Chapter 9: Crushed

Missy:

"Come on now girls, say cheese!" the woman tried to interject some non-existent excitement into her voice. Vista never thought she'd come to relate so much with a tired middle-aged mother looking like she just got off of work, but here she was. By this point, the smile plastered for taking photos was her default setting, so much so that she worried that the muscles on her face would lock up in that position.

The two little girls by her side had more than made up for her lack of enthusiasm, however. They were practically bouncing off their feet, clutching the autographed posters in their hands like it was some priceless treasure. It was endearing to see, that feeling never really went away, but at the same time, she wanted nothing more than to be done with the whole event.

The mother took the photo, thanking her as she told her children to wave goodbye before the next person lined up could come. Vista took the opportunity to brush aside a stray lock of hair that found its new home on her slightly damp forehead. Her costume was designed with some breathability in mind, the forest green skirt being the one doing most of the work, but hours of being continuously battered head-on by the blazing above had managed to do a number on her.

At least she didn't have it as bad as Stalker. Between those dark colours and that heavy hoodie, Vista was surprised she hadn't seen her carried away by a stretcher yet.

Speaking of Stalker, the newest addition to the team had managed to find a somewhat empty corner of the booths' area, which didn't mean much since they were currently smacked down in the middle of the Boardwalk, doing her usual brooding. Apparently, Miss Edgy Vigilante was too cool for all the meet-and-greet stuff, and with only four of the Wards here, the rest had been forced down to pick up her slack. Poor Triumph had a five-year-old clinging to every non-sharp piece of his costume, save for the helmet. Their leader seemed on the verge of a breakdown. Vista herself wasn't doing much better, for some reason she was a magnet for the brats with the stickies hands possible.

This event had been partly meant to be Stalker's introduction as a new reformed hero, but past some half-assed initial speech, she hadn't bothered to even attempt anything resembling social interaction. A couple of distressed staff had tried to no avail to get her to her booth, having to now endure the pestering of an impatient crowd who had gathered to see her. Vista had half her mind to march over there herself to give her a piece of her mind, but she could see Nimue already making her way across.

She'd probably convince the girl. Out of anybody who worked with her, she was the only one who Stalker seemed to bother giving any time of her day. Though Vista didn't know how Emma could stand spending more than five minutes with the exasperating piece of work that was Sohpia on a good day.

True enough, the two girls soon made their back, but instead of going to their respective booths, they instead climbed up on the now-empty stage. When Vista glanced back towards the gathering crowd over there she spotted Nimue gesturing her to come join in as well, which she hesitantly did. As soon as she made her way through the back she was grabbed by a very excited pair of hands and before she knew it she had been hoisted in front next to a grumpier-than-usual Shadow Stalker. Seriously, did the girl not have enough self-awareness to realize that all the gloominess just made her seem childish, like a toddler throwing a fit because he doesn't want to eat his vegetables?

"Hey there guys!" Nimue stepped forward, waving to the crowd. Vista had heard that the girl used to do some modelling stuff, and it honestly showed. With just a step and the flash of a smile, all the cameras were immediately glued to her. "I know it's very hot out here, and I thought that things might be getting a little stale for you lovely people. So how does a limited edition photoshoot with the three best-looking Wards sound?" Thankfully, the audience's cheers masked the slight blush growing on Vista's face. Off to the side, Stalker gave off the faintest impression that she was quite uncomfortable as well.

The ease with which Nimue had taken over the hearts of the audience was almost scary. She was like an orchestra leader, humming along with a tune only she knew as her dominion over the photoshoot seemed flawless. From her own positioning to softly leading her and Stalker along to their best angles, to even the rhythm in which the fans took pictures, everything carried on guided by the subtlest of movements, all looking so natural Vista barely realized she was doing it at all. She made sure to give each of them their time in the spotlight, but Nimue was unquestionably the star.

