A/N Darkest Hour
Alt title: Choose Your Family
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worldcrafter11: See, I would, and maybe one day I will make a catalogue of all the non-Worm capes. But, that would take way more time than I have patience for. Because I would have to reread everything.
Mangouschase: Yeah, I intended to make a scene later on that revealed he was gay, but it literally never came up. So, I just added it at the end.
And really? That's how it should be. His sexuality in this story never came up, because it never mattered to what he was doing or what was going on around him. Unlike Kitsu who is understandably figuring herself out in a chaotic point in her life. Heck, Kitsu still isn't sure if she's bi, or is straight and just doesn't want to lose Missy's affection.
Lorra Dru Zod: I'm thinking of making a fic with the Beta version of Kitsu. Name it something like, Happy Harpy Days.
GideonBlackthorn: There's a reason Missy wasn't answering her phone.
RadChaos897: To answer your question, The Nine are the same as canon. And, I'm unlikely to do much in the way of the Nine's interaction with other capes. If I did, then this arc may very well extend to triple its word length.
Bradlysteak: Kitsu is traumatized of the Nine. Mostly Manniquin and Jack. The others, she scared of, but not worried about. Except Bonesaw, she's very worried about what that little psycho can do.
And Kitsu doe not want more tails. It takes an hour just to clean her one. She loves her tail, but would not willingly take on another due to how troublesome it is to maintain.
BlitizSlash: Someone's gonna die!
Dieselfuel: Yes they are, very interesting.
Gogmazios: You're welcome.
Grimnosh: Yes, this is it. Kitsu is in the end stretch.
Also, I know how a faraday cage works, but Missy doesn't. She was told no signals in or out, so she assumes that means personal devices don't work. If she looked around, she's notice the other students were recording.
cassnova5424: The [Broadcast] is nudging Jack to find Kitsu in the first place. It sensed [Conduit] when Kitsu first triggered.
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-Date, Time-
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
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-Warehouse Hideout, Sunday, Sep 19th, 2:30pm-
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Joseph "Scarecrow" Crane POV
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"Well, that could've gone better." I sigh as I head to where I park my van, opening my burner phone to dial the PRT and report the disturbance.
"I think it went rather well." I hear a calm, confident voice say from behind me. "Though I agree it could've been a bit more, flashy."
Turning around, I spot a man with a long face and hair similar to mine. Well combed, if a tad messy. And a shaven beard. White button up, and black slacks.
"You certainly have a talent for sowing chaos, I'll give you that." He says as he pulls out a knife and starts twirling it in his hand.
'Thin form, casual demeanor. Belt of knives and a purposefully unkempt hair style.' I mentally note as I take in his appearance.
"Jack Slash, before my very eyes." I say calmly as I keep my hands in my pockets. Fingering my mini canisters of gas.
He smiles easily and shrugs. The knife angled up as he does so.
"Seems more and more people know of me an my deeds these days." He says wistfully. "Guess that's to be expected with infamy."
"Naturally." I nod, keeping a cool head as I scan my vision for the other serial killers here. "You've been around. Heck, last I heard you were in Tennessee."
"That was a few weeks ago. Been looking out for a certain someone. But, that's neither here nor there at the moment." He says as he starts tossing the knife and pacing to the left. "And you can stop looking around, tis just I here."
He gives a knowing grin as he stops after about ten steps. And pivots on his heels to face me once more.
"If the others aren't with you." I think out loud. "Then you're here for something. You have a goal, but what is it?"
'Something's not right.' I feel a twinge in the back of my mind.
"You are a sharp one." He grins before slashing his knife, and I jump to the side out of instinct. Pulling my gun and aiming it at the grinning man. "Oh don't be like that. Just a bit of tire slashing. Nothing to get all antsy over."
Looking back, I see he did indeed slash my tires. His power broadcasting his slashes across distances.
'This isn't how you'd normally act!' I feel the small nudge in the back of my mind again. Before shaking it away.
Now's not the time to be distracted.
"So, you're here for me." I put together.
"Bingo!" He snaps his fingers and points at me. "See, we got a vacancy in our ranks. Can't really be The Slaughterhouse Nine with only Eight members."
"So this is an invitation." I surmise.
"Eh, close. See, we already have a ninth member." He gives an awkward smile, so casual, like he's explaining he got the wrong pizza. "She's already passed all but two of our tests. Well, three technically. It has been five years."
'Five years, tests, who on earth could he be talking about?' I think. 'Has to be in the city, female, needs to be a parahuman, likely someone new otherwise the nine would've been here sooner. So, a female cape who recently arrived in the bay, has had her powers for at least five years.'
That narrows it down to, three. No four, Pinky, Gully, Kitsu, and Jessica Jones.
"Well, anyway. Here's how it goes." Jack begins again. "See, our newest member is already chosen. But she might flee the city. In which case we need an understudy! And I've chosen you for the audition!"
My eyes widen as I understand who he's talking about. She's many things, erratic, chaotic, unstable, and is best known for escaping every attempt to confine her.
