I'm sorry for everyone waiting for my other stories. I hurt a wall in my writing and had a grave accident recently. I'm trying to finish it as soon as possible. I hope those who enjoy this story will appreciate this chapter. Writing with one hand alone, and not your dominant one, is a pain. I wish everyone a good health.

Note: The main difficulty with writing this isn't so much lack of choice and inspiration as too many choices, I must have made this chapter three or four times with different decks and opponents. I hope you all enjoy the final version I've reached.


The sound of gunfire pushed Taylor to run faster in the small backstreets, hoping she would be able to make a difference this time. The Empire has been striking everywhere since Lung's capture, harassing the disfavoured parts of town and leaving many hurts in their wakes, propagating their racist discourse as they systematically instigated fights. The PRT was completely overwhelmed, and the worst of all was that the gang was massive not only in parahuman manpower, but also unpowered goons. Goons Taylor had no way of dealing with as her power only recognized parahumans as valid opponents, forcing her to skirt on the sideline and fester with frustration as she could do nothing but hear about the aftermath the next day. Tonight, she was going to catch someone! She managed to get Lung for Christ's sake, she could do a racist cape or two! Something heavy crashed on a nearby building and she winced under her cheap mask. The Asian part of town was already in bad shape, if the fighting lasted longer this area would become a ruin.

"Stay still you—Urgh!" Shouted a feminine voice right before letting out a grunt of pain.

More gunfire, and Taylor ran herself out of breath to reach the street where the fighting was happening. The sight before her immediately told her the crux of the situation: two Protectorate heroes standing in the way of an entire group of Empire members led by no less than four capes. One apartment block in particular was obviously their target given the number of bullet impacts and half broken open windows, and she briefly spied a few Asian looking people huddled in the entrance corridor. Were they trying to find an opportunity to escape or were there already too many people hiding in? In any case she had to do something! The heroes in red and dark-grey costume were obviously Assault and Battery, and if she got their powers right, they were far more adapted to giving chase than blocking the way. Against them she noted two giant blonde women wearing some sort of revealing valkyrie inspired armour, a man with a stupidly long spear surrounded by a swarm of ghostly duplicates and another with completely white skin and hair. Fenja and Menja, Crusader, and Alabaster. Disregarding the twenty or so non-powered goons, the majority either keeping a respectable distance or already on the ground and neutralized, Taylor focused her attention on the capes. The giantess twins were obvious targets, the other two could be easily handled by the Protectorate capes.

"Fenja, Menja! Khepri challenges you to a Shadow Game!"

The two Valkyrie-like villains stopped dead in their track as if hitting a wall. They were stuck in their own duelling space! A few gunshots resounded as some of the goons still standing and she almost jumped back, startled by the impact of the bullet on the invisible forcefield. She still had to get used to the fact the duelling field protected her.

Tag Duel mode, activated.

Team 1: Khepri: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

Team 2: Fenja: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

Team 2: Menja: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

"Who the hell are you? What did you do?" Shouted one of the twins as she shrunk alongside her sister, their power neutralized. "Urgh, my head…"

"My turn!" Shouted Taylor, taking the initiative. She really hoped their skill wouldn't be anything crazy. Neither Armsaster nor Kid Win's skills had been that dangerous, but they were Tinkers, what would those two get? "I normal summon Beetrooper Scout Buggy!"

The now familiar creature materialized in the midst of panicked shouts right before a red blur rushed through the nazi ranks and knocked down some of the stupefied ones.

Beetrooper Scout Buggy – WIND/Insect/Level 3/Effect: 1000/300

"Scout Buggy's effect! When he is normal or special summoned, I can special summon another Beetrooper Scout Buggy from my hand, Deck or graveyard! I will summon one from my Deck!"

Her hand wasn't great, but she had enough fuel to at least make a defensive wall. Trying not to pay attention to the white ghosts trying to penetrate the duel field, Khepri focused on the next play.

"I activate Beetrooper Landing to fusion summon a monster using my two Beetrooper Scout Buggy!" The two ladybug riding warriors flew higher, dissolving in a kaleidoscopic stream of multi-coloured light. "I fusion summon Beetrooper Cruel Saturnas!"

From the light burst forth a much larger creature than the Scout Buggies. Upon the back of a massive Satanas Beetle taller than a truck and reinforced by a purple armor stood a humanoid insect clad in knight armor, one of his four arms holding a broadsword while a cloak of the same noble purple as his mount's armor flapped in the wind.