When she moved, the soft wings on her back fluttered along like gentle dancers, beautiful and captivating. She understood the sentiment very well, when they first met it had taken Vista every drop of her resolve to not embarrass herself in front of Emma and ask her if she could touch them. The undulating lines of cerulean and midnight flowed flawlessly into her costume, an array of blue with gold trimming that reminded of the grace and dignity of a ballgown with none of the restricting fabric inconveniencing its wearer.

Conceptually, it was quite similar to her own costume, but the effect couldn't be more different. Whereas Nimue's costume had a sense of regality to it, not to speak of the literal shining tiara donned on her head above her visor, Vista's was...cute. Childish. Like the cape-ified version of what someone would wear when going to a picnic.

The photos continued for about ten more minutes, an interval within which Vista gained a newfound respect for modelling as a career. Her muscles were aching as bad as after a day of sparring in the training facility. After that, they had a short five-minute break before a round of group meet and greets. Vista gratefully took a chilled water bottle from one of the staff members and downed half of it in one go. Nimue took the opportunity to go in the back and freshen up on the make-up.

"So stupid," Stalker complained. Vista couldn't tell if she was talking to her or simply muttering to herself, yet she rolled her eyes nonetheless.

"Suck it up, it's still part of the job," she said.

"Last time I checked, a hero's job was to stop crime, not promote toy sales. Or whatever the hell we're doing here." Stalker huffed. The way she talked to her was frustrating. It was not the annoyingly soft-spoken tone everybody else, willingly or not, took on when they talked down to her because of her age. No, Sophia simply sounded like the mere act of existing in close proximity to her was a sin she had to pay for.

"Maintaining a strong public presence is important, you know," Vista argued. "Making people feel safe can make more of a difference than putting random thugs in the hospital." She could tell her words had at least some of their desired effect. Which was pissing off Sophia, mostly.

"The only people we're making feel safe are rich and sheltered morons. Having us only parade around the safe area of the city is like waving a giant sign to the gangs: 'You guys can do whatever you want, as long as you keep to your territory.' It's making us stoop down to their level, telling them we're willing to play by their rules just as much as they play by ours. " Stalker took a step closer. Vista flinched at having someone much bigger invade her personal space, but she didn't back down. "It makes us look weak."

"Then what else would you have us do? Go around maiming people like that Orangutan guy, until the villains become too scared to get out on the street?" Vista bit back. The other girl stared at her for a few moments.

"Hmph. Whatever." To her surprise, Stalker didn't seem keen on pressing the subject any longer. "Let's just get this goddamn clown show over with already."

On that, they could agree. Vista pulled back to check if there were any more posters that she needed to sign last minute when suddenly her comms flared to life. The sheets of paper in her hand scattered back into a surprised assistant's lap as Gallant's voice sounded in her ear. "We've got a situation on the 23rd and Hedge Street. Empire seems to have shown up in force, early reports indicate that they've engaged in battle with members of the Mistings. No civilian casualties observed so far."

Vista needed a moment to remember who the other guys even were. The Mistings, the newest gang trying to set up shop in the city. Upstarts like them were a dime-a-dozen, cocky capes who most likely got kicked out of their own city and came here for a slice of the pie that was the Bay. But with only one or two parahumans to their name, they usually didn't last long before Lung or the Empire crushed them to dust. Operating crime was one thing, trying to claim territory for themselves was another. The two already leading powers of the Bay's underworld didn't look too kindly on newcomers. So far, only Coil and some low lives who've recently started calling themselves the Merchants have managed to last for longer than a month.

"Velocity and Dauntless are already on the scene. Assault and Battery are also on their way, ETA 5 minutes." Vista always liked it when Gallant was on console duty, even though that meant they couldn't be out on patrol together. He was always the best when it came to relaying orders and relevant information. Plus, his voice was rather pleasant to listen to.

Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.

"Roger. Heading over there now." Shadow Stalker said, already running out into the street. The gang's clash was only a couple of blocks away, but the news of the fight hadn't reached the rest of the regular populace yet, so they only stared in confusion as she all but pushed her way through the small crowd.

"Negative, Stalker. All the Wards on-site are to prioritize evacuating the nearby civilians and to make sure they don't devolve into panic." Gallant said.

