Pendragoon

Legend's Echo Chapter 10

Robin awoke with the rising sun and dressed herself for the coming day. The straps for her new armor took longer than she would have liked, but expediency would come with practice, so she wouldn’t beat herself up over it.

This time.

Her coin pouch was secured under her lamellar vest while a decoy pouch was tied to her belt. If any young thief was that desperate they probably needed the twin copper coins more than she did. Content that she had everything needed for the coming day, she stepped out of her room and hurried down the stairs only to nearly stumble at the familiar sight.

“Lia?”

The blonde turned from her place at the bar and grinned wide. “Hey there! Ready to get your weapon and try the new gear out?”

Once again the woman was there when it was supposed to be The Legend helping her. Robin tried to not let the disappointment show, but something about the cheeky expression on Lia’s face told her everything she needed to know. Resigned to yet another day without the man who was supposed to be mentoring her, she finished her descent to the ground floor of Hearth’s Home. A skillet of potatoes and eggs was already waiting for her alongside Lia’s own.

“I’m surprised to see you so soon,” Robin said, taking the open seat. “I figured you’d either be busy or off on your next adventure.”

Lia chuckled before spooning a heaping bite into her mouth, the smirk plastered across her face even as she chewed. “This is going to be so fun when you figure it out.”

“I’m missing something obvious, aren’t I?” Robin asked, her voice full of resignation.

“Forest for the trees,” Lia said happily. “Don’t worry, I’ll only poke a moderate amount of fun at your expense.”

“I appreciate it,” Robin said dryly. “You mentioned picking up my staff?”

“Whenever you’re ready. Carlson works fast but he doesn’t cut corners.”

Robin nodded before a frown came to her face. “Wait. Won’t he be expecting The Legend to pick it up? I doubt he’ll recognize me with all the different gear I’ve got now.”

“Don’t worry,” Lia said with a playful smirk on her lips. “Unlike some people, he knows who I am.”

Robin rolled her eyes and focused instead on quickly finishing her breakfast. She wasn’t used to getting something more substantial than a bowl of porridge at the start of the day, and even that wasn’t always promised. One inn she stayed at just kept a pot of soup on perpetual boil. Even a decade later it was the same damn soup she’d eaten her first stay and rumor was that the pot had been kept going for more than a hundred years.

Food finished, Lia hopped off the stool and stretched, her spine cracking several times. Robin winced at the noise and reached out, pulsing a bit of healing magic through the woman who paused mid-stretch.

“Oh wow, that is potent,” Lia said. “I guess you weren’t Gold rank for nothing. That felt amazingly invigorating.”

Robin snorted. “Glad to be of help. I usually charge for the morning pick-me-up, but today I’ll make an exception.”

“It’s better than coffee,” Lia said with a nod. “Still think I prefer drinking it directly rather than having it magically infused like that.”

“No, I get it,” Robin agreed, shielding her eyes from the morning sun as it peeked over the building across the square at the perfect angle to blind her. “Fucking hell. How do they get repeat customers with that sort of greeting?”

Lia snickered, having preemptively shielded her eyes before they stepped out. “It’s only like that for about two weeks of the year. I kinda forgot otherwise I would have picked a different inn for you to stay at.”

“You picked the place?” Robin muttered.

“Sure did,” Lia said cheerfully.

But, when did she have the chance? The Legend handed Robin the slip of paper and sent her on the way before she ever met Lia. The two seemed to know each other well, so perhaps the woman was just his facilitator? Robin could only imagine how conspicuous he could be in any given city, and had even seen it first hand when they arrived. It made sense that he might employ someone to help smooth things over that didn’t see everyone running up to meet the Hero of Alvon.

The trip to the forge wasn’t long and they arrived before Robin could get her thoughts in order. She put her questions aside as they entered; the bell above the door announcing the arrival of a new customer. Unfortunately the shop was currently occupied by an unwanted face.

“Ah, Robin, I’m surprised to see you in a shop such as this,” Donovan said, sneering at her. “Isn’t it out of your price range? I didn’t think a newly minted Bronze adventurer could afford something this upscale.”

The worst part was how correct he was with that statement. Robin only had her appointment because The Legend threw their weight around, along with a generous amount of gold, to get her in the door. That truth was nothing compared to her desire to shove the bastard’s head up his own arse.

Unfortunately, she took too long trying to think of a counter.

“Let me guess, your new benefactor is covering the bill,” Donovan continued, his sneer twisting into a smug grin. “I mean, weapons, armor, and that inn room of yours? How often are you having to service the man to get all this luxury piled upon you?”

Lia raised an eyebrow but kept her mouth shut for the moment, her eyes flicked over and Robin forced herself to swallow. She was The Legend’s representative, which meant that Robin needed to put on a good showing, let it be known that she won’t just sit there and take someone else’s shit.

“I knew you were lonely, but stalking me? That’s low, even for someone such as yourself. Surely you have better things to do than to follow a lowly Bronze rank adventurer?”

For the briefest moment there was genuine anger reflected in his eyes, but he smoothed it over with a practiced ease that Robin had only ever seen in the Nobility. She had no idea why he had so suddenly turned on her like that, there had to be a reason but she just couldn’t think of one. Frankly, it was reminding her a bit too much of some of the obsessive bastards that tried to court her in the past.

“Not taking an early retirement? A shame. It will be such a shame to lose a healer of your capabilities so senselessly.”

“Oh please,” Lia interjected, none of her usual levity present. “I know an asshole when I smell one, because oh boy are you ripe. We aren’t going to lose Robin.” She paused for a moment, and her next words carried enough conviction that even Robin’s cynicism thawed at the warmth contained within. “You just can’t see the raw potential within her like I can.”

“Then you are a fool,” Donovan scoffed. “Clearly this is a waste of my time. No shop that actually prides itself on its work would service people such as you.”

He marched towards the door, not looking at either of them as he passed. Lia stuck her tongue out at him, and Robin had to stifle the giggles that threatened to spill out. Only once the door had clicked shut did she finally relent and openly laugh.

“Did you see how his face turned purple?” Lia asked, barely containing her own mirth. “He’s lucky he’s a healer, because that couldn’t be healthy.”

“Quite,” Robin barely managed to say.

A crash of steel from the back room silenced both of them, with Lia shifting into a loose stance that Robin recognized as ‘ready to fuck someone up’ and little more. Each newly revealed clue pointed towards Lia being a capable fighter, which made sense if she usually shadowed The Legend.

Wait a second…

Oh shit. Lia and The Legend were totally an item, weren’t they? Well, that promptly shuttered her little fantasy, not that she really expected anything to come of it, but it was fun while it lasted. Maybe she could get Lia to dish on what he was like in bed or something? The girl just had to have an amazing sex life if she was sleeping with a god in the flesh like him.

“I thought he would never leave,” Carlson grumbled as he stepped out of the back room. He held a long box tucked under one arm and instantly Robin knew it was hers. “Are you two done, or should I come back after you’ve eviscerated the louse further?”

“Nah, we’re good,” Lia said.

Carlson muttered something that Robin didn’t quite catch, but got Lia to snort before setting the box on the counter. “Here’s your fancy stick, with the requested modifications.”

“Thank you so much!” Robin said, bowing respectfully. At least she remembered that much from dealing with the nobility. “I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“My work is always trouble,” Carlson said, but he was grinning now. “Go on, take her out and see how she feels.”

Robin nodded, sliding the box closer as she tried to figure out how to open the damn thing. Thankfully she spotted the rather obvious clasps before things got too awkward, but she was excited! Flipping the lid up, Robin hesitated at the sight within. The staff was set upon a layer of purple velvet that had to cost a fortune.

With trembling hands, she reached down and lifted the revitalized foci, marveling at how it felt right in her hands. The polished wood was of far higher quality than the previous length of dogwood she had been using, and it wouldn’t have surprised her if it was some exotic species that happened to be stronger than steel.

Her gaze trailed up to where the foci stone was set within the head of her staff. The inlay was reinforced where it was set upon the length, but that wasn’t what brought her up short. Staring at the polished steel, she turned back to face the smith.

“Why is there a spearpoint at the end of my staff?”

Legend's Echo Chapter 09

Robin adjusted the strap on her arm, the leather arm guards were somewhat heavy thanks to the steel reinforcements, but nothing that she couldn’t adapt to.  It was the shield that would take some effort to learn.  Old instincts didn’t just go away, let alone learning new ones in their place.

Lia was standing off to the side, speaking with the man who had made them as well as his young daughter who was acting as the merchant selling them.  Haggling over prices had never been Robin’s strong suit, doubly so when the numbers being tossed about were worth ten or more Silver ranked jobs.

Finally, they shook hands and some gold coins were passed over and Lia returned with a smile on her face.  Even the family seemed satisfied with the deal, the father walking his daughter through counting the coins while his son continued to hammer out a piece of metal at the forge.  

“How do they fit?” Lia asked. 

Robin flexed her hand while raising an eyebrow.  “Isn’t that something you should have asked before spending your coin on all this?” 

“They could be adjusted if needed.”  Lia checked the straps, as well as how snug everything was before nodding.  “Now come along, there’s still one more stop we need to make before returning to the inn!” 

Given she already had new greaves and a sturdy lamellar vest to go with the vambraces, Robin wasn’t quite sure what might still be missing.  The answer was glaringly obvious less than a minute later as they approached a stand that offered a wide variety of helmets.  Robin hadn’t ever thought to wear one, but was starting to reconsider after that Wyvern had nearly taken her head off. 

Perhaps a helmet was a good idea after all.

“You’ll want to balance weight versus comfort and protection,” Lia said, stepping up to the counter where a bored teen boy was seated.  Well, more like he was dozing off.  The kid hadn’t even reacted to their arrival aside from a disinterested glance before returning to his book which he clearly wasn’t actually engrossed with.  

Robin stepped up beside Lia as she examined one helmet then another.  A studded leather piece was drawing her eye and she picked it up, feeling the material.  Whatever hide was used for the base leather was sturdy, and the glinting steel covered the important parts as far as she could tell. 

“Not that one,” Lia said after a moment.  “Pure leather is right out as most beasts will carve right through what’s available here.  For now you should avoid full coverage steel due to the weight, ah!  Try this one instead.”  

The helmet that Robin found herself looking at was a considerably different beast.  Steel plates covered a leather cap that appeared to be padded within, and covered all the important parts with the thin metal.  Normally Robin would dismiss something like it for being too cumbersome, but Lia seemed to know what she was talking about, so she pulled it over her head and secured the strap.  The internal leather kept it from being too uncomfortable, but the weight was something that worried her. 

And Lia promptly thwacked her over the head with the first helmet. 

“Ow!” Robin shouted, more out of impulse than any actual pain.  What little damage was quickly healed away with a subtle pulse of mana.  “Why the hell would you do that?” 

Lia grinned which prompted Robin to glare back at the woman. 

“The helmet did its job, didn’t it?” Lia asked.  “The options here are slimmer than I’d like, but we’re not getting a better deal with how little attention the kid’s paying.”  To prove the point, she dropped several coins on the counter.  “We’ll take this one.” 

“Okay,” the kid said, taking the coins without even counting them.

A part of her wanted to snap at the kid for effectively allowing his family to be screwed over, but then she’d be taking that money out of Lia’s pocket.  Given how she seemed determined to outfit Robin herself when it should have been The Legend’s responsibility… 

Lia was far too generous if she was spending her own money, but there were even odds that she had gotten those funds from The Legend directly.  Something to ask her once they were back at the inn, because the amount of gold being tossed about was frankly absurd. 

Robin took a moment to secure the helmet on her head and paused.  There was no way to see how she looked in the new gear, not without a mirror, and those were expensive given all the silver involved.  She felt protected, which was what counted the most, but she still wanted to look good when she stood beside The Legend. 

As they walked through the early evening crowds, Lia hummed a rather upbeat tune.  Robin couldn’t place it and was tempted to ask about that but she didn’t feel comfortable doing so.  There was too much of a mystery to why this random woman was helping her so much, and asking too many questions might just break the moment and send her away. 

And Robin hadn’t really had anyone close enough to talk to in a long time. 

Even Donovan, her apprentice, wasn’t much for conversation when he travelled with her, choosing instead to branch out and socialize with others when in town, and kept to his lessons when they were on the road.  She’d appreciated how studious he was at the time, but it had left her feeling a bit distant from her apprentice. 

Not that she was going to take this opportunity to change that, but past pain was no excuse for chasing someone away.  Not when there wasn’t a reason to do so.  Besides, Lia would likely end up no different from the many people that Robin had met over the years.  There for a few moments of levity before taking their own path in life; away from her.  That was just how the life of an adventurer worked, especially for healers. 

But, Robin wasn’t a healer anymore, was she?

The armor was impossible to ignore, the weight brought added impact to each step she took.  If not for her healing, Robin would probably be chafed and sore by now and in for a miserable night.  As it stood, she would be physically drained by the time she got to bed and would be out like a rock. 

A real bed.  It had been weeks since she slept on something that wasn’t essentially a bit of fur and feathers on the cold ground.  Given the wealth on display at Hearth’s Home, the experience promised to be one of the best in her life.  Possibly only rivaled by the time that Noble out in Courland requested a healer be present for the month surrounding his daughter’s marriage. 

Jobs like that were rare, but Robin always took the time to savor them. 

Healers rarely got work with the nobility, mostly because they had their own healers on retainer.  Robin had lucked out that their previous healer had died in a failed assassination against the lady.  Political marriages were always messy things, and that had been the only time Robin made the mistake of letting herself fall into a mess like that.  

The entire production was a colossal waste of money, especially with the royal family in attendance.  King Rolland and Queen Veronica of House Arland held places of prominence alongside their daughter Cornellia through the whole production.  There were even rumors of The Legend lurking around, not that she ever saw him there.   

Hardly worth the headache of dealing with squabbling lords and ladies, a lesson she has since taken to heart.  No matter how cozy things looked, Robin always made sure she wouldn’t be getting poisoned every other day or having to heal through a botched assassination attempt while everyone panicked and let the slippery bastard slip away. 

At least the food was divine. 

“Something on your mind?” Lia asked, smiling as she walked backwards, uncaring of the crowd that seemed to part around her.  “You had one of those ‘I’m brooding’ faces going on.”

Robin laughed, reaching out to push her aside but missed spectacularly as Lia fell back into step once more.  Rolling with it, Robin shrugged. 

“Something like that.  I was just remembering a stuffy wedding from a few years back where I helped with security.” 

“Oh, those are just the worst!” Lia said with a groan.  “Goddess save me from social events where I’m expected to put on a pretty dress and parade myself around for potential suitors.” 

“You’re highborne?” Robin asked before she could stop herself. 

Lia rubbed the back of her head.  “Unfortunately.  Lets just say there’s more than a few reasons I prefer the life I lead when my parents aren’t attempting to set me up with the perfect match.” 

Robin couldn’t really sympathize with her on that one.  Girls born in villages were often married off before their fifteenth summer, but Robin had escaped that fate by learning how to harness the Blessing of the Goddess.  Well, that was what the village priest called it.  Robin wasn’t exactly religious, and she’d figured it out all on her own. 

Lia sighed, hanging her head as she did.  “That doesn’t stop them from trying when I’m in the city though, so I’m a bit eager to get back on the road again.”

“Well, I hope your journey goes well,” Robin said, unsure how best to continue the conversation.  That felt like a safe choice of words, but the way that Lia started to giggle had her convinced she was missing something rather obvious. 

Not that it mattered, they had arrived at the inn once again. 

“Are you staying here as well?” Robin asked. 

Lia shook her head.  “I wish, but my parents would throw such a fit if I didn’t stay with them when available.” 

Again, none of that really made sense, but Robin wasn’t about to be rude to the woman who had helped her all day.  She bowed slightly, not quite as much as was proper of a commoner showing deference to a noblewoman, but enough to show gratitude and respect for someone who had helped a person. 

“Then I thank you for your time and company.  I most enjoyed my day and wouldn’t mind a repeat in the future.”  Robin paused, then hastily added.  “Maybe without the heavy expenditure of coins on gear.” 

“Sure thing,” Lia said with a grin.  “I’m sure I’ll see you around, little Echo.  Get plenty of rest tonight because I’ve heard some nasty things about the mess they’re sending you into.” 

Robin grimaced, but lowered her bow ever slightly more before bringing herself upright once again.  With a wave, Lia departed at a jog, weaving through the crowd with ease.  It had been a strange day, but Robin had enjoyed herself.  She wasn’t sure if Lia was someone who could be a friend, but the potential was there, and for once she was curious to see if anything came of it. 

Stepping inside the inn, Robin took in the heavy scent of the kitchens and felt her stomach rumble.  Well, she’d certainly spent enough of the day building up an appetite.  Robin hurried up the stairs to her room and stepped inside, eager to change into something more comfortable before indulging in another meal.  Which led to the final hurdle of her day. 

Getting out of all that armor.

Inheritance: Deference 5.2

Thursday May 12th, 2011

A pin drop could be heard for how silent the world had fallen, well, aside from the sirens and drone of my swarm reminding people of the severity of the current situation.  Here I was, standing off against the strongest capes in the world with nothing but a high powered shotgun pointed at my own chin. 

The poor kid that thought to volunteer had pissed himself, but the others remained stoic.

Rachel was wearing a grin that was all teeth.

I didn’t like that this had turned into my best option, but I was more than a little pissed about Legend’s attempt to strong arm me into being sidelined.  I had half a swarm on Eidolon, watching for any tricky use of his powers to disarm me, and a small selection of gnats on Alexandria in the event she tried something stupid.

“Let her be stupid,” Chisel said with a huff.  “Everyone knows the stakes right now.” 

Legend did his best to remain stoic, but the tension radiating from the man was almost a physical thing to my bug’s senses.  A faint sheen of sweat was forming and I tried not to revel in making the Triumvirate nervous.  Now wasn’t the time and they were fucking wasting it with useless posturing just because they didn’t want someone to help. 

“You aren’t going to back down from this, are you?” Legend asked. 

I didn’t dare blink.  “My people are going to be there.  I intend to keep them safe and act as a deterrent to anyone that dares threaten the Truce.  I have no intention of going within six blocks of the active combat unless Leviathan attempts to hit the medical station.” 

“That sounds like tempting fate,” Legend said. 

I raised the shoulder not currently holding a shotgun steady to my jaw.  “Probably, but that doesn’t change the fact that you could use the help and to be frank?  I don’t trust certain parties to honor the Truce given past actions.” 

“Her concerns aren’t unwarranted,” Eidolon said, earning a harsh glare from the flying brick.  “Given what happened with Tagg, is it any surprise that she might be… skeptical of our motivations?”

“Oh?” I asked, tilting my head slightly, the barrel still firmly planted in place.  “That happened right as the alarms sounded, I’m surprised you heard already.”

“The death of a director, even one that was placed against advisement, still triggers an alert despite an active Endbringer alarm,” Legend said, pinching his nose.  “You’re really going to attempt to force the issue?” 

I grinned.  “What would be worse, Butcher XV helping or Butcher XVI Legend losing his shit because it turned out that my lucidity was a fluke…  Or, we end up with Weaver II as I maintain control and decide that body theft is a great way to seek power?” 

I’d thrown that out as a hypothetical after some of the collective’s own theorizing, yet the way Alexandria of all people flinched told me there might be someone else positing that theory within the dark, hidden depths of the Think Tank. 

“That, or they want you to die so they can test those theories,” Stratego offered.  “They seek a solution to the Endbringers, and you might just prove capable with a few additional powers under your belt.”  

My nose wrinkled under my mask, but I didn’t react otherwise.  No doubt Alexandria had picked up on some of that given she was also a Thinker, but the others wouldn’t without being told.  Bloodsight also picked up something peculiar from that exchange.  Alexandria didn’t appear to bloodsight like any normal person.  Knockout had fought the woman, but he barely paid attention to how her blood flowed.  She had a pulse, but it wasn’t keeping her body alive, just her brain.

What was truly throwing me the most was how Eidolon seemed to get excited by the idea of my being killed by other people for more power.  The strongest man in the world, yet even he couldn’t stop the Endbringers.  It made a surprising amount of sense, and if my wild theory proved true, would he come up with some kind of odd power combination to try and usurp the inheritance? 

“All signs point to likely,” Reflex joked. 

“Dude, that was bad and you should feel bad,” Alkaline said.

“All of those would be nightmares,” Legend admitted.  “Please don’t put us in that position.  I’d rather be able to look my husband in the eyes at the end of the day.” 

I nodded.  “Same here with my girlfriends.  You saw the picture, you know what I’m fighting to protect.  Tell me, what would you do if someone told you that you had to sit back while the ones you loved were in harm’s way?” 

Legend’s heart shuddered for a moment in a clear palpitation that told me that I had just won the argument with him, but that didn’t mean I’d convinced the others.  The thing was, Legend was their superior, the one they answered to, and ultimately he was the only one I needed to convince.

All the fight left the man at once, and both Alexandria and Eidolon seemed to realize it as well.  I lowered the gun from my chin as a sign of good faith, trusting Legend to not abuse that.  The other two got no such courtesy and I watched every bug I had on them and others around us closely for the first sign of treachery. 

“You teleported all the way from Boston,” Alexandria said.  “What I can’t understand is how you managed that.” 

“I can target any bug within my range for teleportation,” I said and refused to elaborate further. 

“You just told them Amelia is making you bugs,” Alkaline hissed. 

After today, they’ll know regardless.  I’m covering Boston in relay bugs, at least one will inevitably be recovered for study.

The collective wasn’t convinced, and I couldn’t really blame them.  I was taking risks here, but I needed to establish some good faith if I was going to avoid them labeling me as a rogue element during the battle and risk someone attempting to remove me by force.

“You’ll use this capacity to help?” Alexandria asked next. 

My head turned, and I looked her right in her good eye.  “Every bit of it.  I’ll be able to track the entire city at once in real time.  I can relay things to the other defenders as necessary and even provide rapid response to downed capes.  I have no intention to get close enough to Leviathan to prove a tempting target, but I’ll be active.” 

“Then form up,” Legend said.  “Thirty seconds people, we’re going!” 

I nodded, gesturing for my people to follow.  Alice muttered something to Damien but I didn’t catch it, more concerned with moving my swarm close enough to be caught in Strider’s teleport.  Every relay bug was worth its weight in cocaine, and I planned to use them all.

“Normally I’d call that statement blasphemous,” Alkaline said. 

Butcher snorted.  “Oh yeah, but since when could coke let us pop from Brockton to Boston to ruin a mother fucker’s day?” 

I rolled my eyes as I stepped into the designated circle, then laughed as everyone recoiled from my descending swarm.  A few weapons were aimed my way but I didn’t so much as twitch, leaving the bugs outside the circle with clear paths for everyone to enter without obstruction.

“I’ll bring them in at the five second mark,” I said, projecting my voice without invoking my swarm to carry the words.  “Hope you aren’t entomophobic.” 

More than a few shudders went through the assembled capes, though when the kid started towards the circle I couldn’t let him walk into his death.  My lesser swarm rose up in a clone, stopping him from entering the circle.  He froze, trembling as he did and I knew I’d made the right call. 

Chisel looked him over, her expression softening.  “He can’t be more than twelve.” 

That assessment was likely closer than not, but I had a feeling he was closer to Aisha’s age than Dinah’s, which wasn’t a drastic spread all things considered.  Wait, wasn’t Vista’s birthday coming up?

“It’s this Sunday,” Fester said.  “Remember, you gave Dinah the day off to attend.” 

“And Aisha too, even if she did try to abuse her power to get away with it,” Chisel added. 

Well, now I felt bad for not getting her anything, but a gift from the Butcher probably wouldn’t have gone over all that well with the rest of her social circle.  She already got free noodles at the arena thanks to an agreement I made with the stall owner.

  Still, that brought my attention back to the kid and how he trembled.  A few of the other capes seemed concerned, but the veterans recognized what I was doing and just moved along without a word. 

“Kid, what’s your power?” my swarm asked.

He jumped.  “I uh…  Portals.  I can connect two points that I can see by gesturing.” 

The kid then waved both hands, and just as he said, the two points were connected.  I blinked, then flew a few bugs through them, having a bit of fun with the twisted space and how it felt to my powers.  He would be useful if he attended, but he obviously wasn’t in the Wards and he wasn’t one of my capes. 

“Join the Wards,” my swarm said, shaking the clone’s head.  “Yes, you could help, but the odds are greater that you’ll die in doing so.  Hell, half my team are under eighteen at this point and I’m expecting someone to die even with us avoiding active conflict.” 

That was the dark truth of Endbringer fights, a fact that the media always danced around; kids with powers died in droves during them.  I was already worried enough with how many of my friends were there, like Lily and Sabah, who were both stepping into the circle together.  

“Everyone get close.” Strider announced.    “Everything within the circle comes with me, everything outside gets left behind, that includes all extremities.” 

“My swarm is descending.” I called out, bringing the bugs down at a pace that wouldn’t cause a mass panic.    “None of them will harm you unless you panic and breathe one in.” 

The most resilient of my fliers joined the relay bugs in their descent.  I kept the relay bugs on my Teeth, cloaked behind others.  Rachel’s dogs were especially helpful in that regard.  Even with the Endbringer truce in effect, I didn’t want to tip my hand to having custom made creations under my control any more than I already had with the teleportation.

“Starship Troopers level swarms would be bad ass though.” Pyro noted. 

“May as well go full Tyranids then.” Alkaline countered. 

You do know that if we went that route, even as a purely Endbringer level response, they would declare us Class S and attempt to quarantine the Bay. 

“Not if you manage to actually kill one of the fuckers first.” Reflex offered. 

Hundreds of relay bugs were densely packed into the space we had, making even Alexandria twitch.  Amelia had kept working on them in her spare time, churning out enough for me to have city wide coverage, even if the edges of my range were so sluggish and fuzzy that it wasn’t really worth it to push them that far except in extreme cases like the Boston Gala.  

My swarm continued to stream in, packing into the space as densely as they could just as it ticked over to zero and the world shifted.  My perception was in two places at once for a moment, then Brockton was suddenly far away and fuzzy. 

“Holy hell, worst acid trip ever,” Marauder complained.

I shook my head as I reoriented, my swarm dispersing into the building storm.  The rain had grown from a heavy shower into a full blown hurricane that hammered my swarm as it began to spread.  I pushed the already distributed relay bugs further afield and made sure the net was as redundant as possible. 

No doubt a good chunk of the swarm would die as the battle moved across the city and I wanted to make sure I was never disconnected from the network.  Lives would be on the line and I wasn’t going to risk someone I cared about dying just because I couldn’t reach them in time. 

The Triumvirate took to the air and moved off towards a large building nearby.  It was atop one of the highest points in the city and miles from the shore and already had all the medical facilities that might be needed.  No doubt it would serve as the operational command center for the duration of the battle.  Chrissie and Lisa were already downstairs with Amelia; she was barking orders in the makeshift medical center as it was being hastily assembled while Chrissie acted as intimidation. 

The fliers were quick to take off, clearing the space for everyone else to follow the gathering crowd inside.  Luminescence glared at me from on high, so I cheekily waved back at her.  Really, she should be thanking me for sparing her life, but not everyone was conducive to mercy freely given. 

Two additional teleporters were bringing in others in adjacent parking lots, the building chosen proving to be far too small for the hundred plus capes already gathering inside the patient intake of the hospital.  Armsmaster was keeping close, so I offered him a firm nod and followed him towards the building, the prominent text of New England Baptist Hospital telling me right where we were.  Mission Hill, probably one of the few places close at hand that wouldn’t get drowned by the waves.  

“Didn’t we crash this place once?” Knockout asked. 

Chisel chuckled.  “Yes, during one of your acid trips.” 

“Wonder if history will repeat itself?” Fester muttered darkly. 

Well, I certainly had no intention of bringing the fight here, we were far too close to the shore for my liking.  If Leviathan wanted to hit the hospital, he only needed to take a quick stroll to smash the place.  The only benefit was that we were high up enough to be above most of the waves.

“Who fucking picked this place?” I asked. 

Armsmaster didn’t break his composure as he walked.  “We are two miles from the closest sea connected water source.  Leviathan is expected to make landfall at Logan International, then move into downtown where the fighting was the heaviest.  The Think Tank determined that this location should remain secure.” 

I had a portion of my swarm form up around the unpowered members that had volunteered to help and directed them towards Amelia while another group moved to let her know about the additional hands.  Each was armed and in my colors, which would hopefully be enough once Amelia stepped in to smooth things over. 

“I brought a squad of unpowered members to help.  They’re to report to you directly.” 

“Cool,” Amelia said tersely as she poked her head out the window where my people were running into issues with other unpowered security at the door.  “Oi, I need the triage line setup before teleporters start raining half dead meat on our heads!  Double time fuckers!”

“It’s raining men?” Sabertooth asked.

I pushed him down even as the others dog piled him for the shit joke.  An Endbringer fight was hardly the place for gallows humor, even if it was on point.  

“I hope you have an exit plan,” I said just as he was about to peel off.  He turned to face me and I didn’t miss his grimace.  “Because this location sure as shit feels like someone is baiting me into fighting the overgrown lizard.” 

The grimace only grew as he gave me a curt nod, turning back towards the other assembled heavy hitters.  Chevalier gave me a long look while Myrddin pointedly looked away like the little bitch he was.  My capes followed me inside the building where a looping video was playing of Leviathan in action.  It was all I could do to not stop and stare at the feed. 

I didn’t recognize the location, not with how dense the rainfall was, but the footage was from up close, likely a Tinker in melee combat with the monster.  Rending claws tore through steel even as the whipping tail knocked flying Brutes aside like they were insects.  Worse yet, the lack of coordination between the defenders was almost insulting. 

“There is no discipline or command structure,” Stratego noted.  “They simply point capes at him and send them in, hoping for the best.” 

My fists clenched and I could only affirm that I wouldn’t be sending my people into an intentional meat grinder.  My girlfriends were currently making their way into the meeting room now that the medical staff were straightened out and I had a few fireflies guide them towards our group, keeping them from crossing paths with the former Empire bitches in attendance. 

That didn’t stop Amelia from flipping off Miss Militia as she caught sight of her.

“That grudge isn’t going away anytime soon,” Fester snickered. 

Ironsides hummed in agreement.  “Given the damages, she was lucky things weren’t worse.  Thankfully Taylor was there to help patch her up.” 

Sanguine’s blood manipulation had come through once again, and I just knew I’d be leaning on it as the night turned bloody.  Looking around, I couldn’t help but wonder how many of the people in this room would be dead just an hour from now.  My hands reached out and pulled Amelia and Chrissie closer and Lisa didn’t need any prompting to join the impromptu cuddle pile. 

As we stood around, several Wards began to hand out armbands.  Nobody was explaining anything, but we each accepted one and were quick to attach them. 

“Please state name,” the armband spoke with an automated voice. 

Briefly I considered which name I would be using for this fight, but I needed to limit the confusion, and own exactly who I was.  I couldn’t have someone give my situation less gravity just because they didn’t recognize that Weaver was also the leader of the Teeth.  No, this situation called for only one name and all the reputation it carried. 

“Butcher.” 

More than a few heads turned at my declaration even as Lisa and Chrissie were quick to give their own cape names.  That left Amelia frowning at her own wrist as she no doubt considered something similar.  I gave her a reassuring squeeze, even if she couldn’t see my smile, I hoped she caught what I was trying to convey. 

With a sigh, she brought her wrist closer to her mouth.  “Panacea.” 

Lisa patted her gently on the shoulder and I let up on my own hug so she could pull her into a tighter one.  Just hearing that name would be a morale boost for many of the capes, especially those that aren’t as up to date on her recent rebranding.  The Protectorate tried to keep it under wraps, but PHO was quite adept at making sure it spread.

“That might also backfire among those that have heard,” Pyro said.  “Heroes turning villain are rarely trusted by other heroes, even at events like this.” 

“Hypocrisy abounds among heroes, surprising none,” Quarrel said.

The crowd stilled as the Triumvirate entered the room, with Alexandria and Eidolon taking flanking positions behind Legend as he stepped up to the podium.  The feed showing Leviathan cut out, switching to a debriefing spreadsheet that had to have been whipped up by a local Ward or something, because I refused to believe that any self respecting Tinker would allow that to stand. 

As if reading my mind, the screen flashed and Dragon’s face appeared before an extremely high detail model of Boston came across the screen, detailing elevation, underground aquifers, and the depth of each river along with the estimated wave swells as the fight carried on.  I paid careful attention to the hill we were on and found that it wouldn’t see a cresting wave for almost two hours into the fight. 

“Do any of us know if that is good or bad?” Butcher asked. 

I grimaced.  If Leviathan is still here two hours into the battle, we’ve likely lost.  Most Endbringer battles are decided in the first hour, unless Scion decides to intervene. 

Which wasn’t a guarantee, given he seemed to consider a kitten in a tree equal to millions dying as Leviathan sank Kyushu.  Then again, maybe it was if given enough butterfly effects; fuck if I knew.

“To everyone, I thank you for your bravery in coming here,” Legend said, starting the meeting off.  “We have Armsmaster and Dragon to thank for the early warning, and as such, we do not plan to squander this opportunity.  Too often, people come to face the Endbringers without realizing what they are walking into…” 

“Pretty sure this isn’t the usual thing they get to do,” Ironsides said. 

Alkaline grunted.  “Seattle sure as hell didn’t get this sort of warning.  The storm blew ashore for a few hours, then suddenly the first wave hit and Leviathan was just there.” 

I let the speech wash over me as he went on about how Leviathan was often underestimated and instead observed the crowd.  There were kids throughout the room, many of which were doing a piss poor job of hiding their fear.  Not that I could really blame them, I was falling back on my predecessors and their decades of experience to get through this. 

Really, what would a girl with nothing but a few blocks of bug control contribute to facing Leviathan?  The worst part was that I knew I’d be there, regardless of where I ended up.  I’d still be in this room, listening to Legend’s report with rapt attention.  Would I be standing with the Wards, or would I have ended up with a team of villains instead?  Something told me that I wouldn’t have any of my current girlfriends and that thought alone sparked anger deep within me.  I had killed for those girls, and the mere thought that there was a version of me out there not willing to cross that line was infuriating to consider.

The sight of Luminescence speaking with Bastion drew me out of my thoughts, the reminder that I had an appointment with the former Empire cape.  She probably had an excuse for why she was back in Brockton for a day, but I wouldn’t be hearing it.  There were better than average odds that Tagg had ordered it all, which meant he was setting her up to die. 

“She still followed his orders,” Fester said with no small amount of derision.  “That was the same excuse that Iron Rain tried to give before she died.” 

“Like a good Nazi,” Sanguine said.

I couldn’t help the snort, which happened just as Legend was talking about the one in four mortality rate, whoops.  I received more than a few glares for that so I just shrugged since I was already on the spot. 

“That’s on a good day,” I said back.  “How many of those do you actually have compared to the bad?” 

Legend remained silent. 

“Ouch, way to call him on his bullshit,” Quarrel snickered.

“That’s enough,” Alexandria snapped.  “Either sit down or we’ll have you removed.” 

I grinned and patted one of my revolvers.  “Dealer’s choice.  You don’t exactly have the luxury of refusing help, and besides, I think I might have an idea to improve your precious morale.” 

Taking hold of the Wolf Slayer, I pulled it off my back and held it up for her to see.  While this particular blade wasn’t something she had encountered, Alexandria would recognize the work of Inviolable.  Hell, he kept a shield that Alexandria had failed to so much as dent as proof of his quality.

Marauder snorted, then almost cackled as she pushed the memory forward.  “Holy shit, I was there for that one!  She knocked the poor bastard into a building and the shield crushed him.”  

Damascian nodded along.  “He paid someone to lift it from the PRT evidence locker and hung it on his wall.  It was still there when we made the Wolf Slayer.” 

The hero gestured for me to approach, and as much fun as teleporting might be, I knew better than to startle so many heroes on a hair trigger.  So, I casually strolled up to the stage, making sure that there were no sudden movements, then held the blade out for Alexandria to inspect. 

The premier Brute hefted the blade as if it were a feather, testing the weight and balance, then she took the handle in both hands and bent it, or rather, tried to bend it.    The blade remained implacable no matter how she flexed and after a moment she relented.    She took a few moments to inspect the blade more closely, testing the edge against her own skin.  There was no doubt in my mind that she knew exactly what I was offering and was weighing all the consequences that accepting might bring with it.  If any weapon could stand up to the punishment of being wielded by Alexandria, she was currently holding it.

After several tense moments she nodded and let the blade rest against the floor. 

“I’ll try to return it in one piece,” she said. 

“Autograph it if you do.” I said as I turned away, casually waving my hand in the air as I did... 

Holy shit, I just said that to Alexandria. 

I had the strangest feeling that I’d be having a lot of moments like that today, and not in a good way.  Nobody holding the mantle had attended an Endbringer before, today was going to mark a lot of firsts. 

“You’re going to lose people today.” Damascian said distantly. 

There wasn’t maliciousness to the words, just a cold truth, one echoed by Stratego.  People died in droves at Endbringer fights, that was a given, and I knew more than a dozen people that were attending this fight.  Some of them wouldn’t make it home today.  The Butcher would make it home, but Weaver might not.  I had to accept that going into this. 

“That was fucking awesome.” Chrissie said as I returned to my group.

Across the way, Amelia had moved off to the side and was gathering those who would be working the healing stations.  I motioned for Alice and the unpowered with us to report in, I also took a moment to form up a bug clone close by to give her something to bark orders at.  She was explaining triage procedures and having everyone explain what their powers let them do.  That was when Othala started to explain her touch based regeneration. 

“Good, give me a dose, my leg is still stiff from when Militia shot me, not to mention the cracked ribs from that asshole on Tagg’s orders.” Amelia ordered. 

Othala – Now going by Support of all generic names – obliged her in an instant.  Amelia pulled her close and whispered something even my bugs missed, but they could taste the fear on the former Empire cape.  The girl knew how to drop a threat that was for damn sure, and after Bastard Son, everyone understood that she would follow up on anything she promised. 

Meanwhile, I had flies ferrying singular tics to each and every cape within the room.  They were small, hard to dislodge and easy to catalog.  Even with hundreds of Capes filing in I would have no issues keeping track of the various heroes and villains.  Based on the explanation the Wards were getting, each cape would state their name to Dragon for a similar purpose, which would make it even easier to keep track of all of them. 

“Have we mentioned how scary your power can be?” Alkaline asked. 

Pyro hummed.  “Moments like this really sell it, keeping track of hundreds of capes by name, simultaneously, without forgetting a single one?  That’s beyond bullshit tier.” 

“What’s a few hundred capes in the face of billions of insects?” Reflex said casually.

Myrddin finally arrived in the building along with the Chicago contingent.  Among them I saw a girl in a set of white, rune covered robes, carrying a staff.  Well, that wasn’t hard to put together.  Rune got roped into the magic angle, sucked to be her. 

Scanning the crowd I found the last of the unaccounted for Nazis.  Purity was with the LA Protectorate, which almost pissed me off because that was a hell of a cushy gig and I’d been joking when I told her that.  Still, I had to imagine mandatory Endbringer attendance was part of whatever deals they took, which was less than cushy. 

“Bet you wish you brought the minigun now,” Butcher said. 

I rolled my eyes.  I could still teleport back to Brockton and grab it if I needed a weapon, but it wasn’t that big of a deal at the moment.  The odds that something would come up that required the minigun weren’t that high. 

“And Weaver jinxes us,” Pyro whined.

“Five votes on it being the Fallen,” Alkaline said. 

Sabertooth scoffed.  “Nah, it’s gonna be some asshole with a grudge against us.” 

“Horror from beyond,” Reflex said softly. 

Any of those would be bad, but the fact that Reflex had joined in set my nerves on edge.  It hadn’t escaped my notice that some of his predictions and observations were unnervingly on point lately, and the itch grew strong enough that I decided to make the jump while I still could.

“Be back in a minute,” I said to my team, “I’m grabbing the minigun.” 

With a twist of will, I stepped between space, then grimaced as I was compressed and shunted across innumerable distances as I emerged back in the armory.  One of my guys was doing an inventory check when I arrived and fell flat on his ass.  I snorted as I walked over to the hulking minigun which had seen use just days prior against the Elite.  I’d made sure to do the needed maintenance, and while she was scuffed up, she should work like a dream.

I made sure to grab the loaded drums of ammo, slamming one home as my teleport came back up.  Once again it was as if I were stretching myself too thin as I pulled through the relay network and appeared back at the staging area in a flash of fire.  

More people jumped at my sudden arrival, Danger sense pinged and I ducked a thrown boomerang of all things.  The Crocodile Dundee reject actually squeaked when he realized who he had just attacked.  I flipped the man off and turned my attention back to the room I had departed only moments earlier as I hurried inside to escape the battering winds and near freezing rain.  That was certainly something they didn’t advertise about Leviathan, it wasn’t the fact that it was raining, it was how damn cold that rain truly was. 

“Now you see why I never went back for seconds,” Alkaline said.

The meeting was concluded and people were starting to form up in groups focused around the Triumvirate.  Victoria hugged Crystal for a moment before they went with Alexandria and Legend respectively.  Photon Mom was glaring at me from the huddle, but that didn’t stop her from tearing her eyes away from me to hug her daughter as Legend gave them an overview of how they would be fighting. 

Despite how things might have gone, I didn’t want to hurt Victoria’s family worse than I had.  Carol’s head was still in the jar on Amelia’s shelf last I checked, and probably wasn’t being moved anytime soon.  That was Pandemic’s project and I wouldn’t be sticking my nose into that mess if I could help it.

“Amelia’s family,” Alkaline said with a shrug.

“Damn right she is,” Fester agreed.

At some point Animos had wandered off, but he was talking with a younger woman in a Brute styled Wards-appropriate costume, so I could only assume he found his sister and wanted a moment.  I didn’t bring my bugs in out of courtesy for his privacy. 

He was the only member of our little clique to step away in the time it took me to finish my errand, which made rejoining them easy enough.  Slinging the minigun over my shoulder, I made my way over to the group where I could only frown at the unfamiliar cape standing across from Chrissie who had her arms crossed.

Lisa was behind our girlfriend, grinning her smuggest smile as the man attempted to out-talk our resident Thinker, which was a bold and rather foolish strategy if I’d ever seen one.  The poor kid was probably older than us, but he didn’t have the air of someone who had dealt violence out to the deserving.  

“Hell, he’d probably fold if Alec punched him,” Knockout said. 

“Thinker,” Stratego said warningly as the kid’s eyes flicked over to where I was approaching.  There was something to the way a cape regarded someone that could be a subtle tell as to what their powers might be, and this kid looked at me the same way Lisa did when I first met her on the boardwalk last month.  Bloodsight caught the exact moment the Thinker realized I had arrived as his heart nearly stopped for a full two beats. 

“I will never understand why people almost shit themselves when they meet me,” I said casually with a big grin plastered under my mask.  Anything to mask my anxiety at the bloodshed to come.  “Everything okay?” 

Alice grunted, lifting her chin towards the skinny man.  “This asshole wanted Tattletale to come with him, didn’t take a hint to fuck off when we told him to.” 

I chuckled, then shrugged the shoulder the minigun was resting on.  “Well, that’s up to the lady if she goes off with strange men.” 

“Given my girlfriend was kidnapped just days ago, I’d rather stick with her,” Lisa said with more than a little heat.  “You can have a mobile station set up in the medical triage for me while I make sure nobody abuses her talents.” 

“You heard her,” I said before the man could retort.  “See to it she gets what she needs.  Tattletale is one of the best Thinkers I’ve ever encountered in all my lifetimes, so spare no effort.” 

Lisa’s cheeks darkened and I was sorely tempted to tilt my mask aside and kiss her silly.  If it weren’t for the still sizable crowd, I would have done it anyway.  The Thinker hurried off to hopefully do as he was told and Lisa gave Chrissie and I a quick hug before she smiled, blinking back tears in her eyes before she walked off towards the healing contingent where Amelia was waiting. 

With that taken care of, I turned to the rest of my capes, my expression hardened as Animos rejoined our little huddle.  Everyone was resolved, even if Bloodsight made me more than aware of the elevated heart rates across the board.  Some I knew were of excitement, but most would be out of fear and worry.  Endbringers weren’t something that capes tended to walk away from, and I expected at least a quarter of the people I knew that showed up to be dead at the end of the day. 

“Grim, but pragmatic,” Chisel said.  “Though I’d put that closer to half.” 

“At least the kids aren’t all here,” Alkaline said.  “We might be cold monsters, but could you imagine hearing Vista’s name come across the armbands?” 

I pushed that thought aside.  I’d seen a few Wards handing out armbands, some of them couldn’t be much older than Vista, and there were good odds that they would end up out there, helping to hold back the apocalypse with everyone else. 

“Alright, rules of engagement are as follows,” I said, addressing everyone.  “Anyone tries to break the Truce, you put them down first, then call it in.  Make damn sure you check your targets and don’t jump the gun.  Any discharge of a weapon is to be called in unless shit is bogging down the fan, understood?” 

A round of affirmatives was offered. 

I nodded.  “Good.  I’m going to be acting as general search, rescue, and recon for the most part.  That means I’ll be staying as far from Leviathan as I can manage.  The rest of you will be staying here and holding down the fort.” 

“What if we want to help?” Animos asked. 

That was what it boiled down to and I knew the man had a reason for wanting to be out there.  “I won’t stop you, just mind your scream.  If it doesn’t work on me, no way in hell it will work on Leviathan.” 

Animos huffed.  “Learned that the hard way already.” 

I blinked.  “You’ve been to an Endbringer fight before?” 

“Each one my little sister has attended,” he confirmed. 

And just like that my respect for Animos rose a few notches.

“Is it just me or is Eidolon giving us the stink eye?” Reflex asked. 

I raised an eyebrow behind my mask as I took the man in through my swarm.  It was hard to tell with the mask, but it did feel as though he was paying more than a little attention to me at the moment.  I flicked on Bloodsight and couldn’t make out anything behind his Tinkertech mask.  Whatever stick he had up his ass could wait until after we held back the coming tide.  

I gave Animos a firm nod.  “Come back alive.  Your life is mine, not some overgrown guppy’s.” 

“You got it boss,” Animos said with a chuckle and walked off, back towards the Ward that I now recognized as his sister. 

I did the best I could to push the one in four statistic from my mind. 

“Anyone else want a different task?” I asked, my gaze sweeping over everyone still present.  As everyone shook their heads I took a breath.  This was it, everyone was now effectively locked in for whatever came their way.  I’d do my best to keep them alive, but I knew how little I could do against an Endbringer.  I was mainly here to prove that the Teeth wouldn’t run from a fight no matter what it was, and to prove to myself that I could have been that hero once upon a time. 

Hopefully my sentiment wouldn’t get everyone killed. 

“You have your instructions then, carry them out,” I said firmly. 

My capes started to disperse, only for Chrissie to crash into me, pulling me into an enhanced embrace that rivaled Lisa’s crushing hugs.  And those were the upgrades Amelia was testing for her own eventual use? 

“Maybe we’ll get to have some Brute play after all,” Ironsides said. 

I slapped him into the dark on principle, even if a part of me was excited by the idea. 

“You’re really going out there?” Chrissie asked in a hushed whisper. 

“Yeah,” I confirmed.  “My swarm will let me see the battlefield in a way that even the armbands will struggle with.  I can follow in Leviathan’s wake, pull survivors out of rubble where others would be forced to leave them to die.” 

Chrissie was silent for a moment as I held her.  “I know that,” she said after a moment, “but you’re the one I care about.” 

“I know,” I answered, then I tilted my mask aside and kissed the girl.  I didn’t care how many people turned to watch us, or for the whispers about the creepy bug costume kissing the human skull armored girl.  “We’ll get through this.  I swear it.” 

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Chrissie said, then punched my shoulder.  “Keep a clone close?” 

“Always,” I said, then stepped back and aimed for a bug on the roof. 

The fire was put out almost immediately by the deluge of rain that crashed into me.  The rain was still ice cold, not that it would bother me all that much.  I pulled the minigun off my back and did a weapons check as I listened in on dozens of conversations. 

Legend explained the strafing patterns that would be used in conjunction with Alexandria’s Brutes, Laserdream and Photon Mom were with him, as was Ashley.  Alexandria was going over similar tactics, coordination between those on the ground and those more mobile.  Victoria fell into that second group and was listening with rapt attention as Alexandria gave rapid fire instructions.  More than a few of the Brutes were eyeing the sword on the original flying brick’s shoulder as if it might bite them. 

Hopefully handing that over would make a difference. 

“Dead?  What do you mean dead?” a girl with a sun print on her costume said, her voice turning shrill.  “Krouse was just supposed to help, not get killed!” 

She was screaming at someone in a decent suit who looked apologetic, yet I could at least feel for her a bit.  I’d be similarly pissed if someone told me one of my friends was dead before the Endbringer even showed up. 

“Sucks to be her,” Butcher said.  “The fish isn’t even here and she already lost someone.” 

“Uh, she might be talking about one of those two we iced earlier,” Pyro said. 

The collective paused, falling silent for a moment as I considered it, then shrugged.  It wasn’t my fault that Tagg ordered two capes to die via Butcher.  Putting that aside, I reached out to my relays and checked their progress in spreading through the city.  The trail running north to Brockton continued to shift and thin with enough redundancies to keep rooted to my city.

“You know that you’ll get cut off eventually,” Stratego warned. 

Yeah, but the more redundancies I can bring here, the better.

“Noelle, you need to calm down,” little miss sunprint exclaimed, drawing my attention back to her.  She was pacing back and forth with a phone to her ear.  “You can’t, Leviathan is almost here, we—”

Before I could distance myself further from the distraught woman, the city shook with a deafening roar that was more beast than man.  Even Animos with his power assisted cry couldn’t compare to whatever that had been.  The pounding storm meant I couldn’t see with my own eyes as a building downtown near the epicenter of the monstrous cry collapsed. 

“No, no, no,” sunprint said below me, a hand coming up to her mouth.  She then reached down, hesitating for a moment before she pressed the emergency broadcast button on her armbands.  “Everyone stay away!  The cape that did that can clone you on touch!  You can’t go near her, she will eat you and spit out clones with your powers!” 

“More of us running around?” Butcher asked, then scoffed.  “Hard pass.  There’s only one Butcher, only ever gonna be one Butcher…  Physically, that is.” 

Ironsides snorted.  “I was gonna say.” 

“Yes, realized it the moment I said it,” Butcher muttered. 