Beetrooper Cruel Saturnas — DARK/Insect/Fusion/Level 5/Effect: 2400/2000

"I activate Cruel Saturnas effect!" The knight held his broadsword high, a powerful wind picking up. "When he is special summoned, I can add a "Beetrooper" card from my deck to my hand! I add Beetrooper Assault Roller!"

"Look Puppy, I'm in here too!" Joked the red costumed hero as he avoided the spears aimed at him from all sides.

"Focus!" Retorted the heroine Battery, apparently having a difficult time neutralizing her albino opponent, who simply did not let her have a single second in peace to charge up.

"I banish the first Scout Buggy in my graveyard to special summon Assault Roller!" A thick armored dung beetle emerged from the ground, pushing a massive Pill Bug encased in metal plates adorned with metal spikes.

Beetrooper Assault Roller – EARTH/Insect/Level 4/Effect: 1600/1400

"Cruel Saturnas other effect! If an Insect monster is banished, I can special summon one of my banished Beetrooper, and I summon the banished Scout Buggy back." From Cruel Saturnas' carapace emerged the ladybug and its rider. "Next I activate Beetrooper Descent!"

"Do something you two!" Commanded the spear wielding cape, apparently understanding that the longer the muscle of the team was trapped in here, the more probable it was they would lose or reinforcements from the PRT could arrive.

"We can't!" Shouted one of the twins, hitting the limit of the duel field with her sword ineffectively. "Just get on with it you damned chink lover!"

"Don't listen to them, stall as long as you can!" Encouraged Assault as he threw himself physically in the fray to prevent some ghosts to bypass him and assault the apartment block. At the same time, a round dung beetle covered by thick armor was dropped on her field by her spell card.

Beetrooper Token – EARTH/Insect/Level 3/Token: 1000/1000

"I use a Scout Buggy and Assault Roller to link summon Beetrooper Armor Horn!" The large rhinoceros beetle ridden by the ant samurai appeared with a war cry, but Taylor didn't wait on that summon and immediately went for the big prize. "And I use Armor Horn and my token to link summon Giant Beetrooper Invincible Atlas!"

Giant Beetrooper Invincible Atlas – EARTH/Insect/Link 4/ /↓/Link/Effect: 3000

From the circuit landed the colossal monster who defeated Lung, and once again Taylor marvelled at the giant beetle serving as living castle. Unfortunately, there were no hope to conceal its involvement as it broke the pavement under its weight and its height went largely above the surrounding buildings, but she needed the protection the monster would give her.

"I set one card and end my turn!"

She would have liked to summon back Armor Horn, but her set card depended on having Insect monsters in the graveyard. Better be safe than sorry.

Team 1: Khepri: 8000 LP — Hand: 1 — Field: Cruel Saturnas, Invincible Atlas, 1 set Spell/Trap.

Team 2: Fenja: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

Team 2: Menja: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

"My turn!" Hissed Fenja. "I activate the Continuous Spell Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen! Since I control no monster, it let me special summon a Fairy monster from my hand. I special summon Valkyrie Sechste in attack mode!"

With a neigh from the white pony it rode upon, a small half-armoured girl strode on the battlefield, raising her shield defensively. Valkyrie. How obvious for the nazi villains shamelessly stealing from Norse mythology.

Valkyrie Sechste – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 1/Effect: 0/2000

"If Sechste is special summoned, I can special summon a Vakyrie monster from my Deck! Descend from the Allfather's hall and purge this city of the filth crawling in it, Valkyrie Erda!"

The grey clouds parted with Fenja's hateful shout. A war horn echoed from both nowhere and everywhere, followed by the floating gallop of a massive white stallion. The war mount carried not a youthful trainee, but a majestic warrior maiden clad in red and gold. Long blond hair floated in the wind, held in place by winged ornaments surrounding a merciless and dutiful visage. Taylor had no need of her power to intuit this card was the one representing Fenja, moreso with the summoning chant the nazi spoke for the world to hear.

Valkyrie Erda – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 8/Effect: 2000/2200

"Since she was summoned by the effect of a Valkyrie card, monsters you control lose 1000 ATK! Cower before your rightful superiors!"

Giant Beetrooper Invincible Atlas – EARTH/Insect/Link 4/ /↓/Link/Effect: 2000

Beetrooper Cruel Saturnas — DARK/Insect/Fusion/Level 5/Effect: 1400/2000

Her two monsters crumpled as if a mountain was dropped on their back, with only the many legs of Atlas preventing it from falling over. That wasn't good at all. Had her set card been Fly and Sting she could have stopped that summon, but she didn't have such luck right now. Taylor could only hope her opponent wasn't going to combo into something even more dangerous.

