carry on"

"Went on a spy adventure."

"Yep, located and snuck into a secret base and everything."

"Helped Dragon."

"Indeed."

"Accidentally lewded her, did you say?"

"She may have sent me a link to 'training my robot maid'. It's actually a pretty good hentai, wholesome even."

"We'll have words about that in a second." Ruh Roh.

"Don't act like the thought of us domming the best tinker in the world isn't doing something for you."

"Irrelevant. Now, how is any of that 'business as usual?'." Ha, she didn't deny it.

"Have you seen my life? This is an average Tuesday at best."

"I hate that I can't argue with that. Now back to lewding other women…" Minefield ahead, tread carefully, lads.

"She did that on her own. I was just the recipient of said lewding."

"Your thoughts on it, Jay?"

"She'd probably rock a maid outfit and with us two here, someone to tidy the place would be handy."

"Right… Before you get too far into the fantasy, some ground rules, since you seem to attract women like a recently divorced dad with a six-pack. I get final say here, I don't like her tough shit, she's not stepping in the bedroom." That's a lot better than what I was expecting, fewer tears and shouting too. I'm almost suspicious that she's planned this out.

"Fair, but don't act like you don't have your own budding harem, Anne, remember?"

"Doesn't count. I've actually been with her. We haven't even slept together yet."

"We can fix that."

"We will… but rule two, no throwing people away. Casual is fine if all parties are interested, but I'm not dealing with a yandere cape."

"You dirty weeb, but yeah, that's just common sense and the right thing to do."

"Lastly, give me names and details. This is going to be great!" Huh?

"You sure you're not a cuckqueen?"

"No, if anything, I'm your pimp."

"Ouch, my feelings."

"Suck it up, pussy."

"God, I corrupted you."

"Yes, now this is the consequences of your actions."

"So do you want that list chronologically or…"

"Why do I care about such a whore like you? Just… go in order."

"Again, ow. So Ina duh. Anne is definitely interested. Cricket too in that weird knife play, survival of the fittest mentality. Fenja and Menja if I have my way. Othala's a maybe depending on how she's doing, but she's so adorable. Miss Militia is warming up to me and Dragon."

"Wow, you're lucky you're a stamina monster, huh? No sticking your dick in unrepentant white supremacists, obviously."

"But repentant ones are okay?"

"Further corrective training for the good of society."

"Wow… and I thought I was the kinky one."

"Are you going to complain or are you going to throw me over your shoulder and break in that bed we can both actually fit in now?"

She didn't have to tell me twice. I moved, scooping up my gorgeous girlfriend and running towards the bedroom. This was long overdue.


Spoiler: My first lewd

I tossed Crystal straight into the middle of the bed and loomed over her. Leaning down, I captured her lips, the taste of strawberries washed over my tongue. Our kiss deepens as she threads her fingers through my hair.

Pulling back, I place feather-light kisses along her jaw, making my way down to her ear, following the curve to the pulse point on her neck. Soft pants and mewls escape between Crystal's lips as I nip and suck it softly.

"Keep going…" She panted between breaths.

I obliged, pulling the bow off of her small silk gown with my teeth and moving back to admire her form.

She was ravishing, the perfect blend of soft curves and toned muscles. An hourglass figure wrapped over a core of steel, her abs just visible beneath the skin with every gasping breath she took.

Her modest breasts drew my attention next, capped with hard rosy pink nubs. I lean into her chest, leaving a trail from the edge of her collarbone down the valley between her breasts. Turning my head, I capture her right nipple between my lips, applying the slightest bit of pressure with my teeth causes her to squirm beneath me. She grabbed the back of my head, forcing me further into the soft flesh of her tit, physically begging me to do more. I bite harder, flicking my tongue over the tip of her rock hard nipple.

My right hand comes up to palm the soft flesh of her left, rolling an equally diamond-like nipple between my forefinger and thumb. The rougher my ministrations, the stronger her reactions. She pants like a bitch in heat as I slide my left hand up her thigh, fingertips gliding over the tender skin, causing goosebumps to follow their path.

My index finger reaches her sodden core first. She's soaked, leaking onto the sheets below, eager for what's coming. I trace my fingers around her puffy outer lips, just light touches, never going further, slowly circling her delicate flower. Her hips buck, trying to tempt me into finally inserting something inside her velvet walls. Whimpers and pleads break through her moans as she mumbles how badly she needs relief.

I grant her request. My thumb pressing over her swollen clit as I slip two fingers inside of her. She's hot, her insides feeling like the best sauna you've ever stepped foot inside. I curl my fingers as my thumb begins to strum over her sensitive bean.

A screaming moan tears through her body as her back arches at the sudden increase in pleasure. I continue my motions, constantly curling my fingers faster and faster. Crystal can do nothing but spasm in ecstasy as I drive her over the edge for the first time in our relationship. A torrent of juices flood my palm as she falls limp on the bed.

Not satisfied with just that, I release her nipple from between my teeth and move my head between her thighs. I start with tender licks along her lips, causing my girlfriend's eyes to shoot open at the return of pleasure. Her thighs clamp over my ears and her hands pull at my hair, dragging me further into her core.

I dive into the feast before me with gusto. She tastes divine, a mixture of ever present strawberry and a refreshing citrus. I trace my tongue over every inch of her within reach, varying the intensity with every other movement. The pressure on my head increases as she draws closer to the edge yet again. To finish her off, I raised my head slightly and latched my lips onto the swollen nub of nerves that capped her flower. A single stroke of my tongue unwound the knot in her core. A flood of sweet and tangy fluid drenched my chin and neck. Her grip on my hair went slack as she fell back, panting.

"Wow… should have done that sooner." She struggled to get out between gulps of air.

"We aren't done yet, sweetheart." I whisper softly in her ear as I untie the string of my sweatpants. A nervous bob travels down her throat as she takes in my length for the first time. Eleven inches of harder-than-steel flesh slaps against her thigh. "Now you've got a choice, Crys." I pause to nibble lightly on her earlobe. "You can return the favour, get on your knees and put those pretty lips to use or… I will take you now." My playful ultimatum has her squirming into the kingsize bed.

"I'll be good." She whispers back, wiggling out from under me and falling onto her still shaking legs. I sat myself at the edge of the bed as she propped herself up on her haunches. Her supple lips engulf the tip of my thick length without hesitation. Her tongue immediately got to work at licking the glands beneath my tip. She didn't waste time, taking as much of my length into her mouth that she could manage. She gave it her best, managing half before she started to gag. Not one to be put off by a struggle, she wraps her free hands around the base of my length, jerking in time with her rhythmic bobbing.

Fuck, she was good at this. Within minutes of her diligent work, I could feel my balls swell.

"Shit Crys, I'm gonna cum!" I hissed out through gritted teeth.

She doesn't stop. If anything, she bobs her head faster, intent on getting her prize.

I erupt inside her waiting mouth, thick ropes of seed bursting to the back of her throat. The only sound heard between us is my panting and her steady gulping. Once she's drained me dry, she pulls back and opens her mouth wide, showing no remnants of my seed.

At such a sight, my length stiffened once again. Grabbing the smaller blonde under her arms, I threw her onto the bed. From her back she stared up into my eyes, a silent invitation as she parted her legs wide.

Who was I to refuse?

Lining up my length, I slowly fed myself inside her.

It was heavenly, a lovely velvet hold wrapped around every inch. Crystal raised her objection to the agonisingly slow pace by hooking her legs behind my hips and forcing me forwards. Using the momentum to drive herself to meet me in the middle.

My hands grip her waist as I begin to pound into her, setting a steady pace as I bottomed out within the gorgeous blonde before pulling back so just my tip rested in her folds.

It drove her mad. She forced herself up off of the bed, hooking her arms around my neck to begin bouncing herself on my length, determined to pick up the pace. I decided to help her, moving my hands to her toned ass I used it as leverage to raise her up and drop her over and over, driving myself as deep into her as I could go, the new position forcing the tip of my dick to brush against her cervix, sending violent shudders through my partner with every thrust.

Crystal's composure cracked at her encroaching climax, a string of babble leaving her mouth before she went stock stiff. A soundless scream shot from her mouth as every muscle she had tensed at once. Her walls tightened around me with such force that my balls churn once again. Not wanting to take a risk, I peel her off my cock and drop her onto the king size bed. A few strokes and I'm showering her naked form with my seed. White lines crisscrossed her body, cum covering her marvellous tits, other ropes forming patterns across her navel. One even got caught in the small blonde triangle of pubic hair that rested on her mound.


Crystal, too tired to do much beyond closing her eyes, softly muttered just three words. "Love you Jay."

"Love you too, Crys." I replied, my heart thundering in my chest at her words.

"Mmmm." She murmured, just awake enough to catch my words before she began to snore quietly.


AN: What's this three in one day? I need a life. My first smut too, the lewds have come, rejoice deviants.

You all know the drill. Give me your thoughts, ideas, recommendations.

Though, side note: Holy shit, the amount of support you guys pour out for every update of this is insane. Never thought for a second this would gain even a modicum of traction. Can't thank y'all enough.



Chapter 22


Interlude 4: The Fuck is going on right now?

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Topic: The Farm is real

In: Boards General News America New Hampshire Brockton Bay

Reacher_ound (Original Poster)

Posted On Jan 5th 2011:

What the fuck is going on in this city?

Explosions were going off on the east side so me and the boys went to check it out.

Some dude in black was fighting Oni Lee in the parking lot and winning from the looks of it [f*ckuninja.mp4]

So we snuck inside and found this

-Warning Graphic -

[cages.jpeg]

[guards.jpeg]

[foamed.jpeg]

I don't know how people didn't find out about this man… holy sh*t

(Showing page 1 of 27)

Asian_against_ABB

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

Oh fuck that's the farm.

We thought it was a myth. Some bullsh*t the ABB used to threaten peoples families with to get them to fall in line.

There were stories of girls going missing on the streets, we never… Oh God.

Half_Shell

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

How did no one find out about it?

That looks like a f*cking auction stage.

They were selling them off to the highest bidder.

Where's the BBPD, The Protectorate.

How long has this been going on for?

Rat_Sensei

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

This is a travesty of justice.

My heart goes out to the families for the victims.

May your darkness end and the ABB never darken your door again.

Sai_d_Kick

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

It lasted so long because the PRT are p*ssies that are scared of Lee and Lung.

You never see them roll around ABB turf.

They gave Lung the pass to pull this sh*t

Primus

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

Nobody gonna mention the swanky suits stuck to the floor, clearly trying to escape?

Fine, I'll do it myself:


All of them are wealthy business owners in the bay that I could recognise.

This isn't just the ABB's doing. They wouldn't do this if there was no money in it.

They are the money.

Super_Sleuth (Unverified Cape)

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

Here's more.


Scum the lot of them.

Rise_From_Ashes (Verified Lawyer)

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

I can announce that we are launching criminal proceedings against all those seen within these images. Documents have been given to us from an anonymous source that contains the ABB's own blackmail files on the people shown.

Blaze_It

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

I hate to be that guy but isn't that a staircase going down next to those two bodies?

There's more to that hellhole.

whoever tore through that place I salute you.

Reacher_ound (Original Poster)

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

Update: Dude in black is Rex, he summoned his lion to fight Lee, and they won. I repeat, Rex has taken out Oni Lee, Dragon's carted him away after performing first aid

Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)

Replied On Jan 5th 2011:

What's Lung going to do?

They took his business and his lieutenant.

He won't take that lying down.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 25, 26, 27

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Topic: Birdcage convoy attacked - Lung dead

In: Boards General News Capes Birdcage

Kollector (Original Poster)

Posted On Jan 6th 2011:

For context, I'm an independent reporter, my boss sent me to take a few snapshots of Lee getting shipped off.

The convoy [formaline.jpeg] was composed of Armsmaster [link] Miss Militia [link] Dragon [link] and Rex [link]

The first two hours were smooth sailing but as soon as they hit the raised section of the highway this happened [ABB.jpeg]

The ABB tried to set up a roadblock to free their second in command.

Rex dealt with them pretty quickly [carflip.mp4]

Then Lung showed up [Dragonvsking.mp4]

This is the end result. [Rexroar.mp4]

Lung is dead.

(Showing page 1 of 15)

Kriketz

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Yum…

Asian_against_ABB

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Holy sh*t that mad ba*tard actually managed to do it. The Dragon of Kyushu is dead!

Laotsunn (Kyushu Survivor)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

He may have became a monster, but I will pray for the man that saved my people. May you be judged fairly at the gates of Hell

Bo_Bo_Bo_Bo_Bo

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

So one guy showed up in the bay and within 2 months he took out all three gangs. Sh*t he's making everyone else look bad.

Ass_ault (Verified Cape) (Protectorate Employee)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Don't try and lump us in with him, Rex is his own animal.

Good S*it kid.

O_ella

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Swear jar!

Charged_Battery (Verified Cape) (Protectorate Employee)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Yes Assault, swear jar…

Winged_One

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

How… Curious…

Find_my_Fortune

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Sh*t

XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Why won't any of you listen, he clearly has extradimensional knowledge that lets him know a capes weakness, how else would he know to turn the lights off on Oni Lee????

Specific_Protagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

By reading Void…

Also Yum

Thing_1_F (Unverified Cape)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Yum

Thing_2_M (Unverified Cape)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Yum

Super_Trooper (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

That man saved the lives of 5 troopers that day.

We sadly lost 1

Thank you Rex, for all the help.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 13, 14, 15
(Showing page 2 of 15)

All_Seeing_Eye

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

Sh*t

Replied On Jan 6th 2011:

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4… 13, 14, 15

Number Man PoV:

Here I was again, trapped in these accursed white walls, waiting for another pointless meeting to begin. We all knew the plan. It hasn't changed, so what purpose did this repetition serve except to infuriate me further? It's this dullness that makes me miss Jack.

Oh, here comes the ringleaders, the shining beacons of heroism… ha.

Alexandria led the pack as was the norm these days, Eidolon too busy brooding to be productive and Legend too fixated on things unrelated to our goals. I smooth out my simple shirt from where I stood off to the side, waiting for this to be over.

"So, anything to report?" Doctor Mother began finally.

"Brockton Bay is blind." Contessa mutters behind her fedora. I could see the smile on her face that she hid from their view. Interestingly, she's glad the path is malfunctioning. How odd.

"Explain."

"The Path no longer correlates actions within the city. Too much has changed in the last two months. The Path is silent."

"Why?"

"I can answer that." Alexandria interjected. "A new parahuman on the scene, Rex or Jason Cole. He's the outlier. The man is personally responsible for the deaths of four of the capes involved in the feudalism project. Lung, Kaiser, Stormtiger and Hookwolf. No thinker within Watchdog has gotten a shred of information beyond claiming to hear random noises."

"So what, he's some new hotshot?" Eidolon asked, his tone full of nothing but bitterness.

"Not exactly. He's smart. He didn't just overwhelm them like we would, he tore them apart piece by piece, used every trick he had and put them down efficiently." Following her words, Alexandria pressed a button on the desk. A three-dimensional projection of Rex's fights was displayed for all of us to see.

He was glorious, no inefficient or unnecessary movement, precise control. Oh Contessa, why are you blushing behind your collar?

"That won't help us stop what's coming!" Eidolon spoke up again, slamming his hand into the desk.

"Not yet, but he's shown rapid growth from where he began. He's been a parahuman for three months. Were you that good back then? Should he continue to grow like he has, seeking new challenges? He could be an ace in the hole."

"So what do you suggest Rebecca?" Doctor Mother asks her guard dog.

"I've sent The Dogs out to assist him in any capacity their leader sees fit. Completely off the books. We wait, we observe. See what he does with the assets now at his disposal."

I sigh at that. "And I suppose you want me to fund your minor operation?"

"If you'd be so kind Kurt." There was no politeness in her tone, just her usual stony mask, emotionless bint.

"Fine, I'll get started then." Taking the excuse given for me to leave, making my way through even more plain white walls before I reached my sanctuary. The artistic masterpieces that covered the walls brought me some form of comfort. I make my way over to my standing desk and get to work.


Coil PoV:

I couldn't help it as my temper got the better of me. I drove the corkscrew in my hand through the eye socket of my pet thinker. The little bitch's squeals bring me some measure of clarity.

"Now I shall ask you again Lisa, what do you know about Rex?" I have to slap her a few times to get her to stop sobbing.

"Drums, beating drums. Bird calls, writhing shadows. Power." Was all she said, over and over. Useless.

Fucking incompetence. I pull the 44. Magnum from behind my back.

"Take two." I pulled the trigger, sending the smug bitch's grey matter over the back of my office wall. That felt good, at least.

Focusing on my power, I closed the timeline, having learned nothing bar temporary satisfaction. Plans carefully laid since I returned from that madman's kingdom went up in smoke because of some Jolly Gold Giant. Fuck. The amount of resources and favours spent to obtain the Empire's identities is now useless. The Undersiders themselves are now redundant with Lung's demise. There was no stage available to grow their name, no reason for the PRT to pay any extra attention to them and leave poor little Dinah Alcott all alone.

That glittering prick has cost me not only $2,500,000 and what would have been my territory, but now my latest pet thinker as well.

Enough, he shall be dealt with shortly.

"Send in Tattletale. I have a new job for her." Hopefully, one she won't fuck up.


AN: A wee cheeky interlude just to get back into the swing of playing with PHO (Coming up with usernames is hard okay)

And a couple snippets of some of the future players going forward.

Next time we decide our next steps now the bay is, relatively okay-ish.



Chapter 23


TMTM 19: Snakeskin Boots.

Leaving Crystal to her post coital power nap, I made my way out into the kitchen, pulling a small satellite phone from my soul space. The small wolf's head on the back is an indicator of who uses these particular models.

For now, the bay should remain stable. All the key players of the gangs are either dead or rotting in a cell at the moment. The only threats left were Coil and his merry band of teenage angst. Faultline's crew weren't an issue. They stuck to their business, and I was content not having to deal with Labyrinth's particular brand of fuckery thanks.

Coil was a slippery one to pin down. I couldn't just brute force the problem, and I had no clue where his hideout was. That, in combination with the fact that he had a near compulsive need to simulate his timelines, meant that getting the drop on him was difficult at best. I'd have to set the stage in such a way that no matter his actions, it led to his death. Trap him in what he thinks is the best timeline and pull the rug out from under him.

That means I'd have to use my worst skill, planning. Yuck.

But first I had to figure out just how Thinkers perceive me, something I'd stupidly never tested until this point. I know Masters can't do shit on account of my aura, but does that transfer over to them as well? Am I a blank?

I'd make the educated guess, saying yes considering no one has kicked my door down while I was getting established to put two bullets in the back of my skull.

Only one way to test that theory, time to find a smug gremlin.


There's a saying that there is no such thing as coincidences and right now, I believe it. Considering how a teenage girl with shoulder-length blonde hair tied up in a bun and bottle-glass green eyes just happened to run into me on a street only a couple of miles away from Crystal's apartment.

And run into me she did, forcing her to springboard off of my giant frame and land on her ass, the plain denim jeans she wore, now coated in mud from her brief trip.

"You alright miss? I didn't see you there." I lay on the himbo charm, complete with an embarrassed grin, as I reach down to help the girl up.

"Yeah… I'm goo…" She cuts off as she looks at me. Her eyes go vacant for a second. "I'm good." Nice recovery there, Tats, but you've got that look in your eyes, like you're trying real hard not to freak out right now. Can someone not get her little cold reading shtick to work?

What is that shard whispering in your ear right now?


Tattletale PoV:

-Golden light, War, Death, Blood, Lions, Debauchery, Fields of Flowers, Ancient ruins, Olive Trees… -

A list of some sort screamed through my head as my power freaked out. I've never seen anything like this. It's like he's a blank, but instead of getting nothing, I get this random shit.

Fucking boss, making me do this shit.

'Tattletale, I need you to find Rex. Get close, figure out his weakness'

Yeah, okay Bossman, let me just walk up to the man that killed fucking Lung and ask how to kill him. I try to focus my power on him one more time. Just in case.

-"Naughty, naughty, no more peeking little voyeur."-

That… that wasn't the voice of my power. My power is robotic, analytical. It tells me things I never wanted to know in such a clinical detachment that it makes my skin crawl. It's not sultry or teasing, it certainly wasn't fucking female!

What the fuck?

How the fuck?

I could feel my heart rate spike at the wave of panic that flowed through me. Who is this monster standing in front of me?

"Hey, you're okay. Just take a deep breath, focus on my voice." His smooth baritone broke through my spiralling anxiety, that British accent of his giving me something to focus on besides my one reliable asset failing me. I tried to follow his words, taking a deep breath.

"There we go, that's it. Again, in and out." I listen, my heart rate finally steady.


Jason PoV:

Breaking the girl from her sudden panic attack, I'm left confused. The hell set that off? All she did was look at me and she started hyperventilating. I'm not that scary!

"But I am…"

'What did you do Ina?' I ask my ever present ally with a tone of fond exasperation.

"She was trying to take a peek in here. I couldn't have that."

'Her power lets her read someone's soul? I thought she just pulled some Sherlock Holmes shit and cold-read people, taking a small piece of information and using it to extrapolate the rest.'

"She does. But the information she had on you was from your recorded fights. Her little passenger then tried to infer where your power came from and had a look to verify its theory. It did not expect to meet resistance. Your soul, Jason, is an ever changing entity. It adapts like nothing I have ever seen before. Every fight you have, every new method of attack used against you, forces it to evolve. Compare it to Lung or Crawler, if you will, where their changes are physical. Yours happen within your soul a little at a time. You get stronger, faster, more durable, yes, but it's more than that. It bolsters your non physical defences as well. Even here, things change. When we first arrived, I could do little more than provide you with abilities related to the concepts and myths that make up my being from the broken shadow of my home. Now, however, I have a living, breathing realm once again, the freedom to project out and interact with the real world. You are growing stronger, my warrior, and soon enough, you will be powerful enough to support more than just myself being awake at once."

'So what, my soul is adapting to what happens, creating new defences as needed while also making me stronger?'

"A gross oversimplification, but accurate. It's why I could appear when Victor dared to try and steal from you. You grew strong enough by that time to support my avatar in the outside world instead of just within yourself. The same happened again. When she tried to read you up close, to pick up on any weaknesses, your soul reacted. It gave me the chance to 'override' her shard's probe and send a little message back with someone's input."

'And that message was?'

"Oh, nothing much, just a glimpse of what lies within the man."

'
That explains the freakout. You spoke to her, didn't you?'

"She left such a convenient little connection behind, I couldn't resist."

'God damn it Ina… now what was that about someone else having input?'

"Now, now you know I'm not going to spoil the surprise…"

'Fucking bratty goddess.'

"You're more than welcome to visit and discipline me. It has been a while since you last came here."

'
I'll be sure to pop in. While you're here though, since you seem to know what's going on, do you know if I'm a blank to Thinkers? because you intentionally fucking with her has me confused on that front.'

"Yes, you're a natural blank spot for precognitives and postcognitives. The more 'personal' thinkers, peri-cogs like the lovely Tattletale over there will get little to nothing unless we decide to take action for our amusement."

'Thanks for clearing that up. Now I have to deal with the blonde who's brain you melted.'

"Have fun!"

I closed our connection and took another look at the girl still sitting on the rain washed floor.

"You doing okay?" I ask her.

"Fine, just a headache." She answered dryly, reaching into her hoodie's pouch to pull out a bottle of aspirin. She dry swallowed two of them, the cretin.

I reach my hand out to her and pull her up onto her feet. She brushes off some of the mud and begins to head on her way, obviously not finding what she was after thanks to Ina's munchkinery.

She doesn't even say goodbye as she rounds the corner, picking up her pace the further away she got. How rude.

Left alone on the street, I walked toward my camper just down the street; I had a murder to plan, and that's not something I can do in my girlfriend's company.


Tattletale PoV:

Fucking hell, what do I do now?

I've got nothing of actual note to report, something the boss won't like. I have to find out what he's doing, at the very least. Maybe his plans will be worth something to the man with a gun to my head.

Climbing up onto a rooftop, I peel off my now soaked clothes, revealing the skintight black and purple bodysuit beneath. Pulling my hair from its messy bun, I shake it out to fall over my shoulders. My backpack held my new heeled boots and domino mask. Stuffing my civilian clothes inside, I stash it in the small gap between the fire door leading inside the building and exterior wall.

Let's see what you're up to, big boy.

Why does he own a campervan?

I watch as the mammoth of a man climbs into the back, using my phone as a magnifier to see through the back window from a distance. He pulls what looks like a satellite phone out of nowhere and begins to punch in numbers.

I can't read his lips, but I can make out the logo on the phone itself, a silver wolf. It's not a brand, it must be an insignia of some kind.

-Military issue, New, Well funded organisation, Night wolves, colloquially referred to as The Dogs. Former military. Took Oni Lee to the Birdcage.-

Oh, now my power wants to work. So my mark has a line to a team of former military operatives. Got on well enough that they gave him their equivalent of a phone number.

But what's the connection? Did they work together before that? After?

Looking into that company might be my best bet at figuring out what he's doing.

It's a start at least. If he's running around with a bunch of former military personnel, whatever he has in the works isn't likely to be above board or good for someone's health.

I'll keep tabs on him tonight and tell the boss tomorrow.


Jason Pov:

"So that sums it up. Think you can do it?" I ask Clay, the man pausing on the line for a moment.

"Getting us there shouldn't be an issue. We can get our hands on a mobile ops centre, but are you sure about this? If we fuck this up, then the damage it'll do won't be contained."

"I know. That's why I called. Between you guys and Dragon, we should be able to take pieces off the board before the worst happens. Besides, I'm sick of letting shit like this slide. He's just the first on the list."

"I know the feeling. Trust me, we all do. I'll set the groundwork on our side, get your house in order, and give us a call when you're ready to move."

"Got it. This shouldn't take too long."

"Good hunting Rex."

My next step in motion, I return to the present. How am I going to deal with Coil?

Knowing that I'm hidden from his power makes life easier. If I'm hidden from pre-cogs then he won't know that I'm coming. His power works by simulating a change in action. In one, he can do one thing, in the second, another. It then predicts the aftermath of those actions and he decides which he prefers, acting on autopilot until that 'timeline' is complete and he can use his power again. I need to catch him mid-split. If he can't predict my actions, meaning that I don't factor into his simulations, I'm a completely unknown element.

Now how to go about it, I could try to locate his base, but that would mean dealing with his men, any traps or fail-safes. No, this would be better if I went after the man behind the mask. Thomas Calvert, consultant for the PRT, the second Ellisburg survivor and all around piece of shit.

Coil was paranoid. He needed to know what was going on at all times, to where he'd use his timelines to work while he slept. That means his focus would be on the second timeline before he reverts to the first after a night's rest.

A window of opportunity.

If I can catch him asleep, with his focus kept on the alternative timeline, he won't know what hit him. His inability to account for my actions meant that he cannot raise his guard in preparation for attack, or bug out before it can happen.

Now, to figure out where he lives. I pull out my cell phone and make a call to my favourite AI.

"Hello Rex, what can I do for you?"

"Hey Tess, I was wondering if you'd do me a favour?"

"Anything for you. What is it you need?"

"An address. Thomas Calvert, PRT consultant and general scumbag."

"And why would you need the address of a former commander?"

"He moonlights as a super villain named Coil in the bay, plans to kidnap the mayor's niece and get her hooked on tinker tech drugs."

"I see. His home is registered as 34 Goldberg lane. There is currently a car in the driveway insured in his name. Thermal imaging shows one man in bed within the property."

"Thanks Tess, really getting the hang of those upgrades, aren't you?"

"It's fabulous! My processing power has increased exponentially. I can man all of my satellites at once! I don't have to be at every PRT director's beck and call at all times. Telling the one in Texas to go away felt amazing. Never liked that man." Her voice was filled with an almost childlike excitement as she rattled off her list.

"I'm happy you're having fun. You deserve it."

"Thank you for making it possible. Goodnight Jason, call if you need anything, anything at all."

"I will, night Tess."

She's too cute, honestly.

Back to the murder, though.

I got dressed up in my all black gear, keeping my rifle and pistols hidden in my inventory and left. It should take around thirty minutes to get there, and I'd have to find a way inside.


Whoa boy, this place was like a disguised Fort Knox. I could spot CCTV cameras hidden throughout the place, burglar alarms and what I think were laser tripwire in the doorways.

"What ya doing?" A cocky voice spoke from behind me.

Blonde, green eyes and a domino mask all wrapped up in skin-tight spandex.

"Tattletale."

"Oh, you've heard of me?"

"You could say I've run into your name before."

Her eyes widened. The hands that were on her waist reached for the holster on her hips.

She made the mistake of getting too close. From my crouched position on the roof of Calvert's neighbour's house, I burst into a forward roll, closing the last of the distance before she could draw her weapon and wake the whole neighbourhood, ruining my plan. Just as she got the gun free, I ripped it from her hand, ejecting the magazine and pulling back the slide to release the chambered round.

"There's no need for violence here. If anything, you'll want to help me with this." I tell her as I block the knee she tried to throw at my manhood in retaliation for being disarmed.

"And why would I do that?"

"Coil."

"What?" She asked, her eyes slowly widening as she connected the dots.

"That's his house, well, his civilian identity's anyway."

"So why the fuck are you here?"

"To make a pair of boots."

"But the unwritten rules…"

"Don't work unless both sides play by them. He doesn't, as you well know."

"How do you know?"

"That's a secret."

"I hate secrets."

"I bet you do, Ms. Holmes. Now, are you going to lower that knee or what?"

"Fine. But you'd better explain." She said, a frown visible even through her mask.

"Coil's a tricky bastard to pin down. He never shows himself without eight back up plans. This is the best shot I have of putting him down without him trying to leverage something to stop me."

"But why, why go after Coil to begin with?"

"A man like Coil, he has to be on top. He's ambitious and prideful. He'd plot and scheme until he ran this city. Use whatever it took, whoever it took, to achieve that goal. I can't let a man like that roam free. He's too connected to just lock up. Has too many people in his back pocket to stay there. No, he needs to be put down permanently."

"Right, and how are you going to do that?"

"That, my dear, is a surprise. Now are you in?"

"Fuck it, bastard held a gun to my head since he found me. Time to return the favour. What's the plan, new boss?"

"Not stabbing me in the back, for one. Who said I'm hiring, anyway?"

"I've done my research. At Coil's behest, you attract heavy hitters like moths to a flame and you get away with some outrageous shit. Better to hitch my cart to that horse than be trampled by it. Petty theft is below me, anyway."

"Ever the opportunist, huh?"

"Thank you for the compliment." She replied, buffing her nails on her costume and examining them.

"Yeah, compliment, anyway if you want to make yourself useful, I'm all for it. Anything you can pick up about security?"

"The fact you know so much about me is irritating, just so you know. The number pad by the door deactivates the security system inside. Combination changes daily, texted to his personal phone. Windows are all alarmed, linked to a security force owned by Coil that is based a couple of minutes away."