My bugs had just gathered in large enough numbers to get eyes on as a mass of flesh pulled itself out of the crumbling debris, a slab of concrete and twisted rebar the size of a city bus being pushed aside as if it were styrofoam by one of those trunk-like limbs.  Maws of teeth and tongues littered the pulsing flesh that reeked of rot, and the bugs I attempted to land on it slipped from my control as they were pulled within. 

I made a very pointed decision to not let any of Amelia’s enhanced critters anywhere near the damn thing.  

As the beast pulled free, it was hard not to notice the broken form of a woman’s upper torso snap back into place, a shattered spine healing in an instant.  She wore a shirt, but it was torn and covered in dirt and things even I didn’t want to know what they were. 

“Dibs on not fighting that,” Sabertooth said. 

Yeah, that was the easiest agreement I ever had with the collective.  A cloning cape that ate people?  No way in hell I was going near it even if she looked like a supermodel and not something pulled out of one of Alec’s masochistic RPG games. 

No capes were really moving to confront it, but a few of the barrier capes were repositioning their line if the beast decided to get violent.  My armband remained silent, though I hazard a guess that if I so much as twitched in its general direction that it would immediately warn me off from even sneezing at this thing. 

After a few lumbering steps, it stopped in a wide intersection near the waterfront and looked up towards the hospital where I was standing, almost as if it were looking directly at me.

“Panacea!  Butcher!” The beast roared with anguish and rage.  “You killed Krouse!  I’ll devour you for that!”

No sooner than she said it, the armband lit up.  “Leviathan sighted, N-5.”

Legend's Echo Chapter 08

Echo? Only The Legend knew her by that name, so had he sent this Lia woman? It made sense that he might send someone out to keep an eye on her, and the woman was unassuming enough that she wouldn’t draw a ton of attention. Rather smart, and would keep things low key. Robin nodded at the woman, then resumed her meal before it could get cold.

Lia laughed at this, then called out something in the southern tongue. A moment later, a plate that was absolutely loaded with fresh cuts of peaches and mangos, along with a dozen strawberries was set between them, and Lia gestured towards it.

“Feel free to indulge. I asked for enough to be shared.”

Robin could kiss the woman for that, and happily snatched several of the strawberries from the platter. Sure, the ones grown in the north tended to be available most of the year, but the ones grown down south were just sweeter in her experience. One bite was enough to tell her that these weren’t the good ones, but they were still strawberries.

“Yeah, the southern ones haven’t come in yet,” Lisa said, popping one into her own mouth. “The northern variety always needs a touch of sugar to taste right.”

Robin pondered that for a moment. “I’ve never been able to afford sugar. Hells, I can barely afford the strawberries for the few months they’re in season.”

“Ah,” Lia said, accepting her own steaming bowl of creamed beef and mushrooms. “Well, that won’t be much of a problem once you get into Silver rankings. Solo pay is much better than group pay since you don’t have to split it with anyone.”

“What about The Legend? Won’t he take a cut?”

Lia paused, her spoon almost to her lips. Then she let out a snickering laugh that soon turned into something full bellied. The entire tavern was watching them now and it was enough to make Robin wish she could retreat into the shadows. This woman was far too boisterous for her tastes, and didn’t appreciate that she seemed to be laughing at her for some reason.

Tapping her spoon on the rim of the bowl, Robin waited rather patiently for Lia to get herself under control. Well, as patiently as she felt was proper, which was slipping by the moment. Eventually, Lia stopped laughing, wiping her eyes as she did.

“Finally done?” Robin bit out.

Lia nodded, still grinning. “Yeah. You just caught me a bit off guard.”

And the woman was digging into her food leaving Robin with little recourse other than to resume eating her own dish before it got too cold to enjoy. Aside from the bartender keeping their drinks topped off—an oddity of its own given how he demanded payment up front initially—nothing more was said, but it didn’t escape Robin’s notice that Lia was watching her closely. Whatever it was, she was all but certain that Lia would explain it if it was important.

At least the fruit was good, especially the mangos which were in peak season and local on top of it. Robin rarely bought them due to how much trouble it was to peel and eat them, but when someone else did it for her? Who was she to complain?

“I hope you enjoyed that,” Lia said after a moment. “I try to come here whenever I get a chance to return to the city.”

The barkeep huffed as he set a new bowl on the counter in front of the mysterious woman. “She’s a regular, and a pain in all our asses. The kitchen is already panicking about all the orders to come.”

“Hey, you try living off field rations and hunting game for months on end,” Lia stated, then started to practically inhale a new dish of rice and some sort of breaded and fried meat. “This tastes divine when compared to hard biscuits and pemmican.”

“Not a high bar to clear,” Robin said before she caught herself.

Lia laughed. “Fair enough.”

She then pulled a folded bit of parchment from her pouch and slid it across the bar to Robin.

“What’s this?”

“The mission you’re going to be tackling in two days.”

Robin nearly jumped, then grabbed the paper and opened it, her eyes darting across the neatly handwritten note. “A Goblin den? How is this Silver ranked?”

“A combination of factors,” Lia said, now working on some meat and vegetable skewers. “For one, there are at least thirty of them, and they’re close to a populated area. Two, there’s a confirmed Caster among them, making the danger factor just a bit much for a low ranking Bronze team.”

“Technically I’m at the bottom of Bronze,” Robin muttered.

Lia rolled her eyes. “And you’re Gold rank for a healer. There’s no sign of any Bruisers or Redcaps, so you should be fine, and The Legend will be waiting outside as insurance.”

Robin nodded along, reading the information only to pause on the payment section. Her mind immediately started to divide it among others before she could stop herself, then remembered that she was tackling this one solo and the entire amount would be hers. It wasn’t quite what she usually made from a Gold ranked mission with a team, but neither was it far off.

That still meant tackling missions meant for a team all by herself. Robin read it over again, and found herself doing the calculations and muttering out her preparations before a question rose to the forefront and she couldn’t help but give it voice.

“Will my weapon even be ready by then?”

“Absolutely,” Lia said. “Carlson does good work and he’ll probably have it ready for pickup first thing in the morning. You’ll need some armor too, but nothing too heavy until you’ve bulked up a bit.”

Given Robin already wore some light armor under her robes, that wasn’t too much to ask. She could only hope that the Legend would be footing the bill given how her monetary prospects were currently looking, even with the more lucrative appeal of solo work. How much of that would actually make it into her pocket, especially if the Legend ended up helping with those missions?

Then there was the woman who was sitting next to her. Would she also be helping with those missions? Was that a third split to be added to her payouts? At that point she might as well accept the demerits and work her way back up the rankings until she hit Gold once again. It was all such a headache, and a part of her was almost wishing she hadn’t jumped in to help those soldiers.

Robin was quick to smother that overly selfish thought, not that it really helped.

“Will we have time for all of that?” Robin asked.

Lia waved a hand, and it took Robin a moment to realize she was signalling for yet another dish to be delivered. Was the woman’s stomach bottomless or had she truly gone that long without a decent meal?

“A few hours at most. I know a few armor workers that will have ready made pieces you can use for the time being. Eventually you’ll get your own set of enchanted steel, but that’s months off, Echo.”

There was that title again, the one that The Legend had called her. Why would Lia be calling her that when it was The Legend that declared her as such? Sure, it wasn’t something granted idly, if anything it carried a heavy weight behind it, but for someone else to call her such? It didn’t make much sense.

“I don’t know if heavy armor will ever be for me,” Robin said, looking away. The fruit tray was now empty, and as much as she wanted a few more strawberries, she didn’t dare to impose on the gluttonous woman. “I’ve been wearing robes with hardened leather hidden away, but that sounds stifling.”

“It’s rough at first, I won’t lie to you,” Lia said, her voice nearly a whisper as she offered up a soft smile. “After the first few months you’ll come to appreciate the respect and anonymity it brings.”

“I thought armor was for protection,” Robin said with a frown.

At least, that was why she had always worn it. Though, a helmet would keep people from recognizing her face. Robin was fairly certain that The Legend could walk down the street unrecognized if he wanted to do so. Actually, that made a lot of sense when thinking about it.

“Didn’t do much good against dragonfire,” Lia muttered. “Enchanted armor is great for durability, but it doesn’t do much when effects slip through.”

“You wear armor?”

“You really haven’t figured it out?” Lia asked, setting her spoon down in the now empty bowl. Robin had stopped counting after her fourth dish. Lia’s gaze was intense as she stared the healer down. “I mean, it should be obvious.”

“Sorry?”

At Robin’s lack of comprehension, Lia sighed. “Is it really so hard to connect the dots? Sure, the armor does its job, but I’m not exactly being subtle here.”

“I’ve never seen you in armor, though.”

Lia’s head dropped to the counter with a thud, making the dishes jump slightly. The woman lifted her head a moment later, shaking it as she did. She muttered something in the southern tongue and got to her feet.

“Come along, Echo,” Lia said in a commanding tone, all the levity now gone. “There’s still daylight and we may as well get your armor squared away.”

Robin moved to follow, all while trying to figure out why Lia continued to mutter in the southern tongue as she pushed through the doors and back out into the early afternoon light.

Legend's Echo Chapter 07

The meeting wrapped up shortly after the deal was struck, with the details being left up to The Legend to finalize. Robin left the Guildmaster’s office in a bit of a daze as she followed the armored man down the street. She wasn’t quite sure how far they had traveled when she finally found the courage to confront the imposing man.

Robin darted forward, getting in front of The Legend where she stopped in place, forcing him to do the same. She glared up at him, fighting down the rising panic at confronting a man who killed a dragon with nothing more than his own power and the weapons in his hands. She might be crazy, or even self destructive for doing this, but Robin was past caring.

“What the hell was all that?”

“A negotiation that went better than I expected,” the Legend said. “They didn’t even question my timelines or the rules I offered.”

Robin stared incredulously at the man. “Because they were insane!”

“Not at all. That was the timeline I myself followed when I became an adventurer.”

The timeline he— “You honestly expect me to follow your insanity!?”

An echoing laugh spilled from his helmet. “It is hardly madness as you claim. You simply underestimate yourself.”

Was he really so stubborn that he couldn’t see that she wasn’t a fighter like him? Sure, she killed a couple wyverns, but that didn’t make her any different from the dozens of other adventurers that participated in the battle. It was so obvious that she told him as much, which prompted his posture to shift from relaxed to on guard.

Shit, she’d fucked up.

“You don’t get it, Robin,” the Legend said, seriously. “Yes, other adventurers killed wyverns, but they did it as a team, using tactics. You took down two in single combat, patching yourself up in the process. The only others on the field that day to solo a wyvern were all Gold rank or better.”

That couldn’t be right, could it? Robin had fought them with some difficulty, and they were strong! She hadn’t picked up a spear in over a decade and managed it! They shouldn’t be that much trouble for a proper adventurer to handle…

“But if it wasn’t for my healing,” she started, only for the Legend to hold up their hand.

“Your healing is why you have this opportunity,” the Legend said. “Tell me, what happens to a solo adventurer who takes a cut from a Goblin’s blade deep in one of their dens?”

“Infection,” Robin said immediately. “Goblins coat their blades in a mixture of their piss and shit, along with a few other substances if available. It makes the wounds difficult to treat without purification spells, and those potions are expensive.”

“Precisely,” the Legend said, resuming his march which necessitated Robin moving aside. “Solo adventurers are rare because only the richest of them can afford the concoctions to ensure they live to see their next mission.”

“And nobles don’t become adventurers,” Robin mused, getting a hum of agreement from the Legend. “How is it that you succeeded then?”

“Already prying for my secrets?” the Legend asked, chuckling.

Robin decided to roll with it, adopting a haughty tone as she did. “Well, it would appear I am to be your Echo, so I should think I count among those who should know!”

A barking laugh thundered from the Legend’s helmet, startling more than a few of those nearby. Robin was quick to wave at them in reassurance as she picked up her pace, hoping to get away from the scene they just might cause.

“Cheeky,” the Legend said after taking a few moments to collect himself. “Very well, I’ll tell you my secrets the day you reach Silver rank as a combatant, assuming that you haven’t figured them out by then. Is that fair?”

Robin resisted the urge to pout, and given the implications, some level of commitment from her could be reassuring that the secret wouldn’t be shouted from the rooftops. If it got out how the Legend rose to the top, no doubt everyone would try to replicate it. The weight of that crashed down on Robin’s shoulders, the level of trust being offered by someone of such power to a relative stranger.

“It is,” Robin said. “I look forward to earning your trust.”

Wait. When did she go from being pissed with her life being upturned to looking forward to starting over from nothing? It hadn’t even been an hour since the meeting concluded and she was already accepting the outcome as forgone? Robin was getting swept up in The Legend’s wake, letting him dictate how things would go.

“I’m sure that will be an interesting day for us both,” the Legend said, then removed a small pouch. “Take this and head to Hearth’s Home—it’s not far from the Smith I took you to—and rent a room. I have a few errands to handle in the city before the sun sets.”

“Okay,” Robin said, accepting the pouch only to marvel at the weight of it. Just how much money was he letting her have just for a room at an inn? “Will I see you again before tomorrow?”

“Perhaps,” the Legend said, and began to walk off.

This time Robin didn’t follow, and instead inspected the contents of the coin purse before her eyes widened. The small note with directions to the inn was put aside in favor of goggling at the three gold pieces and two dozen silver that filled the bag. That was more than she made in the last three months of adventuring! Was solo work really that lucrative, or was The Legend one of those rich types that Robin had theorized earlier?

She would learn which it was in time, assuming that her next mission went well. Robin didn’t have many friends she could call upon in the city, more loose acquaintances from various missions over the years, so the inn seemed as good of a place to go as any. Maybe a stop at the market to grab some fresh fruit before settling into her room.

Given it was early Spring, southern strawberries should be in season. Normally she couldn’t afford them, but with all the money she had just been given… No. Blowing all of it before investigating how expensive the inn was would be foolish. All the stress of the day was adding up and Robin needed something to take the edge off, but she would remain patient.

As Robin ascended the stairs back into the upper district where the inn was supposed to be located, she couldn’t help but feel the eyes of the guards on her. She was still wearing her best clothes, all to give a better impression in the meeting. Yet, as she took in the others walking the streets it soon became clear that even the lowest of servants were dressed nicer than she was. Still, she belonged, so to hell with whatever they might be thinking.

The Smith’s shop was easily located, then she followed The Legend’s directions from there. Eyes continued to track her, and Robin knew better than to do anything that might seem as though she were a criminal, or worse, an easy mark for someone to disappear so they could be sold to some rich asshole.

Hearth’s Home came into view and Robin sighed in relief as she hurried to the door, leaving the guards still trailing her well behind. That didn’t mean her troubles with them were over, but it did decrease the likelihood of any problems arising during her stay.

Bad for business when clients disappear.

Light from aether lamps filled the expansive common room as a waitress darted past her, twin mugs in hand. They were deposited at a booth built along the wall, the patrons cheering even as one attempted to grab at her ass. The waitress swatted the grasping hand aside with practiced ease and scooped up the coins left out for her even as the others at the table jeered the man for being too slow.

Gentle music barely managed to be heard over the din of a dozen conversations, all drifting from a lone musician seated upon a raised stage. They played a stringed instrument by drawing a bow across it and sang in a lyrical language that Robin recognized as Harvali. The language was much more common down south, but not unknown in the capital.

Over the counter, a man worked on filling the drinks for the women running between tables, likely from small barrels of ale tucked under the polished surface. There were other bottles stacked along the shelves behind him, and a small window where a steaming dish was passed through.

Damn, the place even had a proper kitchen and didn’t just spoon up some random stew that contained Goddess knows what. Her stomach took the opportunity to rumble and she reluctantly took a seat at the bar where she got a raised eyebrow from the man behind it.

“Need a room and something to eat,” she said easily.

The man placed a sheet of paper which had a short list of items that were being offered. The cheapest item on the menu—this was her first time seeing one in person—cost a dozen silver, and went up to a full gold coin for the most expensive item on offer. Robin had never once spent that much on food outside of preparing for a months-long expedition into the southern marshlands during the last Antlion surge.

Worse, she didn’t recognize half the words for the dishes.

“The room is fifty silver per night,” the barkeep said before adding, “paid upfront.”

Robin winced, then fished a single gold coin out of her pouch and placed it on the table. “One night for now, and that beef and mushroom dish sounds good.”

The coin disappeared almost immediately as the barkeep shouted something through the window which she thought might be the name of the dish. A glass of something was set in front of her and a single sip was enough to tell her that it was small beer, but significantly higher quality than she was used to drinking.

And as a healer, alcohol had lost its luster when the latent magic running through her channels would clear it up before she felt the buzz of even the strongest of swill cooked up by a backwoods farmer. She would know, given how often she had treated maladies caused by drinking it over the years.

“Don’t get many adventurers here,” the barkeep said, handily sliding two mugs down the table where a waitress snatched them up with ease.

“Just waiting for someone,” Robin said, not wanting to elaborate. They probably wouldn’t believe her if she claimed to be waiting for The Legend himself, which would lead to the guards being called and then…

Oh wait, she was a paying customer! Even if they didn’t believe her, there was no reason to throw her out over it! With that reassurance, some of the tension bled out of Robin’s shoulders as a bowl of creamy beef and mushrooms was set in front of her.

“Oh, that looks good.” Robin turned towards the voice, finding a tall and muscular woman with sunkissed hair and striking emerald eyes taking the seat next to her. “I’ll take an order of the same and some Harvali red if you’ve got a good vintage.”

“Sure thing, Lia,” the barkeep said before barking the same strange word into the window.

Robin watched all this play out, wondering who the woman was. Her clothes weren’t anything remarkable, but the stitching was a step above anything Robin owned. Small designs were worked into the tunic, an understated way to show wealth without flaunting it. The woman thanked the barkeep as a glass of red wine was placed in front of her and Robin didn’t miss that Lia wasn’t being asked to pay up front like she had been.

Half the glass disappeared in a few gulps before she set it down and turned to face Robin with a smirk on her lips. Robin wasn’t sure what had prompted this woman to single her out, or why the intensity of Lia’s gaze was causing her heart to thunder in her chest worse than it had when fighting the wyvern.

“As you heard, the name’s Lia,” the woman said, offering a hand. Robin accepted it, surprised at how firm the grip was as Lia continued, “it’s nice to be formally introduced, Echo.”

Inheritance: Deference 5.1

Thursday May 12th, 2011

Blood dripped from my hand to the stage in thick splatters of viscous fluid.  The siren wailed and rain beat down against the windows of the gala that the Teeth had effectively crashed.  Despite the number of people screaming in panic, the capes were all frozen in place.  We all knew what that siren meant and here I was—the Butcher—right in the middle of it all.  The weather certainly painted a picture and things were completely fucked regardless. 

“You’re thinking Leviathan?” Ironsides asked. 

“The Space Pigeon hit Australia in February, so it’s either the fish or the walking volcano.” Sabertooth reasoned. 

“Welp, time to fuck off,” Butcher said resolutely.

The chorus roared their agreement but something held me back from following through with their completely sane for once suggestion.  I looked down at the dead man laying at my feet, then looked at all the capes I had taken under my protection, even those who stood opposed to the Teeth.  Too many from Brockton Bay were present, and many more would choose to stand and fight. 

“Taylor, let’s not be rash,” Fester tried, but I was already stepping off the stage and pushing the dissenters down. 

“Have the Teeth load up and gather at the Brockton Staging Point,” I said, making sure I kept my emotions within myself and not in the swarm.  “We don’t have anyone that can provide active support, but we can at least help with Search and Rescue and Triage.” 

Lisa swallowed, her skin pale as she nodded, already pulling out her phone.  “You got it, boss.” 

With that taken care of I swept Chrissie and Amelia into a hug before she could lay into me verbally.  “I don’t plan to fight, just to keep our people safe.” 

“We both know better,” Chrissie said, her voice tight as I pulled back from the pair.  “You’ll get pulled in regardless.” 

Rather than answer that, I turned to face Amelia and confronted the real reason I was being adamant about helping.  “Do you intend to help in the medical station?” 

Amelia’s eyes widened, then she bit her lip as she looked back at the remnants of her family.  “Fucking…  Yes!  Even if I’ve gone full villain, this isn’t something I can just walk away from.” 

I nodded easily.  “Then you’ll have everyone in the Teeth that have even half an ounce of training at your disposal.” 

“I want Alice for certain.  Keep Robbie held back at the Arena, something tells me someone will be stupid back home.” 

“Noted,” I said, holding my hand out as my swarm dropped a bag in my hand.  I unzipped it and pulled out my costume, setting it aside before passing Lisa her own.  Amelia was already shifting her dress and Chrissie had accepted the second bag that held her own bone armored ensemble.

Madison had moved off, already yelling with Assault about helping.  The argument seemed poise to boil over when their form rippled and soon the familiar Xenomorph stood over the man, not that he so much as blinked at the display. 

That was when the final member of my entourage approached, her face hard.

“Any objections?” Sophia challenged. 

We looked at one another, the tension heavy as I kept the collective in check.  

“Nope,” I said, and that was the end of it. 

If Sophia wanted to attend, I wasn’t going to stop her, just like I wouldn’t stop any of my people from getting involved.  A third bag was passed to Sophia who didn’t even hesitate to start suiting up.  I’d heard she attended Behemoth last year, and the hardness of her eyes certainly suggested she knew what she was getting into.  The underclothes for her new outfit were my spider silk dyed black, pretty much standard issue for the Teeth at this point.  She’d added some riot armor we’d taken from Coil on top of it and a couple of trophies from the Elite, creating something that still resembled her old outfit.  To round it off was a helmet that I had helped shape with a few bones to create a haunting effect that was rather more intimidating than the hockey mask from her vigilante days.

I was just about finished suiting up when Armsmaster approached with a scowl on his face.  Ignoring him would have been easy given everything going on, but he stood firm and it was clear that whatever he needed to say was important. 

“Can I help you?” I asked as I secured the last of my wrist guards and held my mask in hand. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” 

Rolling my eyes, I affixed my mask in place then tilted my head to the side as I regarded the Protectorate leader.  “Preparing to help face the Endbringer, obviously.” 

Before he could answer, I reached through the entire relay swarm and pinpointed the lone fly I kept parked on my arrival point back at the arena.  The distance was greater than I’d ever crossed, yet when I went after Carol I had done something similar, something that all my prior testing had said was impossible.  This was just a higher scale. 

My world shrank and distorted as I was pulled through the eye of a needle.  I stayed compressed for what felt like an eternity, then dropped to my feet back at the arena.  The sirens had gone off in Brockton as well, which made sense given that the city was still considered close enough to be collateral.  Kyushu and Newfoundland both demonstrated how wide reaching Leviathan could be if allowed to lash out in full.

Now that I was back home, I allowed the voices to rise once more to the surface.  They muttered amongst themselves but didn’t directly address me as I began to set every bug in the city into motion, leading them towards the staging point.  Most of it would serve as biomass for Amelia, but some of them would be good enough to act as teleportation points to move around Boston.

“You know this is insane, right?” Chisel asked. 

A fitting choice for the voice of reason.  “My priority is keeping our people safe.  Most of us will set up at the triage station and play security.  I’ll do what I can but I intend to stay at least two blocks away from that monster at all times.” 

“Famous last words,” Sabertooth muttered. 

“Well, last words not spoken inside an Endbringer’s head,” Ironsides said with a sigh.

I did my best to not groan as they continued doomsaying about what might happen if the Endbringer inherited.  It wasn’t helping my disposition, but I had a gaggle of angry Teeth to wrangle and get pointed at the appropriate targets. 

“Not like they’re gonna get to play,” Quarrel muttered.

“Never say never,” I said, my swarm hard at work on getting everyone informed as I loaded up on gear.  The capes were the most difficult as Damien and Alice were both passed out in bed together and still tripping from their acid binge last night.  I’d need to ask Amelia to sober most of them up before things kicked off at this rate. 

“Everyone up!” my swarm announced to the entire arena.  “We’ve got an Endbringer hitting Boston, which means we’re on top level alert.  I need everyone with medical experience to get to the motorcade willing to volunteer.  Pandemic will need the help.  Capes, I need stay and go teams, strictly voluntary on the away side.  You’ll be guarding Pandemic seeing as none of us could hope to scratch Leviathan.” 

“We’re still going to get drawn into the quagmire,” Stratego complained.

He was probably right, but that wouldn’t change things.  I glanced at the minigun almost longingly before making the painful decision to leave it and grabbed Wolfslayer instead.  The blade had the best chance of making it through the coming battle intact out of everything in my arsenal. 

Four OTs were fastened to my vest, along with an assortment of Damascian’s blades, including a pair of swords in the event I had to defend against a horde of desperate masses all trying to get at Amelia.  The thought made me pause and go back over it, and I was a bit shaken to realize that had been all me.  Shit, I really would murder a whole crowd of desperate people if it meant keeping Amelia safe… 

Something to unpack later, when the sirens were no longer sounding.

Content as I could be that I was as armed as possible for the coming fight, I stepped through the not-space and landed in the loft proper where most of the capes were gathered.  Few even reacted to my thunderous arrival, but I was glad to see Big Robbie among them and ready to receive his marching orders, not that he needed them. 

“Alright, there’s no sugar-coating this.  Leviathan is hitting Boston and Pandemic has offered her services to heal the defenders.  That means I’m going too, and as such, the Teeth are on open invite status.”

“You want us to fight Godzilla?” Michael asked. 

“Oh goddess, he’s actually getting excited,” Alkaline whined.

I gave the man a flat look.  “Unless you’re confident you could last a round or three with Alexandria, you aren’t going anywhere near Leviathan if I can help it.” 

He quickly deflated as I moved on.  “I want everyone volunteering for protection detail to be in the motorcade in ten minutes.  We’ll be heading for the rally point where I will ensure that we get approval to attend.  Truce rules are in effect, defensive posture only.  I want everyone sticking around Brockton to help the city however they can.  Sandbag down at the docks, escort old ladies to the shelters, and whatever else we may require to keep Brockton secure.  If anyone violates this Truce, shoot the bastard.  Hero or Villain, it matters not.” 

That got a resounding cheer from everyone, but my stomach was starting to churn as the danger fully set in.  I’d been so amped up from killing Tagg that I’d let the situation run away from me.  Now I was forced to acknowledge that there were good odds that I would find myself a member of the collective before the day was done, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.

“Oh, now she gets it!” Butcher exclaimed.  “Seriously.  I’d almost recommend we book it for St. Louis at this point and write off the entire coast rather than deal with an Endbringer.” 

“Again, I’m not ordering anyone to attend,” I reiterated, voice a touch calmer.  “There’s a chance we could all die before the day is done.” 

The words washed over the assembled capes like an ice cold bath.  I was essentially asking for volunteers to enter a warzone where we might all be killed.  All because Amelia would be there and I refused to let her do it alone.  My eyes trailed over my people, those who followed me for whatever reasons were their own.  Those I held responsibility for. 

Damien still seemed ready to go, and there was no disputing that his power could be useful.  Michael was fiddling with his scythe, and something told me he would rather stay, all because I denied him a crack at the Endbringer.  Elliot was on his phone, messaging someone frantically as his eyes hardened.  He would be going, regardless of what came.  Rachel was across the city with her dogs, Charlotte was there with her, already helping to secure the building from the storm visible on the horizon. 

Alec… 

Was with Aisha and Dinah across the city as they had a heated argument with Missy over the phone.  Dinah was refusing to answer her questions about the coming disaster despite the tears flowing down her face.  Her powers had issues predicting things directly, which explained why Thinkers were able to work around her in recent days. 

An Endbringer would certainly throw her models off.

At least the fight wasn’t in Brockton, which meant the local Wards would be sitting it out.  Without Missy running off to fight the water kaiju, it would be that much easier to keep them local and safe so long as I framed it correctly.  I had a bug clone form up and asked if they could help keep the peace in the city which seemed to placate the feisty Ward. 

My bugs in Sabah’s apartment picked up something I hadn’t expected.  Lily was there, and was suiting up even as Sabah argued with her.  Shit, Lily was eighteen and only still in the Wards for the polite fiction of her identity.  Her power was also one of the few that could potentially hurt an Endbringer, which meant that there was no way they would let her skip. 

Well, she might not be Teeth, but Lily was still someone I would look out for.

My focus drifted back to the Capes around me as their resolve solidified into the choices that would define them.  I could already tell who was staying and going, but there was one that wasn’t settled. 

“You’ll be there regardless,” Alice said, her eyes held firmly on my own.  I could only nod, knowing she was looking past me, peering deeper for something long lost, to those who had once been her lovers and friends.  I could see it more often than not, that yearning for the comfort and warmth that she held with half the collective.  “Then I’ll be there too.” 

“Oh Alice,” Damascian whispered, her voice almost bleeding with emotion.

Quarrel wasn’t taking it any better.  “She did promise to always be there for us…” 

That outpouring certainly didn’t help with my own conflicting emotions when it came to the woman.  Looking at her, I could feel all the love that my memories held for her welling up, willing her to stay behind where it was safe.  Even if I was a fifteen year old girl, those memories were still there and wouldn’t be going away anytime soon. 

“Amelia requested your help with healing the injured capes,” I said firmly.  “Just remember the Truce and help anyone they bring to you.” 

“I can do that,” Alice said firmly. 

“Wonderful,” I answered.  “Alright, eight minutes people!  Hop to it!”

I vanished in a puff of smoke as I set my swarm to work, ferrying as many relay bugs as I could manage from the edges of the city and towards the rallying point.  Those near to Boston were maintaining the link as best they could even as I thinned the line connecting the two cities to the bare minimum, funneling the rest into the city proper.

Redundancies were all well and good, but I had a feeling I’d need more of those in the city proper than anywhere else.

The motorcade was already a kicked swarm as minions set up our war vehicles for action.  I directed others to begin to prepare other vehicles for later support, including medical supplies that would be needed in the coming days.  I’d ensured we had a stockpile in the event of a prolonged war with the Elite, but it would be easy enough to replace them with Medhall secured.

Well, that would take a minute given the whole ‘The Butcher killed half the Board’ thing that was tying up the process, but the Elite had backed off and the Gesellshaft knew to cut their losses before the Teeth planned a European vacation. 

“They might rethink that if enough goes wrong today,” Ironsides warned.

Which was why I intended to bring everyone back alive.  Anyone that thought to use the aftermath of an Endbringer against the Teeth, especially after they fucking helped, would meet a gruesome end.

“Assuming we don’t end up in the head of someone who’s a worse pacifist than you were,” Quarrel snarked.

Then I’ll use my memories to show them why they’re wrong.

The timer ticked down as I worked alongside my minions to get the trucks loaded with supplies.  Being a Brute certainly helped with some of the sand pallets.  Who needed a forklift certification when I had Knockout’s force fields?  It was a fun exercise that helped distract me from the looming battle for a few minutes, at least until the capes stepped out of the elevator, walking with a put upon confidence that I knew was only somewhat faked.

“Alice, Damien, Michael, and Elliot,” I said to each of them.

Each member of the Teeth from when I joined would be present.  Since I took over, I’d neglected them in favor of the capes closer to my own age, not to mention the issues I was trying to avoid with my own inheritance.  Alice was just one of many, and looking at them all now, ready to march unto death on my request, I couldn’t help but nearly weep at their dedication. 

Chisel offered a metaphorical hand on my back.  “They’re Teeth.  Your lucidity is not the norm and even I struggled to make meaningful connections with my capes.  They’re used to being neglected until it is time to die.” 

That didn’t make it right. 

“Thank you,” I said, forcing my emotions into the distant swarm.  “If all goes well, none of you should see any action today.” 

“Fuck that,” Elliot said.  “My sister is going to be there, and I’m keeping her safe.” 

Right, his sister was a Changer with the New York Wards, and apparently Lily’s ex if Lisa’s digging was accurate, which it usually was.  She’d been wrong about Laserdream and Spitfire hooking up at a college party, turned out that Spitfire had hooked up with Brian at one point after her recruitment fell through and she was asking Laserdream how he was doing now that he had joined the heroes. 

“He should have gone to work for Faultline, there would have been more money in it,” Sanguine mused. 

“Not to mention a decent looking red-head,” Pyro added.

“Is that some pyromaniac solidarity I’m detecting?” Alkaline asked.

The teleporter just shrugged.

Chisel sighed, getting back on topic.  “I think the Undersiders folding in with the Teeth was his last line in the sand for villainy.  I’m not surprised he walked away, Grue never struck me as a hardcore villain.”  

Which was probably true, but he’d made his choice.  It was almost funny that Aisha ended up joining the Teeth shortly after that, not that I was making light of her trigger.  At least it resulted in dead Nazis, which made her more than worthy of her place with the Teeth. 

Tangent aside, I gave Elliot a firm nod.  “That’s your choice then, and I’ll respect it.  Good hunting.” 

Elliot nodded, his features hard.  “Thank you.” 

There wasn’t anything else to be said to that.  “Alright everyone, load up!  The capes are already gathering at the rally point and we want to get there before Strider arrives.” 

I was watching the countdown from here, and he still had three more priority stops before Brockton came up.  Leviathan wasn’t expected for another forty minutes, which gave them time to allow more capes to arrive, but Brockton already had the expected capes either assembled or in Boston for the Gala. 

Briefly I considered bringing up the thousands of Widows I was keeping in the basement for silk production, yet I couldn’t think of a single use case where they might be effective.  Even in the event of a mass attack by the Fallen or the Nine crashing the party, I’d be better off having Amelia adapt something on the fly. 

“That was horrible,” Alkaline said with a scrunched nose.

“Alright everyone!  You know your jobs, let’s get them done!” 

With everything seemingly settled, I tapped on the driver’s seat, signaling that we were good to go.  Tires squealed as the jeep flew out of the parking garage, heedless of traffic laws, the motorcade from hell departing for battle once more.  This time the vehicles had more skulls than ever, the Elite having donated many to the cause.  No doubt the Protectorate would react poorly to our arrival, but that was why I was going with them.  Not to smooth things over, but to force it all through. 

Nobody would deny The Butcher.

The collective let out a howl of approval at that sentiment even as I stood in the back of the jeep, gripping the roll cage as the motorcade tore down the stretch of the rough roads, my legs flexing with each pothole the driver couldn’t avoid, and not for lack of trying.  

Note to self; once the city was stable put pressure on the mayor to fix the damn roads.

“That or get your dad to run once he’s free,” Ironsides said.

The thought stung, but the smile won out.  No matter what happened today, I wouldn’t give up on helping him, even if it was as a mere voice in the collective.  We weren’t limited to ranting and raving anymore.  The Butcher had learned, and hopefully that would carry forward into the future.

Extending my focus, I struggled to read Boston from so far away, the thousands of relay bugs between us was causing all sorts of interference and feedback that was almost enough for me to experience pain.  The best I could manage was keeping general tabs on the cubes that each of my people in Boston were carrying, but I knew I could pop over to them at a moment’s notice. 

The PRT building was coming up quickly, and as we neared I detected the latest arrival at the Boston staging area, marking Brockton as the next jump point.  Rather than the usual course of events where everyone cleared the landing area for Strider’s next jump, several capes stepped forward to join him. 

Pulling into the parking lot, heads turned at the sight of the angry Teeth vehicles.  Not-Purity immediately took to the sky, lighting up the dark as she did.  The locals didn’t react nearly as much, hell, Miss Militia actually took a step back, opting to stand behind Dauntless and Velocity. 

I hadn’t even realized they were back in the city. 

“Probably all laying low to avoid pissing you off,” Butcher said with a grin.

Ignoring them, I jumped from the back of the jeep, being very obvious with my movements as well as avoiding obvious displays of power usage.  No doubt a single teleport would set everyone off immediately.  Then again, the numerous weapons on display, including the infamous Wolfslayer, were probably costing me more than a few points with the heroes. 

My nose wrinkled as one kid soiled his pants. 

“Who are you?” I demanded. 

The kid, because there were no other words for the brat as even Aisha had harder eyes than him, flinched back.  Two heroes from out of town stepped forward to protect him but I just rolled my eyes.

“Unless he’s Triumvirate class, he will die in that fight,” I said, looking across the assembled heroes.  “If you’re afraid of fighting me, you shouldn’t be here, because I can promise you that Leviathan is worse.” 

Strider picked that moment to bring the small group over and it didn’t surprise me to see Armsmaster and Legend among them.  No, the real surprise was seeing Alexandria and Eidolon making up the remainder of the little party. 

“Oh shit, they brought the whole package here,” Knockout said, turning giddy. 

Marauder rubbed his hands together.  “Okay, so Legend kills us first, then Eidolon, and finally Alexandria.” 

“No, let Eidolon be last, I miss having a dick!” Butcher complained. 

“We have an Amelia for that,” Fester said with some amusement.  “Though that might be an issue with Alexandria given Amelia can’t heal her…” 

“Eidolon can,” Ironsides said.  “I remember him healing her after the Siberian thing.” 

Right, when Hero died.  Probably not a good idea to bring that up within punching distance. 

“No, that makes it a great idea!” 

I shoved Knockout down on principle.  As much as the collective wanted this, I would rather remain in the driver’s seat.  I’m sure once the torch was passed and I was nothing more than another voice I would be no better, but that doesn’t mean I needed to rush into it anytime soon.

The jeeps emptied behind me, my capes folding in around me at a respectful distance.  I caught more than a few looks thrown my way that promised retribution, but they could suck a rancid lemon for all I cared.  The assembled heroes had begun to whisper, and I moved in enough bugs to catch all of it.  Inane babbling made up the bulk of it, but some were strategizing how they could help once I broke the truce. 

As if I would ever dare do such a thing.

“An evil clone might,” Alkaline said. 

Fester snorted.  “Wouldn’t that make her the good clone since we’re the scary villains?” 

“Huh, fair point,” Alkaline said. 

I gently pushed the talk of clones and if they would be the evil one aside.  Moral quandaries could wait until this mess was resolved and we were on the clock.  The collective’s focus shifted to Clockblocker who was off to the side helping direct people into the landing area and I mentally groaned at the jokes that immediately started up in the back of my mind.

One PHO post about him screaming and half the internet tried to ship us.  

“Weaver,” Legend announced, cutting off all the chatter, including the collective.  “Why are you here?” 

I let my head tilt to the side, the silent question hanging in the air.  “To help, obviously.” 

Eidolon scoffed, but Armsmaster let out a heavy sigh. 

“Aww, he’s exasperated already,” Butcher said with a childish tone. 

Legend smiled softly, just shy of condescending.  “Weaver, I shouldn’t have to tell you how much of a risk it is to allow yourself into something as dangerous as an Endbringer.  We don’t know what might happen if an Endbringer kills you.  Do you really want to take that risk?” 

“Well, it would be a quick way to find out if the Endbringers are a Master creation,” Reflex mused.  

“I remember that crackpot theory,” Alkaline said with a groan.  “A bunch of my smoking buddies liked to throw it around.” 

“Just imagine, the Butcher with Endbringers at their beck and call!” Marauder exclaimed.  “Piss thy pants, mortals!  For we have come for your women!” 

“Well, that’s one area Taylor isn’t lacking at the moment,” Fester said.

Rolling my eyes, I refocused on the Triumvirate member currently trying to talk me down.  “Then I focus on search and rescue and keeping the medical station secure.  My Teeth aren’t afraid to go lethal against truce breakers and will uphold the expected standards.” 

“Then they will be welcomed,” Legend said easily then his voice turned grave.  “The risk of a Butcher as unstable as your predecessors, or worse, an Endbringer with your combined powers, is too great to ignore.  We cannot permit you to attend.” 

I could be petty about it and just teleport over there.  I think we all knew it at this point, but that would hurt my legitimacy if I just circumvented all the proper channels.  Nah, I had another idea, one that might just be crazy enough to work. 

With deliberate slowness, I reached up to the closest holster and took hold of one of my OTs.  The Triumvirate were the only ones that didn’t visibly flinch as I drew it, yet I made sure I didn’t point it anywhere close to the assembled crowd. 

“Heavily modified Russian OTs-62 with high yield explosive fragmentation rounds,” I said, still holding the gun to the side.  “Strong enough to put down a Brute Four if they’re being pissy.” 

“Hard to forget,” Legend said sternly.  “Your point?” 

I grinned under my mask as I raised the gun and brought the barrel to rest right under my chin.  “What’s my Brute Rating again?”

I didn’t need to say anything further, the threat was clear.  The implications rippled through the crowd in an instant and even Alexandria flinched when I met her gaze with all the resolve I had.  The Butcher was going to attend this battle one way or another, even if we needed to hitch a ride on someone a bit higher up the food chain. 

“This is just like Blazing Saddles.” Pyro commented, though she wasn’t amused. 

“Hardly an empty threat, though.” Reflex added. 

My smile was all teeth as I looked across the field at every hero present and drew back the hammer with a click that was far more ominous than it had any right to be.  Behind me, the Teeth were actually excited by the display, and I even heard Alice mutter something about Alexandria as she crossed her fingers.  

With the stage set, I decided it was time to roll the dice.

“So, who wants to play Butcher roulette?”

Legend's Echo Chapter 06

“By my power as Master of the Alvon branch of the Adventurer’s Guild, I hereby bring this disciplinary meeting to order.”

Despite the grandiose nature of the man’s proclamation, the meeting was happening not in some great hall. Oh no, it was happening in the Guildmaster’s office, a cramped space that could barely hold three people let alone the five that were attending. Robin was seated across from the Guildmaster’s desk, enduring the full brunt of the grizzled veteran’s gaze. She tried to not stare at the scar across his cheek, as sure of a sign that he never got it seen to by a healer as any. That didn’t bode well for her prospects.

Neither did Donavan serving as the primary witness of her crime.

She kept a vague hope that he was playing a bit of a con on them and would back her up in the moment it counted, but experience told her otherwise. He’d already stood firm against The Legend’s complaints, which meant he was entirely convinced of this course.

The Expedition leader was standing beside him, his own opinion clear by who he was backing. That left the final guest in the room, The Legend. He wasn’t standing behind Robin as she had hoped, but rather chose to lean against the wall near the door; as if none of the proceedings mattered.

Well, they certainly mattered to her!

The layout of the room confused her a bit, as she was used to the desk of important persons being directly across from the door so that the person in question had direct line of sight. Not this office. The guildmaster kept his desk oriented sideways, rather than across from it. She wasn’t sure why, and this was hardly the time to ask.

“Now, I understand that Gold rank Healer Robin disobeyed the primary order all healers are expected to abide by,” the guildmaster said with a disapproving frown. “Do you have anything to say in your defense?”

“There is nothing to say,” Robin said, her resolve to own what she did solidified. “That I stepped up when I did is the only reason any of us are here to speak to you today.”

The guildmaster’s eyes narrowed at her declaration. “You had the Legend on your side. What danger could you have possibly been in.”

“Exactly,” Donavan said. “There was nothing that necessitated running into the hungry jaws of rabid wyvern as Healer Robin did.”

“I see,” the guildmaster said. “Your argument of necessity is flimsy if that is your answer. Especially when the highest ranked adventurer is fighting alongside the front lines.”

“Do note,” the Legend interjected, “that I was indisposed at the time of this incident. The Dragon had taken to the field while the adventurers failed to hold the defensive line against her horde. Robin’s actions prevented a rout that would have meant potentially hundreds of dragonlings loose in the countryside.”

“Are you claiming that you failed in your own duty, Legend?” Donovan demanded.

The Legend shrugged. “I don’t know the full details considering I was thousands of feet above the fray dueling the Dragon atop a mountain. It was expedition leader Bran who held responsibility for the defensive lines.”

“And those lines failed,” Robin said softly. “Several wyvern broke through to the staging area. It was hours into the battle and the healers were flagging, only I and Donovan were keeping up with the worst injuries. When the wyvern appeared and began to slaughter those we were supposed to help, I just…”

“Recklessly charged into a battle you had no place in,” Ser Bran said. “I recommend the full punishment. One thousand demerits or a reduction to the beginning of Silver rank, whichever is harsher.”

“Agreed,” Donovan said, and the smarmy bastard didn’t even try to hide his smirk.

Next time she took an apprentice, it would be another woman.

The guildmaster’s fingers trailed over the table for a moment. “It would be an agreeable punishment, though I do worry that it might discourage our best Healer from continuing as an adventurer.”

“She must face the consequences of her actions!” Donovan shouted. “If I had fought, I’d expect the same punishment!”

“You would never fight,” The Legend said. “Cowards run. Heroes stand. Robin stood.”

“Against orders,” Ser Bran said, eyeing the Legend.

“Robin has volition,” the Legend continued, uncaring of what the panel of men had to say. “That is the mark of someone who will go far.”

“Not as a healer,” the Guildmaster said. “Healers are rare enough, and vulnerable in a fight. We can’t risk them getting the idea that they can simply charge into danger.”

“Why not?” the Legend asked.

The Guildmaster scoffed. “Just because you’re our best doesn’t give you the right to upend traditions that have stood for centuries.”

“Because I reached this rank by respecting tradition,” the Legend said with a scoff that reverberated within their helmet. “You would think that more would try following my example.”

“Oh, they do,” the Guildmaster practically spat. “Do you have any idea how many good adventurers we lose to people thinking they can emulate your success?”

It was getting to the point that Robin felt more like a spectator than a participant in the discussion that would cement her future. Seriously, everyone was talking around her and none of them were letting her speak for herself.

“If you want her to fight, make her start back at Bronze,” Donovan said. “See how she likes being back at the bottom, on the combat track no less.”

“Is that necessary?” the Legend asked, almost sounding bored with the whole thing.

They really weren’t going to let her have a say in all this, were they?

Worse, the Guildmaster was nodding along in agreement with the smug prick! “If you are so insistent that she be excused for fighting, enroll her as a combatant instead. She will have to start at the bottom of Bronze rank like any other adventurer.”

No. They couldn’t do this to her!

“So be it,” the Legend said.

Robin’s eyes shot wide as she stood up, pointing at The Legend as her lips struggled to form words. How could he do that to her? She was so close to breaking into Platinum ranks, only one other healer had ever managed to do so in all of History! Even if she were reduced back to the start of Gold, it was still far better money than what was offered to Bronze adventurers.

Robin’s knuckles turned white as she clenched her fists and jaw. “Do I even get a say in this?”

“You won’t be able to assist her in any missions either,” the guildmaster continued, completely ignoring her. “If we hear so much as a word about you helping her…”

“My armor won’t be seen on her missions,” the Legend said. “Though she will accompany me on any of mine.”

“They won’t count towards her rankings,” the Guildmaster said.

The Legend shrugged. “Not until she reaches Gold again, which will only take a year.”

“A year?” “Preposterous!”

The Guildmaster sighed. “That is a bold claim, and such a feat has never been accomplished by any group of adventurers in the past.”

Robin wasn’t sure, but she was almost certain that the Legend was grinning under his helmet. “That’s the thing. Guild missions assume a team, and the rankings and rewards are divided among the members. A solo adventurer gets all of the merits from a mission.”

“WILL YOU ALL SHUT UP FOR ONE GODDESS BE DAMNED SECOND!?”

Finally, she seemed to have gotten through to the men that were deciding her fate. Which… She wanted to yell at all of them, but she had to start somewhere. Who did she pick first? The easy one would be Donovan, given he was just another Healer who was looking for an easy advancement in the rankings. But he wasn’t the architect of the current conversation, was he?

Robin wheeled on the Legend, stomping right up to the man. “Where do you get off deciding my fate for me? Maybe I’d rather take the thousand demerits and remain a Healer than go be a combat adventurer, did you even consider that?”

“I did,” the Legend said easily. “But then you would be submitting yourself to the whims of these men. Tell me, Robin, do you want to roll over for them? All because you did the right thing? Or, would you rather rub their noses in your continued success?”

“Someone is full of themselves,” Ser Bran muttered.

The Legend had a bit of a point about that, but that didn’t change how Robin felt. He had no right to just dictate her future like that, even if he was reading her shockingly well… No, just because his voice was like velvet with how the helmet distorted it did not change anything. She didn’t know the man under the armor. For all Robin knew, he wasn’t even human!

She couldn’t let herself get swept up in his fame just because he was willing to give her the time of day. Yes, she had killed wyverns, but most adventurers could do that easily enough. That was why they brought so many of them along on that mission. Thousands had been killed over the course of the battle, which meant she wasn’t anything special for killing two of them.

“Why should I put my faith in you?” Robin demanded. “What can you do for my future that I can’t manage myself?”

“Little to nothing,” the Legend admitted, much to Robin’s growing outrage. “You’re an incredibly capable woman who only needs an opportunity to shine.”

Well, that was some flowered flattery, but Robin wasn’t about to be won over so easily!

“Good start, now give me your actual pitch.”

“Because if you stick with me, I’ll have you at Platinum rank before you turn thirty.”

Robin’s eyes narrowed as she tried to gaze through the man’s helm. “I’m twenty-eight and would be starting over from nothing.”

“I know what I said,” the Legend said. “And I stand by it.”

“Then you won’t mind a little test,” the Guildmaster said with a smirk. “Shall we see if this little experiment of yours has any merit? If Healer Robin succeeds as a combatant, we’ll double her merits for the trial mission and consider her on the path to Silver ranking.”

“And should she fail?” Donovan asked snidely.

“She remains a healer, taking the thousand demerits which would put her back in the upper ranks of Silver,” the Guildmaster said. “The quest will be the most dangerous Bronze rank mission we have, or the lowest Silver. I’ll let the Legend himself decide which his little project would be best suited for.”

“Simple enough,” the Legend said. “If she succeeds, I want her to also receive Merits from the Dragon mission equal to her new standing as well, and proper credit for two Wyvern takedowns.”

Smiling like a cat that caught a sparrow, the Guildmaster held out his hand.

Robin looked down at the extended limb, and the more she thought about it, the fewer reasons she could think of to not take the chance. The worst that happened saw her demoted back to Silver, but not far off from making Gold again, which was what she was facing when she walked in the door. Switching to a combat track would mean starting over, but there was a reason there were no Platinum rank Healers in the Guild.

It was something nobody talked about, and a fate she wanted to avoid if possible. So, Robin potentially damned herself for a chance at changing her destiny. She took the man’s hand as she met his gaze with determination.

“Deal.”

Legend's Echo Chapter 05

Robin had continued cursing the entire way south, nearly the full two weeks of travel it took to reach the capital of the Kingdom of Alvon. It was funny, her village had no name, and the capital was also called Alvon, which was just confusing. The Alliance to the south had no such issue, not that many ever set foot in those cursed lands.

Even the Guild didn’t send anyone there as only Platinum ranked individuals were a match for the hell beasts that guarded the borders. Centuries ago a Dark Lord had risen and wars were fought until the current stalemate was reached some eighty years ago. Robin wouldn’t put it past them to have delivered that Dragon themselves and just let it rampage once the brood hatched.