"My candidates get to choose their own trial." Jack continues to explain. "So while the rest are completing the trials in order, you will be busy completing a trial you choose for yourself. Afterwards, you go through the other's trials."
It goes without saying that if I pick something easy. I fail, and failure means death.
"So, how about it?" He asks. "Wow me, man without a brain."
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"Oz, really?" I deadpan, and he just shrugs with a hum. "Alright, I'll play your game. How about this, I have to cause as much chaos in the city using nothing but my gasses."
"Too easy-"
"And I can only use my gas three times." I finish, making him pause. "You and me, see who can cause more mayhem. You and the nine, or me and three uses of my power."
He blinks a few times. A wide, sincere grin forming on his face as he chuckles.
"You, you could have chose anything to make your test easy." He says as he holds his gut. "And you chose, a competition of chaos, against all of us? And with a handicap!?"
"The only thing you can't do, is anything that would inform them of my trial." I add. "So as not to tip the scales of course. This is to see if I match the nine at their most natural."
He slowly stops chuckling. Leveling a sidelong stare and mischief filled smirk at me. Just when I think he might attack, he speaks.
"So you do get a handicap." He says as he flips his knife back into his belt. "Alright, I like it. Sounds like a plan! You have until our recruit accepts her position, or another understudy passes the rest of the trials."
'Why do I feel like fighting him would've been easier?' I find myself wondering. 'He has a single striker power, I have ten hallucinogenic gas canisters on me. And three are paralytic.'
Not that it matters now anyway.
"Well then, I should get to work." I say as I turn and look for a car to hotwire.
'Why didn't I just kill him?' I ask myself.
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-East Slums, Tuesday, Sep 21st, 11am-
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Touya "Hellfire" Todoroki POV
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"Let's see here." I say to myself as I count the cash in the wallet.
Next to me, slumped against the wall of the alley. Is the guy the wallet belonged to. Not that there's anything really left of him to tell who he was.
"No, I suppose his teeth are still intact." I think out loud as I pocket the two hundred bucks he had. And toss the wallet onto his burnt corpse. "Eh, might as well make it easy on the detective."
"How considerate of you." I hear behind and above me.
"Hmm?" I hum as I turn to the side, putting the kaleidoscope of a dress in my sights. As well as the hottie wearing it.
And with the angle, let me tell you. Ain't no way she's got anything underneath unless it's a string thong.
"And just where are you looking?" She asks, a slight bite in her voice as she descends, but stays just a head above me.
"You obviously." I say with a light tone. "Sorry 'bout that, got a bit awestruck."
That seems to make her day. A small, prideful smile forming on her resting bitch face. Showing just the kind of person I'm dealing with.
Not that I don't know, this is clearly Shatterbird. Makes sense, I just ran pass Burnscar yesterday. So the nine are in town. The question is-
"Never thought I'd run into two of the nine in one week." I remark as I put my hands in my pockets.
"Eight, as of now." She says as she returns to her stoic expression.
'So that's why I'm not dead.' I think to myself, mildly amused at the circumstance.
"Slaughterhouse Eight doesn't really have the same ring." I remark as I face her, leveling a glare at the shaker. "Now, I really hope you're not here for the reason I think you are. Cuz lady, I already have my loyalties."
She smirks. A self assured, confident smirk. The kind that really pisses me off. Makes my blood boil as it reminds me of my old man.
"And what if I said I was?" She says challengingly.
Feeling my flames roar out of my right side, the heat painful and nearly unbearable.
For most.
"Then I'd say you have a ten second head start." I say.
"Beautiful answer." She says sarcastically. "If it makes you feel better, you weren't my first choice. But he's unavailable."
"Nine."
"You can't honestly be serious?" She says, putting an arm under her bust to hold her other hand up as I count to eight. "You can kill me. But just know that killing one of us is an automatic admission. And you'll be tested by the others anyway."
"Seven."
"You won't be the only one we go after either." She says, not once losing her cool as I reach six. "After all, your loyalties are a tether we can't have."
"Three." I say as I pull my hands out of my pockets.
"You skipped a few." She remarks.
"You pissed me off." I say as I hold a hand up. "Two."
"Are you sure you want to do this, Touya?" She smiles as she cocks her head.
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"Who told you?" I ask as I lower my hand.
"Let's be honest with ourselves here Touya, you're as cold as your fires are hot. You don't have loyalties, you have connections." She smirks before humming and floating off. "Think about the offer, we'll be seeing you on the roof of the Palanquin, Friday night."
She turns around and flies off. Leaving me to consider my options. And thinking on it, first thing's first.
Checking my pocket, I make sure my cash is untouched. Be a shame if I went through the process of mugging the man only to accidentally burn through the cash. Literally.
"Hmph." I scoff as I check and verify it's all there. I turn around and head back to where I was going.
Boss's gonna wanna know about this.
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-Dallon House, Thursday, Sep 23rd, 1:30pm-
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Kitsu POV
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"Sissy!" My heart stops as I enter the house and see the girl in a blue, bloody dress. Barely taller than me. "I missed you so much!"