"And to let the Nazis run around as they please? In broad daylight? Fuck that." Oh boy, Vista already had an idea where this was going.

"These are our orders. Our priority is to ensure no bystanders are caught up in the fighting." Dean raised his voice a bit towards the end. He likely had the same hunch as her.

"Let Triumph and Dwarfy play substitute teacher for them. They can handle it. I'm going." Stalker's response with the familiar buzz of someone ending the call.

Yup, she figured. "Don't worry. I'll go after her, try to change her mind." Vista told him.

"Wait, Vista no-" This time, Dean seemed taken by surprise, but she didn't let him finish. Not that she would go off call as well, that would be rude. She just turned the volume a tiny bit down.

It's not like she had much of a choice. Her dislike for Sophia aside, she was still her teammate; she didn't want to see her get hurt. And on the off chance that Stalker proved to be too stubborn to turn back with her, then she'd have no choice but to join in as well, right? If her fellow Ward was insisting on acting like an idiot, then it'd be better for her to have some backup, at least.

Her mind set, she turned her attention to a large building to her side. Her power wasn't a switch she needed to turn on and off, it was a constant she was always conscious of in the back of her mind, just another part of her that came as natural as breathing or walking. The moment she paid attention to it, the small prickling of an instinct unfolded into a distinct awareness around her. The way she perceived the world was unlike any other person alive, an axis of existence where space itself became a tangible thing. It was like being underwater, a simple movement would disturb and force the liquid to redistribute its volume as the space available could feel changed. Her power could do the same. Except the distance between any two objects was inhabited by an infinity that existed on a fourth axis of perception, and she could bring forward a fragment of that infinity to reshape the world.

The closest thing she could attribute it to was Play-Doh, or stretching a rubber band. In the areas occupied by living matter, the band would remain tout, refusing to budge no matter how much she pulled. But for everything else...

With a simple thought, she mentally grabbed onto the ensemble of positions and directions occupied by the building's rooftop and brought it close to her. It obeyed, perspective and distance losing all meaning as the large concrete construct remained stationary, yet tilted on its side until she could make the gap with a single step. She loosened her grip on the metaphorical band of space, snapping itself back into place as she already made her way towards the next rooftop.

A few miles of distance became just as much space. Making use of areas devoid of people, was both the easiest and most convenient way to travel. In under a minute, she was already at the sight of the incident, watching as the white bolt of lightning that was Dauntless's lance clashed with the monolith shield wielded by one of the Nazi twins. She still couldn't tell Menja from Frenja apart. Below them, almost like a gathering of ants in comparison, Vista could spot some of the other Empire capes as they ruthlessly ploughed through the Misting's unpowered thugs. White apparitions that could only be Crusader's clones marched into them like some sort of Roman battalion, while Stormtiger's claws of compressed wind kept the occasional volley of bullets at bay. Occasionally Velocity, barely a red blur on the makeshift battlefield, would push some of the purple-clad gang members away from the path of a death-threatening attack. Still, the whole thing could barely count as a battle.

The Empire was out for blood, and they were dead set on getting it.

There was no sign of Stalker, however. Reaching with her other senses, Vista tried to look for areas that gave off more resistance against the prodding of her power. There was the mess down below, of course, as well as plenty more places like that inside the building nearby. Not surprisingly, they were in a pretty populated area. There were also a lot of small pockets of resistance around, probably from things like rats scurrying towards sewers and garbage cans. Yuck.
Excluding those, there was one more in a nearby alleyway. She made to move towards it, only to immediately stumble as she was assaulted by a sudden wave of vertigo as soon as she compressed the distance. She caught herself on the railway just before she fell off the rooftop.

Cricket. There was no mistaking it, neither the effect of her power over her senses nor the metal cage that served as the blonde's mask. The pair of scythes in her hands spun dangerously as she slashed throw Shadow Stalker's Breaker form, before bending backwards and dodging the incoming crossbow bolt with unnatural baklance. Stalker tried to phase through the wall to get a better vantage point, but the Empire spun around with swift and precise movement, always managing to dodge away with a dancer's grace before retaliating with vicious ferocity.