That wasn’t her concern given she was still in Gold rankings, but for how much longer remained to be seen. Despite the initial novelty of eating the predator that thought to make dinner of her, their rations were now almost entirely wyvern based. No amount of pepper sauce could prevent that from getting old.

Arriving at Alvon was almost anticlimactic as Donovan stormed off with the expedition leader to make their reports. No doubt a summons would arrive before the end of the day to discuss their complaints and until that was resolved she wouldn’t receive her pay either.

With a heavy sigh, Robin resigned herself to spending more time than she was comfortable with in the overly chaotic Capital. At least the city was well maintained, with a proper sewer system preventing many common diseases from running rampant.

The roads were brick, and still damp from a shower that arrived the night before. Buildings were largely made of carved stone brought in from the surrounding quarries; it made for a cheaper resource than harvesting lumber from the woods to the north or west.

Carts hauled vegetables and grain from the surrounding farms down the streets and towards a packed market. Already Robin was having to tune out the calls of vendors trying to insist that their turnips were just slightly better than their neighbor’s stall despite getting them from the same delivery cart.

All of the mass spectacle of the open market was dwarfed by how the city rose into the distance, with the higher regions boasting richer living. Basic stone gave way to marble, and even that was eclipsed by the structure that sat at the pinnacle of the cliff overlooking the Astral Sea. The Palace, such a basic name for a grand building, but it reflected the lack of creativity that the ruling family continued to show in all aspects of their reign.

It was a minor miracle that their daughter hadn’t been named princess or something equally asinine. Regardless of all that, it still represented the core of humanity’s power on their little corner of the continent. A firm reminder to any that beheld it of the power of the Kingdom of Alvon.

All in all, the city was exactly as she remembered it from her last visit a few winters past and she wanted nothing more than to get paid and get back on the road. At least she actually had a reason to be in the city beyond just the bullshit with the Guild. Pulling the shattered remnants of her staff from her pack, Robin grimaced as she considered the cost of repairing everything. The Foci gem was intact, which was a minor blessing as it would have meant a repair was impossible and she would need to seek out a completely new staff that was compatible with her personal magic.

“Come.”

Robin jumped at the stern order, spinning in place only to have to crane her neck a bit to fully take in the sight of The Legend as he stood behind her. His armor was freshly cleaned, yet it didn’t reflect the light of the sun offensively like some knights tended towards. No, he always presented himself in the most practical of ways, right down to the spear currently tied to his back. The very weapon that had managed to slay a dragon.

“Pardon?” Robin asked.

“Your staff, it needs to be repaired,” The Legend said. “I have an acquaintance who will be up to the task.”

Blanching, Robin realized what he was implying, which was already far too much for the hospitality that he had shown her by advocating against Donovan and Ser Bran. “I can’t impose like that! You’ve already done far too much for me as it is!”

“It is no trouble for me,” The Legend said, “and the bastard owes me a favor.”

Swallowing further protests, Robin followed after the towering figure. As much as she wanted to question the man about her pending disciplinary hearing, she knew that he wouldn’t know much more than she did. It was beyond frustrating that her fate would be left up to others to decide, but she wouldn’t take any of it back.

The most powerful adventurer in the land walked steadily along the roads, and Robin watched on as the brick road transitioned to higher quality stone, and the lamps transitioned from gas to enchanted gems. Higher still they climbed, and soon they reached a much smaller market where the vendors used magic of all things to advertise their wares.

It was unlike anything Robin had ever seen, and her eyes kept getting drawn to each and every flash of brilliant light. One vendor was sending fountains of fruit juice looping through the air at all times, only letting it dip down to fill a cup or jug as it was purchased. It was so mesmerizing that she walked right into The Legend, who had apparently stopped.

“We’re here.”

Robin pulsed a bit of healing to fix her nose, not that it was broken, but the soreness was annoying and finally took a look at where they had stopped only to suck in a breath. Carved marble and enchanted gems lined the storefront, and they had even taken the time to utilize light projecting stones to create a bright sign that stood out despite the daylight sun and at the same time demonstrated the man’s skill. Because none of these looked to be maintained by an active caster like most of the Market displays. Whoever this person was, they served a clientele that could likely cover her entire life savings dozens of times over for a single expense.

And The Legend had brought her here.

“Repairs take time,” the Legend continued. “Even as good as the man can be, the sooner he gets started, the better.”

Robin could only nod, not that the Legend could see her as he pushed the door open and stepped inside the extravagant shop. Robin was hesitant to follow, the shop was far too expensive for a peasant girl who detested cities. Yet, what choice did the healer have except to follow The Legend inside?

Any expectations of a more reserved interior were immediately dashed as everything within oozed as much wealth as the storefront had. Polished wood and marble lined every surface and the goods were all kept behind glass displays that thrummed with power. Subtle enchantments controlled the lighting, to cast each piece in the best luminance. Much of what was on offer were knives that looked more decorative than practical, and didn’t seem to match the Legend’s style in the slightest.

“Be with you in a moment,” a gruff voice said from one of the back rooms.

“Take your time,” the Legend answered. “You always do.”

Robin blinked at the snark, which was unusual for the stoic hero, but how much did Robin actually know about the man under the helmet? His private persona could be exactly that and most wouldn’t have a clue. Aside from Robin’s misguided teenage crush on the man, how much did she actually know about him?

“Oi, none of the sass!” the man said as he stepped out, wiping his hands on a rag. It was obvious that this weaponsmith wasn’t a casual acquaintance of the man if he was willing to banter like that with the Kingdom’s most powerful man. “I see you’re back in the city…” He paused as he looked Robin over with a critical eye. “Where are my manners? Carlson Hammers at your service.”

Robin couldn’t help herself. “Hammers?”

“Funny story behind that,” Carlson said.

The Legend snorted at some unspoken joke. “He dropped a hammer on his foot, everyone called him Hammers from then on, though most don’t remember the reason for it.”

The weaponsmith grumbled under his breath as he threw the rag aside. “Enough larking at my expense, what brings you here?”

Without further preamble, the Legend gestured her forward. With a touch of hesitation, Robin retrieved the broken remains of her staff and gently placed it on the counter. The smith eyed it, then turned his focus back on the hero who was leading her around, clearly waiting for the reason he was even involved.

“I need this brought up to my standards.”

The levity and casual air all evaporated as the smith turned a much more critical eye upon the broken pieces of Robin’s staff. His hand traced along the splintered haft and up to the polished river crystal that sat within the head of the staff. The gem was one that Robin had spent decades attuning to her mana, which made replacing it all but impossible if she didn’t want to suffer a major efficiency penalty for the next five to ten years as she worked on something new.

“Healing attuned,” Carlson muttered. “Shaft is a lost cause, but won’t matter given the standards requirement… Yeah, I can get it done. How soon do you need it?”

“That depends on how long the Adventure Guild attempts to drag my Echo over the coals for having a proper spine.”

Carlson barked out a heavy laugh even as Robin grew indignant at how casual her very career was being treated. “Damn you for dropping this on me now! I’d pay to see that!”

“Hey!” Robin yelled. “This is serious! They want to demote me because I saved lives!”

“Like hell they’ll be able to,” Carlson said easily, gathering up the remains of her weapon. “Not with this bruiser in your corner.”

“Speaking of which, we should get to the guild for that dressing down,” the Legend said. “Robin, come along.”

With no other option, she followed the man at a brisk pace as Carlson disappeared into the back of his shop. Robin remained sceptical of the shown confidence given how ironclad the rules surrounding healers could be. It didn’t matter how many lives she saved, or if she prevented a rout, all they would care about was that a precious healer had disobeyed their preservation orders and instead elected to fight. The testimonies of those she saved wouldn’t matter, which meant her fate was entirely in the hands of the highest ranked adventurer in the lands.

Robin never did like handing her fate over to another person, but as a healer she had grown used to it over the years. Now she once again found herself putting her future in the hands of a man in heavy armor spouting bold claims of keeping her safe.

Not like the Legend was under any pressure, it wasn’t his reputation on the line.

Inheritance - Consequence 4.9

Thursday May 12th, 2011

“I never thought I would ever end up in a dress,” Ironsides grumbled. 

Fester snorted, shaking her head.  “At least Taylor has Annette’s legs.  She certainly rocks the split side look.” 

Ignoring that tangled mess of emotions that the comparison to my mom stirred up, because I really didn’t need the associated memories Fester kept prodding; I don’t need to know how many bite marks you left on her thighs!

Fester cackled as I shoved her into the dark.

I smoothed out the fabric, all I could do was smile at what the evening promised.  The trip to Boston was a bit of a slog, even with the limo, but it was also the most subtle we could be about making our exit from Brockton Bay.  Madison relayed to Assault that we were all crashed from some new weed strain Amelia cooked up and that the Teeth weren’t going to be getting up to shit for hours.

Of course, that was the deception.  In truth the Teeth were ready to move out at a moment’s notice.  Damien and Robbie were on standby with everyone not making their way to the Protectorate’s little party for ending the Boston Games.  We expected something to kick off, especially given how calm things had been following the whole mess with the Elite and what we had done.  Legend could only do so much to keep the peace and we had crossed ALL the lines in our little rampage.

The only upside was how nervous it made the higher ups.  Assault hadn’t been pleased when he figured out that Madison helped, and they were looking at disciplinary action over it.  Needless to say, I suspected we were about to get another permanent addition to our roster.  That hadn’t stopped them from getting ‘punishment’ duty and assigned to the Gala.

I half expected them to demand that Madison arrive with whoever ended up assigned as their handler, but someone dropped the ball on that front which meant they were in the limo with us.  It also meant that we had leave to make sure that those who were going to attend would be doing so in custom Parian designed suits and dresses. 

Chrissie and Lisa both elected for suits, and they looked sharp as hell in them.  Amelia altered her symbiote based on one of Parian’s designs, but refused to not have her greatest weapon on hand.  I couldn’t even blame her for that one either, not after the kidnapping.  Next up were Madison and Sophia, each wearing a suit more suited—stop laughing, it wasn’t that funny—to a security detail than an upscale party.  Madison’s suit would even stretch if they decided to go full Browbeat. 

None of us had weapons on hand, though I did take a moment to fill the hammerspace with some liquid containment foam before we left.  Swapping it for blood was easy, but Amelia could replicate the formula without allowing it to activate on exposure to air, which was all I needed to add it to the hammer space.

“That girl is such bullshit,” Alkaline said wistfully.  “Seriously, where was she when I was the Butcher?  Her power would have been so damn useful.” 

I think she was in grade school and still living with Marquis.

“I do wonder what she would have been like if raised by her father,” Sanguine said.  “Yes, he was our enemy, but he couldn’t have been a worse parent than Brandish.” 

Well damn, he’s almost put as much venom into her name as Amelia managed when she was deep into one of her rants about Carol.  Not quite, but close.  Boston was already in my range, mostly because I had a few members go on ahead and drop off clusters of relay bugs in key locations around the gala.  It was being held in some upscale art studio similar to Fosburg only with far more money behind it.  Somehow it survived the carnage, which was a surprise given how widespread Bakuda’s bombings were. 

“Maybe Bakuda had a taste for the arts?” Pyro asked. 

Stratego scoffed.  “No, this has Accord’s fingers all over it.” 

I hummed along with the voices in my head as they discussed the outcome of the second Boston Games.  Technically the city was up for grabs and some of the collective wanted to claim it, but I knew better than to rush in dick first.  The city was an absolute disaster and we still had our hands full trying to clean up Brockton enough that someone couldn’t rightfully call it a shantytown. 

The scale of economic downturn over the last decade alone was enough to boggle the mind.  Marquis’ capture was the tipping point, funny enough, and having his territory fall into disrepair was all part of a concentrated effort by Kaiser to bolster his own ass-backwards message.  Hell, he had half the city convinced the ABB were stealing dogs and cats to serve in their restaurants!

Even now the remnants of the Empire’s networks tried to keep sharing shit they pulled out of their asses to stir up controversy.  It was getting especially bad in the wake of the Elite’s slaughter and how calm things were the moment the antagonistic forces were out of our way.  Like, the majority of the Teeth weren’t cannibals in the strictest sense, but Animos was known to eat people in his rampages, and everyone knew to avoid Alice’s chili after a raid on the Nazis. 

“What about the time Marauder did bath salts?” Ironsides said. 

And now I wanted to throw up. 

There was a reason I tended to avoid grilled pork following my inheritance, and it wasn’t something I was happy about.

“Probably best to not use that in an argument,” Reflex said.  “The Teeth are cannibals, there is no denying that.”

“Rude,” Marauder grumbled. 

But fair, I relented.  Just, if you asked the media they would say we’re grabbing dozens off the streets every night for a cookout!

“Technically,” Sabertooth started, but I slammed him into the dark. 

Yes, technically our outreach programs were providing free food across the city to help those struggling as they picked up the pieces of their lives, but we were following every law on charitable acts possible in doing so.  All the food handouts had the proper permits, everything was above board!

“Someone’s itching for violence,” Fester said with a chuckle. 

Okay, so what if I was?  The Protectorate had fucked themselves with the games they were playing and it was more than obvious that someone on the inside was rooting for the Elite and even helped stack the deck in their favor.  I wasn’t going to let that shit stand, which meant sending a message by crashing their little party. 

Lisa had spent all day digging into the information she had gotten from Bastard Son and apparently located his blackmail stash.  It was now being liberally applied in causing as much damage as possible, like a reporter getting proof that a Senator was on the take, or that Mustrat Automotive’s American branch was an Elite backed Gessellshaft operation. 

I wasn’t keeping up with everything she was doing, but Lisa liked to talk as we drifted off to sleep and honestly?  I liked the sound of her voice. 

“That’s adorable,” Pyro cooed sweetly. 

“You know this is going to turn into a disaster,” Amelia said, fiddling with a bottle of soda.  “We aren’t even hiding that we’re with the Teeth.” 

“Hey,” I protested.  “I have a silk shawl to cover the tattoo, thank you very much.” 

“That will fool nobody,” Lisa said for the…  Help me out?”

“Twenty-three now,” Stratego said with a dry lilt.  “How did I get stuck with counting duty again?” 

“Because none of us wanted to do it and you’re in the negative on food votes,” Marauder informed him.

“He won’t be after dealing with XV’s bullshit for the night,” Butcher said, then laughed.  “For once I’m not catching shit duty from the Queen!” 

Reflex of all the voices cleared his throat and the original fell silent.  There was something that I was missing, and I was almost tempted to interrogate them over it, but Chrissie draped herself over my lap and made grabbing motions at a mess of grapes. 

“Feed me, Tay!” 

“So needy,” I teased, but did exactly that. 

If it weren’t for an Amelia tune up after last night, I’d be more worried about lingering soreness from the birthday celebrations.  Chrissie’s suit was sharp as hell with crimson trim in just the right places to match her costume if one squinted just right.  

Amelia was wearing a flowing dress themed more after her Panacea image than the Pandemic persona, mostly because this was a party full of heroes and she wanted to flaunt it a bit.  Lisa on the other hand threw me a wink as I looked over her deep purple suit, and especially how it clung to her muscles.  

“Like what you see?” Lisa asked. 

“Always,” I answered, and very carefully didn’t think of anything lewd while making eye contact.  I knew that she could pick up on that stuff and didn’t appreciate it, so I was making a conscious effort to not do it when speaking with her.  It seemed to be helping, and compliments about her appearance that weren’t ‘nice tits’ seemed to go over well enough.  

“Any bets on how long it takes them to try and arrest me?” Sophia asked. 

“No bet,” Madison immediately countered.  “Causing any kind of scene at an event like this would be a disaster for their PR, no matter who started it.  The only way they could win would be if they took Taylor completely out of the picture.” 

“Which is a rather tricky thing to do,” Lisa concluded with her trademark smirk.  “No, they’ll panic that we’re there and do anything to keep us behaved and entertained while pretending everything is fine.” 

“So tits up the first time someone mouths off to Weaver, got it,” Sophia said with a firm nod. 

“Nah, my girl will simply beat them to death with wit and sarcasm!” Chrissie countered.

Madison paused for a moment then turned a shark-like grin on Lisa.  “I’ll prank Alec for you in a way that makes him scream like a Nazi in the arena if you can render Armsmaster speechless.” 

“Oh, you’re so on!” Lisa agreed enthusiastically, shaking their hand as she did. 

I smiled at their antics, happy that everyone was getting along so well despite our history.  My hand gently rubbed at Chrissie’s scalp as I looked out the window with my own eyes and took in the achingly familiar city for the first time.

The signs of battle were present all across the city, especially Bakuda’s exotic effects.  From towers of crystal to empty voids, and even a time stopped field that reminded me of the one currently holding my father.  Despite my best efforts to compartmentalize that he was currently out of reach, the thoughts continued to creep into my mind at the worst times.  My swarm descended upon the rats deep in the sewers across the city, shredding them in much the same way I’d torn through the Elite just days earlier.

Lisa moved almost immediately, pulling the whole polycule into a group hug with me in the middle.  Sometimes her Thinker abilities were an annoyance, like when she tried to finish sentences before we said them, but times like this?  It was nice having someone that could head off the worst of my spirals before they set in. 

Before I took them out on someone that didn’t quite deserve it. 

“Look at us, the mighty Butcher tamed by the affections of cute girls,” my namesake grumbled.

“Shut up, this shit is great,” Pyro countered.

Sophia started to mutter something but Madison was quick to elbow her and shut it down before I felt the need to pain blast a bitch.  At least I had my awesome girlfriends to keep me grounded when the world became too much to bear. 

Unfortunately, the site of the PRT’s little gala was now falling within my range, the delivered relay swarm expanding my senses exponentially in a mere instant.  The fun part about all of this was how Amelia had made sure I had enough extras to cover all of Brockton as well as a line of the buggers all the way to Boston.  A trailer that followed us into the city had been releasing the latest batch periodically so that I didn’t lose tabs on my city.

None of them were breedable, as per Amelia’s wish to keep that option under wraps for the time being.  I didn’t even blame her with how twitchy the PRT could be about Bird Cage sentences.  Canary was just one example, as was I.  

People were divesting themselves of their rides out front, being greeted by a media frenzy that I couldn’t wait to scare the shit out of.  An automated invite had been sent to Medhall, and Lisa jumped on RSVPing the message immediately.  Better yet, I could pick up the heroes in attendance and was happy to see that Lily was already conversing with Ethan. 

I’d asked her to pass along word to a select few that I would be attending and that I would be on my best behavior if they were.  If Ethan’s resigned sigh was anything to go off of, it was working.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get my entire crew into the venue, which left me thoroughly outnumbered, not that it would stop me. 

“Do we not count?” Butcher asked, unable to keep his chuckles at bay.  “I mean, you’re bringing fourteen additionals.” 

Alkaline shook her head fondly.  “Until Amelia can figure out how to make us bodies that Taylor can pilot, we’re relegated to bystanders.” 

That Amelia had toyed with the idea after seeing my trick with Reflex was mildly concerning, but if it helped her avoid creating deadly plagues on a whim, she could experiment to her heart’s content.

Armsmaster was standing on a stage, surveying the crowd.  Sarah Pelham was present, and thankfully, the only member of New Wave making an appearance.  Victoria wasn’t returning our messages, including Amelia, which had me all sorts of concerned for her.  I mean, I did behead her mother and all, but she had to understand why I did it given her muted reaction. 

“Almost resigned,” Chisel said, nodding along.  “Girl knew she would have done the same if your dad had done something to her family.” 

I also picked up a few heroes out of costume in standard PRT trooper gear, which wasn’t a surprise.  Battery was one, staying relatively close to her husband.  Another was Clockblocker, who made a good choice for subduing any villains that showed up.  He was almost cute in his little tux. 

Just to be cheeky, I landed a wasp on his watch just as the limo pulled into the line of vehicles waiting to drop off the rich bastards that would be throwing money at the PRT and Protectorate for all the work they did. 

“Well, sucks to be them,” Sanguine said. 

Pyro snorted.  “It could be worse, we could rob them.” 

Stratego disagreed.  “They’ll already be afraid of being eaten, we don’t need to do anything else but make an appearance.” 

I couldn’t help it, I laughed.  In fact, I was still laughing when the vehicle stopped and our attendant opened the rear door.  Lisa gave my shoulder a quick squeeze and hopped out, helping Amelia to her feet as she did.  The biokinetic was already a blushing mess, but we weren’t done yet.  Chrissie got out next, only her hair serving as a hint to her identity to those not intimately familiar with us.  She then offered me a hand and I let her pull me to my feet. 

A few gasps rang through the crowd, and I knew full well it was the dress.  Parian had done a fantastic job creating it to my exact specifications.  It was crafted out of dyed spider silk, set in Teeth crimson with gray spider webs woven through the ensemble.  The dress was backless, though that was currently covered by a gray shawl that kept my exposed back well concealed.  It wouldn’t do to spoil that surprise early. 

The dress extended down to my ankles, with a split side that was loosely connected by further gray silk that formed another web over my leg when I showed it off.  My hair was straightened, then braided in a complicated weave borrowed from Damascian’s memories, and I knew I cut an imposing figure.  My muscles were prominent thanks to the inheritance and I knew my figure was far more eye-catching than it had been just four months ago. 

Lisa had shown me pictures of models, then a picture from when I tried on the dress at Parian’s apartment.  The collective made damn sure I understood that I would fit right in with the best of them.  I might as well channel that confidence.  I hooked an arm around Amelia and Chrissie, smiling wide as the cameras flashed wildly. 

Lisa snaked an arm around Amelia’s free one and waved to the paparazzi.  I could pick up a few whispers from those in attendance that were doing the mental math to figure out who we were, and so, I made sure we made our way inside so they could be distracted by the arrival of a pop singer right behind us.  No doubt Lisa planned it that way, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

“Well, this is something,” Chrissie said as we walked into the venue. 

Amelia snorted.  “Trust me, the attention gets old.” 

“Can confirm,” Lisa added.  “I only ever attended a few of these things when I was younger, but I always hated them.” 

I frowned at that.  “Let me know if you want to leave early.  As fun as our plans are, your comfort takes priority.” 

“That’s sweet of you, Tay,” Lisa said, pecking a kiss on my cheek much to the reporters delight, “but there’s no way in hell I’m missing the chaos we’re about to unleash.” 

“The tabloids are going to eat this up,” Amelia muttered. 

Lisa laughed.  “Let them.  So what if the Chairwoman of Medhall is in a relationship with three other girls.  I promise you that won’t be the part they talk about come the end of the evening.” 

“No, they’ll be talking about how we’re in bed with the Butcher,” Amelia muttered, though I didn’t miss the smirk on her face. 

“Oh, she is totally looking forward to that headline,” Alkaline said, cackling. 

Fester shook her head.  “Do you blame the girl?” 

I really couldn’t, because I was going to ensure it was all anyone talked about after this little party.  Nothing like having one of the most infamous parahumans in America politely schmoozing with the upper crust.  Pity the man himself wasn’t attending, but the Elite upper brass were all in an uproar after Lisa leaked half their dirty laundry to the web following her own attacks on their systems.

That wasn’t even getting into the first salvo of Bastard Son’s personal blackmail stash.  

Hell, she’d gotten a call from the Number Man himself offering her a quarter billion for Medhall if she stopped while she was ahead.  The negotiations following that had been swift, and the Teeth were effectively a half billion richer in the end while the remaining Elite and Gesellschaft backers were all purged from the business.  Quite the win. 

Lisa was an absolute terror in the business world and would only get worse as she secured more capital for her operations.  Hell, the Teeth could go completely legit soon enough and nobody could really say a word.  There would always be a place for a mercenary cape team willing to go in and get bloody in the face of threats that could result in quarantines.  Ellisburg would make for a good trial run and Aisha thought she was being clever with her plans to drag Alec on a road trip to Canada to make sure he got any inheritance from daddy earlier than planned. 

Eliminating two major threats would effectively put them on the map, not that they weren’t already there, and it would have the side benefit of satisfying the most bloodthirsty among the Teeth. 

Like Sophia. 

I still wasn’t sure how to feel about her joining, but I was willing to give her a chance to find her place in the gang.  Madison had clearly proven themselves and was at least repentant for their actions.  Unlike Sophia, who seemed to relish her part in turning me into the fiercest predator on the coast.

Unhealthy obsessions aside, our little group entered the main hall of the art gallery.  I couldn’t help but let out a low whistle as the collective began doing the math on how many millions were just sitting there for the taking. 

Not that I would be doing that. 

Well, there was one contingency where my swarm stole everything of value before we set fire to the foundations, but that was hardly plans one through three, it was more like the Pyro approach, which was always near the bottom of the list, much as she hated it.  Girl had been scorched earth personified during her tenure as the Butcher.

“To be fair, most of us were,” Knockout said.

Rolling my eyes, I took the opportunity to take stock of the scene with my own senses rather than the swarm’s.  There were servers flitting about, many of which with flutes of Champagne or little finger foods.  Lisa was already flagging one of them down and grabbing four from the tray. 

She grinned as she handed them out to each of us.  “They’re using the high dollar stuff right now, but will swap to the cheap crap before long, so drink up.” 

Not one to argue with a Thinker over drinks, I downed the flute and savored the sensation as it trailed down my throat.  Yeah, that was the good stuff all right, even the biggest snob of the collective (Ironsides) couldn’t complain.

The guest list was expansive, and the collective were happy to point out any assholes they remembered from their time in Boston.  The mayor was an obvious one, as was Director Armstrong from the local PRT.  Then there were the rich assholes that only poked their heads out when they were certain that the villains weren’t going to start shit.

It was cute that they thought this event was safe. 

My swarm was everywhere, and that meant I caught the exact moment that Sarah Pelham caught sight of Amelia. 

“Heads up, asshole aunt incoming,” I said, moving to put myself between her and Amelia only for Lisa to bring a hand up and stop me.  “Lise?” 

“Let Amelia have this,” the Thinker said with a glint in her eye.  “Remember, we don’t want to be the one starting the scene, just ending it.” 

Chrissie snorted.  “Pretty sure you missed the ‘escalate the fuck out of things’ step somewhere in there.” 

“Semantics,” Lisa said, waving Chrissie off.  “These things have to remain fluid, much like Amelia is going to do to Photon Mom’s spine.” 

“That comment was bad and she should feel bad,” Chisel said with a scrunched nose. 

“Okay, so that wasn’t my best,” Lisa said, glancing at my forehead and I raised an eyebrow.  She often joked that she felt like she could follow along, but I was starting to get the impression there was more to it than she was letting on, which was more than a little concerning.  “Now, let’s all sit back and watch our girlfriend eviscerate a bitch.” 

Amelia took a step forward, putting just a bit of distance between us and her quarry.  Sarah stopped a healthy distance away, her eyes shimmering with unease as she looked her once niece over. 

“You look good, Amy,” Sarah said. 

“Amelia,” our girlfriend snapped.  “If you’re going to address me, at least have the decency to use my real name.” 

Sarah recoiled, but schooled her features remarkably well for not being the lawyer of the family.  “Very well, Miss Lavere.” 

Rather than let herself be affected by the cheap shot, Amelia nodded.  “Better.  Now, why are you bothering me?” 

“I was just surprised to see you here,” Sarah said, and Lisa snorted.  Sarah’s eyes darted to Lisa, then widened.  “Oh, you’re here.” 

Amelia scoffed.  “Wow, put more venom into that, why don’t you?”

“No, that’s Tay’s job,” Lisa said with a grin.  “Isn’t that right, boss?” 

It was always funny watching people slowly connect the dots when they saw me and figured it out.  Once upon a time it would have been my greatest fear, but now I relished the dawning comprehension, the mounting horror, the visceral gut punch.  All that and more came in quick succession as Sarah looked me in the eyes. 

“There’s the dilation.”  “And the widening.”  “Face paling.”  “Jaw dropping.”  “That delicious quickening of the heart.”  “The flicker of her power being actively suppressed even as she wants to blast our faces off.” 

The running commentary continued even as I kept my face calm and placid in the face of someone who probably could kill me with one blast if she didn’t hold back.  Of course, then the Butcher would have flight once and for all and Amelia or Chrissie would probably cut her down where she stood, jumping straight from sixteen to seventeen in mere moments. 

Well, they would have the courtesy of waiting to test one of Lisa’s more terrifying theories, one that I wasn’t eager to experiment with no matter how tempting it might have been.  Putting existential dread out of my mind, I smiled sweetly and waved a single finger at Sarah. 

“Butcher,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

I sighed.  “Just Taylor, seeing as I’m not currently vivisecting orphans or eating kittens.” 

“Yeah, it’s totally not like Taylor to eat pussy,” Fester said with the most exaggerated eye roll in the history of eye rolls. 

Chrissie snorted, but it was Amelia who fell into a barking fit of laughter and once again I wondered just how perceptive my girlfriends were.  Lisa however simply smirked as the hero was completely thrown off her expectations.  It was something I was rather good at thanks to my rapport with the collective being as good as it was. 

Even Quarrel tolerated me!

Mostly.

“Somewhat,” the villain countered.

Eh, I’d take it.

At least the byplay seemed to have done its job and disarmed the hero enough that she fell back upon pointed questions rather than blinding lasers.  “Why are you here?”

I shrugged.  “We saw there was a party celebrating the situation that allowed Brockton to go to shit while the heroes keeping the peace were gone.  I was hoping to ask a few questions of those behind the mess, maybe figure out who provided Bakuda ordinance to the Elite.  I do take attacks on my people seriously, unlike some.” 

Okay, I’d gotten a bit more heated than intended, but I was having to shunt most of my rage into the swarm to keep from going on another killing spree given my father was still stuck in a timestop and I had no idea how to help him.

“Breathe, Taylor,” Damascian whispered.  “We’ll find those answers.” 

“And then we’ll make the bastards pay in blood,” Marauder promised.

Sarah continued to glare at me, but I remained firm.  Just because I beheaded her sister didn’t mean I would be soft on her for it.  She was still complicit in how Amelia was treated and that wasn’t something I would forgive lightly.  What was she going to do, kill me?  It was laughable to consider, especially with so many people around.

She could also out me, but that would cause other issues and completely derail the entire fundraiser, defeating the purpose and setting the stage for me to hijack the entire show.  Sure, that was one of my backup plans, but it would be so much more fun if everyone figured out I was there but was unable to do anything about it without risking my more theatrical side from coming out to play. 

“I mean, I’m hoping the situation goes tits up,” Marauder said.  “Parties are more fun when the Butcher comes out to play.” 

“Damn straight,” Butcher agreed. 

I rolled my eyes.  “I have no intentions of starting anything, but won’t hesitate to respond to any and all aggression, so just keep that in mind.” 

“Contrary to popular opinion, we do actually support the cause being presented here,” Lisa added.  “And I fully intend to ensure that the funds are used appropriately.” 

I let a touch of Sabertooth’s power enhance my smile.  “See to it that word of that gets around if you would.”  Not waiting for a response, I turned to face the new arrival decked out in shining blue power armor.  “Armsmaster, a pleasure.” 

“Miss Hebert, we weren’t expecting you,” he said, tersely.  “I apologize for recent events, I only learned of them yesterday morning due to emergency orders and was not allowed to intervene.” 

“Smart of him to avoid mentioning Brandish,” Chisel said.  “Something tells me he has been made aware of her involvement in setting everything into motion.” 

Stratego hummed.  “The question is, did someone in the PRT or Protectorate help put the idea into her head or was that all Bastard Son?” 

“Don’t worry, I know you had no hand in my father’s current fate,” I said, amused at how Sarah took the opportunity to slink away.  If there was one thing I could count on, it was that Armsmaster wouldn’t dare approve of something like what happened to my father or Amelia.  No, there was someone else pulling the strings, and if he wasn’t already looking into it, I’d ensure he was pointed in their direction.  “I’m more curious how one of Bakuda’s bombs made it onto a shipping container that just happened to arrive in the docks in time for the Elite’s operation to begin.” 

Armsmaster nodded.  “Dragon and I are investigating—”

“You’ve found something,” Lisa interjected.  “Something damning, but you need more proof before you can bring it forward.” 

“Thinkers,” the man muttered.  “You would be correct Miss Wilbourne.  There is far more to this than a simple operation and until I can conclusively prove each and every individual’s involvement, I cannot proceed with any arrests.” 

“That high up, huh,” I said.  “Be honest, are you doing it like that to avoid an extrajudicial execution at the hands of a certain cape?” 

“Yes,” he said, not even bothering to hide it.  “I fully understand that you are stable, but that also makes you more dangerous.  I recognize that allowing you to control the Teeth is a better option than returning to how things were.” 

“But you’ve seen what happens to organizations when they do something stupid,” I finished.  “You’re terrified I’ll turn that focus onto the PRT.” 

“Quite.” 

I snorted.  “I appreciate the honesty.  I’ll tell you what.  If you capture him and ensure whoever was behind all this doesn’t get off on technicalities?  I’ll accept that as the job well done, but if they do something stupid before then, I’m ending the fucker with prejudice.” 

Armsmaster paused as he considered it, then his jaw tightened.  “Those terms are…  Agreeable.” 

I clapped once.  “Wonderful!  Now, if you don’t mind, this is quite the party and I would love to actually enjoy it rather than focus on business.” 

“Very well,” Armsmaster said, then paused.  “I would also like to add that I will be investigating the effect holding your father, though I cannot promise anything.” 

My heart lurched, a wave of emotion rushing through me as I shut my eyes.  Chrissie was quick to take one hand while Amelia took the other.  It wasn’t much, more of an empty gesture, but I knew the man was being as genuine as he could be.  Here I was, a violent monster by any measure, and yet he was still being a damn hero for a teenage girl who just lost her father. 

For once I kept all the emotions to myself, experiencing all of them as they came rather than shoving them into my swarm.  Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I smiled.  “Thank you, that means more than you know.” 

One of the few heroes I respected gave me a polite nod and moved off, heading straight for one of the PRT suits I vaguely recognized.  Knowing Armsmaster, that might have been a clue so I marked him with one of Amelia’s special bugs to ensure I didn’t lose track of him. 

“That went much better,” Chrissie said.  “I wonder who else we could have awkward conversations with before things get rolling?” 

Lisa laughed.  “Well, Jouster is here, so there’s a good starting point!” 

It was a near thing that I didn’t cackle.  “Oh, that sounds delightful!  Lead the way, Lise!”

We were still laughing when Jouster looked in our direction, and the bugs I had on him could practically taste the spike of fear wafting off the teen.  Even better, he was meeting with Myrddin and Battery, which made everything all the sweeter. 

“This party is going to be the gift that keeps giving,” Quarrel giggled.  “If you see Armstrong, I owe him a near miss as a reminder from when I was still his problem.” 

“Well, if it isn’t the man who tried to buy me,” Amelia declared, drawing more than a few eyes from the attendees around them.  This time I did snort, because Amelia was not playing today.  “Who put it in your head that a Wards offer so insulting would win me over?” 

Myrddin stayed silent for a moment, likely weighing his responses and realizing which landmines he would need to avoid if he didn’t want Amelia to turn him inside out.  Jouster had taken a step back and Battery had fallen completely still.  I wasn’t surprised that her formal costume didn’t include the glowing lights.  Such a telltale warning wouldn’t be practical in a setting where discretion could mean the difference between life and death.

“Carol Dallon negotiated the contracts with a third party that was never disclosed to me.  All I knew was that they were part of the PRT.” 

“More cloak and dagger shit,” Chisel snarled.  “With how hard it is for them to give straight answers you would think they would have been more proactive in removing those disapproving of people that weren’t.” 

The collective laughed as Amelia glowered at Myrddin’s non-answer.  Really, it would have been so much easier if I was just allowed to rip his head off, but that would only cause further issues with the Protectorate than I already had.  Sure, Armsmaster was at least pragmatic, but even he would have limits for what was allowed in the end and I had little doubts that he was risking his career with some of his decisions.

“Of course she did,” Amelia said after a moment.  “Well, there’s a reason she’s a head on my shelf and this just cements it.  Honestly, everything would have been so much better if my father had killed her all those years ago.” 

“Damn, that hits home,” Alkaline said softly even as I had to move some of my swarm outside into shelter to get out of the building rain.

“How can you say that?” Carly demanded.  “Carol raised you!  Are you truly so far gone that you think so little of her?” 

Amelia snarled, shoving a finger against Carly’s PRT uniform.  “You know nothing of what it was like to grow up with that cunt as a guardian.  It wasn’t just me either, maybe ask Victoria about Carol once she has time to process what happened, you won’t like the answer.” 

Right, because Victoria’s trigger was largely caused by neglect.  Much as I tried not to listen in on certain conversations, there were some I couldn’t help it.  Learning about Victoria’s trigger was something that made beheading Carol even easier, but I also understood that I was alienating a woman who might have been my friend by doing that to her mother. 

We would need to talk once the dust settled, find a new equilibrium, but that would take time.  I didn’t regret my actions in the slightest, but I knew what the ramifications would be well before I ripped the woman’s head from her shoulders.

“Technically you lashed out with a machete after she all but admitted to working with the Elite,” Butcher corrected. 

I rolled my eyes and shoved him gently.  Let me have my dramatics, that’s half the fun of being the Butcher.

“In that case it would not be out of character to rip Myrddin’s face off,” Reflex joked.  “Honestly, they are far more unnerved by how composed you are than any act of insanity could ever elicit from them.” 

That was actually a fair point, and one I probably should lean into more.  Hell, that was half the reason I wanted to come to this little fundraiser in the first place.  Already it had proven fruitful, and I was still having to keep a lid on the emotions Armsmaster had stirred within me following our conversation.

“Come on Ames, let’s get something stronger than champagne,” Lisa said, pulling our girlfriend aside before she got too creative.  The heroes took that opportunity to move off as well, leaving my girlfriend and I all alone.  Chrissie bit her lip, looking off after Lisa and Amelia as they started raiding some of the waiters of the good Champagne.  

I chuckled.  “Go on, get you something to drink.  I’ll mingle a bit and see if I can get someone to piss themselves.” 

My girlfriend beamed, then kissed me square on the lips.  “Thanks Tay, you’re the best.” 

I laughed and gave her a gentle shove.  “Go catch up before Amelia drinks all the good stuff.” 

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” Chrissie said, then winked. 

I watched as she hurried to catch up to the rightfully pissed Biokinetic and their Thinker girlfriend.  That was something I was still coming to terms with, that I now had multiple partners and that they all cared for me in their own ways.  It was nice, and I would do anything to keep them happy and safe. 

“Including violent decapitation,” Alkaline said. 

Fester chuckled.  “Especially violent decapitation.”

I swiped another flute of champagne from one of the passing trays and downed it even as I watched the rain beat against the tall glass of the venue.  The alcohol was weak enough it may as well have been water with my regeneration.  There was a reason the Butchers kept Tinkertech alcohol on hand at all times, few things could actually get us drunk reliably.

“Well, I didn’t expect to encounter you at this event.” 

I turned, surprised that someone would approach me while apparently recognizing who I was.  She was a tall woman with toned muscles and brown hair done up in a tight bun.  She had a few laugh lines on her face, but other than that didn’t stand out overmuch. 

“Why is this bitch so familiar?” Sabertooth demanded. 

Damascian hummed.  “Her countenance does strike my recollection.” 

“I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage then,” I said diplomatically. 

The woman tittered, covering her mouth with a fucking folding fan of all things.  “Oh, where are my manners Miss Hebert, I am Agnes Black, though you may know me best for the Court I hold.” 

“Oh fuck, she’s the Elite bitch!” Ironsides said. 

“Blood!” Butcher shouted at the same time Sanguine echoed with, “skull!”

“Tread lightly,” I said, my voice devoid of inflection as my eyes turned reptilian.  “You are one wrong word away from becoming bug food.” 

Rather than be intimidated, the woman laughed openly.  “Oh how I admire that fire behind the facade of sanity you portend.  You’re every bit as violent as your predecessors, but you temper it with reason.  A truly frightful combination as Bastard Son learned the hard way.  I must thank you for that, I’d been trying to have him removed for years.” 

“The hell is she playing at?” Alkaline asked. 

“Obviously she took the opportunity to seize more power,” Lisa interjected, having hurried back over from where Chrissie and Amelia were still drinking, though their attention was locked on us.  “Though she is rather pissed that she lost out on Medhall.” 

“We can’t win them all,” Agnes Court said with a dismissive wave.  “I am still content with realizing more than eighty percent of my objectives this past moon.” 

“Quite the achievement,” Lisa agreed.  “Pity your attack dog wasn’t as fierce as you thought.  You certainly hoped he would do more damage than he managed.” 

“He served his purpose just fine,” Agnes Court said.  “I was able to remove most of those who kept the man on their leash, which should make for a safer organization as a whole.” 

I raised an eyebrow, turning my full focus back onto the enigmatic cape as I sharpened my teeth in a mockery of a grin.  “Truly a shame you had to do that, and I’m sure you will take those lessons to heart.  Brockton Bay is under MY protection, keep your people out if you know what’s good for them.” 

“And a fine job you’ve done of protecting her,” Agnes Court said cordially.  “I’m sure that won’t be a problem for me and mine, especially if the whispers coming from Washington are any indication.  Losing Brockton Bay was a minor setback at worst.” 

I didn’t miss how Lisa’s entire body locked up as her power no doubt filled in the blanks.  Unfortunately the Elite cunt had timed the entire conversation to line up with the crowd clapping for the people stepping out onto the stage.  I wasn’t surprised to see Armsmaster up there, nor Director Armstrong.  The lineup would have been far more amusing if they brought another arm themed person out on stage with them.

Agnes Court vanished from my senses at the same moment and I cursed inwardly.  Armsmaster immediately looked in the direction she had been, then began speaking soft enough my bugs couldn’t hear.  He hadn’t known; that much was clear.  He wasn’t happy with the breach of security.

A distraction, that was all Agnes Court wanted from the exchange, as well as to gloat about how I managed to help her consolidate power within the Elite.  I would kill her the next time we met, if only for my own satisfaction. 

“She was the reason Canary was delayed,” Lisa whispered.  “She left Bastard Son to die.” 

“Good riddance,” I said.  “Come up with a personal thank you or something, maybe a major scandal to remember us by.” 

Lisa nodded even as the Director stepped up to the podium. 

“Thank you all for coming!” Director Armstrong declared, the crowd falling into a hush as even the music fell away.  “Today we are here to honor the brave actions of this nation’s steadfast heroes and all the work they did to ensure another city wasn’t lost to the clutches of villainy.”  

“That wording,” Lisa said, narrowing her eyes.  “He’s aware of something the others aren’t.  Even Armsmaster is confused by what he meant.” 

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, this is not the first time Boston has found itself under assault.  The events of the Boston Games will forever live on in infamy.” 

“Hah!  He’s still salty that we managed to carve a place in the city during that whole mess,” Pyro exclaimed.

“Before, we settled for an uneasy peace by allowing the villains to remain.  This time, we will do no such thing!  Boston will be an example to the entire nation that we can and will be able to reclaim our cities from those who seek to rule through fear!” 

“All in favor of making a milk run through his back yard?” Knockout asked.

Alkaline smirked.  “We’ve been gone for only a year and already he seems to have forgotten the unholy terror we could bring down on his head.” 

“Shut up,” Stratego hissed.  “He knows something we don’t.  The Teeth aren’t a concern in his mind, which means the Protectorate has something else intended for us.” 

“This could not have been achieved without the cooperation of many individuals in both the PRT and Protectorate.  It was only through the combined efforts of these brave men and women that we are here today to celebrate.  One such individual stood out, having come in at our darkest hour and the turning of the tide!” 

“Really?  Tolkien?” Fester snarled. 

“It was only through his leadership that we managed the impossible.  To that end, I’d like to make a formal announcement,” Director Armstrong continued.  I almost jumped when Lisa took my hand and squeezed.  “The new Director of the ENE in Brockton Bay, James Tagg!”

He gestured to the side and the man I had marked earlier stepped onto the stage, waving to the assembled guests.  Then his eyes met mine and he had the gall to fucking smirk.  Already I was envisioning ways to make his life a living hell, to see him expelled from my city before he had the chance to set foot within her boundaries. 

“I’ll be sure to keep this brief so we can get to the dinner portion of the evening,” Tagg said, grinning.  “Despite my involvement in your fair city, I’m sure all of you are wondering why an announcement for Brockton Bay is being made in such a setting?” 

A few murmurs broke out through the crowd, but I kept my focus squarely upon the man. 

“The answer is simple!  While Boston will be held as a bastion of what can be done when all the villains are expelled from a city, Brockton Bay is being treated as a warning.  As such, I am here to say that I will also be the final Director of the Protectorate East-North-East.” 

“They’re abandoning the city,” Lisa whispered.  “They’re leaving everything to the Teeth.” 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Chrissie asked. 

I shook my head.  “It means we’re losing all Federal funding.  We’re essentially being declared an exclusion zone like Ellisburg or Eagleton.” 

“This comes down to one problem that the national office has been unable and unwilling to contain.” 

He looked directly at me as he made his declaration and I met his harsh gaze with one of my own.  If he wanted to play these games, I was more than willing to rise to the challenge.

“These monsters would have you believe all they seek is peace.  Given how they left over two hundred dead in the wake of their most recent rampage, including several heroes who only sought to benefit the public?  I think we can safely say that farce fails to hold any water.” 

Butcher scowled.  “Okay, I know we beheaded Brandish, but where the hell is he getting the several part from?”

“Brockton Bay is to be quarantined due to the existential threat that its latest monster represents.  A former hero twisted by power, brought to villainy through the actions of others.  As such, a Kill Order has been prepared for Amelia Claire Lavere, better known as Pandemic.” 

My blood froze in my veins as Lisa sucked in a sudden breath.  She hadn’t even caught wind of such a plan, which implied that Tagg had access to anti-Thinker assets.  Such assets that might be able to prevent an Elite plan from being discovered too soon. 

“It was him,” Lisa snarled.  “He was the bastard pulling their strings all along!” 

The collective rose up in fury, forcing me to push them down even as I wanted to embrace their rage and add it to my own.  No, blind fury wouldn’t aid me here, not yet.  What I needed was cold and calculating wrath, ready to be administered on demand.

I put a hand on Lisa’s shoulder before she could take more than a step, her strength surprising me enough that I had to deploy some of Knockout’s force fields to keep her from advancing on the stage.  Instead I reached up and pulled off the shawl covering my back and passed it to Chrissie. 

“Hold onto this, I won’t be more than a few minutes.” 

“Taylor?” Amelia whispered. 

I turned to her and smiled.  “Don’t worry.  I won’t let them lay a finger on you.” 

My steps were with purpose as I strode through the crowd, uncaring of who I bumped into.  I was an implacable force of nature in comparison to the squishy people in between me and my prey.  Several heroes began to move, but Armsmaster gave orders not to engage.  Tagg watched with a smile, as if I was playing right into his hand.  Perhaps I was, but I didn’t care at this point. 

“Ah, the Butcher shows herself,” Tagg said, holding his arms wide.  “How kind of you to step forward freely.” 

I turned, letting the panicking crowd see my tattoo in full, the eight gray legs of the spider forming an X, while its abdomen formed the V.  Crimson was splattered like blood between the limbs and the abdomen lined with matching scarlet.  It was a stylized version of the tags that Aisha had been spreading across Brockton, and I had adopted it fully as my own symbol.

“This is an ill advised course of action,” Armsmaster said, almost sounding resigned.  “Please desist in antagonizing the most dangerous cape in the continental US.” 

“You should listen to him,” I said, drawing in my swarm, letting it coat the walls.  Some people were finally growing wise to what was happening, many pointing at my back as I shoved past them.  “Then again, I am hoping you don’t because it seems I need to make another example.” 

“Like you did with Brandish of New Wave?” 

I snarled.  “Yes.  Anyone involved with the death of my father will share his fate.  That is not a curse, but rather, a promise.” 

“Amelia Lavere is a threat,” he stated. 

“You aren’t wrong,” Amelia said, her dress rippling as it reformed around her into the same rough outfit she had adopted outside the Arena as well as at the penitentiary.  I couldn’t deny the thrill that ran through me at the sight of it. 

“See!” Tagg shouted even as people backed away from my people.  “She can do that on command.  She has to be stopped!”

“If anyone so much as attempts to harm a hair on her head, I’ll let her kill me herself!” I yelled.  “Then you’ll have Butcher XVI to contend with, and the entire collective will be cheering her on as she burns everything the PRT holds dear to ash and dust!  How’s that for a fucking threat?” 

“Then you had best get started,” Tagg said smugly, holding up his hand. 

I didn’t hesitate, throwing myself through my swarm to the bug on the back of his suit collar.  I reappeared, the burst of flame moving off of me in slow motion even as my arm shot out.  His flesh and bone parted as if it wasn’t there, Fester’s rot corrupting everything I came in contact with, all save for the man’s heart as I grasped it in my hand.  

At that same time, my bugs had swarmed the individual that had been eyeing Amelia far too closely from across the room.  He fired off some projectile which impacted her already shifting dress, knocking Amelia back.  Lisa screamed as she caught our girlfriend, but none of the bugs I had on them could smell or taste blood. 

In retaliation, my swarm forced themselves down his throat and made a home for themselves deep in his lungs.  The man beside him did something and the shooter was replaced with a PRT agent.  I sent my swarm after the obvious teleporter as well, content in the knowledge that despite having somehow shifted the shooter half a mile through line of sight, my swarm was still in range thanks to the relays I’d kept hidden from the raging storm.  The shift hadn’t been perfect, however, and the bastard fell neck first to the ground.

The explosive force finally caught up with my actions, wrenching his body off my arm and sending it into the crowd.  A crash of thunder followed the explosion, shaking the building as I stood there, bloody fist grasping the raw organ as it sputtered one last bit of blood before I let it drop to the ground with a wet splatter.

Armsmaster looked down at the organ, then back up at me with a grim expression.  “It would be inefficient to repeat myself.” 

I couldn’t help it, the sheer incredulity of the phrase accompanied by the absolutely masterful deadpan was too much.  I laughed, loud and a bit unhinged even as two men drowned on dry land.  Those in the crowd that weren’t already attempting to flee took a few steps back from the obvious madwoman, but not my girlfriends.  Lisa helped a cussing Amelia back to her feet as she checked her side where the projectile—a fucking ball bearing—had failed to punch through her armor.  

Amelia waved off Chrissie’s concern as she got to her feet, muttering about a bruised or cracked rib and how the PRT had shot her twice.  They didn’t hesitate to approach the stage, even if they weren’t sharing in my mirth at having killed another bastard responsible for the recent mess.  