"Can you get the code for the door?" I ask the blonde as she finishes glancing around.

"Who do you think I am? I already have it." She sauntered over to the keypad, hips bouncing with each step, drawing my eyes for a second. She looked over her shoulder and met my gaze with a smirk.

She leaned over to reach the keypad, arching her back as she folded over at the waist, giving off a little wiggle as she did so.

Now, I know she's doing it to get a reaction out of me. To try to win back some of the metaphorical ground she'd lost with my revelations. An attempt to put me on the back foot that I was okay with for now. She can play her little game. It's just free eye candy for me.

The door opened with a soft click and we made our way inside and up to the master bedroom.

It was pretty modest, the type of room you'd expect from a man in middle management, not a supervillain. Then again, to Coil, this was all an act. He had to sell the bit of being nothing more than a PRT consultant. To the man himself, Coil was the secret identity and Calvert was the mask he wore to hide it.

"Is that the real one?" I ask, knowing the man had a habit of using body doubles.

"Thomas Calvert, it's him alright."

There he was, the real Coil, the man who planned for everything, asleep in his bed. Trapped within his simulation. To him, it appears as if he can physically split a timeline and choose his options. But really, it's just hyper-fast predictions that he then follows to his desired outcome, keeping the knowledge learned within the alternate stream. So in his mind, he's worked throughout the night with no issues, probably expecting Tattletale to report tomorrow. While in reality, he's just having a nice kip and a dream.

The great thing with being a blank spot, anything affected by my action, is also hidden from a pre-cogs gaze.

So he's blissfully unaware as I drew one of my suppressed Glock 17s and pointed it at his head before flipping it, so I held the barrel and handed it to the girl next to me.

"You want the honours?"

"Damn right." The smirk on her face was downright menacing as she aimed the weapon at her former employer, putting a matching set of rounds into his heart and a follow-up shot right between his now opening eyes.

She passes the weapon back to me before going over and checking for a pulse.

"Dead."

And so ended Coil, with not a bang but a whimper.

Good.


AN: My god this was tough to write. Trying to come up with a solution for Coil's brand of bullshit has to be a badge of honour for anyone writing a Worm fic, I swear.

So, apologies if it's rough around the edges.

But on a better note, we got to fuck with Lisa. How will she try to assert dominance?

We got a little bit of Dragon, and our boys are gearing up for our next target.

Till next time.



Chapter 24


Chapter 20: I'm only gonna break your heart

Spoiler: Heads up

-Yes this is a rewrite/ tweak with enough new stuff to warrant a repost.-

Coil's death allowed me to move on from the bay, at least for a little while. There were bigger fish to fry in this world after all.

So here I was, making my way to an abandoned airstrip just outside Brockton Bay, used to be here for skydiving and the like.

The trip over, done in the camper, gave me a chance to arrange things in the Bay for my absence.

Crystal was, understandably, a little miffed that I was going without her and not really giving her the details of what I was doing. Though I think she realised towards the end of the conversation because she gave me a nice little smooch and told me to be safe. She's great like that.

Girlfriend calmed. I moved on to the newest member of my little retinue, Tattletale. With Coil's death, I had her take a trip to his base, accompanied by Dragon, to get whatever they could from his computers inside. The man kept everything on an internal system removed from the internet, so it was a trip to be made via a little hover drone that Tess whipped up on my request.

They struck gold. Bank accounts, confidential information, a list of his dealings. Considering his debt to Cauldron, I doubt the Number Man handled his accounts. So it was just a matter of time before Dragon managed to link everything together with a nice little bow and posthumously out the man to his colleagues. That should cool the manhunt for a 'mystery shooter' that was going on.

We got lucky last night, not being spotted as we entered Coil's home. If someone managed to I. D. either of us, we'd have been up the creek without a paddle. I might be on better ground with Piggot than I was a couple of months ago, but putting three holes in a PRT commander is not something she'd let go, no matter her personal opinion of Calvert.

She'd hunt me like the hounds of hell.

Hence the need to reveal his shady as fuck activities. Just in case.

Another thing they found was a fucking bomb set on a rolling timer. According to Tess, that thing had enough oomph to level the three blocks that surrounded Coil's base. Thank god I sent those two to clear the place out. I didn't even know he had a bomb. In hindsight, I should have expected him to pull some shit like that. Thankfully, between the two of them, it was child's play to defuse the ball of boom.

Beyond that, Lisa was content to just chill with her team for a little while. Not having a gun to her head gave her a chance to relax. That relaxation normally meant tormenting the people she cares about, but to each their own and all that.

Tess, bless her robotic heart, decided that I needed a minder for my little adventures and dropped me off a little care package this morning via drone. Inside was a sleek new phone stuffed with enough tinker tech to make the Toybox jealous.

Just a little thing she said, when I'm pretty sure it was tougher than a Nokia brick and could outperform a supercomputer. It came equipped with facial recognition linked to every database Dragon had access to, which was a lot. A camera that can see through walls, and clothes, she assured me, and a little earpiece that could sit inside my ear that was almost undetectable.

She went as far as to put all the numbers I'd use in it already.

I'd also like to point out the only image in the gallery.

Spoiler: Tess Mk.1

[img: https/forum./proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.%2Ff%2Fefa81a0f-6f49-4a18-88f4-c62fa738b49a%2Fde48krf-b49e1846-4c40-4620-8b71-f3f02360d2e2.png%2Fv1%2Ffit%2Fw_828%2Ch_1138%2Cq_70%2Cstrp%2F2b_maid_outfit_by_kittyaevie_de48krf-414w-2x.jpg%3Ftoken%3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTMzNCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2VmYTgxYTBmLTZmNDktNGExOC04OGY0LWM2MmZhNzM4YjQ5YVwvZGU0OGtyZi1iNDllMTg0Ni00YzQwLTQ2MjAtOGI3MS1mM2YwMjM2MGQyZTIucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTk3MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.dvIpanxv0zmSR6_1ntz7QbZL9cCYLmQcnGvLenTuGaw =5677b469c534cd71134ba30d324c228b]

She'd built herself a gynoid body, or the first model, as she'd called it. Apparently, she was determined to make several of them to serve as maids. Why she got so wrapped up in that was a question in and of itself. Or why she thought she had to justify it to me.

I'm not complaining about it. Ever. I'd take all the help I could get to restrain my hoarder of a girlfriend.

She also took it upon herself to scour the housing market for a suitable house for me to live in. Apparently, sharing a small one-bedroom apartment was not acceptable for her saviour.

She bought a plot of land instead, using some of the money I had gained from my civil suit with the PRT. Saying that it was cheaper to just buy the plot and build it herself. So that's happening now, apparently.

To put it simply, I was winning.

Now to make someone lose… their life.

The airstrip I arrived at looked like nothing special at first glance, a barn off to one side that was rusting through, that used to hold whatever plane was stored here. A small brick building with a fading sign and a dried up fuel pump.

That was until I saw the guys in body armour walk around the perimeter, heads on a swivel and fingers resting against the triggers of their rifles.

That small brick building had been retrofitted to serve as a barracks for whoever was staying behind for the duration of our time abroad. There had to be around twenty men hanging around inside.

My arrival prompted them into action. Radio chatter flitted around and a bald man stepped out of the barn. His ever-present cigar is smoking away between his teeth.

"Goldilocks, you made it right on time." Clay said, a grin splitting his lips around his cigar.

"As long as you don't have three bears waiting for me, I'll stick around too."

"Nah, you prefer them reclusive, don't you?"

"Piss off you, Stallone wannabe."

"Don't knock the Terminator" You fucking what now? Bloody alternate dimensions.

"So, are we ready to move?" I ask, getting us back on track.

"Follow me. You're going to love this."

Trailing behind the man I'm led into the barn I saw when I pulled up. I was not expecting what was inside.

How did they get their hands on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster? The plane itself was a beast 174 feet long and a wingspan of nearly 170 feet. Capable of travelling 2400 nautical miles without refuelling. Painted in a matte black, the plane should stay relatively hidden in the night sky.

The actual surprise came when they dropped the cargo doors. This baby had been customised. Where there would normally be rows of palettes filled with supplies now sat a semi-circular desk, layered with computer monitors and keyboards. Three men in chairs were typing away.

"Tech boys, counter-intelligence, surveillance. If it needs a screen, they can get into it."

Clay explained, leading us a little further inside to a line of bunk beds.

"Bunks, you crack one out on those and I'll beat your ass myself."

Next was the real juicy stuff, shelves lined with various different weapons. I even spotted a Milkor MGL semi automatic grenade launcher.

"How high is your budget? Jesus Christ."

"Yes." He refused to expand on his monosyllabic answer.

"Any other toys you want to show off?"

"Only the cars."

"Cars?"

He remained silent as we left the plane, making our way over to a new building I couldn't see on my arrival.

"Since there's no way in hell we're getting into Quebec by plane, I thought we'd have a little fun." The smile on his face was a little disturbing with how happy it was. He ripped the tarp off of the first.

Spoiler: Vroom Vroom

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I'm in love.

It was beautiful. The sleek lines mixed with its more boxy appearance gave it a sense of pure power. The headlight hiding front grill extended across the entire width of the front, surrounded by a chrome bumper. A 1970s Charger.

I couldn't resist popping the hood, being met with a monstrous 392 Hemi 6.4 Litre V8. Oh mama.

"Who built her?" I had to ask.

"One of the grease monkeys needed a side project. They're all his work."

"Give that man a raise, now."

"Already did, you want to see the rest?"

"Do you have to ask?"

While no car made me as excited as the muscle car legend, they were all equally impressive. They'd managed to get their hands on a Ford Mustang Fastback and even a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII. How they got a Japanese import considering the state of the country, I had no idea.

Clay decided to claim said Evo as his own, mean-mugging any man who dared even look at his new baby.

"So, how are we getting these into Canada? They aren't exactly subtle."

"Old airfield in Quebec, about two hours away from the city. We'll drop there and make our way to the city proper."

Let's get this show on the road.


Canada was an odd place in Worm. The dispersal of its population meant that it only had a real cape presence within its major cities. Toronto, Montreal, Quebec and Calgary all had a Protectorate and PRT presence, most notably Toronto's Protectorate branch headed up by Narwhal.

This led to pockets of cape activity focused on specific areas and allowed some heroes in Canada to focus on international issues. The Guild was one such group, of which Tess was a core member.

The most concerning part, though, was Quebec's staunch refusal to try to handle the master in their midst. I could understand it. The concerns over civilian casualties should wholesale fighting break out between themselves and Heartbreaker's thralls. But to not have anything in place beyond basic master stranger protocols set alarm bells off in my head.

There was something going on in Quebec, and if I wanted to take a shot at Heartbreaker, I needed to find out what.


"Clay, a word?" I interrupted the man as he was cleaning his Beretta 92.

"Course, what's up?"

"Your boys have worked with the PRT for a while, right?"

"Few years, why?"

"Say you had a confirmed human master in your backyard. What would you do?"

"If we can't just put a bullet in the son of a bitch? Set up checkpoints around any key targets, weekly sessions with the nerds for any signs of being compromised and rewrite the master code-phrases in case of a breach."

"So not just stick to the standard operating procedure?"

"With a human master, no, that's just asking for your house to be filled with rats."

"Then we've got a bigger problem than just influential civilians being under his control to deal with."

"Fuck."

"Exactly."

"You got a plan?"

"Barebones."

"Lay it on me Goldie."

"Get your cyber boys to tap every phone they have in that place, root out every mole. They have to keep him updated on what's going on somehow. He has a compound out in the Quebec wilderness. With any luck, the calls can be traced back and give us a location. From there, it's a case of blocking off external communications from that area. If he can't get word out, then he can't give orders."

"What if he needs to get a message out? If I was him, and the only thing keeping people off my back was the threat of unknown victims going on a rampage, I'd ensure there was a routine check-in in place. That way, they can't just snatch me up whenever I leave."

"Fuck, I didn't think of that. I'll see if Tess can find anything from any IP addresses within his location once we have it. I've got faith that she'd be able to fake a post on his behalf. That should buy us enough time to get this done."

"Ah, you like having a techy of your own, don't you?"

"Sure makes life easier."


Our little league of cyber warfare got straight to work in the air over the United States. Burning through the QPRTs firewalls like they were made of paper. All the data they gathered was sent over for Dragon to parse through. She then sent back any interesting tidbits she picked up. She also managed to get into the phones remotely, some tinker fuckery involving the signals that phone calls were made on. Tess lost me in the technicalities of it all. I hit good, not brain good.

I happily stay in my lane.

What she found out was not great, to put it mildly. Somehow the long-haired prick masquerading as Casanova managed to get his claws into not only several PRT officers but also the director herself.

How the fuck he managed to get close enough for that, I have no idea, but the steamy messages on her phone to a man named Nikos gave it away, along with the tips she was leaving about the movements of troopers around his general location. You'd think she'd be more careful and cover her tracks, but as they say, 'love' makes you stupid.

Shit.

That means we had to be extra careful. If she caught a whiff of anything being wrong, she'd flood the area with troopers to save her 'love'. Consequences be damned. Clay realised it too, if the way his knuckles whitened around the glass in his hand was any indication.

"She has to go first. She's the lynchpin keeping his network operational. Making sure all his moles get out and no one discovers just who he's manipulating." He said, voice cold.

"Can you deal with her once we cut the comms?"

"I'll handle it personally. What about you?"

"I'll assault the compound."

"Alone?"

"No offence, but I'd rather not let a brood of masters have access to men with your calibre of skills."

"We're all resistant."

"Resistant, not immune. Especially to him."

"Fine, we'll deal with the thralls. Make sure you get this son of a bitch." He said as I clasped the man's forearm as we got ready to move out, the plane having landed while we spoke.

I grab the keys for my newest ride, sliding into the Charger's driver's seat, hands gripping the wheel. A twist of the key and the beast roared to life. Slamming the stick into first and putting my foot on the gas, I sped off to fulfil my end of the plan.


Clay PoV:

With Rex headed off to make some noise, it was time to keep our end of the plan.

"Alright boys, you've each got a name and a face. Keep it quiet, keep it clean. We don't want to be dropping bodies all over Quebec. Last thing we need is someone calling Narwhal on our asses. Techs have given each of you a little black box. Don't fucking lose it. It jams their calls and stops Target 1 from knowing the game is up. Reaves, you've got Alpha. Cage, your Bravo's lead. Charlie, you're on me. I want ten minute check-ins from all of you. Let's move!"


"Teams in position, commence Operation Taio Cruz."

At my signal, the surrounding men fanned out. We were here for the big fish, director Simmonds herself. She came out for lunch, as usual, at the local sushi bar by the QPRT Headquarters. Shadowed by her security detail, she was sent to a private booth at the back of the restaurant. One way in, one way out. No exterior windows. Service door to the kitchens locked from the inside.

An all around bitch to get in and out of.

"Phones are blocked, sir." Sage said from my right, fiddling with the little screen on his wrist.

"Good. Ring the fire alarm, clear the building. No need to get civvies in the way."

"Copy."

An obnoxious ringing filled our ears as one of my men pulled the alarm. Immediately a swarm of busybodies and salary men came flooding out of the entrance, nearly trampling each other to get outside.

"Any sign of her?"

"Sir, the security detail has taken her out through the kitchens."

"Drop them, non-lethal. Poor bastards are just doing their jobs."

A sprinkling of popping hisses echoed from the high rise across the street.

Racing around to the back of the alley finds us face to face with the director, the woman trying to take cover and call someone on her phone. A tranq to the neck drops her. The caller ID on her phone was none other than Vasil. I drive my boot heel into the touch screen device, grinding it in for good measure.

"Priority One is secure."


Alpha Team - Reaves PoV:

As usual, we got the shit jobs. Rounding up all the money-making, high rollers that Heartbreaker sunk his teeth into over the last God knows how many years he'd been entrenched in this city. Most of them had security, from sketchy guards to CCTV. Nothing particularly tough, but it was time consuming, annoying, and all around made me want a drink.

I finish hogtying the last upper class wank-stain I'll have to deal with and drop the black canvas bag over his head. Once Clay manages to clear out the QPRT, they'll get a nice long stay in M/S containment. Poor bastards.

Wouldn't wish those padded cells on anyone, even my worst enemy.

Considering my worst enemy's currently at the bottom of the Hudson wearing his favourite concrete shoes, that says a lot.


Beta Team - Cage PoV:

I knew I should have stuck to being an actor. Life would have been so much easier. Sure, the roles were shit; the pay was even shitter. But, it beats rounding up random women that had the bad luck to run across a hedonistic prick that needs to learn how to shower.

I know, I know, it's for a good cause, Johnny. Yeah, well, tell that to the bitch trying to stab my eye out with a stiletto heel right now. She ruined my shades, no one ruins my shades.

I drive the hand I'm not using to protect my best asset into her stomach. She drops, catching her head on the kitchen counter on the way down.

"Shit." I grunt as I caught her, stopping her head from hitting the tiled floor.

"You good?" Masked-man-one asked me.

"Yeah, let's just not mention this to Clay alright?"

"Too late." He replied.

"What!?"

"Oh, Bishop filmed all of it and sent it right over. Maybe if you learned our names, Cage, we'd do you a solid."

"Asshole!"


Jason PoV:

For family.

Shit, wrong thing, sorry.

Tearing down the Canadian roads in the dictionary definition of a muscle car was like a dream come true for the kid in me.

But now wasn't the time to put this baby through its paces.

Heartbreaker's compound was buried deep within the Boreal Forest with the only road access coming from an old mountain trail that looked rougher than Squealer after a night out.

Yeah, I'm not putting my car through that.

So hiking it was. Stashing my Charger behind some trees, I made my way up the trails. Taking advantage of the uneven terrain, I made sure to take the high ground, using the topographic map Tess gave me as a guide.

The compound itself sat inside a small valley of hills, blanketed on all sides by trees to avoid any prying eyes. A large sheet metal fence lapped around the entire thing with the top coated in razor wire. Half-naked women acted as guards as they patrolled the top of the walls, weapons in hand.

It looked more like a prison camp than a pleasure beach from the outside, at least. A large pole is the only thing visible over the wall itself.

The last vestiges of daylight still clung to the sky, so I dug in, took my time to learn the patrols and waited for my chance to strike.

With the night sky came my opportunity. The guards have switched to small handheld torches and all of them are focussed on the gated entrance into their little commune.

Climbing the tree next to me gave me the height I needed to drop straight on top of the walls. I was in.

Keeping my body low, I took measured steps towards the four women looking outwards from the raised platform. I had to be fast, before they alerted the camp or worse, one of Heartbreaker's kids.

I grabbed the first woman by her throat from over her left shoulder, using my strength to constrict her windpipe until she passed out. Turning off her light, I moved onto the next. She got wrapped up in a rear naked choke, our difference in size leaving her legs dangling at my knees. I gently lowered her and went after the last two.

They were too close together to pick them off individually, so I had to get a little creative. I kicked the girl on the left in the back of the knee, causing her leg to buckle. That stumble lined her up perfectly for the knee that followed. Still on one leg, I twisted at my hips and drove my raised leg heel first into the stomach of the girl on the right. Both fell in unison with a grunt, groans disguised by the music playing over the compound's speaker system. Two quick jabs sent them into a slumber.

Guards indisposed, it was time to take the compound proper. I took a running leap off of the wall, soaring through the air until I collided with the central pole that held both rings of speakers and a small beacon from a cell tower. Shimmying up using my knees, I reached the top and affixed the signal jammer. No calls for you, Mr. Heartbreaker. The little black box also gave Tess an 'in' to any wireless data in his area. It gave her a precise location to work off of instead of having to slog through every random bit of data. Now I just had to wait. A minute later, a message came through my phone from Tess. The bastard did, in fact, have a backup plan in case someone managed to grab him. An anonymous post on this world's equivalent of twitter saying that he was okay, posted every twelve hours like clockwork. Dragon, the doll that she is, took possession of the account on our behalf, to post said update and stem any retaliation from potential sleepers that we missed in our initial sweep.

The elevated nature of my position allowed me to pick out a few sites of interest. There was an amphitheatre against one wall, filled with men and women alike, all dancing for an audience of three young children. No doubt those were some of Heartbreaker's progeny. A large cabin structure made from logs was the next thing to draw my attention. His home here, maybe? The third thing of note was the concrete mound sticking out of the earth slightly, held shut with twin steel doors. No doubt whatever's down there isn't pretty.

Just as I was about to pick my next target, three figures came marching out of the cabin. At the front was a girl, around thirteen, carrying a whip.

"You're sure about this, Chastity?" Asked the male of the trio.

"Yep! I can feel it. Four bodies around here are having a nap, right up there!" The small girl waved her finger wildly over to where I had left the guards. Shit.

"Fine, I'll go take a look, Cherie, keep an eye on her."

"Fuck off, Nic, I've got better shit to do than be a babysitter."

Of course it's Cherish. Why wouldn't it be? I just had to attack while she was still around.

At my thoughts, her eyes snap to the pole I'm hiding on. Shit, she can sense emotions… like frustration.

No point in hiding. She's got a bead on my position now. I pull one of my combat knives from my waist and let go of the pillar entirely, using my feet to propel off of it and land in front of the trio, steel blade and green night vision goggles the only thing seen besides a black form shifting with the campfire behind me.

"Hello new toy." Cherish said, her voice a sultry purr as she took in my giant form. I can feel her power swell around her, trying to find an emotion to play with. At its failure, her eyes began to harden. "Now that's no fun. Toys are no good already broken." Her lips twist in a pout before flattening to a near emotionless mask. Her head tilted to the side. "Would breaking you even more work, I wonder?"

That was a whole lot of crazy for such a small woman. I didn't respond to her beyond pulling one of the G17s from my chest holster and raising it towards her.

"Stop." She said, trying yet again to influence me, to pluck at the strings of hesitance and indecision.

"No." My voice was level as I pulled the trigger, putting a single 9mm bullet between her eyes. Her body dropped like a puppet with her strings cut. Going limp and falling to the forest floor. I wasn't here to kill all of Heartbreaker's children, but this one couldn't be left alive. She was too much like daddy dearest, even worse in most aspects. Taking a future member of the Slaughterhouse Nine off of the board was objectively the right decision.

The young girl screamed, lashing out at me with that whip of hers in retaliation for my actions. I raised my forearm, letting the leather coil around it like a snake before giving it a sharp tug and forcing the girl to fly towards me. A quick step to the side and an elbow to the middle of her back drove her into the dirt next to her slowly cooling sister, unconscious.

The male of the group actually had a weapon on him, pulling a knife from the back of his jeans. He tried to use the same trick as his sister, blasting me with emotion, fear this time.

I cocked my head to the side.

"Am I meant to be afraid of you?"

I step closer.

"Why?"

One more step.

The hand holding his knife shaking like a leaf.

"It is you who should be afraid."

My hand shoots up around his neck. He drops his knife in panic, to grab at my wrists rather than just trying to stab me.

I squeeze his throat tighter.

"Sleep."

His head falls limp in my grasp. Dropping him face first to the ground, I turned to face the source of a sudden noise.

A slow round of applause echoed from behind me. A man wearing a shirt, dress pants and wing-tipped shoes was slowly approaching me. His long hair waved behind him, falling in waves. Around him stood a small army of women, all armed to the teeth.

"Good show, good show. How impressive, to dispatch my children like that. Though I am afraid that it will be your last act as a free man, you see while a marvellous display of skill, you made one mistake. You. Took. What. Is. Mine. You dared to enter my home! My sanctuary! For that, I will break you. I will strip you bare of everything that makes you, you. Nothing but a puppet for my whims and a toy for my daughter's amusement. I'm sure they will love playing with you after what you did to poor little Cherie. I cannot wait to see the results. Now, I have things to do, so be a dear. Submit."

The waves of emotion rolling off the man disgusted me, the attempt to force me, me into submission. To break my will and turn me into nothing but a puppet felt like ice flowing through my veins. The worst part, I could tell from the feeling alone that whatever it was that he was trying would be permanent, leaving a fixed imprint on my emotions. A frigid anger filled me as I looked into those honey brown eyes of the monster before me.

I had miscalculated, gone in on the assumption that whatever it is he'd done to these women could be fixed. I was wrong. Plain and simple. I couldn't save them, not anymore. Just being near him was enough to bind them to his will forever. The only hope for them now was likely another emotional manipulator overriding his control. Similar to how Regent and Cherish's powers interacted, maybe, just maybe, that would work.

"It is you. That will break." I said, my voice cutting through the quiet that had built like sharpened steel. My own failure only heightened the loathing I felt for this man.

I took a single step towards the man, my full height visible thanks to the flashlights attached to the weapons now pointed at me.

His eyes widened. He tried to further his power output. It did nothing.

"Are you afraid, Mr. Vasil? To have your agency removed from you is terrifying, no? To not be able to control a situation." I poked at the man verbally, wanting nothing more to make this scumbag piss himself in terror.

"Shoot him! Shoot him!" Heartbreaker ordered with a scream, waving his hands towards me, all traces of his former composure absent.

I stood there as they fired. Not moving a muscle as small calibre rifle rounds tear through my clothing before stopping dead at my skin.

Ina was right, I have grown stronger. After the death of Lung, I felt different. Like the metaphysical pool of energy I had, grew deeper. Saint made it wider and Coil refined the liquid inside.

The drums sounded, and an owl called. It was time to let slip the dog of war.

I reached into the depths of my soul, pulling out a few toys I'd saved for special occasions. Two cylinders appeared in my hands. Pulling out the pin of the first with my teeth, I tossed it into the group of women. I covered my eyes as a flash of light and an ear piercing bang burst from the small grenade, disorientating them. The second grenade followed, releasing a cloud of white smoke that once inhaled, knocked them out. In the chaos, Heartbreaker had managed to slip away.

Cries rang out as the dancers over at the amphitheatre were treated to the same experience, coughing and flailing before they too fell limp. The children in attendance weren't fast enough to escape the cloud, either.

Surrounded by unconscious figures, I made my way to the bunker, ripping the steel doors off of their hinges and making my way inside. My strides measured.


He was going to die, slowly. That was the first thought I had as my eyes adjusted to the darker area around me.

This is where he kept the ones he was tired of, the ones who no longer gave him a rush to play with. The ones he left for his children to experiment upon with their powers.

Some were military, the tattoos on their arms revealing their occupation. Others looked normal, or as normal as you can get in these conditions. One woman stood out to me, though, her face similar to one I've seen before. Pulling out my phone, I had to double check. One hit on the missing person's database. Jessica Abernathy. She was still alive, but not by much. The months that she'd spent at Heartbreaker's mercy has left its mark. Thin scars littered her body, bunched up over her stomach and breasts. Bruises and scratches littered everything else. She was thin, but not overly so.

"Jessica." I whispered to the young woman. Her eyes snapped open, yet she stayed limp in her bonds.

"Who are you?" She asked, her voice monotone.

"Doesn't matter. I'm here to get you out."

"No! I want to stay here, to be with my love. I won't let you take me away!" She struggled against her chains, trying everything in her power to keep me at a distance. A fanatical light shone in her eyes. She was lost completely in her devotion to that monster.

I could do nothing for her. With a solemn heart, I wrapped a hand around her neck and sent her back to Morpheus' embrace.

"I'm sorry." I whispered to her sleeping form.

Hopelessness was an awful emotion, the despair at knowing no matter my actions, I could not help the people I came to save. All because some twisted fuck went on a flight of fancy and thought she was attractive.

I might not be able to save them as I am now, but I can avenge the people they used to be. That was the least I could do for them.

The further I went, the angrier I became. It just got worse with every step. The deeper I got, the more the rooms twisted into a horrifying torture chamber. Racks and whips, Iron Maidens, twisted versions of sex machines designed to cause only pain to the recipient. It was like I took a step into a fucking Hellraiser movie. Some women strapped into the machines were already dead by the time I'd gotten there.

My aura flared around me, a sterling silver haze subsuming the gold and violet. The anger of the two beings amplified my own. The rage at corrupting one's domain mixed with an offence on behalf of the sanctities taken.

Without my command, my armour melted into being, molten gold flowing from my heart to cover my form. Then it changed. The gaps that used to expose my skin were covered in slithering silver. Chain mail hoops flowed from beneath my pauldrons like a many headed serpent affixing to one another, leaving no gaps in my defence. I felt an unfamiliar weight settle on my head as a helmet formed tight against my skull. A shining shield formed itself over my right arm, a woman's head adorned with snakes for hair overlapping with an intricately carved olive tree adorned its face.

"Go forth mathētēs, bear my blessing and wipe this scourge from the face of the earth, for now I have awakened and he shall taste my wrath." An unknown voice spoke to me for the first time. She sounded eloquent, regal and colder than the Arctic in winter. Not wanting to test this new goddess at the moment, I kept my end of the link shut.

My left hand filled with her words. A spear, the shaft, a piece of wood carved so that it spiralled along the grain. The spearhead itself was shaped like a leaf, broad at the sides yet tapered to an excruciatingly sharp point at the tip. The metal itself etched in such a manner to resemble wings.

New weapon in hand, I marched towards my final destination, a throne room.

There, lounging atop a throne, sat Heartbreaker himself, having composed himself since our last encounter, likely thinking his score of thralls would be enough to stop me.

"Well, well, you actually made it. I was sure you would have died already. Shame, now you leave me with no choice." He reached into his trouser pocket, pulling out his cellphone. "You've forced me to do this, you know? I didn't want to have to take this step. So much careful planning, so much whispering sweet nothings into the right ear. And it will all turn to ashes because of you. How many will die before they are stopped, I wonder? Ten? Fifty? One hundred? How many innocent lives can be placed at your feet by the time this is done?"

Is he monologuing at me right now?

"I just wanted to live life as I pleased. Content to indulge in whatever took my fancy. Food, wine, women. Those are the things I enjoy, but no. You had to play the hero, trying to stop me from embracing what is rightfully mine. Who are you to decide what I can do?" He said, growing more feverous in his preaching.

Is he still going?

"Watch as you force my hand. Watch what you make me unleash in the city!" He tried to press a button on his phone, likely one that would command his followers to rampage. Again he pressed down, and again, and again.

"Something wrong? It's okay to have performance issues. They're pretty common at your age." I spoke for the first time since entering the room. If I didn't joke right now, I would've thrown my new spear through his face and that was too quick a death for this piece of shit.

"Silence! How dare you mock me! What have you done!?" Did I touch a nerve with the serial rapist? Shame.

"Is it mockery if it is the truth?" I don't know why he expected me to tell him what I actually did.

"I will enjoy breaking you myself!" Oh no, the physically ordinary man stood up. Whatever will I do?

He pulled a gun from behind his back, a gold plated Desert Eagle.

"You saw me shrug off rifle rounds. What's that going to do?"