Vista took a second to think. Considering Cricket had been slowly backing away from her direction towards the edge of the alleyway, that meant that more likely than not she had been picked up by the sonar. That didn't mean she lost the element of surprise, however.

Instead of coming down to help, she instead stretched her power in the opposite direction. This might not be enough to fool Cricket, but she hoped that their power interacted weirdly enough to at least confuse her for a moment. So she wouldn't expect that when Stalker fired her next shot, Vista cut the distance between the two in half, giving the villain no time to dodge.

Sralker's head tilted in confusion as the special Tinker-made tranquillizer made its way into Cricket's body in seconds, leaving her to collapse onto the hard pavement. Then she looked upwards, directly at Vista.

She couldn't help herself. She gave Stalker a lazy wave.

"Console, Vista here. Cricket is down, can we have Velocity rush over here and secure her so I can take Stalker and get out of here?" She called in, readjusting the volume of her comms back to normal.

"VISTA, YOU TWO NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW!"

"Wait, what-" Her words died out as the concrete wall on the other side of the alleyway erupted into a screeching hunk of metal. The limped body of a grown adult was flung through the air like a chewing toy, sprawling bloodily onto the ground. Vista could feel her heart thumping out in her chest, the beating of drums that heralded the arrival of a vaguely canine-like steel monstrosity.

Hookwolf's body let out small resonant clangs as he approached, one massive step at a time. He seemed to ignore both Stalker who vanished away into the darkened mist and her own frozen body, heading instead towards one of his fallen lieutenants. With surprisingly careful movement considering the gangly form of his current body, he perched Cricket's body, so small and fragile in comparison, in between two large spikes, making sure it wouldn't fall off. Then he turned his attention towards the half-dead body in front of him.

Vista suddenly recognised him. Allomancer, the leader of the Mistings. To her dawning horror, she watched as Hookwolf raised one of his members high above his head, intent clear. He was gonna finish what he started.

The space between the executioner and the victim extended before her mind could properly process anything. Next thing she knew, she was down on the street, grabbing the dying villain by his overly-sized collar before his guts could spill onto the pavement. It wasn't easy, the man was over twice her height and weighed just as much as he looked. She could barely manage to bring his limp arm over her shoulders before the area of space directly behind her disappeared to her senses.

"Foolish girl." A deep, guttural voice said. Like a parent disappointed with their child.

Vista panicked, shrinking and extending every inch of space around her that could power could get its hand on. All to escape the incoming wave of death that washed over her, overpowering every fibre of her being. The furthest building in the distance rose up to greet them, a safe heaven just one terribly heavy step away. The endorphins and adrenaline pushed on where her feeble musculature could not, and the distance snapped back to normal before Hookwolf's flesh and body could follow.

The metal rod that embedded itself into her back followed as well.

With an agonizing scream, Vista's knees refused to comply any longer. She let go of the unconscious villain and collapsed forward, only for a slender yet strong pair of arms to catch her. She forced her head to jerk upwards and was met with Stalker's steel mask staring disapprovingly from beyond her visor.

"You're an idiot." She said, slowly lowering her to the side to inspect her wound. "But good thing itiots tend to get lucky. It missed any vitals."

"We have to...get away." Vista stammered out between heavy breaths. "What if he... comes for us."

"Assault and Battery engaged him. Plus Dauntless has managed to drive away Menja, or whatever one she is. The whole thing's gonna be over soon."

"That's good..." Then Vista suddenly jolted upwards, earning herself a pained groan. "Allomancer is not gonna last long, we have to get him to Panacea quickly."

"Why?"

"H-huh?" She sputtered. What the hell was Stalker even saying?

"Why risk your life for a piece of shit like him?" Stalker's voice was cutthroat, like the steel of Hookwolf's body. "He's still on his Three Strike Probation. In a month, he's gonna get out and fall right back into stealing and murder. Why bother? You should've just made the world of favour and let the Nazi scum deal with him. Call it karma if it makes you feel any better."