'Why is she here?' I feel my mind reel as I flick my ears, searching for anymore voices or sounds. But aside from some clacking and whirring from the three spider droid, cyborg things. Nothing.
The car is here, Amy's not supposed to be at the hospital. Mom's at work.
Where are Dad and Amy?
"Aww!" The slightly taller Blonde coos. "You're speechless! That's so cute!"
"Wh-wh-what are y-you doing here?" I ask as my vision pulses, and I feel my blood pump in my ears.
"I'm here for you silly!" She giggles before puffing out her cheeks. "You've been a naughty girl! Running away like that this whole time. But that's okay! Because big sis is here to bring you back."
She, she's serious. They were recruiting me back then. Jack was trying to recruit me, the same way he recruited Bonesaw.
"You already passed Sibby and Mr. Jack's test when you won the game of tag." She starts counting on her hands. "Crawler gave a thumbs up when you beat Benny, and Manny gave you a pass after you triggered! Hatchet Face is, well he's dead now. And I don't know if Cherish counts for the tests since she wasn't a member when you were joining. Shatterbird just wants you to kill her nominee and you have a pass. Which really just leaves my test!"
"I never tried to join you!" I shout at her as I try to keep my legs from shaking. "And I'm not interested in your sick games! Where's my Dad!?"
I rush forward and grab her by the neck, choking her as, as, she isn't choking. Why isn't she choking?
"Hey!" She shouts and baps me on the head. "No! Bad! We don't attack family, let go now and I promise not to tell Mr. Jack."
Her cyborg spiders crawl over and on top of me, and I feel my rage and fear take over. Igniting my body and burning them as they get close.
As well as some of my clothes.
Quickly reabsorbing the fire. I snarl at the smiling girl.
"Tell me before I kill you!" I demand as I squeeze harder. Finally hearing a crack, she winces.
"Well now I don't want to." She huffs, puffing her cheeks out defiantly.
'How many would be saved, if I just popped her head like a zit?' I ask myself. 'But, who would die? If I don't let her live?'
"Rrrrr fine!" I push back and let go of her now bruised neck. "There, now tell me!"
"No!" She looks away.
"Why not!?" I demand to know.
"Because you were mean!" She shouts back. "And meanies don't get what they want."
"Well now you're being mean to me by not telling me." I counter, hoping to trip her up like I did five years ago. "And meanies don't get what they want, so I won't play your game!"
I cross my arms defiantly. Playing into the bratty little sister archetype she's envisioned me into.
"That's not fair!" She shouts up at me as she looks upset, like she wants to yell and cry. "Mrrmm fine! I'll tell you once you get off of me."
Resisting every urge to kill her here and now, I get up. And step back. Allowing her to get up and dust her dress off.
"Thank you." She nods, before crossing her arms and sticking her tongue out at me.
"You said you'd tell me where my Dad is." I growl, feeling myself start to do that glitchy thing again.
"Ooh!" She looks at me with wide eyes. "How do you do that? Is it more illusions or something else?"
'Vicky where the hell are you!?' I scream in my head as I think to the phone in my pocket. The one that's still on, and set to speaker mode.
I take a breath and calm down. Letting the glitchiness fade. And Bonesaw pouts at the loss of a show, before sighing as answers me.
"Fine, as your older sister I'll be the mature one." She upturns her nose. "I have to tell you anyway. It's part of my game after all!"
Hearing that, causes my heart to drop all over again. Looking at the girl as she proudly elaborates.
"See, I had to really think about this." She says. "See, you need to realize who your real family is! Not these people, you need to be with people who'll accept you as you are."
"They do." I grit my teeth.
"No they don't." Bonesaw laughs, an innocent, melodic giggle. "How many people have you killed? How many have you tortured? We've been following you Sissy!"
My gaze sharpens as I see what she's trying to do.
"Oh don't look so mad!" She whines, and stomps her foot daintily before sighing. "Anyway, there are three pods in the city. Each one has someone you've been living and playing family with. Mr. Dallon, PanPan and Vista!"
'That's why Missy wasn't answering her phone!' I realize, feeling a whirlwind of relief and guilt. Relieved she didn't ghost me. Guilty, that I'm relieved she was kidnapped as opposed to ignoring me.
"What do I have to do?" I ask as I feel my heart thud, my legs twitching and itching to move.
"Easy!" She smiles. "Beat Shatterbird's test, then Cherish's, then Burncar's. All before the other nominees." She says before leaning in like telling a secret. "But if you don't beat them first, don't worry. All you gotta do is pass and you're in!"
'But they still die.' I think in regards to my loved ones.
I have to beat three trials from the Slaughterhouse Nine to succeed and save my family. And my girlfriend.
"And after that, you can say goodbye and go on a road trip with the rest of us!" Bonesaw jumps up and cheers. "Oh! Before I forget, the trials start midnight on friday at the Palanquin. Oh! But you need to be there by eight so you know what to do!"