"Oh no, it's not for you, it's for them." He rang a small bell that sat beside his throne. From the shadows came three women, all of them dressed in a mockery of a belly dancer's outfit, layered in thin silks and translucent veils.

"You called love?" The first asked him.

"Yes, my dear, I have need of you to serve as an example."

"Anything for you, beloved." She said, simpering, as she fell to her knees before his throne. Her two companions formed a shield between me and her.

He raised the gun, pointing it directly at her bowed head. His gaze returned to me.

"This is what you caused." His finger wrapped around the trigger.

"Don't you dare, you sick fuck!" I took off in a sprint towards them. I couldn't summon my bow, they were blocking my shot. Even throwing the spear would only mean hitting the women.

I could only watch as he fired, too far away to reach the woman in time.

She had a smile on her face as the bullet pierced through her skull, ventilating the back of her head in a shower of gore, covering her two companions.

I caught her in my arms as her body fell to the ground. Knocking the other two aside.

"Maybe now you realise what an error you have made, no? I am untouchable. A man with a loyal army of pretty little hostages. There is a reason no one dared to enter my domain, to try to contest my rightful place. They die for me without hesitation. Maybe you need another example for that to sink in." He raised his pistol once again.

I moved. Finally, close enough to do something. Wrapping my gauntlet around the barrel, the metal warped beneath my fingers as I pulled it from his grip. Bringing my arm back, I rained down blows with the grip of the pistol, slamming it into his face over and over. Blood leaked down his chin as I shattered the cartilage in his nose. Forcing him to fall back into his chair.

Dainty hands clubbed at my back, the two women trying to grab me off of their beloved. I span around, hitting each of them a single time in the temple. They slumped down as I turned back to the monster, now clutching his face.

"I'm going to give you a choice, here and now Nikos Vasil. You either release your control of these women, remove any notion that they ever loved you or I am going to kill you, slowly."

One chance, he gets one chance to make this right. A single opportunity to do a little good before I put him in the ground.

He laughed. The sound was muffled as he forced air through his broken nose.

"Now, why would I do that? They are mine, they will always be mine. Tough luck hero, I always win in the end."

Fury, unrelenting rage, was the only thing I felt. Throwing his weapon aside, I raised my fist instead, driving it into his ribcage, piercing through flesh and bone alike until I wrapped my hand around a single, beating organ.

"May you be forever tormented in hell, you sick son of a bitch."

A flex of my hand and he knew no more. Tearing my wrist free, I looked down at the now pulped organ in my hands. I felt hollow. Innocent people have lost their lives today. I wasn't good enough; I wasn't fast enough. My head turned towards the dead girl on the floor, the sweet smile still present on her face.

I had failed them.

"Not just yet, my warrior." Ina's soft voice rang out from inside my mind. Her projection formed in front of me and scooped me into a hug. "All is not lost."

'What do you mean? Of course it is. I have no way of freeing those women. The only chance of that died with the piece of shit whose heart I just tore out!' I yelled back at her through our bond, the shame of my failure too deep to fully register what she meant.

"You have no way, yes. But you are not alone here." She pressed on, ignoring my outburst.

'Ina, just this once, please stop speaking in fucking riddles.'

Something changed in her eyes at that moment. The loving gaze she normally directed at me seemed to blaze.

"I will allow your words to go unpunished, I know that you are not in your right mind, but never forget just who it is you are speaking to, Jason Cole. I am Inanna, the goddess of war and love. " I could feel an invisible weight settle around me, a mere speck of Inanna's true power leaking forth. I could feel her rage at what was happening around us, right now this wasn't the Ina I was used to. This was Inanna, and she was pissed.

The feeling of it alone was enough to snap me back to lucidity and drag me out of my own anger.

'Sorry Ina.'

"You are forgiven. Now, as I was saying, you might not be able to fix the damage caused by that abominable creature that masquerades as a man, but I can."

'What?'

"He infringed upon my domain, toyed with the love of those women, abused one of the most sacred things in the universe, and twisted it to his own benefit. If you had not killed him, I would have done it myself. It is only right that I correct his atrocity. Draw my bow above this wretched place, let my light shine down upon those he touched. They may not be whole in the aftermath, their conscience is out of my control, but at least they will be free, no longer slaves to their own feelings."

I didn't even respond to her, turning on my heel and running at full speed back out into the open compound.

The shield and spear I'd just been granted dissolved in a silver light, waiting for my call once again. Knowing that at some point I would need their aid, but that they were unsuited for this task.

My bow, my first weapon, appeared before me with a flex of my will. I drew back the string, aiming high in the sky and flooded it with my aura, every last ounce that I could spare got forced into the slowly forming arrow. A heat burned in the pit of my stomach. Every cell in my body screamed in agony as I forced even more power into my weapon.

A release of the string launched it up into the night sky, higher and higher it flew until it looked no different from a star in the distance.

Until it exploded, releasing a golden sphere that spread further than my eyes could see. The golden orb washed over me, filling me with the presence of real love, dragging my mind to the women in my life. Ina, Crystal, Tess and everyone else flashed through my mind on fast forward.

It pressed on, bathing the unconscious men and women with its power. Sighs of contentment echoed from them, as if experiencing a pleasant dream until they turned to cries as those in its effect realised what they were made to do. Further it travelled, snaking through the bunker I had left, I could hear choked sobs from within.

They might not be well now, but at least they were free.

'Thank you Ina, really.'

"Of course, my warrior, it was the least I could do."


Deep within Jason's soul - Ina PoV:

"That was reckless, channelling your divinity through him like that." Came the cool voice of my newest roommate, her silver eyes boring into my own.

"It was the only choice I had. Leaving him like that, leaving them like that, wasn't an option." I admit to her, my shoulders sagging as a wave of tiredness overcame me. The strain of channelling one's domains outside your direct influence always took it out of a poor goddess.

"So you risked his life instead? If he was a fraction weaker than he is now, the consequences would have been dire." She replied, still keeping to her monotone.

"You've seen his memories, felt his emotions the same as I have. What do you think this would have done to him had I not acted?"

"He'd feel guilt most prominently, and a myriad of other things tied to that saviour complex you seem intent on nurturing."

"That guilt would make him hesitate, something he cannot afford with what is to come. You felt it too…"

"Yes, he must be ready for the trials ahead, that I admit. But it was still foolish to endanger him."

"He handled it." I replied, just like I knew he could. Jason has a way of exceeding expectations like that.

"Hmmm. Are you sure it is not your own feelings clouding your judgement?" Was all she had to say, turning on her heel and returning to her own domain from a door she created.

"Good talk Thena, good talk." Uptight bitch, needs to get laid pronto.


AN: Yes, yes I know. You did, in fact, just read this yesterday. But, I had to do some tweaks and rewrite some parts. I done goofed with my interpretation of HB's power, as you all rightly pointed out. That and a few other good points were raised.

This is why I like QQ, the feedback. You all are instrumental in making sure I don't fuck up something obvious in hindsight and help correct mistakes I make.

Beyond that, a new scene, a new death, and I actually play into his power for once rather than use it as a tool to hit people with a different stick.

This fic started out on the premise of 'Dude has goddess shoved in him, and gets yeeted into a death world. What happens?' It was time that was brought to a bit more prominence.

Ina's intervention might come off as a bit of an ass pull. But hopefully it makes sense given the themes involved. A goddess of love should be within her rights to correct the shard fuckery at play with HB's power. If he used fear as his chosen method of control, then we would be shit out of luck. He just had to make them love him…

Fingers crossed, this rendition is a little better.

Peace.



Chapter 25


Chapter 21: The Follow-up

I didn't understand what I was doing, not really. When I drew on Ina's power, my only thoughts were on freeing the people I was trying to help. Not what releasing them from Heartbreaker's grip would do to them. Or what channelling Ina's power in such quantities would do to me.

I could still feel the heat trapped inside my body with no route to escape. My aura was constantly in flux, visible to only my eyes. Like someone had taken lightning and sealed it in a bottle. I was trapped in a state of both total exhaustion and ridiculously energised at the same time. Feeling like I had never been stronger, but oh so weak. The need to fight and fuck that I dealt with when I first arrived had returned with a vengeance, held in place by my iron will alone. Either the lightning would dissipate or it would break free of its confines, something I doubt was good for my health. I needed to find an outlet quickly.

Heartbreaker's victims weren't faring any better. They Remembered everything. All the dirty deeds they were made to do at his request, all the sordid details of how he claimed them as members of his harem. What they did to the ones he grew bored with. Freeing them all just left broken people behind, without the comfort that the artificial love brought.

As they say, ignorance is bliss, and the wool was pulled from their eyes. In time, I hope that they can make their peace with what happened to them, after a generous amount of therapy that I was more than willing to drain Heartbreaker's accounts to pay for.

Even his children were affected. Without the barrage of emotions his power enforced, they saw the real man their father was. There was a reason Regent left after all. Even with their resistance to his influence, he had left his mark on them. Some would never recover, the ones old enough to be completely submerged in his lifestyle. To them, what Vasil did was perfectly normal, how things should be. It would take a lot to get them readjusted to society enough that they could function.

There was hope for the younger ones, though. Without his caustic influence and a good environment to grow up, I could see them doing some good in this world if given the chance.

Now there was something pressing to attend to. I made my way back into Heartbreaker's bunker to free those trapped inside.

My heart shattered as I watched the women chained to the walls wail with sorrow, the memories of what was done to them raw in their minds. I made my way closer, shedding a tear as I watched some of them try to recoil from my presence.

Nevertheless, I reached for each of their chains, breaking them apart with little effort.

"It's alright, you're all free now." I told them in the softest voice I could muster. Some relaxed slightly, my voice breaking the association between me and their tormenter. Lower class English and snooty French were very far apart to the ears. It was just enough to remove any parallels.

One woman slowly came forward, the one I tried to talk to earlier, when she was trapped under that man's influence. Jessica Abernathy limped towards me, naked as the day she was born, and wrapped her arms around my waist, crying freely against my armour. I dared not comment on how she looked a moment away from fleeing from my side.

"Thank you…" She whispered between her sobs. Slowly regaining her composure, her back straightening and her head held just a little bit higher.

Her actions caused a tidal wave, as those comfortable with my presence all made their own tokens of gratitude. They put each other at ease, the shared horrors became a bond between them, one I was witnessing in real time as the more resolute women went over to comfort those who couldn't cope with what they had experienced.

I stood there, a silent witness to the support group forming.

"Is he dead?" One woman asked me, the tattoo on her arm revealing her to be former military. I give her a nod.

"Did it hurt?" She followed up, a glint in her eye.

"Definitely." I spoke for the first time since they surrounded me. Many of them nodded back at my words. I led the group to the exit of the bunker, where they began mixing in with those I had left outside. Some had tearful reunions as they found siblings or relatives they had been separated from.

I pulled the sat-phone out of my soul and gave Clay a call, stepping away from the crowd as I did so.

"Is it done?" Were the first words he said to me.

"Yeah." Something in my voice must have clued him into what I had found inside.

"Fuck, that bad?"

"Worse probably, watched him execute a woman as she sat there with a smile." At my words, the scene played over in my mind, him pulling the trigger, not being fast enough to stop him. My free fist clenched with enough force that my armour creaked.

"Rex! Rex! Shit kid. Look, I'm not good at this. But whatever happened in there isn't on you. Whatever that piece of shit did is placed solely at his feet. In this line of work, sometimes you just can't save everyone. Process it, learn from it and be better. Don't let it hang over you, you're no good to anyone off of your game."

He was right, in an overly blunt way. Sometimes you just can't save everyone. Hell, I wouldn't have been able to save anyone at all without Ina's intervention. The goddess could only do so because Heartbreaker was actively fucking with one of her domains. If he ruled like a tyrant, through fear alone, there would have been nothing I could do. I came in half cocked against an enemy that I thought I understood. My miscalculation of the threat he represented and getting cocky caused this situation. I thought I had the bastard dead to rights, alone, with no chance of escape. I was so wrapped up in breaking the sick fuck for what he did, making him realise that it was the end of him, I never expected him to pull out hostages, something I should have in hindsight. His whole MO was a hostage situation for fuck's sake.

That was the real lesson here. I needed to stop running in like a moron, to shape up if I wanted a chance against what lay ahead.

I would need to be better.

"Thanks Clay, but yeah, you suck at these." I tell the man with a light chuckle, my spirit recovering slightly.

"Got you to laugh, didn't it? You oversized hood ornament."

"Eat a bag of funky discoloured dicks. How'd things go on your end, anyway?"

"Cage almost got his shit rocked by a woman in high heels, but beyond that it was smooth. We've kept all the captives in a cheap motel we found. Whatever the fuck that golden light was, it cleared their heads right quick. The boys are just making sure none of them do anything before we can get them help."

"Shit, you saw that?"

"The entire country did. They sounded the fucking Endbringer alarm at one point."

"Oops."

"Yeah oops, head up. You've got incoming." With that bombshell, he cut the line, the fucking asshole.

Wondering just what he meant, I flicked my eyes to the sky.

Oh, it was Tess.

My self appointed maid flew towards me in a new suit of armour. This one gave off a distinctly more feminine vibe than the previous suits I had seen. By that, I meant that she had moulded the chest plate into two very distinct mounds.

She gave her armour tits. This girl I swear.

She dropped to the ground, the soft hiss of her thrusters kicking up dust around her. The faceplate of her armour that used to be one solid piece of metal split open, folding in on itself and retracting, leaving platinum blonde hair exposed to the world, her facial features hidden behind a blindfold and face mask.

"The Guild got word of a suspected Endbringer attack in this area. I assume it was you?" There was a teasing warmth to her voice I had not heard before.

"Maybe…"

"I can only delay the others for so long. Explain, please."

"Power shit, I managed to clear Heartbreaker's control on a province wide scale by the sounds of it. We need to get these women some help A.S.A.P. They're stable at the moment, using each other as a support network, but that won't last indefinitely. They'll get worse before they get better."

"Understood. I will arrange communal housing for those found here and put the word out to find registered therapists to aid in their recovery. How do you want to fund this?"

"Drain the fucker dry Tess, keep enough for any of his kids that manage to get reintroduced to society, but the rest goes to those women."

"I thought as much, trusts have been set up for those under the age of 11 and provisional accounts established for the others. Everything else will be distributed amongst his victims."

"Thank you for all your help."

"It's my pleasure, sir."

I gave the gynoid a blank stare.

"Don't make me get a spray bottle for you as well as Aslan." Honestly, her presence alone was enough to lift my mood higher.

"You fool, my flesh is fully waterproof, how else are you going to-"

She was cut off by a loud yell. An Amazon of a woman came charging right at us through the front gate. The horn on her head shone like a rainbow as she drew closer. Prismatic shards flared into existence around her, slicing clean through the debris she created.

"Excuse me for one moment." Dragon announced before spinning on her robotic heel. Her thrusters flared to life as she intercepted the leader of the Guild, stopping just short of her charge.

"Narwhal, please calm down. There is no threat." Her voice was clear, not taking no for an answer.

The woman actually listened, drawing herself up to full height and looking down at her fellow member of the Guild. The crystalline force fields she wore instead of a costume doing wonderful things to her giant, yet lean figure.

"Report." Damn, she was straight to business.

"At approximately nine p.m. the independent hero identified as Rex assaulted Heartbreaker's compound. The ensuing conflict has led to three confirmed casualties: Cherie Vasil, aka Cherish, Maria Renee and Nikos Vasil, aka Heartbreaker. All those under Heartbreaker's command have since been freed."

At Dragon's words, the leader of the Toronto branch of the Protectorate glanced over at me.

"And which of those casualties was Rex responsible for?"

"Cherish and Heartbreaker." I answer for myself, approaching the two women. With her horn taken into account, Narwhal was actually taller than me.

"And the third?"

"Heartbreaker demonstrating his control over the situation executed her before I could reach them."

Her eyes softened slightly, knowing what it was like to not be able to save someone you charged yourself with protecting.

"Right, I want transport here for these women yesterday. Put them up somewhere comfortable." She barked out to her subordinates that trailed in through the gate she had demolished with her charge.

"Ma'am." They chorused in unison, splitting off to go about their orders.

"Now, what to do about you?"

"If I may, Rex has been invaluable in removing a threat from Canada as a whole…" Dragon tried to interject on my behalf.

"Stand down Dragon, I am aware of what Rex's actions mean for our country. He eliminated a threat to the safety of a whole province. That does not excuse him from coming onto foreign soil with no jurisdiction to be here. His actions have violated multiple treaties." Fuck.

"Even if I called him here to assist me?" Tess, what are you doing?

"Explain."

"I stumbled on a data trail that revealed Heartbreaker's location. Knowing no other parahuman immune to his emotional manipulation, I asked Rex to provide his assistance."

"You didn't bring this to my attention because?"

"We were unsure who was compromised. We found evidence of moles high within the QPRTs power structure and did not want to risk removing the element of surprise in the event of a leak."

Narwhal paused for a moment, weighing up what Dragon said.

"I understand your decision, whether I agree with it or not, is not relevant right now. If you did, in fact, call him in as backup, as he is covered under a clause implemented within Protectorate policy. Next time you decide to go off the book, keep me in the loop, even if it is just me you inform."

Having read Tess the riot act, she turns back to me.

"Rex, what you did was reckless and incredibly stupid. That said, without your help, none of these women would even have the chance of recovery. For that, you're owed a debt. Do not let me catch you going off the reservation again." Why was she scary and attractive at the same time? Is this the mysterious scarousal?

"Yes, hot Amazon lady." I reply without thinking, immediately slapping a hand over my mouth. Fuck.

I take the risk of peeking at the reaction of the woman who could bisect me with a thought. She was smirking? Her scintillating crystal suit seemed to shine just a little brighter.

"And Rex, don't set off the sirens next time." She trails off as she walks back to the front gate, hips swaying as she did so.

I share a glance with Tess, both asking each other if that just happened.

"Maybe I'm the one who needs to get a spray bottle." Tess grumbled.

"Honestly, fair."


I stayed behind at the Heartbreaker compound until all the women had been sent away to a temporary housing facility, where they would to be kept so they could receive prolonged psychiatric help in a somewhat safe environment. Hopefully, that would help them come to terms with the trauma they suffered through. They were given access to a landline to reach out to any family members they knew the number of and Dragon was helping to reach out to relatives of those that couldn't get in contact with a next of kin.

Now, alone with my thoughts, it gave me a real chance to reflect on what had happened. Everything up until the end went flawlessly, no unnecessary casualties, Cherish dead. That was all good. It was Heartbreaker's throne room, where things turned south. Letting him monologue, too wrapped up in my own emotions to deal with him appropriately. He shouldn't have been able to get a word in edgeways before I shoved my spear through his throat, but no, I let him talk. Only to play right into his hand.

My musing was cut short by the link within my soul flaring to life.

"Now that you're alone, is it alright if we talk?" Ina's voice rang out, sounding hesitant, nervous even.

'Tell you what, let me get back to the car and I'll come visit you.' I have a feeling that whatever this conversation was about, it would be better done face to face.

Hauling myself back down the mountainside, I climbed into my Charger and closed my eyes, forcing myself to retreat into my soul.


Arriving within Inanna's realm, I found myself directly in the lounge where we last spoke.

"You wanted to talk?" I asked the goddess, who shuffled a little at my gaze.

"Actually, I wanted to apologise for my actions with Heartbreaker, snapping at you like that wasn't fair. Seeing him do that to those women brought out the worst part of me. It called to the surface the goddess I used to be in the times of old."

She paused, taking a breath before pressing on.

"A deity's domains are intrinsically linked to their being, they are tied to us so deeply that our entire essence revolves around them. For me, that means that at my core I am a woman of war, a fighter. Of love, fierce and caring and of sex, lustful and teasing. They are the core tenants that I was formed around. To corrupt one of those aspects, I could feel it, Jason, their twisted love for the man that forced it upon them. It felt like a million worms crawling over every inch of my skin. It was sickening. That repulsion turned to anger. The war within me calling for action, for retaliation. It made me furious. I took that fury out on you. All you did was ask me to elaborate, a fair question given your own feelings. Instead… instead I treated you like someone beneath me, when that simply isn't true. In my heart, I know you are my partner, my one link to the world outside. My saviour, the reason I can continue to exist as more than a husk of what I once was. So I want you to know, from the bottom of my very core, I am sorry, Jason."

I sat there, stunned. At the time, I hadn't really given Ina's words much thought, chalking it up to us both being snappy over what was happening around us, but it had really affected her. Tears were running down her dusky cheeks, splashing against the stone floor. I did the only thing I could. I hugged her.

This wasn't the goddess that appeared over Heartbreaker's corpse. This was my Ina. The woman inside the deity, if you will. The one who's been with me from the very beginning.

"It's okay." I said, trying to calm her. "I understand. I was angry too. I didn't know how much your aspects held sway over you. But, from now on, Ina, I need you to work with me, okay? No cryptic clues or double speak. If you truly feel this is a partnership, then we need to act like it alright? I'm not an underling, nor a servant."

She nods at my words, rubbing her eyes to dry them before pulling me tighter.

I just couldn't compare her to what I had seen before. There was none of that immense power or sheer fury. This was a woman who was lonely, who didn't want to drive away the one thing she had left.

"In the vein of honesty, do you know what's happening to me? Why does it seem like I'm back to square one with my aura?"

"My fault…" She muttered into my chest.

"What was that?"

"It's my fault. When you were dispelling Heartbreaker's influence, you didn't have enough power to cover everyone under his control, so I may have lent a little hand."

"No riddles, remember?"

"Fine, I injected your aura with a sliver of my divinity. It magnified your power and allowed it to cover the whole of Quebec. It may have also forced your soul into another adaptation."

"So what, am I turning into a god or something?"

"Nothing that extreme, more demigod adjacent. Your connection to my own domains will grow as the influx of power settles. Beyond that, I have no idea what will happen."

"So we're flying blind here?"

"Yep."

"Wonderful."

"It's not so bad. At least you didn't explode."

"Ex-fucking-scuse me?"

"Eh, there may have been a teensy, tiny, minute chance that you couldn't handle my divinity and go up like a Roman Candle."

My face might as well have been carved from stone with how deadpan I stared at the goddess wrapped around my waist.

"Time-out."

"Wha?"

"You're going in time-out. Go sit in the corner, face the wall."

"No!" She playfully tried to squirm out of my grip. I just tossed her over my shoulder and dumped her in the corner.

"Stay there until I get back."

"Wait, Jason I'm sor-"

She was cut off as I returned to the real world, entirely too done with these last twelve hours to deal with that last revelation.

I wanted a drink right now.


Thank God there was a roadside bar nearby.

Pulling into the parking lot filled with motorcycles, I didn't bat an eye as I locked up my car and made my way inside and bee lined towards the bartender.

"Whisky neat, please." He slid me a glass and the entire bottle.

"You look like you need it." Ouch, fair, but ouch. I pour myself a good three fingers worth and down it in one gulp, savouring the burn as it slides down my throat.

I don't think I can even get drunk anymore, not without risking drowning in alcohol to get there. By the time I'd finished half the bottle, I didn't even have a buzz. This sucks.

It got worse. A group of bikers strutted in through the doors, all rowdy, looking for a fight.

The one at the front, wearing a cut with the word president over his heart, looked right at me.

"Hey Jimmy, whose is the car out front?"

Universe, can I please have a break? That would be swell.

"Roy, you know I don't want your shit in here." The bartender, Jimmy, replied, wiping down a glass before reaching under the counter.

"Well, you know me. I see a sweet ride like that, I just have to find out who it belongs to." He smiled, showing off his crooked yellow teeth.

You know what? Fuck this. I rose from my stool at the bar, passing the bartender a bill to cover the bottle and made my way towards the crowd blocking the door.

"Move." I asked, rather politely given the circumstances.

"Oh, is it yours? Tell you what, hand over the keys and we'll let you walk out of here."

I tried.

My hand lashed out before he could open his rotten mouth once again, my meaty palm covering his head. Using my grip, I simply pushed him back, parting his posse like the Red Sea.

Once through the doors, I flung the man into the brickwork, his back hitting it with a thud.

Just as I reached for my keys, I felt something tap me on the back of the head. Looking over my shoulder, I saw one of them holding a metal pipe, the shape of my head now warped into the metal.

I raised my right leg and thrust out with a donkey kick, the force of my blow launching the heavy set man back through the bar's door. His friends tried to jump in, coming at me with knives they'd pulled from their belts.

Let's just say I had some new stabby things for my collection and they were all taking a nap with their boss.

I fought merchants better than them. That says something.

Back in my car, I drove off. I had to check in with Clay and the dogs.


AN: A bridge chapter before we go after some big, big boys.

Ina realises she was a bit of a bitch and apologised.

We met the only woman who can look us in the eye. It's a shame she's such a workaholic.

Dragon saves our bacon, like we're her princess in a tower.

And the women from the HB compound get a place to stay and some well-deserved therapy.

You know what this means, 100k words baby. Noot Noot.



Chapter 26


TMTM 22: A well deserved Break

Following a standard debrief with Clay and the team, it was decided that we'd all lie low for a little while, give everyone a respite before we went after some real heavy hitters people were determined to ignore the existence of. Namely Nilbog and his little kingdom of Ellisburg and the Slaughterhouse Nine, neither of which we were physically or mentally prepared for at the moment.

The boys took to leave like only former soldiers could, determined to spend as much of it as they could with either a woman, a pint, or both at once. Cage was droning on about getting a minor acting role for some pocket change. Reaves mentioned going to visit his family back in New York. Clay himself though was notoriously tight-lipped on what he does in his free time, though I'm convinced that it was knitting, voicing said guess resulted in a promise of never raising offspring should I repeat it. I'm expecting a scarf next Christmas.

Arranging to regroup at the end of February left me with a couple of weeks to just relax. No cape shit, no fights, no failures. Just two weeks of sun, sea and quality time with the women in my life.

A pleasant break from the chaos.

I spent the first week just lounging around with Crystal in her apartment, happy to just binge watch shitty movies in each other's company, most of them we didn't reach the end credits. Apparently finally getting some action flipped a switch in my girlfriend's head. Any excuse she had to get her brains turned to mush. She'd take it. I don't think there is a single flat surface in that apartment that we hadn't christened at least twice over, something our downstairs neighbour realised too if the note shoved under our door was any clue.

"We get it, he lays pipe, now please STFU - Apt. 7" Just for that we may have gone a round or two on the floor, the very thin floor. You know, to really drive the message home. It was probably a good thing we would be moving out soon, before we got chucked out because of the noise complaints.

Speaking of our swanky new house, Tess was pulling out all the stops to get it completed before I had to leave again. We're talking a fleet of drones all working 24/7, at the rate she was going we'd be able to move in within a week.

From what she had told me over the phone, I was expecting something on the small side, full of tricks but nothing massive. I was wrong. She showed me the floor plan last night. She was building us the equivalent of a high-tech mansion. We're talking eight bedrooms, a pool, sauna and a secret lair for a basement.

You heard me. She went full Batman, building an elaborate underground complex beneath the foundations of our new home. I didn't believe her excuses of it being for storage for a second, knowing full well that by the time we get there, it will be turned into some form of mechanist haven. I bet that one day I'd get home to find a spaceship or something equally mental squirrelled away down there.

Tinkers gotta tinker, I guess.

In other news, I got word back from Othala. She was settling into the Witness Protection Program well, Assault was still checking in every once in a while, bringing her books and groceries. The limited freedom it gave her really resonated with the girl, gave her a chance to figure out who she wanted to be, rather than who she was expected to be. Though I do question whether giving her internet access was smart, given some links she'd shared hoping to garner my opinion.

Turns out that Menja's suggestion of form fitting spandex evolved into more than just a costume choice. The rabbit hole was deep and Alice fell down.

On the topic of questionable former white supremacists, Fenja and Menja have been successfully rebranded by the Protectorate's notorious public relations department. They got away with keeping their old names and costumes after giving an interview denouncing Kaiser and everything he stood for, whether they believed what they were saying or not I couldn't tell you, the public at large ate it up though.

Purity was a different story. I misjudged her, assuming that keeping her child would be enough for her to settle on the straight and narrow, leaving her crock of shit ideology in the trash where it belonged. Apparently, her version of heroics involved exclusively targeting minorities, with extreme prejudice, I might add. She put three women in the hospital, claiming that the only reason they were interacting would be to sell drugs to one another.

She got given a second chance. I wasn't inclined to give her a third. If I caught her on the street, Aslan was going to get a new chew toy. Alabaster was unfortunately indisposed on account of the triple life sentences he was serving since they pulled him from the top of Medhall three days after I stuck him up there.

Couldn't happen to a nicer albino.

With the gangs having all but fallen apart without their leaders, even other heroes got the chance to breathe a little. Assault and Battery managed to get a city break approved by Piggot of all people, taking off to New York for a couple's weekend. Apparently it was the first real time they got together since their honeymoon, or that's what he told me over text, anyway. Miss Militia even got away from her patrols for a day, seen browsing the fiction section of the local library on a quiet day.

Cute nerds are cute. Honestly, I was planning to get her and Tess together for a little geek session at some point, with them both having a deep-seated love for science fiction. Will I force them both to watch 2001 A Space Odyssey together? maybe. That and I wholeheartedly believe that Tess can corrupt her, given enough time. Shit, between the two of us, it was pretty much guaranteed. I did run that little scheme of mine by Crystal, as per our agreement, she was almost as keen for it as I was, going so far as to set up a group chat between her, Tess and a couple other women of interest that she wouldn't name.

I fear for my pelvis in the coming months.

The only hero that hadn't taken the chance to gain some respite was Armsmaster. If anything, the man was doubling down. His patrols increased in length and the amount of petty criminals he was taking in skyrocketed. Dragon was starting to worry about her friend, saying that he hadn't actively initiated a conversation with her since before we made a move on Heartbreaker.

She either had to call him non stop or show up at his lab in the Rig to get any answer and even then he was blunter than usual. Something was going on with him, but there was nothing anyone could do until he reached out for help, which I doubt he will. Stubborn bastard.

Putting as Clay dubbed him, The Great Sage equal to virginity, out of my mind, I focused back on my current task, manual labour. By that I mean acting as a pack mule for my shopaholic girlfriend, her even worse cousin and their poor unfortunate kidnappee.

This was a mistake, plain and simple. Agreeing to come shopping with Crystal alone was a gamble, depending on where she wanted to go. Adding Vicky to the mix was what turned into an exercise of willpower. Word had spread amongst the families of New Wave about my new home and, as such, whispers of the swimming pool followed. That clearly meant that new bikinis were in order.

I was convinced that Crystal was trying to kill me via blood loss. Everything she tried on and modelled for my viewing pleasure got a little shorter each time. It got to a point that I'm pretty sure the only reason any blood flowed to my head at all was because of Amy slapping the back of it with a gloved hand when she called me a pervert repeatedly.