"What do you mean why? it's because...because killing is wrong!" Vista's voice sounded exasperated even to her own ears. "This guy's not part of the Nine or anything, no Kill Order either. We can't just let him die in cold blood like that!"

Stalker should her head frustratedly. "God, you're such a kid. I can't believe I thought you had some spunk when you helped me out earlier. You should just go back into fairyland and play with your dolls before the real world could eat you alive. Might do us a solid as-"

"I think that's enough of that," Nimue said, landing next to them. When had she...?

"You two can debate philosophy all you want, but after we get that spike out of Vista's back." Stalker and Nimue shared a look between them that she couldn't decipher before the winged girl kneeled in front of her and softly patted her on the head. "I think you did a great job out here, but do try to be more careful in the future. I had a whole photoshoot planned for the both of us next week, it'd suck to have to reschedule it."

If she had enough strength left in her body, Vista would've batted away the offending hand. "You're looking down on me too, aren't you?" She didn't expect it to hurt that much. She was used to it by now, but aside from Dean, hearing it from Emma bothered her more than when it came from the others. She'd known the redhead for only a short time now, but she'd really come to look up to Nimue. She was strong, and beautiful, and always seemed to know what to say. She hoped the two of them might even become friends eventually.

The girl in question gave her a serious look. "I'm not. I'd never looked down on someone who tries her best to do something she believes in, no matter my personal stance on it. It takes strength to do that, and I always acknowledge the strong." Vista wanted to believe those words. No, despite herself, she did believe those words, spoken with such a sheer force of presence.

"That's cute and all, but we should hurry up already" Stalker butted in. Not that she was wrong. Not even mentioning Allomancer, Vista rather liked it when blood stayed inside of her body.

"Alright!" Nimue clapped. "Stalker, take Vista to get some first aid. I'll drop this guy to the hospital really quick and make around to look for any other people injured?"

"Wouldn't it be faster to team up with Velocity for that?" Vista asked. "If you coordinate between the two of you, you could cover ground almost twice as efficiently."

" 'Course I will. That was my plan, as well."

Brad:

Shaking off the Protectorate wasn't particularly difficult. The duo certainly hit hard, and with Melody still unconscious on his back he had to be more careful than usual, but at the end of the day, the heroes got used to their enemy getting away. All he had to do was crash into a couple of moving cars while running and all of a sudden they stopped their pursuit to make sure everyone was alright, even though the risk of death was low. Still, he couldn't complain, it was a nice trick to have in his back pocket.

Once he made sure they weren't still tracking him somehow, he retracted his blades and headed to the appointed meeting place, Melody hunched over his shoulder. It was a good thing he got there just in time, he knew that Cricket would hate it if her last fight before getting Bridcaged was against some brats still wet behind their ears, never mind that she lost. Hookwolf couldn't win her battles for her but as his friend, he could make sure she lives to fight at least one more.

The rendezvous point was in front of some dilapidated half-standing construction site. From what he could tell, it had been meant as a hotel or something some odd ten years again, but the project quickly ran out of money before they could finish building anything besides the first floor. It wasn't surprising; Brockton Bay wasn't much of a tourist destination. Whatever idiot had invested in the place deserved what he's got.

Originally, they planned to turn this place into a stash house, but considering the proximity to the territory owned by the Asian trash, setting up anything reliable had been difficult because of the constant raids happening so close to the border. In the end, it remained as a small shelter where they could regroup after big operations like this one.

Victor waited for him by the entrance, followed by a couple of their guys. He recognized one of his own men there, Jayce, so he passed Melody to her before heading inside.

"Get her to Othalla if she's not busy with something more urgent," he told Victor. "I doubt it's anything serious, but I don't know what that Stalker bitch puts in her bolts now."

"Understood." He nodded. "How were things on your side?"

"The heroes got Allomancer before I could tear his head off his body, but aside from that it went swimmingly. You?"