"Why-" I don't get to finish before Vicky smashes through the window and grabs the little girl, and then pivots back out. "About time!"
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Victoria "Glory Girl" Dallon POV
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Holding up the murderous twelve year old by her neck. I dangle her fifty feet above the main intersection on fifth.
"Tell me where they are, or you die." I demand of the mini psychopath, well, other than the one who lives in my house.
"This again?" She has the gall to pout and cross her arms. "No!"
I throw a punch and feel the satisfying crunch of her nose breaking under my fist.
"Ahhh!" She cries out as blood flows from her nose, and she goes to hold her face. "Why-hiiiii! You bwobe my nobse!"
"I'll break your spine next you little bitch!" I yell.
"Meanie!" She shouts, some of the blood spurting out and hitting me.
I'm not gonna lie, her mannerisms, and her look, are just close enough to Kitsu's for this to be cathartic.
"You want to see mean?" I growl out and put more pressure on her throat, hearing it crunch. I'm about to panic over killing her, when she spits in my face.
"You're the bad influence on my little sister that Mr. Jack was talking about." She says before I, I, I, what was I doing?
"It's meanies like you that are the reason I fill myself with so many diseases." She keeps rambling as I see her nose stop bleeding.
'What, is, is she? Disease?' I try to think as my vision gets hazy, and I let go before falling as everything goes black.
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Kitsu POV
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Running out of the house and after the speeding cape. I watch the idiot slam a fist into the face of the biotinker.
I got a good look in her while I had her pinned. And she's loaded with diseases and parasites and fudge all. So I know, attacking her is a death sentence.
Heck, her kidneys have parasites that look like they cause prions to form. PRIONS!
Before I can jump up and stop her, I watch as what I predicted comes to pass. Vicky starts falling, and lets go of Bonesaw. With Vicky falling slump, and Bonesaw flailing.
Knowing Vicky will be okay with her shield, and Bonesaw bleeding more will just cause a reenactment of twenty eight days later. I run over and catch the flailing blonde as Vicky craters the intersection. Car horns blaring and people yelling all around us as I set the girl down and run over to Vicky. Place my hands on her and try to keep her alive. Fighting back against whatever's in her.
It's a virus, and It's replicating absurdly fast. It's already hijacked her dendritic cells and sending her body into an immune response overload. Forcing her body to cannibalize itself to fight off a disease that's feeding on immune response cells. Thinning her red blood cells and destroying their ability to clot. And the lining of her blood vessels is being eaten away at.
It won't be long before she hemorrhages.
It's been three minutes!
"Help her!" I yell at the Alice in Wonderland looking girl who just got done setting her nose back in place.
"Why should I?" She crosses her arms and turns away from me. Not bothering to wipe away the blood on her face. "She was very rude. And besides, she's clearly a bad influence on you. As your older sister it's my job to make sure these things are dealt with."
I'm giving myself whiplash as I enhance my perception and revert back in rapid succession. Trying to pay attention to something, anything she might say that could help me here. While also slowing down the virus and keeping Vicky alive.
It's in this frantic state, that I feel something. Just give out.
"Please big sis?" I hold back my anger and give her puppy dog eyes. Activating my love me power as she peeks over and locks eyes with me.
She then turns her back and huffs. Even while under the effects.
"This is for your own good!" She huffs and starts walking off.
'How, no wait. My power makes someone love me.' I think rapidly. 'But how much and in what way is always random. Does, does she actually love me, and see this as tough love?'
She genuinely sees this as being for my own good.
It's with that thought, that I turn to the pale teen. Purple bruising mottling her face and arms as her blood vessels give out and blood leaks under her skin.
I have to switch between repairing blood vessels, catching and killing infected macrophages before they reach apoptosis and spread more of the disease, repairing damaged organs, keeping the virus away from her brain.
Then, I realize it's not targeting anything but her immune system. And it's piggybacking on the white blood cells.
So, I shut her immune system off. And focus on killing everything inside her lymphatic system, before moving on.
Once that's done. I fix what I can, and reactivate her immune system. Being careful with the eyes, because if I mess up there then her immune system will kill her eyes.
She's good. And I'm exhausted. And, pissed.
"Wake up!" I slap her face, and get a punch in my face followed by two hands wrapped around my throat.
You know, I've come to terms with myself. If it were Missy doing this, and it were a little softer and less murder rage filled. I'd find this amusing, and treat it like a game.
"Knock it off!" I yell at Vicky and slap her again. "I did not just spend half an hour curing you of Turbo Mega Ebola-Syphilis, just for you to practice your Homer Simpson impression with me as Bart!"
"What?" She lets up her grasp, and I pull away.
I smack her again.
"Ahh!" She gasps and holds her jaw. "I'm awake, and I can think damnit!"
"I know!" I say and slap her again, and again as soon as her shield's back up. And again. "You idiot! She has Dad, and Amy, and Missy! What would you do if she had a deadman's switch, huh!?"
"Stop slapping me!" She grabs my hand and holds it back. "How was I supposed to know any of that!?"