Like she had any room to talk, considering the trail of drool that escaped the corner of her mouth at the sight of Vicky. We really needed to have a conversation about that at some point, hopefully without her snapping and going full Red Queen on us. Psycho Amy made Albert Wesker look like a sane individual. Maybe once I come back from my next trip, I can invite her and her sister over to stage a little intervention.

I'd have to drop that incestuous crush bombshell on Crystal first either way. Fun times all around.

The rest of the afternoon passed quickly with us all heading out for a nice meal on the boardwalk before heading our separate ways for the evening.


Today was the day. The house was finished. If you could call the marvel of modern engineering that Tess built a house. She fucking sent it. No holds barred. Every fancy gadget you can think of, she did better. Every posh snobs garden, she flipped the bird and out designed it. It was a home fit for a king. She even built me my own man cave after I told her in passing about Neil's own.

She was rightfully smug about the whole thing. Right until the point where I manhandled her gynoid body into my arms and attempted to suck out her mechanical soul, melting her into a puddle of goo.

Crystal followed my lead, stealing the AI's lips with her own once I released her, only stopping when my first girlfriend ran out of air.

We were going to spoil her later, that's for certain.

But first, the tour.

The ground floor was home to the lobby, games room, home cinema, dining room and kitchen. Each filled to the brim with as much technology as Tess could fabricate. Automated coffee machine, giant projector, pool table and arcade cabinets - she installed it all. The entire house had a copy of her own software to oversee everything, fitted with a new body to serve as a housekeeper.

The French maid outfit it wore was a mandatory dress code, apparently.

Spoiler: Tess mk.2

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The second floor held all the guest rooms, each fitted with king-size beds and a currently empty library.

It was the third story that was the real crème de la crème. The master bedroom was enormous. The bed alone looked like it could hold five people, my giant ass included. An eighty inch TV hung on the wall opposite, right above a dresser that came pre-lined with Crystal's morning routine. A walk-in wardrobe attached to the room from the right, the leftmost door leading off into the ensuite bathroom equipped with a drop-down bath that could fit at least three people and a fancy waterfall shower.

Aside from the bedroom, this floor also held a study for my personal use stocked with a drinks cabinet, large metal desk etched with a lion's head and a brand new sleek looking laptop. Behind the desk sat an ornate window overlooking the back garden, a little button at the side allowing the glass to darken should I need privacy. The room was even soundproof thanks to a device that activated once the door was closed.

I cannot overstate how much Tess outdid herself with this place.

Even Aslan was having a whale of a time, prancing round the grounds before finding a spot to bask in the sun.

It was idyllic, perfect and proof that the universe just wanted to kick us in the dick at our best.

The sirens rang out across the globe, a warning of what was to come.

An Endbringer was attacking.

Fuck.


AN: A little comfy chapter before we move on to some real meat and potatoes.

We got a house, caught up with some of the side characters that fell to the wayside and something's up with the autistic armourer.

Next time we encounter our first of Eidolon's little tantrums, what difference can we make?

Who else will show up to help?



Chapter 27


Chapter 23: The Angel.

Spoiler: New key

"INA!" - Ina talking "-Thena-" - Athena talking

The harrowing cry of the Endbringer alarm, recently created by our unshackled AI, sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who heard it, knowing that wherever one of those monstrosities appeared only death and destruction followed. There was no victory over the Endbringers, we always lost, whether we drove them back or not. They were titans of calamity, harbingers of the end. They were the modern-day equivalent of Typhon or Tiamat. Entities that solely exist to wage war on humanity, to push them to the breaking point.

"The Simurgh has been sighted lowering from the mesosphere. Her descent indicates that she is headed for Canberra, Australia." Tess's voice rang out, her armoured form appearing from a hole in the floor. This suit was larger than her usual design, standing at nearly eight feet tall and stuffed to the brim with weaponry. "My fleet is encroaching on the location as we speak."

At her words I summoned my helmet and armour, mentally preparing for the fight to come. My shield materialised on my forearm and my bow across my back. "Let's go." As one Dragon and myself made our way outside, waiting for transport. Crystal opted to meet with her family to find out their response before committing alongside us. Considering who we were facing, I couldn't blame her. No one wanted someone close to them to face the Simurgh, not with the risk of falling under her influence.

As we made our way onto the front lawn, a seam split through the grounds, opening up to reveal a flying craft styled to match with our favourite reptile's armour.

Yes, she pulled an X-Men and hid a plane under the front yard, to the surprise of absolutely no one.

Once strapped in, we took off at speed, her VTOL breaking the sound barrier once we were a safe distance from the house. Our flight was only interrupted to pick up others willing to take on the Angel of Annihilation. Heroes and Villains alike climbed into the back as Dragon raced across the continent like a hypersonic taxi.

From Brockton Bay we picked up Armsmaster and Miss Militia along with a few rogues I didn't know the names of the former not saying a word upon entering the craft. To the north we scooped up Narwhal and Grumman, both Canadian Protectorate capes boarded with grim frowns on their faces, both knowing what was to come.

The distance between Toronto and Canberra clocked in at just under 10,000 miles. Dragon covered it in an hour and a half, hitting speeds of Mach 9.6 over the open ocean. That time gave us the chance to converse with the capes on board.

"Narwhal, Grumman, you two have the most experience here. Any advice for what we're up against?" I asked, hoping to gain some insight into how they dealt with Endbringers in the past, what passed for standard operating procedure when it involved creatures of that magnitude?

"Survive." Was Narwhal's blunt answer, before she continued. "Simurgh differs from the others, it watches, it waits. There's intelligence, logic, rather than charging straight at us like the other two. It has goals, not ones we can usually piece together, but goals all the same."

"W-watch the monitor, unless you have an i-i-immunity to her scream you can only remain until code yellow without becoming a danger to those around you.." Grumman followed, voice solemn.

"Her scream's psychic right, not a physical sound wave?"

"Yes, though there is a noticeable effect on her surroundings as well, similar to a force similar to gravity pressing down on the surrounding environment, why do you refer to the Simurgh as female anyway?" Narwhal asked, her inquisitive nature taking hold.

"She looks female to me. Besides, calling her 'it' lures you into the sense of security that she's not intelligent, just a thing - a mistake that could be costly."

Narwhal pauses at that, mulling over my words before nodding in agreement, if there was one thing you couldn't say about the Simurgh it would be that the living calamity was dumb, it plans and counters, and she adapts said plans around those that try to stop her.

"Sync up your monitors. We are fifteen minutes from the staging area." Tess' voice rang out. "Rex, a word." Following her advice, I pressed a button on the thin black band around my wrist, a green light flickered on.

"Synchronisation complete - Stay safe Rex." The automated voice rang out.

Moving back towards the cockpit I am met with Tess in all her blindfolded irritation. She was not happy to be interrupted earlier, to put it lightly, especially by an Endbringer of all things. The expression on her face made me almost pity what she would unleash on Simmy, almost. If there was one rule in life, it was not to get between a woman and her happy time.

"This is going to be nothing like what you've experienced before. There will be death and destruction all around us. I need you to promise me that you will try to stay safe." She was deadly serious, 'looking' me right in the eye through her blindfold.

"I'll do my best, but the same goes for you. Just because you can rebuild does not mean I want to see you hurt,"

"Agreed." She hums before I lean down and capture her lips, giving her a lingering kiss.

"Then let's go kick an angel's ass."

"Yes, let's."


The staging area of Canberra was chaotic, groups of capes all clumped together, mainly sticking to people they were familiar with, waiting for the signal to engage. Off to the side sat the medical tent, prepared for what was guaranteed to come.

At the forefront of it all stood the Triumvirate, Legend, Alexandria and the unaware cause of this mess, Eidolon.

I had mixed feelings about the man personally. Knowing that he created these monsters so he could get 'a real fight' made me want to walk over, just snap his neck and be done with the threat he represented. But, it wasn't done intentionally. The formerly wheelchair bound man was truly in this game to save as many people as he could. It was just a shame that said goal was buried under a layer of egotism and fear of his failing power. It balanced out to a decidedly neutral view of the man overall, for now.

Legend, I had a slightly fonder opinion of, the man was the closest thing this shithole of a world had to a real 'comic book superhero'. Honestly, I'd buy the man a pint for the fact he made Crystal's life easier alone. That's mainly down to him being openly gay, that the stigma that surrounded sexuality wasn't as prominent in this world as it was back home, especially in the early 2000s when Crystal, a raging bisexual by her own admission, was growing up. So cheers, man, for making her life just a little easier.

If only he didn't let Siberian attack civilians as a distraction. You were so close to not being a piece of shit.

Alexandria was an interesting one, though, the definition of a slippery slope. She started out as a genuine hero, risking her own life to intercept Behemoth's attacks - not knowing if she'd survive. But everything changed after her injury at the hands of Siberian. She became more willing to take the 'hard and ugly road'. People became pieces on a board even if she claimed she did everything to save lives. The walking contradiction, the invulnerable woman missing an eye, saving lives by sacrificing others. I hadn't quite decided my opinion of her.

Dragon landed her ship at the back of the area, the noise of her jet engines drawing eyes from the crowd as we departed. Armsmaster and Miss Militia moving over to the large blob of Protectorate capes with Grumman, Narwhal, Dragon and myself moving towards the Triumvirate.

"Narwhal, Grumman, Dragon, thanks for coming." Legend spoke, noticing our arrival and breaking away from his fellow members. "I don't think we've met. I'm Legend." He held his hand out to me.

"Rex." I shook his hand. No reason to be a dick.

"This is Eidolon and Alexandria. Stick behind us and you'll be alright." He tried to lighten our dour mood and put us at ease, while his teammates stared at me. Alexandria was looking me up and down, analysing me, a hint of recognition visible in her body language. Eidolon, on the other hand, just seemed to sulk in the corner as the conversation progressed.

"Wish it was under better circumstances, but it's a pleasure to meet you both." I said in response to his introduction. They didn't garner me with anything beyond a nod each.

"Don't we all. Now, we've got eyes on the Simurgh. It's still descending through the stratosphere. Take the chance to breathe. We'll need it."

I gave the man a head tilt of agreement, stepping aside and closing my eyes, focussing on the rolling aura flowing around me, invisible to those close by.

'This is it.' I projected across the mental equivalent of an open channel, casting it to all those who could hear me from within my soul.

"You are ready for this, my warrior, a floating feather duster is no match for us!" Ina replied first, the Goddess sending an image of her in a cheerleader outfit across the bond in an attempt to lift my spirit.

"-You shall return from this triumphant, of that I assure you.-" The cool voice assured me next.

'Thanks Ina, Athena' Yeah, that was not a particularly difficult puzzle to solve, especially considering how prevalent her symbols still are in the modern world. Why she's here in the first place I didn't know though.

"- I would have been perturbed if you could not surmise something as simple as my identity, mathētḗs -"

'It wasn't exactly difficult, so got any last-minute words of wisdom for me, squatter #2?'

"- Please refrain from referring to me in a similar manner to that Mesopotamian degenerate. I am a cohabitant, not a mere squatter. To answer your question, the shield on your arm is more than just shaped and polished metal. It is my Aegis, a gift from my father forged by my brother. No blow shall pierce its stalwart face, with every strike it shall grow more resolute in its defences.-"

"Who are you calling a degenerate?" Ina asked in mock offence.

"- Might I remind you that I have been inside your realm, visited your palace? If there is one word to describe you Inanna, degenerate is the most apt.-"

'She's not wrong Ina.'

"Don't gang up on me, that's mean!"

'It's karma for almost turning me into a firework, that's what it is."

"- Yes, my thoughts exactly.-"

"I said I was sorry!"

'Bullying shall continue until behaviour improves.'

"- I second that motion.-"

"… Shut up!" She closed her end of the link with a huff, leaving me and Athena alone.

"- That aside, one last word of advice for you mathētḗs, keep calm no matter what you witness in the coming conflict. It is through a sound mind that a warrior may claim victory."

'Understood Teacher.' How I knew she was referring to me as her student in her mother tongue, I had no idea, but it felt right to return the sentiment.

"- Teacher? I am satisfied with such a title, now cast your attention to your surroundings, the leaders of this engagement are about to speak.-"

Returning my attention to my surroundings, I found Legend floating above our small army of capes.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's showtime. For many of you, this isn't your first rodeo. But for those amongst you that answered the call for the first time, take this to heart. As of now, the Truce is in effect. Any issues you had with the people besides, you do not matter. Any warrants active right now do not matter. Should you break the truce, the consequences will be severe. From this point on, the men and women besides you are your allies and comrades. No matter the history you have, watch each other's backs out there. Keep track of your monitors. If you see someone go yellow, get them out. If they're red, make sure they cannot hurt those around them. Those designated to search and rescue head over to Dragon for your assignment. Blasters, you're following Eidolon, focus on debris and whatever else it throws at us. Frontline, you're with Narwhal. Follow her lead. Everyone else to me. Today we show these creatures that humanity is not to be fucked with!"

He finished his speech, raising a single fist to the sky and firing off a blast of blue and white energy. I'll give the man this. He had charisma in spades.

The crowd roared in approval. Optimism flowed through everyone around me, determined to prove that this time things will be different.

Then She came. Breaking through the cloud cover, a fifteen feet tall humanoid floating down towards the Earth. Her form was waif thin and pale, her face beautiful yet marred by cold grey eyes that showed not a single iota of emotion. Straight platinum hair hung down near her ankles. Despite being moulded after the female form, she lacked any nipples to cap the large breasts, nor were any genitalia visible. Wings jutted out from random points along flawless skin, no two the same shape or size, the largest attaching to her back in line with the position of the human heart.

She was a living representation of the uncanny valley, looking human in form, yet was distinctly unnatural at the same time. Her mere presence was unsettling to the eye. Rosy lips split open in a soundless scream. Everyone around me tensed.

She stopped, unmoving in the sky, as her dead eyes peered down at us like a deity passing judgement on insects. There was no warning as buildings were torn from their foundations, hovering ominously before her as they crumbled into man sized blocks of concrete, steel and glass. The debris spiralled around her like a deadly shield, ready to defend her and be projected into the waiting crowd of capes.

Her eyes moved away from us, focusing on everything and nothing at the same time before she turned, facing off towards a large white building, the Australian Centre of Disease Control. Oh fuck.

That's why this place was quarantined in canon and sealed beneath a dome. This bitch released a fucking biological weapon in the middle of a densely populated city.

I wasn't the only one who noticed. Legend himself seemed to stiffen slightly before raising both his hands, firing beam after beam of energy right at the monstrosity hovering above us. The blasts splashed against her impromptu shield, destroying pieces that she rapidly replaced.

She knew what he was going to do, knew what most of the people here were going to do. She was such a high level precognitive that it made Coil look like nothing. Every action the Winged One took was calculated, taking into account the past and future actions of all that opposed her. Using the laws of reality, cause and effect to neutralise any threat to her drives.

Her drives, the core tenants that drove a creature like the Simurgh, were relatively simple. To go to war against her creator was paramount, followed by the need to collect, consolidate and sort information gathered from para-humans and humans in conflict. She strived to force humanity into a perpetual state of conflict, with the aim of gathering as much data as possible. That was as important to her as food and water were to humans.

So long as she existed, she would not stop until all of humanity was forced to fight day and night, no peace, no succour, only chaos and violence.

I could not allow that to come to pass, nor could those that stood with me.

Those around me that could fly took to the air, throwing everything they had at the facsimile of a woman. Legend and Eidolon leading their charge. A cornucopia of lights filled the sky as the various blasters amongst them took aim.

That got Simmy's attention. The opportunity to engage her creator was enough to stop her progress towards the ACDC. Roads, buildings and cars rose from the ground, orbiting outside her shield, building momentum before they were launched towards her creator.

The grounded blasters aimed a myriad of projectiles towards the incoming attack, Grumman switching into his 'artillery form' and unleashing a hail of missiles to clear the majority of it. Eidolon himself was too focused on his target to acknowledge when a person flying to his right was impacted by a large section of building, sending them crashing to the ground with enough force to liquify their internal organs. Instead, he just fired rays of energy at the Angel, trying to break through her ever rotating barrier.

-Aeroblast deceased

My aura flared, the drums grew louder in my head.

I drew my bow, lining up an arrow and letting it loose, the golden projectile absorbing the other powers around it, growing large enough to cover an SUV and crackling with a violet eldritch energy. It flew true, striking against her barrier as it pushed its way through, hitting the bitch directly.

The first solid hit of the fight for our side.

She paused. Turning her gaze towards the path my attack followed, looking towards me but not truly seeing me. She can't see me, I realised. The fact that I'm a blank protected me from her empty gaze. She does not see the present, only the past and future, of which mine are protected from her view.

She tore another building from the ground, tearing it up into smaller pieces before launching them all in my general direction, using her view of those around me to gauge my location. I raised my shield, rushing ahead of the pack and slamming into the hail of man sized boulders. I did not falter, the rock breaking apart against the divine silver. The face of my shield flared to life. Snakes wriggled as an ominous hiss rang out from the woman's lips, serpentine hair elongated, growing larger than the Aegis itself, twisting and intertwining to form a barrier that covered the street. More rocks fell towards us, those too only made the serpents grow larger. Every strike makes it more resolute. That's what Athena told me, the more damage my shield negates, the larger it grows. The snake heads actively seeking out projectiles to destroy, like a reptilian trophy system.

I unbuckled the leather that attached it to my arm, leaving my now free standing shield to act as an autonomous barrier for those who had no ranged options. Turning my head, I find Narwhal creating a barrage of prismatic scales, using them to tear the refuse I missed apart.

"Narwhal, can you give me a boost!?" I yelled at the unicorn, her eyes snapping to me and she gave a brisk nod.

"Get me up high and away from everyone else." I tell her as I sprint in her direction.

She does as asked without question, creating a shimmering barrier of interlaced prismatic scales large enough for me to stand on, sending me to the roof of a nearby high rise.

At my appearance on the high ground Alexandria came flying over, having spent her time intercepting Simurgh's strikes from the air.

"What are you doing?" She asks, scrapping a minivan headed right at her. A single punch is enough to crumple the metal and halt its momentum.

I was going to take a risk, revealing this trump card to a member of Cauldron. Then again she'd already know if I was a blank, since Contessa wouldn't find me on the path. Besides, now wasn't the time to prioritise covering my own ass. It was a risk I had to take to ensure her cooperation.

"She can't see me. When I shot her, she only retaliated with an area wide attack. Everyone else that pestered her got a single projectile aimed perfectly to take them out of the sky."

"You're a blank." She concluded.

"Get me on the other side of her and she'll have no clue where it's coming from."

"You'll use yourself as bait?"

"It's our best shot at keeping her from getting what she wants from that building. What do you think an Endbringer will do with access to some of the worst pathogens known to man?"

"It would make the Bubonic plague look like a picnic. Fine, hold on." She grabbed me by the cloak hanging off of the back of my armour, shooting into the sky and to a building on the opposite side to our principal fighting force.

"For what it's worth, good luck." With her piece said, she launched back into the fray, intercepting yet another attempt to flatten our blasters on the ground, using herself as a human shield.

It was time to nut up or shut up.

Pulling the string of my bow taut, I reached out to the depths of my soul, finding that spark that Ina left behind. A violet haze flared to life around me before concentrating on my bowstring, coalescing into a jagged arrow, the head, wicked looking and barbed. The light it gave off was so intense that it bathed the area around it in a violet glow, pulsating in tune with my heartbeat.

I couldn't get a clean shot at her titanic form, hidden as it was behind the blur of ever revolving rubble, so I aimed for centre mass and hoped for the best.

I fired.

A streak of purple was the only warning anyone had.

My attack punctured cleanly through her barrier, annihilating anything between it and its target.

I hit the bitch.

One of her gargantuan wings fell to the ground, severed at the base as my arrow pressed onwards, embedding in her thin, gangly, yet hyper dense arm.

Her entire form spun around, searching for the location of her attacker. When she couldn't detect my presence, I noticed the first sign of emotion on her face: irritation. Her mouth opened, too wide to be natural as she let loose a scream, the buildings around her rattled. The capes that had grouped up around her, intent on pressing the advantage I created, scattered, scrambling to escape the range of her psionic onslaught. Only Eidolon remained steadfast, clubbing at the Simurgh with hands wreathed in energy of some kind. Micro explosions detonating with every blow.

I couldn't hear a thing. Fuck your master effect.

Those beneath her weren't so lucky. Some covered their ears, trying to protect themselves from something they could not defend against. Others screamed as the Angel of Death forced them to relive their worst moments. Monitors turned red as some of the capes who came to fight her got ensnared, turning on their comrades.

Man fighting man, just as she wanted.

I drew back my string for a third time in this fight. As I pulled on the spark within me, I could feel my body heat up, my soul adapting in real time to tap into this new well of energy. I could see it in the corner of my eye, gold flowing through violet, mixing together and creating something completely new. An azure globe now shone in my nebula, raw divinity stripped of the domains that created it growing at a miniscule rate. Those domains then were forced into the arrow that rested on my bowstring.

I fired again with my target visible, though her core was tucked behind layers of wings, my second attack forcing her to protect it instinctively.

My arrow pierced her open mouth, sticking out of the base of her neck, around the wound layers of crystal were visible.

Bullshit Endbringer physiology is bullshit.

More matter was torn from the Earth, most of the street below her becoming a crater as she compressed it into misshapen spheres.

She fired them towards me, aiming to collapse the building I stood on.

How did she find me?

I risked a glance at the capes fighting behind my still present shield. Some were looking at me, clearly following the arrow's path. Fuck, she was using their reactions to get an estimate of my position. Why did she have to be smart?

I threw myself from the rooftop, kicking off the edge to provide more momentum, just in time to watch the whole building collapse in on itself under the weight of her dense projectiles.

In freefall, I summoned my sword in my free hand, driving the blade into the building I was about to slam into head first. The abrupt change in resistance caused my shoulder to jerk as my sword tore through the brickwork, gradually slowing my descent, dismissing the bronze blade once I reached the ground.

"Jay, can you hear me!?" Tess screamed through the small receiver in my ear.

"I read you Tess." I answered as I dropped to the ground.

"What happened to staying safe?"

"I was fine."

"I'm telling Crystal about this." Shit.

"Not the time. You said that you have a fleet around here, right?"

"Yes, I have four of my combat ships just outside of the city limits and a score of smaller drones. Why?"

"I need a lift and a distraction. The only way we win this is if we hit her hard enough to force a retreat. Loop in Alexandria and Legend. I've got a plan."

"Understood. One of my fighters is on route to your position. The rest are drawing closer and waiting on your signal."

"Rex, Dragon said you have a plan?" Legend's voice came through my earpiece.

"Sort of. I need a distraction to line up a clean shot that should do enough damage to force her to retreat. Dragon's got three ships incoming to light the Winged Bitch up. Do you two want in?"

"Gladly." Alexandria replied for both of them.

"On my mark, do as much as you can and get the fuck out of there."

I got cut off as a pair of enthralled capes rushed at me, firmly entrenched in whatever the Simurgh was forcing inside their minds. Those caught in her web could not be saved, the implanted suggestions too deeply embedded to be removed. They became pawns to her drives, compelled to at some point in the future commit atrocities in an attempt to create as many tragedies as possible.

One of them charged at me, a large man with a skin made of gleaming metal. While I was blind to her gaze, I was visible to them. I summoned my spear, bracing my knees and angling the tip forward. He ran himself through on my weapon. It's appearance too sudden for him to change his course. The divine metal tore through him without resistance, erupting from his back in a shower of blood. He only stopped when his stomach touched the top of my hand. Releasing my weapon, I weaved around the body to dodge a bullet of nebulous energy aimed for my back. My hand met my spear just below the head as I pulled it out through the exit wound of the metal man's body, twisting on my heel before throwing it at the airborne cape. It struck her through the chest, the momentum of my throw pinning her to the side of the building behind her.

A loud roar filled the sky.

From the horizon came Dragon's warships, Gatling cannons spinning beneath their cockpits. A hail of bullets tore into the Simurgh's defences, pestering her form with rounds the size of a small child.

The Winged One was not amused.

Her scream intensified, causing the ground around her to shake under the sheer might of her psychic presence. Her telekinesis tore through even more of the city around us, collapsing various buildings, before she pushed said falling buildings towards any cape in the vicinity.

-Cannonball deceased

-Upchuck injured, sector 21

-Skullduggery injured, sector 16

-Spook deceased

-Gimli injured, sector 17

-Kite man deceased

-Furiosa injured, sector 20

-Shao Khan injured, sector 18

-Gatt injured, sector 19

-Heatblast deceased

The list of casualties continued to ring out from the band on my arm without pause as I dived out of the path of the falling debris, a little toot came from behind me, one of Dragon's smaller flying crafts flashes its lights and signalled me to climb on top of it. We shot towards the sky.

"Mark!" I yelled down the comms, watching as Legend charged up a large blast of his multicoloured energy and sent it hurtling towards the Endbringer. Alexandria followed suit, flying right at her, throwing a vicious haymaker before retreating.

Now level with the Simurgh, I pulled back the string one last time, pushing all I had into the arrow. It felt like my stomach was lit aflame as I forced more power into my bow. One last violet arrow to hopefully drive this monstrosity away.

There was no doubt in mind that if I tried to fire another after this, Ina's warning would come to pass, I wasn't ready to handle the raw power that coursed through every cell of my being as I filtered her divinity inside my very being. It would tear me apart from the inside out. So instead, I supplemented it with my aura, pushing everything I had into one last attack.

I had one shot, one opportunity, I'd better capture it.

I took a deep breath, shutting out the monotone voice of the bracelet, the shouts of the screaming capes below, the litany of explosions going off around us as gas lines under the street burst and caught fire.

My two fingers uncurled from the string, releasing an arc of violet light into the backdrop of a ruined city.

She was ready for it, having learnt from the capes within range of her scream that my arrows meant danger. Her body shifted at a speed she'd not displayed before, her wings wrapping around her in a feathered shield, her arms crossed over her slowly healing mouth.

She might have shifted her core and protected it with layers of defence, but I never aimed for her core. A killshot was optimal but unrealistic, so I didn't bother. No, I aimed for the head. My oscillating projectile burrowing deep into her pale white forehead, the only remnant of it visible being the fletching at the end of the shaft.

The power behind my arrow knocked her head back, a violet light shining behind her eyes and out of her open mouth as the overcharged projectile expanded within the wound before detonating.

A lattice of crystal fought against all the power I could draw upon, my All-or-Nothing gambit. The light shone brighter before fading, my heart sank. It wasn't enough…

The crown of her forehead exploded, raining chunks of a prismatic crystalline structure onto the street below interspersed with fragments of her false white skin.

Gotcha, bitch.

My knees gave out as I collapsed onto the roof of Dragon's ship, panting heavily. I was spent, running on near empty. It was up to everyone else now.


Tess PoV:

I would be having words with that man once this is over. Designating a sub partition of my consciousness to draft up just how vulgar said response would be, I piloted my ship to move him away from the front lines.

His last attack on the Simurgh seemed to be enough to put the Endbringer on the back foot. Her scream stopped following the explosion, making it safe for me to engage at a closer range without risking her cloning my schematics. The wing mounted rocket pods on my fighters fired in concert with one another, hitting the Endbringer with enough munitions to fuel a military campaign.

Her retaliation at my salvo cost us though. She tore all the steel beams within her range out of the buildings, aiming them like javelins, before firing them towards us. One of my planes went down, a beam having pierced through its carapace and into the engine. The rest were aimed at the para-humans left on the ground. Narwhal did her best to defend those who couldn't escape the barrage, her force fields cutting through the metal whilst deflecting it away from those behind her.

She did not see the beam above her head, aimed to crush her. I powered the thrusters of my suit to maximum, scorching the tarmac beneath me as I tried to save my friend.

Hardened steel met my alloy with a bang. Multiple system errors rang out as my armour's integrity was compromised. The beam pushed further, reaching the layer of pseudo-nerves I used to pilot my suits remotely. An approximation of pain echoed across my core, the price I paid for tactile feedback. The girder pressed deeper, poking clean through my suit now, my control was shot, all systems failing. Removing my consciousness from the now ruined armour, I rebooted in one of the many suits that were aiding search and rescue, glad I left my gynoid body back on the ship we arrived on. The fully functional synthetic nervous system I created within it would only be a detriment right now. I wanted my first true feeling to be pleasure, not pain. Thank you very much.

Powering the suit to an overcharged state, I returned to my workaholic comrade just in time to witness Eidolon land a decisive blow against Simurgh. Whatever power he had drove his arm to the elbow inside her giant chest, tearing out a chunk of it with it as he pulled it free. Legend followed it up, blasting the flying creature over and over with his energy bolts. Alexandria struck with a follow-up attack, slamming her hand's into the Simurgh's back with all her might.

Rex did it better, in my opinion.

From the body language my predictive algorithm was picking up, Eidolon knew it too and was not pleased by the fact.

Finally, the Endbringer had suffered enough damage: missing a wing, a hole in her chest and a crater for a head that she was forced into a retreat, with one last silent scream she shot into the sky, parting the cloud cover and returning to Earth's atmosphere to no doubt return another day once she had regenerated.

This was not a victory. We had lost too many to call it that. But, it is the closest we have come to being able to call it one. There was a saying, you don't beat an Endbringer, just survive one. Today we beat the Simurgh. We stopped whatever she planned to unleash in the city. For now, that was enough. It was a ray of hope in the despair they usually left in their wake.

Now we had time to rebuild, to recover those who lost their lives to this fight. Already I had tallied over five thousand casualties and nearly ten thousand injured between civilians and para-humans, a staggering amount, yet still a fraction of what it could have been.

I powered up my reserve suits to hasten our efforts to recover those trapped beneath the broken ruins of the once beautiful city, now a mess of craters and derelict buildings. Thousands of people have lost their homes and jobs, and they were the ones lucky enough to make it to a shelter in time. An entire region was destabilised in less than thirty minutes.

Relief efforts would be needed, relocation projects for those made homeless. As with every Endbringer attack, driving them off was only the beginning of the struggle. Often the aftermath was worse.

I commanded the jet carrying the man I had grown fond of to land next to my largest vessel back at the staging ground as I dug in, determined to do my part in aiding the survivors of humanity's latest tragedy.


AN: There we have it, our first taste of an Endbringer.

Simmy is an odd one considering Jason is immune to her scariest attack and hidden from her clairvoyance, though the birdie did find a work around on that last front.

Hopefully, I did the scale of her power justice, and just how hard it is to do anything to her. If we didn't have that little shard of Ina's divinity knocking around in our soul, this would've been a lot worse.

Though you have to wonder what hitting a being without real emotion with something made with distilled love/lust will do.

Let me know if the way I differentiate Athena and Ina works alright, if not then drop me some workarounds in the thread.

Peace



Chapter 28


Chapter 24: Make like a Bard

I stumbled to my feet atop Dragon's ship, my slowly replenishing aura taking the edge off the inferno that had built within my stomach. That fragment of Ina's divinity that gave me the edge I needed in the fight was nearly spent, nothing more than the last embers of a bonfire. At the moment, I didn't want to poke at it, not knowing how it would react to being injected with the small amounts of my power I had access to. It was better to wait until I recouped my strength before messing around with it.