"I normal summon Valkyrie Vierte!" A young valkyrie very similar to Sechste trotted on her own pony, only she had light green hair and a less serious expression.

Valkyrie Vierte – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 3/Effect: 1400/1400

"I use her effect to excavate as many cards as I control Valkyries, choose a Normal Spell/Trap and add it to my hand!" Three cards flickered in full view of each participant. A Continuous Trap, a valkyrie monster and… a Normal Spell. "I add Valkyrie Embrace to my hand, send the remaining cards in the graveyard and immediately activate Valkyrie Embrace! By switching Sechste to defence position, I target and banish one of your monsters!"

"You can't target Invincible Atlas with card effects!" Retorted Taylor.

"It doesn't matter, they will all fall soon!" Snapped Fenja as Secheste floated up to Cruel Saturnas and hugged the insectoid knight, causing it and its mount to disappear in motes of light. "Battle! Valkyrie Sigrun attacks your hideous monster!"

"Trap card activated! Spider Egg!" The valkyrie's sword was stopped in its track by a large cocoon of spider silk that appeared in the air. "I can use it because I have three or more Insect monsters in my graveyard. I negate your attack and special summon three Spider Tokens in attack position!" The cocoon dissolved, freeing the sword while three small violet spiders skittered to Taylor's field.

Spider Token —EARTH/Insect/Level 1: 100/100

"Like a cockroach uh? You race traitors are all the same, incapable of knowing when you should just die!"

Taylor ignored the trash talk from Menja, bracing herself for the other attack she knew would come. Atlas was too strong, so she would certainly attack one of the tokens. The damages would hurt, but she would turn things around next turn…

"I activate my skill! Jötunn Strength!" Fenja's declaration made Taylor crouch instinctively. "Until end of turn I double the level of a monster I control, then it gains ATK/DEF equal to its level x100! Also, any monster it battles this turn have its ATK/DEF reduced by the same amount! I target Vierte to crush this giant bug!"

Valkyrie Vierte – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 6/Effect: 2000/2000

Giant Beetrooper Invincible Atlas – EARTH/Insect/Link 4/ /↓/Link/Effect: 1400

Taylor couldn't do anything as the small valkyrie girl suddenly grew in size until she reached two stories tall. With an enthusiastic battle cry, the monster flew on her pony incredibly fast under Atlas and hacked at its legs effortlessly. The living castle couldn't handle both the invisible pressure from the elder valkyrie and its own weight and collapsed directly on the buildings beneath. To Taylor's horror many of them purely and simply crumbled in a series of crashes, the masonry reduced to rubbles before the Link monster faded away right before it looked like it was going to crush everyone in the street.

Team 1: Khepri: 7400 LP

Unlike with Lung, she didn't feel anything from the loss of life points. Was it because it wasn't direct damage? Or another factor? Yet that small mercy didn't compare to the very real devastation the villain just created.

"Looks like we're doing that cleanup after all. Good job sister." Praised Menja as if her sister just swept away a particularly disgusting pile of dung.

"Because I control Erda, any of your destroyed cards is banished instead. And don't think it's over yet, race traitor!" Taunted Fenja, a card between her fingers. "At the end of my Battle Phase, I activate Mischief of the Time Goddess to skip to the Battle Phase of my next turn!"

"What?" The shout escaped Taylor before she could hold it down as she felt the Battle Phase somehow restart.

"I use Jötunn Strength on Erda and attack your disgusting bug token!"

Valkyrie Erda – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 16/Effect: 3600/3800

Spider Token —EARTH/Insect/Level 1: 0/0

The golden armored valkyrie and her horse grew to an enormous size, even taller than Fenja and Menja themselves at their peak. Yet unlike what Taylor feared, the warrior didn't reach for its sword. No, with a single disdainful gesture, Erda cracked the reins of her mount… and the horse stamped on the Spider Token with a monumental hoof. The pavement burst open; the whole street trembled, already weakened buildings crumbled. Taylor couldn't even scream as the shock wave struck her with full force and lifted her in the air. She impacted the limits of the duel field with a sinister crack, emptying her lungs and filling her mind with pain as she fell down, breathing irregularly.

Team 1: Khepri: 3800 LP

"I use my own Jötunn Strength on Valkyrie Vierte! Crush her, Fenja!"