Amelia had donned her full costume, muttering about how the hit she’d taken was going to be a bitch to heal with her new tricks even as Lisa feathered a kiss on her covered cheek.  Chrissie was grinning wide, and I could taste the adrenaline in the air.  She was clearly itching for someone to try something, to kick off a fight so she had the excuse to cut loose. 

“Is this going to be a problem?” I asked.  “You did give me tacit approval earlier.” 

Armsmaster grimaced.  “Unfortunately.  As far as this will be considered in my report, Director Tagg willfully committed suicide by cape after repeated warnings.” 

“Works for me,” I said with a shrug.

The relative mood died almost immediately as a wailing siren began to rise up over the storm outside.  Armsmaster had fallen still and someone was relaying information through his headpiece that was being repeated to every trooper and cape present that sent icy dread down the spines of everyone present, myself included.  As if the raging storm wasn’t enough of a portent, the voice of Dragon soon came over their comms and confirmed what I already knew.

Leviathan was coming for Boston and we were right in the middle of it.

Legend's Echo Chapter 04

“You incompetent fool!”

Robin did her best to ignore the loudmouthed buffoon currently yelling at her in favor of putting some poor kid’s eye back where it belonged, but it was a near thing. Ser Bran, as it turned out, was exceptionally pissed with her for staying behind and risking her life to save the healing station when it clearly wasn’t necessary.

Worse, her apprentice Donovan was currently nodding along with every word he uttered as if it were delivered from on high. It was a pain in the ass, especially with how she was expected to continue working since none of the other healers could keep going without passing the fuck out.

Hell, the Bronze rankers had passed back out the moment they realized they were safe.

As much as she wanted to go off on the pair for the public dressing down, she’d known better than to give them a reason to make things worse. Hence working on making sure everyone that still breathed would continue to do so and still have a career ahead of them once everything was wrapped up.

The bad news hadn’t stopped with the sudden ass chewing. Oh no, it continued with her fucking staff having been stepped on by one of the bastard wyvern as they fought. The dogwood wasn’t even delicate, yet it still broke all the same. The Foci still functioned, but the lack of a well worked medium made it far less efficient. She was managing, but it was just another glob of shit on top of what was proving to be one of the worst days of her career.

Content that the eye was as healed as she could get it with her reduced capabilities, Robin patted the kid on the shoulder and began to rinse her hands of bits of blood and flesh. Donavan was now prattling on and on about a healer’s duty, the very words she had taught him five years ago when she first took him on.

She really didn’t want to deal with him at the moment, especially when that wooden stick up his ass was starting to show again. For as much as he liked to bend certain rules when he was involved, he sure as hell liked to enforce them for others.

Which was a problem she really didn’t want to deal with any longer than she had to. Now that she was done with the more pressing cases, that meant it was time to turn the tables on the blowhard.

“Are you done?”

Or not, it seemed. Turning to face the newcomer, Robin couldn’t help the smile she felt pulling at her lips at the sight of The Legend himself. He had stopped just a few steps away, and despite only being slightly taller than Donovan, he seemed to loom over him with the weight of his presence. It wasn’t like Donovan was all that tall, which made the impression all the more impressive for it.

“Ser Legend,” the pansy-ass that led them, snapped off. “We weren’t expecting you for this disciplinary action.”

Robin held her tongue on that one, because of course the adventurers guild would try to discipline her for saving lives. Yes, she broke protocol, but there were reasons that would make sense if she were allowed to explain them, but nobody was interested in listening.

At least not when it was coming from a woman’s mouth.

“Please, do explain,” The Legend said, and Robin might have been imagining it, but that almost sounded sardonic.

“Healers have a duty as you well know,” Donovan said, then pointed a finger right in Robin’s face. Was it bad that she was tempted to take a page from the murder chickens and bite it off? “This healer abandoned her duty to fight.”

“She did, and the other healers still live for it, your useless ass included,” The Legend said then turned to face Robin. “Explain to them why you stood firm.”

She swallowed, the pressure rather suddenly on her. “Had I fled, those beasts would have overwhelmed those remaining far sooner and pursued, and three wyvern against any number of healers, even ones who can handle a spear, would have been a slaughter.”

“Exactly,” The Legend said. “Ser Bran. What is to be the fallout from her decision?”

“Demotion, potentially back to Silver rank,” Ser Bran said.

Oh how she wanted to kick him in the dick for that one.

Worse, Robin didn’t miss how Donovan perked up at that. Given he was a recent Gold promotion that made too much sense why he was pushing for this. Rankings were rather cut throat like that and Robin was all too aware of some of the more underhanded things done to preserve one’s place or worse, elevate it.

This was rather tame by comparison.

It still stung to see such politics from her apprentice. Hell, the young man was already poised to overtake her within the year just on sheer virtue of the fact he had a dick and knew how to jerk off the higher ups with his words. They loved that shit and Robin had no patience for it.

The Legend stood silent for a moment, as if in contemplation as he stared directly at the necklace she wore that showed everyone where she stood with the guild. Was he about to suggest something even harsher? Well, if the fucker thought that she could be busted back down to Bronze of all things, they all had another thing coming. Robin could always retire off of her savings, which was more than most realized since she was storing it away outside of Guild control.

“You are currently Gold, first rank, Healer division,” The Legend said after a moment and already Robin was reaching for her rather impressive repertoire of insults. She glared back at him in defiance, wondering whether dullard or imbecile would work better for the opening salvo. Best to save the worst of the curses for later in the tirade in her experience. Then The Legend nodded as he came to a decision. “A promotion to Platinum is in order.”

Robin blinked, her planned speech dying on her lips as she took that statement in. Did he just suggest she should be promoted instead? It went against everything healers stood for, but she’d done what she could to save lives knowing she would probably lose face for it. Sometimes doing the right thing involved telling those who thought they knew better to shove a cactus up their dickholes.

“What?” Donovan said, his voice almost breathless in his confusion.

Best to be very careful to not appear smug in the face of his rather delightful moment of utter dumbfoundedness over his expectations being broken much like the Dragon just over the ridge. Robin had gotten a look at it during her last breather, and holy hell was it a sight to behold. The Guild crafters were going to be all over it for the raw materials, though Robin had her doubts that anyone from the expedition would see a spec of it save for maybe The Legend.

Not that he needed any of it.

The Legend was unflappable and his voice carried authority. “Robin has shown more promise and ambition than anyone here, willingly throwing herself in harm’s way to save others. That is the mark of a true hero, and has earned my respect.”

And there was the fluttering in her stomach and lurching of her heart once again. Damn that man and his casual ability to play with her emotions. Bran and Donovan entered a hushed conversation with the hero, which she didn’t attempt to listen in on. If the Legend was set on their opinion, the words of lesser men wouldn’t impact her standing in his eyes.

“That isn’t your decision to make,” Donovan said, but Robin could tell he was reaching.

Yes, he was technically right about that, but at the same time, who was going to speak against The Legend? Hell, the man had just slain a dragon by knocking out of the sky in melee combat and walked off the experience. Only an idiot would try and tell him he was wrong to his face.

“We shall see,” The Legend said.

He didn’t depart with those words and instead stood firm, waiting for the others to leave instead. Robin wanted to laugh at how casual he was being with their dismissal and how clear it was that he didn’t value what they said, but she was also the one in the hot seat. No matter what the outcome, something about her life would change. If The Legend had his way, then she would finally be able to say she did the impossible and claim Platinum Rank. On the other hand, if Donovan got his way…

Well, she wouldn’t say no to a quiet life on a farm back at her home village, but she still had a few more years left in her as an adventurer, no matter what anyone said. The pair tried to stick around, but The Legend’s sheer presence was enough to stifle them into walking away after mere moments.

Which prompted one of the attending soldiers to finally approach with several skewers of meat which were thankfully still steaming.

“As requested,” the man said with a smirk.

Robin bit into it and was pleasantly surprised by how tender the wyvern meat was. Even better, someone had added pepper sauce to them as they roasted, giving the meat a delightful kick. Donovan lingered just out of earshot, watching her as she ate. Robin flipped him off and finally, he departed.

“Their behavior is troublesome,” The Legend said once they were alone. Though she could feel his eyes on her as she devoured the wyvern that attempted to eat her. Poetry at its finest. “If more had your spirit, the world would be better for it.”

Not quite sure how she should take that, Robin shrugged. “I saw people in need and saw that our protocol was failing everyone, so I stepped in.”

“I know. I was watching,” he said.

Robin hummed, then the words fully registered and she spun back to face the armored man. “You were what!?”

“I was prepared to step in the moment someone was in true danger,” The Legend said, holding up a gauntlet to forestall the epic level ass reaming she wanted to deliver to the bastard that hadn’t helped when he could. “Which I did. Everyone that was still alive when I arrived is still alive now.”

“That’s no excuse!”

“Isn’t it?” he asked. “I saw a healer stand tall in the face of death, something I have not seen in some time. That alone warranted taking a moment to see if you were worthy of my attention.”

“And was I?” Robin sneered as she shoved a finger into his breastplate. “People nearly died, you asshole! What could have been worth all of their pain and suffering?”

The Legend loomed large despite her attempts to convey how pissed off she was at the moment. Something told her she came across more as a growling puppy than an angry wolf. Not that The Legend would be intimidated by something as mundane as a wolf. If anything, she felt as though a wolf was smiling down at her with sharpened fangs ready to tear into a new meal.

“That answer is simple,” The Legend said, his tone both amused and damning at the same time. “You see, I believe that I have found myself an Echo, if you would be interested.”

Robin stared up at the blank mask of The Legend’s helm in dawning horror at what he had just said. Echoes were rare among adventurers, more akin to a Knight’s Squire, but with a full apprenticeship behind it. It wasn’t just a statement, it was a commitment that was being made. A promise. Everything that declaration entailed resonated within Robin’s thoughts and crystallized into a single word that she felt summed up everything pertinent about the offer.

“Fuck.”

Legend's Echo Chapter 03

The beast fell without a cry, and Robin barely managed to wrest the spear free from the now limp monster.  The other two screeched at her, their focus on the ragged defenders having dropped in the face of someone managing to kill one of their broodmates.  Robin didn’t care about that, she was more concerned with keeping the men around her alive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. 

The remaining wyvern flared their wings, pacing away from one another to create space.  She recognized the behavior from the time a starving wolf pack had attacked her caravan a few years back.  A hunting tactic to force prey to focus on one while the other moved to strike.  Most of the adventurers were down, and those that moved to join her weren’t in the best of shapes. 

“Well, isn’t this just fucked,” Robin muttered. 

The soldier beside her chuckled darkly, his left arm hanging limply.  “Unbelievably so, especially if The Legend fell along with that dragon.” 

“Haven’t seen it get back up since The Legend made it cry like a bitch,” Robin countered, not that she really felt all that inspired in the moment.  Looking death in the face had that effect on someone, especially those who knew the God of the Underworld intimately.  “That doesn’t change our situation, we’ve still got two giant chickens to gut first.” 

Seriously, all birds had to be of demonic origins, and what were Dragons but oversized poultry?  Hell, Robin bet they even tasted the same when cooked with some good hot sauce.  Actually, assuming the camp survived, they could probably do exactly that.

“True enough,” the man said with a chuckle.  “What’s two more dragonkin to fall today?” 

Robin could only agree that they had the right spirit of it, the real question was if they had enough left in them to make it reality.  It was one thing to rally around someone who looked like they knew what was going on, it was another to put that bravado to action.  She held tight to the spear in her hand, lamenting that she didn’t know more advanced combat magic in that moment. 

One of the wyvern seemed to catch her drifting thoughts of food and magic, lunging forward with drool dangling from its jowls.  Robin grit her teeth and adjusted the spear, bringing it up in a basic thrust.  The wyvern pushed itself aside and the steel tip brushed along scales.  Robin threw herself aside just as the talons would have taken a chunk out of her shoulder. 

Panting, she forced herself back to her feet and tried to raise that damn spear, only for her left arm to barely respond.  Flicking her eyes to her limb, they widened as she bit out a curse.  One of the talons had torn a fucking chunk out of her gods be damned shoulder. 

Magic flowed through her, and the wound began to close even as her reserves burned.  Internal spells were a little easier on the body, but they still benefited from a Foci.  Without her staff, Robin was forced to wrangle the raw currents into a suitable spell structure.  The magic burned even as it healed, and she couldn’t help but smirk at the gawking murder chicken. 

“That’s right bitch,” Robin said, smiling despite the pain as the blood ceased running down her arm.  Her eyes flicked down to the thin line cut into the beast’s gullet.  “Unlike you, I get better after I’m sliced open.” 

Sure, taunting the beast did nothing but bolster her own morale, yet that was what she needed when it was becoming increasingly clear that there wouldn’t be anyone charging over the hill to save them.

“Robin!”

She took a step to the side so she could keep the Wyvern in view and regarded the man that had called for her.  Donovan stood beside the horses, still pleading.  All the other healers had mounted up and several were already on their way.  They were fleeing at the first sign of trouble, not when they knew it was a lost cause. 

Cowards, one and all. 

If these were people—humans—they were fighting, they could probably manage to get away.  Adventurers hired to heal at a battle would be spared and their contract bought out in most cases, but these were beasts out for blood. 

“Go!” she yelled just as the Wyvern lunged.  Her spear flicked out, knocking aside the claw but at the cost of ruining her balance.  Thankfully she got her footing back before the damn lizard-chicken could do the same.  “These men won’t be enough to cover our retreat.  If we run now, we all die!” 

For all her snark, Robin knew how dire the situation was, and unwilling help was worse than none.  They could run, but she wasn’t about to roll over and die for nothing, not when there was still a chance. 

With a grimace, Robin’s former apprentice turned and began to herd the other healers away.  The once bright eyed boy spared one final look back, but she knew that this would be the breaking point of their relationship, assuming they both survived the coming days.

Another snapping lunge was sidestepped, and Robin sent a probing stab in retaliation.  Neither strike amounted to anything and the pair resumed their slow circling.  That finally allowed Robin to catch a glimpse of the other battle down the ridgeline, and what she saw was enough to take the wind right out of her lungs. 

The horde had broken the line, and were currently tearing into the backline support.  The leaders of their expedition were attempting to rally, and it looked like it just might work.  The numbers were in their favor, and the big one wasn’t anywhere to be seen.  That didn’t help her right that moment, however.  

As if the wyvern understood, it started making a rattling noise that was too much like laughter to be coincidental. 

“Yeah, you’re going to be chicken wings,” Robin muttered.  “With all the hot sauce.” 

The second wyvern perked up at her words, then hissed and charged towards her while ignoring the winded soldiers.  Cursing under her breath for tempting the Fates like that, Robin pushed a thrum of magic through her as she shut her eyes and let it free.  The drain nearly brought her to her knees, but the simple lamp spell could be overcharged to great effect. 

If that crafty bastard that taught it to her were still alive, she might have thanked him. 

Her eyes opened the instant she cut the spell, and her spear thrust forward despite her protesting limbs.  She screamed out, forcing everything she had into the strike, and nearly cheered when the spear bit into the wyvern’s neck.  She wrested it free as swiftly as she could, her tired limbs needing her to brace a foot on the bleeding beast to manage the task. 

Just as it popped free Robin was knocked aside by what felt like a rampaging…  Well, it was obviously the damn wyvern that did it.  She tried to move, but she was met with burning nerves that painted a pretty grim picture for her chances.  She began to channel healing power into the injuries, but there were so many and she was already straining just to manage that much. 

Her vision swirled as her head throbbed, but she could still make out enough to tell that the last wyvern was coming for her to finish the job it started with the rest of the adventurers.  Hell, it still had a bit of entrails hanging from its jowls from some poor sap.  It was almost funny how she’d been talking about eating one of the beasts and now this one was about to make a meal of her.  Yeah, that’s what she got for mouthing off when in danger, it never ended well.  She should have learned after pissing off that one muscled bastard, but he really was compensating for his tiny dick! 

Oh yeah, there was a snarling beast about to eat her, best to think of something pithy to say before she met the gods or whatever.

“I hope you get food poisoning.” 

Okay, so not the best last words, but she didn’t have it in her to be wittier about things, especially when the thing about to kill her wouldn’t appreciate them.  

Robin shut her eyes and said a silent prayer to whatever being cursed the world to be as fucked as it was, and promised that she would shove something up their ass for the trouble before they managed to send her to whatever eternal torment she had earned. 

Fucking hell, they would probably just send her back as a healer again, it wouldn’t be any different from damnation.  She considered keeping her eyes closed, but what the hell, if she was gonna get eaten, she was at least going to watch it happen for as long as she could. 

Yeah, that was a completely healthy thought… 

Right, dying, she should probably focus on that. 

The wyvern raised a taloned claw towards her, then was replaced with a shower of crimson speckled gore that rained down upon her.  First of all, neat.  Second, was she actually alive?  Well, plans change and all that, the gods could deal with her barbed tongue later, but what had saved—

Boots squished through the ruined body of the beast and Robin’s eyes fell upon their armored form.  Not a speck of skin shown as they stopped over her broken body and she could almost imagine the smirk on his lips under that damn helmet.  Sure, some of the metal was scorched, but nothing appeared to have been damaged beyond the superficial.  Grasped in one hand was a spear that put her pilfered trinket to shame, complete with an ornate gem affixed just below the head of the thing.  The other held a tower shield that looked more scrap than shield, yet it still held enough integrity to serve in a pinch.

“You did well,” The Legend said, his voice reverberating within the helmet.  He reached out a hand, the offer of help implicit.  “Rather impressive to see a healer do battle.” 

Robin’s heart fluttered at the praise and she let out a groan.  Just what she needed, a return of the gods-be-damned crush on the most eligible bachelor in the land short of actual royalty.  So, despite the pain she was still in, she took the man’s hand and apologized to her future self for having to deal with these stupid ass feelings that she now had to put up with. 

Again.

Legend's Echo Chapter 02

Robin shot up from her bedroll with a gasp, horns blowing in the distance.  The first light of dawn had barely begun to peek over the surrounding mountains, casting everything in pale light.  The horns blared again and Robin was on her feet, attempting to take stock of what had set everyone off. 

Bronze ranked Healers scrambled to put their robes on, others had to double back to grab their Foci.  Not Robin, she had slept in her robes in preparation for the day and her staff was right at her side, the crystal within shimmering in time with the beat of her heart.  Robin’s Foci was nothing special, just a shiny river rock that had seemed to resonate with her, and after fifteen years, it was perfectly in tune with her Mana. 

The world shook as Robin clutched her ears, the sound overwhelming to a degree she had never experienced.  A dark shadow passed overhead, bringing a bellowing gale in its wake.  Magic pulsed through her, the damage inflicted receding with each pulse of her heart, which promptly stopped when she saw the source of the shadow. 

Blotting out the very sky was a creature of black scale and wing.  Four legs were tucked close as it flapped once and banked, circling the camp.  Fire licked at the beast’s jowls, as it lined itself up for a pass of the army’s camp and cold dread replaced the raw fear that had clenched her heart.  The dragon had come, and they were not prepared to face it.

Another flap and the beast was moving forward as if in slow motion, but Robin knew better.  The beast was simply so large that it appeared to be moving slow.  The dragon’s jaw opened, almost unhinging itself as a torrent of liquid poured forth, only to ignite into a cascade of orange flame.  Fire cut through the centerline of the organized camp, no doubt killing dozens if not hundreds of the men there.

Right, casualties would be arriving any moment, she needed to get ready!

“Healers!  To your stations!  Prepare to receive casualties!” 

The words were as much for Robin as they were for the others, anything that might get them moving in the face of the winged death above.  The dragon hadn’t stopped to admire their handiwork, she simply rolled through the sky and prepared to strike once again.  Robin braced for what was sure to be another swathe of fiery death cut through one of their camps. 

The dragon screeched as a flash of metal impacted their side, knocking them off course, sending the beast into a spiral as it vanished over one of the mountain sides.  Robin hadn’t seen what caused it, but she didn’t need to.  The Legend had joined the fray and would keep the big bitch busy while they moved into position to face her brood. 

Biting her lip, Robin looked back towards the soldier’s camp and breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the numerous dirt and stone barriers that had been hastily erected to shield them from the fire.  It wouldn’t prevent all the injuries, but it was something that might lessen the load on the rest of her team. 

Everyone was mobilizing, she could see the dots in the distance moving like angry ants.  Which was why she wasn’t surprised when her ears picked up distant screaming that steadily grew louder over the next few moments.  Robin hurried over to the cots, the things were little more than woven bamboo that could be rinsed off quickly to make room for the next unfortunate bastard that needed a healer’s touch. 

And oh did the first arrival not disappoint.  His arm was blackened with the char of overcooked meat.  Well, what was left of it at least.  The arm ended abruptly just before his elbow, which meant for a fairly complex restoration.  The soldier was taken straight to Donovan, which Robin tried to not take personally. 

He was closer to the path that led to their little dip in the mountains, and such an injury was well within his ability to handle.  There would be no shortage of people to heal for everyone soon enough, and the distant screaming would only continue to filter in as the day progressed.  Well, for those who didn’t die in transit, like the one they’d just rushed right to her. 

Really off to a great start there… 

The next to be brought to her was better off, a large gash across his stomach had been cauterized enough that he didn’t bleed out.  Sure, it would have been a painful death, but it would take hours for him to actually expire.  Had they been dealing with more pressing needs he might have even been bumped down the triage list.

Robin’s Foci glowed brightly as she channeled her magic, directing the flow so it would mend the wound and regrow missing flesh and restore his blood.  It took her less than a minute to bring him back completely.  It took just over a minute for him to realize he was getting help and had already been fully healed. 

“Why am I so blasted hungry?” the man demanded as he sat up from the cot.  

“Because your stomach was carved open by flying debris,” Robin said.  She’d already moved on to another patient, though this one had fallen unconscious from the shock.  Losing everything below the belly button would do that to a man.  “I imagine all the food you ate last night is charred ash back where they found you.” 

The soldier muttered something but an attendant not currently on healing rotation was quick to move him off towards the recovery area.  He’d get refitted for battle there and be sent back to the lines, assuming the lines were even needed yet.  She hadn’t seen any injuries that would be the result of a drake or wyvern. 

“Has the horde arrived yet?” Robin asked her next patient, a young boy who had half his ribs crushed. 

“No sightings,” he whispered, then winced as his last rib was mended.  

“We think that she flew ahead of the horde to soften us up for them.” 

Robin blinked as she caught sight of Ser Bran walking in with a pair of sour-faced escorts.  He had minor injuries, but someone had clearly insisted he be checked by a healer before the battle truly began.

“The Legend has engaged?” Robin asked. 

Ser Bran scoffed as one of the Silver ranked healers began to mend his injuries.  “That crazy bastard all but threw the dragon into the neighboring mountain range.  They’ve been slugging it out ever since.” 

As though to punctuate that very point, the air trembled from the mighty roar of the beast only to be silenced by some impact that none of them could see. 

Horns sounded and Ser Bran cursed.  “Speak of the devils and they shall be at your gates.  To arms!  Make ready to receive the hellspawn!” 

The two men escorting Ser Bran let out a resounding cheer, which was mutely answered by the recovered men.  Funny enough, the man currently under her care raised his arm and let out a wheezing breath.  An impressive feat given the shard of tentpole currently lodged inside his lung.  Robin put a hand on his sternum and pushed him back down, getting an aborted cry of pain as he bit his own tongue off. 

Great, more things she would need to repair. 

A quick tug on the wooden rod, a pulse of healing power, and the man was good as new.  Well, aside from the bloodied clothes.  At least he hadn’t been wearing his armor at the time, it would likely have made the whole process all the more tedious.

Small mercies. 

The new healers couldn’t manage to be nearly as quick with their healing.  One Bronze ranked kid was working on a decent sized cut while one of the Silver handled the gut wound that nearly killed the man.  It said something that the gut wound was closed before the otherwise superficial cut. 

Robin could remember being that slow when she was still new, but that was more than a decade ago.  Instead, she restored an arm with barely a strain on her capabilities.  Even Donovan struggled to restore limbs at the speed she could, and quickly flagged when he tried to keep up with her.  That he was nearly the same rank as her was an insult to her ability.

Screams filled the air as Robin continued to treat man after man, the battle raging less than a kilometer away from them.  Occasionally one of those bringing the injured would provide updates, but the chaos of the battlefield meant it was hard to tell if things were dire or not.  Those she treated tried to embellish what happened to them in some strange attempt at flirting while covered in blood and bile. 

“Come on, it was bigger than that!” a man yelled as he glared at her with hatred.  He was nude from the waist down on account of having been torn in half by two of the beasts.  They didn’t bother to recover the rest of him. 

“Magic doesn’t work like that,” Robin said, gesturing for the next in line.  “If it did, I would make quite the fortune enlarging men in the capital.  I’m afraid what returned is all you, for what little that is worth.” 

The man snarled as if he was going to try something, but one of the guards was already taking him by the arm to get him some clothes and back on the front lines.  With luck she wouldn’t see him again, but someone that insecure would certainly do something stupid to prove themselves and wind up right back on her table. 

“If he returns, send him to Donovan, no matter how bad of shape he’s in,” Robin said, already moving to examine the next patient.  The guard nodded and made a note on the scroll they kept.  Perhaps having a man explain why his dick was so small would silence him for good.

With that no longer a concern, Robin focused on the man being laid out before her.  This one was out cold, which was probably a good thing given the claw marks that cut his torso open.  Magic allowed many things and battlefield preservations spells were common enough that even dire injuries could be held in stasis until they could see a medic.  

Such skills were uncommon, but useful enough that adventurers and soldiers alike were willing to pay a premium to keep capable people close at hand in times of conflict.  Healers could manage something similar, but it was often better to simply heal the injury rather than delay things until later.  A full retreat would be one such exception, and Robin certainly hoped it wouldn’t come to that. 

Robin stumbled, quickly grabbing hold of the frame so she didn’t fall.  Sound washed over them a moment later, the echoing cry of a dragon unmistakable.  Somewhere out there The Legend was still battling with the true foe of the day.  She could only pray that he was winning, because she couldn’t think of a single instance of it taking hours for him to kill anything. 

A part of her wished that she was out there, if only to witness the battle.  Robin wasn’t delusional, she knew that none of the soldiers were getting to witness what had to be an event worthy of song as it happened.  No, they were all fighting for their lives and she was there to put them back together when death came calling. 

And that’s exactly what she kept doing, even as the younger healers rotated out, even as the Silver ranked had to take a break.  Even as Donovan began to flag, Robin pressed on, keeping as many men in the fight as she could.  Hours passed, the sun shifted towards the horizon, but she stayed strong. 

Robin defied the clutches of death herself. 

The soldiers continued their rotations, with the most recently injured staying behind to allow their prior guard to join the lines refreshed.  Few adventurers passed through in comparison, but those that did were always problematic in comparison. 

“I can’t go back,” the man whispered. 

His armor laid beside where he sat on the ground, his eyes staring off into nothing as he kept repeating his words over and over to himself.  The metal was shorn through, from where one of the wyvern had ripped into his bowels and made a snack of them.  That he lived through that was a testament to those around him who acted quickly.

His spear had even been recovered, it sat a few feet shorter than it had once been based on the splintered end.  He hadn’t even given it a passing glance.  Robin directed the soldiers to move him to the recovery area, what they did with the traumatized man was their business. 

Donovan has stepped away from his cot for the first time, taking his first break of the protracted battle.  Her apprentice was glistening with heavy sweat, and once again she had to bite back a laugh.  Robin was winded, but not spent, and she would keep going just to prove a damn point.  She kicked the spear aside and gestured for the next person. 

Only, they weren’t bringing anyone.

Robin looked up with a frown, only to pale as she watched the soldiers backing away from the path with weapons raised.  Three wyvern stalked forward, snarling and snapping at the exhausted men who were meant to protect her.  One brave man lunged, only to get swatted aside by the muscular tail.  The man who she had just put back together was just sitting there, watching without seeing, uncaring of the death that was coming for him.

It wasn’t until the soldiers retreated past him that the tension broke.  One of the Wyvern snapped down on his leg and pulled him off the cot, his body making damn sure he knew to scream.  Robin watched in resigned horror as a second wyvern turned and snapped down on his head, silencing him with a sickening crunch.  And now the wyvern were eyeing another man who was laid out where the Bronze healers had been working.  She was about to watch a second man die when she could be doing something to change their fate.

The tension hung heavy as the predators stalked forward.  One soldier turned to run, and that was all it took to break the morale of everyone present.  The soldiers weren’t going to be of any help, not without someone to rally them, and everyone that might have managed it was being useless. 

The other healers had slipped away, heading towards the horses that would carry them far away, but something kept Robin from joining them.  Donovan met her eyes, worry etched on his face.  Robin could only smile at her apprentice.  Fleeing now would doom the line to collapse.  The healers would be run down before they made it to the next town and then the hoard would have their pick of the farmers as they feasted upon the defenseless population of Alvon. 

Damn their standing orders. 

They were all going to die, but like hell she would just sit there and allow herself to become lizard food.  She eyed the discarded spear and not seeing any other options, bent down and hefted it up.  Something was better than nothing, even if it had been more than a decade since she last held a weapon that was larger than a knife.  She didn’t need her Foci to heal, it just helped lessen the strain of channeling the power into another person.

Robin held the broken spear tight and stepped forward, knowing full well that it would doom her no matter the outcome.  The first wyvern didn’t even notice her approach, so focused it was on getting a snack of its own.  It certainly noticed when her borrowed spear went right through its throat.

Inheritance Interlude - Chrissie

Tuesday May 10th, 2011

W

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 71 - Surrender

The chaos that descended upon them was like an avalanche.  The first Ranger to close the distance sported a pale green, the suit lacking in any defining details other than white gloves and boots.  Even the helmet only had a black upside down triangle for a visor and silver plate where their mouth would be. 

Three other Rangers in the group were identical to the one that Nicole was currently taking by the arm and driving into the broken asphalt.  Sparks flew as its kinetic barrier was shattered and Nicole was quick to pull it back up and spin once, slinging the false Ranger into a charging Blue with a circular visor. 

Devon smashed into the line shield first, Silver light flaring from the point of impact.  Green vines and a Purple spear flanked his impact point as the group tore into the massed machine Rangers.  Chaos was the only word for it, as all form had been cast aside in favor of raw reaction.  Each of them was spent from the battle with Guiana, which had to be part of Anita’s plan, the answer to why she had waited. 

Grace landed at her back, axe at the ready as they were swiftly surrounded. 

“The enemy may change, but the results sure as shit don’t,” Grace said.  “I’ll try to take as much of the load as I can, so try to pace yourself.” 

The tenderness of the words crashed into Nicole with all the weight of the world.  She wasn’t sure what to say to that, how to unpack the depths of what wasn’t being said, so all she could offer was a simple, “thanks.” 

Power thrummed in Nicole’s chest as the Source surged, burning her very being with each beat of her heart.  It was already too much to take, but she had another battle before her.  Blades materialized from the aetheric Source and Nicole surged forward into the coming hoard of mechanical Rangers. 

Kinetic barriers shattered against clashing blades, Nicole’s runaway powers proving to be too much for the artificial Rangers to stand against.  What they lacked in strength, they were making up in pure numbers.  Nicole only had her own wits, and a phasing skill, to throw at the enemy tides. 

Grace on the other hand went full bore, unleashing the full fury that she had brought down upon Guiana just moments earlier.  She lacked the obvious glow of her berserker ability that had allowed her to keep pace with the fearsome general, but against the caliber of enemy before them, it was more than enough. 

Anita hadn’t moved from her place atop the broken building, her yellow form silently watching as the machines were taken apart by the beleaguered Rangers.  If Sinclair thought that they would be able to make an impact in the coming war, this little shakedown run had to be making the man wish he had hair to pull out.

Unlike the last fight where Anita hadn’t brought that many, this time it was as if she’d emptied the entire stockpile.  That might have been the case if Nicole hadn’t seen storerooms loaded with thousands of machines, and now that they had morphing capabilities?  Just how many morphers had they managed to empower with that singular accident? 

If this was what they considered a worthwhile expense to attain more excess Source energy, then they couldn’t afford to lose and risk another ‘accident’ that burns half the city down.  The St. Anthony fire was one of the worst recorded in the state for damages and deaths, only matched by California’s worst wildfires.  Sinclair couldn’t be allowed to repeat himself. 

Not now, not ever.  No matter the stakes. 

Blades lashed out, carving through the false Rangers as though they weren’t even there and Nicole pushed forward.  Anita took notice almost immediately, and with a gesture, a dozen more Rangers descended upon her from all angles.  Nicole quickly found herself bogged down by numbers, which kept coming even as she cut them all down. 

Just how many of the bastards did she bring?

How many had Sinclair produced if they were willing to sacrifice so many of them in an attempt to get the resources to make more?  The thought was there and gone in a shower of sparks and some sort of lubricant as yet another mechanical Ranger was torn asunder by her blades.  The fire within was beyond an inferno now, promising pain and more. 

Yet, Nicole pushed through, closing the distance between her team and the Yellow Ranger.  Machine after machine fell, yet Nicole continued forward almost methodologically.  The tension rose across Anita’s form, yet she didn’t move from her place atop the rubble.  Fire burned with each breath even as Nicole reached the base of the rubble, all her supporting machines now scrap at their feet. 

“You really are a stubborn bitch, aren’t you?” Anita said with an exasperated shake of her head.  “I mean, are you trying to get yourself killed?  What would Grace have to say about that?”

“Whatever she wanted to, because I would deserve it,” Nicole said with a weak smile under her helmet.  “I’ve let her down so much recently, and it seems that I’m going to do it yet again.” 

Anita laughed, almost doubling over as she did.  “Oh damn, you’re really sold on that selfless sacrifice thing, aren’t you?  It’s almo—” 

Silver shield met helmet at speed, and followed her all the way into the concrete below.  Dust and debris kicked up into a cloud that forced her helmet to cycle through the spectrum to find something with visibility.  The sparks from Anita’s kinetic barrier shattering were still raining as she finally caught sight through the poor visibility. 

“I hope you felt that,” Devon hissed, his sword at Anita’s throat.  

The woman coughed, but made no effort to get up.  “I’d tell you to finish me, but you’ve never had that in you.” 

Ouch, that was a burn if Nicole had ever heard one.  Still, she wasn’t about to give the honeypot a break over that.  Devon didn’t move to cut her down and Anita didn’t take advantage of the hesitation.  Their standoff was charged and it took every ounce of Nicole’s restraint to not yell at them to just fuck already, but clearly they had been if that exchange was even remotely accurate. 

“I swear, you just can’t trust another person, can you?” Devon spat. 

Even with the helmet, Nicole could feel the glare coming from underneath the visor even if it wasn’t directed at her.  “I’m fighting for the future of humanity.  I’ll burn anyone I have to if it means we get to see the dawn of the next century as a free species.” 

“There won’t be a new century if the warnings I was given are accurate,” Nicole said.  “Our best chance of stopping The Prime Administrator isn’t fighting each other, it’s pooling resources and cooperating.” 

“Like you’re cooperating with the pretty General in blue?” Anita asked.  “I offered to work with you, but you wouldn’t give me even basic reassurance by letting us hold her for questioning.” 

“Oh I’m sorry,” Kayla cut in, “it’s just hard to trust someone who decided burning half the city was acceptable collateral for tin soldiers that barely match a mid-tier Sylan bot.” 

“That represents a colossal leap over the first generation units,” Anita muttered.  “But your point is heard.  Fine then, what are your terms?” 

Nicole could only blink at the audacity Anita had to actually demand terms when she was clearly at a disadvantage.  What did the woman think she still had to bargain with?  Looking around, the battle was over and all her machines were scrap, she’d lost completely against an exhausted team. 

“Aside from dropping this pathetic attempt to stall?” Grace snapped.  “You know what shape Nicole’s in right now.” 

“Brimming with power that’s liable to explode on us?” Anita asked sweetly.  Ah, that explained it.  “I am quite aware.  Which means I’m sitting in a very good bargaining position if I do say.” 

“You really aren’t,” Grace said.  “Nicole, head on back.  I’ll catch up once we get the details squared away.  That way you aren’t getting in even worse shape than you already are.” 

Nicole opened her mouth to protest, but immediately shut it before a single sound could emerge.  Tipping off that Grace could teleport as well wasn’t a huge risk, and it made it clear that each of her team would soon be able to do so.  A touch of bait and a promise that there were no chips on the table that weren’t in their corner. 

Anita seemed to realize that as well as her form slumped and her morph shattered.

“Then I surrender,” Anita said, holding up her wrists.  “It’s clear as shit that this is a dead end if these botbrains can’t even handle an exhausted team.” 

Was she really going to work with them, or was this yet another feint? 

“How does one take a Ranger into custody?” Devon asked with a weary sigh. 

Anita snorted.  “No fucking clue honey, we’ve never managed it either.” 

“Lovely,” Grace said, turning to face Nicole as she did.  “If we take her with us, it risks exposing your friends.” 

Nicole paused for a moment.  Would The Progenitor actually struggle to contain her?  The mysterious custodian of the ancient ship seemed to have no issue disabling Sylan tech, so why would they have any issue with bootleg Ranger stuff?  They could just bring her back with them and call it quits once her morpher was disabled. 

“Leaving her here forever alienates her, and Sinclair,” Nicole countered.  “At least this way we aren’t at their mercy and terms.” 

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Grace said.  “It’s up to you.” 

Deciding to take the risk, Nicole stepped forward and hauled Anita up to her feet.  The woman hissed in complaint, but didn’t make a move otherwise.  Nicole was barely keeping herself together, the strain having long since grown past the point of being able to manage it with careful breathing. 

“We’re going,” Nicole said.  “Form up and place a hand on my shoulder.  It’s time everyone met The Progenitor.” 

Pausing for a moment, Nicole almost slapped herself. 

“And could someone grab Carlos?” 

***

It felt as though Nicole was beginning to do nothing but travel back and forth from The Progenitor’s ship.  She could only hope that they would get a moment to rest but didn’t dare voice those thoughts for fear that the universe would spite her just because they could.  The Source within roiled, looking for a release that she couldn’t grant.

Something told her that one day that power would consume her, but Nicole was determined to push that off for as long as she could if it meant another day spent with Grace at her side.  The crimson light of her teleportation continued to spiral protectively around Nicole’s own negative light.  It was sweet of her, and Nicole wasn’t quite sure how such motion even worked. 

Perception outside of the teleportation was strange, sometimes the outside world was visible, other times it vanished in a kaleidoscope of color that felt achingly familiar.  The city had vanished and now the jungle and rock of the underground sanctuary came into view just before they touched down inside the ancient vessel. 

The second Nicole’s feet hit the ground she collapsed, gasping desperately to bleed off the excess power.  Grace was at her side in an instant, helping her up.  Words were yelled out but Nicole didn’t have the focus to spare to follow them.  She blinked and the next thing she knew Becca was there with some glowing device. 

Another blink, and Nicole could only feel the bone crushing weariness of someone who stretched themselves too thin.  That and the weight pressing down upon her.  Opening her eyes, Nicole was glad to not be immediately blinded by light.  It also confirmed that the weight on her wasn’t unwelcome in the slightest. 

Grace stirred, her eyes fluttering open as she got her bearings almost as slowly as Nicole was getting her own.  It took a moment for their eyes to meet, but once they did, Grace’s eyes almost seemed to shine in the dark.  The crushing weight grew tenfold as Grace clamped down on her, and Nicole couldn’t help but return the embrace. 

“Nicole!  You’re awake!” 

The words had come out half choked, guilt once again rising up in the back of Nicole’s throat as she realized she’d put Grace through it once again.  There was a shift in the air and the lights rose minutely as someone stepped inside.  She wasn’t surprised to see a rather exhausted Becca freeze in the doorway.

“How long this time?” Nicole asked with a weak smile.

Becca sighed, turning away as she wiped at her cheeks.  “Three days.  You had three times the Source energy bouncing around in you than the last time.  It’s a good thing you didn’t drop your morph, it would have killed you.” 

Well, that was a sobering revelation, but not unexpected. 

“Yeah, I had a feeling it would be bad,” Nicole said with a sigh.  “We really need to come up with a better option than me almost dying in each fight.” 

Becca tossed something, and Nicole caught it on reflex.  It was a watch, a bit chunkier than the usual affair, but not dissimilar to her original.

“That’s a new morpher, made from scratch just for your unique ability to channel the Source.  It will keep you from overdrawing again.” 

“Becca, have you slept at all?” Grace asked, sitting up.

Nicole tried very hard to not think about how her girlfriend was now straddling her.  

Rebecca snorted.  “Not a wink, which is going to change in about five minutes.  Besides, you’re going to need that thing sooner than later.” 

“What do you mean by that?” Nicole asked, failing to push back the mounting dread. 

Becca yawned, heading for the door.  “I’ll let you check the news yourself.  The ship has internet now thanks to tapping my phone into the communication grid.  Try not to abuse it, the antivirus is still pretty shit.” 

And like a passing squall, Becca was gone in a flash. 

“Well, that happened,” Nicole said.  “Do you know what she meant by that?” 

Grace looked away, biting her lip.  A hesitant nod followed.  “Yeah.  Computer, show global news live feeds, current events priority feed.” 

Screens began to manifest in mid air all around them in an impressive display of technology.  The talking heads all formed up, though thankfully they weren’t all spitting out audio.  Nicole focused on one she recognized from across the pond, and suddenly the audio was coming right into her ears clear as day. 

“The attacks continue to multiply in both magnitude and ferocity.  The machine armies of the Sylan have—”  The anchor cut off and it was obvious he was being fed some breaking news.  “Apologies, we just received word that Hawaii’s Ranger team has fallen.” 

Stomach dropping, Nicole searched the screens frantically to find one from home.  Instead, she was stopped by the sight of familiar Gold fighting alongside other Rangers.  The backdrop of New York was hard to miss, and Nicole spun sharply to where Grace was watching another screen that showed the Vegas strip. 

“Carlos went back out there?” 

Grace nodded, not looking away from the chaos.  “The moment the retaliatory strikes began.  His morpher got the teleportation upgrade, but the fighting’s been too intense for him to return.” 

“What about the others?” Nicole asked, already knowing the answer. 

“They’ve been better about returning after a battle,” Grace said, gesturing towards her screen.  

Sure enough, that was Devon in resplendent Silver facing off against a literal mammoth of a Mutant just across the street from an ugly ass black pyramid.  He caught the charge on his shield and didn’t buckle.  Jeff then came crashing down, spearing the monster through its head, ending the fight right there.

“Kayla’s fighting a different monster in Seattle,” Grace continued, flicking a different screen over.  The monster was already down, choked out with a veritable jungle’s worth of thick vines.  “They tend to change the flow of battle once they arrive.” 

“What about you?” Nicole asked, her mouth moving faster than her brain. 

Grace smiled, though there was an ocean’s worth of pain reflected in her eyes.  “I stayed, because I didn’t want you to wake up alone.” 

If Nicole hadn’t already been laying down, she would have collapsed on the spot.  The sheer weight of that statement was like a blanket, both comforting and strangling.  Grace had chosen to remain with her even in the face of being able to save countless lives.  It spoke clearly to her priorities, and echoed her own insecurities. 

Nicole wasn’t certain that she could have made the same choice.

That truth hurt far more than she expected, the realization that her girlfriend clearly cared more than she did about their relationship was a hard pill to swallow.

“You didn’t have to,” Nicole muttered, even as tears streamed down her face. 

“Dummy,” Grace said, stepping forward to pull her into a gentle embrace.  “Even in the face of the end, I’ll be with you.  Always.” 

Nicole held tight to her girlfriend as she sobbed.  She knew she wasn’t the kind of person who could leave so many to suffer just to save the one she loved.  It went against everything she was, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to be that person so much that it hurt.

“Oh good, you two aren’t fucking,” Anita said, striding through the door with all the confidence of a woman in control of the situation.  Nicole watched with a slack jaw as Anita took a seat, the chair forming beneath her before she ever made contact with it.  “So, up to speed on how fucked we are, or do you need another minute?”

Legend's Echo Chapter 01

Hey everyone! I know this isn't a Ranger post, but I'm currently fighting with where to go after reworking the last leg and realizing that my old ending is going to be gutted to the point that most of it will be unsalvageable if I want to pull off the much more epic finale I now have planned. (One of the big set piece moments I had planned for the next book is gonna be part of the new finale, and that's gonna take some work to get right.)

So, to hopefully hold everyone over, here's chapter 1 of another new idea I have! It's a Fantasy adventure, featuring a jaded healer who finds herself in over her head when a mission goes wrong. I hope you all enjoy this sneak peek of another series that I'm experimenting with!

***

“They’ll arrive just before noon.” 

The eve of a major battle always brought an atmosphere filled with tension, especially among the veterans.  Each person in the current tent could count themselves among that number, but even among equals there was always someone who stood greater.  Robin was the highest ranked of her station present, one of two Gold ranked healers in the Kingdom.

With luck, this mission might just get her enough Merits to move up to Platinum, a feat that no healer has managed in almost two hundred years.

An armored figure glared down as the lead scout gestured at a point on the map in a mountain range to the north of their position.  “The hoard numbers over a thousand, mostly young drakes and a handful of wyvern.” 

“Nothing to be concerned with,” Ser Bran said.  He was the ranking commander of the expeditionary force assembled by the King of Alvon.  A collection of soldiers and sellswords all gathered to defend the realm.  “That still leaves the big bastard.” 

Being the leader, however, did not mean that he was the strongest person in the room.

“Bitch,” the armored man said, his voice ringing through the enclosed helm.  “The leader of the hoard will be the broodmother.” 

It was rare to find an adventurer that covered themselves in armor from head to toe, but this man had done so.  There wasn’t a spec of exposed skin, no easy weakness to be exploited.  He was the one all adventurers aspired to become.  The greatest among them, the man who stood atop Platinum rank against all who would challenge him.  Their Ace in the coming battle and the only reason the King authorized such a commitment of their forces.  Known only by his title, having earned it by clawing his way to the top. 

The Legend.

Being in his presence was always a series of mixed emotions for Robin.  From awe at the sight of the greatest hero to grace the lands in centuries, to embarrassment at her own actions nearly a decade prior.

The scout swallowed heavily as their finger slid along the map.  “She is currently flying above the hoard, shadowing their approach.” 

“Expected,” Ser Bran said.  “Legend, you’re sure you’re up to the task?” 

Rather than answer, the armored figure only nodded.  He was a man of few words, and people tended to listen when he did deign to speak.

It was something that Robin had noticed over the handful of times that she had met the man.  Then again, when someone reaches the peak of human ability, they could get away with acting however that damn well pleased.  Adventurers tended to grow full of themselves as they reached the Gold ranks.

His taciturn nature was something that drew her to him, and she was glad that someone like him was the standard that all adventurers held themselves to.  Ser Bran was a low level Platinum adventurer, which meant he was not someone to underestimate.  Even though Robin was a healer, she was still considered a threat to most Bronze and even some Silver adventurers. 

Experience meant a great deal when it came to how dangerous a person could be, and even healers often knew how to stick a knife in someone.  If Robin was to be honest with herself, healers were often more dangerous than the average adventurer simply because they tended to know exactly where to stick the knife to do the most damage. 

That and they could shrug off a knife even if someone did manage to stick it in the right place.  Robin tried to avoid battle, but sometimes bandits happened upon the group she was traveling with and she had to defend herself.  It ate her up inside each time, but such was life for a woman who had taken to the road rather than settling down. 

“That covers the battle itself,” Ser Bran said, his attention shifted from the battle group to Robin.  “Lady healer, is your group ready to receive injuries?” 

Robin grimaced, more at the title than the actual question.  “I’d prefer more experienced healers if I’m being honest.  Between myself and Donovan, we are severely lacking.  Two Silver ranked and seven Bronze round our numbers out.” 

“Unfortunate, but not unexpected,” Ser Bran’s second said.  The stout man was a high ranking Gold adventurer, but she hadn’t caught his name in the initial greetings.  His plate armor was of appropriate quality, if heavily worn.  It spoke to him being a practical sort that didn’t care as much for appearances.  “I trust you have a solid rotation established to keep the young healers from burning themselves out?” 

A hesitant nod was her answer.  “I can’t promise we won’t run into issues if there is a mass casualty event, and with a Dragon being our ultimate foe, that’s almost assured.” 

“Too true,” the man agreed.  “We can only hope that the last stragglers that our runners manage to bring on turn out to be of use to you.” 

“Unlikely, given how rare healers are in the first place,” Ser Bran said.  “The optimism is appreciated, however.  Should they arrive, I trust you’ll see them situated?” 

“Of course,” Robin said with an affirmative nod.  

“Then that covers everything.  You have the rest of the evening to prepare for the coming battle, and I expect everyone to be well rested for the coming day.” 

She didn’t want to mention this next part, but she knew it could be the difference between a line holding or collapsing in the face of one individual too tired to keep a steady footing or grip.  Her own history with the substance not withstanding.

“Poppy tea will be available to all who need it courtesy of Healer Donovan,” Robin added reluctantly, unlike her, he got to use healer as a title rather than a descriptor.  “He brought a supply with him.” 

“Tell him he has our thanks,” Ser bran said with a smile.

The Legend grunted, and turned away, heading for the tent flap.  He’d just made it clear that the meeting was concluded and aside from a few platitudes, it seemed to be the case.  Robin slipped out a moment later, taking a deep breath of the crisp mountain air.  The tent overlooked the valley where the battle was going to be held.

Robin pulled her robes a bit closer to ward off the chill.  A thin frost was settling over the sparse grass despite it being late Spring which would make the coming battle messy.  Slick ground meant poor footing.

Not that the ground wouldn’t be slick with blood within minutes of the battle beginning.  Robin wasn’t a frontline fighter, but she’d seen enough people slip on blood to respect how easy it was to lose one’s footing in war.  The coming battle wasn’t a war, it was survival. 

“Robin,” a voice called out.  She turned and bit back an exasperated sigh as Healer Donovan hurried over.  “How did the meeting go?” 

As the son of a cobbler from the poor part of Alvon, Donovan hadn’t expected much of a future.  That was until Robin had found him and recognized the gift he had.  She took him on as her first apprentice almost a decade prior.  He was now one of the most decorated healers in the country.  Despite being eight years younger than her, just by virtue of being a man meant he found work more easily, and garnered respect with ease. 

He’d shot up the ranks and would probably beat her to platinum at the rate he was advancing.  The prestige from successfully completing this mission would reflect on the both of them, but Robin knew the Guildmaster would attribute most of the credit to him instead. 

She tried to avoid bitter feelings, but such was how the world worked. 