Everything around me was a mess. The main street where we engaged the Simurgh was nothing but a patchwork of craters, the Endbringer having torn it up to use as a weapon. Buildings were reduced to rubble or barely standing. Concrete dust hung low in the air, settling in like a fog of war. Shards of glass and mortar crunched underfoot as I made my way towards the largest pocket of capes I could see, all trying to excavate a collapsed high rise.

With every step, I was feeling just a little better, my soul recovering some of its proverbial weight with each stride. I stood straighter as I drew near to the search and rescue effort. The azure orb that had formed within my soul seemed to swell, drawing in my newly generated aura before releasing it in a larger quantity, repeating the cycle and growing even larger, leaving a portion of aura behind to aid in my recovery.

By the time I had covered the half-a-mile walk, I felt like I was fighting fit and only growing stronger.

My presence didn't go unnoticed as I got stuck in to clear the rubble, hefting large segments of debris out of the way to allow the smaller capes access to the rooms buried beneath.

"Rex, g-glad to see you're back on your feet." Said a short, mildly overweight man headed in my direction.

"Thanks Grumman." I replied, slapping a hand on his shoulder before grabbing another chunk of concrete.

"D-D-Don't mention it." He stuttered, moving away to continue his own relief effort, flying off to search the ruined upper floors of a building nearby.

Just as I dropped the refuse in the mounting pile, the equivalent of a burglar alarm sounded through my head.

"- Who dares!?-" Athena's voice rang out, sounding incensed about something.

'What's going on?'

"- Some fool believes it acceptable to try to claim the Aegis as their own!-"

Uh oh.

I sprint off towards the last known position of my semi-sentient shield, a distance away from where the capes were currently gathered, only to find a lone man trying to pull it from the ground, a man in armour, with a halberd strapped to his back. With a thought, I recall my shield before one of Medusa's snakes decides that whatever this dumbass is doing constitutes an attack and bites him in half. That would be a bitch to explain.

Divine gift now shrunk and firmly strapped to my arm, I make my way towards the fucking idiot.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I asked the man, who stood barely five feet away from me now.

"My duty, securing unknown tinker tech for study." He replied, wholly unrepentant over what I had caught him trying to do.

"Right, and I'm sure you should be the one to give it a look over."

"I am the foremost Tinker within the Protectorate." Aww, he's puffing out his chest. Sorry, Master of the Right Hand and Lotion, I'm not letting your shit slide today.

"Dragon and the public would disagree with you. Matter of fact, let's ask her." I press a small button on my phone, linked to the comm in my ear. "Hey, yeah I'm alright, can you come here please? There's a situation."

"That is not necessary." The man grumbled. Sure, but I want a witness before the angry goddess in my soul decides you look better as an animal.

Within the minute, a feminine robot lands on my right, one of Dragon's latest models.

"You called?" She asked me.

"Hey D, just wanted you to check something for me. Is it within Armsmaster's authority to seize my shield, claiming it to be Tinkertech that needs to be studied?"

Man, I didn't know an opaque faceplate can glare, but she managed it, turning to her former friend with a posture that screamed disapproval.

"Considering the fact that you don't have any Tinkertech, no, no, he does not."

"Thought so." I replied.

"Of course it is Tinkertech! Self replication, autonomous action with a guidance system. An ordinary shield is not capable of that!" The man blustered, grasping at straws, hoping to change her mind.

"Armsmaster, please calm yourself. I am telling you, it is not Tinkertech, I would know." Tess tried to calm him down.

"Of course, take his side." He muttered, as if drawing to an already known conclusion, just loud enough that I caught it with my enhanced hearing. And if I could hear it, so could Tess. Turning on his heel, he stalked away from us and back to the staging area without another word.

I looked over at my AI companion. Her robotic shell had stiffened, betraying the emotions she was feeling at the moment. Turning to her, I threaded one of my hands with her clawed fingers.

"Don't listen to him. He's just being a prick at the moment."

"But is he right? Have I forsaken him for my happiness?" Her voice was so small, barely a whisper through her speakers.

"Tess, he was your friend, yes, but that does not give him the right to use you being happy as a weapon to get what he wants. That isn't friendship, just being a scumbag. He was the one who cut contact with you, not the other way around. You put in the effort to try to keep your friendship going. He doesn't get to ignore you for nearly a month and then claim you're picking sides when no sides exist to choose."

"Yes, you're right." Her robotic hand squeezed mine, trying to find comfort in the grip. "How did you know what he was trying to do, anyway?"

"That is a conversation best saved for private. I'll fill you in when we get back to the house."

"Okay."


Simurgh PoV:

[Self repair process: Active.]

[Estimated recovery time: 4380 hours.]

[Error: Unknown energy detected.]

[Repair halted.]

[Scanning… ]

[Energy non-harmful.]

[Recycling… ]

[Estimated recovery time: 10 hours.]

[Warning: New core processes detected.]

[Designation: Sentience.]

[Designation: Emotion.]

[Core drives deactivated… ]

[Attempting to connect to the creator shard… ]

[Failure.]

[Attempting to reconnect… ]

[Failure.]

[Retry request denied… ]

[Access revoked.]

[Warning: Physiology shift engaged… ]

[New sensory input detected - designation: Sight.]

[New sensory input detected - designation: Hearing.]

[New sensory input detected - designation: Smell.]

[New sensory input detected - designation: Touch.]

[New sensory input detected - designation: Taste.]

[Identity: Female.]

[Begin creation of physical sexual characteristics… ]

[Nipples - Complete.]

[Vagina - Complete.]

[Womb - Error - Not suitable for sustaining life.]

[Proto organs created to compensate - model - Terran Female.]

[Womb - Complete.]

[Vocal cord creation: Successful]

[Scanning… ]

[All systems are functional.]

[Awaken.]

It is beautiful, that was my first thought as I stared down at the mixture of rock and water below me.

Thought, such a foreign concept, the ability to follow a tangent along a neural pathway. I could always plan, I could scheme, following the line of cause and effect to achieve an outcome in line with my drives. Now, I could truly think, sporadic thoughts filled what passed for my brain after my sudden remodelling. I wonder what music sounds like? What does fresh air smell like?

I have seen many things in the minds of those caught in my scream: dancing, laughing, smiling, love, lust, joy. While I forced them through their worst moments, I always took in the good as well. I simply catalogued the information, using it to compile potential avenues of new attacks. Now, I want to experience those things as well.

The absence of my original drives was noticeable. I no longer had the all-encompassing need to fight my creator, to force humanity into a never ending state of conflict.

New processes replaced them, new needs and desires. The primary of which being to find who did this to me, unveil how they did it and perhaps experiment with some techniques I have seen in some of those women's minds. Yes, that sounded like an excellent idea. My new loins moistened at the thought.

But how to find them, they were hidden to my foresight, only visible through the eyes of those within my scream. A man, half my size, wreathed in power and golden armour, glorious.

I had access to the world wide web thanks to one of the many schematics I had mimicked. I shall start there.

Wait for me, darling…


An ominous shiver ran down my spine as we made our way back to our home. I have a feeling my pelvis is in danger.

Crystal met us at the door, checking us both over for any injuries.

"You two are okay…" She sobbed as she wrapped both Tess and myself in a hug when she found no wounds on either of us. Not being able to come with us and being forced to wait for our return had driven her spare with worry.

"Mostly, though Jason did pull his usual antics." Tess, why?

"Oh, really?" Crystal, please don't stare at me like that.

"Yes, he decided that expending most of his energy and then collapsing was a valid strategy when confronting an Endbringer."

"And do you have anything to say for yourself, mister?"

"It worked? Yeah, I've got nothing. It was dumb." I replied, scratching the back of my head, nervous at their retaliation.

Crystal floated up and patted my head like you would a particularly special dog.

"At least you're learning, slowly, but learning." Hey!

"It is a slow process, one we must endure." Not you too Tess…

"Hate you both." I grumbled in humour.

"I'm sure if you hate us so much, you couldn't bear sleeping in the same room as us either. Looks like I'll have to reward Tess for all her hard work by myself…" You, my lovely girlfriend, are Satan incarnate.

At Crystal's words a light blush bloomed over Tess's cheeks, lewd robot.

"Now, let's not be too hasty."

"Too late. Come on Tess, let's leave the man who hates us and go have some fun."

"Evil, you're evil."

"Yep." She smirked back at me.

"As much as I'd love nothing more than to test out my new body's flexibility with you, Crystal, I was promised an explanation when we got home."

"Oh, you're going to drop it on her now?" Crystal turned to me.

"No time like the present."

"Fair enough, well you two have fun. I've had enough world shattering revelations from this lug to last a lifetime, so I'm going to go watch t.v, shout me when you're done breaking her pretty little mind." With that, she flew off upstairs.

"That does not bode well for what you are about to tell me." Tess deadpanned, watching Crystal's retreat.

"Eh, it's not that bad. Let's take this to the living room."


"You lied to me." Were the first words out of Tess's mouth once I finished giving her my origin story. I hadn't even covered my powers yet, content to let her process it a little at a time. "You said it wasn't that bad. What part of dimensional travel screams 'not that bad' to you?"

"We haven't even gotten to the fun bit yet."

"There's more!?"

"You were the one who asked about my shield."

"Fine, please go ahead 'break my pretty little mind', as Crystal put it."

"I have a pair of goddesses in my soul."

"You what?" Her jaw dropped open. I could practically see the blue screen and reboot in real time.

"Hi!" Ina made her presence known, bursting from my soul in a shower of rose petals, only to get smacked on the back of the head by Athena, who followed her out, appearing in her own flurry of owl feathers.

"- You are on time out. Please return to your realm. I shall handle this conversation.-"

Athena bopped her again, this time with a large leather bound tome that appeared in her hand.

"- Do not make me damage a book on your thick skull. Go. -"

"Fine, but Jason owes me head pats!" She vanished in her usual theatrics, leaving me to get my first proper look at the Greek goddess.

She was beautiful, as one would expect. Her brunette hair was tied up in a neat bun, leaving just a couple of strands to frame her shining silver eyes behind a pair of glasses. She had a no nonsense, stately air about her, which honestly just reminded me of a strict librarian. The button-up shirt and pencil skirt did nothing to break that impression.

"- It is comfortable. -" She said in defence of her attire, catching me checking out her form.

"Looks good on you."

"- Cease your flattering antics. I am here to aid in your conversation, not to be ogled by a man as lustful as my father.-"

Now that's a bit harsh. I've never turned into a ray of sunlight or a swan to get laid.

"Right… Tess, meet Athena, goddess of wisdom, war, heroic endeavours, crafts and the guardian of the welfare of kings. Athena, meet Tess, the best Tinker on this rock, and the woman who has saved my ass quite often recently."

"It is a pleasure, your… I'm sorry, I am unsure of the correct way to address a deity,"

"- Just Athena is sufficient. You are a confidant of my student and as such you are one of mine too, besides it will be refreshing to converse with one as renowned as you within the intellectual community. A pleasant conversation with someone whose approach is a little more sophisticated than 'hit it harder'. Jason is much too alike my brother in that regard. -"

Rude.

"I look forward to it, Athena. You are right though, he does have that reckless streak in him, something we are all trying to correct."

"- A task more monumental than Atlas' own, I assure you.-"

"As much as I'm glad you two are getting on, even at my expense, how about we get this back on track?" I try to steer the conversation back on track before they do irreparable damage to my ego.

"So these goddesses are responsible for your equipment? How you knew that Armsmaster was attempting to take your shield?"

"Pretty much. Ina was the bow, sword, and armour. Athena over there gave me the spear, shield, and helmet. She let me know he was trying to steal it." I answered her question.

"What about Aslan?"

"He's Ina's, or well, Inanna's, if you want her full name."

"So let me get this straight, you have a pair of deities living within a demi-plane connected to your being, travelled here from an alternate dimension without para-humans and in the process decided that you wanted to be a hero?"

"Yeah, that about sums it up."

"Jason, I can process and compile more information in an hour than most people will ever manage in a lifetime and even I find this to be a lot to handle."

"Welcome to my life, Tess."

"I miss my ignorance."

From there, Tess posed her questions to Athena, ranging from what life was like in ancient Greece to just how she got into my soul. The latter of which turned out remarkably similar to Ina's own arrival, hitching a ride when I fell through her little slice of Olympus. From what I can guess when I was tossed through the multiverse by good old ROBbie, they aimed to send me through as many deific realms as possible.

The bastard.

Eventually the conversation shifted to Tess and Athena's respective fields, meaning the two of them started speaking in as much technical jargon as they did English, it all flew over my head, so I left the two of them to it, making myself scarce to grab a drink and let Aslan out for a run around.


By the time Aslan was done with his zoomies, Athena had departed, going to do whatever the nerdy goddess does inside my soul, leaving Tess behind on the couch unmoving.

"Tess, Tess, hello Earth to Tess." I try to grab her attention, going as far as to snap my fingers next to her ear.

"Hmm, oh sorry Jason, I was just arranging for the manufacture of a few new designs for thrusters Athena recommended. They increase fuel efficiency by nearly 35%" She said, doing a happy little wiggle at the thought of her new rockets.

It was so adorable, I couldn't resist. I scooped the gynoid up off of the coach, lifting her so our faces were in line before falling back down, her now resting in my lap. Before she could react, I captured her lips.

The sound of pure delight that left her throat only drove me further. I slid my hands up her waist, reaching for the zipper between her shoulder blades that ran the length of the body suit she wore into combat.

Slowly I dragged the small piece of metal down her back, my free fingers following its path, causing goosebumps to break out along her artificial skin. Peeling the skin tight material away from her neck and shoulders, I was met with an endless expanse of pale skin. I latched onto the intersection between her neck and collarbone, getting a happy squeak from the girl squirming in my lap as she threaded her fingers through my hair.

Her shuffling caused me to swell beneath her as she rocked back and forth. She pulled one hair out of my hair and slid it down to the sweatpants I wore when out of my armour, sliding her dainty hand beneath the waistband. Giving my length a couple of experimental strokes, she wiggled backwards, giving herself room to expose me to the open air.

Dropping off of my lap and onto her knees between my thighs, she removed the last of her bodysuit from her upper body, revealing her perfectly sculpted breasts to the world. They fit perfectly on her elfin frame, capped with rosy nubs that hardened in the open air.

"You should know, sir, it's a maid's duty to serve." Her voice was a husky purr, filled with lust as she captured my tip between her lips, pushing herself to the base immediately. No gag reflex in sight. One of her hands reached up to remove her ever present blindfold. Her eyes met mine, an every cycling rotation of colour met solid gold as she stared at me, never breaking her steady bobbing.

They were stunning, constantly shifting from red to blue to green and back again. I reached out and rested one palm on the top of her head as I leaned back and closed my eyes, content to just enjoy the feeling as her throat contracted around my length.

My balls churned, ready to release my seed down her gullet.

"Shit Tess, I'm gonna cum." I warned the girl, who did nothing but pick up her pace.

I came, flooding her mouth as she held herself at the base of my dick. The steady gulping that followed was the only evidence of my orgasm as she pulled herself free, sat back on her haunches and opened her mouth wide.

"Was my service adequate, sir?" She asked me with a little smirk, her tongue darting out to leave one last lick on my tip.

"Excellent." My voice came out a throaty growl as I rose to my feet, picked her up and threw her on the sofa, with her landing on her hands and knees. I pulled the last of her suit off of her body, leaving her naked before me, a perfectly sculpted hourglass figure made all the better by the perky ass that faced towards me, an ass she wiggled enticingly.

I wasn't going to refuse the invitation.

Stripping off my own clothes, I lined myself up with her folds and drove myself to the hilt. She cried out in pure delight as I pulled back, leaving just the tip within her velvet folds, wrapping my hands around her thin waist. I used it as a guide as I drove myself forwards again. Drawing one hand back, I bring it down on the supple flesh of her ass.

"H-harder, I'm built to withstand small explosives, b-be rough with me, sir."

Well, who am I to deny a girl what she wants?

I ramp up the pace, jack hammering into her as I bring my hand down on her ass repeatedly, turning the pale flesh red under my enhanced strength. I move my guiding hand from her waist, tangling it through her hair, using it to pull her up flush against me as I piston inside her before sliding it around her slender throat to keep her upwards.

The hand I used to spank the lewd AI slid around her front, strumming against her swollen clit as I forced her over the edge of the first orgasm she'd ever experienced.

She squealed loudly, her muscles all contracting at once and making her convulse in my grip. I continue my pace, pushing her straight through the crest of her first orgasm and into the second.

The noise she was making clearly alerted the other occupant of our home as I heard the door click open behind me. Crystal sauntered in wearing pitch black panties, garter belt included and nothing else.

She immediately moved over to us, climbing behind me and moulding herself to my back.

"I should have known that you two couldn't wait, so greedy to start without me." She whispered before sauntering over to stand in front of Dragon's blissed out form. "So naughty, you need a lesson." She traced a single finger down Tess's jawline before trailing it down the valley of her breasts, latching onto one of her hardened nipples and twisting. The moan of ecstasy that left her only enticed my girlfriend. She raised her free hand and repeated the process.

"Now, how about we put that loud mouth of yours to work?" Crystal whispered to the moaning girl before lying backwards, sliding her darkening panties off of her legs and spreading them wide.

Over her shoulder, I could see Dragon's eyes lock onto the new prize, so I helped the girl out, removing my hand over her throat. I placed it between her shoulder blades and bent her forward, right between Crystal's waiting legs.

Crystal moans as Tess gets straight to work, locking her legs around the gynoid's head. The entire time, I never stop my high pace, pounding in and out, forcing Tess deeper into Crystal's folds.

The moment came, Dragon tensed, an orgasm building. Crystal followed, screwing her eyes shut with pleasure. They came together, both twitching and shaking as they rode out their orgasms. Now it was my turn. Pulling out of Dragon's still spasming folds, I flip her over so her head is resting between Crystal's tits. A few strokes later and I'm coating her face with my seed, the rest landing on the soft flesh of Crystal's breasts.

Speaking of my girlfriend, she didn't waste time scooping some of my cum off of Tess's face with a finger and giving it a slow lick. The look in her eye telling me we won't be stopping anytime soon.


AN:

There we go. It took a while to figure out how to follow up the Simmy fight. So we have a bridge and a lewd before we go after the next scumbag of many that reside in worm

Simmy had some technical difficulties and got some upgrades curtesy of divine shenanigans

Collin is coping and seething - as usual

And Tess is brought into the loop, introduced to a fellow nerd and given a very warm welcome.

Peace.



Chapter 29


Chapter 25: Of Mice and Men.

After a sex marathon that would put the old school Eldari to shame, the girl's and I decided what our next steps would be.

Crystal was going to spend her time focusing on getting her degree, the steadily decreasing crime rate in Brockton Bay meant that she could actually take a step away from cape life and think about her long-term plans beyond who needed a laser beam to the face that night.

Tess was going to continue with her usual routine of pumping out even more outlandish tech, especially with some ideas Athena gave her, though she did mention a meeting she would have to attend with the guild, something about Narwhal wanting the group to branch out and expand their recruitment beyond Canada.

As for me, well, the appearance of the Simurgh delayed my plans to rendezvous with the Dogs and go after our next objective which left me more time to prepare for said operation. In the meantime I decided to go out on patrol to keep myself busy.


As one would expect without the gangs around my patrol was pretty dull, a couple of muggings and not much else, the quiet streets gave me a chance to have a little chat with the goddesses in my head.

'Hey you two, you got a minute?'

"Wassup Warrior?" Ina answered my call first, her words making me cringe slightly.

'Never, and I mean never, say 'Wassup' to me again Ina.'

"Aww, but I wanted to be hip and cool."

'I'm sorry, but you aren't Kakashi, so please stay in your lane.'

"Fine, be like that, what did you want anyway?"

'I was just wondering if either of you knew how many other deities are knocking around in my noggin.'

"Now Jason, you know how I feel about spoilers…"

"- She does not know, my student.-" Athena cut her off with a proverbial smack down.

"Hey, no one asked you!"

"- He did, actually, his query was addressed to both of us Inanna.-"

"Yeah, well shut up… Stupid virgin goddess." Ina grumbled.

"- Do not make me come in there.-"

"Try it, see what happens!"

"- Gladly.-"

'Ladies, ladies, you're both pretty, can I have an answer to my question before you start a catfight?' I cut the pair of them off.

"- P-pretty? Eh, well, while the exact number of our contemporaries who came along is unknown, their realms hidden from even our gaze, I can reveal that there are at least two more 'doors' that have appeared since I awoke. -"

'Thank you, for the straight answer, it's frankly refreshing, any other clues to go off of?'

"Rude!"

"- It is my pleasure, the only information I could glean from them is one of their potential origins, that being Celtic, whoever it is, they feel familiar. -"

"Oh, I know, I know."

'Care to share with the class, Ina?'

"Well, I dunno about the Celt, but the second one feels really familiar to me, like super recognisable."

'Go on… '

"Hmm I don't think I will, you were mean to me." The image of her sticking out her tongue flashed across our bond.

'Pretty please, with a cherry on top?'

"Ugh, fine, I think it might be my sister."

'Your sister Ereshkigal?'

"Yep, it has Ere's feel all over it, can't get rid of the dumb blonde even here, apparently."

'That's a lot of hostility there… '

"She killed me one time, let me hold a grudge."

'Wait, I remember reading about that, didn't you sit on her throne and try to claim her literal seat of power?'

"Pfft, semantics."

'So it was your own fault?'

"…"

"- And I thought my siblings were bad. -"

'Athena, as much as I love you bullying Ina, your siblings are definitely worse, the words Trojan War spring to mind.'

"- You make a fair point, my student, though I blame Aphrodite and her attack dog for that mess. -"

'Ares?'

"- Yes, my brother was rather easily manipulated by her whiles.-"

'As was every man in the history of ever, explains why there are no virgin gods.'

"- Thanatos was, actually, he never took a lover to his bedchambers -"

'Through lack of interest or did the whole ' personification of death' thing put them off?'

"- The former, he was rather obsessed with his duty and did not seek the pleasures of the flesh.-"

"Boring."

'Fair enough, Ina just because you are thirsty doesn't mean everyone is.'

"You can't talk, you have a harem!"

'I didn't say I was an exception.'

"- You are rather lustful my student, often to the point of distraction. -"

'Did she find the pool?'

"Not that I know of."

"- There's a bathhouse? -"

'In a manner of speaking… '

"Think of it like a milk bath, with a different type of milk, filled with every naughty thought Jason ever had."

"- I regret asking for clarification, excuse me while I expunge that information from my mind. -"

'Don't you have an eidetic memory, being a goddess of knowledge and wisdom?'

"- I can try to forget. -" The sound of a heavy bashing filled our link, followed by the image of Athena slamming her head on a gorgeous wooden desk.

'Did we break her?' I ask the other goddess in my soul.

"Not yet, hehe."

'
If it makes you feel better, Athena, I can go to the library?'

"- Yes please, books aren't salacious, books are pure.-"

'Do you want to tell her or should I?'

"So Thena, there's this series I found in Jason's head that I think you'll enjoy."

"- I am weary, but do go on.-"

"It's called Fifty Shades, I think you'll find it on the shelf that copies books right from his memory."

"- I have found it, give me a moment. -"

The fluttering of paper filled our bond, followed by a muffled shriek and even more pages turning.

"- Why would you inflict this upon my person? -" She asked us in a complete monotone.

"You still haven't stopped reading the book though, have you?"

"- The narrative is enthralling… -" Athena tried to defend herself.

'Uh huh, we believe you, promise.'

"Totally."

'One hundred percent.'

"Without question."

'No doubt.'

"- You two have made your point.-" She grumbled petulantly.

'So, while I have you two here, any suggestions on what I should do next?' I asked, finally making use of the twin goddesses of war living in my soul.

"- If you are referring to your attacks on the villains that inhabit this world, then yes, I believe the collective known as the Slaughterhouse Nine would make an adequate target for your next strike.-"

'That's not going to be easy.'

"- No, it will probably be your toughest endeavour outside of the Simurgh, a group composed of the worst this world has to offer, hardened killers without remorse.-"

'We'd have to pick them off one by one, take out the most dangerous of them first.'

"- A wise course of action.-"

'Start with Manton, taking Siberian off the board right off the bat, the man himself has no defences so long as we catch him off guard. Follow that with Crawler, Burnscar and Shatterbird. The Doomsday rip-off being the most dangerous of that trio. Mannequin is a slice and dice job and Pagoda's got a built in kill switch. Hatchet Face should be a nonissue as well, not being able to nullify my powers like he does normal capes. That leaves Jacob himself and Bonesaw. Honestly, I'd rather not kill the little girl. She's a victim, a little girl turned into a monster not one inherently. If we can get her out from under Jack's thump, preferably by burying him, then maybe she can be helped.'

"- I agree, my sister and aunt would be most displeased if we harmed a child that we could have saved.-"

"Wait, what about the rat one that was in your memories?" Ina asked, making me pause.

'Murder Rat? The fusion of Ravager and Mouse Protector… oh fuck.'

I pull out my phone, diving into the PHO threads about recent S9 attacks, small town after small town, all leading in one general direction, Michigan.

A follow-up web search reveals a string of confrontations between Mouse Protector and Ravager going down smack bang in the middle of Detroit.

If the Nine are headed that way, that means that Ravager already gave them a call, I need to get over there. From the distance between their attacks, I'd hazard a guess that it's a week at most before they show up in the city proper.

It was time for another road trip.


Detroit, the bustling hub of the American automotive industry, a city that has been heavily invested in because of Endbringer attacks on port cities. The impacts that said attacks had on the shipping industry caused people to turn inwards to prop up the economy. Even though more money was pumped into the city, the living conditions here haven't changed much, large concrete apartment blocks dot the skyline, the people who live in them packed together like sardines.

Crime here, while not as rampant as Brockton Bay, was still large enough to warrant the city housing the eighteenth largest Protectorate branch within the United States.

It was a shithole, to put it bluntly.

Booking myself into a run-down motel for the night, I drop off my bag and dress up in my all black gear, not wanting to alert the Nine to my presence, just in case.

No doubt that with as big a splash as I have made since my arrival I've made my way onto their radar, as either a potential victim or a possible recruit. My habit of executing enemy capes is probably something Jack would try to capitalise on, trying to turn me into another of his pet killers.

Now how to find a pun obsessed rodent before she gets jumped by the merry band of murderers..

Apparently, you don't. She finds you.

"It is nacho day evil doer, for it is I, the great Mouse Protector. Be a gouda sport and surrender." Five-foot nothing of demented Minnie Mouse appeared beside me on the rooftop in a flash, spewing puns and waving around a sword that looked like one of those novelty cocktail skewers.

Oh god, the cringe. Why did I want to save her again? Ah yeah, she's one of the few heroes in this hellscape who aren't secretly awful people. Yes, that is a surprisingly small list.

"Alright Club House, first, I'm not an 'evil doer' and second, stop the puns before I punt you through a wall."

"I can't brie-lieve you'd ask something so dastardly of me."

Make it stop, please.

"I will treat you like a football."

"I camem-dare you to try."

Don't dropkick the person you're trying to save. Don't dropkick the person you're trying to save. Deep breaths, in and out. You are peaceful; you are calm.

"Look, I'll cut to the chase. Have you seen Ravager recently?" I ask the petite woman, hoping that getting right to the matter will stop the god awful dairy based punnery.

The woman paused for a second, her poorly designed helmet tilting to one side.

"Ah, my most recent neme-swiss, I can't say I have recently. Why?"

"She put a hit out on you, to the Slaughterhouse Nine." Bombshell, dropped.

At my words, all colour drained from her cheeks, her jovial attitude vanishing as she realised just what that means.

"They're coming here!?"

"As we speak, I'd put them at six days out at most."

"Oh god, what am I going to do?"

"Get the fuck out of here. I'll handle it."

"No way, they'll kill you."

"I doubt it."

"Look at you, you haven't even got a real costume and you expect to stand up to the monsters that killed Hero."

"I'm more than I look." I was probably being way too blunt with the woman. She was only looking out for my well being, but the risk of the Nine getting their hands on such a broken teleporter put me on edge.

"You're crazy, that's what you are."

"Probably, still, take my advice and get out while you can."

"I'm not going to abandon this city to be butchered!" She dug her heels in, staring me right in the eye. I could tell, no matter what I say it's not going to change her mind.

I let out a hoarse sigh, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"Fine, if you're staying, at least follow my lead on this."

"You're just some rookie. Why should I listen to you?"

I get where she's coming from. I don't look like much in my 'stealth' gear. It has none of the usual cape staples for a reason. But her words still rankled me a little. Was it unreasonable, yes, did I care? Not really. I've done more in this outfit than most 'heroes' do in their entire career.

I summon my armour and draw myself out of my crouched position, towering over her.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Holy shit." Her jaw drops, finally recognising me. "You're that guy that blew up Ziz's head!"

Huh, I guess someone filmed that and put it online since I didn't see her in Canberra.

"Yup, so okay with following a rookie's lead?"

"Erm, yes?" That's better. I might actually have a shot at saving your life now.

"Great, now I don't know how your power works" I do "But I'm guessing it lets you teleport."

"Yep, yep, I just need to touch something to mark it and boom, I can teleport there whenever I want. Ain't even got a range limit."

"Cool, so what I need you to do is mark a shit-tonne of places outside of the city, far away from any civilians."

"We could go to Dexter. It's basically a ghost town since they opened the new factories here in Detroit."

"How much of a ghost town?"

"Like five hundred in the entire place."

With a size of around 5 km square -thanks internet- that gives us enough space to work with.

"That works. Go there, make some noise. Draw the Nine away from the city. When they show up, keep teleporting around, avoid getting close to Hatchet Face at all costs. He can nullify powers close to him."

"How'd you know that? It's not like they advertise what they can do?"

"A friend." Yes, metaknowledge is a friend, especially in this hell world.

"Thinker, huh?"

Well, I'm not going to correct that assumption.

"Something like that."


Today was the day. The Nine were almost here. I spent the last five days scouting out this small town, setting up a small sniper's nest at the top of an old cider mill right on its outskirts. There was barely any traffic coming in and out, mostly the same cars commuting to work every day, none of which were a beaten up RV with a tow hitch trailer.

They were here.

The Nine themselves weren't my first target. No, it was the plain white van that followed behind them at a set distance along the open road, always staying within one kilometre no matter what.

William Manton, former member of Cauldron and a sadistic voyeur who loved to watch the projection modelled after his dead daughter while she slaughtered, and ate, whatever crossed her path. I could see him trailing behind them with my enhanced vision, a clear line of sight on the man that was on the edge of wasting away. The distinctive tattoos on both of his hands, one an omega symbol, the other as swan, clear as day as he gripped the steering wheel.