Menja's smug voice pierced through the pain and Taylor stood on her knees just in time to see the smaller valkyrie grow once again. Of course, the two twins had the same power. But if they didn't use them both on Erda, it meant it was a single application per monster. She could still beat them in battle if needed… if she managed to survive that next attack.

Valkyrie Vierte – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 6/Effect: 2000/2000

Spider Token —EARTH/Insect/Level 1: 0/0

The valkyrie slashed at the token with such strength the aftershock travelled beyond her target. This time Taylor barely dodged by throwing herself on the ground, bruising herself on the sharp rubble left by the previous assaults. Unfortunately and by the sound of it, the housing behind wasn't so lucky.

Team 1: Khepri: 1800 LP

"I set one card and end the turn. Just surrender already."

Taylor stood up laboriously, thankful her makeshift mask somehow survived everything so far. Everything hurt. The situation looked more dire than before as the attacks of Fenja's monsters didn't just demolish the street, they dramatically shifted the battle outside in disfavour of Assault and Battery. Crusader's ghosts seemed unaffected and he used them as shields, Alabaster simply blinked back to pristine condition. Meanwhile Assault was furiously keeping them at bay from an downed Battery. She must have been caught by the blasts between her supercharged moments. Taylor had to do something. She had to win somehow, anyhow.

"My turn!..."

Team 1: Khepri: 1800 LP — Hand: 2 — Field: Spider Token.

Team 2: Fenja: 8000 LP — Hand: 1 — Field: Valkyrie Erda, Valkyrie Vierte, Valkyrie Sechste, Valhalla Hall of the Fallen, 1 set card.

Team 2: Menja: 8000 LP — Hand: 5

"Trap activated! Apple of Enlightenment!" Fenja revealed her set card before Taylor could even enter her Standby Phase. "I banish as many cards from your graveyard as I control Valkyrie monsters! Begone, all of you useless bugs!"

Taylor could only watch as her two Scout Buggy and the Armor Horn were mercilessly banished from her graveyard. Her plan to summon another Atlas fell apart completely. But her opponent had no other set cards. If neither Fenja nor Menja had a handtrap… she had to go for it.

"I… I tribute my Spider Token… to tribute summon Mother Spider Splitter!"

Mother Spider Splitter — DARK/Insect/Level 5/Effect: 0/2300

The small spider was suddenly devoured from behind by a much bigger insect, a red and black arachnid with malevolent aura.

"I tribute her to activate her effect…" God everything hurt, speaking hurt so much, did she break something? "…to summon 3 Baby Spider from my hand, my… my Deck or graveyard! I summon them all from my Deck! Additionally, their level becomes… 5!"

The great spider suddenly deflated as three tinier spiders crawled out of its dissolving corpse. They looked exactly like their mother, except their colours were more muted.

Baby Spider — DARK/Insect/Level 5/Effect: 0/0

"Baby Spider effect! I tribute one of them… to increase their level by the tributed monster's level!"

Two of the bugs jumped on the third and immediately devoured it alive, the pattern on their abdomen growing and changing.

Baby Spider — DARK/Insect/Level 10/Effect: 0/0

"And you think you're a hero? Look at these horrors you're using, it's clear who are the real hero here!" Taunted Menja, but Taylor didn't listen, choosing to reply with her action instead.

"I overlay my two level… level 10 Baby Spider to Xyz summon Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula!"

A dark vortex appeared on the ground, a black galaxy shining with innumerable stars. Despite having seen it before, it still gave Taylor a terrible vertigo when she tried to look inside, as if her brain couldn't comprehend what it was seeing. Her monster became streams of light and gathered in the kaleidoscope. This time Taylor closed her eyes when the explosion of colours happened, the shocked shouts of the nazi twins telling her they didn't, before opening them to see her monster. It wasn't as massive as Atlas by far, only a bit bigger than Saturnas with its yellow body and thick short grey legs, suspended mid-air on an intangible web. Gleaming green on the side of its abdomen was a stylized number—35—the mark of its Number.

Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula — DARK/Insect/Rank 10/Xyz/Effect: 0/0

"That's it? Another powerless bug?" Laughed Fenja.

"Ravenous Tarantula's effect has my monsters gain ATK and DEF equal… to the difference between my life points and my opponent's!"

Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula — DARK/Insect/Rank 10/Xyz/Effect: 6200/6200

That instantly shut up the nazi, who seemed to realize even with their Skill they would be powerless to stop her monster. Invigorated, Taylor powered through the pain for the next step.

"Because you control a Level 6 or lower monster, I can special summon Asset Mountis from my hand!"