“Your offer for poppy tea was welcomed,” Robin said, wanting to get that out of the way first.  His ego needed the boost before she dropped the bad news and if the near skip in his step was any indication, it was working.  Now to drop the other sandal.  “Unfortunately there has been no word of additional healers joining us before the battle.  We’ll need to make do with who we have.” 

He paused in his stride, a sharp turn was punctuated by his fearful expression.  “Robin, we don’t have enough people…” 

“I know,” she snapped.  “I don’t like this either, but we have to work with the hand we’re dealt.  You and I both can handle ten times the numbers of the Silver ranks, and fifty times the Bronze.  We will make it work, or die trying.” 

“Well spoken,” an echoing voice said.

Robin nearly jumped at how close it was, and actually did when she looked up.  The Legend stood not three feet behind her, having somehow managed to sneak up on her without making a sound.  It was sobering, and she reflexively swallowed as she accepted the knowledge that this powerful man could have killed her without even a warning. 

“Ser Legend!” Donovan snapped, falling into a salute that the man had no right performing. 

The fear that had clouded the man’s eyes was almost instantly replaced with starstruck wonder.  It was no secret that her former apprentice idolized the warrior, though they crossed paths enough over the years that he should have gotten over it. 

Robin certainly had, no matter how much she once wished for the hero’s attention. 

At least, that’s what she had to keep telling herself.

“At ease, adventurer,” The Legend said, though his tone was as hard to place as ever.  “Healer Robin, I look forward to seeing how you perform tomorrow.” 

And just as quickly as he had arrived, The Legend was off to bother someone else.  That, or he was looking for an easy lay.  There were always rumors about how women threw themselves at him, hell, she’d been one of them.  How could anyone like that resist the attentions of so many women?

Yet, she was politely rebuffed.

The memory still brought embarrassment with it, and a fair bit of anger and resentment that she tried to not direct towards the man.  She’d been forward and he’d given her an answer.  It was as simple as that.  They had maintained a professional working relationship ever since, despite any lingering emotions that might be warring within her. 

Shaking off those memories, Robin was thankful that her former apprentice seemed to be too starstruck to really notice her little venture into the past.  “I’m going to check the camp, let everyone know about your tea offer, I’d suggest you get ready to brew enough for everyone that asks.” 

Donovan blinked, then seemed to catch up with the moment.  “Right!  Good plan.  I’ll go get on that right away.” 

He hurried off and Robin had to hold back a dry chuckle.  She’d practically raised the young man, and she could easily recognize the signs of a crush.  Not that he ever actually flirted with other men, but it was close enough that the difference was miniscule.  Hero worship to a fault.  Robin often wondered if he might have been happier as a warrior than a healer, but that wasn’t her lot in life. 

Wounds were closed, bones mended, diseases cured.  That was her calling in life, and that is what she passed on to each apprentice she had taken on over the years.  Sometimes she feared that she had failed him in some way despite his success. 

No, that was just the pre-battle jitters talking.  Robin often battled with her own doubts on the eve of a stressful encounter, and she would continue to do so until her dying day.  

Robin looked down the hillside towards the small runoff from the mountains that cut through their campsite.  Fires dotted the hillside the adventurers had chosen for their camp location, with a scattering of people gathered around each one.  Some were teams of comrades, others were old friends meeting up again after their paths went separate ways.  It was a mess of organized chaos, and a sight well familiar to the Gold ranked healer. 

Across the stream, the soldiers’ own camp was established with proper planning.  Neat lines of tents run parallel to one another, the order a mirror to the adventurers own campsite.  The soldiers were welcome help, but they weren’t monster hunters, not like the adventurers. 

The soldiers would be of little help once the beasts hit their lines in force.  A shield wall was only so effective against crushing fangs and ripping claws.  There was a reason the King never sent soldiers on monster extermination quests, it was a lesson that seemingly never took when it came to their oh so wise ruler.  The poor soul that had taken to drilling them in beast tactics was facing an uphill battle of their own, with precious little time to prepare.

No, it would be the adventurers that settled the fate of the realm once again.

Just thinking of the King was enough to make her blood boil at times.  There were so many decisions that were suspect when it came to the art of felling monsters, and the near constant rehashing of this idea that soldiers could handle any monster bigger than a goblin was almost insulting to see them present and in such numbers.

Robin let out a heady sigh as she continued her rounds, casually mentioning to each fire that Healer Donovan had a sleeping aid.  The mindless nature of it allowed her thoughts to center and to work through her frustrations.  At least until she returned to the healer’s portion of the adventurer camp. 

Donovan had a line of people, all eager for a cup of the poppy tea.

Not that Robin had any plans to touch the stuff no matter how much it might help.  The tea was useful as a sleep aid, but tended to become necessary for those who overindulged.  She’d gone down that road early in her career, and it was only the steep price that allowed her to wean herself off of the addictive brew.  The temptation to dip into the supply would be strong, but she would have to resist it.  

“Lady Robin!”

One of the younger healers was running towards her, his messy hair flapping with each step.  He stopped just in front of her, panting heavily.  She reached out, laying a hand on him even as she lifted her staff, and let a gentle pulse of mana run through him.  The crystal foci within pulsed brightly, her attunement with it nearly flawless. 

Almost immediately the boy’s panting slowed and he regained his breath. 

“Many thanks,” he said, standing up straight once more.  “Two additional healers arrived!” 

Robin’s expression lightened and she couldn’t help but return a beaming smile.  Two healers didn’t sound like much, but already she was reworking the rotation schedule in her mind.  Things would be so much easier now, and less people would die as a result.  Robin doubted either of them would be worth much, but that was still two more bodies that could handle minor injuries. 

She wouldn’t trust life threatening debilitations to anyone under Silver rank.  No, more than likely it would be her and Donovan healing the majority of those.  There were few people that could handle organs being on the outside of the body, and she didn’t mean healing the injury.  No, most couldn’t stomach the first time they saw it.

Robin hadn’t. 

“That is wonderful news.  Make sure they come see me once settled.” 

“Of course!” the young man replied, already hurrying off. 

He couldn’t be older than fourteen, not even close to being a man, and here he was entering a battlefield.  The world was cruel indeed, and healers knew that more keenly than even the most hardened warrior.

The fire was warm and inviting, and Robin settled in beside it.  A steaming cookpot sat over the flame, promising something with more flavor than basic travel rations.  Better yet, it looked like one of the healers had even made a bunch of pan bread for all of them to share.  She would need to find whoever managed that and give them her personal thanks. 

Robin spooned up a bowl of the stew, knowing better than to ask where they managed to find fresh meat for the pot.  If nothing else, it was hot and filling, which was more than could usually be said on the eve of a major extermination mission. 

It didn’t take long for the new arrivals to make their way over to Robin, and as expected, they were both Bronze ranked.  One was just a town healer that had only registered a decade prior to avoid paying for a seat on the caravan they needed a ride from.  Still, they were bodies, and every little bit helped. 

The sun had long since dipped behind the mountains, but remained far from set.  The sky glowing behind the looming spires of stone and snow.  That was when Robin caught sight of him, standing atop one of the highest peaks nearby, gazing off towards the northwest. 

She didn’t know what The Legend saw in the distance, but she knew what he was looking towards.  Robin could only hope that it wasn’t their approaching doom, knowing full well that all their futures rested in that man’s hands.  Even after all this time, she still held a torch for him, and he would carry it, just as he carried all of their hopes into the coming storm.

Inheritance - Consequence 4.8

A recent Patreon update is eating all formattin

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 70 - Rematch

The bite of Guiana’s blade was a sensation that Nicole was well familiar with, yet it was still satisfying to watch the smug satisfaction of a battle all but won fall away to the cold realization that things hadn’t gone entirely as planned.  The sparks flew off of Nicole, the void of energy cascading over her newly morphed form.  As much as she wanted to bask in the growing surprise on the enemy General’s face, Nicole wasn’t able to stop and enjoy it.

Her sleek blades were replaced with jagged daggers as they cut through the air, now moving with all the speed that Nicole could extract from the Source energy burning through her.  Guiana hadn’t reacted fast enough, said blades scored a deep cut along the General’s collar as she attempted to put distance between them.  Nicole didn’t let her go uncontested, kicking off in pursuit.  Guiana snarled, her movements accelerating at an alarming rate, forcing Nicole to draw deeper upon the Source to keep ahead of the woman. 

Grace hadn’t stood idle either, she charged forward with a bright crimson glow.  Somehow Grace beat her to Guiana, slamming into her with all the power of one of Bartran’s heaviest blows.  Nicole’s eyes widened as Grace continued to move with a savage fury, her axe sending shockwaves with each blow that Guiana barely managed to deflect. 

All of that had transpired in the span of a single heartbeat.

Digging deep, Nicole pushed herself to keep up, knowing she would regret it, but they couldn’t lose the advantage while they had it.  The moment Guiana regained the upper hand they would be fighting to keep the momentum that they had stolen.  Nicole wasn’t about to let that happen, not while there was still strength within her. 

The distance was closed in an instant; three more clashes rippled through the air before she caught up.  Nicole wasn’t going to be left out and joined in the assault, her own blades cutting the very air.  Strikes aimed at vital points were turned away, but Guiana was forced to ignore glancing blows to her limbs if she hoped to keep her vitals whole.  None of the cuts had time to bleed at the speeds they were moving, yet she could see the growing concern on Guiana’s face as the small slices continued to multiply. 

Nicole was thankful to have Grace by her side, keeping the enemy general’s full attention with her heavy blows.  That allowed them to keep the Sylan General on the backfoot through teamwork.  Unfortunately, the strain was building and Nicole was fighting against the inferno that had been growing exponentially within her.  She couldn’t keep it up, and given how she had just handed the enemy a piece of critical information, she didn’t want to give away an obvious weakness so freely. 

Guiana continued to deflect Grace’s strikes, letting more of Nicole’s through with each exchange in an effort to keep the fight going.  The cuts were accumulating, with purple blood barely beginning to well up from her injuries.  They were all moving so far beyond human norms that it was difficult to keep that in mind. 

The thin blade snaked towards Grace, only to be turned away by her axe.  The strike didn’t stop, only shifted, and Nicole was forced to turn herself intangible to avoid it.  The blade passed through her, the momentum preserved, but Nicole had other ideas.  She dropped the shift, turning solid once more, and locked her own arm around Guiana’s. 

The General only had a moment to realize her mistake as Grace’s shoulder slammed home.  Nicole held tight for the barest of moments, letting the sensation of Guiana’s shoulder socket being torn by the force of the impact before she phased herself to keep from being launched with the Sylan.

Nicole dropped low and kicked off, intent on keeping up the pressure.  If the woman had a chance to recover, it risked letting Grace’s empowered state expire, which would give the General all the opening she needed to finish them all off. 

And Nicole wouldn’t hesitate to reveal their ability to teleport if it came to that. 

No, they needed a win here.

Guiana hit the ground once, shattering concrete with the first impact only to right herself and come down feet first before the next.  She carved through the asphalt as she jammed her blade deep, bleeding her momentum even as the Rangers pursued. Guiana glared with unfocused eyes only for her gaze to hastily sharpen at their rapid approach.  She let out a hissing breath as her blade rose up and blocked the flurry that Nicole brought down upon her.  With only one working arm, Guiana couldn’t keep up, and yet… 

It still wasn’t enough for a decisive blow, and the pressure within was past the tipping point.  Nicole was now pushing the General, which meant she was nearing the critical threshold for her ability to handle the Source. 

Yeah, it was going to suck in the morning.

Grace caught back up in a storm of motion, her axe flashing out as though it weighed nothing, but each blow impacted with the fury of a goddess of war.  The couple pushed hard, knowing they were on borrowed time.  Guiana’s single blade was moving faster than Nicole had ever seen, the air sparking with flames from the friction of its passing.  Despite Guiana’s raw abilities, the injury was tipping the scales.

There was realization in the General’s eyes and she seemed to come to a decision.  Grace’s glowing aura remained strong as Guiana kicked off and both Rangers moved to follow.  Nicole caught the familiar glow engulfing the General and immediately reached out to grab hold of Grace before she got too close. 

Grace’s helmet turned sharply, and Nicole could almost feel the surprise radiating off her girlfriend at the action.  Nicole squeezed a bit harder, pulling her back as Guiana snarled, glaring back at Nicole.  The General vanished in a flash, just as Nicole no doubt had all those days ago. 

The red glow dissipated from Grace as she jerked away from Nicole’s grip.  Nicole began to exhale all the excess energy within her as best she could, but it was always a losing prospect.  It was far easier to do so when she wasn’t morphed, given the energy was cumulative.  As long as she remained morphed she would continue to gather Source energy faster than she could bleed it off. 

Which meant that she was going to end up going through another overdraw once back on The Progenitor’s ship… 

Two in one day, she was starting to make it a habit.

“Dammit!” Grace shouted, holding her axe high before planting it into the ground with enough force to send splintering cracks down the length of the block.  Nicole could only wince at the display even as she continued.  “We almost had her!  Why did you hold me back?” 

“Because I didn’t want a repeat of my own accident,” Nicole said hotly.  As much as she wanted to answer anger with anger, now wasn’t the time.  Taking a deep breath, Nicole continued in a calmer tone.  “Sure, I ended up somewhere relatively safe, but who’s to say you wouldn’t end up on the Sylan command ship?” 

“And what if I did?” Grace almost yelled.  “I could have finished her!  I could have done damage to the ship!  We don’t know what would have happened!” 

Nicole stood firm even as her heart twisted.  She knew Grace was heated, that she was lashing out, but the tone was still biting deep.  They really did need to sit down and talk about their relationship, because it didn’t take a genius to see that they were heading towards a breakup if things continued as they were. 

“Hey, no need to fight about it,” Kayla said softly, joining them.  She was walking with the help of Jeff and Devon, but decidedly upright even if their suits were torn.  “Thanks for coming to bail us out, we appreciate it.” 

“Damn right we do,” Jeff said enthusiastically.  “Fighting that woman is a special level of hell that I’m not too eager to repeat.” 

Devon nodded along.  “No kidding.  Nicole, all the respect in the world for being able to fight her as long as you did.  I just hope you’re not about to have a repeat of your accident?” 

“Not as long as I can get back to the ship in short order,” Nicole confirmed only to wince as the Source within sparked for a moment.  “Which should probably happen pretty soon.” 

“Did you have to jump in like that?” Grace said, her voice soft yet hard.  “I was keeping up with her, I could have managed what we did without you putting yourself in harm’s way…” 

“You were both holding back,” Nicole said.  She had to be careful, especially with how both of their emotions were still riding the rush of the battle.  “I’m sorry I went off script like that, but I remember how she moved when I overtook her, and she wasn’t even close to that level yet.  Even when we both came at her, she never quite reached her full speed until the retreat.” 

“You think she would have sprung that on me,” Grace said in challenge. 

“I know it,” Nicole said.  “She wanted to hurt us.  Generals don’t deploy without reason, and something tells me she knew about Maraline joining us.” 

“Oh yeah, she definitely asked about that while kicking our asses,” Kayla said.  “Didn’t give her an answer, but I think it was rhetorical.” 

Grace’s shoulders were set and she was prepared for the argument to escalate.  Nicole knew that if she dropped her morph, she would have tears streaking down her face from how raw everything was.  She didn’t want to fight her girlfriend, not over something done to protect her.

Red energy shattered, falling in a cascade to the ground as Grace stood, tears cascaded her face despite the anger still visible in her expression.  Her shoulders trembled but she stood firm otherwise. 

Nicole moved forward with slow and deliberate movements, knowing full well that her current morph was strong enough to snap Grace like a twig.  She pulled her girlfriend into a gentle hug, a hand on the back of her head as she leaned into the embrace. 

“I’d drop the morph, but I don’t think you want to see me like that again so soon,” Nicole whispered before pulling back and speaking a bit louder.  “Now come on, let’s get our friends to the ship and make the introductions, then we can have a much needed talk in private.”

Grace nodded against her, then pulled back.  She flashed a weak smile, one so fragile that the slightest of breezes might break it.  “Yeah, that’s probably for the best.” 

“So, how does this work?” Kayla asked, her voice far too chipper to be anything other than an attempt to brighten the dark mood that had settled over them.  “Do we call someone to beam us up or are there weird water portals involved?”

“Aww, leaving so soon?” 

“Oh daughter of a bastard!” Nicole snapped, turning to face the new arrival.  “The fuck do you want this time, Anita?” 

The woman gripped her chest as if she were wounded.  Anita stood atop a pile of rubble that was once a building, looking down on them with that insufferable smirk on her face that was visible despite the low light of the overcast night. 

“Well, I was on my way to help with the whole crazed Sylan murderer thing, but it seemed like you both had it well in hand, so I’m here for the aftermath!” 

“Well, you’re about as late as an Alabama period after the family reunion,” Grace said, her voice completely flat. 

Nicole did a double take, then had to bite back her reaction.  Anita didn’t bother, laughing openly at the rather unexpected joke.  Okay, shit as the situation was, that was pretty funny.

“Damn, wasn’t expecting that from you,” Kayla said.  “Not wrong though, just what the hell kept you?” 

Anita shrugged.  “Well, I would have arrived sooner, but someone kicked my ass earlier and took down all my assistants.”

“A shame, truly,” Nicole said. 

Jeff laughed.  “Maybe that will teach you to not bring down the roof.” 

“I’m a party animal, it’s in my nature.” 

Nicole stepped forward, daggers still in hand.  “Well, the party is over.  Need me to call you a ride?  I unfortunately left my phone…”  Nicole paused, her face shifting into a frown.  “Actually, where the hell even is my phone?” 

“It was in the bag Sarah grabbed,” Grace said, pinching her nose.  “Probably dead as can be after everything.” 

“Yeah, Source energy is a bitch like that,” Anita said.  “It took us ages to figure out a fucking pager that would survive a morph.” 

Nicole snorted.  “Shouldn’t have shut Becca out.  She could have figured that out in no time.” 

“She served her purpose,” Anita said.  “I did warn them that excluding her like that would basically end our agreement, but the reward was worth the risk.” 

“You mean your machine Rangers?” Devon demanded, his fists held tight and trembling.  “You used us…  Was that all we were to you, tools to discard when inconvenient?  I trusted you!” 

“And that was adorable.”  Anita held up her hand, inspecting a few nails.  “You were such fun to manipulate.  Wanna go at me one last time?  Break up sex is usually pretty steamy.” 

Devon screamed, but Jeff held him back before he could rush forward.

“Ah, I really should have gotten you that leash and collar,” Anita said with a fond sigh.  “It’s a pity, but you know how these things go.” 

Kayla’s staff impacted the ground, sending a mess of vines toward the Sinclair Ranger.  Anita sidestepped the lackluster strike, Kayla’s fatigue clear to anyone that knew the woman.  Nicole was having flashbacks to their first real mutant battle outside Avant Garden, and how the entire team was basically on their last leg.

Only now a new fight loomed ahead of them.  

“Ah ah, none of that,” Anita said.  “I really don’t want to fight you all, but I was sent here with a task in mind.” 

“Is that why you waited to step in?” Grace demanded.

“Oh I absolutely was going to jump in if you needed help with the Sylan bitch, but hey, she ran away without my having to break a nail!”

“Funny,” Kayla said.  “I’m pretty sure that a few of us chipped more than just a nail holding her off.” 

Anita bowed low.  “And I thank you for your sacrifice.” 

Kayla flipped her off. 

“Come on,” Grace said, turning to leave.  “We don’t need to be giving this bitch our time.” 

“Oh, you wound me, but I think time is what you need most,” Anita said with a devious smirk that sent chills down Nicole’s spine.  “See, my evening plans were just canceled, so why not invite me back to your place to catch up?” 

“After what you pulled barely two hours ago?” Jeff snapped.  “No, you blew your chances, right everyone?” 

“Yup,” Nicole said tersely.  The energy within was starting to fray.  Nicole knew she needed to get back to the ship, but showing weakness to Anita wouldn’t do them any favors.  The enemy of my enemy only stretched so far, and Nicole liked to think it was reasonable to draw the line at dropping flashbangs at their feet.  “We’re going in circles now, so I think we should all bail.  Thanks for the chat, now kindly fuck off.” 

Nicole turned and started to walk off, Grace joining her a half step later. 

“Wait.” 

It was with a heavy reluctance that Nicole halted, barely managing to keep the inferno within from flickering out of her control.  Anita’s posture had shifted and all the arrogance was now gone, but something about that was setting Nicole on edge.  

“We’ve got a common enemy, so I figure I should ask just to be able to say I tried,” Anita…  No, that was Maria speaking, it had been some time since she showed herself to their team.  “Yeah, my other half kinda screwed the pooch here, but the Sylan are the priority.  I’d be perfectly happy to put it all in the past, water under the bridge, and make sure that all the charges are dropped.” 

“And what do we have to give you to get all that?” Nicole demanded.  “No way in hell you give up all your leverage in blind faith.” 

“Of course not,” Maria said.  “Obviously we won’t ask for Becca to continue working with us, that ship is sunk.  No, I want access for myself and Kelly to the Sylan ship, along with custody of that war criminal you’re harboring within.” 

“Not a chance in hell,” Grace snarled.  “I may not like the bitch, but she’s shown herself to be more trustworthy than you.” 

Maria mimed taking an arrow to the chest.  “Low blow.” 

Oh, Anita was back out front. 

“But not an unfair one,” Jeff said.  “Hell, I only met her for a few minutes before you lit everything on fire, so I can’t say much there, but that girl was spooked as shit when I saw her.” 

“Still an enemy,” Anita said smoothly.  “We can’t exactly allow her to be free, even if she did defect as she claimed.  Turning herself in would do a lot to win some very powerful people over.” 

“Tough shit,” Nicole said, steel in her voice.  “I don’t give a damn about any of that.  We gave you a chance before, and look where that got us.  You burned all of your good will the moment that grenade dropped.” 

“Then I suppose you won’t mind if I do it again?” Maria asked, then snapped a finger.

Nicole braced for a blast that never came.  Instead, a colorful helmet poked over the pile of rubble, then another, then a dozen.  Nicole brought her fists up and Grace flashed red once again, bringing their backs together.  Their teammates formed up similarly, not that they were in any shape to continue the battle.  Dozens of multi-colored Rangers stood arrayed against them, and robotic knock offs or not, they would be in for one hell of a fight. 

“Those are some lovely readings we’re getting off of you,” Anita continued, raising her hand as she clenched a fist.  Yellow light engulfed her, leaving a Ranger in her place.  “It would be a shame if you needed to be syphoned again due to an overdraw.” 

The Yellow Ranger brought her arm down with a sharp chop and the army of prismatic Rangers descended upon them.

Inheritance - Consequence 4.7

Tuesday May 10th, 2011

For once the Butchers were silent, none of them offering comfort or mockery as I struggled to understand just what I was seeing before me.  I wasn’t sure what to say or think, my emotions warring between the desire to lash out or drop to my knees and wail.  I’d thought things were going well, that if anyone lost someone it would be my father losing me to the inheritance.  I would be another voice, but he would still be there, I’d be able to at least give him a message through my successor.

Now I wouldn’t even have that.

The close call with Hookwolf should have taught me otherwise, yet I’d grown lax even when I knew there were bad actors about.  I’d planned for something, but a bomb wasn’t on the list, especially a Tinkertech one that produced a fucking timestop effect!

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to process anything as a dozen different things drew my attention.  Purity’s little group was now pulling away from the Arena, neatly avoiding sightlines that Robbie might use with his rifle to pick her off.  Fine, I didn’t have the time to deal with the Nazi bitch.

Back at Parian’s a fight had broken out, with Chrissie spinning up her fields faster than ever as they mulched a man in the span of a single second.  Madison had moved Charlotte away from the fighting, and was twisting their form with each passing moment so they would be ready to join the fray.  Sophia picked up a clothes hanger and threw it, phasing it as she did.  It struck one of the men, and embedded itself in his chest, fused to his heart and lung. 

He was dead before he hit the ground.

Yet, something was wrong about that, because there were others present, and the fighting continued.  I tried to reach out with my swarm, but Pyro’s teleport wasn’t responding yet despite the keening in the back of my mind.  One of those figures grabbed Amelia by the wrist, and promptly crumpled to the ground.  I couldn’t tell if they were dead or not, but she shouted something to the others about a Stranger, and then another grabbed her by the waist and hit something on their belt just as her hand reached back to touch their face. 

A blinding light lit up the room, and Amelia’s relay was pulled far away to the west before it completely vanished from my swarmsense.  The other figures began to pull away just as my teleport returned and I burst into Parian’s shop in a roaring flame and tore through the closest figure I had picked up.  I couldn’t see them with my eyes, but with so many bugs in the air they were impossible to miss now. 

I’d made the mistake of trying to not stand out with my swarm and it had allowed Amelia to be taken.  I leapt forward, buried my claws deep within another that only my bugs told me was present.  It was so similar to how Aisha appeared to my senses and I had somehow missed them?  No, something else was going on.  With how they had teleported Amelia away, they must have also brought the Strangers in the same way while I was distracted. 

Two bodies were now visible, and I turned towards the third to — 

Every figure I could detect vanished at the same moment.  Eyes widening, I turned back to the nearest body, only for the device on their belt to burst into purple flames and swiftly engulf their form.  Every fallen form swiftly followed, leaving Parian’s shop engulfed in exotic flames that defied physics. 

“Everyone out!” Madison yelled, her voice inhuman in her shifted form.  “Those are Bakuda ordinance!” 

“The Boston bitch?” 

“Why the hell would she be fucking with us?” 

Stratego was quick to cut them off.  “This has all the hallmarks of an Elite operation, even if they used some of her technology.” 

Elite, heroes, whatever — they had all just signed their own death warrants.  Whoever had arranged this knew about my ability to track my people, as well as my eyes across the city.  They had planned for all of this, a premeditated attack on me and mine out of costume.  All bets were fucking off and before the day was done, every member of the Elite I could get my claws on would be fucking dead!

“Calm yourself,” Reflex whispered.  “They expect blind rage.  They’ve certainly planned for it.  Giving in will only serve to grant them what they desire.” 

Despite how much I wanted to lash out, I instead grasped the calm that seemed to radiate off of him.  Rushing off dick first was how we got new Butchers.  No, I needed to remain rational and cold as I executed yet another gang that had targeted me and mine.  There would be no prisoners, only corpses, when the heroes arrived on the scene.  

That was my vow. 

My father was as good as dead, which meant they had all forfeited their right to life.  They had taken Amelia, forfeiting their right to liberty.  All of that would be repaid in blood and pain as I extracted my vengeance from each of them in an act that was worthy of my name and legacy.  The Teeth would ride to war once again, but this time? 

I would make sure everyone got the fucking message.

First thing, I needed to take stock.  

Parian’s shop was lost, even as my swarm moved to recover what it could before the flames reached them.  Only a few articles were salvaged, including a dress that had a six figure tag attached to it.  Insurance on the place was astronomical, but I’d made sure it covered cape related incidents in full, and they didn’t need to know that the dress wasn’t lost.  It would be a mess of a claim, and I’d do my best to do right by her, but that would have to wait until I’d extracted every drop of blood I could from the Elite. 

“Fuck that shit up,” I said, gesturing towards the Elite’s car. 

Sophia sent something phased through the driver’s window right before Chrissie’s blades sprung up and shredded the car like a woodchipper.  That wasn’t my primary concern, however, as I had a few stops to make on my way back to the arena.  I opened the limo and lifted one of the seats, revealing two of my OTs-62, checking to ensure they were loaded.  They absolutely were. 

“Send word that everyone is to return to the arena that isn’t already there.  Truce rules extend to Missy if she wants to stay, otherwise I want an escort for her, Protectorate or otherwise.  She’s as much a target as the rest of the people we care about.” 

“Taylor,” Sophia said, drawing my attention at how concerned she actually sounded.  “You’re crying.” 

I didn’t need to touch my face to know that she was right. 

“They bombed the docks,” I said, and left it at that. 

Madison, now back to their usual form, paled, cursing as they pulled out their chiming phone.  “Protectorate just announced a general recall.  No reason given.” 

I nodded mechanically.  “You’re free to go, but if you do you’ll need to be kept in the dark for what is to come.  The choice is yours.” 

A heavy swallow ran down the shapeshifter’s throat.  “Because what comes next is going to cement the Teeth’s reputation.” 

“Yeah, it is,” I said, looking across the city through the relays.  “Chrissie, get everyone home safe, I’m going for Lisa.  We will get Amelia back, I swear.” 

“Fuck yeah we will,” Chrissie agreed.  “See you back home.” 

I reached out with my swarm, locating Lisa’s pendant and the special bug within and stepped through the space between.  I arrived in fire, radiating wrath and vengeance.  Lisa had moved back, but the others were knocked aside from the force of my arrival.  I could practically taste the fear in the air, as well as the confusion. 

“You did just appear in civvies,” Butcher teased.

“Which of them are Elite?” I demanded, not directly addressing Lisa, but she knew. 

“The two across from me,” Lisa said.  

Two others pushed away from them in the moment it took for me to raise my guns.  I didn’t hesitate, putting a shell from each gun towards one of their skulls.  I knew that Lisa wouldn’t like that, it went against her desire to avoid killing, but she was no doubt getting a picture of what was happening — assuming she hadn’t overstressed her power.  The man on the left crumpled headless to the floor as expected, but the one on the right did the impossible.

He somehow brought the pen in his hand up, the tip brushing against the side of the slug, and pushed it aside with a single swipe of the fountain pen.  I pulled the trigger again, and the pen swiped back across, knocking the shell through the wall of windows off to the side opposite of where he deflected the first shot, the explosive round collapsing the reinforced glass with a thunderous crash.  He stared up at me, eyes bulging with fear and adrenaline.  

“That’s some power bullshit right there,” Marauder snarled. 

Butcher snorted.  “Let’s see if he can pull off that miracle again while dealing with the Butcher special.” 

Well, that sounded like as good of a plan as any so I turned his world into pain and rage before I removed his skull with a third shot.  Question answered, I took a deep and calming breath before turning back to face Lisa.

“Any others?” 

“Not Elite, but the blonde man there is a hardline Empire supporter,” she said, pointing to one of the men backed up to the wall behind her. 

“You dar—” he started, but cut off as his head disappeared in a flash of fire and gore.  It would be clear to everyone present that the Butcher was acting on Lisa’s word.  It would be up to her how she chose to leverage that. 

My swarm flowed in through the vents, and began to consume the flesh of those I had killed.  “This doesn’t leave this office,” I said, looking over those who remained.  “The Teeth control Medhall now.  By the end of the day, the Elite will be finished, and anyone still harboring hopes they might save you, well, the news will speak for itself.” 

I then hopped off the table, several pressing further into the corner of the room away from me as I walked right up to Lisa.  Her eyes shimmered, but it wasn’t out of disgust or fear of me.

“What happened?” Lisa asked. 

I opened my mouth, but could feel my voice hitch.  My swarm buzzed fiercely to hide it, and Lisa didn’t miss the implications. 

“We’re going back to base,” I said, moving towards the door.  

Lisa followed right on my heels.  In the room, more than one person started to cry, two had soiled themselves, and one I had to scare away from jumping out the shattered window.  We didn’t need that sort of attention drawn to the room.  My swarm would take care of everything, no matter how far I was from the building.

The elevator was already waiting, having been summoned by my bugs, Lisa and I entered without a word.  It was only once the door shut that I allowed my emotions to flow back into me from my swarm, let myself be human for a moment where it was safe to be vulnerable.  I’d dropped to my knees, and Lisa practically fell with me, wrapping me in a hug as she did. 

“They killed dad,” I said, forcing it out between wrenching sobs.

“Oh Tay,” she started, but I wasn’t done. 

“And took Amelia,” I finished. 

Lisa took a sharp breath, falling silent as the elevator descended.  I focused on anything I could to serve as a distraction, the bugs gnawing flesh from bone, the swarms patrolling the route the limo was taking back to the Arena, Lily escorting Sabah to the rig where she would be safe.  Missy was walking alongside Dinah and Aisha as they made their way to the lounge, and Victoria was flying Ashley across the city towards the Arena. 

I hoped someone broke the news to her, because I wasn’t sure I would survive being the one to tell her that I had failed to keep her sister safe. 

“Do you know where she is?” Lisa asked. 

I shook my head, sending my discomfort back into the swarm.  “West, several miles outside of my range.  She had a relay with her, and I got a weird echo as she was pulled away.” 

“Better than I hoped,” Lisa said with a grimace.  “I’ve got a migraine from hell, but they won’t get away with this.” 

“No, they won’t,” I said, rising back to my feet.  

Lisa moved with me, then stepped aside before frowning.  “You’ve got blood on you.” 

“Ah,” I said, bringing several bugs out to clean it off.  Lisa blinked, and the chorus chuckled from the dark, even if they didn’t have much enthusiasm behind it.  I hadn’t even realized I’d pushed them down in my anger and sorrow.  Slowly, I let them back to the surface, bracing myself for the howling anger, but it didn’t come. 

“Hey,” Fester said, her voice soft and caring.  “You’ll get through this, and Amelia will be back in the cuddle pile before sunrise.” 

“And our enemies will be nothing but blood and shit,” Sabertooth added. 

That was a rally I could get behind, and one that I would relay to the rest of the Teeth when we arrived.  My swarm finished their task and disappeared back into the folds of my outfit.  The guns couldn’t be hidden as easily, but I wasn’t exactly attempting to hide at the moment.  When the elevator let out, I strode forward with total confidence.  Lisa followed on my heel and didn’t flinch when the first person screamed. 

I didn’t react, nor did she, as we made our way to the parking garage where her driver was waiting.  I picked up a few calls for emergency services, but my swarm was now eating the bones of those I killed above.  By the time the police arrived, there would be nothing left of them.  I took my place in the car at Lisa’s side and shut my eyes, working through the problems to come. 

The odds were good that the police would be too busy with other things in the hours ahead to care about a few missing rich fucks.  The coming slaughter would be outside city limits, I knew that much, and no doubt some of the police would be called out to assist with the cleanup.

One thing I did know was that we were pressed for time.  Amelia would be smart about the kidnapping, but there would be only so much that she could do to delay being taken wherever these bastards planned.  Her status as an open cape was only so much of a shield, and I wasn’t about to let the Elite hide behind it, or any claims of legitimacy they might pull out of their asses.

It still meant I would need to act fast.  Already I was pulling my relays back, thinning my coverage of the city.  I wouldn’t cut myself off from any part, but all redundancies were being eliminated as my swarm of relays began to shift towards the west.  I worked smarter not harder, allowing those on the east side of the city to shift to cover those leaving from the west. 

I wasn’t about to admit that it was Stratego to point that out to me. 

Above the arena, my swarm was gathering from across the city; flies, mosquitoes, and anything else I could use to darken the sky and send a message.  The actual biting and stinging bugs were instead gathering themselves in the motorcade by one of our transports.  I would fill it to the brim with anything and everything I might need for the coming battle.

Most of my capes made it to the arena before I did, and it surprised me that they hadn’t been harassed along the way.  A part of me was waiting for Purity to drop out of the sky and try to kill one of mine, but best I could tell, she was sitting pretty out on the rig waiting for orders to re-deploy.  No doubt they were expecting us to rampage across the city for this, and after the brazeness of the kidnapping… 

“Lisa,” I said, raising my head.  “What are the odds that the PRT is working with the Elite to throw us off?” 

“I’m no Omen,” Lisa began, her brow furrowed.  “But I’d put good money on some coordination going on, but not outright cooperation.  Someone really wants us out of the city, but draws the line at working shoulder to shoulder with villains to see it done.” 

“Makes sense,” Alkaline said, nodding along. 

I repeated her words, then added my own.  “Tagg and his ilk are too hardline for this, unless they’re that desperate to get rid of the Teeth…” 

“Don’t underestimate what happens when the law is confronted with giving criminals legitimacy,” Lisa said.  “The Elite never outright tried to supplant local elements like we did.  They’ve always been insidious, and work more like corporations than a gang.” 

“Which appeals to many paper pushers in government,” I said with a sigh.  “No matter, we’re still slaughtering all of them.  If we don’t send a message, the next group to come along will be convinced we’ll treat them with kid gloves.  The Teeth need to remind everyone why we have the reputation we do.” 

“Taylor,” Butcher said sweetly. 

Yes?

“Please tell me we finally get to use the minigun.” 

I thought about it for a moment, then in answer, I sent my swarm into the armory to begin an inventory check and prepare my loadout, among which– and sitting atop a literal pedestal– was the minigun.  Behind it Wolf Slayer sat, sunk into a block of concrete to hold it upright.  Bringing both wasn’t really practical, and there would no doubt be throngs of disposable minions being sent our way… 

Fuck it. 

“I’m not about to ask if you’re coming with, or try to talk you out of it,” I said, pulling Lisa close.  “You know what we’re about to do, are you certain you can handle that?” 

Lisa smiled softly.  “Tay, I just watched you gun down one of my parents, I think I can handle further bloodshed.”  I sucked in a breath, but Lisa put a finger to my lips.  “I was there for Coil’s takedown, I was there when you fought the Empire.  I know what it means to be a member of the Teeth.  If it means keeping Amelia safe, I’ll leave a trail of bodies in my wake.” 

“Think we can get her to try Alice’s chili?” Marauder asked. 

Best not push it. 

Alice’s chili was a Teeth favorite, but the secret ingredient was now in very short supply with the loss of the Empire.  There was a reason I didn’t eat any, and made sure my dad did the same when Alice was walking him through her recipe.  Not everyone had the stomach for long island Nazi, and that was a line many of my predecessors weren’t willing to cross. 

It was bad enough that I remembered what man flesh tasted like. 

The arena entered my aegis, the relays remaining in place in the event I needed a rapid return during the coming battle.  There was a chance I’d be able to stretch my relays the entire distance to wherever Amelia was being kept, but I knew that was a baited trap to lure me in alone.  They expected the Butcher to arrive with fury and rage, to fight and slaughter, and no doubt they had a plan for just that. 

What they wouldn’t expect would be for the Butcher to arrive with an army at her back and tactics at her fingertips.  No, they declared war by targeting someone sacrosanct, and I would make them pay in blood for the transgression. 

“Shit Tay, save the good stuff for the speech,” Pyro teased. 

I rolled my eyes as the car pulled into the parking garage of the Arena.  The limo had arrived ahead of us, but by only a minute.  Chrissie, Sophia, and Madison were waiting for me while Charlotte was off to the side talking to someone over the phone.  I stepped out, my tears now dry but the signs were no doubt still there.  

Chrissie was moving before I had my feet on the ground and nearly tackled me with a glomping hug.  Lisa was right behind her, pulling me further into what was quickly becoming a group hug.  I was just thankful that neither Madison or Sophia tried to join in.  I could tell Charlotte wanted to, but she also understood that what was happening wasn’t just two people showing compassion. 

“Alright,” I said, my voice shaky.  “I want us on the road in the next thirty, so let’s get everyone moving.” 

“You got it, boss,” Lisa said.  “I’ll figure out the likely locations they might have taken her.” 

I nodded.  “Good.  That’s good.  Chrissie, go rally the capes, Robbie is already getting the rest of our people ready for war.  Have a map of the probable areas flagged so I can brief our people on what to expect.”

They both nodded, Lisa taking off at a run that few humans could ever hope to match.  Her body was Amelia’s pride and joy, and it showed.  She had ensured her girlfriend would be as safe as possible, and soon Lisa would be putting it to the test.  Thinkers were rarely on the front lines, but I knew better than to deny her.  Not today.

Interestingly enough, my bugs picked up similar sentiments from more than a few Teeth around the arena.  Amelia had healed a lot of people over the years, and while the Teeth weren’t exactly the types to go to a hospital, their siblings, cousins, and grandparents were.

"She healed my grandma." "She fixed my hernia." "She purged sixteen STDs from my system!"  "...what?"

Of course, some of them were worried about their drug supplies, but at least one person expressing that view got kicked in the balls by another member who almost lost their dad.

Dad…

My brain flashed back to our last real conversation about my situation.  Evicting the Elite from the Bay was the sort of legacy I wanted to leave, but this was going to be closer to running them through a woodchipper pointed inland.  “Don’t you go soft on us now —” Butcher started, and to my surprise, most of the rest shouted him into submission.

“More than just some murder —” “— heroes going after the others —” — everyone hates the Elite —”

“SILENCE!” roared Chisel, startling the rest of the collective into silence before continuing normally.  “Taylor has a point.  Up until she took over, we weren’t eliminating entire rival gangs or claiming entire cities.  We couldn’t eliminate rival gangs.”

“We definitely could have taken out the Adepts,” Knockout grumbled.

“But we didn’t,” Ironsides continued.  “Chisel is right.  We wiped out the Empire, and good riddance.  But we’d be idiots to think that splattering the Elite everywhere is the same thing.”

“Bastard Son’s crew can be worse than us,” Alkaline pointed out, sending a few memories of clashes with them in her time, along with villain meetings talking about the fate of independents when the Elite muscled in.

Ironsides shook his head, metaphorically.  “But the others aren’t.  Hell, Uppercrust is still selling his tech to the heroes.”

“We are NOT abandoning Amelia,” Fester snarled.

“Obviously not,” Damascian said, rolling her eyes hard enough that I mimicked the motion.  “That being said, retrieving her without colossal loss of life remains a viable proposition.”

The others broke into arguments at that — Alkaline surprised me being just as thirsty for Elite blood as Marauder and Sabertooth, but then again none of them were arguing against massive and decisive retaliation.  We just had to decide on details.

It wasn’t until Reflex chimed in with a quiet “Taylor, you need to make a decision,” that I realized two things.  First, the hero hadn’t even made a token complaint about the call for retribution, nevermind more noise.  He seemed resigned that the only realistic path forward was violence.

Second, neither had I.

“I…”  We couldn’t let the Elite’s insults and aggression go unanswered, and going after the Butcher’s loved ones was about the stupidest thing that a cape could do.  But what was brewing in the lair wasn’t targeted retribution, it was a slaughter — the exact thing Legend had warned me off of doing at Somer’s Rock.  Would they continue to look the other way?  Did I truly care about their opinion of me?

“They let Amelia get taken,” Butcher hissed, dredging up the memory of how we found Dinah.

“Yes they did,” I murmured, then stalked towards the loft where my capes were gathering.  “And if they’re going to just sit back and do nothing, then I guess we’ll clean up their mess.”

My predecessors started cheering — “With fire!”  “And acid!”  “Feed them to Rachel’s dogs!” — but my mind was already thinking ahead to the battle.  There would be no keeping all of my men alive.  Coil’s base was one thing, with the halls and limited open spaces, it was easy to direct people and have the Capes that could take the bullets up front.  Something told me this would be different when I led the Teeth against the Elite. 

For one, they had national levels of resources to draw upon, though they weren’t likely to bring everything they had to bear.  The second thing would be the number of capes they had at their disposal.  Coil only had a few, and I had flipped most of them to my side before the battle even began.  That wouldn’t be the case this time. 

The Elite were able to field one of the largest Parahuman forces on the planet.  They had dedicated Endbringer response teams in addition to the crews they sent to claim cities.  Bastard Son was only one piece of their larger game, and he could potentially draw upon dozens of Parahumans, if not hundreds, if they deemed the risk worthwhile. 

Stepping into the loft, all my capes were assembling.  On the big TV, a map of a compound showed on screen and I scowled.  It was the old prison outside the city limits that closed following the Slaughterhouse Nine’s trip through the Bay in the late 90s.  It was where Sabertooth had once met with Jack Slash to secure their services, the decimated prison serving as a macabre resume for what they could offer the Teeth. 

He was replaced as Butcher just days later following the death of two Teeth capes at the hands of the Nine and Pyromaniac had enough of his shit.  It was almost nostalgic knowing the Teeth would be returning to face an enemy on those grounds once more.  Had the Elite done that on purpose, or was it chosen as a site of opportunity? 

Damien, Alice, Michael, and Elliot were standing together to represent the old guard.  Madison, Rachel, Alec, Chrissie, Aisha, Dinah, and Lisa stood across from them representing the new guard.  Sophia split the difference, standing between them.  All of them were kitting themselves out with their gear, uncaring about the audience. 

Missy approached Madison and the pair began a whispered conversation that I made no effort to eavesdrop on.  Whatever choice they made would be their own and I would stand by it.  Madison had already fought one battle for me today, which carried weight as far as I was concerned.  Missy would be useful, especially with her ability to shorten space itself.  We could easily catch the Elite flat footed by closing the distance far faster than they were prepared for, but that would be up to her. 

Finally Victoria landed, setting Ashley down with surprising gentleness before her thunderous face fell upon me and the entire collective shivered at the wave of emotion that rolled off the Alexandria package.

All of the capes were arrayed around the railing, with the squad leaders of my mundane forces gathered in the pit under Big Robbie’s direction.  The rank and file were still milling about in the stands, but the loft’s positioning meant that being heard would not be an issue.

However, before I could get started, Alice intercepted me.  “Heard about your dad,” she said, sounding almost serious.  “That sucks.”

I peered at her.  “Thanks.  Didn’t think you cared that much about outsiders.”

Based on the brief moment of bafflement, neither did she.  Then she ruined the moment with, “Most of them aren’t a good lay,” and a smirk; I was tempted to pain blast her but the others stayed my hand.  

“Damn,” Quarrel whistled.  “Didn’t peg her as sentimental.”

“But you did peg —” Marauder started and I pushed them all away with a sigh.

“Right,” Lisa said, drawing everyone’s attention.  “On the screen you’ll see the site of the old Brockton Prison.  A quick check of the purchase records showed it was bought last month by a shell company run by the Elite.  This is the likely place where the Elite set up their forces in preparation for removing us from the Bay.” 

I stepped up and took the mic from her.  “The Teeth have fought on these grounds before, and it ended in defeat.”  

“The fuck you bringing that up for?” Damien demanded.

“Crimson and Winter got lucky, that’s all,” Alice grunted.

I saw red — today was not a good day to be needlessly combative.  “Don’t like that?  Then fucking change it!” I shouted, drowning out their complaints.  “We’re going back, and we aren’t leaving a single fucker alive.  It’s open season on the Elite, and I expect plenty of trophies to show for our actions in the coming hours!” 

The jeers were quickly replaced with cheers at the coming slaughter, and I was shouting right there with them.  The only ones not shouting were Victoria and Ashley.  I wasn’t sure if they were there to help, or if Victoria just wanted to blame me for Amelia being taken.  Whatever it was, I would talk to her after the speech. 

“The people of Brockton still speak of our legendary war with the Empire,” I continued.  “Let us make this coming battle so spectacular that people brawl over which was more worthy of song!” 

More cheers followed and I gave them a moment to trail off.  The raw fury within me hadn’t settled, but it was growing focused, ready to lash out at anyone I deemed worthy of the wrath of the Butcher.

“They’ve taken Pandemic, for what reason we don’t yet know,” I said, my relays slowly extending towards the old penitentiary.  “They did that which Hookwolf could not and killed my father!”  Cries for blood rang out and I welcomed them.  “What I do know is that they will suffer for these transgressions, and for every drop of blood they shed, we shall make them pay in gallons!” 

“WAR!” Big Robbie cried out, and the masses echoed him.  The capes repeated the cheer, and the Arena shook from the echoing answer, my swarm joining in with the cacophony of so many voices joined in unison as their declaration carried across the city. 

If any of my enemies had been there to hear it, they would have shit themselves. 

For all that I had done to reinvent the Teeth’s image, at their core they were a gang of depraved monsters willing to feast on human flesh and rip spines from bodies to adorn themselves with grisly tokens of conquest and valor.  The Teeth were not cute and cuddly, they were not marketable.  They were savages. 

And those savages had a target. 

The nest was kicked and people scrambled to follow the directives of Robbie’s men, guiding them to the vehicles that would ferry them to the battlefield.  Nodding, I jumped off the crate and let myself twist through space into the armory so I could begin to suit up.  Above, one bug clone walked over to where Lisa was conversing with Dinah before splitting in two.  Stratego took form alongside my clone and got to work.  That wasn’t the only clone I was speaking through, another had formed next to Missy and Madison.  

“Missy, Madison,” I said in greeting.  To Missy’s credit, she didn’t flinch at the talking mass of nope.  “Both of you are free to leave if you want.  You’re both Wards, which means you’ll get in trouble if you try to help us.” 

“Fuck em,” Madison spat.  “This was preventable, and they allowed it to happen.  Sophia had the right idea of it, and if they push, I’m joining the Teeth full time.” 

I nodded, accepting their answer. 

Missy was biting her lip, looking over to where Dinah was wincing as she and Lisa ran the numbers.  I had another clone formed, bouncing ideas off of them as we worked out the plan of action that would be followed once the bullets and exotic effects began to fly.  I knew both of them were tapped out, but neither voiced any complaints as we continued to talk strategy and tactics.

They were willing to give it their all and power through the pain.  There wasn’t one among us who would deny them their chance to contribute. 

“I don’t want to fight my friends,” Missy said, looking at Aisha, then to Dinah.  “The Protectorate would make me fight them…” 

“Then stay here and keep them safe,” I said.  “I won’t ever force anyone under my protection to do something they don’t want to.”

“And if the Protectorate attacks here?” Missy whispered. 

My clone shrugged.  “I’ll leave the choice up to you, and won’t hold it against you if you decide to remain neutral or even return to them.” 

Missy nodded, and I hoped that was enough for her to come to a decision she could live with.  I didn’t envy how she was caught between her friends and her duty, but I would ensure she didn’t feel pressured to choose one over the other, even if the other side thought differently.  

Across the room, yet another clone was speaking with Alec about another problem at the same moment. 

“You want me to stay here,” he said, no emotion on display other than his usual false amusement.  “Why is that?” 

“As fun as it would be to send their former buddies to fight them, I think having minions we don’t care about throwing at Purity would be better.” 

“I can see that,” he said after a moment.  “We need the meat shields ready to go, and someone has to stay and hold down the fort.” 

My swarm nodded.  “Aisha will be staying as well, despite her grievances.  Dinah too for that matter since the numbers confirmed she won’t be taken without me present.” 

“Ah yes, the great Omen will need protection,” he said, rubbing his nonexistent facial hair.  “Truly a pair of princesses worthy of my illustrious protection.” 

It wouldn’t be enough to hold off Purity if she decided to try and drop the roof.  Militia was another concern as she could easily rain death on them, but at the same time Aisha could just stab the bitch and be done with it.  If they attacked the Arena while we were gone, it would be open season on any and all comers regardless of affiliation. 

I just had to hope they would be enough to hold the line until I could return.

“Victoria,” my final clone said, addressing the rather furious Brute.  “Will you be joining us tonight?” 