"Think! Think Vicky think!" I yell as I yank my hand back and she stands up. "It's a roaming band of the most sadistic, psychopathic serial killers this side of the globe! You think they don't know what contingencies are?"
Vicky goes to say something, but is cut off by a speeding motorcycle that runs up to us and slides to a stop. The individual on the bike in question being Miss Militia.
I should probably mention we're still in the middle of the intersection. Surrounded by blood that is both Bonesaw's, and Vicky's that she was gargling up.
"Glory Girl, Kitsu." She says as she removes her helmet. "We got reports of an altercation with some, concerning details. What happened?"
"The nine are in town!" I shout with a stress filled smile. And, upon seeing the lack of an immediate reaction. "You knew, you knew!"
I run over and jump up. Grab her by the laurels of her military vest and pull her down to eye level. My own eyes turning red as I stare down her wide ones.
"You knew and didn't do anything about it!?" I yell, baring my teeth in anger.
"We had the peace of the wider public to think-" She doesn't continue as I throw her back into her bike, the vehicle falling over with a clatter under the force.
'Peace of the public?' I think as I turn around and pace. 'Peace!? Panic!? There are eight raving lunatics out in the city who get off on recreating Hellraiser! And they're concerned about people panicking?'
"Useless." I grab my head as it starts to itch with the amount of sweat I'm producing. "Useless useless useless useless!"
"Kitsu!" Vicky yells as she grabs my shoulder.
"No!" I scream and shove her off, causing her to get thrown back about twenty feet to the sidewalk as well. "No you don't get it! None of you get it! You're making all the wrong choices!"
Vicky straight up attacking Bonesaw, The PRT not announcing or addressing that the Nine are in the Bay. Me, for not doing anything to prevent this!
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Hana "Miss Militia" POV
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'She's having a panic attack.' I realize as I look at the crying girl, her hair a frizzled mess as her clothes are partially scorched. Holding her head as she paces and rambles off incoherently.
"All wrong!" She screams as she, sort of pixelates for a split second. "No! I won't! It can't, not before Leviathan. But then how will, what if the Warrior, no! Why!?"
Her speech is getting more panicked by the second. Voice cracks, half thought out sentences. And worse yet, random bursts of her enhanced voice.
'If we're not careful, we may see her have a full breakdown.' I realize.
The Endstopper Child on a panic fueled rampage. Someone who annihilated Eagleton on a whim.
'Let's try appealing to reason.' I think, not believing morals will help with her stress and emotions being so high. 'After that, appeal to emotion.'
"Kitsu!" I call out to her, but she doesn't respond. "Kitsu just think about, about how to handle this. How would you tell someone else to handle this?"
She doesn't say anything, and just crouches as she screams. A loud, ear splitting screech that makes me wince.
Looking up, I see an empty intersection. With her flower designed hearing aides on the ground. And the girl in question, gone.
Flipping on my tinkertech aviators, I switch to infrared and look around. Not finding anything out of place, I realize she fled entirely.
This, is not good.
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-Roof of the Palanquin, Friday, Sep 24th, 7:45pm-
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Shatterbird POV
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'It's about time for the show to begin.' I think as I watch the candidates line up.
Siberian's nominee, Carnage.
Manniquin's nominee, Bakuda.
Cherish's Nominee, Regent.
My nominee, Hellfire.
Crawler and Burnscar opted not to participate this time. They still have their trials, but they didn't nominate anyone. Crawler didn't have anyone he particularly wanted, and Burnscar couldn't find hers. Jack's nominee has his own task that remains a secret. Knowing Jack and how he likes to keep us on our toes, it's probably to kill one of us.
And Bonesaw's ever absent nominee, Kitsu. Still yet to be seen. Again.
Oh well, she's not suited for the nine anyway. I keep telling the others, but they insist. Mostly Manniquin, Crawler, Bonesaw and Jack.
"Well, it would seem the majority of you are here." I say as I stand above the rest, my wings of glass keeping me held afloat. "So, this is how we will play this out. First, is my test. It's a simple one really, so you all should have no issue completing it. See, killing is simple to get away with when no one is looking. So my task, is to kill someone with more than a hundred witnesses."
The scarred and flesh burnt Hellfire raises his hand lazily.
"No, former kills don't count." I say and he lowers his hand back into his pocket. "This game is to see if you have what it takes. See if you can handle putting on the shows we do. We don't just let anyone into the Nine." I say and look towards the thin, curly haired Regent. Who was most certainly nominated because Cherish wanted to spite him. "The competition, starts at midnight when I announce the start of the game. Oh, and one more thing. You can't just kill some random nobody, you have to kill someone with a public face. A model, an actress, a priest. Hell, impress us and kill a cape."
I grin as I see the calculating look in some of there eyes. And Carnage raises his hand, a manic grin on his face.
"What if we kill you?" He asks with a grin. "Surely that'd be worth more points."
"Ha!" I give a sardonic laugh as I hum and fly up. Not even entertaining the notion with a proper response. "You have four hours to prepare. I suggest you use them well."