"Much the same. We've captured their other cape, Feruechemist. A Tinker is always more useful alive, after all. Kaiser wants to send him to Gesellschaft as a 'token of gratitude' so to speak." Hookwolf nodded. He wanted to say he pitied the poor guy for what's in store for him, but he realized he found it hard to care.

"So that means one more vermin taken care of our city." He said, "We should hit a bar to celebrate, I'm in the mood for some whisky."

"I think Kaiser has something in mind for that, a reward for a job well done."

Hookwolf grimaced. He knew Max cared about appearance and stuff like that, but the fancy high-end restaurants he booked for these occasions weren't his style. "I'm surprised he can afford it after how much Faultline charged for the job."

"The woman does a good job, but her rates are rather steep." Victor agreed. "Even for a short distraction to keep some of the Protectorate busy, she asked for double her standard price."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she doesn't like us." Hookwolf laughed, idly glancing toward the other side of the room. With no electricity set up for his place, it was hard to make out anything beyond a couple of mouldy, probably rat-infested wooden boxes. That's why they've been hanging out by the entrance so far, where the natural light still shone in.

"We've just received notice that Alabaster finally managed to get to a safe house. With this, everyone's accounted for." Victor said. "We're about to head out now, do you want us to drop you off at your usual place?"

"Nah, you guys go ahead. I still have some stuff I want to sort out before I leave. Ah, but if you see Stormtiger let him know to prepare the double feature for tonight, he'll know what I mean." Hookwolf had the feeling he'd be in the mood for something more special than the usual dogfighting match initially scheduled.

Victor simply shrugged, bidding his normal goodbyes and taking off with the rest of the men in the black SUVs parked outside. Hookwolf watched him go, a neutral expression on his face safe for a slight tug at the corner of his lips. You'd think a skill thief would have picked up some enhanced hearing or night vision after all this time. Then again, maybe he had and he was just getting sloppy.

"You got what you wanted now. Hope you can impress me." His voice echoed into the dark room as he crossed his arms and leaned back onto a nearby crate.

"No thanks. I tend not to make a habit out of seeking validation from humans worth less than the gum stuck to my shoe." A pair of large wings flapped down, casting a dim ethereal glow in the air around them. Hookwolf scoffed, halfway convinced to just leave right then and there. What a letdown.

"What is it with me and Girl Scouts today? Just get out of here already, I'm not interested in buying any cookies."

"What's the problem?" She taunted him. "Are the Big Bad Wolf's claws just for show?"

"Little Red Riding Hoods these days aren't that filling anymore. Especially when the whole Protectorate comes crashing down on us after I eat them. Leaves a sour aftertaste in my mouth" He said, irritated. He had come here expecting a fight, not to waste time and play charades with some newbie who didn't even know about the Unwritten Rules yet.

"You say that, but what about dear Vista?"

"Thaw was her fault. She's the one who got in my way, I can't be expected to treat her with kiddie gloves in the middle of a fight," he argued. "Is this what this is about, you want revenge for your little friend?"

"Something like that." Even though the faint light emitted, she still couldn't make out the Wards' face, but for a moment he had the oddest feeling that the girl had smiled just then. His core roared to life almost entirely on its own, begging for the metal to protrude from his flesh and coat his body. He'd never experienced such a strong impulse before.

"You see," she said, and Hookwolf felt it again. The reason he'd noticed the girl had followed him in the first place. The sensation he so desperately craved even before he got his powers, a distant companion and bosom friend for all his life. "You got your dirty hands on something that belongs to me. Be grateful that I'll be satisfied with only your life as payment."

Bloodlust.

Something churned and twisted in the shadows, a meaty and disgusting blueish hue around the girl vanished, plunging everything into darkness once more. Her silhouette changed, becoming something bigger and more inhumane by the second. It was too dark for him to be able to take note of any features, but the sheer presence it exuded was unlike anything he had felt before. It was more full of rage than Lung, more dangerous than The Woodchopper. The feeling of dread, maybe just the Endbringers outclassed it. But those were that were more akin to forces of nature than beasts, they didn't have that sheer almost tangible malice dripping out of every breath in their body.