A large humanoid mantis taller than a man crawled out of the ground, scratching its own green hand blades in a pretentious motion as it sat on a pile of gold bars that appeared with it.

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 2300/2000

"It gains ATK and DEF thanks to Ravenous Tarantula!"

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 8500/8200

"I activate its other effect by detaching an Xyz material and destroy all monsters you control with less ATK than Ravenous Tarantula! That's all of them!"

The giant arachnid greedily munched on the floating orb representing a material, pulsating ominously. An expression of horror crossed the visage of the valkyries right before Ravenous Tarantula projected a corrosive webbing that quickly enveloped and dissolved them, mount and all. The nazis' field was wide open.

"And now… I attack directly with Asset Mountis!"

In a flash the insect closed in on Fenja. The villain barely had the time to rise her shield… for naught, as the monster cut the shield and limb in a single merciless flash.

Team 2: Fenja: 0 LP

"Fenja!" Yelled her sister.

Taylor froze as the arm fell on the ground with a soft thud, blood pouring from the blonde's shoulder. She thought… she didn't think it would go so far. A healer. She needed to finish the duel, capture them. The PRT would put them in a secure cell, heal them.

"Ravenous Tarantula attacks…!" She shouted as Asset Mountis came back to her side of the field, licking the blood off its blade.

The massive spider skittered toward Menja before striking with many sharp spiked legs, but the villain managed to barely avoid being skewered, multiple gashes still staining her winged armour. And with the equalizing of life points, Ravenous Tarantula and Asset Mountis returned to their normal ATK/DEF.

Team 2: Menja: 1800 LP

Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula — DARK/Insect/Rank 10/Xyz/Effect: 0/0

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 2300/2000

"I end my turn." Said Taylor in a short breath, hoping the villain would quickly surrender or lose with the effect of Ravenous Tarantula.

"You damned chink loving bitch!" Shouted Menja with raw and unadulterated hate.

Team 1: Khepri: 1800 LP — Hand: 0 — Field: Ravenous Tarantula, Asset Mountis.

Team 2: Fenja: 0 LP.

Team 2: Menja: 1800 LP — Hand: 6 — Field: Valhalla Hall of the Fallen

"I activate the Spell Ride of the Valkyries! With it, I special summon any number of Valkyrie monsters from my hand! I special summon Valkyrie Zweite, Valkyrie Dritte, and my strongest monster!"

The heaven parted once more, and two valkyries rode down the sky on the sound of vengeful horn, both older than the small Vierte and Sechste and younger than Erda. Yet they descended leaving a wide berth to a central space, where Taylor realized the last monster would appear.

Valkyrie Zweite – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 5/Effect: 1600/1600

Valkyrie Erste – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 6/Effect: 1600/1800

"Descend from the Allfather's hall and purify our land hallowed with the blood of heroes! Come forth, Valkyrie Sigrun!"

Light poured from above as the last of the Valkyries. It was Menja's monster, her image. Clad in purple and gold, holding a massive spear echoing the one Menja used, her dark hair yet contrasting the summoner as if to remind they were merely echoes, not copies. Her majestic mare as massive as Erda's stallion snorted as its hoof touched the ground, as if eager to jump in battle.

Valkyrie Sigrun – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 10/Effect: 2200/2400

"Ravenous Tarantula effect! Each time you special summon one or more monsters, you take 600 damage!"

Team 2: Menja: 1200 LP

"And with it, the ATK and DEF of my monsters increase!"

Number 35: Ravenous Tarantula — DARK/Insect/Rank 10/Xyz/Effect: 600/600

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 2900/2600

Menja looked like she was about to faint, stumbling as her life point took a hit. But just as Taylor hoped it would be too much and the nazi would lose consciousness from her wounds and the damage, she snapped back on her feet using her spear as support.

"Sigrun, Erste and Zweite's effects activate!" Yelled Menja. "When summoned, Zweite destroys one of your monsters! Begone, you abomination!" The pink haired valkyrie and her mount charged and cut down the floating spider with its sword, ending its stat changing effect and the threat of life loss at once.

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 2300/2000

"When Erste is summoned by a Spell effect, I can retrieve Mischief of the Time Goddess from my graveyard! Fenja's may have lost, but Tag Duel rules makes it that our field and graveyard are the same! That's right, even if you somehow have more tricks, they won't save you two turns in a row! And finally, Sigrun's effect!" The eldest valkyrie stepped down from her horse before kneeling on the ground. "When she is special summoned, I can bring back a level 8 or lower Valkyrie from my graveyard! Return to me, Erda!"