“Of course I will!” she snapped, her expression twisted in fury as the very emotion seemed to radiate off of her.  “That’s my sister they took and I intend to do everything I can to get her back!” 

Ashley placed a single hand on Victoria’s shoulder, and the blonde leaned into the touch, then straightened with renewed determination.

“I don’t intend to play by the heroic rulebook,” my swarm said.  “I won’t force you to kill, but the Teeth are out for blood.  Can you accept that?” 

“Anything, if it means getting Ames back,” Victoria said, her eyes firm and jaw set.

“I’ll admit, I expected her to blame us right off,” Alkaline said. 

“Ashley must have talked to her first,” Reflex said with a soft smile.  “I’m proud of her, even if she isn’t the hero I hoped she would be, she’s still found herself a place in the world.” 

That she had. 

“Then we ride for death and ruin!” Ashley declared.  “Those snivelling, useless bureaucrats will rue the day that they ever stepped foot on my coast!  Their worthless trinkets and cowardly tactics will not save them when faced with true power, and they will learn to tremble in terror when facing the great Damsel of Distress!”

Her rant was met with silence.  “I won’t be leaving you many skulls to make into cups, you realize,” she continued, throwing her hair dramatically over one shoulder.  “I’ve wanted a crack at the Elite for years.  Haughty West-Coast bastards thinking their money makes them better than me.  We’ll see how well it saves them tonight!”

“Then fold in with the rest of the capes, and happy hunting,” my clone said, and merged back into the shadows.

Down in the armory, I secured the last of my blades to the harness then eyed Wolf Slayer as my swarm finished redoing my braid.  I could bring her in the jeep, but the odds of her being of use were low.  Thus, I would leave her for Alec to use with the Brute he had enthralled.  In her place, I finally reached out and took the mass of death that had been the Butcher’s signature for years.

The minigun was light in my hands as I fastened on the ammo drums and attached the looping belts.  Two more drums were being loaded into the jeep as I worked, making up a nontrivial fraction of the total munitions we were bringing.

“It’s been a hot minute since we were able to cut loose,” Ironsides mused as we watched over the last checklists being consulted by Robbie’s surprisingly sober crew.

Butcher chuckled.  “It might not be Nazis, but Capitalists aren’t that poor of a substitute.” 

“Too true,” Fester said. 

“Down with the oppressors!” Pyro cheered.  “Anarchy!” 

“Time to make the bastards pay,” I said softly and brought my mask up, securing it over my face.  The Elite thought themselves able to stand against the Teeth?  Well, it was time I showed them how fucking wrong they were.  Maybe then the PRT would get the memo.

A flash of fire brought me into the motorpool where cars were already pulling away.  My own vehicle was to be one of Coil’s armored carriers rather than the usual jeep.  The presence of Miss Militia back in the city meant she might try to snipe me on the way out, something I didn’t want to chance. 

As far as I knew the Protectorate forces were still waiting on the Rig, but that wasn’t a promise with the sort of Strangers that could be called upon in a pinch.  The drive would take less than an hour, especially with how we were completely disregarding any and all traffic regulations. 

Only a fool would attempt to pull over a Teeth convoy riding to war.

“Breaking the law, breaking the law!” 

Blowing through a red light near Captain’s Hill, an angry Karen started to yell as we cut her off.  It was only when the second vehicle followed, the normies hanging off the rails and screaming for blood, that she realized her mistake.  The third vehicle had more normies, and these had their guns up and ready, she screamed and ducked, but it was her fancy Tinker made car that ate the lead instead.

I almost wished I could have seen her face with my own eyes. 

“She might have actually fainted in a puddle of her own piss if you did,” Sabertooth chuckled.  “Stupid looking car though.  Who the fuck would want to drive a dumpster?” 

Chisel snorted.  “Besides people with more money than sense?”

“I’m surprised he even sells them in the states,” Damascian said.  “Given what happened with me, you would think others would be more cautious.” 

“Toybox is still a thing despite us,” Ironsides reminded her.  “For some, greed trumps common sense.” 

Like the Elite.

The collective laughed, but it wasn’t as boisterous as it could be.  They knew what I was going through, they could feel my every emotion.  I’d lost my father to what amounted to a distractionary tactic, nothing more.  All to take someone else who was important to me.  Many assumed that I would be different from past Butchers, and in a way, they weren’t wrong. 

While others would have fallen into a fit of rage, I had turned cold.  My predecessors would have sown chaos, where I was plotting mass murder.  I had forty trained warriors, and almost two hundred willing participants that Robbie approved to join us.  That wasn’t even factoring in the more than a dozen capes accompanying me.

My relays had reached the prison grounds and I set a group to surround it as others branched out further.  The few bugs within were intentionally left alone, not wanting to risk the Elite being tipped off to just how far reaching my range truly was.  I’d made it a point to keep that aspect downplayed, but it was obvious that some Thinker asset of theirs knew of a potential threat given how far they had taken Amelia outside the city limits. 

It was then that I picked up the specialized relay built into her costume, and its senses fell under my aegis.  Amelia was still wearing her hoodie, which was part of the organism that made up her biological costume.  The original had been tossed on my dresser while we worked to get Amelia settled into the much needed cuddle pile on the couch.  They had also stuffed her into a hazmat suit with a closed system to prevent her from being able to affect things outside of it, yet hadn’t bothered to ensure she had no access to biological matter. 

An oversight, no doubt. 

She was currently sitting in an empty room, but several others were watching monitors not far away, and while I didn’t have enough bugs in the room to tell what was being said, I knew they were shouting.  Worse, any bug that got too close to any of them died inexplicably.  

Tinkertech bug zappers of some sort, the kind Coil had tried to order but had only managed to get enough to protect his office.  These were more refined, and now that I knew what to look for, I was finding them all over the compound.  Amelia’s room had multiple, and even with her relay I was finding it difficult to reach through and target the room for a teleport.  Probably more Tinkertech being used to keep her from being rescued.  It didn’t matter, I could tell she was alive and no doubt she was aware that her relay cluster had just joined up with the network.  Help was coming, and Amelia knew it. 

The Elite were scrambling to reorganize, likely having been tipped off that it wasn’t just me coming, but the entire goddamn Teeth.  No matter, it would all fall, and soon enough.  The Elite’s blood would paint the prison grounds scarlet and the Teeth would revel in the violence wrought upon the grounds.  

Up ahead, I signaled the lead car to pull into a parking lot at the base of a hill that overlooked the prison grounds, Lisa’s chosen staging area. 

Big Robbie was quick to take command of our forces, setting the command post up along with those that would coordinate things through actual tech, not just my swarm.  I was wearing one such earpiece as well, even if I would use my swarm to speak with them instead of my voice.  We’d practiced dozens of times since the Empire raids, and now it was time to put everything we learned into use. 

I stepped out of the back of the armored van and slung my minigun over my shoulder.  Lisa and Chrissie fell in beside me as we stepped over to Robbie’s ad hoc setup, a paper map of the prison grounds laid out before us.  I moved a few bugs onto it, denoting positions I could detect some people setting up.  The rest of my bugs began to spread into the sky, swarming in geometric patterns that could never be mistaken for something natural.  I was letting the Elite rank and file know I was here, and that I was pissed.

“They have Tinkertech devices everywhere, limiting my swarm,” I said, the bugs shifting across the map.  Fireflies flashed over each device I’d identified.  “It isn’t perfect coverage, but it is restricting me from just jumping in there to grab Amelia and fight my way out with her.” 

“Pity you can’t teleport with others,” Chrissie said with a frown. 

It was a bit of a sore point with Pyro that the inheritance hit her power so hard, but there was no point complaining about something that couldn’t be fixed.  Since I inherited, Pyro’s power had been fluctuating, but never to the point of reclaiming its former glory.  That had proven true of many of the Butcher’s powers, yet it was never consistent or permanent.

Shaking that thought off, I turned my attention back to the map.  “The plan hasn’t changed, shock and awe and a hell of a lot of blood and guts.” 

“Preferably theirs,” Robbie said.  “I don’t want you all to run in there dicks first.  We’re gonna be smart about it.” 

“Of course,” I agreed.  “Though, some of us will be making it seem like we are running dick first in.” 

“So they underestimate us!” Chrissie said with a grin full of teeth. 

“Right,” Lisa said with a grunt.  I could tell her head was still throbbing but there wasn’t much that could be done about that with the timeline we were on.  She would get pampered right alongside Amelia once we were all safe back home, but until then we would all have to do our parts.  “Weaver is going to go full Butcher, minigun and all.  Bitch and Animos will join her, the purpose will be to inspire fear and convince them we don’t have anything resembling a plan.  The rest of us will be doing different things.  

Different things being specialized strikes or just general chaos to distract from Big Robbie’s best teams taking down their Tinkertech defenses.  Once my swarm could descend things would quickly spiral into our favor.  Getting to that point would be the struggle, as I wanted a clear shot at Amelia before revealing just how fucked the Elite were.

Even in most of our battles with the Empire, I’d rarely pushed my abilities.  My debut came closest, funny enough, and after that it became essentially routine.  Now I would be commanding more people than I ever had before all while cutting down anyone who stood in my way in the most gruesome ways I could imagine.

What would my past self say if she saw how I was smiling in anticipation of justified murder?  Would she understand, or would she be rightfully horrified at what I had become?

Chisel tsked.  “What would your future self say if Amelia was killed because you weren’t decisive enough?” 

I laughed, though it was a shallow thing.  “Yeah, ignore my musings, just idle thoughts while we get set up.” 

Those around me were long used to random comments made to the collective, and only paid me a passing glance.  Lisa was outlining what everyone was expected to do, especially following the initial acts which would be all about presentation.  The Elite no doubt had cameras set up, security or otherwise, and it absolutely would find its way into the public eye. 

We wanted to send a message, and by the collective we were going to send it.

Throwing my minigun over my shoulder, I walked up the hill.  Rachel fell in beside me with her dogs and Elliot began to shift into his demonic form.  Rachel’s dogs were growing as well, albeit slower than the Changer.  Rachel herself would remain behind her dogs, and follow along only after— 

Danger sense pinged and I twisted out of the way, a high caliber round passing where my head had once occupied.  It probably wouldn’t have killed me, but it would have been an annoyance having my mask shattered.  I spotted the sniper with ease, tucked into a window of the tower and readying another shot.  I pulled my Ots with my free hand and fired a single shot.  Quarrel’s power guided it through the window and the explosive round relieved the man of his head. 

“Boom, headshot!” Quarrel cheered. 

“The first of many,” Marauder said gleefully.

Bloodsight lit up all the targets in my field of view and for the first time I focused Quarrel’s power to its limits.  I stowed my pistol before I brought the minigun around, the barrel spooling up as I did.  The minigun lit up, bullets spraying out by the dozens each second, and each was guided along an individual path streaking out to find the sources of life-giving fluid my power identified.

The burst lasted less than two seconds, and all who had presented themselves to my sight laid fallen before me.  Barely an instant and so many were already dead, yet it represented a mere fraction of the death that today would bring. 

“Oh, now that is the stuff,” Butcher moaned.

All around me our men had moved up and were now shouting as they hammered weapons against shields.  The din of their voices meant not one truly stood out, but the effect was all the same.  The Teeth had come and death was owed to them.  It would be paid in blood, fire, and agony. 

Beside me, Animos let out a guttural howl, matched shortly by Rachel’s hounds.  The air filled with shimmering fields as Chrissie screamed a war cry she’d long since perfected.  Even Victoria, the hero that she was, growled with the rest of us, united in cause all the same. 

“Teeth!” I yelled, the crowd falling silent as I turned to face them.  Above, my swarm blotted out the sun and answered in unison.  “Rip and tear!  Leave none alive!” 

And with that pronouncement death descended upon the Elite.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 69 - Choice

The Progenitor’s teleportation wasn’t instantaneous to those within the effect.  They had attempted to explain it before, something about being accelerated to near the speed of light caused some form of time dilation.  It didn’t make any sense to her, but no doubt Becca would dig into the math with the same fervor that she always did. 

If Rebecca wasn’t the most educated human on Earth by the end of the month, Nicole would eat her scarf.  That girl could devour knowledge and never seemed to forget anything she learned, and now she was in one of the greatest archives of knowledge in the local star system.  The Sylan might have more general knowledge, but Maraline seemed certain that the Progenitors were still more advanced when it came to the source technology.

The dilation of time did give Nicole a moment to think, even as she watched the blur of red light that represented her girlfriend trail around her in a gentle spiral.  Putting everything on her shoulders wasn’t healthy, and the more that Nicole pondered things, the more she realized how she had all but manipulated Grace into going along with her. 

That part hurt, but their friends’ lives were in danger.  The conversations to come would be worth it if they returned in one piece.

Their friends’ lives were worth more than their relationship, and the cold math of it sank deep into Nicole.  She didn’t want to think like that; reducing her friendships and love to cold calculus.  

Any further thoughts on the matter were pushed out of Nicole’s mind as the ground rushed to meet them.  The sprawling expanse of Minneapolis grew by the second.  Their twin trails of light danced past a jet taking off from MSP, no doubt giving everyone inside the scare of their lives.  Even with five years of alien invasions, air travel hadn’t been interrupted.  The lack of infrastructure disruption was simply another subject to talk with Maraline about when the world wasn’t falling apart around them.

Nicole’s second planned landing went smoother than her first, and she reached out to grab Grace’s hand without hesitation.  Her girlfriend did the same and the pair shared a look of resolve.  That moment was shattered by a blur of green soaring over the nearby rooftop as Kayla crashed into the ground beside them, leaving a crater in the asphalt. 

“Goddamn does that bitch hit like a truck,” Kayla said, picking herself up with a groan.  “At least my suit’s still intact…  Probably wouldn’t be walking this one off otherwise.” 

“Probably,” Grace said.  

“Oh hey, you caught up!” Kayla said, then paused.  “Nicole, you sure you’re good to be here?  Last I saw, you were bleeding from the eyes.” 

“Eh, that was thirty minutes ago,” Nicole answered with a shrug.  “Progenitor tech is something else.” 

Kayla didn’t answer right away, not that she had much of an opening to do so.  Debris flew into the air, the crashing sound followed an instant later.  Grace and Nicole shared a singular look, then a solemn nod.

“Roll the Dice!” 

Red flashed and Nicole reached deep to draw on the power within, keeping it subdued for the moment to avoid backlash.  Her own burst of speed was less than a second behind Grace’s, and the two Rangers took off at a dead sprint before vaulting over the row of buildings between them and the battle.  Nicole barely noted that Kayla took longer to follow after them, and was moving far slower than either of them despite Nicole making sure she didn’t cross the threshold and morph on her own.

The Sylan didn’t need to know that she had figured out how to morph again, especially without needing a working morpher to do so.

They crested the rooftops, the scene before them unravelled almost immediately as Nicole took stock of the situation.  Carlos was down, Devon’s shield had chunks carved out of it but he was still standing, and Jeff had half a haft of his spear left, and it wasn’t the pointy end. 

“Let me go first,” Grace said, her voice coming at speeds beyond normal human comprehension. 

Her feet touched down on the lip on the rooftop, a sparkle of red heralded her axe coming into being.  Grace tipped forward in slow motion, then the edge of the roof exploded as her girlfriend turned herself into a crimson comet.  Guiana flowed smoothly from an aborted strike against Devon, and caught Grace’s axe with her own blades and a smile on her face. 

The smirk almost immediately dropped as Guiana was bowled over and slammed into the ground from the force of the blow.  Grace didn’t let that opening go to waste as she snapped a hand out and grabbed Guiana by the throat, keeping her skull buried in the concrete.  A hundred feet down the way and Guiana rallied, bringing a leg up to kick Grace away.  She took the hit, her forcefield barely sparking as the momentum was bled off with a few expert twists that would make any gymnast jealous. 

Nicole would know.

It was one thing to hear that Grace’s morpher was upgraded, it was an entirely different matter to see those upgrades in action.  Her girlfriend was completely unruffled, and decidedly pissed if her rigid posture was anything to go by.  For once, Nicole wasn’t eager to jump between her and a threat. 

“Well now, someone found their claws,” Guiana said with a grin as she wiped a smear of blood across her face.  Shit, Grace had actually scraped her skin raw, not that the Sylan seemed to mind.  “Also, interesting that the two of you are late to the party.  I hope I didn’t interrupt anything important.” 

“We had plenty of time to finish up,” Grace said casually.  “Probably could have gone for round two with how things were going.” 

Nicole wanted to smack her, facepalm, and shrink away all at once.  Now was not the time for dirty jokes, even if they were serving the purpose of taunting the enemy.  Guiana was in many ways more dangerous than Bartran, and Grace was provoking the woman that kept up with a Source empowered Ranger until they had burned themselves out.

Those memories wouldn’t fade anytime soon. 

“Adorable,” Guiana said, twirling a blade.  “Is your little girlfriend okay?  I can’t help but notice she isn’t joining us tonight.” 

Nicole flipped the enemy General off, which got a laugh from the woman. 

“Nah, she’s letting me take a shot at you first,” Grace said, casually, resting her axe against her shoulder. 

“That, or she still hasn’t recovered from her earlier experience.”  Guiana dropped into a low stance, blades gripped tight.  “Very well then, let us dance.” 

The Sylan General burst into motion, her blade going right for Grace’s neck.  Her axe moved just enough to catch the blade on the haft, Guiana’s eyes dilated ever so slightly, and the dance was on.  Shockwaves ripped through the air with each clash, and Nicole could only smile as she watched her girlfriend keep up, no matter how much she wanted to jump in and help.

Grace asked for an opportunity, and she had some sort of upgrade from The Progenitor that was giving her confidence.  Yet, Nicole couldn’t help but fear that it was a false confidence borne of a major power increase.  That same experience had helped push Nicole further, and nearly cost her everything when that power became too much to control. 

It was intoxicating, even as it tore Nicole apart. 

The morphers had limitations built in to prevent that according to Rebecca, which should prevent Grace from suffering similar backlash.  The real danger was in the feeling that came from wielding such power.  Nicole knew it well, but Grace always had more self control.

She just needed to trust her girlfriend. 

Kayla was down in the mess helping the others, but Nicole knew better than to try and assist.  Without being morphed, she was too tempting of a target for Guiana to take a swing at.  No, Nicole would watch and wait.  The moment that Guiana stopped holding back and went for the kill, that was when Nicole would step in. 

The vulnerability would be too tempting for the General, and that was when Nicole would draw on the Source and put an end to the battle.  She would only get to use that trump card once, and Nicole was planning to get the most mileage out of it that she could manage.  Be it in this battle or the next. 

Guiana was as swift as ever, her motions a struggle to track even with Nicole’s Source enhanced vision.  Despite that, Grace was keeping up with her every action, blocking a heavy strike and flowing into a seamless parry before retaliating with a thunderous hammer blow of her greataxe.  If the stakes weren’t so high, Nicole would be taking the time to appreciate how much ass her girlfriend was currently kicking. 

A ducked blow flowed into a shoulder check that sent Guiana stumbling back.  The General regained her footing almost immediately, but Grace was upon her, swinging her axe with both arms.  Guiana bent back to avoid the lethal strike, then flipped to the side to avoid the follow up.  As Nicole watched the dance her eyes narrowed. 

If Nicole hadn’t fought Guiana before, she might even think that Grace was winning. 

That wasn’t the case, not with how much Guiana was holding back.  Each close call could hardly be called such, not when Nicole knew from experience what the woman was capable of.  Those near misses were calculated, with the woman matching her speed to give the impression of a disadvantage. 

Worse, Nicole couldn’t tell if Grace was pulling a similar trick or not.  There wasn’t any time to practice, to find their new limits, or become comfortable with their new capabilities.  Nicole had spent days training under The Progenitor’s watchful eye, and she still struggled to thread the eye of the needle and push herself right to the limit. 

Grace had no such training.  She may as well be freshly morphed and right back at the Renfaire for all the experience she had fighting at this new level.  The difference maker was that Guiana had centuries of experience pushing herself to these extremes and beyond.  Each exchange was just a hair faster, moves that Nicole could follow at the start were becoming strained, and Grace was pushing herself to match them each time. 

Did Grace even realize she was doing it? 

That thought was almost enough to get Nicole to jump in, but she refrained from doing so.  It wasn’t time, not yet.  Kayla had rallied their team, but they were still within striking distance.  At any point Guiana could stop holding back and strike out at any of them.  Nicole needed to be ready to step in and protect them if that happened. 

Her role was to be the unexpected trump, and she needed to play it properly. 

Even as Nicole watched the battle, it became clear that the objective of this fight needed to shift away from their old standards.  Much as it hurt to consider, fighting to win was not their current goal.  They could lose this engagement so long as they managed to get everyone back to The Progenitor’s ship in one piece.  Just watching Grace fight was enough to convince her of that.  If their entire team were that capable, they could hold off any of the enemy Generals, maybe even defeat them, but only if they were together. 

As nice as that thought was, it would be for nothing if Guiana managed to pick one of them off before they could stage a retreat.  The morpher upgrade had been accomplished in under thirty minutes on a first attempt.  How long would it take to get everyone up to that same standard?  An hour at most? 

The city could be devastated in that timeframe, but the end result… 

Nausea rippled through Nicole as she considered the lives on the scale.  How many children would be subject to the very fate that nearly broke her?  The entire city would blame her team for failing them when they were needed most.

Who was she to place lives on the scale and judge their weight? 

The frantic pace of the battle continued to escalate in minor increments, and once clean blocks were now near misses that sent sparks flying as the kinetic barrier was stressed by the glancing impacts.  Grace wasn’t keeping up as well as she could anymore, and Guiana’s smirk was growing. 

“What’s wrong, little kitten?” Guiana taunted, now blocking Grace’s strikes with ease.  “What happened to those adorable sharp claws of yours?” 

Grace said nothing, continuing the damning dance as more sparks shot into the air from each exchange.  The others were now far enough away that Nicole was comfortable approaching, but her gut told her it wasn’t yet time.  She was missing something important, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. 

The warmth of the Source was growing from a minor irritation into something that demanded her full attention to keep from giving in to the temptation it offered.  She knew that she could turn the tide of the battle in an instant, but then they lost a major advantage.  Several advantages now that she thought of it. 

The Sylan weren’t aware of The Progenitor.

Any attempt to teleport away would reveal too much.  Their arrival might have been noticed, but there was no reason to give them the answer wholesale.  No, information security was the name of the game, and Nicole needed to play along.  Tactical advantages in this war were rare, and they had secured several. 

It was up to her to ensure they kept them. 

But at what cost? 

Nicole stepped over the edge of the building, letting herself fall.  Both blades were drawn as she drew deep upon the Source.  Nicole did all she could to keep from crossing the threshold that would let her morph once again, towing the line as closely as she could.  The ground rushed up to meet her, and Nicole twisted at the last moment, her coiled legs then shot out, pushing her off the wall just before hitting the ground. 

The concrete exterior of the unfortunate building shattered under the force, sending Nicole rocketing towards the battle in a spray of debris.  Guiana’s attention drifted to her mid-flight and Grace hadn’t missed the lapse.  She moved faster than ever, demonstrating she too had been holding back, pressing that slim advantage even as Nicole closed the distance.  It was well timed, and against any other opponent it would have been devastating.

This wasn’t any ordinary foe.

Guiana blurred into motion, deflecting Grace’s improved speed in a flash of steel and turned to meet Nicole’s charge with an almost casual air.  This was the woman that she fought all those weeks ago, the woman that came so close to ending her life.  It was clear that she was determined to force her to either show her hand or put her down. 

Nicole couldn’t let either of those outcomes come to pass. 

The Source pulsed through her veins as Nicole brought her own daggers up, knowing she wasn’t fast enough to match the General.  What she was doing went directly against her promise to Grace, but there wasn’t another option, not if they wanted to preserve their secrets. 

Nicole was too slow.  Guiana would block the initial strike with insulting ease only to follow that up with whatever counterattack that she wished.  Nicole didn’t know the woman well enough to say if it would be a toying strike, or something debilitating.  Hell, she could escalate and go straight to a fatal strike and there wouldn’t be much that Nicole could do in that situation.

Was it worth it? 

If Guiana followed through, Grace would be right there as Nicole took the blow, injuring herself when it could be avoided.  All to keep an advantage in the war.  Tactically it was sound, and intellectually she knew it to be the right call.  Was their fragile relationship really worth preserving in the face of all there was to gain?  Was it worth sacrificing to ensure a temporary advantage? 

How was that even a question? 

Guiana brought her blades around, slapping aside the strike with an expression of pure condescension writ upon her face.  The blades moved in almost slow motion, flowing from the deflection right into a strike that Nicole knew would end her involvement in the battle before it had begun.  Nicole had made her choice, and this was where her gamble would either pay off or blow up in her face. 

Guiana’s blade came down and Grace screamed.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 68 - Break

A throbbing head was the first thing that pierced the fog of Nicole’s mind, the familiar ache doing more to tell her what had happened than any groggy memory ever could.  She’d overdrawn and was in the ship’s medbay getting treated for the physical symptoms.  Something about that felt wrong, but for the moment she would let the fog disperse a bit before trying to think too deeply on it. 

“She’s waking up!” 

That voice…  Why was Grace on the ship?  Forcing an eye open, Nicole was pleasantly surprised that the lights were dim and she didn’t get a blinding light that split her skull open.  Small mercies.  One figure hovered over her, cloaked in darkness with a glowing halo of pale light illuminating the space behind them.

Familiar blonde hair fell into the light and Nicole couldn’t help the smile that crept onto her face at the sight.  Then something warm dripped down onto her cheek before a heavy weight crashed into her and squeezed tightly. 

“You idiot,” Grace said.  “Why do you keep trying to die like that?” 

“Well, if at first you don’t succeed,” Nicole said, then winced at the sharp pain of a knuckle between two ribs.  “Ow, regret!” 

“Damn right you better,” Grace said, pulling back.  The lights were a bit brighter now, but still dim enough to not overwhelm.  “I’m getting sick and goddamn tired of all these close calls.” 

The bottom dropped out of Nicole’s stomach at the harshness of those words.  The chastisement was deserved, but Nicole couldn’t just leave it at that.  Nobody else had moved to help her friend, and Nicole refused to stand idle and watch someone die, not when she could prevent it. 

“Maraline would have died otherwise.” 

“Yes,” Grace snapped.  “But I’m not dating her, I’m dating you!  I care about you, not her.  Last time I saw her she was trying to kill us, so forgive me for not rushing to her aid at the first sign of danger.” 

“Uh, is this a bad time?”  Heads turned sharply at the voice, and Becca gave a weak wave from the door where Colin was helping her stand.  Becca smiled weakly as she continued.  “Gotta say, the medical tech here is amazing.  Aside from general fatigue, I’m feeling pretty good all things considered.” 

“Still barely able to walk,” Colin grumbled.  “You just refused to stay in bed once you heard Nicole was up.” 

“Yeah yeah,” Becca countered a bit petulantly.  “Still, did you know all of this is technically holographic?  It’s a literal holodeck!” 

“I am aware,” Nicole said, glad for the interruption but also well aware that the conversation was merely paused, not finished.  “I figure you’ll be neck deep in the shiny tech the moment that you’re able to stand on your own.” 

“I have already been fielding questions,” The Progenitor said.  “For now, rest and recover.  The knowledge has kept for thirty thousand years, it will wait another day.” 

“Spoilsport,” Becca said, sticking her tongue out. 

“Return to your beds and rest,” The Progenitor didn’t quite command, but the suggestion was heavy in his words.

Colin pulled Becca away, earning a sharp look from the plucky girl that had him rolling his eyes as they vanished around the corner.  A wall materialized where the door had once been, cutting Nicole and Grace off from the others and giving them proper privacy. 

“While I won’t pretend that I’m not able to listen to your conversation, I will give you the best semblance of privacy I can.” 

“Uh, thanks?” Nicole said. 

The silence in the now private room was heavy, and Nicole couldn’t help the nagging fear that had been building since Grace last spoke to her.  She didn’t want to ask, yet she needed to know… 

“Are,” Nicole swallowed heavily.  “Are you breaking up with me?” 

Grace paused as her eyes widened.  “Fuck no!  I just…”  All the fight seemed to leave her in an instant.  “I just wish you cared about your own well being as much as I care about you.  Isn’t it obvious that I don’t want to lose you?” 

Nicole opened her mouth, but the words wouldn’t come.  Grace watched her for a moment, waiting, but they never came.  Tears began to fall as she powered on.

“If you had done it to save me, I’d be mad but understand because I’d do much the same if it was you at risk.  A member of the team?  More anger, but still some understanding.  An enemy general who kidnapped you?  I don’t get it and I’m trying to not over react, and I know I’m failing at that.” 

The words landed like a physical blow and despite wanting to turn them around, to deny them, Nicole swallowed her response.  For the longest time she had been suicidal, she hid it well, even from herself at times.  That hadn’t really gone away when she became a Ranger, she just had a different outlet for it. 

Even without her ability to morph she continued to throw herself into danger and fight at the level of a Ranger even knowing she was outclassed.  That first mutant should have killed her.  Hell, Maraline could have killed her right then and there.  She’d demonstrated how much she held back during the battle with Bartran and Guiana.  Maraline was a fighter, a damn good one, and Nicole should have died in both encounters. 

The only reason she hadn’t was because Maraline cared about her, wanted her to live, which was where the growing trust between them was coming from.  Yet, Nicole wasn’t extending that same trust to Grace, was she?  Or rather, she was taking it all for granted.

Nicole couldn’t help but slump at the realization of how selfish she was being by trying to put everyone else first, or rather, herself last.  It would be one thing if she had nobody left, but even at her lowest point she still had Becca who would have grieved her loss.  That was the kicker of it all, death didn’t truly impact the one that died.  They were dead, so what did they care? 

It was those left behind who truly suffered.

People would mourn her, more now than ever before.  She had friends, teammates, and someone who loved her.  Nicole’s vision wavered as she looked into her girlfriend’s eyes, the tears still falling from them as Grace struggled to keep herself composed, waiting for an answer.

The dam burst and Nicole fell into gut wrenching sobs. 

She really had fucked it all up and it wouldn’t be any wonder if Grace did try to break up with her over it.  That she insisted she wasn’t remained the anchor that Nicole latched onto, that faint hope that she hadn’t screwed up the best thing to happen to her.  She needed to do better by Grace and not treat her own life as a fair trade for someone else’s. 

“I’m sorry,” Nicole said, even if it did come out a bit garbled. 

“You better be,” Grace countered, her voice cracking even as she let out another sob.  “I fucking love you, if you hadn’t realized.  I’m not about to lose you so soon after we found one another.” 

Nicole held her all the tighter, keeping the warmth within from bubbling up and making her embrace dangerous for her love.  How much of that was an actual risk wasn’t clear, Grace was fairly strong as it was, and enhanced as a Ranger besides, just not to the levels that Nicole found herself. 

“I love you too,” Nicole said once she was certain she wouldn’t crush her.  “I just…  I’ve been ready to die for so long, thinking of others before myself, yet I never really considered how dying might impact everyone else…” 

Grace looked up, and despite how puffy her eyes were, the glare was withering.  Point made, but Nicole wished she was given some slack.  Years of depression weren’t something that could be overcome with a single pep-talk and a pat on the back. 

Granted, Nicole never fully absorbed that when her therapist said it, but the words themselves still stuck with her.  Probably because it felt like a way to kick the can down the road when it came to blame and personal pity. 

“Oh god, Colin was right,” Nicole muttered.  “I do need therapy.” 

Grace snorted, shooting a bit of snot as she did that landed on Nicole’s pants.  Eh, sin forgiven.  That set them both into a fit of giggles that continued for several moments as they held each other close, just letting the tension and stress fade away, even if it was only temporary.

“We could probably all use someone to talk to,” Grace said after a moment, then something seemingly occurred to her.  “How about a new topic?” 

She wasn’t even attempting to hide what she was doing and Nicole certainly appreciated the gesture, answering her with a smile.  “I’m up for that if you are.” 

Grace then bit her lip, probably not realizing that she would need to be the one to come up with the topic when she threw the idea out there.  “After the whole rescue Sarah thing, it occurred to me that I don’t know much about your own family other than…” 

As she trailed off it clicked what exactly she was asking about.  Nicole’s blood family were all gone, most of them taken from her life by the Sylan.  Nicole didn’t talk about them often, as it poked at wounds that were still all too fresh in her mind.  Would going over some of the happier memories help? 

Well, it couldn’t hurt, and it wasn’t as though there were a bunch of them in the first place.

“There isn’t much to tell,” Nicole said with a shrug, which was countered with a glare so flat that it could be used as a functional unit of measurement.  “My parents and I weren’t close,” Nicole admitted with some reluctance.  “They weren’t abusive, they took good care of me, made sure I had everything I wanted.  Just not them.” 

Grace smiled in sympathy, even if her own story was worse, Nicole knew that it wasn’t a contest.  Empathy could still exist despite everything else. 

Grace’s voice was soft, comforting.  “What did they do for a living?”

“Dad worked as a contractor for the city,” Nicole said, then chuckled.  “Mom was a popular streamer, funny enough.  You might have seen some of her stuff, she was CookingQueen.” 

“No shit!?” Grace exclaimed, shooting up.  “I watched her stuff all the time, I still remember when—” She cut off, her face falling.  “When her account was updated as deceased.” 

“I couldn’t bring myself to post a video of myself,” Nicole whispered.  “I messaged the site, showed them the documents, then the bastards locked her account and kept everything she earned.” 

That was the kicker, when she was already down from losing her parents, everyone made a grab for the money.  None of Dad’s insurance policies paid out and they even held up his final paycheck.” 

“Isn’t that illegal?”

Nicole snorted.  “Like a girl who wasn’t even of age could fight it.  Sure, I got it all now but that wasn’t me, that was Sinclair greasing the wheels and paying me to keep fighting the good fight.” 

Grace didn’t ask how they died, just how they lived.  Nicole was grateful for that.  The memories of the phone calls, the confirmations that she had lost her last living family, it all hurt even though it was a year prior.  That pain hadn’t faded, and the emotional distance helped, but Nicole chose to focus on other things to distract her, letting herself spiral to avoid the pain. 

She couldn’t keep doing that, she needed to move forward, and Grace was someone who was there for her, a hand offered.

“Mom never let me appear on the show,” Nicole continued, getting back on the topic.

Grace snorted.  “Given what I’ve seen you do to instant ramen, I can’t blame her.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Nicole said, fighting back a weak bit of laughter.  “Dad was usually too busy putting out fires, just not literally.  He did something with the power distribution, not that teenage me ever cared all that much.” 

Grace looked off to the side for a moment.  “Was there anything they did with you that has happy memories associated with it?” 

That did prompt a smile from Nicole. 

“The one thing we always made time for was the Renfaire.  They never skimped on letting me get gear so long as I was working towards a build of some type, nothing wasteful was the only rule.  I’d done the princess thing as a kid, but when it came time to start a new build, I picked knives and stealth.  I went Rogue.” 

“You certainly did,” Grace said with a grin.  “You grew up in Minneapolis, right?  I’m guessing you attended each year?” 

“Haven’t missed a one,” Nicole said.  “Came close a few years back during the plague, but we made it work, and it was part of why I picked Rogue.” 

“Masks do tend to be terribly comfortable,” Grace mused. 

Shaking her head, Nicole let herself relax against Grace as she began to tell the story behind her pouch, the original that had inspired it, and how it met a most ignoble end necessitating the replacement.  Grace laughed, and then started telling a story about how Sarah punched out another girl in grade school for calling a boy gay. 

The stories weren’t long, but they helped pass the time and dial down the tension from their earlier squabble.  Things weren’t perfect, but they had communicated their own perspectives.  That was a starting point and would hopefully grow into a better understanding, and maybe some less self-destructive inclinations on Nicole’s part. 

Well, a girl could certainly dream. 

A chime startled the pair out of their cozy moment as the door opened, revealing Sarah.  She looked less frazzled than she had in the bedroom, and had a fresh change of clothes that were modern and not the ancient tunics that Nicole had to wear during her own stay.  Maybe Becca had figured out a way to get The Progenitor’s database updated or something.  Or maybe she had packed that before they escaped.

“So, the creepy ghost in the machine voice asked me to bring this to you,” Sarah said, holding out a familiar red banded morpher.  “He said it has the teleportation thingy working and messed with the limiter?  That part went a bit over my head but that Becca girl seemed to get it.” 

“Whoa,” Grace said, slipping it back on her wrist.  “How does it all work?” 

A figure flickered into existence stepping with purpose as they did.  Sarah squeaked, taking a quick hop away from it even as she glared daggers at the hologram.  

“A minor feat of hacking, nothing more.  A complete rebuild will be required to take it further.  Unfortunately it would seem expediency will be more apt at this moment,” The Progenitor said.  “Your team is valiantly holding off the Sylan General, Guiana, but they are losing.” 

A screen appeared, floating in the air with nothing to support it.  It was far beyond anything she had heard Becca describe of Sinclair’s deeper labs when she was just a touch too drunk to school her words.  A local Minneapolis station had set up far above with a decent telephoto lens on their helicopter and they managed to capture the moment that Kayla was thrown back from the fight in a shower of sparks before Devon and Carlos could move to support her. 

“She’s back,” Nicole hissed, jumping to her feet.  “What are we waiting for?” 

“You to get back in bed,” Grace said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.  “I’ll go and support them, you need to rest.” 

“They’re up against fucking Guiana,” Nicole said, the horror in her voice growing as she watched Jeff get swatted from the sky mid dive.  Nicole spun, gesturing back at the screen.  “They’re going to be slaughtered if we don’t help them.” 

“I am going to help them!  You almost died an hour ago, you need to recover!” Grace shouted, but Nicole could see how her resolve wavered.  “Fuck.  I can’t…” 

As much as she wanted to scream, Nicole needed to take a step back and try to put Grace first, as hard as that was for her.  Self sacrifice came easy to Nicole, and it was killing her to not rush out and help her friends when needed, but she needed to reassure Grace that they were partners, that Nicole was going to listen to what she had to say. 

“I know,” Nicole said, pulling her into a hug.  “I won’t go without you, but they’re going to die without help.  They need us, but it’s your call.  I’m going to trust you to make the right call here, because I can’t trust my own judgment.” 

Grace bit her lip, the conflict warring within her.  Nicole felt horrible about passing the burden over to her like that, yet if they were going to move forward, it had to be done.  Nicole would throw herself into danger to help her friends, risk her life even when she should be resting.  Grace had a sense for self preservation that Nicole had neglected for far too long.  If anyone was level headed enough to make the call at this moment, it was Grace.

“We go together,” Grace said firmly.  “We go and get them to safety.”

Inheritance - Interlude: Lisa

Shoutout to First for streamlining the hell out of this chapter!

_____________________

Tuesday May 10th, 2011

On the list of potential futures Lisa had imagined for herself, being in a boardroom was… distressingly close to the top.

Granted, her parents had practically been villains in their own right, and so using her power to wrench control from the hapless normal suits was expected.  They had ambitions far in excess of their own talents and reach, and it wasn’t hard to see the path from ‘gaming the stock market’ to ‘owning enough stock to trigger a board election.’  It would have been paved with Lisa’s own blood, sweat, and most importantly, tears.

Lisa doubted very much that her parents would have expected this particular path, however.  A maximally hostile takeover of a Nazi stronghold by way of multiple murderous rampages wasn’t anywhere on her bingo card, especially with the Teeth.  If she was being honest, they hadn’t expected it either, given that the Teeth were normally the epitome of ‘disorganized crime.’

She sighed quietly, slumping briefly in Kaiser’s overly-ornate chair at the head of the otherwise spartan steel table.  The leather chairs were comfortable, given that several of the people on the board were his direct underlings in the Empire, but all of them were much more plain.  Stupid, unnecessary posturing.

Then again, it wasn’t like the Teeth were immune to that themselves given Taylor’s literal skull throne, complete with Hookwolf skull mounted on top.  Lisa herself was nursing a mild headache partially stemming from her bout with Sophia in the fighting pit last night, putting Amelia’s various experiments with her body to the test while kicking the ‘is Tattletale a real member’ can down the road a few more weeks.

Oh, Amelia.  Flirting with the freckled girl had been the best impulsive decision that Lisa had ever made, and not just because it ensured the continued survival of life on the east coast for the next few years.  At the time it had seemed like she was taking a big fall for Team Humanity, but then she had become unexpectedly attached to the ex-heroine.  Amelia was, once she had a few good nights sleep and a hug, a rather delightful partner.

Which was something Lisa never expected to have, given Power’s usual insights.  Those had trailed off steadily as Lisa got to know the Teeth’s newest member.  Her rules — which were proving to be unhealthy long term — gave her a decent respect for established boundaries and communication.  They spent many nights just laying in bed together talking through ideas Amelia had, and in a few cases — always with Lisa’s spoken permission — trying them out in a controlled way.

Lisa gripped the edge of the table and gave it an experimental tug.  It didn’t move, but then again she wasn’t really trying; her leap of faith when she first offered to let Amelia experiment on her had paid off handsomely.  Amelia tinkered with her constantly, pushing the envelope on better, stronger, faster… even if Lisa’s power was happy to report that she really wasn’t quite human anymore.

Unfortunately, experiments to mitigate her Thinker headaches were shelved until Amelia had a better understanding of brains.  The grumpy biokinetic was making good progress, but her girlfriend was still scared of her own intrusive thoughts changing a ‘small tweak’ into something catastrophic.  Lisa’s power had been all too happy to point out that Amelia feared what she might unintentionally change, and her girlfriend’s physical needs were starting to weigh on her mind…

Taylor and Chrissie could deal with that part.  Lisa had been pleasantly surprised to discover that cuddle piles were an activity she could enjoy, but going further was out of the cards, even if Power was mercifully silent on idle ramblings about the Butcher after a few early slips.  Some capes were simply too scary even for the voice in her own head.

So with Amelia’s fortuitous crush on the Butcher and Taylor’s own efforts to keep things afloat with Chrissie, all Lisa had to do was make sure they didn’t kill each other over a misplaced comment.  That and making sure that Taylor and Chrissie accepted that she just wasn’t interested in anything physical, the signals she got from them during the kiss demonstration were almost enough to make her retch.  She didn’t even need Power for that one.  Amelia at least was respectful, even if there was a secret hope of a ‘small tweak’ that Lisa would likely need to crush in the near future. 

Hopefully getting Taylor and Chrissie in on things would be enough to keep all of their minds off of doing stuff with her and those signals would trail off.  Her power was great and all, but sometimes she wished for an off button when horny teens were involved.  If it didn’t she might just have to bow out of the relationship, even if she would miss the cuddles. 

And just like that she had a headache, just thankfully not a Thinker one.

Lisa glanced at the clock, putting the Butcher’s lovelife out of her mind (another thought she would never have expected) as well as her own (doubly so on that front given Power’s usual contributions) Lisa took a steadying breath and focused on the meeting to come.  With only thirty six percent of the outstanding shares in her pocket — largely thanks to Theo Anders — she had been just barely able to secure the acting chairmanship through Medhall’s own archaic bylaws.  The mutual funds and other institutional investors had grumbled, but it was essentially the same path Max had used to take over from his father ten years earlier.  They obviously didn’t expect her to win the next scheduled election.

Oh, how wrong they were.

The other board members started arriving a few minutes before the scheduled start time, beginning with the obvious Empire sympathizers first.  Ernest Marshal was a longtime ally of the Anders, first partnering with Richard in the eighties and sticking with his son after his death.  He was the only one besides Lisa who was aware of how intertwined the Empire had been with Medhall, an arrangement that had enjoyed his enthusiastic support.  His fortune and influence were rooted in the banks, both in the United States and abroad.

Susan Harrell was a different problem entirely.  She owned a big chunk of one of the local pharmacy chains, and her husband had been a key part of the Empire’s drug distribution network.  But she had seen the writing on the wall (in blood) after her husband had been killed during the Empire’s messy dissolution, and going legit carried much less chance of getting all of her property burned down by the Teeth.

Next came Andrew Carter, a ruthless but otherwise boring corporate lawyer whose singular concern was next quarter’s profits.  Herman Templeton followed on his heels, the sole black man anywhere near the C-suite and the only reasonable person on the board.  He was also a ruthless corporate lawyer, but had grown up in the Bay and wanted to see his hometown succeed.

None of them bothered to trade pleasantries as they took their customary seats around the table, leaving the chair to Lisa’s right conspicuously empty.  Lisa was fairly sure that all of James Fleischer’s credentials had been faked by the Gesellschaft, but his presence on the board was due to major investments by a real German conglomerate.  Krieg’s apprehension by the feds made it hard to attend, and Lisa knew that she was going to be unpleasantly surprised by whomever showed up.

At the very least, it was going to be someone in the Elite’s pocket.

Lisa would never admit it, but she was pretty fucking nervous about the state of the city.  Bastard Son’s presence meant that the uppermost Elite saw the Teeth as competition to be eliminated instead of subsumed, despite the fact that he was of limited usefulness against the Butcher.  Thus, the Elite had started parallel schemes to take over in the more normal way, up to and including going after a major employer that had a history as a gang front.

How the Elite — assuming it was, in fact, them — had convinced Krieg to trigger his proxy representative clause was a question that had plagued Lisa all morning, and contributed quite a bit to her headache.  Ultimately, she didn’t have enough information to know one way or the other, but she did make a mental note to figure out if Krieg was even still in custody.

Then the person they had sent walked into the room, and all rational thought fled Lisa’s mind.

“Hello, Sarah,” Frederick Livsey said, voice every bit as oily as she remembered.

White-hot indignation flooded Lisa’s veins, and she barely resisted throwing her laptop through his disgustingly smug face.  She refused to give him the satisfaction of invalidating all of the effort she had put into seizing control of Medhall, even in death; a few deep breaths later, she was able to bite out a response.  “Father.  I see that you’re keeping elitist company, as always.”

“Indeed,” he said with his infuriating fake geniality.  “They send their regards, by the way.  We are always looking for… talented individuals.”

And just like that, Lisa’s temper spiked again.  Her embarrassments of parents had referred to her power as her ‘special talent’ in the beginning, an obvious signal to the sorts of people who would abuse parahuman children for their own gain.  He knew that she would pick up on the reference — and that she knew that he knew, and so on.  Any Elite representative worth their salt would have known that she was a cape, but her father knew the details because Sarah had been stupid enough to trust him.

This was going to suck.

Angry that he lost access to Lisa Wilbourn.  Determined to regain her power for his own use.  Promised access to her power to the Elite in exchange for their help.

This was going to suck a lot.

A quick glance at the rest of the board revealed that only Marshal had any idea what was going on.  Lisa hardly needed her augmented eyesight to pick up on the evil fuck’s tells, and it was a moment’s work for her power to realize that he was aware of more than just her relation to her sperm donor.  It seemed that the Elite had another man on the inside.

Lisa made a mental note to have both of their names added to the quest board back in the lair as soon as possible.  Admittedly, if there was anyone who she might be tempted to kill as her first, it was her father… but Teeth or no, Lisa wasn’t totally prepared to make that last step.

In reality, it was the first step.  It wasn’t hard to see how the various Teeth capes and the more successful normal members fell down the slippery slope, nevermind the ones that jumped down headfirst.  Lisa still had a conscience, bruised and tattered that it was, and it reminded her that killing her father for the approval of the Teeth would be letting him win.

However, even with Taylor’s support, the rest of the gang was eying Tattletale as a weak link.  To her eternal displeasure, many of them saw her as a squishy, annoying Thinker who was taking advantage of the Teeth for protection.  It was an extremely irritating contrast to Amelia (who made their drugs) and Madison (who impressed them with their various horrific transformations).  Lisa’s attempts to wrangle their disorganized crime wouldn’t pay off for months at the very least, which gave them ample opportunity to throw her into the fighting pit to force the issue.

Maybe killing her father wasn’t that bad of an idea.

Still, she couldn’t do so now, in front of everyone, so she waved him to his seat.  Anger flashed over his face, and he gestured to a second man before finally closing the door to the conference room.  “As Mr. Fleischer’s duly appointed representative, I took the opportunity to contract some additional legal counsel for these complicated times.  I’m sure the board won’t mind more level-headed voices in the room.”

If the man had actually been admitted to the bar, Lisa would eat her shoes.  More importantly, he was almost certainly either a cape or one of Bastard Son’s less-empowered and more sane goons.  He hid the tells quite well, but Lisa’s augmented eyes caught the tension in his stride and the way that he catalogued the room for threats before taking a seat on the opposite side from Lisa.

“If that’s everything,” Lisa said, ignoring her father, “then I hereby call this meeting to order.  There’s only two major items on the agenda, so let’s hear from our overseas partners first, then our new local major shareholder.  After that, we’ll open the floor to discussion.”

Normally, giving the coveted first slot to the Elite’s stooges would have been a losing proposition, but if there was one thing that Lisa was sure about, it was that they weren’t Gesellschaft plants.  The two organizations hated each other, and not just for ideological reasons.  The Empire was supposed to be the Neo-Nazis’ foothold in the USA, given that they had been rebuffed everywhere else by the Elite.

There was a lot of history there, but the practical upshot was that Lisa’s father didn’t have the relevant powerpoint presentation ready.  “In the face of our current situation, I hardly think it is relevant —”

“I disagree,” Carter cut in.  “Steiner Pharmaceuticals is our biggest partner, both as a supplier and client.  As James’ proxy, I’m sure you have an update on why the normal order volume has gone down by an order of magnitude for next quarter.”

Lisa sat back, carefully hiding her grin when her father shot her a glare.  She hardly needed her power to know that the Gesellschaft front was pulling out of the partnership rather abruptly.  The Elite were trying to capitalize on the same thing, after all — but it would have been Kreig’s responsibility to explain that to the rest of the board, had he not been in prison.

Her father managed to maintain some composure.  “I don’t have an answer for the board at this time.”

“What about you, Ms. Wilbourne?” Harrell said, giving Lisa a glare of her own.  “Your firm is local, so you should appreciate the damage caused by a supply chain disruption.  And you’ve obviously done your research, or Mr. Anders wouldn’t have appointed you.”

“A decision we all still oppose,” Marshal interjected.  “Clearly Max’s wisdom did not extend to his son, if he sent us a teenage girl.”

Even Templeton joined with the rest of the board in grumbling in approval, which only served to encourage Lisa to spite them even harder.  “Well, at least I think you would agree that age is just a number, right Mr. Marshal?”  The banker drew everyone’s eyes at that, but Lisa plowed on.  “But let’s not get distracted.  To answer your question: yes, I do have an update.”

A few clicks brought up a powerpoint of her own.  “The short answer is that Steiner is leaving us high and dry.  That should be pretty obvious, given that they’re a Gesellschaft front and Max Anders had a Hamlet cameo —”

“You dare!” Marshal started, rising halfway from his seat only to be cut off by Carter.