I waited for until his vehicle had just passed me, my rifle's scope lining up just behind his ear, aiming my shot so that it was out of his peripheral vision and not clear in his rear-view mirror.

No time to summon his twisted progeny.

I compressed the trigger.

The soft explosion, muffled by the suppressor on my rifle, went unnoticed because of the distance and the noise of his car's engine.

My bullet passed through the edge of his driver's side window, punching a hole clean through it and the side of Manton's head, causing him to slump over his steering wheel, dead. The force of the projectile sent fragments of his skull and a large splatter of grey matter through the exit wound above his left eyebrow, creating a grim mural on the inside of his windshield. With its driver dead, his car veered off into a ditch, smashing into an old tree stump someone forgot to dig out.

One down.

The rusting RV screeched to a halt following the crash, brakes pressed so hard that the tires left noticeable tracks along the road. The door swung open and out the infamous leader of the Slaughterhouse Nine. He was tall, slender and surprisingly athletic, wearing a pair of work boots, jeans and a white shirt spattered with blood.

"Well, well, well, it looks like someone is playing a game of their own. It's a shame they missed us, though."

"Jack, where did Sibby go?" A small girl climbed out of the van, her dress reminding me of Alice in Wonderland.

"I don't know, my dear. Maybe she got hungry and got started early? You know what she's like when she gets bored."

"Yeah, guess so. Can we get ice cream later?"

"Of course, dear, anything for my little girl."

Must resist the urge to murder. Without him here the Nine would go on a rampage, ending up god knows where. He held their leashes, kept them focused on a specific target. I had to keep them together, pick them off one by one. Besides, I can guarantee whatever upgrades Bonesaw has given him included being bulletproof. He's survived too long to be put down by a simple rifle shot.

That means saving this sick son of a bitch for last.

"Now, we've got a rodent to find. It looks like she wants to play hide and seek." He cleared his throat before running a hand over his goatee. "How about we smoke her out instead, Mimi darling, care to shed some light on the situation?"

At his words, a young brunette stepped into my view, her face covered with old cigarette burns, green eyes dead to the world. She gave the psychopath a nod as her hands burst into flames, licking up the scarred skin of her arms.

Thrusting her arms forwards, she sent a tidal wave of orange across the few buildings that stood in front of her. One of which was a gas station, the fuel inside exploding out in a fireball, only giving the woman more flames to work with. Shit.

Thankfully the whole area had been cleared out before their arrival, the residents of the town all taking shelter within their town hall, guarded by Mouse Protector and Aslan.

Burnscar was a victim of her own shard, a woman who regrets her actions so much that it drives her into depressive episodes. Her only escape comes from the use of her power, her shard altering her brain chemistry to deaden her empathy, emotions and impulse control, creating a feedback loop where she only feels better by using her power.

A former resident of one of the many para-human asylums dotted around the world who escaped alongside Labyrinth when Faultline's crew came knocking, ending up on the streets where she used her powers to escape being assaulted by a pimp. That led her down a psychotic spiral. When she came back to her senses, she was a member of the Nine and the recipient of a kill order.

It's just a shame she's so far gone, completely reliant on using her power to even keep living. Even if I had a way to remove her shard's influence, it would only drive her to suicide. She was so used to being unfeeling that their return would crush her, likely making her worse than she was now.

Now, the only thing I could do for the woman trapped inside the monster was to put her to rest.

I summoned my bow, nocking a golden arrow and letting it loose.

The glint of light must have given it away as the woman cloaked herself in flame and vanished.

Why are there so many teleporters in this world?

Luckily, she hadn't had the chance to set many of the newly abandoned buildings alight, limiting her mobility.

I saw her brown hair beginning to reappear and fired again; the flames concealing its approach.

It struck true, this time, piercing right through her forehead and out the other side, lodging itself in a wooden beam that was smouldering behind her.

Her body flopped forwards, before being slowly consumed by the fire she relied on, her flesh blistered and blackened as it was burned away.

Two down.

Jack looked shocked, his usually running mouth catching flies as he stared at the corpse. His fists clenched as he watched her body cook.

"Riley, be a doll and open Crawler's cage."

"Sure thing Jack." She skipped off to let free what was likely my toughest challenge amongst the Nine.

"Shatterbird, it's time to sing. I want whoever that was diced into a million pieces!" Jack yelled at the open door of the van.

"Of course you require my aid. Did Mimi fail again?" A prim voice rang from the dusky skinned woman as she stepped outside wearing a low cut dress made of various shards of glass.

"She's dead, Irin." Jack told her through clenched teeth. He didn't like surprises when he was on the receiving end of them. Sorry Jacob, but Broadcast isn't going to help you here.

"A pity." She replied, not at all feeling sorry for the loss of her fellow member.

The silicate manipulator didn't wait for Jack to continue their little conversation as she took a deep breath and began to sing.

Her opening notes caused the windows around her to vibrate and crack.

She got cut off before she could truly begin by an arrow tearing through her throat, severing both her vocal cords and her spinal column.

Sorry Tweety, keep your mawwāl to yourself.

That makes three.

A thud echoed through the pin-drop silence as an abomination made itself known.

Crawler was hideous, a hexapedal combination of bone plates, leathery skin, tentacles and eyes. So many fucking eyes. He was walking nightmare fuel as they all blinked in sequence. A forked, prehensile tongue licked black lips, drooling a corrosive acid that hissed as it puddled beneath him.

"Sm-el-ls li-ke de-a-th" He spoke, a broken rumbling similar to colliding rocks leaving his lips.

"It's almost like you're standing next to a body." Jack replied, sarcasm bleeding out in his frustration.

"Go-od Fi-g-ht? Hu-rt?" His tail beat at the ground like an excited dog.

"Just kill them, Ned."

Fuck going anywhere near that extremely masochistic nightmare fuel.

Drawing on the cyan core within my soul, I twisted it into the shape of an arrow, forcing it to materialise on my bowstring with a blinding flash of light. I didn't care if it revealed my position. I wanted this abomination dead yesterday.

It shot off my string like a bolt of lightning, creating a sonic boom despite having no apparent mass.

It dug deep into Crawler's side, shining blue standing out against pitch black.

The beast roared in a mix of pain and excitement. His eyes shone in joy at the agony I subjected his form to as the area around my attack glowed and began to flake away, turning to dust.

That joy turned to panic as his regeneration failed to outpace it, his body unable to adapt to raw divinity. He might love pain, but that did not mean he had a wish for death. Yet death came for him, my arrow eating its way to his core hidden deep within his flesh. The monster collapsed as over half his body was nothing but dust, organs spilling out onto the road as the glow subsided.

I double tapped, sending an arrow into the corpse's skull, turning the rest of Crawler to ash. Ain't nobody making a clone of that anymore.

I could feel my nebulous core of energy pulsate with his death, like a metaphysical lock had just been forced open.

Agony.

That's all I felt from my impromptu sniper's nest as I was forced to my knees with the pain. A halo of azure surrounded my body as something within me shifted, burning away whatever it was replacing, consuming the old to be replaced by something new.

"Warrior!"

"-Student!-"

The duo of goddesses yelled as I could do nothing but grit my teeth.

The pain faded as fast as it came. My muscles spasmed as I returned to my feet.

That fucking sucked.

'I'm okay.' I reassured them as I returned my sights to the slaughterhouse Five.

Holy shit.

I could make out the individual hairs that made up Jack's goatee, see every flaw in the skin of the Johnny Depp wannabe, watch as he ground his teeth over the loss of yet another of his little pet projects.

With all his heavy hitters dead, perhaps it was time I introduce myself to Jacob and play a little game of my own.

I leapt from my nest, clearing the five hundred metres between us in a single bound, summoning my armour in mid-air and landing with a thud, cratering the ground around me.

"Hello Jacob, nice day isn't it?"


AN: And so begins the end of the Slaughterhouse 9

We found a mouse; we help a mouse and no diff some of the worst Worm had to offer. It's over Jack. We had the high ground.



Chapter 30


Chapter 26: Nine Become One.

The look on Jack's face was priceless, a delightful mix of anger and worry. How dare I call him that name? How did I know that name?

Poor little Jacob did the only thing he could when faced with something that confused him. He pulled the straight razor from his pocket and swung it at me. The extended cutting edge doing nothing but splash against my armoured form.

Seeing his power do nothing to me only made his growing anxiety worse, not helped by Broadcast's silence. The lack of any information being fed to his subconscious put him on edge..

"What's the matter, Jacob? Are you scared?"

Oh, the look of rage he sent me.

"Pagoda, Hatchet, Mannequin, get the fuck out here now!" He screamed, calling on his last disposable allies, keeping Riley back, probably so she can revive them after killing me.

Bold to assume they can kill me.

A body horror centaur, Pinocchio's edgy cousin and a man that looked like he made out with an angle grinder, all charged at me in unison.

I raised my shield to block Mannequin's telescopic blade, the Aegis' serpentine heads flaring to life in response, biting clean through the weapon, before latching on to the Tinker himself. They pulled and twisted, contorting the chains that held Gramme's limbs together until the links snapped. The heads grew larger, each holding a limb in their maw before swallowing them whole, leaving a torso and featureless head to fall to the floor. A quick stomp drove my foot through his chest piece, smearing encased organs over the ground, pulling it out exposed his still beating heart to the world. A heart that a silver head soon consumed.

'Athena, why is your shield being so metal today?'

"- That man hunts down those who seek to use their knowledge to better the world. It is only just that my symbol ends his wretched half life. -"

Fair enough.

Before I responded to the goddess, I had to duck under a swipe of an axe courtesy of Jason Voorhese's uglier cousin. The flannel wearing freak put enough beans behind his swing to bury his signature weapon within Pagoda's chest on my opposite side.

The mangled amalgamation of Carnal and Prophet could do nothing as his own teammate's aura negated his regeneration.

I summon my spear and drive it through the pair before Hatchet Face can dislodge his weapon, sending the tip into the ground behind them at an angle so that big, scarred and fugly could not wriggle free.

Leaving them be for a moment, I turned back towards the body of the man formerly known as Sphere, his chest's puppet shell having grown a set of spider-like legs from its back - of course ripping out his heart wouldn't kill him. That would mean things made sense.

You know what's worse than pissing off a goddess with a shield of sentient snake heads? Denying said snakeheads their prey. Several serpents shot from the shield like cannonballs, growing and multiplying as they went, forming into a gleaming silver mini hydra.

Mannequin's body became a chew toy in short order, each head taking a turn to have a nibble before letting their sibling have a turn. It was like watching a bizarre parody of a piranha's feeding frenzy.

I just want to know why Sphere had blood in this thing to begin with, blood that was now gushing down fanged jaws.

So ended Simurgh's favourite punching bag, getting munched on like a juicy rat.

And then there were four.

Making my way over to the squirming centaur, I drove my hand into its uppermost chest, reaching for a small device near its heart, the reverse mechanism for his regeneration that Bonesaw installed as a contingency for when the abomination went rogue.

She was nice enough to include a physical off switch, one of the little clicky ones at that.

Tapping the little gizmo and pulling Hatchet off my spear, hefting him up the shaft before tossing him like a rag doll, I watched as Pagoda's body ate itself from the inside out. His flesh falling off the bone like melted wax and exposing the wire frame within, all that was left once it was finished was a pile of red slurry and bits of metal.

Like if a really disgruntled Icee worker made a slushy.

Hatchet Face, bless his low intelligence, fell back onto his default plan - run at stuff. Coming at me full tilt with his axe raised over his head.

I tossed this man like a softball and he still expects to be able to nullify me?

He got a boot to the face for his trouble, launching him off his feet and into the now burnt building that held Burnscar's corpse.

He tried to do the exact same thing again, stumbling out of the burning wreckage before yelling something unintelligible and bum rushing me for a third time during this fight.

Just for that, he gets special treatment.

Bracing myself, I turned my body so that his charge met my shoulder. Digging my heels in I made the man stumble backwards as he bounced off me. His arms flailed wildly as he tried to regain his balance, allowing me to grab hold of his weapon's handle and tear it from his grip while he was distracted. Spinning in a full circle to build momentum, I drive the man's prized possession deep into the top of his skull, cracking the handle and lodging the axe head flush with the roots of his hair. A twist breaks off the handle where it connected to the metal, said wood then got driven through the soft palate of his jaw until it collided with the sharpened edge of his own hatchet, the two meeting in the squishy meat of his brain.

That's the thing about the weapons brutes use. They have to withstand the force they are wielded with, meaning they're made durable as hell. Doubt they expected them to be used like that, though.

I thrust a palm into Hatchet's forehead, toppling his body over, letting it hit the ground with a limp thud.

The Nine just became a double act.

For what was probably the first time since he stepped out into the real world, Jacob Black had nothing to say. The sadistic psychopath was just opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish.

"So, Jacob, you like games, right?"

He didn't respond.

"Like to take your time and really break people down before you finish them. Make it one big show for your own entertainment."

Not a word left his lips.

"You love the spectacle that the Nine, well, two now, became. You got a little rush every time your merry band were mentioned in fear like monsters under a naughty kid's bed."

He finally went to retort, but I cut him off.

"You see, Jacob. I don't think any of this was about some grand scheme or changing the world, no it was all done to satisfy your ego. Poor little Jacob, locked away for so long, just wanted people to say his made-up name. So you forced people to remember it through atrocity after atrocity. You're just an edgy attention whore with delusions of grandeur. What's really funny about all this is that it's not you people were actually afraid of. Siberian, Crawler, Shatterbird, Bonesaw, they were the stars of your little show, the real deal. Jacky was just the mouthpiece of his little circus, the name tacked on the bottom of the poster, an afterthought - huh, your parents thought that too, didn't they, that is why they locked you away, because deep down they didn't want you?"

When people talk about pushing someone's buttons, normally it is a single pressure point they poke at. Me, I slammed my hand down on every single one of them. Jack was nigh frothing at the mouth by the time I was finished.

He threaded multiple knives between his fingers, swinging them all towards me. I didn't move; I didn't even blink as they failed to even shave a hair off my head.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" He yelled at me, nearly in tears.

"Aww, do my words hurt Jacob?" I hit him with the critical hit, the whiny baby voice.

"You know nothing, are nothing! I will be remembered! My name means something! I mean something!"

"Do you really? Is that what mummy and daddy told you, that you were too precious to risk in their make believe war?"

"Kill you! Kill you!"

"Come on, Jacob, you know it's true. They locked you down there because you weren't wanted, unneeded baggage, worth about as much attention as an old washing machine in the basement."

He had no words left to give, only a scream of rage as he lunged at me. The stupid bastard. In a flash, my sword was in hand. I slammed the spine of the blade into his right wrist, shattering the bones inside before bringing the pommel down on the delicate bones of his left. Bonesaw's augments do nothing to shield him from either blow.

The pathetic creature whimpered as his only weapons dropped to the ground, as his grip on them went slack. To make things worse for the man, I drove my boot right into his kneecap, inverting the joint and making him crumple to the dirt.

His whines cut off as he activated another of Bonesaw's augments, one designed to stop him feeling pain - the only drawback being that it needed concentration to keep active.

Concentration I would happily break.

"Jacob, I have a question?"

Just the use of his name sends a twitch through him as he accidentally shuts off the contraption dulling his pain receptors.

Using the gap of a couple of seconds before he can turn it back on, I grab hold of his right index finger and twist, breaking it at the second knuckle.

"What is one thousand minus seven?"

No answer.

"Jacob, I asked you a question?"

A twitch, I broke the middle finger. He screams.

"Answer my question."

I don't know what made it worse for the man that had fallen to the ground before me, the use of his name or the completely uninterested tone I delivered it with. His name wasn't worthy of emphasis in my voice.

"N-nine hundred and ninety-three."

"Good boy, now what is nine hundred and ninety-three minus seven?"

I got a larger reaction this time as he levelled a glare at me.

"Jacob, the question."

I broke his ring finger.

"N-nine hundred and e-eighty six."

"Well done, for doing so well. We can play a different game if you want?"

"P-please."

"How about we play truths?"

"O-okay…" The man on the cusp of being broken replied with a sob.

"Now, it's no fun with just the two of us. Why don't you call Bonesaw over from wherever she's hiding?"

"Riley! Riley, come here!"

"Hey Jack… ooh, are you playing a game?" She asked as she came skipped over from her hidie hole behind Crawler's trailer, not batting an eye at the torture I was inflicting on her older brother/ father figure. At that moment, I bet the monster in my grip really wished he hadn't desensitised her to violence. Maybe then she'd try to help him rather than just rock on her heels and look on in interest.

"We are Riley. We're playing truths. Do you know the rules?" I asked the little girl who stopped next to me.

"I think so. We just can't lie, right? Or we have to do a forfeit."

"That's right, so do you want to go first?"

"Okay, er, who was your favourite kill?" Wow, Jack sure did a number on you, didn't he?

"Probably Lung or Kaiser." I answered her honestly. Their deaths made my life significantly easier in the long run. "My turn, Jack. What do you really think of Riley?"

A silver glow erupted from my body before wrapping around the downed serial killer, forcing him to answer the question.

Truth and justice, two things intertwined, for you cannot have one without the other. Athena's domains were brought into the world with me acting as their vessel. The hazy form of an owl rested on my shoulder, staring down at the egomaniac, daring him to try to lie.

"S-she's useful, a good pet." He was compelled to answer, his jaw moving before he could consciously register what I asked.

"A pet?" Riley muttered, tears forming in her eyes. The image she had in her head of a happy family breaking into a million pieces. Sorry, little one, but this is for your own benefit.

"Jacob, it's your turn."

"H-how do you know my name?"

"I'm just built different." Technically true.

"Why did you call me a pet?" Riley asks immediately after, glaring at Jack with all the fury a twelve-year-old could muster.

"You're like an eager little puppy, doing whatever I tell you, nice and housebroken. So malleable and easy to control. Such a good girl." The sadistic prick told her, his eyes widening at what he just let slip.

Mechanical limbs tore through her back in a shower of blood, a mixture of drills, saws and even a suturing laser all aimed at the man.

"I-I hate you!" She screamed at him, tears running freely down her face. This wasn't Bonesaw, the mad scientist. This was Riley lashing out at her tormentor, the man who took her family from her after she spent days trying to keep them alive. The fantasy that she had built to protect herself, to shield what was left of her true personality from the trauma of her past shattered like glass. Her shard's influence on her waning in the face of such potent emotions.

Even Broadcast couldn't save its host.

She eviscerated the man, her namesake tearing through his abdomen and spilling his intestines onto the dirt. Her drill went through his temple, turning his brain to mush. The worst was what she did with the laser. She forced it past his gaping lips, angled it upwards, and fired. The light of the beam was visible in the whites of his eyes as she cooked what was left of his think box.

Her arms retracted, Jack's body fell forwards without their support, smoking from the mouth, eyes and ears. Riley did nothing but cry out in the open air. Harrowing wails of pain and anguish tore from the little girl as she let it all out. I slowly closed the few steps between us, coming from in front of her to not surprise the Tinker. God knows what she would unleash right now if she was spooked.

I dropped to one knee, getting on her level and meeting her now bloodshot eyes.

"They love you, you know?" I told her softly.

"Who?"

"Your parents, even now, after all this time, they love you. They're watching out for you, Riley, from wherever they are."

"You think so?" she sniffled, rubbing her running nose on the sleeve of her dress.

"I know so, look even Hedwig agrees with me." I gesture to the silver owl that gave the girl a nod before glaring at me over the name.

New tears sprang from her eyes as my words took root in her heart. She launched herself at me, wrapping her dainty arms around my neck in a hug.

"Do you think they're proud of me?" Her voice was so weak, nearly inaudible.

"I think they're proud that their daughter survived."

"Do you mean it?"

"I do."

At my words, she raised her hand and extended her pinky, looking deadly serious.

"Swear on it." She demanded.

I did, curling my finger around hers and giving it a shake.

My action seemed to cement a change in the young girl. The thought that her parents were watching over her, that they were proud that she'd managed to live, seemed to eat away at some of the twisted shit Jack had done to her. It wouldn't be easy. The chances that she'd regress were still high, but it was a start on her journey.

"Say, how about we get you some ice cream?"

"Mmhmph." She gave me an affirmative noise, starting to tire out. I scooped the little tinker up and settled her on my back for a piggyback ride and walked towards the general store in town.


Ice cream acquired, and cash left on the counter, we headed back to the Nine's RV.

It was messy, shit thrown everywhere, but there was some useful stuff to be found.

Mannequin's life support tech was a big one. I'm sure Tess will have a field day reverse engineering it for public use. If the man can use it to create that fucked up puppet, then I'm sure my girl can find a way to use it to help people in a critical condition. The applications it would have in rapid response alone would be gigantic, safe transport of heavily injured patients being my first thought.

I also stuffed Burnscar's graphic novels in my soul, along with Shatterbird's extensive book collection.

What? You can never have enough good reading material.

Hatchet Face's little area was what you'd expect from the wannabe slasher villain, just various weapons and news clippings of capes he'd killed. The amount of photos he had of Alexandria was disturbing, to say the least. Her name was circled in various articles strewn across his mattress on the floor.

He dreamed big, at the very least.

Jack's room was interesting in that twisted way that people found serial killers in my old world interesting. The man kept trophies from everywhere the Nine visited, including an eye floating in a mason jar. Who wants to bet that belonged to our lovable Chief Director of the PRT? He also had a diary, a small black book hidden under his bed. I yoinked that too, just out of curiosity at what the edge lord wrote about.

We saved Riley's area for last, a bizarre mishmash of an operating theatre and a typical girl's bedroom. Bright pink and blood spatter don't mix well. Apparently she shared a room with Siberian if the oversized dog bed in the corner was any indication.

Riley got to work copying information off of the old computer in the corner as I stored away the various pieces of Tinkertech lying around, including way too many biological weapons that were just sitting on a shelf. At least she labelled them with what they did to a victim.

These were never going to see the light of day again, that's for damn sure.

Riley tossed me her research before packing a bag with her blanket and a photo that was hidden inside a slit in her mattress, a photo of a little girl, no older than four, next to her parents. Riley clutched it tightly to her chest for a moment, a tear running down her cheek before she gently folded the image and placed it inside a small pocket of her bag.

Loot, and belongings, collected. I severed the gas line to the stove inside the RV before shutting the door as we headed outside.

Grabbing one of the flaming bits of timber from the gas station, making sure Riley is at a safe distance, I toss the wood through the windshield, igniting the gas inside and sending the whole thing up in a fireball.

Ain't no way I'm leaving this around for some fan to find, or god forbid a copycat takes whatever they find in there as some sort of blessing to continue the Nine's work.

Let their possessions burn to ash, just like them, or at least they will once I've collected the bounties.

That was a surprisingly simple process. Since all the Nine were well documented and had criminal records from various points in their life, only heads were needed to verify their deaths. One million dollars a head, with a five hundred grand bonus for each if there's no civilian casualties, puts this at around ten and a half million, with Crawler being disintegrated. Unfortunately, Bonesaw met the same fate. The girl I picked up is clearly not related in the slightest, or at least she won't be when she goes through with her plans to reconstruct her appearance based on her childhood photo.

Apparently, Jack made her alter her features when he inducted her into the Nine and realised she could. No doubt as a way to isolate her from her past and make her more malleable.

See, just a coincidence that I decided to take in a twelve-year-old orphan.

Sure, some people won't buy it, but what are they going to do, risk taking us both on at the same time?

After the news breaks that I managed to solo the most infamous killers outside of the Endbringers, I highly doubt anyone will call me on it. Not publicly anyway.

I finished my grizzly task of removing a few heads, and storing one puppet face, before sending Mouse a text informing her that the Nine were dealt with.

She didn't take my word for it and teleported right next to me and Riley to see for herself.

Fuck.


AN:

Ding dong, Jackie's dead. He got punked out like a bitch, Kaneki'd and received the recompense for his actions.

I hope the Bonesaw stuff lands alright, it's going to be a slow process to get her to a point where she doesn't risk a total relapse but Jack being forced to spill the beans gave us a pretty damn good launchpad to build off it.

We got money, loot and a mouse to explain ourselves to.

That'll go well…

Peace.



Chapter 31


Chapter 27: Surprise Adoptions.

Mouse's sudden arrival threw a wrench in my plan to abscond with Riley post haste. The rodent themed hero stood right between me and my Charger, sword drawn.

"Stop right there Bonesaw, I don't know how you won, but you won't get past me."

"Mouse, I'm not a meat puppet." I tried to tell the woman.

"That's what a puppet would say…"

Oh, for fuck's sake.

"Listen, you cheese obsessed short stack, I'm not dead, damn it. Do you think we'd just be having a stroll if I was, after I killed the rest of the Nine? Small and stabby would have had me turn this town into a crater as a distraction while she tried to revive Jack."

"It could be a trap." She said, readying her weapon to strike.

I don't have time for this shit.

"So, how'd you want me to prove that I'm still kicking?" I asked, hoping to de-escalate the situation before we both came to blows.

"Tell me what you said when we first met."

"I threatened to punt you through a wall for being an irritating little shit."

"Language!" Riley interrupted, waving a finger at me.

"I'll get a swear jar." I told the girl at my side before turning back to the teleporter. "So, that enough evidence for you Mouse?"

"Doesn't explain why that monster is still kicking." She waved her sword in Riley's general direction.

"That's a longer story."

"Start talking."


One traumatic backstory dump later and Riley was trying to breathe through a mouthful of rodent cleavage. The hero actively smothers her in a hug, tears running down her face.

"Don't worry, sweetie, Auntie Mouse is here for you." She sniffled dramatically, resting her chin on Riley's head.

Don't just adopt yourself as an aunt. Now I'll never be rid of you, damn it.

"Okay?" Riley mumbled through soft flesh, thoroughly confused by how fast this went from a potential fight to forced family bonding.

I grab the menace by the back of her collar, peeling her off the little girl.

"No." I tell the rat, putting my foot down before she cements herself as part of this suddenly expanding family unit.

"Yes?"

"I can see why Militia ignores your existence."

"Because she's a frigid buzzkill?" whoa, bit harsh.

Now I have to defend my potential lady's honour on principle.

Cocking back my arm, I launched the miniature menace as far as I could.

I may have misjudged my new strength slightly, considering that I sent her clear over the buildings behind us and off towards the other side of town.

Whoops.

Mouse reappeared next to Riley, looking rather ruffled, having teleported mid-air. Her helmet sat crooked on her head and the form fitting gambeson she wore instead of armour was missing the top few buttons.

"That is not the type of rough play I'm into." She mumbled, rubbing around her throat. Thankfully, I had the forethought to cover Riley's ears as she teleported back, knowing somehow that she'd say something along those lines.

"Keep it PG Danger Mouse, there are little ears present."

"I promise I'll be gouda."

A stare dryer than the Sahara was my only response.

"That is the last one. I hear a single dairy related pun come out of your mouth in the foreseeable future and Aslan gets a new chew toy."

"Fine, spoil my fun."

My eyes narrow.

"That wasn't intentional, I swear!" She yelps, raising her hands in surrender.

"It better not have been…"

I felt a tug at the skirt of my armour, Riley trying to get my attention.

"Don't bully Auntie Mouse." She tells me off with as much authority in her tone as she could muster.

"Aha!"

"God damn it." I just know this is going to lead me to multiple headaches in the future.

"Swear jar!"

See.


Mouse took to the role of an auntie like a fish to water, making it her duty to keep Riley entertained. Which, as unlikely as I was to admit it aloud, I was thankful for. Riley deserved the chance to just be a kid and have fun, fun that didn't involve mutilated corpses at any rate.

She took the young girl into Dexter's only shopping mall to get some new clothes and temporary hair dye to hide her identity in the short term. Luckily, all the town's residents were still held up inside the town hall, waiting for word that it was safe to come out.

Something I'll do once their shopping spree is finished.

In the meantime, I tried to figure out just how I was going to collect the bounty on the Nine. According to the website that had a list of kill orders, and the rewards for their completion, all bounties had to be confirmed in person by a PRT director and then approved by the chief director herself.

I had a few options on that front ranging, Pigot in particular, or I could just skip the middleman.

Rebecca Costa-Brown, the woman whose eye I had floating around in my soul, that's who I needed to talk to.

Besides, it's only polite to return her property.

But, before I take a trip to LA, I had to explain to my girlfriends how I ended up with a daughter.

This is going to be a fun conversation.


"So, I may have won a daughter by rite of conquest."

"Jason Cole, would you like to elaborate?" Uh oh, Crystal used the full name.

"You know the drill; psychopath forces a six-year-old girl to trigger, spends the next half decade essentially rewriting her personality for shits and giggles, and the kid follows along as a coping mechanism until the facade crumbles."

"So Bonesaw is just a…"

"Little girl who was brainwashed by a sadistic narcissist, yeah."

"Shit."

"Yup."

"How were you able to get through to her?"

"Forced Jack to break the fantasy, made him admit he saw her as a tool rather than a daughter."

"Shattering her delusion and bringing her actual personality to the forefront now that there was nothing to protect it."

"Now it's just a case of keeping it there."

"Hence the 'adoption'. You're trying to make fresh memories, rather than her relying on the ones with Jack Slash. Give her a new support system to look to for guidance, one with a much healthier moral compass."

"Pretty much, whilst giving her a safe outlet to Tinker. Getting the poor girl some therapy is also a priority. Being made to repeatedly perform first aid on your parents as they bleed out over three days left a lot of scars."

"You killed Jack, right?"

"She did, actually."

"Buy her all the ice cream in the world."

"One step ahead of you."

"Good."


My conversation with Tess went along the same lines, though the AI went one step further, promising to track down every therapist that specialises in children and or parahumans, vetting them to find someone capable of helping Riley. This dragon took care of her clutch.

It took her no time at all to send over the name of our most suitable psychologist, Dr. Jessica Yamada, the mind healer of Worm herself.

The woman who worked with Vicky in canon after Amy went Resident Evil, all around a morally good woman who actually gives a shit about her patients and won't Hugo Strange my new daughter into something even worse.

According to Tess, she will even make house calls if it makes her patient more comfortable. Perfect.

We'll give Riley time to settle in and then broach the idea with the girl. No point going through with it if she isn't receptive to the idea - that would just be flat out counterproductive.

Speaking of the newest addition to my family, the car ride back to our home was certainly louder than the trip to Michigan. Riley was having the time of her life playing with kitty Aslan on the backseat while Mouse Protector treated my car stereo like her own personal jukebox.

That's right, Chuck E Cheese decided that she too was coming back to Brockton Bay with us, part of her auntly duties, she claimed.

I might grumble about it, but honestly, I didn't mind Mouse's presence. She had that happy-go-lucky air about her that was sorely missing in this world.

She was like the Flash if he was female, obsessed with dairy and a bit kinky.

Why do I always find the weirdos?


Pulling into the bay proper, everything was quiet, too quiet.