Hookwolf welcomed it all. He forced out every piece of steel his core could spare and raised to meet his new challenger. The wolf appearance he had taken so long to perfect was nowhere to be seen. He only needed strength, for now he was finally a warrior in truth. His heartbeat was thumping with joy, the drums of war that hailed in the halls of Valhalla on the day the Einherjars would be rallied for the final battle, Ragnarok. His body was both weapon and wielder, honed to perfection into one. He rushed forward with strength unknown to him so far, with the single purpose of slicing through his opponent.

In that same instant, he was torn apart.

His head was the first one to get ripped off. He tried to recreate a new pair in another place on his body, but each time they'd be destroyed before he could regain even a moment of sight. So he was left to blindly trash around at random, hoping that the massive weight of his body would crush the girl like an insect. That didn't happen. Instead, he was forced to experience as he was torn apart, limb by limb, faster than his body could cannibalize the debris to build himself back out.

Still, he tried. He pushed his core even further, raging with all his might like a mad berserker. Even as his steel got bent like paper, even as he felt his true body begin to crack and splinter, even as he could start to taste the metallic blood on his nonexistent tongue, he refused to kneel. When he hit a wall he ran around it. When that became impossible he started banging his head against it to tear it down. He didn't want to stop, he couldn't stop. Not now, when he was so close.

It didn't amount to anything.

When he finally ran out and was forced to wiggle pathetically onto the floor like a worm, only then did she allow him to grow his eyes back. When he opened them, the girl was back in her human form, a sickly sweet smile on her face. She wanted him to see her, to look into her eyes and understand that she wanted to savour the moment.

Then he understood. The glorious battle he dreamed of was not gonna be found here. Because his opponent wasn't a warrior, she was a-

"Monster."

"Rude. I don't want to hear that from a literal white supremacist."

He retracted what little metal he had back beneath his skin, grunting as the pains of his extortion suddenly became unbearable. He knew she wasn't going to offer him a proper death, so he'd have to take matters into his own hands.

She didn't do anything to stop him as he struggled to get on the two messes that were his feet, nor when he headed towards a small hammer, forgotten in the rust of this place. It wasn't what he envisioned when he thought of dying with a weapon in hand, but it would do.

Something fell from the pockets of his jeans. He ignored it, presenting his chest forward. In turn, she ignored him, picking up the small trinket.

"Ah." He recognized it. A small greenish egg-like pendant with some ugly features engraved on it. He'd torn it off the body of one of his rivals a long time ago before he'd even joined the Empire. He kept it around his house as a memento of that. He didn't remember taking it with him, it must have somehow fallen in when he got ready this morning.

The girl stared at it. Then back at him. Then at the pendant. Then at him.

"What are you-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!" The girl started laughing like a maniac, clutching her sides as she couldn't keep standing straight. "Really?" She managed to get out between bouts of maddened giggling. "Someone like you is worthy? Guess you shouldn't judge a book by its cover after all. Even if that cover happens to be a literal swastika."

"Enough of this!" He shouted. This humiliation was already bad enough, just how long was she going to make fun of him? "Are you going to kill me or not?"

"Nope," she said as she picked up the pendant and put it over his neck. "But you hold onto that, alright? If you are truly its owner, then it would be a shame for you to die here. You might not be able to tell yet, but something very interesting is going on these days, something much more exciting than mere petty squabbles over some cesspit crevice of the city, and you're lucky enough to be a part of it."

"Don't mess it up" And with some parting words and a conspiratorial wink, she took off, leaving him dazed by himself in the abandoned work site, which looked a lot worse for wear than it had only 15 minutes ago.

It was only then that he noticed, as if in a daze, that the roof had gotten blown off at some point.

AN: I know you probably have some questions, but I'll only answer the most important one out of them:
Allomancer's real name is Kevin, but when he used to play Pokemon (Aleph Edition) on his Gameboy as a child his trainer name was Kelsier.