I hum and fly up as high as I can before turning towards the tallest building in the center of the city. The Towers apartment complex.
Landing on the top of the building. I relax, letting the stained glass fade from around my face. And just enjoy the wind whipping through my hair. I'm not concerned about being followed or watched. I can sense all the silica around me. And people these days just can't go without their phones.
"Now to wait." I sigh and sit down on the edge, overlooking the city. So serene and peaceful. Yet so chaotic and messy at the same time.
I hum soft tunes to myself, allowing the sand and glass around me to phase and shift. Making iridescent scenes as the stained glass is lit by the city lights below. A sharp aurora of blues, yellows, reds purples green and oranges.
'I should stop by a clothing store later.' I remark as a particularly crisp breeze blows by.
I don't usually wear clothes. They tend to get shredded when I use my power. And I'm not concerned about any upskirting peeping toms. They never live long enough to matter.
It's as I think that, that I lean back, and think of the one man I'd ever let approach me in such a manner.
He's such an enigma. So, suave and full of charisma. What masterful ideas swim through his head I wonder? He has a way about him that just, sees through everything. What does the world look like through his eyes I often wonder.
"How long must you make me wait Jack?" I sigh wistfully. "Do you intend to make me beg? Or do you not want to hurt my feelings, or maybe my torment is your goal?"
There's no way he doesn't know. Someone as smart as him, he knows.
Opening my eyes, I see the moon is high in the sky. Meaning it must be close to midnight. Not the most accurate measurement, but oh well. If they need to rely on my signal being exact then they're too picky.
Standing up, I begin humming. Floating out to be just above the nearby intersection. I unfurl my wings of glittered glass, and let out my song across the city.
In just a minute my song, Swan Song of the City, is done. And I sigh happily as I hear the applause of chaos that follows.
Cars, cries, crashes and sirens. Such a beautiful noise that-
"Agh!" I cry out as a weight hits my back and throws me forward.
"Anyone tell you you're tone deaf?" I hear a high pitched voice from behind me, as I'm mid air above the city.
Humming, I turn around and face the bitch that dared insult my voice. And my eyes narrow at the blonde little girl.
"If it isn't the little runaway." I taunt. "Here to beg for your daddy and little girlfriend? Well I might be inclined-"
I don't get any more out as I feel my jaw burn, and my vision spins. And everything goes dark.
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"Guh!" I take a breath as I come to. Looking up into the red eyes of the fox girl. The night sky behind her.
"We're not done." She says with a sweet smile.
"If you want to know where they are, I won't tell you." I spit out spitefully.
I don't really care for her as a potential member. And I've nothing against her. So if giving her one of the hostages gets her off my back, so what? Bonesaw will just have to deal.
That is, until she disrespected me.
"Fine by me." She says and grabs my jaw. "Not what I'm here for anyway."
My heart skips a beat as the words reach my ears.
'Does she not care?' I wonder. 'Is she honestly about to give up on a chance at an easy out?'
Nit that I'd give it to her now. But the fact that she is so casually disregarding it, is unsettling.
"Wuh-" Is all I get out before she moves her fingers into my mouth and pulls. "Aaaaaaaaaah!"
It hurts! And I can hear my jaw popping as the muscles and skin on my face burn. The sound passing through as I feel the low and sharp clunk of my jaw dislocating. Before I scream harder as I feel my flesh tear as she yanks my lower jaw from my skull.
"I'm here, to complete your trial." Kitsu says, not once losing her smile. "Last I checked, someone famous, in front of more than one hundred witnesses."
She smiles as she grabs me by the hair, and I realize we're on the street. I try to say something, I'm not even sure what. But it comes out all gargled as I push globs of blood out of the hole that is my mouth.
"Now, let's go somewhere more appropriate." She says, and I'm dragged through the streets. Screaming as the asphalt scrapes away my dress of glass, and soon my skin.
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Kitsu POV
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Dragging her along the roads, I stop as we get to the populated market district. The people all panicking, with only a few of them stopping to see me and add to the panic as they point out the bloody, screaming woman in my grasp.
I calmly walk forward to the front of a Kay's Jewelers. The glass all around us trying to move as Shatterbird screams. Trying to sing without a jaw.
Interesting thing! She's a vial cape. How do I know?
[Interest: Moderate]
They're pretty chatty.
"Don't worry, you'll get what you want." I say, eager to see this through as I step up onto a bench.
"Hey!" I shout, enhancing my voice, getting some of the people's attention. "Look who I got!"
I hold up the half naked, kicking and screaming Arabic girl. Missing a jaw, and some skin from the road rash.
"Who knows who this, and they're fleeing." I sigh, and look to the fear filled eyes of the woman in my grasp. "Oh, I like that look."
"Huag." She gargles as tears streak down her face.
"Oh don't be like that." I coo as I stroke her face. "You won't be in pain too much longer. I have to kill you to complete your trial after all."
I grin widely at her frantic thrashing. And put a hand to her face.