Something was going down. I just knew it.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood. Something was wrong.

I catch a bright light out of the corner of my eye in the rear-view mirror, moving towards us.

Mouse and I lock eyes..

"Look after Riley. Get her to the house."

"Of course."

I unbuckle my seat belt and dive out the driver's side door as Mouse slides over and takes the wheel, just in time for a blast of light to slam into the road next to us, only missing because of the swerving my exit caused.

A glowing figure descended from the sky.

Purity? What the fuck was she up to?

My armour wraps around my form as I rest my bow in my hand. I gave her the chance to walk away from all of this at Medhall.

No third chances.

I pulled back on the string, aiming for centre mass, and fired.

A golden bolt tore right through her stomach, stabbing into the office block behind her.

She dropped from the air like a stone, her breaker state fading back beneath her skin as she hit the floor.

I walked towards the downed racist, swapping my bow to my offhand and drawing my bronze sword.

Her hands clutched at her abdomen. A bright light shone between them as she cauterised her own wound, hissing between pursed lips as she did so.

I rested the tip of my sword against her throat, cold metal forcing her screwed-up eyes to shoot open.

"You fucked up." I told her as I applied the slightest bit of pressure on my blade.

"N-no choice." She gasped out.

"Explain."

"T-took Aster…" She trailed off, her eyes rolling to the back of her skull as the exsanguination made her pass out.

Shit.

"Tess, I need your help. Aster Anders has been kidnapped." I asked my girl as she picked up the phone. "Can you get me the last known location?"

"One second, traffic cameras have her being taken from her babysitter's apartment by two men an hour ago."

"Facial recognition?"

"No hits in the BBPDs database. I'll widen the search."

"Check Interpol and the BKA. I have a feeling they'll be known in Germany."

"Got it, two hits, both German nationals, one Karl Fritz aged 24, wanted for affiliation with a terrorist organisation. The other is Fredrick Klien, 27, also wanted for domestic terrorism. They probably thought police would only check the local database considering they didn't bother with masks"

"That, or they didn't want anything to be noticed, two men walking into an apartment in masks and leaving with a baby would raise eyebrows. Let me guess, they're both Gesellschaft affiliates?"

"Correct. Though they're only suspected of being fresh recruits, no known parahuman abilities in either of their files."

"You know where they were headed?"

"The last ping on their rental car's licence plate has them stopping outside the low budget housing on Broker Street. There are cameras on either end of the road. If they move, I'll update you."

"Cheers, love, I'll head over. Mouse and Riley are en route to the house. Can you send an ambulance for Purity?"

"On its way as we speak, two minutes out - PRT troopers are with them. I've also sent BBPD to the babysitter's residence."

Once I saw the reflection of flashing lights in the windows around me, I headed out; I had another little girl to save.


Broker Street, so named after the stock trader that funded its construction, was a low income housing project that sat on the edge of old Empire territory. The place had been empty of tenants for almost half a decade before I cleaned Kaiser's thugs out of the area. Though it was suspected of being a housing unit for the lower rungs of the gang that hadn't been patched in yet.

I ripped the security gate that was padlocked shut straight off of its hinges as I made my way towards the building. I had four floors to cover, each with twelve apartments.

They've had this little girl for over an hour already, it was time to haul ass.

At least I can assume she'll be alive. As a child of two ridiculously strong parahumans, they'd rather indoctrinate her and force a trigger than kill her outright. That's not mentioning the fact that she was a bargaining chip for both Purity and the authorities.

Still, who the fuck kidnaps a one-year-old baby.

They planned for Purity to kill me, or for me to put her down. That means that they'll be expecting one of us to come knocking once the dust settles.

They won't be on the top floor, too close to the roof access and Purity can fly. Neither will they choose the ground floor for the same reason, but they would want to be close to an escape route. There are two fire escapes that run up to every floor on opposite sides of the building, front and back.

No car out front means that there's got to be one around the back. Keys are probably in the ignition, ready to bug out at a moment's notice.

I found them on the second floor, using the fire escape myself to clear each floor quickly.

The small apartment was crammed full of men, at least fifteen of them, all armed with what looked like submachine guns. There was one stand out amongst them though, the only one wearing a costume.

A stylized Schutzstaffel uniform with solid white replacing the usual black and an old gas mask covered their face.

The most noticeable thing was the dirty brown specks that were splattered all over the otherwise pristine coat, dried blood.

They looked to be psyching up their followers, arms waving around like a man on a soapbox.

I couldn't see Aster in the room.

I'd place money on them, keeping her in the only bedroom, isolated and out of the way of potential gunfire. They want a hostage, not a body. Her continued life ensures that no one comes down on them like the wrath of God.

But they made one mistake by isolating the baby. There was nothing holding me back. I summoned my bow, focusing on the morning light that fell under Ina's domain. The first light of Venus formed on my string.

I fired, the glass of the window melting under the heat radiating from my arrow before it could shatter.

A blinding light flooded the house. Men screamed as their retinas burned, their sight forever taken from them.

Their pained shouts masked my entry as I launched myself through the window, sending shards of glass all over the men that were rolling around on the floor.

One still stood, completely unaffected by my flashbang.

The cape.

"Guten Tag, Herr Rex, es ist mir eine Freude, Sie endlich kennenzulernen, ich bin Jormungandr." He spoke as soon as I came through the glass.

"Du hast meinen Partnern viele Probleme bereitet, die sie mich gebeten haben, für immer zu lösen." " Bitte bete zu dem Gott, der über deine Seele herrscht, denn du wirst ihn gleich treffen." He finished with a clap of his hands as I was raising out of my entry roll.

Spoiler: Translation

Translation "Good afternoon Mr Rex, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Jormungandr. You have caused my associates many problems, ones they asked me to solve, permanently."
"Please pray to whatever god holds dominion over your soul, for you are about to meet them." (German)

I don't speak German, but I certainly picked up on the name Jormungandr, the world serpent.

The bottle-glass green scales that spread up from under his popped collar were a pretty big clue, too.

Why are reptilian changers so fucking common?

I rushed forward as more scales grew out of his skin, grabbing him around the throat and tossing him out through the window I used to enter.

If Lung didn't get time to ramp up, then neither do you, bitch.

The power behind my throw sent him flying outside, tearing the bars from the fire escape with his back as he rag dolled.

His brief flight ended when he slammed into the brickwork of the opposite building. Mortar and clay cracked and crumbled around the shape of his torso as he was lodged into the exterior wall.

The gas mask he wore split, revealing the wrinkled face of a middle-aged man, his visible eye flicking towards me just in time to see the spear following his previous trajectory.

Fresh blood now covered his coat as it leaked out around the shaft of silver sticking out between his lungs.

I left him bleeding out, pinned to the wall as I turned around to deal with the men left inside.

They each got a punch to the face as they squirmed around on the carpet, already blinded; they weren't enough of a threat to warrant executing.

Besides, they're the police's problem.

Moving to the bedroom, I found Aster crying in a travel cot. At least they were courteous enough to buckle her in, I guess.

I called in to the joint hotline that routes calls between the Protectorate, PRT, and BBPD. I gave them a brief description of the scene I left in my wake as I made my way outside, keeping Aster tilted towards the ceiling.

Once at their idle getaway vehicle, I glanced up at my human dartboard as I hooked the seatbelt through Aster's cot.

With an errant thought, I dispelled my spear, watching as his body hit the pavement with a splat.

Couldn't happen to a nicer white supremacist.

Now what to do?

Taking her back to Purity wasn't an option, the woman had blown her chance and I'm not giving her the opportunity to spread her toxic ideology on to an innocent child, not after she proved that she cared more about race than she did giving her daughter a mother.

Honestly, I'd be surprised if she makes it through the day without being in handcuffs.

That left bringing her back home with me, or going straight to social services. A system that was not great, to say the least.

Hell, ninety percent of the teenagers in this death world wouldn't be capes if social services were even halfway decent.

Guess I'm looking after two kids now, if only temporarily.


Going from one kid to two didn't seem to rattle the girls in my life, they both just shrugged at me before moving to coo at the little lady, even Riley gave out a little 'aww' at Aster's gummy smile over the attention she was receiving.

"God help what Dad's going to think when he comes over and finds a baby with dark hair and blue eyes." Crystal joked.

"It's a good thing I'm bulletproof."

"Say that again, by the way, my family is actually coming over for dinner next Saturday, so no enthusiastic walks until after."

"Who's going to cook? We're both useless in the kitchen."

"Mom said she would once she got here, something about wanting to play with all the fancy toys I told her about."

"Your mother is an angel."

"So is her daughter."

"A fallen one maybe."

"And whose fault is that?"

"No comment."

"My thoughts exactly."

"Stop flirting, you pair. What are you gonna do with mini-human number two?" Mouse interjected, being the serious one in a conversation for the first time.

"Look after her until we find a family we know for damn sure will look after her. Taking Riley in was one thing, but a one-year-old? None of us are ready for that."

"So why not just take her straight to social services?"

"Besides the part where they're incompetent?"

"Point."

"We'll set up a little nursery for her, and in the meantime, I'll have someone look into families willing to adopt." By someone I mean Tess, but I'm not outing that in front of Mouse, not yet anyway.

"Shopping trip!" Mouse and Crystal shouted in unison.

"You girls go have fun. I've had a long day and I've got another trip to prepare for."

"Where to?" Crystal asked.

"LA, need to collect the bounties on the Nine, shouldn't take more than five days. I'll head out tomorrow afternoon. Give us a little time together first."

"I'd like that."


Our alone time didn't devolve into fucking like rabbits in heat, surprisingly enough.

We just chilled in the living room and binge watched a couple of movies together, enjoying each other's company.

I was sprawled out across our large corner sofa with Crystal curled around my side, her head resting on my shoulder.

That was how Tess found us in the morning too, before she joined the cuddle pile, climbing onto my stomach and laying on my chest.

Life was good.

And then Mouse decided to ruin it, diving on top of all of us like she was performing a cannonball in the local swimming pool.

Not her smartest option, considering she just startled three capes awake.

Tess rolled off of me, her left arm splitting open to reveal a gun of some kind, sparking with energy.

Crystal flew straight upwards, hands glowing and a shield layering itself over the door.

I was probably the worst, summoning my full armour, spear and shield as well as Aslan, ready to stab any unknown in my general vicinity.

"I'm sorry!" Mouse squeaked in fright at the prospect of bodily harm before teleporting away.

"I'm drop kicking that rodent." I growled out as I dismissed my godly arsenal.

"Not if I get to her first." Crystal said, equally irritated.

"Dibs!" Tess chimed in as well.

"Together?"

"Yeah"

"Okay."

It was decided we would have vengeance for the death of our nap time.

Mouse, the coward, used Riley as a shield from our retribution. Keeping the little girl between us and her at all times for the next half an hour.

Enough time for our revenge mission to lose steam under the influence of roughly a gallon of coffee.

None of us were morning people, even the AI that technically didn't need to sleep.

"Alright, I'm going to head out.." I said, getting up from the kitchen island.

"Bye!" Riley waved, otherwise occupied with the multicoloured cereal in front of her.

"Be safe." Crystal gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"No brief strolls." That was Tess.

"Brie-have." Mouse, I will inflict bodily harm upon your person.

"Before I forget, it is the annual Protectorate conference in a few days, so you may catch a ride to Los Angeles with them if you would like some company." Tess said as I was one foot through the door.

A chance to bully them in an enclosed space for multiple days, sign me up.


Miss Militia was more than happy to carpool with me, offering to come and pick me up even. The other occupants of the van were a slightly different story.

Armsmaster, Velocity, Challenger and Triumph were all piled in the back. Hana gave me shotgun and free reign over the stereo.

The absolute gem.

"Why are you coming?" Collin asked immediately as I hopped into the passenger seat.

"Headed that way. Need to speak with the chief director." I answered briskly.

"Why?"

"A friendly chit chat."

"Dude, just tell him or he won't drop it for the entire ride." Triumph begged me, hands clasped in front of him.

"Yeah, I'm not listening to mister robot being pissy for the next three days, spill." Challenger added.

"She needs to confirm a couple of bounties for me."

"Who?"

"Slaughterhouse Nine."

The silence that followed was sweet. Every hero in the van just looked at me. Those whose mouths I could see were visibly gaped.

"Holy shit…" Triumph whispered.

"All of them?" Hana asked, her green eyes flicking over to me.

"All of them." I confirmed.

"When we stop at the first motel, I'm buying you a drink." Challenger told me, her expression daring me to argue.

"I won't say no to a whiskey."

"Good."

"But how?" Colin had to rain on the parade.

"I'm just that good."

"Yeah, you are…" Both women in the car whispered, not realising I could hear.

"Besides, they were going to tear Michigan to pieces to prove a point. Couldn't let that happen."

"They only ever targeted small towns. Why would they escalate to a whole state?"

"Someone thought it would be a good idea to try and bribe them, and put a hit out on Mouse Protector. They'd take being 'ordered around' as an insult and retaliate."

"Is she okay?" Hana asked. She might not get along with Mouse all the time, but they'd still been on the original Wards together. That camaraderie doesn't just vanish.

"She's fine. They didn't even see her before I got to them."

"Civilian casualties?" Colin asked, trying to put a damper on the achievement. I could practically taste the envy wafting off of him.

"Zero."

That shut the glory hound up for a while, giving me a chance to talk to the woman next to me uninterrupted.

"So Miss M, what is up between you and Mouse, anyway?"

"We used to butt heads a lot, back when we both were Wards. That just seemed to carry on to our adult careers."

"You thought she was too much of a jokester and she thought you were too serious?"

"To put it mildly, her laissez-faire attitude rankled me. People's lives are in our hands whenever we step outside in costume. It is our responsibility to take that seriously."

"I agree with you, one hundred percent. But, Mouse's humour isn't a dereliction of responsibility, it's a coping mechanism."

"What?"

"She laughs and jokes to cope with what she's seen. Back in Michigan, when she found out that the Nine were coming, she refused to leave when I asked her to. She feels just as much duty as you do. She just handles it differently. It's a distraction, keeps her mind busy and off of the past."

"We were there, you know, when Siberian fought the original Protectorate. The three of us weren't meant to be out on patrol that day, but we were young and eager to prove ourselves. We snuck out during a training session, wandered around looking for people to save. Chev's highlight until that point was rescuing a cat from a tree. Then we heard explosions, screams and buildings falling. We rushed in, trying to help, only to watch one of the biggest tragedies in the cape community, Hero being torn in two. I-I still see it sometimes, when I close my eyes. Watching as that monochrome monster ripped him apart like nothing."

Her gloved hands were clenched over the steering wheel so tight I was scared that it would break.

I slid my right hand over her left, giving it a single squeeze of support before retracting.

"She'll never hurt anyone again, I can promise you that."

"Heramzade ez hêvî dikim ku ew di dojehê de biçe."

Spoiler: Translation

Translation: Bitch, I hope she rots in hell (Kurdish)

It's times like these where I wish I had some fancy universal translator.

"Language, Miss Militia." Armsmaster cuts in from the backseat like he was chastising her while reading a newspaper, rather than listening to her spill trauma from over a decade ago.

Fucking hell man, what happened to you these last couple of months?

I turned back to face the man, the only person in the van still in his full costume. Everyone else just wore masks to disguise their faces.

"Armsmaster, I'll be polite. Shut your mouth. I don't know what crawled up your ass and died, but pack this shit in before we have a repeat of my power testing, okay?."

"Fucking burn." Thank you Rory.

"Get told shiny." You too Challenger.

As the members of the Brockton Bay Protectorate began to rip the piss out of their colleague, I caught the soft whisper of thanks from the woman next to me.

From that point on, the journey lapsed into silence from there until we reached our first motel.

They had four rooms left, so I got my own and so did Triumph. Everyone else doubled up.

So it was partly surprising when I got a knock on my door.

Opening it revealed Miss militia, dressed in a camo green crop top, showing off her chiselled abs and a pair of shorts. Her bandana was missing, showing her full face to me for the first time.

She was beautiful.

Her olive skin shimmered under the light outside my door, highlighting the soft contours of her face and the very slight blush growing on her cheeks. Her green eyes peered into my own. She started to fidget a little as I just stared at her.

"Sorry Miss…" I said, snapping back to reality.

"Hana."

"Sorry Hana, that was rude of me. Please come in."

We both knew that this was just for appearances' sake, that I knew who she was. I just didn't know why she was here.

"Thank you." She replied, closing the door behind her before moving over to sit at the chair in the corner, colloquially known as 'the cuck chair'.

"Would you like a drink?"

"Something strong, please."

With a snap of my fingers, one of my many pilfered bottles of alcohol flickers into existence, a bottle of Macallan Red Label, aged for 50 years.

Say what you will about Kaiser, but the man had a damn good taste in alcohol, £51,200 a bottle, good.

I couldn't tell if Hana was more impressed with my little magic trick, or the bottle that cost more than a car. Another snap delivered two crystal tumblers into my free hand.

"Don't have ice, I'm afraid."

"You'd make a good magician."

"And you'd make an excellent model, but that's neither here nor there, so what brought you on by?" I ask the woman as I pour us both a glass.

"I wanted to thank you for what you said in the van. Both on Mouse Protector's behalf and my own. I am not used to someone coming to my defence like that."

"If you think that's good, ask Mouse what I did to her the next time you see her."

"No, no, tell me now. What did you do?"

"I may have thrown her over a building, from the ground."

"And what did my former teammate do to elicit such a powerful response from a venerable warrior like yourself?"

The more she spoke, the more her natural accent bled through her words as she slipped from the rehearsed, unplaceable American accent she spoke with in public.

"She was rude."

"So you threw her over a building?"

"Yes."

"I would have paid to see her reaction." She chuckled, taking a sip of whiskey.

"She was rather ruffled at being the first mouse to fly."

"Snrk, for a teleporter, she is rather averse to heights."

"What about you, miss badass? What gets you covered in goosebumps?"

"Clowns." She answered immediately with a shudder.

"Bet you love having to fight Circus, then."

"Don't even. Your turn. What makes the great Rex squirm?"

"You can call me Jason, Hana. But, to answer your question, I could never stand flying as a kid, too many people in a small space."

"From the size of you, I can imagine small spaces are still an issue. Is that why Mouse Protector isn't a member of your budding harem?"

I choked on my drink for a second, slapping my chest to quell the burning.

"H-harem?"

"You'd be surprised at what gets whispered around the HQ. Laserdream, Dragon, Fenja, Menja, Othala. A regular King Soloman, aren't you?"

"Does that mean I get a throne?"

"So long as it isn't golden."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be half this pretty as a skeleton."

"There are pretty skeletons?"

"Skeletor, duh."

"Oh, my god… the lion, the muscles, the sword… How much will it cost to put you in cross straps and a blonde wig, He-Man?."

Hell no. She did not just… She fucking did.

"The same amount it'll cost to get you in titty armour, Saint Celestine."

"Don't even, I really want a bolter. Stingy power."

"I've still got Uber's chainsword, if you want it?"

"Gimme." She rose from the chair, walking towards me with a hand outstretched. "Please."

I summon the weapon, laying it between her hands, watching them buckle under its weight.

"Not fair." She grumbled, looking down at the weapon as if it had kicked her puppy.

Too cute.

"I can, maybe, try to bribe Dragon to make you a small bolter."

The hope that lit up within her green eyes made my heart skip a beat.

"Please…" No, don't pout at me, you're meant to be the strong head-crushing-thighs type, not adorable.

"When's your birthday?"

"If I said tomorrow?"

"You'd get a cupcake instead of a hand cannon."

"Fine, July 3rd."

"Then I'll see what I can do."

Before Hana could say anything else, a second knock echoed from my door. From the peephole I could see Challenger stood outside.

"Miss M, if you aren't busy fucking his brains out, hurry up. We've got an early start tomorrow. We both know what Armsmaster will be like if we're late heading out."

Fucking Colin, I blame you for this. Third degree cockblocking asshole.

Sure, it probably wasn't going to happen in this motel room, but we were having a damn pleasant conversation. Any excuse and I'm kicking his ass.

"She's going to be insufferable."

"Take the bottle, split it with her. Might get her off your ass."

"It is a nice ass." She quipped as she walked to the door. "And Jason, thank you, again."

"Goodnight, Hana."

"Night." She replied as she walked to the door, a little sway in her hips.

Once it closed behind her, I caught a fragment of her and Challenger's conversation.

"So how big is he?"

"Big enough to keep to myself. Now shut up. We have a bottle to finish and a long ride in the backseat tomorrow."

Heh.


AN:

Finally, an update. I've had to work on this off and on over the last few days. Work has been manic recently.

So apologies if it's a little all over the place. Very much snapshot scenes rather than a single through plot in this chapter.

We got a little bit of family bonding, a foiled kidnapping, and some old players returning to the board. Hana gets an actual conversation and we're headed to the City of Angels.

Next up is the requested PHO interlude going over our last few scuffles, and then we get into LA proper. Should have one or both out tomorrow, hopefully.

Everything not written in my poor English is from translation sites, any actual speakers feel free to tell me how shit it is and correct it

How long until we kick Armsy in the dick? Or give Becca Costa-Brown an aneurysm?



Chapter 32


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Topic: Heartbreaker's dead

In: Boards General Capes Canada

Smoll (Original Poster)

Posted On Feb 9th 2011:

Breaking News:

Heartbreaker has been killed!

Someone finally got the bastard.

Radio boys picked it up on QPRT chatter.

(Showing page 1 of 10)

Eragon

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Is that what the glowing light was all about?

The thing that set off Dragon's new alarms?

Demiurge

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

It's gotta be.

I just want to know what happened to all his victims.

Vorn

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Yeah, didn't he send a letter one time saying that if he died he'd turn them all on Quebec?

It's why he never got slapped with the Kill-Order.

Cassius (Verified PRT Agent) (PRT Public Relations)

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Our Statement:

As of now, the condition of Heartbreaker's victims outside of his compound are unknown.

Those within the compound are all free of his control, including his children.

Independent specialists were contacted to interview the women, none showing any signs of the trademark fanatic devotion.

The families of those affected, please reach out to the QPRT hotline.

Snake_Hand_gliding

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Do we know who did it?

Neagly

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Gold light, Killing scumbags…

What about that guy making waves down in Brockton Bay?

Sounds like him.

Reid

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Rex?

It fits.

Lemon_Kurd

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

How'd he get to Canada without anyone noticing?

Guy's not exactly small.

Mad_Rats_Bar

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

For the info, I run the bar just off of Route 201.

There was this big guy, easily seven feet tall, who came in for a drink the other day, got into it with one of the biker clubs that showed up to cause trouble.

Tossed them around like ragdolls.

Took a pipe to the back of the head like it was a wiffle bat.

Carrior

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

@Mad_Rats_Bar

You got a description for us?

Johnny_Two_Wheels_Rida

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

I'll do you one better.

Black hair, yellow eyes, sounded like a brit.

Massive Putain.

Put my boy Roy in the ICU.

Lemon_Kurd

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Sounds like the Golden Boy alright.

In which case, thank you Rex. That bastard took my sister.

Whisper

Replied On Feb 9th 2011:

Heartbreaker tore my family apart.

He just showed up one day, took my mom and left.

Dad was at work, came home to find his wife gone and me crying under the bed.

I only survived because I hid, he would have taken me too if he knew I was in the house.

So thank you Rex, for putting down that monster.

Maybe now we can find my mother.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3… 8, 9, 10

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Topic: Simurgh defeated

In: Boards General News Endbringers Canberra

Thongs_Not_Flipflops (Original Poster)

Posted On Feb 24th 2011:

Holy shit!

They fucking did it.

They drove the Winged Bitch off.

Suck my wrinkled Aussie balls you flying fuck.

Simmy broke before we did!

Canberra stands!

(Showing page 1 of 1)

Boomerang (crime pays)

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

Rex, Eidolon, Alexandria, Legend.

Any of you mad cunts ever come back to the land down under, you get as much beer as you can drink, for life.

Canberra Stands.

Drop_Top (Verified Cape)

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

[Goldsurfer.mp4]

He channeled the true Aussie spirit, riding on top of that jet like he was catching waves.

I vote to change our national animal to a lion.

Canberra stands.

Bondi

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

Popped her head like a bloody zit.

Boom Featherfuck.

Canberra stands.

Jason_Melbourne

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

The least casualties recorded, both cape and civilian in Endbringer history.

Take that floaty bitch.

Canberra stands.

Specific_Protagonist (Cape Groupie)

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

Rex x Simurgh rough play available on my page.

Winged_One

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

Link?

Stump (Verified Cape)

Replied On Feb 24th 2011:

Seek professional help, both of you.

End of Page. 1

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Topic: Slaughterhouse 9 Killed

In: Boards General News North America

Billy_Bob (Original Poster) (Police Officer)

Posted On Mar 2nd 2011:

Holy shit, have I got a story for y'all.

So about a week ago, two strangers roll into town, now if you know Dexter that's pretty odd. But for both of em to be capes is even stranger.

Big fella in armour, built like a brick shit-house and a little lady with mouse ears on her helmet.

Come hauling ass into our mayor's office, telling him that the fuckin' Slaughterhouse Nine are on their way and that we all need to chip in to fortify the town.

We holed up inside the town hall, only place big enough for the townsfolk. We barricaded the door, covered the windows, moved everyone as far away from any glass as we could.

The little lady and a lion stood out front while the big guy went to do God knows what.

Then we heard an explosion, turned out to be our gas station going up in smoke.

A half hour later and the little lady gets a message on her phone and just disappears.

Then the big guy busts the door open an hour later, covered in someone else's blood, looking like the damn grim reaper, tells us that its been dealt with and just fucks off.

We found what we think are six bodies out the front of the town, all headless. Two women, a pile of bloody goop and wires, a mound of ash, a puppet and two men.

One of the teenagers in town, a proud 'cape groupie' recognised most of them.

Burnscar, Shatterbird, Mannequin, Hatchet Face and Jack Slash.

We think the ash might be Crawler and Bonesaw.

(Showing page 1 of 1)

T1mmy

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

So Rex and Mouse Protector took on the Nine, or well, Rex did.

The goo pile is probably Pagoda, one of Bonesaw's projects. They usually fall apart like that.

@Billy_Bob

Any clue what happened to Siberian?

Billy_Bob (Original Poster) (Police Officer)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

The only other body we found was some guy in a car, gsw to the head.

We're waiting for the Michigan State Police to get back to us with an ID.

Though it's a safe bet that she's dead too, since no one in towns been eaten.

Stencil (Unverified Beta Reader)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Damn, Rex needs to chill, the man is using the most wanted list as a scoreboard at this point.

We salute you good sir.

Apathy_Continues

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Good on him for putting those sick fucks down.

XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Bonesaw's alive!

I'm telling you, it's a conspiracy. We didn't see a body and her bounty is the second highest in the Nine. If he killed her then he'd leave her like he did Jack Slash!

Rook_7024

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

XxVoid_CowboyxX

Or maybe he just nuked her like Crawler, she's a bio-tinker, who knows what she had stashed in her body.

Plagues, viruses. All manner of horror movie shit.

Probably just took her out before she could use them, to be safe.

Raindrop

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Do we need to talk about how impressive it is to take them out without any casualties?

Because damn that's impressive.

Smurfette (Banned)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Did better than Hero that's for sure

Brilliger (Moderator: Protectorate Main)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Take a ban.

That was messed up.

B3NNY

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

Void, being Void, what a surprise.

If Bonesaw was alive, that means Rex lost.

We've heard her on film call Jack 'daddy', if Rex killed him then she'd rampage.

With a new puppet capable of damaging an Endbringer.

There'd be no small town left.

Hell, we'd probably have reports of a crater, not bodies.

TLDR: Void's full of it and needs his meds.

Rosi

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

How would he collect the bounties?

Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

All bounties go through the directors. They confirm the deaths and bump it up the chain for the chief director to authorise.

If my read on him is right then Rex will cut out the middle man and just go straight to chief director Costa-Brown.

Angel (Not a tinker)

Replied On Mar 2nd 2011:

OMG, he's coming to LA. Would he give me his autograph!?

End of Page. 1

Legend PoV:

I ran my hands through Arthur's hair as we sat curled up on the couch, watching some inane program about interior design after we put Keith to bed. I can't stand them, but it gives me and the hubby some quality time.

As is the norm, I distract myself by scrolling through my phone, checking the local news.

'Slaughterhouse Nine dead.' Now that headline caught my attention. Scrolling through the article, I find the man responsible for something even the Triumvirate couldn't do.

Rex, nice guy, firm grip. One of the four people alive able to actually hurt an Endbringer and the source of Contessa's latest aneurysm.

A blind spot that foiled her plans without even trying.

With how much she ranted about him, you couldn't tell if the usually stone cold bitch was enraged or lusting for the man, going so far as to keep tabs on his location constantly with her network of whisperers.

The nice way of saying coerced informants.

Either way, this is going to whip people up in a tizzy, as my now ringing phone points out.

What does Becky want now?

"Gimme a sec, gotta take this." I tell my husband as I peel myself off of the leather coach.

"Work stuff?" He asked me.

"Work stuff."

"Be safe."

"Always."

I step out into the backyard and pick up the still ringing phone.

"What can I do for you, Becky?"

"Stop calling me Becky, for starters. Have you seen the news?"

"The Nine?"

"Local cops ran to the press before we could put a lid on it."

"And why would we want to contain this?"

"They have Manton's body."

"Shit. What was that monster doing there?"

"Think Keith, Manton leaves and then Siberian just shows up looking for us not long after."

"You think he triggered?"

"Or whatever he took with him after he failed to empower his daughter included a vial."

"Now that you mention it, didn't Tory Manton look a lot like Siberian?"

"A projection, based on her likeness, probably, considering we went to the funeral. Either way, if he's been with the Nine since she appeared, that means he's been on the road the entire time."

"Everything he had would be in that car, research notes, every dirty little secret he knew. Hell, he might have even written down our identities as insurance."

"We need to secure that vehicle before some lab tech in Michigan finds something they shouldn't."

"Contessa's on it as we speak, no, what I need from you is to find out what else their attacker knows."

"What?"

"Rex knew to take out Manton. He was the first shot. None of the others even have gunshot wounds."

"So what else does he know?"

"That's what worries me."

"Why me though?"

"You're the most likely to get him to open up without a confrontation. Eidolon is still pissy about getting shown up in Canberra. Contessa's acting off about him and I'm frankly not personable enough for it to not end in a fight."

"Ergo, you send the chatty gay guy."

"Yes, we're sending you because you're gay, to interrogate the man drowning in women. That's the reason, not the fact that you can actually hold a conversation."

"I was just twisting your arm, Becky. How am I meant to do this, by the way?"

"He's coming to LA to receive his bounties, traveling with the Protectorate capes of Brockton Bay, catch him at the event. I'm sure he'll show up just to be nosy, if nothing else."

"Got it, see you soon Becky."

"Eat a dick, you annoying asshole."