“Oh shut up Ernest,” he snapped.  “I told you that focusing too much on the Germans would come back to haunt us.  James had his finger on the scale over there and you knew it.”

Marshal glanced around the room for support, only to discover stony silence from the others.  Lisa forced her amusement down.  “Right.  Well, our procurement teams have been hard at work, and we’ll be able to make up the difference on most of the common materials with just a bit of premium.”

She clicked the powerpoint forwards, showing numbers to that effect.  Carter nodded slowly, running the numbers in his head.  Begrudgingly impressed with results.  Very unimpressed with Elite unpreparedness.  Good — the unabashed capitalist was always going to be the easiest sell, provided that Lisa did her due diligence and put the shareholders above literally everything else.  The angry glares that her father kept sneaking her were just icing on the cake.

One down, two to go.

The next few slides were almost self explanatory, giving Lisa a few precious moments to think.  She had predicted the Elite’s misstep with the Steiner update, but that was just the opening salvo.  Now that everyone in the room was aware of how much damage the Gesellschaft had done, Lisa needed to make sure that they picked her shell company as their new partner.  She had a silver bullet, after all.

What she couldn’t predict was the Elite’s own solution.

“Any questions?” Lisa asked when she reached the last slide.

“This solves the immediate issues of being able to produce most of our bulk items,” Harrell said, begrudgingly.  “We’ll be able to satisfy our local commitments, at least.”

“But many of the more specialized products will be in short supply,” Templeton pointed out.  “Cancer treatments in particular, which will impact all of the hospitals in the city…”  He trailed off, giving Lisa a significant look.

Smart man.  She wondered how he had figured it out.

Teeth capes, including Tattletale, are fundamentally incapable of discretion.

Well fuck you too, power.

“That dovetails nicely into the next topic.  As you are all aware, Theo Anders named me acting chairwoman in my capacity as the founder of Epione Research.”

Marshal snorted.  “A firm that barely exists.”

Lisa feigned indifference at the insult, but internally she was sweating bullets.  This was her second gamble, made all the more dangerous because she wasn’t just gambling herself.  Ultimately, Amelia had agreed, but only because it gave the not-quite-ex-healer an opportunity to assuage her own beleaguered conscience.  That comodizing her powers would also be a pointy thumb in New Wave’s eye was the cherry on top.

“Perhaps, but we employ probably the single most useful parahuman in the entire industry,” Lisa countered, instantly making everyone sit up — except for her father.  Her brain immediately kicked into gear, but she had to finish the presentation first.  “Because while the various misguided laws Congress has crammed down our throats make it impossible for most parahumans to work, there are loopholes for consulting.”

“What use is a Tinker?” Carter asked, irritated.  “They can’t explain their work.”

Lisa flashed her signature grin.  “Oh, but Panacea isn’t a Tinker.  She’s had to learn everything the hard way, no black boxes from her power.  All of that time spent as New Wave’s little healer gave her an unrivaled understanding of human biology.  She can actually collaborate with our biochemists.”

Templeton nodded slowly.  “She could dramatically cut development costs for, well, everything.”  The others murmured in agreement, including Marshal; they were all obviously imagining a world where Medhall’s primary cost was reduced to zero — at least for next quarter.

“Can we trust her, though?” Livsey asked, cutting the daydreams short.  “Her defection is already well known to practically everyone, and it’s not like the Teeth have a reputation for honest business dealings.  They’re much more well known for their… debauchery.”  He shot Lisa a significant look.

Was expecting comment to hurt Lisa Wilbourne.  Confused by lack of reaction.  Disappointed by lack of reaction.  Comment references shared past.  Comment references Reggie.

It was only weeks of having to hold her tongue around Butcher that kept Lisa from immediately retaliating, and she was rewarded by her father’s further disappointment as she kept the meeting focused.  “No one denies that the Teeth are not known for their restraint.  But Panacea didn’t join them because of some deep-seated desire for violence” — well, not too much — “but the truth is that they were the only group in town that could fight off New Wave and the Protectorate.”

Despite herself, Harrell chuckled.  “And why would she want that?”

“It’s not common knowledge, but her mother tried to effectively sell her to the Protectorate.  She had enough business sense to know that her so-called contract would have signed away her merchandising profits, and instead decided that she was done working for free.  So really, you should think of the Teeth as her protection detail, keeping Epione’s staff safe and local.”

Reactions to that phrasing of the situation were varied.  Carter and Templeton were already on board, despite their complaints, and were mostly wondering how much Panacea would charge.  Harrell was instead wondering how Panacea’s involvement could benefit her other ventures.  Livsey was pissed, which Lisa only knew from growing up with him, and the Elite goon… looked nervous?

The puzzle about the Bay continued to shift in Lisa’s head.  No one would be more upset about losing Amelia than the Elite, if only because she would make them absolutely, filthy rich with almost no effort.  However, even when viewed through the lens of the Elite’s normal methods — taking over Medhall would leave them as the sole provider able to work with her — something didn’t add up.

Livsey, of course, wasn’t going to leave her to Think peacefully.  “That’s a fine story, and if it were a reasonable group like the Elite, maybe I’d believe it.”  He either didn’t see the eye rolls from the other board members, or chose to ignore it.  “But this is the Teeth we’re talking about.  No cape has ever joined that group and just been a member.  No, they all turn into monsters in their own right, finding ever more awful depths of the human condition.”

Lisa just smirked, though admittedly she was worried about this effect.  The Butcher had already possessed a strange, alien sort of magnetism before, and Taylor was a thousand times worse.  If the more reasonable Teeth couldn’t keep her from going off the deep end, then Lisa feared that they would end up diving after her eventually.

“Well, lucky for us, Panacea is a healer,” Templeton interjected, saving Lisa the effort of coming up with a retort.  “She’s probably the most heroic cape in the whole city, if not region.”

“The advertisements almost write themselves,” Carter agreed.

A quick glance at her father revealed the truth: knows Amelia’s true power.  But even he didn’t want that to come out, in this setting at least, and instead went for another angle.  “Perhaps, but what qualifies as ‘healing?’  Can we possibly know if she, or her power, will agree with our business strategy?  What happens if she decides that chemotherapy isn’t healing?  Or that extreme procedures like gender reassignment count?”

Lisa barely heard the vocal agreement from the Empire contingent, as her power was suddenly slotting all of the pieces together.  Her parents had not suddenly become more tolerant after Lisa’s sibling killed themself — they had known how her power worked, and kept her busy so that she didn’t have time to suspect them.  And it had been so painful that Lisa hardly wanted to dig, what little there had been…

Worse, the Elite’s plan was starting to become clear.  Her father knew that his argument about gender was nonsense, and existed only to rile up the board members.  But he would only be able to fall back on such absurdisms if he — and the Elite — were confident that Epione wouldn’t able able to be effective partners with Medhall.

And there was only one way they could know that.

Lisa had to know more.  In her contemplation, the conversation had continued to slip, and luckily Carter’s cost-benefit analysis had clearly come down on the other side from the Elite.  “This is the reason we have contracts and insurance, Marshal.  Anders may have risked the whole company on his cape activities, but I doubt that Miss Wilbourne and Epione will be so short-sighted.”

“Short-sighted?” the banker hissed.  “What is short-sighted is signing over the company to a pair of teenagers!”

“For this fiscal year,” Templeton pointed out.

Marshal looked like he was about to start yelling slurs, which would be completely counterproductive to learning more about the Elite’s plans.  “Mr. Carter has the right of it.  Epione is willing to take on much of the risk in the beginning of our collaboration.”  Also known as ‘Amelia takes a huge pay cut.’  “But let’s leave these very valid concerns for the negotiating table.  I am more interested in what Mr. Livsey has to offer — assuming you aren’t here just to antagonize the board.”

Score one for Lisa — her father turned a delightful shade of red at the insult.  “Obviously not,” he snapped, then took a deep breath as the goon brought up their own powerpoint.  “We represent a consortium of biotech firms based in Seattle who compete in much the same space as Epione.”  Lisa knew that already, as they were the Elite, but the others all sat up a bit straighter.  “While we don’t currently employ anyone of Panacea’s caliber —”

He was cut off by the Elite goon, of all people as his eyes flicked to where his phone sat on the table.  “Our staffing is a trade secret.”

Unfortunately for him, Lisa’s power caught on immediately.  Do not currently have any capes of Amelia’s caliber.  Entire presentation is a lie, but they expect to employ better capes soon.  List of potential employees is very short.  Elite more likely to coerce than employ.  Elite expect to be able to coerce cape of Amelia’s power.  Amelia is among most capable parahumans in the world.  Other top biological manipulators are proper Tinkers.

Elite expect to coerce Amelia.

To his credit, the goon was watching for the exact moment Lisa connected the dots.  Of course her father would reveal the details of her power given his past association.  That moment was all the Elite minion needed, and even with all of Amelia’s enhancements she still just barely dodged a thrown pen that wasn’t even aimed primarily at her.  It cracked against the wall behind her and bounced off the steel surface, trailing ink across her phone only to land on the keyboard of her laptop.  Both devices sparked almost immediately. 

Special conductive ink — shut up power!

The attack didn’t go unnoticed, and Lisa found herself staring down a man who could and would murder her with the pens that were obviously his specialty.  As if to show off, the empowered minion twirled the twin fountain pens nimbly in each hand as he smirked at her with what should have been trademark infringement. 

“Not one for swords?” she bit out, already reaching into her pocket to crush the bug in the paper cube.  It might take Taylor a minute to arrive, but Lisa wasn’t worried about the Butcher.

She was worried about Amelia and whatever scheme the Elite was hatching.

“Now Sarah,” Livsey said.  “Surely this will be better than being beholden to murderers.” 

Lisa wasn’t about to let that slide, and she needed to play for time until Taylor could deal with whatever fuckery was afoot and make it to her.  “Like you?  You may as well have killed Reggie yourself.  She came to you for support, and you turned her away.” 

Livsey laughed, straightening his suit as Lisa spared him only the barest of attention — he was always meant to distract her, as the real threat was the one with the fountain pens.  She could probably take Bastard Son’s minion in a (mostly) fair fight, but that would mean outing that she was enhanced to the entire board.  Taylor was already taking longer than she should have, and that was prickling her power in concerning ways. 

“The Elite are civilized,” the goon retorted, holding up an arm as if holding Livsey back.  “But we would hate to lose someone so talented as you, Lisa, so why don’t we just sit back down and —”

Something pricked at the edge of her senses, and Lisa was already pushing away from the desk just as flames erupted, knocking everyone else back with the force of the explosion.  She didn’t need her powers to know the source.  A lone figure appeared, still wearing the street clothes she had left in that morning; she also held one of her imposing revolvers in each hand. 

“Which of them are Elite?” Taylor spoke coldly, demanding an answer. 

Extremely pissed.  Homicidal.  Will kill anyone Lisa indicates without hesitation.

Oh fuck, just what the hell had she missed?

Preview: Stormrunner

Before anyone gets up in arms about a new story, this was a prompt that basically ran away with my muse for a day and I thought I would share what came of it and see if there's enough interest there or not before I go crazy brainstorming stuff for it.

***

Somedays you just woke up and knew it’s going to be one of those days.  

Granted, most people didn’t set out to intentionally make it one of those days, but that was how things worked out sometimes.  Not every day could be spent lounging on the shores of a southern lake while drinking something fruity.  Sometimes you had to suck it up and deal with Imperial bureaucracy no matter how tedious it was.

Beneath the ship, the Storm raged as it always did, churning ever onward as they rode along the tides towards their destination.  At least the sky above remained clear—as nothing was worse than being caught between two storms while sailing—well aside from the lone cloud that stuck out like a blight on the azure expanse.  Almost as if someone had placed it there to intentionally mar the scene. 

Shaking that thought off, Marosa Arnet, Rosa to her friends, Mars to those who wished to die quickly—It was a long story, but stick around and you might just get to hear it—turned and headed back below deck of the transport.  It was a cramped thing, with a crew of four and no real seating areas.  It was hardly a pleasure cruiser, but that was military stock for you. 

Utilitarian to a fault and kept simple enough that the lowest common denominators could keep it functional.  Rosa was one of three guests being brought along for the ride, the other two wore masks much as she did, their identities meant to be kept hidden from the rank and file, and for now that suited her just fine. 

Once they docked, she would have to contend with the next leg of security, which would be a bother.  Complications would be inconvenient, and so many tended to slip up on security protocols.  Rosa was hopeful that any mistakes would be to her benefit and wouldn’t be difficult to work around if caught after the fact. 

That slip up back in Palen almost got her killed.

At least the site manager was quick to smooth things over once he was aware of the misunderstanding.  Unfortunately, the poor guy that tried to arrest her was fired on the spot.  Rosa felt bad for him, but such was a risk of the job and pissing off the higher ups was never a good way to climb the ranks. 

Looking at the two fellows currently in the cabin with her, she gave them a short nod then kept her mouth shut.  The crew around them weren’t cleared for state secrets beyond the location of the production facility, which meant no in-flight small talk to pass the time.  Boring to be sure, but better to not give something sensitive away by accident. 

Said crew members were keeping an eye on them out of the corners of their eyes, never looking directly, but it was hard to miss the attention being kept on the high profile passengers.  It wasn’t every day that Imperial inspectors would pass through, especially ones that only answered to the Emperor. 

There were no windows within the hull, a security measure in most cases, but Rosa’s credentials stated she was cleared for such things and nobody objected when she stepped out for fresh air.  Her companions could do the same if they wished, but neither of them seemed willing to give up the warmth of the cabin for the brisk winds of a ship in flight this high above the cloudbreak. 

A gentle chime sounded, a simple instrument clinging when the speaking pipe was opened.  “We’re beginning the final approach, please secure anything loose, including yourselves.” 

One of the crew members sighed, closing the panel they had been pretending to work on for the last two hours, and took their own seat, pulling on fasteners to keep them from flopping to the floor, or worse, in the event of a Cadescence Swell.  

Thoughts of freak weather events aside, Rosa was fairly calm given what was about to happen.  Yes, people were going to be upset with her arrival given it was unscheduled, but they would get over it in due time. 

A sudden bout of vertigo signaled that the ship had left open air and entered into the docking bay of the base.  She knew it was somewhere within the Western Imperial isles, likely Neiman or Cordova, but she didn’t know for sure.

The ship rocked gently, then lurched to a stop as it slipped into the docking station, rougher than most civilian transports but not horrible.  Clamps thumped into place along the hull, echoing within the small seating area and just like that the crew were back on their feet and moving to take care of their landing duties. 

Rosa stayed seated, waiting for their escort to come greet them.  She could tell that her two compatriots were getting nervous with each passing moment, but this was hardly her first inspection.  Their nerves seemed to crystalize when a man in an officer’s uniform came down the stairs from the flight deck.

“Inspectors.” 

Rosa regarded the officer that had just stepped up to them.  His uniform was a deep blue that bordered on black, pressed immaculately by whoever did his laundry.  Not a spec of hair was out of place, all tucked neatly within his cap.  The medals pinned to his vest showed that he was a veteran of the Iilaska campaign and had attained the rank of Commodore second class. 

Respectable, and not even a slight to the surprise inspection.  The last one had sent a Lieutenant Commander due to the unannounced nature of what she did, and she made her displeasure known.  Not that anyone on this station would be aware of that incident. 

“Commodore,” Rosa said, rising to her feet.  Her silent compatriots stood as well, offering a respectful salute to the ranking officer.  “Apologies about the short notice, but after the latest breaches of security, we felt this couldn’t wait given the sensitive nature of your work.” 

“Of course,” the Commodore said.  “If you would follow me, we’ll get you cleared and you can begin your work.  The sooner we’re cleared, the sooner we can resume testing.” 

“Your work here is extremely important to the Empire,” Rosa agreed.  “I’ll try to get my men out of your hair as quickly as possible.” 

The Commodore bowed his head ever so slightly and turned sharply, retracing his steps up to the deck.  Rosa jerked her head, signalling her compatriots to follow.  Harsh light spilled through the open door as Rosa stepped out onto the open deck, squinting as she did.  The setting sun was right in line with the storm layer, lighting up the shipyard. 

The roiling clouds down below were cast in a crimson glow that was quite beautiful.  It was unfortunate that she couldn’t stop and admire the view, but she had a schedule to keep.  The Commodore was waiting just off the ship, and Rosa stepped down the ramp to join the man.  He gestured towards a pair of petty officers which would verify her credentials as well as check for contraband. 

She’d already gone through this once when boarding the ship, so she wasn’t too concerned, but there was always a chance that something might get flagged that really shouldn’t.  That was the trick to the inspections, they expected something to either go wrong, or to be shown to be lacking. 

One of the officers stepped forward and began to wave a wand over each of her compatriots, finding nothing as expected.  She nodded as the second officer began to wand her as well, and didn’t so much as flinch when the wand sounded an alert along her boot.  Rifles came up, their cores primed and ready to fire. 

“Your boots, ma’am,” the Commodore said. 

She nodded, stepping aside to where a bench beside a table was waiting.  Her compatriots moved to stand at the end of the table as she bent down slowly, unfastening the offending boot before sliding it off.  It was taken rather forcefully by the petty officer who immediately began inspecting it as closely as he could.  Her second boot followed, placed on the table to the side as she sat back ramrod straight on the bench and waited for them to find their prize. 

She could tell her compatriots were growing more nervous by the moment, but this was all as expected.  The petty officer removed the sole of her boot after a moment, then pulled out a glowing blue stone as if he had just found gold. 

As if such trinkets weren’t sold on the open market for a trifle. 

“It’s a datacore, ser,” the officer said to the Commodore. 

“Good find, officer,” the Commodore said.  “Care to explain this, ma’am?” 

The bit of sarcasm applied to the ma’am wasn’t appreciated, but altogether expected given she had been caught with contraband.

“You may verify that it is blank save for whatever cheeky message my security officer saw fit to include within.  I never did understand that man’s sense of humor.”  Rosa then turned to the inspecting officers.  “Good work locating the dummy core, as the previous security terminal missed it.” 

“Of course they did,” one of the Petty Officers muttered. 

“Any other contraband?” the Commodore demanded. 

Rosa couldn’t help the smile behind her mask.  “That’s for your men to discover and for my final report to reveal.” 

The man grumbled, but gestured for them to continue their checks.  Her second boot was picked up and she began to secure her first now that it was returned to her.  By the time she got it laced the first joined it once more.  The data core was not returned. 

“Nothing else we could find,” the Petty Officer said after a few more moments. 

The Commodore scowled, but didn’t bother to repeat his prior question.  “Very well, we shall continue the inspection.” 

Rosa was glad that the mask hid her smile and she simply nodded, following the man as he led them deeper into the clandestine facility.  Two airlocks had to be cleared before they were inside the facility proper.  From there they passed by multiple offices where paperwork was processed and reports filed. 

Ahead of them, a woman walked with her head down and a file clutched close.  She wore a bonnet over her hair, a few strands of orange the only indication of hair color she could see.  Her clothes were nice enough, but not to the standard of the military which stood out given how high profile the facility was.  Her blouse had subtle hints of cleaned stains and a few frayed stitchings around the sleeves.  Her skirt was down to her knees, with stockings that rose to cover the rest of her skin, but that didn’t do anything to hide the fact that she had a furry tail that matched her orange hair hanging close to her legs. 

Just because she was testing the facility didn’t mean they wouldn’t be testing her as well, which meant that she would need to address the oddity, much as she might not want to.

“You,” Rosa snapped. 

The woman jumped, her folder going airborne for a moment before the papers spilled across the hall.  A shrieking yelp followed as the woman dropped to her knees and immediately began to mutter platitudes and apologies as she gathered the spilled papers back into the folder.  Rosa calmly reached down and picked up one of the sheets, and read it over. 

“Technical details of Project Stormpiercer?  That seems a touch sensitive to be transported so flippantly, wouldn’t you agree Commodore?” 

“Agreed,” he said.  He snapped and the two Petty Officers stepped forward and grabbed the woman by each arm. 

“No, I was only doing what I was told!”

“And who ordered you to do this?” Rosa demanded.

The woman’s eyes flicked towards the Commodore for a moment before all the flight fled from her.  “The Archanists.” 

That was the Imperial name for a minor group of rebels that operated off of the Hanging Flotels near the Commonwealth.  It was a perfectly feasible group to credit for any infiltration, especially one headed up by someone that carried Wild Blood within them.  The Commonwealth was one of the few places in the world where they gave Wilders equal status, and the Empire generally frowned upon that.

Wars had been fought, including the Iilaska Campaign that the dear Commodore had participated in.  The Empire technically lost that engagement, but won the greater exchange.  Not that they would ever admit it out loud. 

“We will have her executed immediately,” the Petty Officer said.  

The woman began to shriek incoherently, and it didn’t take an Imperial Investigator to see the game being played.  She fought and thrashed, then one of the Petty Officers punched her rather forcefully and all the fight left her at once. 

Before they could move to drag her off, Rosa’s hand fell on his shoulder.  “Belay that.” 

“What is the meaning of this?” the Commodore demanded. 

Rosa didn’t answer right away, instead taking the file again as she thumbed through it.  The documents seemed to be in order, with all the appropriate markings to denote classified materials.  Even the specifications within seemed to be correct for a Stormrider, but it didn’t take her long to spot the flaw.  Her lip quirked as she snapped the folder shut. 

“These specifications are for the Arnul class Scout line, not some secret Stormpiercer.” 

“You know your ships,” the Commodore said after a moment.  “It seems you managed to catch our own little egress test.”

“Next time, don’t use such a tried and tested vessel for your false secret,” Rosa said simply as she turned back to face the Wilder woman.  “You may return to your regular duties.” 

Relief flooded her features even as she winced, clutching at her stomach. 

“Go see one of the site medics first,” Rosa continued.  “You’re an Imperial asset, I’ll not tolerate subpar performance under my watch.” 

The Commodore’s face had turned a rather fun shade of maroon over that, but Rosa wasn’t about to allow someone to come to harm over something as simple as a test.  To add to that, she decided that this was the perfect opportunity to get another piece of the puzzle in place. 

“Number two, you shall accompany her while one of the Petty Officers escorts you.” 

The masked man seemed to jerk a bit in surprise, but was quick enough on the uptake to snap a proper salute at her before he moved to the woman’s side and Rosa could just tell that he wanted to help her, but was holding back. 

Goddess save her from good hearted men. 

“Commodore, you may continue escorting us,” Rosa said firmly, daring the man to question her instructions.

Pragmatism over the fear of reprisal won out and the man begrudgingly continued down the hall, leaving the two behind to see to the woman’s injury.  Step one cleared, just not in the way Rosa intended.  Sometimes plans needed to be adapted on the fly, and this was one of those situations. 

Jonathan knew what to do, even if he was nervous about it.

The next portion of the building were the barracks, where the on site staff slept.  Rosa directed her Number Three to begin some basic contraband checks while she let the Commodore go over the more mundane parts of the inspection.  As he droned on, she was starting to feel a bit mean spirited, so she picked a name at random from the list of Admirals she knew and decided to be a bit vindictive. 

“You know, I was once involved with an inspection of a then Captain Wiswell,” Rosa said, looking off as her Number Three found a magazine that was certainly not within regulations.  “It was routine, we weren’t looking for any particular reason, just making sure that we kept up to date.” 

“I am familiar with ensuring that everything is running as intended,” the Commodore said, clearly eager for a touch of gossip.

“Did you know the man was adept at refining Elesum?” 

The Commodore’s eyes widened.  “How did he make Admiral if you caught him?” 

“Because he had approval,” Rosa said.  At the man’s disbelieving look, she shrugged.  “He used it in sting operations and undercover work.  He learned how to make it during a deep mission in the Commonwealth.  I had to endure a whole debriefing at the time since it still fell under state secrets.  I’ve only been cleared to tell the story for six months and he hates me for it.” 

“I can only imagine,” the Commodore said. 

“Which brings us to your own quarters,” Rosa said cheerfully.  “I wonder if I’ll get a new story to tell from this one?” 

The color draining from his face was certainly worth it. 

“All clear,” Number Three announced, spoiling the fun. 

Rosa turned.  “Even the Commodore’s quarters?” 

“Unfortunately,” Number Three drawled.

Well, it couldn’t be helped and the relief that was clear on the Commodore’s face suggested that her Number Three had actually missed something, which was a disappointment.  That, or he had pocketed it knowing that the Commodore wouldn’t dare report it missing.  Which would mean she needed to have a conversation with the man once they were done with their visit and safely underway.

From there, they inspected the mess hall where Rosa passed on whatever flavorless slop was being served to the masses despite being somewhat hungry.  That the Commodore didn’t offer something prepared from the officer’s menu was a slight that she should have seen coming given the teasing earlier, but it couldn’t be helped. 

The supply rooms came next, the first was loaded with dried meats and grain while the next contained stocks of military basics from clothes to soap.  Then came the armory.  Hundreds of rifles lined the wall, each set in easy reach for an emergency muster.  Blue charge crystals were stored in crates with some set out to be grabbed by any soldiers passing through.

Then came the medical bay.  Jonathan was still beside the Wilder woman who was getting checked over by another Wilder rather than the staff doctor.  She gave her Number Two a stern glare under the mask, which he quickly picked up on.  He offered a shrug and continued his observations.  Unfortunately Rosa had already made as much of a scene as she felt comfortable doing over one indentured servant.  Instead, she focused on the stockpile of white crystal, which was conspicuously not being used to treat the injured woman. 

“You’re well stocked,” Rosa said with some approval.  

The Commodore grinned smugly.  “We run drills twice weekly to prepare for any incursion that might come our way.  Scouts stationed at strategic points will sound the alarm well before any fleet gets close enough to endanger the secrets we are entrusted to protect.” 

Rosa smiled and gestured for him to continue with a slight bow of her head and a tilt of her arm.  He marched on, and she left Jonathan to continue his portion of the work.  So far, Rosa was quite happy with how things were progressing, which brought them to the final portion of the inspection, and the most important secret kept within the facility. 

Stepping through the next set of doors brought them to a new airlock.  The Commodore stopped at the door and held up a hand.  “This leads to the drydock where the latest prototypes are constructed.  You’ll understand that only those with the highest clearance can be allowed inside.” 

Translation; Rosa’s Third wouldn’t be allowed in with her.

“Number Three, you may wait with the Petty Officer,” Rosa said. 

The Commodore smiled, and held his wrist up to a sensor on the wall.  A light flashed from red to green and the first door slid open.  Rosa stepped through and let the door seal behind her.  If ever there was a time for the Commodore to try something against her, this was it.  The far light then shifted from red to green and the secondary door hissed open. 

Beyond, a lone ship sat upon another dry dock, this one unlike anything that Rosa had ever seen before.  The vessel was nearly fifty meters long, and a quarter as wide, with a deck that stretched the length.  Masts extended from the deck, sails ready to be unfurled.  Green crystals lined the hull, but were currently unpowered.  Then there were the cannons, a dozen along each flank as well as two at the bow and stern. 

She was a vessel meant for war. 

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” 

Rosa could only agree, for the ship was everything she had expected.  The gunmetal color would blend in with the storm, helping hide it if it was even half as capable as the reports she had glimpsed at the last inspection hinted at.  The only worry was that it wasn’t ready for service, and as a prototype it might never be. 

“Can she fly?” Rosa asked. 

“She can,” the Commodore confirmed, stepping up to the railing that overlooked the vessel.  “She’s completed all her preliminary test flights, including a dip below the Stormwall.  She’s set to enter active service next week.” 

“Wonderful,” Rosa said. 

That was when the plexiknife dropped from her sleeve and she buried it in the Commodore’s neck.

***

Skypirates! That was basically the prompt. I've got a rough world lore sketched out and not a whole lot more. There's a second chapter drafted and that's basically it at the moment. I'd love to get some thoughts on what is essentially a rough draft word vomit of some of the concepts and opening scene!

The Reluctant Ranger - Interlude: Kayla

Revelations about Sinclair and his skeevy business practices and research aside, Kayla couldn’t say she was liking how the day was shaking out.  Grace was beside her girlfriend the moment she fell over and began to seize, and thank the powers above that the woman knew what to do in a situation like that.

Mostly because Kayla herself was completely frozen at the sight of one of her best friends once again dying in front of her just an hour after she finally found her.  It was all she could do to sit there and watch the bloody foam fall from Nicole’s mouth as Grace tried to keep her from drowning in the vomit. 

“She overdrew.” 

The voice nearly startled her, it was still one she associated with great danger after all, and she was still wary of the Sylan that had accompanied Nicole on her latest misadventure.  Unlike Rebecca and Colin, her ears weren’t bleeding despite them looking like hyper sensitive elf ears. 

“The seizure isn’t subsiding,” Grace said, and anyone with half a brain cell could pick up the panic in her voice. 

Maraline stood slowly, be it out of pain or to show she wasn’t hostile was difficult to tell.  “You lack the necessary technology to help bleed off the energy.  Given what the Yellow Ranger did with the previous expenditure, a secondary source of assistance might be prudent?”

“What, like the Sylan fleet in orbit?” Devon snapped.  “Like hell we’re letting you take her back there.” 

Maraline turned a glare upon the man.  “If I ever return, it will be unwillingly, and should I survive, I won’t be the same woman any longer.” 

“Either help or shove off,” Grace snapped, still trying to keep Nicole from thrashing too much. 

Maraline pushed past Devon, who was petty enough to make her shoulder past him.  Kayla followed in her wake, offering the man her best stern glare as she did, not that it ever phased him.  Just because he was eye candy didn’t mean that he could just be a dick to everyone, and despite everything, the lesson was proving to be slow to stick. 

But it was starting to stick, Kayla had to remember that, because he was getting better. 

“What are our options?” Grace demanded as Maraline knelt down beside her. 

“The ship we found had technology beyond even Syla,” Maraline said, pulling a device from the pouch at her hip.  Every instinct told Kayla that it wasn’t safe, that it was some sort of trick.  “This is similar to the device the Yellow Ranger used, but it will disperse rather than store.” 

Grace didn’t hesitate.  “Do it.” 

Before Kayla could say anything, Maraline set the device atop Nicole’s convulsing form and activated it.  Negative light flared as if Nicole had morphed, but faded as quickly as it appeared.  Kayla blinked the spots away, but Nicole’s convulsions had fallen still, her breathing steady. 

“I had hoped that to be a last resort,” Maraline said, taking her hand away from the device.  “It will take time to dissipate all the energy.  After that, I feel you should hold onto it, if only to foster trust between us.”

“It’s a start,” Grace said, her eyes fixed upon the device that was clearly helping their teammate.  “I’m guessing this came from the ship that she mentioned?” 

Right, the mysterious ship that she mentioned and they had no proof of.  As much as Kayla disliked Anita, her suspicions were at least grounded enough that Kayla hadn’t dismissed them outright.  Now she was almost wishing that she had.

“It was given to us by the ship’s caretaker intelligence,” Maraline said.  “I am uncertain if it is artificial in origin, but they have dwelled here for over thirty millennia.” 

Thirty… 

Kayla had to take a step back, leaning against her boyfriend as she did.  That was older than any civilization on the planet, and they’ve just been chilling somewhere undiscovered for all that time?  She almost wanted to laugh at the scale of it, 

“Not to butt in,” Jeff said, “but shouldn’t we be getting everyone medical attention?  Like, at an actual hospital?” 

“No way in hell that Sinclair isn’t having the hospitals monitored,” Kayla said, shaking her head.  “Hate to say it, but that ship’s looking more and more like the safer option.” 

“Then we had best set out,” Maraline said. 

Just as she stood, a shrill sound rang from Grace’s pocket, a familiar tone given how often they hung out.  It was the ringtone she set for emergency fire response.  Grace pulled it with a grimace, then her eyes widened.

“Shit, we’ve got a Sylan incursion in Brooklyn Park.” 

Kayla let out a groan.  “Would it kill them to hit Maple Grove?  Maybe some of the lakefront properties?” 

“Don’t you live there?” Devon asked.

Kayla grinned.  “I do, but not on the lakefront.”

Devon rolled his eyes but his face quickly turned grim.  “What do we do?  Anita just took a beating and even with their machine Rangers they might not be able to handle it.” 

“That’s assuming Sinclair even reveals them,” Jeff said.  “Something tells me he’s going to sit on those as a secret anti-Sylan defense reserved for the highest bidders.” 

Kayla snorted, because that was probably the most dead accurate thing she’d heard in months.  With how paranoid the man was about the Sylan—and rightly so in most cases—there was no way he would tip his hand early, not so soon after figuring out how to actually make them.  That Anita was even allowed to bring them along… 

Wait.

Was she actually allowed, or did she pull one of her usual ‘ask forgiveness rather than permission’ deals again?  Eh, questions that wouldn’t be answered if asked.  Right, that meant it was up to them, but they were down a member at best and something told her they were about to be down more.

“Can you just split up?” 

Kayla nearly jumped at the less familiar voice, surprised that Grace’s sister had spoken up.  The blonde stood firmly, her expression far harder than a teen should be capable of.  If Kayla had a say in things, that old perv wouldn’t have survived their encounter.  Kayla didn’t blame her friends for not going through with it, but neither of them were killers.

Not like she was.

“We could,” Grace said.  “But who would go where?” 

Jeff huffed.  “As if we would ask you to leave Nicole’s side.  Take her to that ship, along with the others.  We’ll handle whatever the Sylan sends our way.” 

“Damn right we will,” Kayla said enthusiastically.  She’d left her past firmly where it belonged, and while she hadn’t lied to her friends, she did leave out a few key details.  “Those machines won’t know what hit them.” 

“And neither will the mutant,” Devon agreed.  He then leveled a glare upon Maraline.  “You’re getting your wish it seems.  You hurt Nicole, I’ll kill you personally.” 

Oh honey, there would be a line for that honor and you are nowhere near the front of it.

Marline gave a firm nod, then reached for the morpher on Nicole’s wrist and pressed the two buttons.  “Progenitor, we have a situation.  Nicole is down, overdrawn.” 

“Acknowledged,” came the reply, and since when were their morphers able to do that?  “I’ve been monitoring her vitals since the fighting started.  Nicole is stable but will be off her feet for days without further care.” 

“Care you can provide?” Grace asked. 

“Affirmative,” the voice said.  “Not to be insensitive to your species, but your technology is many thousands of years behind our own.” 

“You know when you phrase it like that,” Kayla just had to quip, because could they have been any more condescending than that? 

“I assure you, the sentiment was intended,” they answered. 

Huh, maybe they weren’t so bad after all if they understood sarcasm.  Now Kayla really wanted to meet this ancient alien and see how well they held up to a proper battle of wits and pithy insults.

“Flirt later,” Jeff said, rolling his eyes.  “We are a bit pressed for time here.” 

“Of course,” the alien said.  “Triangulating location, anyone not wishing to join us in the ship should step back three meters from Nicole’s morphing device.” 

Kayla did just that, sparing a glance for Devon and Jeff who were staying with her to help fight whatever was attacking the city.  And it wasn’t like it would be just the three of them, Carlos was still in town and was likely already engaged, or in place to join in once they arrived.  There was a worry that this was a mistake, that she wouldn’t see her friends ever again, but right now it was also their best chance. 

Possibility of capture was better than a guarantee. 

“Kick their asses for me,” Grace said. 

“Damn right we will,” Kayla answered, flashing a thumbs up. 

Light pulsed from Nicole’s morpher, the glow suffusing each person within the limited range.  It built steadily, chasing away the darkness of night itself, then each person shot off into the sky in a streak of light, Grace’s own shining crimson and Nicole a void in the night that set them apart from the uncolored others, though she could have sworn one of them was almost blue… 

She could figure out who it was later, because they had some robotic ass to go kick first.

***

Despite expectations to the contrary, the city was not on fire when they finally crossed the Mississippi.  Hell, there weren’t even signs of a single building burning, which was practically unheard of on any given day according to her fire fighting friends.

That didn’t mean that things weren’t amiss, what with the lumbering giant of a kaiju straight out of a campy Japanese flick from sixty years ago.  Seriously, it even looked like a man in a rubber suit with the way it moved.  It stood at least thirty meters tall, probably closer to forty if someone actually measured it.

A mangled hand with claws longer than her body tore through the side of an apartment building as Kayla kicked off a rooftop, pushing her speed to the limits.  The creature opened its stubby jaw, saliva dripping from the short but jagged teeth as it roared out a cry that rattled the air worse than any explosion she had ever heard.

That was the perk of the Ranger tech, no matter what the source of it was or why it had been given to them, it still let them fight against the monsters destroying their home.  A thick tail lashed through a fucking playground as the beast rammed head first into the building that hadn’t gone down from the claw swipe and it pushed.

Kayla landed atop a strip mall across the highway just in time to have a front row seat to the impromptu demolition.  It wasn’t a spectacular display, just a slow toppling of a structure as it gave in to the weight of a massive creature bearing against it. 

“Dear God,” Devon said, his voice breathless. 

It wasn’t hard to see why, because that building hadn’t been evacuated.  Kayla’s fists tightened, memories of her time in Europe flashing through her mind.  She’d been there when the invasion kicked off, and not the Sylan one, though she was there for that too.  Those memories are why she picked up a weapon and tried to help defend innocents at the Renfaire.  She’d done the same back then as a fresh out of high school brat high off defying daddy to disappear into Europe for a few years. 

Funny how fast that attitude fled in the face of flying shrapnel. 

Another concern was the veritable army of automatons down in the streets, and the lone Ranger in shining gold attempting to stem the tide.  Kayla’s in motion before she’s fully processed the fact that Carlos was down there alone, just that someone needed backup and she was exactly that. 

As much of a mess as the big fucker was, there wasn’t much she could do about it while also dealing with over a hundred machines.  Her staff appeared in hand with a shimmer of flimmering leaves, and thorns burst through the asphalt just before she joined the fray.  Jeff crashed into a machine a moment later, spearing it through easily enough.

Then he showboats by almost pole dancing the bleed off the momentum.

Not for the first time Kayla wondered why she loved the man, but then she remembered what he looked like outside the suit and she pushed the thought aside.  No, she wasn’t quite that shallow, but looks definitely played a part in it for her.  Sure, he was fun and quick witted, and knew all the best songs by heart, but goddamn were his abs yummy. 

Right, distracted. 

Kayla swept her staff out, the action almost instinctual as vines rushed out to spear through a dozen machines with that single action.  It was crowd control, and she could only do so much before the strain became too great and the power just stopped responding.  The pain never got as bad as what happened with Nicole, but she could at least sympathize with the girl over it.

Devon took to the field next, his shield pushing back the machines to give them some breathing room even as she and Jeff continued to tear into the ranks. 

“You’re late,” Carlos snapped. 

Which honestly was fair. 

“Had a few visitors to entertain,” Kayla said, sending a storm of sharpened petals into the mass of droids.  “Nicole stopped by, then Anita crashed the party with exploding droid Rangers.” 

“You know,” Jeff added.  “The usual.” 

Carlos actually paused in his fighting and Kayla was quick to cover his lapse in awareness with a few lashing vines.  The helmets were always a pity in that people’s faces were always covered which meant no seeing their expressions when you nailed a one liner or threw them so far off their game they were lost.

Which in hindsight might make this the wrong time to really be poking at people for reactions, but it is simply too fun to not do it.  It was strange to consider that she’d been a Ranger for barely two months—one of which was basically downtime—but already fighting the automaton masses was starting to feel rote. 

Being a Ranger was supposed to be exciting and full of action, which made it all the more maddening that fighting the more common machines was almost as boring as running a checkout lane at times.  Not that Kayla would ever voice it and tempt the universe.  Those gold machines she fought left quite the impression and she wasn’t eager for another round. 

The Kaiju let out another roar, the ground trembling from its thundering footfalls.  The machines were falling quickly, which meant they needed a plan of action against the behemoth.  Kayla decided being proactive was for the best and slammed her staff to the ground, reaching out for any and all roots in the area to converge, grabbing hold of the monster’s leg. 

It stepped and then stumbled, arms flailing for a moment before it teetered over and crashed to the ground.  Everything shattered, dropping down through the sewers built up under the streets.  Another building crumbled as the beast tried to push itself upright, claws slinging half-frozen sludge through the air. 

“Talk about a shit storm,” Jeff said as the droplets began to fall all over them.

The lack of smell through the helmet was never more appreciated, and she punched her boyfriend’s shoulder on principle for the comment.  Thank fuck the suits didn’t obey standard physics and the shit literally slid right off of them.  The remaining machines had tumbled with the impact and the Rangers were quick enough on the recovery to leverage that into a swift cleanup, leaving just the kaiju to contend with. 

“So, who gets to climb up there first?” Jeff asked, looking at the struggling beast. 

Devon stepped forward, his sword resting on his shoulder.  “Given that it can’t even stand, do we need to rush into this?” 

“People are still getting hurt,” Carlos said.  “I’d prefer we put it down sooner than later if at all possible.” 

“Fair enough,” Kayla said, sending a few more roots to pin down the arm attempting to be used as leverage and denying it.  “I think I can keep it pinned for a while.  It’s big and strong, but not at all suited for fighting anything remotely able to mess with its balance.” 

“Because it was a distraction.” 

Kayla turned, bring up her staff just in time to catch the strike before it took her head off.  That was great and all, but the force of it was still enough to take her off her feet and send her tumbling across the street.  She righted herself and skidded through broken droids, glaring daggers at the new arrival. 

Jeff and Carlos fell a step behind Devon, his shield at the ready and staring down the bitch that tried to get a cheap shot in on her.  Kayla stood, and walked forward to join their formation.  Across from them stood a purple skinned woman with tufts of blue fur cut into clear stripes and patterns that probably meant something to the enemy general. 

“Now,” General Guiana said, rapier at the ready.  “Where has my troubled ward run off to?”

***

Not entirely happy with this one and would love some feedback on areas to expand and tweak for the eventual public release.

Inheritance - Consequence 4.6

Tuesday May 10th, 2011

A firm hand came down on my shoulder before I could growl at the screen, Lisa’s eyes were locked on the display and I just knew she was letting her power completely off its chain to dig into whatever the hell I was looking at.  That lasted all of two seconds before she looked away.

“This makes no goddamn sense,” Lisa said, pinching her nose.  “Like, my power is grasping the idea, but I can’t imagine anyone greenlighting a plan that involved you killing those three to justify a fucking war!”

“I like that plan,” Butcher said.  “I’m excited to be a part of it!  Let’s do it!” 

Stratego rolled his eyes.  “Calm down, Venkman.  The Thinker is right, it is not a plan concocted by anyone with a modicum of intelligence.” 

“Who said they had to be intelligent,” I muttered. 

Lisa snorted.  “Oh, they definitely have Thinker support here.  Next time I see Dinah I’ll be asking her a few questions to see if it will throw them off, as well as looking for possible out-of-leftfield vectors they might try to use to get around our own little Thinktank.” 

“Huh, I guess we do have one of those,” Chisel muttered. 

“Not the first time,” Stratego said with a huff. 

Marauder laughed.  “You got the last one killed with that harebrained scheme in New York, remember?” 

“They cheated,” Stratego said. 

“They won,” Ironsides countered. 

As much as I wanted to teleport straight to the PRT building and make my displeasure known, I knew that it would only be playing into some asshole’s plan.  No, I needed to think this through and figure out how to come at it from an angle that the general public wouldn’t piss their pants over. 

“But those are the best ones!” Sabertooth whined.

Marauder scoffed.  “Don’t break your word now, you promised to kill them if they returned!”

He wasn’t wrong, which made this all the worse.  I needed to kill them, just to prove that I was a Butcher of my word.  I’d just do it on my terms, not some rogue Thinker that was trying to manipulate me with acceptable targets.  The biggest hurdle would be getting around their shoddy rebranding.  Lisa was right, like usual, which meant going to school like a perfectly sane and reasonable teenager would still be the best course of action.  Let them see us being normal kids, not reacting with extreme violence at the slightest provocation. 

“That is a very mature outlook, Taylor,” Reflex said.

“You mean lame,” Butcher whined.

“Any precautions we need to focus on?” I asked

Lisa tapped her chin for a moment.  “Yes, and several at that.  I’ll make a few calls, but otherwise we should consider it business as usual.  They’re trying to disrupt us, that much is obvious.  There’s no reason to give them the excuse.” 

“Then I guess we’re still going to school,” I said.  Anything to distract myself from the whole mess that was my relationship status, especially now that violence was postponed.  “Keep me updated on any developments and don’t be afraid to post some Nazi addresses on our board if your board gives you trouble.” 

“Maybe after the negotiations conclude,” Lisa said, and I didn’t miss her hesitation. 

She still hadn’t taken a life, a rare thing among the Teeth, not that I was about to pressure her, or Amelia for that matter, to make that leap.  I’d only made that choice myself just a few weeks prior, though it felt far longer.  I’d killed Cricket in blind anger, Hookwolf in battle, then Kaiser in cold blood. 

Then came the rest of the Empire, all within a day. 

More had fallen at my hands since then, some more deserving than others.  I had embraced everything the Butcher was.  Lisa and Amelia weren’t like me in that regard, and if I could help it, they never would be.  Forcing the choice upon them wasn’t something I would ever do, but at the same time, I would never hold it against them if they did take a life.

With a final sigh I aimed for a bug in the motorcade and teleported with a flash of fire into the far corner away from anyone that might be hurt by the explosive arrival.  Sure, I could just teleport straight to school through Amelia’s ever improving relay swarm, but I couldn’t take anyone with me, and I wanted us to be seen arriving together. 

Rather than our usual car, a limo was waiting with everyone already sitting inside, and Chrissie had pulled out one of the bottles of champagne and was pouring everyone a glass, even if Amelia was glaring at it like it might bite her. 

I hopped in with them and accepted a glass, then used a few bugs to signal to the driver that we were ready to go.  It spoke volumes for the professionalism of the man that he didn’t even blink at the fireflies’ signal and just set the vehicle into motion.  Downing the glass, I knew my regen would completely cancel the alcohol out, it was far too weak to affect me.  Only Super Reserve and the like could get me wasted, which was a bit of a shame.

“Yeah, that’s always one of the downsides,” Marauder said wistfully. 

Alkaline shivered.  “Don’t remind me, I was so pissed when I had to spend ten times as much just for the same high.” 

“I don’t want to reduce Amelia to a drug provider, but hot damn is she a godsend,” Sanguine said with a sigh. 

Yeah, let’s not tread that ground. 

A few agreements floated through my mind, trailing off after a moment as Madison sipped their glass, Sophia seated beside them.  On my right, Chrissie curled up against me, hand running along my thigh.  To my left, Amelia was sitting up straight, and I would catch her eyes drifting over to us every few seconds, but she didn’t move to join in. 

Lisa had dropped a whammy of a revelation on us, not that it had been a complete surprise, but she had a habit of ripping the band-aid off in the most unpleasant of ways.  Not that kissing Amelia was unpleasant, far from it really, but she didn’t need to make a spectacle out of it so early in the day.

As Winslow closed in I allowed my focus to fall on it now that it wasn’t a dozen relays out.  Somehow we managed to keep the existence of the relay swarm off the Protectorate’s radar.  A minor feat considering their impressive Thinktank.  It helped that they had little to distinguish them from normal dragonflies at first glance, only appearing slightly larger in the latest iteration.  

The only way someone would figure out they were biotinkered was if a specimen was put through extensive testing by someone who knew exactly what to look for, and I was making sure that each one to die was devoured by the rest of my swarm long before anyone could think of it.  If Amelia ever decided to make them able to breed it would certainly free up her time, but she was still content spending twenty minutes a night making a few dozen and adding them to the network. 

It didn’t surprise me that she was hesitant to jump head first into cranking out a breedable version after such a public display and I would never pressure her to do anything.  

What did surprise me was the sight of Charlotte sitting outside along with a few others despite class being in session.  Normally I would be upset that someone was skipping class like that, but it worked out well enough.  I had a swarm clone come together near them, the two lackeys jumped back but Char remained cool and collected. 

“Someone record our arrival,” the clone said. 

Char grinned.  “She’s with you, isn’t she?” 

My clone nodded, then the swarm folded back into the shadows with terrifying speed leaving not a trace behind that millions of insects were at my beck and call.

“Truly the stuff of nightmares,” Quarrel said with a shiver. 

I grinned as we pulled to a stop.  “Ready to see Winslow?” 

“Not really,” Amelia muttered. 

I made sure to pull her into a hug.  “We’ll all be there to support you.  You’re one of us, and the Teeth protect their own.” 

She melted into the embrace, yet her body was shaking.  “Is that the only reason?” 

I chuckled, then pulled back so I could kiss her on the forehead.  “You know the answer to that, but if you need reassurance…” 

“Nothing needs to be said,” Chrissie cut in.  “If anyone starts shit, we’ll end it, especially since they will have gone after civilian identities.” 

“I’m an open cape,” Amelia grumbled. 

“Not anymore,” I said, stepping out.  “Just because everyone knows, just like they all know who I am, doesn’t mean they can do shit about it.  If they don’t respect the polite fiction, they will understand why Kaiser didn’t have time to regret his choices.” 

“Moments that remind you little Hebert is now the fuck mothering Butcher,” Sophia said, and I could have sworn her tone was almost respectful.  

“We should go in,” I said, noting that the bugs could pick up that lunch was more or less ready and I knew the bell would soon ring.  That and another car was pulling up with a rather large order from Fugly’s, the grease was unmistakable.  Charlotte once again had proven that she was Best Minion. 

Sophia was out next, barely even hesitating at the sight of a minion with a phone out and clearly recording.  She didn’t have her own custom jacket yet, and was instead wearing one of the generic ones without any branding.  There were hundreds of them around the arena since we tended to order them in bulk and it was easy enough to give her one until she worked out what she wanted from Parian. 

The rest of us didn’t have that problem.  Madison stood as tall as a shortstack could, a Xenomorph silhouette standing out against their last name across the back of it.  I wasn’t sure when they had gotten it, but it was more than fitting and a declaration all the same.  Chrissie and I hadn’t made any changes to our own hoodies, which left Amelia.  I held out a hand for her, helping her out of the car. 

Not that she needed the assistance, she had shed the baby fat and shaped up since our first meeting thanks to Big Robbie helping her learn to fight, and could hold her own against anyone unpowered.  She took my hand and did her best to put on an expression of confidence.  She wasn’t entirely successful, but it wasn’t like she had a throng of people to impress. 

And anyone that hadn’t seen the video of Pandemic’s debut was simply an idiot. 