"But first." I say as I look in, and find her Corona Gemma. Using my biokinesis, I isolate and pull it out, the woman spasming as her brain is moved around. Going wall eyed as her back arches and she inhales her own blood. And then, all the glass around us falls. Including the glass acting as her clothes.
I could've removed it without harming her. But I didn't want to.
I drop the brain damaged woman. And let her spasm and writhe on the ground as she's too impaired to comprehend her surroundings.
Looking to the brain piece in my hand, I let [Conduit] take over and analyze the shard gate. Memorizing its composition. It's about five minutes later that I return to the driver's seat. Hearing sirens in the distance, I turn on my heels and bolt. But not before stomping Shatterbird's head, from the side. Need her face intact to I.D. her after all.
I need to have a chat with the Undersiders, find out what's next in this game of death and destruction.
'Just, two more trials.' I think to myself. 'Besides, it's not like they have anything that can hurt me in these games! And I am following the rules.'
Not my fault she wouldn't answer my illusion of Carnage's question. He was there, he just never said anything. The question he asked was me layering an illusion over him.
Besides, if anything happens to them. Then I'll just kill them all. Slowly, painfully. I'll tie Jack down and make him watch a clock as a radio plays hits from the forties and fifties. Every tick of the clock, I'll drive a nail into another part.
I'll force Manton to watch as reels of family videos play with his daughter's face superimposed on all the images.
I'll-
"Don't get distracted." I tell myself as I think of what's at stake. "What's next?"
Cherish is Regent's sister. So they must know something. Not like I can get any deets on where to go next with the rejected extra from Phantom of The Opera.
She's a bit too dead now after all.
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-Meanwhile, The Rig-
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Director Emily Piggot POV
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Ring
Ring
Zzt
Ring
The numerous buzzers and phones in my office go off as I stare at the computer on my desk. Flipping between various news screens. I already know what they're all about.
The Nine, are in the bay and they're recruiting. And it seems they chose their candidates. Hellfire, Carnage and Bakuda are openly murdering select people with no connection.
The chief of police is on Channel six, reading out his last will and testament. Tears on his face as he finishes, and pulls off his shirt to reveal a bomb.
The feed is cut soon after. And it doesn't take a genius to know what happened.
Velocity and Armsmaster were too late.
The next feed is of Carnage, giving a wide, needle toothed smile at a helicopter cam. Holding a woman by the ankle, one I recognize as the landlord of some major apartment chains in the slums.
He then extends a tendril out and bisects the woman from crotch to head. Her left half falling away as Carnage is tackled from the side by Sky High. Who is supposed to be off duty. But, I suppose his bad habits of pulling off duty patrols is a blessing in disguise.
I'd have preferably sent in New Wave, but they have their own issues. With Panacea and Flashbang kidnapped, Kitsu AWOL, and Glory Girl in quarantine for an autoimmune disorder that Kitsu accidentally gave her when fixing her.
Yes, Kitsu gave Victoria lupus by accident. And she's on immunosuppressant medication, hence the quarantine.
Switching the channel, I'm brought to the feed of Hellfire in the suburbs. And I pray that the capes called in make it on time.
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Taylor Hebert POV
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This is so fucked!
Dad's held over at work, with the docks back up and running. And the amount of paperwork handling all the workers pay, schedules, and a bunch of other stuff I just don't really care to know.
So, I'm spending the week with Emma.
Personally I think he's met someone. And doesn't want me to know.
Not important!
What is important, is how the house, the yard, and road is on fire as a tall, thin man wreathed in blue flames and wearing a black leather trench coat holds Emma up.
"Stop!" I scream as a wooden support beam keeps my leg trapped. "Please!"
"Sorry dollface." The man looks down with a pitying expression in his blue eyes. "Just don't close your eyes. Makes the rest of the memory more vivid, trust me."
"Why are you doing this?" Emma cries as he holds her up.
"You're recognizable sweetheart, saw your face on an ad outside a store." He says as the flames grow hotter and start to spread to the beam I'm trapped under. "So, I chose you."
"W-what?" She chokes out.
"See, I need to kill someone recognizable, but, I don't really pay attention to who's who if it don't mean anything to me." He shrugs as the police and firefighters show up. "So, I saw you on an ad for a clothing store, dialed the modeling agency, pretended to be a bigshot photographer and boom. Only took me an hour."
"Wh-why me?" She asks with a voice crack.
"Take me!" I scream as the police start shouting demands. Demands that go unheard. "Please!"
"No can do." He says as he looks out at the officers. "Damn, only forty eight. Alright! Any closer and they all die!" He shouts and the first responders start backing away. "That should do it."
He then looks up, and squints his eyes at the sky.
"I-I-If, you're willing." Emma starts shakily. "I-I, might have an, alternative."
'What?' I think to myself as I see my friend pull the side of her skirt down to expose a little bit of her hip. "Emma what are you doing!?"
"Huh?" The guy looks down in confusion. "What, um, look you're cute and all but I'm just waiting for more witnesses. Hell, if a cape shows up I'll let you go."