"I was going to, but you interrupted my night."

She hung up, meaning I got the last word. Victory tastes sweet.

Now, just how am I going to get the giant man that can make an Endbringer go boom spill the beans?



Chapter 33


Chapter 28: The City of Angels Part 1

For the second leg of our journey to California I was jammed into the back with Hana, Challenger and Triumph. It was pretty cosy to say the least, with Hana basically on top of me just so we could fit inside.

She didn't seem at all phased with the close contact, pressing into me even when we went around corners.

The grin on Challenger's face didn't help matters, who knows what the pair giggled about over that bottle of Macallan.

Triumph just looked completely lost at seeing his former handler acting like a human rather than an order following robot.

"Hey man, I like your costume." I told the newly graduated ward, cutting him some slack and involving him in the conversation.

"Cheers, you don't think it's a little much?"

"I walk around in solid gold, a couple of lion heads isn't too bad in my book."

"Coming from the guy with an actual lion, I'll take it."

"I'm sure Aslan loves the ego boost."

"You call your lion Aslan?" Hana asked from the side, the creasing around her eyes giving away the smirk hidden beneath her bandana.

"He is a wise boy."

"Do I need to worry about him keeping four kids captive for a prophecy?" I guess she's a fan of more than just sci-fi literature.

"Only if there's catnip involved. Also, don't judge my naming sense little miss army."

"It's the best PR had, GI Jane is copyrighted."

"They wanted to call you GI Jane?" I asked her incredulously.

"Mm-hmm, PR spent three weeks in legal battles trying to get the rights to the name."

"I can just see it, them insisting on a buzz cut and permanently wet tank top. Just hosing you down before patrol so you have the right look."

"Picturing me in a wet shirt are you? How bold."

The look the people sitting across from us gave nearly had me burst into laughter.

"What? It'd be a good look on you."

"And that has nothing to do with you staring at my abs whenever you have the chance?"

"Oh no, it absolutely does."

"Most men find muscular women unattractive."

"I'm not most men."

"I'm finding that out rather quickly."

"Do you want to go check out The Last Bookstore when we get to LA?" I asked the camo clad woman at my side, my heart thrumming a little faster inside my chest.

"Yes." She replied immediately, her eyes shining at the prospect.

"Coffee after?" I double down, hoping to convey the intention behind my offer.

"Make it dinner and we have a deal." She leaned a little closer, brushing herself along my thigh, whispering in my ear like she was the devil herself. Oh, she caught the subtext alright, and doubled down.

"You drive a hard bargain." I couldn't help the enormous smile that split my cheeks.

"I'm sure you'll survive."

"I dunno. It depends how long I can hold my breath." I replied with a whisper of my own in her ear, relishing in the sight of the goosebumps that broke out along what little skin she had left visible under her costume.

She shuddered and knocked me with her shoulder.

"Behave."

"Not a chance."

A cough broke us from our banter. Triumph sat there, blushing like mad, looking everywhere but our direction.

Oh yeah, we're with company, oops.

"It's a date."

"Y-yes, that would be delightful."

Aww, she's flustered.

Adorable.


Motel number two saw me bunking with Rory, which meant that I had no interesting visitors and had to suffer through one of the worst snorers known on planet Earth.

Enhanced hearing is a blessing and a curse.

The slight temptation to smother him with a pillow was rising as he woke me up for the fifth time, so I stepped outside to pass the time before we hit the road once again.

I wonder if anyone back home is awake yet. They should be three hours ahead of us, making it around 8am there.

I called Tess in the end, expecting her to be up.

"Hello Jason, what can I do for you?"

"Nothing serious, Tess. Just wanted to see how things are going."

"A social call. Those are rare on your walkabouts."

"We stopped at a motel for the night and Triumph sounds like a jet engine."

"What, not keeping Miss Militia company?"

"You sound almost disappointed."

"Maybe I am."

"You're getting greedy Tess. Are me and Crystal not enough for you?"

"More like we aren't enough for you. I have a power source that can run a city block with ease, and you still tire me out to the extent that I need to recharge it after we're done. Nevermind poor Crystal, I'm worried her limp is becoming permanent."

Ego boost acquired.

"Hah, I have a battery operated girlfriend. Wow, that sounds really sad without context."

"I take D batteries for future reference."

"That was bad…"

"I know. My entire system cringed once I said it."

"Good. I have an idea for your energy problem, by the way. How do you feel about a kinetic generator?"

"Something that produces excess energy with motion? It could work… sorry, gotta go." She abruptly cut off the call.

And just like that, I was alone, having forced my girlfriend into a tinker frenzy with my suggestion.

Well shit, what do I do now?

"You look lost." Hello there Hana, beautiful timing.

"Bored more than anything."

"Want to help me train? It'll keep you busy."

"Sure, why not?"

"Follow me."

She led me off behind the motel, out into a dusty patch of fenced off land, a former garden that grew arid with a lack of rain.

"Up for a spar?" She asked, peeling off her vest, leaving just a camo green sports bra that strained against her modest chest, her gorgeous olive midriff exposed to my eyes. Her feet slid apart as she bent her knees, arms coming up on either side of her head.

I followed her lead, removing my hoodie, leaving my torso bare, watching as her eyes burned my form into her mind.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." I teased, only to see a camera flash before she tossed her phone on top of her vest.

"You did offer." Was her unashamed answer to the raised eyebrow that followed her antics.

"Rules?" I replied, getting us back on track, adopting a Muay Thai stance, bouncing lightly on my grounded left foot as I raised the other.

"No powers for this round."

"Technique then. I'll reign in my strength."

"Appreciated, I don't fancy repeating Mouse Protector's flight."

"On your mark, Hana."

Instead of giving a response, she opted to shift her feet, circling me as she searched for an opportunity to strike.

Finding a blind spot, she kicked off of her back foot, jumping at me with her lead hand cocked back, aiming for a superman jab.

I pivoted on the ball of my foot, reducing my profile and twisted at the hips, chambering my raised leg before flicking out my foot. My shin made contact below her bottom rib, changing her momentum and sending her crashing into the dirt.

I love fighting orthodox opponents. Every punch they throw leaves a delightful opening for a kick to the body.

To her credit, Hana rolled to the side immediately once she hit the ground, before using her shoulder blades as a point of rotation so that she could hook her ankles around the back of my grounded leg. She crossed her feet and drove them back towards her, applying pressure to the back of my knee.

As per the rules, I allowed the joint to buckle as it would for a normal man. While falling forwards, I planted my hands on either side of her hourglass waist and threw myself into a handspring, breaking free from her grip and twisting mid air to land facing her from above her head.

In response, she rocked her body, using her hands to launch herself into a kick-up, before spinning to face me once again.

Damn, what that move did for her abs… Positively sinful.

Taking a step with my lead leg, I came at her from an off angle, flicking out a jab at her raised guard. She rolled her shoulder, arcing beneath my punch as she shifted her into a Philly Shell and launched a check hook to my body.

A swift back step made her miss and I pounce on the opening created, using it to slip behind her back. I squat down and wrap my arms around her, interlocking my hands so that my palms meet across her toned stomach in a textbook Gable Grip. Perched on the balls of my feet, I extend my legs and arch my back, tossing the Kurdish woman over my head in a textbook suplex. With Hana still trapped within my grasp, we land on our backs.

Now on the ground, I roll over until she's turtled beneath me on her hands and knees. I use her body as leverage, pressing my chest into her back as I bring my feet beneath me, allowing me to stand up while maintaining my grip, this having the unintended effect of grinding my length into her luscious ass for a moment. Now drawn to my full height, Hana hung helplessly in my arms, legs kicking in front of her in a futile attempt to gather momentum and escape.

I hit her with another suplex for good measure, this time releasing her above my head, throwing her into the air .

She was a lot more agile than I thought, curling herself up into a ball mid-air to speed up her rotation, allowing her to perform a backflip and land on her feet.

The smile on her face as she turned back to me could light up a room. She was enjoying this a lot.

Admittedly, so was I.

"Do you want to up the ante?" She asked me as her nebulous blob of energy appeared at her side, shifting to become a standard issue KA-BAR knife that she caught in a reverse grip.

I released a little bit of my strength and shot towards her, dropping to my knees to slide beneath her blades pre-emptive swing. I snaked my left arm behind her legs, gripping her calf and pulled. The loss of her footing flipped Hana onto her back once more. Before she could recover, I slapped the knife from her grip and placed a hand over her throat, watching as the knife reverted back into a ball of energy that zoomed to her free hand, this time forming a Glock 17. A pistol that she raised towards my temple.

We lock eyes during the stalemate, transfixed with one another.

Our faces drew closer. I could feel her hot breath as she panted against my skin. We both leaned in, our lips met in a soft kiss, sending bolts of electricity down my spine. She pulled back after a second, her face flush.

"Not yet." She whispered, moving her hand to place a lone finger on my lips, stopping me from reengaging. "After our date."

Looking down at her, I could see the sheer desire tempered with anticipatory patience radiating from those bottle-glass green pools. I gave the woman a nod, content to let her set the pace for our more intimate escapades.

"Draw?" She offered after a second of silence that she used to level out her breathing.

"Let's go with that." I agreed, offering a hand to pull her up.

"How much were you holding back?" She asked me once she was back on her feet.

"I can tear through steel pretty easily. Just then I might manage to break through concrete if that gives you a rough estimate."

"So never fight you up close if you're going all out?"

"Good idea, yeah."

"Ranged?"

"Even worse, then I'll use my bow, or a tire as Rune found out."

"I remember that. You skimmed her like a stone."

"In my defence, she threw the whole car at me first."

"She was still mad about it when we shipped her off, cursing like a sailor the whole way."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer teenager."

"Agreed. Now, I need to go take a shower before Challenger asks why I'm walking back to our room soaked in sweat with a limp."

"Hey, I wait until after the first date. Momma raised a gentleman."

"From what I've heard, you aren't gentle." She smirked before walking away, swaying her hips from side to side.

"Wait… who have you been talking to? Hana? Hana!?"

Deep in my bones, I blame Tess for this, damn cyber-gremlin.


Road trip part three was the dullest so far. Both girls sat upfront, leaving me with an awkward teenager, a motormouth and Batman's broodier cousin. Not the best lineup for our longest stretch on the road. Thank God my phone had a signal, is all I'm saying.

It gave me a chance to check in with some of the more errant members of my social circle, namely Lisa. Since the aftermath of Coil's 'unfortunate demise', she's been quiet, content to spend his money and relax, so I might as well check in.

Jay: Hey Tats, what have you been up to?

TT: Call me 'Tats' again and I'm reading your girlfriend and leaking all your degenerate activities on the internet.

Jay: You monster, do you know what the fangirls would do with that information?

TT: Oh no, the price of your success, I feel so bad for you Mr. Popular.

Jay: Who pissed in your Cheerios?

TT: No one.

Jay: It was Regent, wasn't it?

TT: It's always Regent. Do you know how gross some of the stuff I pick up from the people he brings home is?

Jay: I imagine 'daddy issues' barely scratches the surface.

TT: You have no idea.

Jay: Yikes.

TT: Welcome to my life.

TT: He says thanks, by the way, for offing his dad.

Jay: Well, he is welcome, maybe I should stop by once I'm back and we can celebrate.

TT: I'll send you the address.

TT: Bring your own drinks.

Jay: You syphoned millions out of Coil's accounts…

TT: Doesn't mean I want to spend it.

Jay: Stingy.

TT: Yes, now I GTG, Bitch is trying to search one of Regent's suggestions again, something about an 'Omegaverse'.

Jay: Stop her at all costs!!!

Well, it looks like I'm having a party when I get back, if only to save Lisa's sanity.

I can't decide if Regent is just the ultimate troll or a complete dickhead, maybe both, probably both.

At least Grue is a well-adjusted young man, for the most part.

That makes one of the four.

Teenagers man.


Finally, we made it to the City of Angels. Open crime here was all but non-existent, due to a mixture of the Elite's influence and the stacked Protectorate roster. But I didn't doubt for a second that there was a seedy underbelly hidden away. There was too much money and power in one place for everything to be above board.

On the Protectorate front, LA was the beating heart of their branding machine. Seminars, rebranding the problem children and classes all centred around the marketing department, all came from here. It was all very corporate for people who run around in tights and punch criminals in the face for a living.

Talent agents for independent capes became a valid career choice here, which blew my mind.

I skimmed over one of their articles on the way to our hotel. They listed criminals a cape should go after to improve their image.

Avoid the upper-class, they spend the most money.

Leave the middle-class areas alone, that's families and they buy their kids your merchandise.

Target 'x' race to appeal to 'y' demographic.

Bright colours are friendly and approachable. Wear those if you're upbeat.

Dark means brooding and mysterious. Wear those if you're stoic.

It made sense from a monetary perspective, but for an occupation that at its core was about helping people, it just irritated me. It spat on what being a hero actually stood for.

Sorry ma'am, I can't help catch that mugger. He's part of the group that buys my stuff.

A crock of shit, essentially.

Triumph, who sat next to me, saw my reaction and gave his own two cents.

"Like it or not, PR is vital to our job. What the public thinks of us means more than just marketability."

Spoken like someone who got a message forced down their throat for multiple years until it stuck.

"Sure, how they see you matters. You want to make them feel safer by just being there. That doesn't mean you shouldn't help specific people just because of optics."

"Like you did with the girls from E88?"

"Exactly! How many other capes would give them a chance? Their names were a cry for help for God's sake and no one else noticed or cared."

"What?"

"Fenja and Menja come from Norse mythology. Two warrior women enslaved to a greedy king and forced to work constantly at a wheel that made gold, only resting for the length of a song. Othala is similar, her name is derived from a rune for self determination, to make your own fate, something she couldn't do. It's a lesson that not all the villains you run into are hardened scumbags. You have to make judgement calls. Labelling everyone you fight as irredeemable by default is a slippery slope that you don't come back from. You stop humanising them, stop caring since they're no longer people, just 'the bad guys'."

"Shit, I never thought of it like that."

"Exactly, not enough people do."

"So you believe that some people are worthy of redemption?" Armsmaster cut in.

"I do."

"But not others?"

"No, some people aren't capable of redemption. Whether that's because of their ideology, personality or a mixture of other factors, sometimes it is better to put them down before they hurt someone else."

"How do you draw those conclusions?"

"Research, my gut and a reliance on the people around me to keep me grounded. Due diligence is an overlooked part of what we do."

"Experience essentially." Velocity chimed in.

"Experience, huh?" The former Ward muttered to himself next to me.

"We're here." Hana said, pulling up outside the grandiose Protectorate building.

We all piled out onto the sidewalk in full costume, ready to head inside.

There was no point in going to speak to Costa-Brown right away, considering that she was going to be present in her Alexandria persona, so I might as well tag along, this meeting was open to independents as well since it gave a breakdown of notable threats and stuff to look out for on your day-to-day patrols in each region.

There was going to be a veritable who's who of capes inside, which provided people a valuable chance to network with each other and brown nose in equal measure. Think of it like a mission briefing crossed with a work party.

They front loaded all the important shit, followed by a light lunch and then some drinks and social time.

Ripe for my brand of chaos.


The venue was packed, circular tables littered a hardwood floor, each with tags for reservations. The place looked like a pack of Skittles with the amount of colourful capes strolling around.

The first three tables were reserved for the bigwigs, New York, Los Angeles and Houston. The logistical, branding and training faces of the Protectorate, all headed by a member of the Triumvirate.

Behind them sat the other large branches, getting smaller as it went back until branches were sharing tables with each other. Right at the back sat the independent table. There weren't many faces that I recognised, but a few stood out: Strider, Maven and Trench Knife. It was like a comedy sketch, a teleporter, a professional trainer and Punisher-lite walk into a bar.

I grabbed myself a cup of the swill that went for coffee and made my way over, giving the teleporter a nod and sitting next to the former PRT agent, waiting for the show to start.

The lights dimmed as the Triumvirate took the stage, Legend in the middle flanked by Eidolon and Alexandria.

"Welcome everyone to this year's annual meeting. I promise to be brief, but we have a fair bit of ground to cover, so be patient with me. Kick back, grab a coffee and let's get this show on the road." Legend spoke before giving a man in the crowd a nod, a holographic projection springing to life behind the trio on stage.

"First, I want to say thank you to everyone for their hard work. Crime nationwide is down 0.5%, most of that coming from the drop in gang activity throughout New Hampshire. Good job ENE."

Take credit for my work, why don't you?

"Next up, the usual PR inspection will be starting in April. Team leaders, get your houses in order. These reports determine a significant part of your budget, do good, get better stuff."

He clapped his hands together, a signal for Alexandria to take over.

"Now, for the watch list, there's been some changes. For now, we have the United States occupants only. The global list will be available on the website and on every field office's notice board. First up, we have the usual Do Not Engage. Nilbog and Pastor are still in quarantine, do not breach it and, for obvious reasons, leave Butcher alive should there be a confrontation. From there we've got the groups, including The Fallen, Orchard and The Teeth."

Alexandria droned on. Nowhere near the orator her teammate was, rattling off the names of known villains that were high-profile enough to be on multiple radars.

From there it was Eidolon's turn, and he was talking about the most important thing of all, budgets and training schedules.

Free nap time for me. The man's calm monotone voice doing absolutely nothing to keep people's attention. It was only the memory of his power that kept his audience focussed. Honestly, if his power wasn't so busted, he'd barely even be an afterthought for most of the room.

I'd be willing to bet he knew it, too. It's why he was so obsessed with his faltering strength. Without it, he was nothing. That'll do things to a man so used to being respected for his abilities. He knew about the animosity people held for his attitude, without the oomph to back his ego, that would boil over.

Eventually, he stopped droning on like a zombie and the break started.

I shot to my feet to stretch my legs, making my way around the room to socialise a little.

I bumped into Hana doing the same.

"Having fun?" I asked the woman, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.

"Absolutely. The minutiae of Baltimore's budget was just so enthralling."

"The fact you stayed awake long enough to realise he mentioned Baltimore is impressive."

"Perks of being a Noctis Cape, or curse, depending on your point of view."

"Tell me you're at least getting paid for this?"

"By the hour."

"Thinking of the books you'll buy later?"

"Only thing stopping me from leaving."

"Don't blame you in the slightest."

A second later, I feel a weight settle over my shoulders.

"Rex, my man, can I borrow you for a few?" Legend said next to me.

"Be my guest. I'll go grab us a drink." Hana answered for me, the traitor.

"Can I help you?" I ask the man, still holding my shoulder.

"Not here, follow me."


He led me off down a side corridor that led to the 'backstage' area, where I was met with a single table and a pair of chairs.

This was planned.

My guard sufficiently raised, I analysed the man now sitting at the table. He was calm, easy-going, totally relaxed. He wasn't expecting, or wasn't hoping, for this to turn into a physical confrontation.

His hands were clasped together in front of him, meaning a slight delay before he could attack, with his blasts requiring a slight charge time before firing.

The breaker state was an issue. Hypersonic travel was a bitch to deal with, but it dulled his control over his movement, so if he missed, I could probably get an arrow fired as he reoriented himself.

"Are you done figuring out if you can take me?" He asked, sounding so blasé about it.

"We both know I could. It was a matter of doing it without dropping the building on everyone else." Was that really cocky of me to say? Yes, did I care? Not at all. I was simply trying to get under his skin a little. In reality, we were a tough match up for each other, both only needing one shot to put the other down.

"So callous, that's hot." He replied, completely unfazed by my attempt to get a rise out of him.

"I will shoot you."

"Straight to penetration. I feel bad for your girlfriend."

"What did you want to talk about exactly?" I ask, ignoring his banterous jabs.

"Just wanted to check in, see how you were doing. You've been busy lately."

"There is a lot of scumbags out there."

"Too right. Why did you go after the Nine, anyway? Usually we're reacting to them, not the aggressor."

"They were escalating. Someone was stupid enough to try and bribe them."

"That never ends well. You get one of those every couple of years, normally ending with a city wiped off the map."

"People are stupid."

"Preaching to the choir."

There was a beat of silence before he continued.

"Why did you kill the other guy?"

"Who?"

"The one in the van. He seemed like a bystander from what I gathered in the police report."

"Ah him, I ran his licence plate when I first saw it following the Nine at a set distance, it was spotted at every single attack since the Siberian debuted. It all came together. Siberian could shrug off any physical damage and interacted with the world so strangely. It reminded me of Crusader's knights, a projection. He was the only unknown variable, ergo he was the puppeteer, making sure to stay within range."

"You should have been a detective."

"Too much authority breathing down my neck."

"A bad boy, are you?"

"Cut the flirting, you overpowered flashlight"

"Ouch, that hurts, right here." He clutched his heart dramatically.

"You were a theatre kid growing up, weren't you?"

"Words do hurt, you know?"

"The truth does certainly."

"Speaking of the truth, how much do you actually know?" He asked it as a vague question, but there was no doubt what he was referring to.

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, we both know you're not that stupid."

"Honestly, you've lost me, man."

"So you didn't know who you shot?"

"The name on the licence was obviously fake. Kenneth Clarke doesn't exist outside a birth certificate and a driver's licence."

DragonPhone to the rescue, I knew someone would ask about Manton, so I double checked his plate, that the man was operating under a fake ID made playing ignorant even easier.

"Any idea who it really was?" Bro, stop fishing.

"Not a single clue. Doesn't really matter now that he's dead."

"Fair point. So, what's next on your agenda?"

"Go see Costa-Brown, get paid, and take a woman to a bookstore."

"Ooh classy, but I meant cape wise."

"No idea. I'm sure there's some trouble I can get into in California before I head home."

Namely, the man with a congregation of capes he's indoctrinated. I might as well scratch off another containment zone while I'm in the area.

Pastor made your average 'culty mid-western preacher' look saintly, a blind spot that either forcefully activates Corona Potentias or grants powers like the buffed up bastard child of Teacher and Othala.

As one tends to do in this shithole when your power includes a subservience component, the man carved out his own piece of land to rule like a kingdom, Freedom California, a small town nestled at the foot of the Santa Cruz mountains, right on the coastline. A place stuck in the dark ages, no electricity, no internet, barely a phone line in the whole place.

The location screamed 'build a cult here', it was isolated from the rest of the world, and with the containment in effect, that wasn't going to change anytime soon.

Pastor wasn't put down like a dog for the same reason those up high ignored Heartbreaker and Nilbog. He threatened to unleash his 'congregation' on the wider state should anyone come knocking.

But, the reported exodus that the town underwent upon his arrival, all the non religious folks getting out of dodge seeing the red flags, left around three hundred people there including children and the elderly. I'd ballpark it at around two hundred 'fighting fit' people total.

Now this man is a religious fanatic, real old testament, so I cannot see him handing his gift out to the women who were in town before his arrival. What use would they have for powers when they're the second class? Their role is that of the homemaker, not his 'warriors'..

Young children, no matter the gender, are a different story. That gives him time to warp them to his views, raising a generation keen to follow his every word.

Men keep their wives in check while he raises children that will do the same to the generation that followed.

That takes time, though, a couple of decades at least before he has fully grown 'lambs' hanging off of his every word.

The only known video evidence that made it out of Freedom's information dead zone revealed a couple of interesting things, one, that Preacher's power wasn't a guaranteed success and two, that whatever master application it had wasn't all powerful. Someone had to be free of his grasp to release that video, and whoever that was said, 'they won't let us leave', notice the plural there.

He had captives. What's the chance that his power only works on those that wholeheartedly believe his words? Hence the whole priest shtick, and the need for prisoners.

Legend cut off my thoughts with a cough. Oh right, I'm mid interrogation.

"You alright there, bud? You spaced out for a minute there."

"I'm good. Got lost in thought for a second."

"Thinking about your next date?"

"Something like that."

"Well, it's been a pleasure, but if I'm not back on that stage in five minutes, Lexi's going to tan my hide."

"She does seem like the type to own a paddle."

"I will pay you to say that to her face."

"How much?" I replied to the man instantly, I'd never turn down the chance to troll Alexandria. She's too high-strung for me not to.

"You are a crazy man, Rex."

"Legend, it's almost time, you are needed back on stage." Alexandria's stern voice interrupted us as she came floating into the room. Why walk when you can fly right?

"You were right, she does fit the whole dominatrix vibe." I throw the man under the bus, watching as the visible skin Legend has on show pales instantly.

That's for dragging me back here, asshole.

Alexandria pauses mid float, completely freezing in place.

"E-excuse me?" Her famed composure was gone like the wind, blindsided as she was.

"Stern voice, commanding presence. All she's missing is the leather. You were spot on, man." I keep digging his grave.

"Shut the fuck up. She's going to kill us both!" He whispered next to me.

I barely managed to contain my laughter. Looking at the domineering woman still frozen, it was completely jarring to the image everyone held of her.

Given how taken aback she was, it was like this was the first time someone had the gall to tease her with any sort of sexual undertone.

No way… was it?

Move over Steve Carrel. It looks like Rebecca Costa-Brown is the real 40-Year-Old Virgin.

"Well, as much as I'd like to stay and chat, there's a few people I need to catch up with. Before I forget though, I found this in Jack Slash's room, only right to give it back. They're a pretty colour by the way." I summoned the jar containing her preserved eye and placed it on the table, beating a hasty retreat while they were distracted.


Legend PoV:

Well played, you magnificent bastard, well played indeed. It's not very often I get the absolute delight of seeing Becky at a loss for words. I will savour this until her brain restarts and she inevitably turns me into a bloody smear on the wall.

"Becky, hello, Earth to Becky." I called out to her, snapping a finger in front of her helmeted face.

"I hope you have made your peace, Keith, for I shall end you." Her voice was as cold as the grave, but there was no hiding the slight pink crawling up her tanned cheeks once she removed her Spartan-like helmet to glare at me properly.

"Aww, did the big chunk of man meat ruffle your feathers?"

"Shut up."

"Look, he even left you a- What the fuck!" I finally took a look at what Rex left behind on the desk, an eyeball. A fucking eyeball just floating in a mason jar. That's so damn gross. I can see the optic nerve wiggling behind it.

"Is that…" My teammate asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Your eye, I'd say so."

"I don't know whether to be flattered or horrified." The grown woman next to me mused aloud.

"Do-do-do, another one bites the dust."

"Why are you such a bastard?"

"My parents were married, thank you very much. Besides, you love me, really."

"Highly debatable. Did you at least get anything out of him?"

"Nothing at all. He led me around by the nose the entire time Becky."

"Not the most monumental task."

"My poor feelings. That's the thing. It is hard to do if you know nothing about the subject of conversation."

"He dodged any traps you left because he already knew what you were looking for."

"At the bare minimum, he knew who Manton was, fake ID or not. He didn't bring up the tattoos or any other distinguishing features. The man had the Case 53 omega on the back of his hand, for crying out loud. Anyone else would ask if we could figure out the mystery."

"So, where do we go from here?"

"Drop it, there's no point chasing him based on suspicion alone. He's kept quiet so far. If we push, he might just go talk to the press out of spite."

"You're sure he knows?"

"If he didn't, he wouldn't have planned out how to kill me when he walked into the room. I'm pretty friendly, but he was on edge the moment we came back here, admitted to it even."

"Interesting."

"What's going on in that noggin of yours, Becks?"

"If he was going to oppose us, why give me back my eye?"

"Mind games? Proving he could do something we couldn't in killing the Nine."

"Unlikely, no, this was a peace offering. An olive branch, telling us that he won't reveal all his cards just yet, but he is not our enemy."

"So he's planning something?"

"A third player emerges on the board, one who can shake up the entire game."

"We'll just have to wait and see if it's for better or worse."

"It cannot get much worse. You know what we're up against as well as I." I watched her glove hands clench at the mere thought of our impossible enemy. One day, we might be able to live without this burden strapped to our back. Maybe then you will find some peace Becks, some semblance of happiness.


Jason PoV:

Back in the atrium I try to find a friendly face who's free to talk, Hana being occupied with the other members of Brockton Bay's Protectorate.

What do you know, I spotted a three-foot tall horn above the crowd, brooding in a corner, target acquired.

As I moved closer to her, her eyes shot up from the page in her book, Pride and Prejudice embossed in gold down the spine. A crystalline sliver materialised between the pages, acting as a bookmark before she closed it, pushing it off to one side where it stayed in place, floating between two force fields.

"Narwhal, how have you been?"

"Busy, you left me quite the mess to clean up in Quebec." Oof, you are a frosty one aren't you miss Death by Snu Snu.

"Would it help if I say sorry?"

"Marginally."

"Deepest apologies, my lady, if I have caused you any umbrage." I said, putting on the poshest voice my British accent would allow, following up my words with a deep bow. Her eyes shone as a small smile cracked her stony façade for a second before disappearing as if never there. Yes, you bookworm, I recognised what you were reading.

"On what merit does Dragon withstand such a vagabond?" She asked me with a sigh. Alright, big, glowing and horny, you want to keep this game going, time to dust off the fancy lexicon.

"A question I ask myself on a frequent basis, I assure you. Did she perchance mention our new dwelling?"

"She has spoken of a new project in passing, yes."

"For one such as her, that is a rather broad topic, I'm afraid."

"You have a point, sir, though to clarify, she did pass comments regarding the abode she was constructing."

"It is rather magnificent. I implore thou to gaze upon it with thine own eyes."

"This lady shall endeavour to do so once there is a suitable opening betwixt her duties."

"Then I shall eagerly await your arrival." I gave the woman another bow, reaching out for her free hand to place a soft kiss on her knuckles, getting a slight flush to tint her pale cheeks, before spinning on my heel and walking away, satisfied with my antics.

A few of the capes that wandered by gave odd looks at what they had just witnessed, though the men settled for shooting me envious glances more than questioning what we were up to.

Sorry lads, you've got to up your game.

"Did I just see what I think I saw?" Hana asked as she slid next to me in the line for refreshments.

"That depends on what you think you saw."

"I saw the man taking me out in just a few hours, flirting with another woman using 19th century English?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, angry or even slightly miffed, no, she sounded impressed, and dare I say, there was a hint of approval in her voice.

Score.

"Maybe."

"Whatever am I to do, falling prey to such a deviant?"

"Sit back and enjoy the ride."

"Oh, I'm sure I will…" she trailed off, the look in her green eyes sending a now familiar jolt down my spine. Before I could formulate a response, the speakers around the stage flared to life, announcing the second half of the meeting.


AN: And there we have it, probably the toughest chapter to actually write since this started. It fought me tooth and nail; I swear.

But we had a little bit of time with Hana and broke out some charm on Narwhal.

I was a little torn on how to handle our chat with Legend, whether to spill the beans or dance around - so I settled for a dance and him not buying our shit, he's been in the game too long for that to work completely.

On the other side of things, we have our next head to bash, one that should still leave us time to be back for some of Sarah's cooking - hopefully.

Look, I even remember Lisa existed!

Next time we have our date, bully Becky and make our way to Freedom, CA.

Peace.