The shattered ground erupted in light before Sigrun, and with a victorious battle cry the blonde valkyrie emerged on her stallion, staring down Taylor with fury, as if it was Fenja herself inhabiting the monster.

Valkyrie Erda – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 8/Effect: 2000/2200

"Erda's effect!" Asset Mountis shrivelled, its power weakening under the valkyrie's presence.

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 1300/2000

"And I don't need anything else! Battle! With Jötunn Strength, Sigrun will finish you once and for all!"

Taylor stepped back instinctively as Sigrun grew to the same titanic size as Erda did. She lost. She lost, she had no hand, nothing in her graveyard could help, her monster was far too weak with both Erda's effect and Menja's skill combined. Even if she didn't attack the turn before it wouldn't have changed anything. She should have never attempted to take on both villains at once, she should have separated them, why did she think?...

Valkyrie Sigrun – LIGHT/Fairy/Level 20/Effect: 4200/4400

Asset Mountis — LIGHT/Insect/Level 7/Effect: 0/0

The roar of a motorised vehicle suddenly invaded her ears, and she looked behind. The PRT! An armoured vehicle hurtled in the street before letting out a small group of troopers armed with what Taylor assumed was containment foam launcher… right as Menja's giant monster was about to strike. Taylor froze. Oh no. No no no no!

"I surr—"

The spear fell without pause nor mercy, reducing the mantis to dust before impacting the ground. Rubble, pavement and masonry bursting in every direction, the blast itself sending everything flying so quickly Taylor had no chance to react in time before something cracked against her head…


"What a mess." Sighed Assault as he oversaw the end of the evacuation of what was once a poor but still habitable neighbourhood.

He heard about the new girl in town alongside pretty much everyone else when Armsmaster came back with her and Lung in tow. He had a good laugh at first seeing the footage of Lung being forced to play what looked like a card game, and the testing she went through showed she could be a potentially great ally. Even if she wished to remain independent for some time, Assault was convinced Khepri would eventually join them. From their limited interactions, the girl really wanted to be a hero. Though now…

"Piggot is fuming right now. There is no way Khepri will be allowed to remain independent." Said Triumph, exhausted from his own skirmish with Stormtiger.

"If she wakes up. She got hit pretty hard in the head."

At least Battery managed to regain consciousness and supercharge herself right before the second blast. Assault was sure the Shaker effect Khepri created protected her in some way too. Given how close she had been from the epicentre of the blast zone, the poor girl should have purely and simply have all of her bones crushed or worse. Not that she didn't have a bunch of them broken, the paramedics clearly treated her like a fragile doll when they took her away.

"I don't think the Director will care. We haven't found any dead yet, but if we do, I don't think she will only blame Fenja and Menja."

"We still got Crusader today. And a bunch of unpowered guys that won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon." Pointed out Assault, trying to see the positive of things.

The second blast took the nazi by surprise and he didn't have the time to form another shield of ghosts before being knocked out. Assault barely managed to secure him with containment foam, and he guessed that if Fenja hadn't been so grievously hurt, Menja and Alabaster would have attempted to get him out before fleeing.

"That's not enough, not after such a big hit from the Empire. Having Lung and Crusader in our hands and soon to be transferred is good and all, but…"

Triumph didn't need to say more as the two heroes looked at the field of ruins. Not even Lung's worst rampage that did that much damage so quickly. And the sight of that immense valkyrie casually stomping the whole area into rubbles… a good part of Assault was very thankful that Khepri's power made it so the creatures weren't free to act like any other Master minion. Whatever weirdness Armsie was still trying to piece together about the "duel" seemed to restrict their actions massively, or else he had no doubt Fenja would have sent her giant minion to assist Alabaster and Crusader.

"Let's hope Panacea will be able to patch everyone quickly. Did we get someone else?"

"Armsmaster almost got Cricket, but Purity forced him to retreat." Cringed Triumph audibly.

Assault similarly winced at their predicament. It was how the Empire operated now. Lighting fires everywhere and divide the Protectorate with a single parahuman member leading each little gang group, before striking hard and fast with a bigger group of capes on their real objective. And with Purity and Rune flying everywhere to support the gang where the other nazi capes were in trouble, catching anyone was a hell and a half even with New Wave's sporadic assistance. The front was simply too large, and made even worse that they were still fighting against the disorganized ABB.

"Well, we're finished here. Let's hope Pigot won't have a seizure at the report." Joked Assault as casually as he could.

He really hoped Khepri would wake up. They needed everyone able to help right now.