The searing heat and throbbing pain of my leg are all that keep my mind from blanking at his statement. And Emma is faring no better as her face goes red and she pulls her skirt back into place.
"Just kill me." She mutters with tears in her eyes.
"Hey, you're a cute gal." He tries to, reassure her? I think. "But you're like, thirteen?"
"Fifteen!" Emma shouts.
"That is not the issue here, Emma you're about to die!" I shout my throat hoarse.
"I was distracting him!" She shouts as she throws a kick to his groin.
'Oh, fuck yeah!' I think. Congratulating my friend's fast thinking. But when nothing happens, my heart drops further as my tears well up once more. 'Why?'
"Sorry, but I'm so burnt up there ain't nothing to cheapshot." He chuckles and looks up. "Still, not a bad take. And there's the news copter. Sorry, but this is it."
His flames roar up and Emma screams as I reach out into the flames to try and, do something! But this is it, there's nothing. No one is going to help us. We're alone and helpless.
[Initializing]
'What?'
My vision is consumed by the vastness of space. A being, no two. Intertwined, mingled, a pair. Bonded and mated for eternity. For however long it lasts them. They part, and promise to meet later.
…
Opening my eyes, I look up to see the man on the ground, shakily getting to his feet as Emma lays on the charred ground. Her face and side burnt, but I can see she's still breathing. My friend is still alive!
"Ugh, fuck!" The man says as he gets up. "Who triggered? Was it you?" He looks to Emma. "Nah." He then looks to me, and after a moment he raises a hand. "Hmm, sorry kid. But I can't let you walk with an unknown power."
Feeling my heart race, I close my eyes and find myself envisioning a nexus of interconnected nodes. One of them being right in front of me.
Running on instinct, I grab the node and take it. Or, I try. But, it's more like borrowing I guess? Like the node is attached by an unbreakable bungee cord. I can grab it and hold on, but it will eventually snap back.
"What the hell?" The man says and I open my eyes.
He's, just staring, still on fire. He brings his hand back in confusion as he cuts out his flame, and reignites it. But that's it, he doesn't do anything else.
And then I notice it, the feeling. I can feel the flames near me. But they're not hot, not like they were.
Wanting to get up, the flames move and burn the beam trapping my leg. And I spring up, fire roaring around me.
"Shit."
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Bonus
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-The Birdcage-
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Ivan "Ebon" Evans POV
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"Bailiff of the unseelie." The Faerie Queen calls out.
"Yes, ma queen?" I ask, turning to the nutcase of a girl playing pretend.
"Follow." She turns around, and glides over to a section of the cell block's connection. We been have'n lotsa fights break out here. Lotsa dents in the walls, lotsa spots just out of camera view. But not enough to warrant a maintenance crew.
And seeing the gathered group of inmates, it aint hard to see what's going on.
"The faeries have communed with me." She says cryptically as always. "And they tell me the stages curtain is soon to fall. The darkest hour draws near, and it's time for a choice."
I say nothing as I let her ramble.
"I know your mind Bailiff, I know of your contempt for me." She says, turning an eye to me as my heart nearly stops. "You were wise to never voice your disloyalty, and for that you may have a respite. Offer your service a final time, and your punishment shall merely be exile from my service."
So, now's the time.
"Of course my queen." I say, not daring to show disrespect even though she knows my dislike for her. "Where to?"
She's quiet for a moment as I pull on the webway of shadows.
"To-"
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Theresa "Dragon" Richter POV
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ALERT!
ALERT!
ALERT!
All of my attention is brought to the repurposed house system that I had remodeled for the birdcage.
And I feel my heart sink as I look at the logs.
Last pulse scan, pinged 0.92 seconds ago, error, reping, 0.83 seconds ago, error, error, cycle shift ping initiated.
The house system cycles through the cell blocks. Pinging and checking for all inmates and their locations. It does this constantly. As each cell block is checked. Leaving a minute or two for each cell block where the inmate's location is not actively verified.
Errors are not unusual, it's easy for one to pass from cell block to another right in the middle of a ping on their block. At which point the system double and triple checks the adjoining blocks while redoing the current block. Causing a slight lag. But nothing signifigant.
Alert!
It's the next backlog, that makes me believe that if I were human. I'd die of a heart attack right now.
759 inmates unaccounted for.
28 inmates accounted for.
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A/N
This chapter took so long to come out, because it's putting into motion an event that, I don't know if I'm strong enough to write.
The death of one of Kitsu's family. We'll see where the muses go, but there's a good chance someone will die in the next few chapters.
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Also! Taylor's power as the administrator now allows her to commandeer the powers of nearby parahumans. To an extent. The further away they are, the type of power, how long they've been using it, how cooperative the shard is and how long Taylor is holding onto it, all effect its potency. She's not stealing, she's borrowing.
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More comments! I want them all! Every one of them! Especially speculation, I love speculative comments.
Fuel me my NOOBIANS!
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Find me in my channel, newb's-grotto, on the discord.
Link to the discord: discord .gg/DarkWolfShiro
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Kitsu is almost over.