Her jacket carried the name Lavere, her birth name as well as the last name of the Marquis.  She was his legacy, and a far better person than he ever was, even if Amelia struggled to believe it herself.  She might not stay that way, such was the nature of the Teeth, but it still rang true. 

Charlotte had sent her remaining minion to get the food from the delivery driver, though it hadn’t stopped the poor kid from doing a double take at how everyone was wearing the same red and gray hoodies.  Then he was tipped a hundred and it was like he hadn’t seen shit. 

“Amazing how well that works,” Damascian hummed. 

“Money looseneth lips, money sealeth lips,” Pyro said. 

Fester snorted.  “Annette would have slapped you for that.” 

A sudden swell of longing shot through me, the emptiness of never seeing my mom again crashed into me once more.  The extra memories helped, even the ones I’d really rather not have, but it was no substitute for the real thing. 

“At least you still have your father,” Ironsides said.  “Not all of us were that lucky.” 

The whole thing lasted barely two seconds, and only Amelia truly noticed since I was still holding her hand.  Chrissie was making small talk with Char and Madison about the general rumor mill surrounding last night’s events, which gave me the needed moment to school my expression and calm the nearby swarm.  Thankfully nothing seemed truly amiss at the school that might point towards something being planned to start shit. 

Then again, who would expect Amelia to show up at Winslow of all places? 

“Still nervous?” I asked, moreso to distract myself from my own thoughts.

“Not as bad as whatever that episode was,” Amelia said softly.  “Guessing someone made a comment?” 

“Just Fester mentioning my mom,” I said.  “She knew her, back in their college days.” 

“In the biblical sense, I remember the story,” Amelia said, then her face lit up. 

That got a smile out of me.  “Remembering something of your own, are we?” 

Amelia shoved away from me, a heavy flush on her adorably freckled face.  “S—shut up!  This is all Lisa’s fault anyway!  If she just had kept her mouth shut I wouldn’t be dealing with all…  This!” 

“Probably,” I agreed with a grin.  “Hell, if she gets her way we’ll probably have that Alaskan King in my room before the day is done.” 

“She would,” Amelia muttered, but now she was smiling too. 

It was good that she was feeling better given everything that happened, and it was probably all part of Lisa’s master plan for keeping Amelia’s mind off the fact that she made a public debut as the Teeth’s newest cape just hours earlier. 

“You have to admit, it is a good plan,” Chisel said. 

“Best of all, it seems to be working,” Alkaline added. 

Yeah, it was, and I hated that I would need to give Lisa credit for getting things in motion.  Oh well, once all the conversations were done I could always kiss her in thanks.  

A ringing bell in the distance signaled that it was time to make their debut and Amelia once again stiffened. 

This time Chrissie was on her in an instant, pulling her in close and pointing off into the distance as her hand swept over the school before closing into a hard fist.  “Onward, to break their precious minds!” 

I laughed and joined in on Amelia’s other side.  “We’re totally going to stroll in, not say a damn thing, and wait to see how long it takes them to figure it out.” 

Amelia started to say something, but Chrissie put a finger to her lips before she could.  “Before you make a statement about how obvious it is, let me mention that one kid didn’t figure out Taylor was Weaver until she literally formed a bug clone in front of him.” 

“Well, in fairness to Veder, he was hopelessly convinced you had simply seduced me into the gang with your feminine ways,” I said, chuckling. 

“I totally could have,” Chrissie said.  “You know I’m that damn good.” 

My face lit up and the collective didn’t show any mercy as dozens of my own memories surged at their prompting. 

“Just think, soon enough Amelia’s gonna be getting in on that,” Butcher teased. 

I shoved them all down in a rush, my face positively burning as they all laughed at my expense.  Beside me Amelia began to cackle, no doubt having parsed most of that from my own biological response.  It was bad enough that Lisa could read me like an open book, but Amelia could be just as bad when she had skin contact. 

“You just know that Lisa’s coached her on reading people too,” Stratego said. 

“Come on,” I said, ignoring how everyone around me was now snickering at the big bad Butcher being clearly flustered.  “We’ve got a scene to make.” 

“I’d say you’re already making one,” Madison said. 

I flipped them off. 

The giggles continued as we all walked inside together, melding into the lunch rush with surprisingly little fanfare.  The people of Winslow were simply deadened to the presence of gang colors in the halls — especially now that the Teeth were essentially the only game left in town.  A few spotted the backs of our jackets, the implications of who they were next to causing them to put some distance between us. 

Despite that, it was a small portion of the student population, and more than a few took note of their jackets then shrugged it off.  Despite my reputation as a cape, the students of Winslow had enough time to adjust to the fact that I didn’t do anything drastic unless someone pushed too hard, and even then, most pulled up a chair for the free show.

Amelia was trying to shrink in on herself, but nobody here really knew her like the Arcadia kids did.  There everyone knew she was the miracle healer of New Wave, here in Winslow?  She was the newest in Weaver’s entourage. 

“Oh but when they do learn,” Butcher said with a low chuckle.

It wasn’t as though there were any dangerous students left either.  The Empire fucks were long gone, either dropping out, or caught in the crossfires of the war.  I hadn’t bothered to really look into that too far, mostly for a lack of fucks to give.  The ABB remnants were fully absorbed at this point and all their kids had swapped colors weeks ago. 

I could only laugh at the thought of the Wards in attendance. 

While most of the students got in the lunch line, I led our capes and the minions with the food and camera over to our usual table.  A few others were already seated, all wearing our colors openly.  They took one look at me and mine and made space.

“I know this is just school shit, but damn does the respect feel good,” Pyro said. 

It was certainly a change from how my time in high school before the Butcher mantle came to me.  I ignored Quarrel’s indignant squawk at the reminder of times past.  Now I was taking a seat with two of my bullies, one of which I now counted as a friend, and the other was being surprisingly deferential even though I had a sneaking suspicion that they might one day face me for the mantle. 

Such was the way of the Teeth. 

Chrissie and I by unspoken agreement took flanking positions around Amelia, normally I’d keep at least one bug on her for my own tracking, but that wasn’t necessary.  Her current outfit was her cape costume shifted into casual clothes.  Somewhere within the living mass was a relay cluster that was making her shine like a lighthouse to my swarmsense.

There was something comforting about being able to spot Amelia anywhere in the city at a moment’s notice.  Given the interest that so many parties would take in securing a healer of her capabilities, it fell to me and the Teeth to remind them in no uncertain terms what would happen to those who forgot themselves. 

“Aww, it’s so sweet how fiercely protective you’re being,” Fester said.

“I can’t wait to see the look on her face the first time you slaughter those who come for her,” Butcher added with a malicious grin. 

I didn’t want to agree with him, but I couldn’t deny his words either.  I would slaughter anyone that dared lay a hand on her, and that realization alone was enough to cement how I felt about her in my mind. 

“It’s funny,” I found myself saying as a fat burger wrapped in paper slid over to me. 

“What’s that?” Chrissie asked, already a mouthful into her own lunch. 

I smiled, unwrapping the greasy prize.  “Think about it.  If Amelia hadn’t snuck up to the rooftop of the hospital for a smoke, we would have probably never ended up where we are.” 

“I hope you realize you nearly scared the shit out of me when you just vanished in a puff of smoke,” Amelia said, pointing at me with a handful of fries.  “Do you have any idea how many briefings I had to sit through about the Butcher since the Teeth returned to Brockton?” 

“Too many, I imagine,” I said.  “Probably all true too, aside from my brief stint trying to be heroic.” 

“Sucks for the heroes that they couldn’t get over themselves,” Madison said then elbowed Sophia.  “Imagine if they brought the Butcher on with the Wards.” 

My former bully shuddered.  “Oh god, she would have killed us the moment she realized that all three of us were there.” 

“Probably,” I said with a shrug.  “Hell, I almost killed Emma once she punched me and I realized she was a Brute.  Reflex talked me down.” 

Amelia snorted.  “You did deal lethal injuries to Sophia.” 

“Hey, I patched her up!” I countered. 

“Barely,” Amelia said. 

“Did anybody get the number of that bitch,” Madison said with a near perfect imitation of Sophia, then giggled.  “Then Amelia replies ‘fifteen’ and nobody gets it.” 

In a moment I would absolutely deny until my dying breath, soda shot from my nose as I choked out a laugh.  “Damn, I wish I could have been there for that one.” 

“Maybe one day one of us will inherit and you’ll get that wish,” Sophia muttered. 

I smiled sweetly.  “Just don’t expect me to go as easy on you as I did Animos.” 

Rather than cower, Sophia grinned like she used to when she saw a chance to make me bleed.  The flash of anger that swelled within me was welcomed, and I let my usual aloof expression melt away to show nothing but the cold fury of the Butcher eyeing a deserving target.  Sophia’s eyes widened, her smile faltered, and no doubt she was remembering the pains from when I’d nearly caved in her ribcage then subjected her to a burst of the Butcher’s signature pain blast. 

A part of me was tempted to give her another taste, but that might be pushing it in the middle of the lunchroom.  Well, there would almost certainly be a moment for it back at the arena.  She hadn’t endured near enough of them, even if I rarely used it for punishment compared to my predecessors.  I’d established my expectation, and outside of drug fueled benders, my people tended to respect those rules.

“Mostly,” Alkaline said with a giggle.

Chrissie was laughing uproariously about the whole exchange, and I let my ‘mask’ of aloofness slip back into place before taking a bite of the bacon cheeseburger.  Amelia stared at her own monster of a burger with a frown, then shrugged and took a bite, almost moaning as she did. 

Fester practically slapped her thigh as she laughed.  “That girl’s got the right idea of it.  Nothing beats a burger from Fugly’s.” 

“Someone’s not used to grease traps,” I said. 

Amelia shook her head, quickly chewing so she could swallow.  “No, I just know what this stuff does to a person so I usually eat healthy.  Carol also kept nothing artificial or unhealthy in the house, so I rarely got to indulge.” 

“Keep up with Big Robbie’s training and you won’t have to worry about flab,” Chrissie said, her own monstrosity the second biggest burger at the table. 

The crown however went to Madison who was sitting on two triple decker burgers with nacho cheese and extra bacon.  Now that she no longer needed to hide that she was a cape while at school, she was taking full advantage of it.  I could still remember how she always looked so disinterested with her dainty meals, even when she was sneering at me the few times I ate in the cafeteria back then. 

Actually, that raised an interesting question. 

“Hey Madison,” I said, setting my burger down.  “When did you first start going out as a cape?” 

She paused in her chewing, then frowned as she swallowed.  “About a year before the PRT found out about me, why?” 

“Just curious,” I said with a shrug.  “I know that Stalker was active for almost three years, but we never really heard much about you.” 

“I tried to avoid the Teeth when they came back to the Bay.  Seemed the smart thing to do, but then Skidmark got diced and my usual targets dried up.  I swapped to hitting human trafficking fronts after that.” 

“An acceptable target,” Fester said with approval. 

“How did the PRT even catch you?” Chrissie asked. 

Madison shrugged.  “Managed to bust a large enough Empire brothel full of kidnapped girls.  I called the PRT because I didn’t trust the cops and they brought me in for protection after Hookwolf showed up and said he would kill me if he ever caught me.  Add in the Teeth and it seemed the smart thing to do at that point.” 

“How didn’t he have an active kill order again?” I asked. 

Seriously, two failed attempts to cage the man, and when I finally put him down I find out I can’t even collect a bounty because his kill order was unsigned and backdated in the event a hero was the one to manage it.  Total bullshit.

“Because then he wouldn’t have any reason to play nice,” Sophia said.  “He was never one that cared about the Empire, he just liked that they were a shield that let him act how he pleased.” 

“Like you used the PRT?” Chrissie snarked. 

“Pretty much,” Sophia admitted.  “Everyone ignored my unsanctioned patrols because it kept the criminals on edge and I brought people in each night.  A few fudged reports and it made our department look great.” 

“Meanwhile they made me look like a bodybuilder to hide that I was the creepy shapeshifter the Empire wanted dead.” 

“The Empire knew who Sophia was,” I said, startling the girl.  “Lisa dug into it, Victor was sitting on it for a rainy day, even had some propaganda ready to roll out.  ‘She’s a hero and they let her do that to the Heeb,’ I paraphrased with an atrocious German accent.  “Join us and we’ll make sure that doesn’t happen to the right sort.” 

“I’m so glad we put all those fuckers in the ground,” Chrissie said with a grin while trying not to laugh. 

She wasn’t doing a good job of it.

There was a round of agreement, though some of Sophia’s enthusiasm had drifted away as she became absorbed in her own thoughts.  It was amazing how pretty much everyone at the table set out to be heroes in their own way, then had the world push them into villainy.  Granted, Sophia and Madison had less excuses than most.  Chrissie just wanted to fuck up the Merchants and ended up being the Teeth’s minor celebrity of the moment and rolled with it instead and had enough of a good time that she stuck with it.

Amelia… 

I pulled her into a hug without prompting, getting a sound of confusion from her as she bit into her burger but I didn’t care.  I would make sure that she was getting plenty of hugs in the days to come, because she needed them.

The minion with the camera made sure he got some footage of the hug, from behind of course.  Nothing with our faces would be shared online, but it would send the message all the same.  I honestly couldn’t wait to see the PHO threads erupt from all of this. 

“The question is, will Tinmommy allow it?” Sabertooth asked. 

Probably not, but it would still be fun while it lasted. 

The butchers all joined in on the laughter and I returned to my meal.  The rest of the school day would likely prove to be uneventful, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t spend the time making sure Amelia felt included and welcome, and most importantly, that she felt appreciated. 

“And loved,” Alkaline added. 

It said something that I didn’t disagree.

*** 

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a PHO thread blow up and derail so quickly,” Lisa said. 

I laughed, leaning against Chrissie in the back of the car as I held the phone, the device on speaker so the others could hear the conversation.  The day was winding down and Lisa was about to head into the closed door meeting with the Medhall Board of Directors.  Thanks to Lisa’s manipulations around Coil’s death, and later the Empire slaughter, she’d managed to secure her place as one of the top shareholders for next to nothing. 

Quite the feat for someone under eighteen. 

Granted, all her legal documents had her emancipated with all the legal privileges and responsibilities that every adult carried, which was the only reason she was getting away with all this.  Hell, she’d even made sure her old identity was now linked to her new one, even if the court documents were sealed due to abusive parents.  An enemy Thinker could poke holes in all of it but it was all above board on a surface glance. 

My eyes had glazed over when she originally explained it, though I blamed that on Amelia’s weed.  

“It was quite a show,” I agreed.  “Three heroes banned is a new record.” 

Meteor and Jouster the first Q&A, and now Vista, Gallant, and Blackout were all sitting with pretty little Banned tags.  The best part of it was that Vista was the one to get Gallant banned by cussing him out when he got pissy over Amelia and he took the fucking bait. 

I was half convinced the Blackout ban was Aisha using her brother’s account.

“Not to mention Brandish making a burner account only to have it nuked after the first post,” Lisa said, laughing for a moment before she gathered herself. “Alright, business before time runs out.  I tried to reach out to Armsy and Assault after the morning reveal.” 

“And?” I asked. 

“They’re on an information blackout for the duration of the operation,” Lisa said.  “I even went so far as to message Legend, but he’s not answering.  I’m almost tempted to find his husband’s phone number and message him instead.” 

“Please don’t,” I said, fighting back a groan.  “What about Dragon?” 

“Also not answering,” Lisa said.  “Which is weird given I’m certain she’s also Tinmother.  If I wasn’t conserving Power use right now, I’d be delving deep into that one right now.” 

“That bitch is Tinmother?”  Sabertooth screeched. 

I rolled my eyes.  I thought that was obvious, hence my trolling her. 

“See, stuff like this is good,” Lisa said.  “Yes, you’re terrifying as all hell, but then you remind people that the scary side is the alternative to the playful and quirky side you prefer people see.” 

With a setup like that, I couldn’t resist.  “It’s all part of my master plan to get Alexandria into the harem.” 

“Manage that and even I’ll join in for the night,” Lisa said. 

Every bug in the city froze for an instant, no doubt missed by all but the most dutiful observers, of which there shouldn’t be any left in the city thanks to the Boston deployment.  I knew she was teasing me, it was her entire thing when it came to interacting with me.  Worse, I knew it had started as a way to disarm my more violent impulses when she was still new to the Teeth, and it had worked. 

“She cemented herself during the Empire attack,” Butcher said.  “I don’t like the whole no need to kill thing, but I’ll admit, it’s worked with her.” 

Big words, coming from my namesake.

Not every member of the Teeth needed to be killers, especially if we were going to expand to control the entire city.  We needed to be more welcoming to any walk of life that wanted to work with us.  Marquis had the right idea, we would be the stick that encouraged accepting the carrot.

“Anyway, we’re coming up on Parian’s,” I said, eager to change the subject before Lisa brought up the morning’s revelations.  “We can go over everything after your meeting.” 

“Alright, radio silence as always during these,” Lisa said.  “Be extra vigilant, I’ve got a bad feeling about the coming days.” 

Yeah, I did too, and striking while Lisa was indisposed would be a perfect time to catch us unawares.  I had Damien and Elliot on “patrol” with teams of Robbie’s men.  Rachel remained on standby for rapid deployment alongside Alice and Michael.  Robbie was in charge of deployments in my absence and had his own team ready for anything someone might throw at the Arena. 

The most damning warning was that Dinah’s numbers were shifting, which was clear proof that something was messing with her predictions.  We knew there were many Thinker blind spots out there.  Eidolon was one, Scion another, not to mention the Endbringers, which was a far more chilling thought. 

“Be safe Lisa, and don’t be afraid to shank a fucker,” Chrissie said. 

Lisa snorted.  “I’ve got one of Damascian’s knives tucked under my skirt if needed.” 

“Good girl,” Chrissie added. 

There was a moment of stuttering, and I couldn’t help but high five my girlfriend for rendering the Thinker speechless.  Amelia shook her head fondly and I did my best to ignore Sophia rolling her eyes across from us. 

“Let her suffer in the face of your happiness,” Damascian said. 

Fester nodded along with her.  “Annette always said the best revenge was living well.” 

I looked across Amelia, meeting Chrissie’s eyes.  I waggled my eyebrows then dropped my eyes to Amelia, hoping she got the message.  Then I leaned down and kissed Amelia on the cheek at the same time Chrissie got her other side.  The grumpy biokinetic squeaked, jumping slightly, and I could hear Lisa laugh across the car. 

“Glad to hear that my girlfriend is in good hands,” Lisa said.  “We can continue that conversation after I bend this board over and make them my bitches.” 

“Be safe,” I said, then perked up.  “Oh, Purity and Rune just entered my airspace on a patrol.  Should I remind them to stay out of Teeth airspace?” 

Lisa laughed.  “They’ll be expecting that.  Wait until they start relaxing for maximum impact.  Just don’t crash them into Medhall, after today those repairs will be my responsibility!” 

“Spoilsport,” I said, sticking out my tongue.  “Have fun railing the old fucks.”

The call ended just as Lisa gagged and I was quick to pocket my phone.  At the same time my bugs were checking Parian’s shop, making sure everything was copacetic.  I knew she had been approached by the Elite with a soft sell, and she hadn’t rejected them outright, just as Lisa had instructed.  While I wasn’t expecting them to just walk in with us there, it was a distinct possibility.  Thankfully the only people present were Sabah and Lily, which would be easy enough to deal with. 

“Is everything a sex joke with the Teeth?” Sophia muttered. 

Madison snorted.  “You get used to it.” 

“Try hanging out with Spree after one of his benders,” I said. 

Not to mention how bad some of the sexcapades of prior Butchers had been.  I really didn’t want to remember Quarrel’s last orgy just days prior to my own inheritance.  It had taken a week to get the smell out of my room, and that was with my bugs helping clean everything up.

The limo pulled to a stop at Parian’s shop, not quite on the Boardwalk, but only one street removed and still in the good part of the tourist trap.  Rent was half that of the main drag, even if it didn’t see as much traffic the difference balanced out, especially considering Parian’s going rates, even with the sponsor discount we got. 

A pair of enforcers were watching the car closely, despite not being on the main stretch, which was good.  It meant they were following their new marching orders.  I’d personally met with the Enforcers and told them in no uncertain terms that they were to treat everyone fairly, no more harassing those of color for the Nazis, no more picking up young women for an extra bonus from a cowardly snake. 

The men that had helped grab Lisa were present for that conversation, though they weren’t quite themselves anymore.  Alec had come through on that one, and both men experienced the terror that their former victims often endured, because they also grabbed girls for the Empire and ABB.  Both ended up in the pits afterwards, and I hadn’t bothered to keep track of them further. 

“And we have arrived,” I said. 

This time Sophia was the first out, though Madison and Charlotte weren’t far behind her.  I knew both would be heading out not long after to continue their help with the supply distribution in the trainyards.  Prior to my inheritance, the Teeth hadn’t taken care of the territory they claimed, and I was doing my best to change that.  The PHO thread that inspired things had been a stroke of genius, and allowed us to avoid many common pitfalls with donation events. 

Charlotte learned well and we were slowly helping the worst affected get back on their feet.  It would be a long term thing, and the plan was to roll it out city wide, but the Teeth didn’t have the funds to do so, not yet, not until we had Medhall secure and were able to use it to fund the charitable actions. 

That would be Lisa’s baby since she had some experience in the field.

I held out my hand and helped Amelia out, not that she needed it.  Her face was red as she avoided eye contact, but there was a smile plastered on her face.  Chrissie was right behind her, and grinned mischievously as she accepted my hand.  I returned a smile, but wasn’t quite sure what it was about until she pulled my hand close and kissed my knuckles. 

Needless to say my own face was quite warm following that and the Butchers were all rather vocal about the display.  I coughed, trying not to show just how flustered that one move had left me.  Judging by how Charlotte was laughing, I wasn’t doing a good job of it.

Rather than endure the teasing, I turned and marched myself into Parian’s shop, throwing the door wide.  Lily jumped, grabbing something from her belt as she turned, and barely stopped herself from becoming Butcher XVI.  She held the power charged throwing pin with wide eyes as she quickly realized how close she had come to inheriting.  

Right, don’t startle one of the few capes that Lisa thinks could one shot Alexandria. 

“Sorry about that,” I said with a gentle smile.  “Just trying to get away from the merciless monsters outside.” 

Lily lowered her hands slightly, though the confusion was evident on her face even as Madison and Charlotte stepped in behind me, still laughing among themselves.  Sophia was behind them, muttering about something only comprehensible to her.  Then came Chrissie, who was teasing Amelia as she led her along by the arm. 

“Shit, this whole thing might actually get rolling before long,” Alkaline said.

Right, which meant more conversations about relationships than I was really ready for.  Fortunately I had something to distract myself with that would never result in anything other than pain and death and a bit of schadenfreude. 

“Sophia here needs a hoodie,” I said, gesturing at my former bully.  “She’s not rebranding, so it shouldn’t take too long for, uh, your friend to whip one up.  And yes, I’m paying the rush fees.” 

Lily’s lips thinned as she looked over her former teammate.  Sophia was doing her best to seem disinterested, but my bugs were picking up how her eyes kept drifting to the various displays around the room.  Thankfully that whole mess was easy to ignore as Sabah swept into the room. 

“I would hope so,” Sabah said, looking us over.  “If I had known you were coming, I would have made sure Parian was present.” 

I winced, because it wasn’t fair to her, but at the same time, I hadn’t outed her to anyone.  Sabah was the one who chose to come down without her costume and made it obvious who she was to all present.  Granted, I already knew, as did Lisa and Chrissie just due to how often we interacted with them for business.  Regular spider silk deliveries from my workshop in the Arena’s basement were still being made. 

“Shit, no wonder you kept telling the Empire to take a hike,” Sophia blurted. 

I smacked my face; leave it to Sophia to shove her foot in her mouth at the worst possible moment.  Sabah’s eyes narrowed at the woman, and Lily actually growled.  It wasn’t quite as impressive as what Victoria pulled off during open mic night, but it was still respectable.

“Obviously you didn’t figure out shit,” I said to Sophia before she got any bright ideas.  “You know full well what the Teeth do to anyone violating the Rules and I trust the same will apply to her as well?” 

Sophia had the decency to shut her mouth after that. 

“Normally I wouldn’t go out of my way for her, but she was the odd one out at the table today,” I said, glad to move on.  “So, she’s going to sit here, nice and still, while getting fitted for a custom jacket.  She gets some say in the design, so long as she manages to sit still and doesn’t mouth off, otherwise make the damn thing pink instead of red.” 

Sabah’s frown morphed into a grin.  “I can do that.” 

I nodded, making note of another car pulling up outside.  The people getting out paid a passing glance at our own vehicle before moving towards the door.  I turned just as they arrived, noting the rather expensive suits each person was wearing. 

“Oh damn, that’s some high dollar stuff,” Ironsides said. 

The bugs I was placing on each of them had to agree, more so how they hadn’t tensed up when they caught sight of us.  There was no question in my mind that these people were with the Elite.  My only question was if they had powers or not. 

“Too calm to be unpowered,” Marauder said. 

“Stride’s all wrong too,” Chisel growled.  “They walk like warriors, not bureaucrats.” 

A check with bloodsight confirmed their pulse was elevated, but not as high as it should be for someone walking right into a group of known Teeth capes, even if we were out of costume.  More to the point, nobody in the room was in costume. 

“Can I help you?” Sabah asked. 

I took a step back joining the rest of my people as I allowed her to take command of the situation.  It was her shop, and she was free to pursue any deals she wanted as long as it didn’t directly endanger the people of Brockton.  Still, I made a subtle gesture, letting everyone know that we might be in for a fight.  Madison moved Charlotte behind them, ready to get her out of danger if shit kicked off.  Chrissie and I did the same with Amelia, keeping ourselves between her and the unknown capes. 

“I don’t like this,” Stratego said, his power unfolding over the room.  “They are entirely too comfortable with this situation.  They are expecting something, waiting for it.” 

I kept myself coiled and ready, and made sure to sweep through the relays, looking for anything out of place among those important to me.  Dinah was with Missy and Aisha at the Arena getting ramen, all three were nursing headaches it seemed.  I couldn’t see anyone setting up to ambush any of the active Teeth patrols, though Purity was circling the arena in a miles wide arc along with Rune, but neither were in a position to do anything for several minutes and I’d be able to react if they tried. 

Winslow was fine, all of the classes were done for the day and Blackwell was locking up for the night.  My senses expanded further, out to the docks where dad was…  Inspecting a shipping container with several others.  That wasn’t unusual, but the situation at hand had me looking for anything that might be out of place. 

I sent bugs into the container while I had some land on him.  He immediately paused his inspection and took a few steps back, eyes now far more alert as he looked about.  Meanwhile, my swarm was being far more thorough than his men with every minute detail I could detect.  The container was packed to the brim with boxes of electronics, nothing unusual about that, but one box smelled off to my swarm and they honed in on it even as I began to form up bugs to warn Dad.  I tore into the tape with roaches just as one of the dockworkers cut the lock to the container and Dad shouted a warning. 

As the lock snapped, a charged energy that permeated the air that set my bug’s instincts into overdrive.  Knowing something was deeply wrong, my bugs gave up completely on subtle, already buzzing out a warning to get away.  One of those to cut the lock screamed, my father looked over and— 

Everything in a thirty meter circle around the shipping container vanished from my senses.  Eyes widening, I drew everything I could from the swarm around it to get my eyes back on things.  I’d felt my bugs die before, but this hadn’t been anything like that, just they were there one moment, and gone the next. 

I’d sent too much of my nearby swarm into the area, and I was about to teleport when one bug crossed that line and vanished almost immediately.  The swarm’s eyes weren’t perfect, but from what I could see everything was still in place. 

“Something happened on the docks,” I said as low as I could. 

My bloodsight didn’t miss how one of the men heard it, how his heart spiked with excitement.  Outwardly nothing showed, but I knew better, these men had been waiting for the signal. 

I hit all three with a pain blast, dropping them to the ground as they wailed in agony.  Sabah jumped away with a yelp, not having been affected by my power.  Lily drew a baton and held it out towards me even as I approached the downed men.  My swarm flowed in, engulfing them as I pulled one of them upright. 

“What did you do?” I snarled, fangs growing and claws extending.  His precious expensive suit began to rot and decay in my grip as bugs started to bite into his skin.  “TELL ME!” 

“What’s going on?” Lily demanded, stepping close, but keeping the baton between us.

The man chuckled, even as my rot reached the man’s skin, turning his flesh necrotic beneath my touch.  “We hit the Butcher where it hurts.” 

Across the docks, my swarm finally got a better picture of what happened, the image resolved itself and my heart sank.  Without thought, I snapped the man’s neck and pulled myself through the relays, targeting a bug atop the DWU offices.  I arrived in a flash of fire, this time my eyes confirming what my swarm already knew to be true. 

There, in the shipping yards of the DWU offices, stood my father and a dozen others around the unknown crate.  Everyone was fine, not a blemish on them, yet not one of them took a breath or hair twitched in the breeze. 

It was like looking at an old picture, everyone perfectly preserved in stasis. 

“Oh dad,” I whispered, falling to my knees as the first tears fell from my eyes.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 66 - Ambush

Nicole drew on her transformation almost instinctually just as the first flashbang went off.  She had barely an instant before a heavy kick knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling.  Nicole caught herself and landed in a crouch, glaring up even as more flashbangs went off.

She was thankful that her helmet was once again that of a Ranger true, keeping the disorienting flashes and explosive cracks from overwhelming her.  Her friends weren’t all so lucky.  A flash of red and purple signaled that some of her friends managed to orient themselves in the chaos, but Nicole had her doubts that it would be enough to deal with what had come for them. 

The Yellow Ranger stood across from her, but that wasn’t what had drawn her attention.  More Rangers stormed into the building from the blown doors, all unrecognizable to her.  Five Rangers formed up behind Anita almost mechanically, as if they were trained in the military.  That wasn’t unheard of for Rangers, but given what Maraline had said… 

It explained why all of their suits were rather uniform, even if they varied in color.  It was all rather copy and paste and rather simplistic compared to most Ranger suits Nicole had seen.  

The exception was Anita and her yellow military fatigues that blended into the rest of her pseudo spandex. 

“Roll the Dice!” 

Silver and Green lit up the room and her team moved to stand beside her, each of them standing in a defensive formation around Maraline who was still on the ground and clutching her bleeding ears.  Worse, Colin had jumped over top of Becca and was sheltering her.  Each of them looked like they needed medical attention after that entrance and defending three civilians against six Rangers wouldn’t be easy.  Fuck, they needed to buy time if everyone was going to get through this in one piece. 

“What the fuck?” Devon yelled. 

Anita shrugged.  “Sorry about that, but I do have orders to follow.  Maraline is a security risk at best and an active threat at worst.  Can’t have her bringing our secrets back to the Sylan now can we?” 

“Obviously they already knew!” Kayla said, throwing a hand wide.  “You just don’t like being on the wrong side of the dick measuring.” 

A snort sounded from the Yellow Ranger’s helmet.  “Well, you’re not wrong.  Xavier never did like being on the short end of things.  Now, do you want to fight and risk your vulnerable friends over there, or will you be reasonable and come in willingly?” 

“Funny how you have to be in control,” Grace said.  “Was all this show of force just to avoid talking things through?” 

“I like to stack the deck,” Anita said, then her form blurred. 

Nicole’s eyes widened as she moved, knocking aside Anita’s strike before it could go through, but only barely.  Fuck if she wasn’t fast, but this was also Nicole’s first morphed fight in some time aside from the training she did back on The Progenitor’s ship.

Well, no better time to shake the rust off.

Step forward, turn slightly to let the retaliatory blow glance off her arm, palm to center of mass to create distance.  Anita flew back with a grunt and Nicole surged after her.  She trusted that her team could keep the additional Rangers busy while she dealt with the one calling the shots.  The Yellow Ranger hit the far wall and tore through the cheap aluminum siding like tissue paper, and righted herself as she skidded towards the tree line and had something in her free hand.

Nicole barely had a moment to realize what it was before searing light impacted her in a shower of sparks.  The laser pistol continued to fire and Nicole danced to the side, making sure the shots would go wide of her friends.  Unfortunately, Anita seemed to pick up on that and aimed her blaster back towards the garage.

“Coward,” Nicole spat. 

“You know, I never did like you all that much,” Anita said, dusting some debris off her uniform.  “If not for the whole anomaly thing you wouldn’t even be a Ranger.” 

Despite knowing that she was being baited, there was something about the way that Anita said it.  She wasn’t speculating, Anita knew something important and was teasing it so as to keep her invested, to draw things out.

To give her Rangers time to take down her own team.  Well, they might have more time as Rangers, but Nicole’s team had actually fought some of the worst the Sylan could offer.  Granted, one of those threats was currently helpless on the floor back in the garage, but that was beside the point.

Anita’s Rangers weren’t veterans of Ranger combat, no matter how many she brought. 

Taking the chance, Nicole summoned her blades and took an easy stance.  Casual to the eye, yet ready to act if necessary.  Anita’s posture shifted, subtly guarded.  Good, Nicole needed her to focus on the threat right here and not the building where she might hit a non-combatant. 

“Explain,” Nicole said. 

Anita huffed.  “Oh it is very simp—” 

Nicole’s blade passed a hair’s breadth beside Anita’s helm as she barely managed to move enough to avoid it.  Nicole had already dismissed the blade, but refrained from summoning another to replace it.  She was fresh enough to get away with that, but the warmth in her core was already growing and managing that surge would be important to staying in the fight.  

Her second blade cut for Anita’s face, and the woman moved to defend herself as expected.  A simple adjustment and Nicole’s blade sheared through the blaster in her hand, destroying the weapon in a shower of sparks and smoke.  Some might have stopped there to gloat, but she didn’t, pressing the advantage while she could.

“That,” Anita said, dancing between strikes as Nicole fell back on the knife work she had learned from the HEMA group.  “Was.”  Sparks flew as Nicole scored a strike along the woman’s arm, sending her into a tumble.  She popped back up on one knee and the glare being leveled at her could be felt despite the helmet.  “Dirty.” 

“Like throwing a flashbang in the middle of a conversation?” Nicole asked dryly. 

Anita paused, even her breathing stilled for a moment.  “Fair point.” 

So of course that was when she threw several devices summoned from thin air towards Nicole.  Not wanting to chance things, Nicole summoned her own throwing daggers and sent them hurling for the devices, sticking two of the three.  The third detonated, the explosion sending her flying through the air from the concussive force of the blast. 

“Believe me, if I wanted your friends dead, they would be.” 

Nicole was back on her feet, panting for breath after it had been knocked out of her.  Anita stood casually, twirling another of those damn explosives on a gloved finger as she did.  Nicole knew she could hit it, but that wouldn’t stop the woman from summoning more. 

She blinked. 

A grin pulled at her lips at the idea taking shape.  Nicole stood and drew upon her second blade once more, the warmth growing as she pulled deeper upon the wellspring within.  Whatever the Source was, it didn’t play nice with organics as her core simmered.  She could bleed off the excess, but not while morphed.  That was what the morphers did, they regulated that volatile power and kept the Rangers safe. 

Did the Sylan realize that was what they did, or was the function misunderstood? 

With a forceful kick, Nicole launched into motion towards her opponent.  Anita didn’t so much as twitch at the sudden assault, she simply flicked her wrist and sent the device through the air.   Two more joined it, but Nicole didn’t dare assume that one was all the woman could manage.  Just as the grenade was about to burst, Nicole shifted. 

Her form turned incorporeal as the explosive force passed through her.  The heat was nothing compared to what she could feel deep within, and the force passed almost harmlessly through her.  Nicole liked to imagine that Anita’s jaw dropped as she turned solid once more, but that wasn’t for her to know. 

Twin blades lashed out, striking the woman across her torso with showers of sparks as she was flung back, the kinetic barrier shorting out as she tumbled.  Her morph broke in a prism of yellow as she fell to the ground, and Nicole breathed a sigh of relief. 

One down.

Even if it did feel anticlimactic, Nicole was willing to take the win, cheap shot and all.

She didn’t spare Anita another glance as she hurried back to the garage, bursting through the hole and into the fray.  Grace traded blows with two of the discount Rangers, and Jeff worked with Kayla in practiced motions to hold back the other three.  Good, but that still left one of her own unaccounted for.  Her eyes flicked aside and everything seemed to freeze when she caught sight of Devon.  

He was standing over the three downed non-combatants with his shield firmly in place to protect them from stray hits, but what had the fire surging within was that he had his sword to Maraline’s throat despite her laying there with her hands held in a supplicating fashion. 

There wasn’t time to take a calming breath as Nicole’s feet hit the ground and she made her snap decision.  Drawing deep of the wellspring of burning energy, she kicked off, impacting one of the two that were fighting Grace. 

Their morph shattered on impact. 

Nicole didn’t spare them another glance as she twisted and landed on the ground, already sighting her next target as she once again let herself be consumed by the fire within.  She’d tested her limits with The Progenitor, and wasn’t quite there yet, and sometimes a little shock was good for making a statement. 

Jeff and Kayla both separated just as she launched into motion once more, this time she caught two of the Rangers in a flying scissor kick that sent them sprawling but didn’t break their morph.  Nicole stood, her shoulders squared as she regarded the third Ranger that had been fighting them.  Her core burned and she knew she needed to drop her morph so that the excess could bleed off, but she didn’t have the luxury of doing so until she knew it was safe. 

“Clean up, Rangers,” Nicole said, her voice firm. 

Her team didn’t hesitate to take down the remaining Rangers, bringing things to an abrupt end.  The tension remained as Nicole waited for the other shoe to drop, but with each passing second it became more clear that the danger was passed.  With a heavy sigh, Nicole dismissed her morph and it was only through raw determination that she kept the sudden shudders running from head to toe from showing.

Yes, she was able to channel so much more power now, but the drawbacks were severe enough that it wasn’t always worth it.  She could only hope that when Becca gained access to The Progenitor’s engineering systems that she could finally fix her morpher and she would be able to lean less upon the dangerous connection. 

Until then, Nicole would do what she needed if it meant keeping those she loved safe. 

“Jeff, Kayla, one of you check on Anita,” Nicole said, clenching her fists as she forced even breaths to bleed off the excess.  “Grace, get your sister and anyone else still in the home and bring them here.  We’re leaving shortly.” 

“Got it,” Grace said, taking off at a sprint towards the house at the same moment that Kayla left through another destroyed section of the garage towards where Anita should be.

That left one other problem to deal with.

“Devon, stand down,” she said, approaching the still erect barrier.  “The enemy is down and we need to check them for injuries.” 

“You’re forgetting one threat,” Devon said firmly, his blade unwavering.

That was almost enough to make Nicole snap, the white hot coals within nearly reignited at the anger she felt, but she smothered it.  Snapping at her teammate wouldn’t do anything, and Anita was a friend of his, and she’d just attacked him.  He was likely enduring all sorts of conflicting emotions at the moment and didn’t need her own issues thrown on top of it. 

Being the mature one of the group was fucking exhausting when her turn came up in the rotation, and it didn’t help that she was also the youngest.  Not that it felt like it on most days, but they all had baggage and dealt with it in their own ways. 

“Just stand down,” Nicole said, her voice wavering.  “We’ve been through hell already and need to get answers before the next wave shows up.” 

Because there was no way in hell that Anita didn’t have a contingency just minutes away.

Maraline remained unflinching under the threat of space steel to her throat, but Devon was clearly wavering in his conviction.  She let him stew for a moment, taking the opportunity to continue bleeding off the energy with every breath.  That didn’t mean that Nicole wasn’t ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.  Just because she was bleeding off the excess didn’t mean that she couldn’t draw upon it once again, just that the resulting surge would push her far too close to the brink for her own comfort.

She’d do it in an instant if it meant protecting Maraline.  She’d risked so much in setting things up to warn them, and Nicole hadn’t gotten the chance to pass that along just yet!  Anita’s arrival had caused a hiccup in the debriefing, and now this mess was dropped into their lap. 

Pity that a nap wasn’t going to be an option. 

“Come on, man,” Jeff said, leaning casually against his spear.  “I really don’t think the little lady has it in her to fight right now and those two are looking pretty rough at the moment.” 

The Silver Ranger turned, finally looking at the two that were grasping their bleeding ears as they glared at him in obvious pain.  Jeff dismissed his morph and gave the man what could only be described as the most pitiful puppy eyes that Nicole ever had the privilege of witnessing.  It was like something out of a Dreamworks movie with how they made her want to give in to anything the man requested. 

“Fine,” Devon said, stepping back.  His shield and sword vanished, as did the barrier, but he remained morphed, ready to fight if Maraline tried anything.  “There, happy?” 

“Not really,” Nicole admitted as she began to check on Becca and Colin who were clearly shaken by the experience but otherwise intact.  She snapped next to Becca’s ear and didn’t get a response from the groaning girl which didn’t bode well for her hearing.  “The last week was rough as hell and I would love nothing more than to curl up in my own bed with my girlfriend at my side, but that isn’t an option right now.” 

Devon huffed, a half formed laugh.  “Fair enough.” 

“That fucking sucked,” Becca whined.  “Colin, you good?” 

He didn’t respond, likely not having any better luck with his lack of hearing.  Nicole didn’t know much sign language, and Becca probably knew even less, which would make communication a bit of a pain.  Still, Nicole tapped her shoulder, then gestured to her ears with a sign she hoped conveyed what the problem was.  Becca’s eyes widened and she let out a not so muffled scream of frustration that made Devon jump slightly but Colin didn’t even twitch.

Hopefully the medical bay back on the ship would be up to repairing the damages once they made it, but convincing the pair to join them just gained an extra dimension of difficulty that made Nicole want to let out a little scream of her own.

Right, first aid was the priority, then figuring out how to convince two people with blown eardrums that an alien ship somewhere beneath the earth was their best chance for treatment.  Because there was no way that the police wouldn’t be monitoring the hospitals. 

“Well, Anita already split,” Kayla said, clearly irritated.  Nicole wasn’t surprised, but she’d still hoped that had been enough to keep her down.  Still, that was enough to reinforce that they needed to return to the ship rather than stay local. 

“Of course she did,” Devon muttered, finally dropping his own morph.

Kayla hopped over the break in the wall and strolled past Nicole, but stopped beside Devon to pat his shoulder.  “We’ll figure things out.  She never struck me as evil, just determined to do what she thinks is necessary, even if it’s something stupid.” 

That got another chuckle out of Devon, which was as close to a win as they were probably going to get for the moment.  Jeff shook his head as he walked past Kayla, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as he passed only to gasp and rush forward before he hefted up the fallen form with a grunt that he shouldn’t have made.

“What the fuck?” Sarah said, standing beside Grace who looked equally as caught off guard by whatever it was.

That was enough to get Nicole to drop what she was doing, and when she did turn to get a good look at the fallen Ranger, she couldn’t hide her surprise.  The figure was adorned in a standard combat undersuit similar to the one that Nicole wore, but not quite the same but that was a moot point compared to the metal plate that made up the machine’s face.

“They’re like the drones from the lab,” Nicole said, dread coiling within her.  “Sinclair Industries figured out how to manufacture Rangers.” 

“That’s not possible,” Maraline said, her eyes wide.

The machine’s blank faceplate looked back at her as Nicole stared at the broken Ranger, or rather, the machine that was empowered by the Source.  Even with the morph broken it was clear that the device that facilitated the transformation was built into it, the familiar shine sparking a memory of a wall of glowing lights deep within his labs.  

How the hell did Sinclair manage to put something like this together?

Did he really set half the city on fire just to get a handful of disposable Rangers in his pocket?  Nicole shook her head, of course he did.  The man was desperate to find any advantage he could in a war for survival against odds that did not favor humanity.  Worse, he might just have cracked the very thing that the Sylan were after in the first place! 

A surge of Source energy emanated from the broken machine and Nicole threw it as far as she could and looked away from the sudden flash of blinding light.  The explosion was rather muted for what it was, but the wave of destruction was all encompassing.  In place of where the machine had landed was a perfectly circular crater.  It had also carved out a chunk from one of the support beams which was causing the entire structure to groan. 

Worse, that same surge was building from the other downed machines. 

“Time to leave,” Nicole yelled, already grabbing Becca and Colin when she realized that nobody was moving to help Maraline.  Biting down on the pain that the following surge brought with it, Nicole morphed once more and moved.  Fire lanced through her core as she got her friends out of the building then doubled back just as the first explosions went off. 

Nicole was at Maraline’s side in the next instant, the rest of her team already reaching the perimeter as she scooped up the former General and braced her neck against the forces that she was enduring.  Detonations tore through the remaining structural integrity and Nicole pulled harder on the Source to give her the speed necessary to make it out before the entire thing toppled down on top of her friend. 

Boots hit the dirt outside just as the structure collapsed in a cacophony of tortured steel.  Nicole immediately dismissed her morph once she was certain that it was safe and threw up, painting the ground red with her blood.

That was when the world spun and Nicole fell over, her whole body shaking uncontrollably.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 65 - Reunion

The gate was unlocked when they pulled up to the driveway that led to the forge.  The light overhead cast everything into long shadows and she couldn’t help but think that a whole squad of SWAT could be waiting for them within.  Nicole almost panicked as a bush rustled, thankfully a familiar form clad in purple stepped out of the treeline, spear slung over his shoulder with an easy confidence. 

“That fucker did that on purpose,” Kayla muttered, relaxing her grip on the steering wheel as she did.

Even as the tension bled out of Nicole, she could tell that Maraline was making up for it in spades.  Rangers meant danger, especially with her implants being offline.  Even a well trained person would pose a threat to her as she was, which meant she was putting her full trust into Nicole to not screw her over. 

It was touching and Nicole was determined to live up to the faith her friend had in her.

“Welcome back,” Jeff said, leaning against his spear as he ignored Kayla’s glare.  “I see you found our wayward friend.” 

“Among others,” Kayla said pointedly.  “Gonna need a full team meeting for this one, apparently it’s a long story.” 

Jeff paused, then ducked his head to look into the vehicle and whistled.  “Yeah, I’d say that involves a tall tale or three.  Alright, let’s get away from the main road before someone gets curious why a Ranger is hanging around this random driveway.” 

Kayla put the vehicle into drive and started down the makeshift road without a further word and Nicole let out a weak breath.  She knew that her team would have strong words about bringing Maraline back with her, and she was especially nervous about how Grace would take it, but for the moment she just wanted to enjoy a moment of respite. 

They were safe, and not at the mercy of some being or organization that was so far above them.  That alone brought with it a comfort that Nicole hadn’t felt since she made her deal with Sinclair.  As much as she was happy to continue with her Ranger work, doing so as what essentially amounted to a corporate sponsored stooge had never sat well. 

Even if he did give her as much freedom as she wanted. 

Nicole had been stuck in a gilded cage, one that she didn’t necessarily hate, but it bothered her all the same.  Now she didn’t technically need them, so long as she could maintain control of that otherworldly power that flowed freely through her.  Yes, she was stronger than she was under the old morpher, but there were no safety systems in place. 

A repeat of her near death was something that she risked with every transformation. 

The Progenitor had helped her learn to control things, guided her through meditations that were documented from the civilization that first discovered the Source, of the warriors that first learned to control it long before the technology to harness it ever existed.

Honestly, the entire thing sounded a little too Xianxia for her taste, and there was no way in hell she could ever let Becca know about that connection.  Unfortunately, she would probably make it within five minutes of talking to The Progenitor.  That entire conversation would just be the worst and unfortunately all Nicole would be able to do is endure the resulting excitement of a nerd affirmed. 

A gentle thunk rang out from the car roof and Nicole once again almost reached for that flowing well of power within her only to pause when Kayla let out an exasperated sigh.  Then she turned an angry glare upwards and punched the ceiling. 

“Jeff, must you insist on riding on my van’s roof?” 

“Better than walking,” he answered. 

Before the argument could continue, the treeline broke and the grounds of the farm came into view.  Nicole looked around, surprised at how dark everything was, but at the same time, there were fugitives hiding on the premises.  That she was technically one of them wasn’t lost on her. 

Kayla pulled the van into the detached garage and the door began to shut behind her.  The lights in the building were dim, casting everything in deep shadow.  Jeff hopped off the roof with fluid grace, his morph dropping in shattered prisms as he hit the concrete.  He turned back to the van with a grin and opened the passenger door just as Nicole undid her seatbelt. 

Then promptly pulled Nicole out and into a crushing hug. 

“Glad you’re safe,” he said, squeezing tight. 

Nicole almost broke right there, fighting back the tears as she returned the hug.  SHe’d missed her friends in the time she was away, and being welcomed back was reassuring in a way she didn’t know she needed.  The slam of a van door shutting broke the moment as Kayla hopped out and then flung the passenger slide door open. 

“Come on,” Kayla said, the words spoken as a command.  “Nicole trusts you, which is the only reason I’m asking instead of forcing.” 

“No need to be rude,” Maraline said, stepping out of the van.  She held the same poise as she always did when presenting her best face to the public, yet she lacked the deadly edge of a warrior waiting to strike.  “I am here of my own will, and no, I am not being tracked.” 

Kayla raised an eyebrow in question.  “Awfully certain, aren’t you?” 

“Her implants were removed,” Nicole cut in quickly.  “That’s part of what we need to discuss with the team.” 

Kayla’s other eyebrow rose to join the first as Jeff whistled.  “Okay, I can see how that warrants consideration.  I’ll admit, half the reason I’m entertaining this is that Maraline knew the lyrics to all the Pony songs.” 

Jeff’s eyes widened as he grinned, stepping up to the Sylan woman.  “Oh, that sounds like something I need to hear for myself.” 

Nicole nodded as Maraline started to sing, eyes scanning over the room as a frown grew on her face.  “Where’s Grace?  I figured she would be the first one to tackle me.” 

“She’s out with Devon checking a perimeter alarm,” Jeff said, amused as Maraline did indeed know the lyrics to the wrapping of winter.  “I imagine they’ll be back any moment.” 

“Should we be worried about that?” Nicole asked.

“Probably,” a familiar voice said. 

Nicole turned, her frown dropping as she caught sight of the familiar red of her girlfriend’s uniform.  She was flanked by Devon’s silver, but that wasn’t what caught her attention, or who spoke for that matter.  A third person stood between them, wearing a familiar form fitting suit and tie. 

“We found the cause of the alarm,” Grace said as she dropped her morph.  “She was just standing there, waving at the motion detector.” 

Anita chuckled with a shrug.  “It was the closest thing I could think of to knocking.” 

Nicole didn’t care about any of that, instead opting to rush forward and nearly leap into her girlfriend’s arms.  Grace squawked in surprise, but caught her all the same, spinning to bleed off momentum.  Nicole took a deep breath of that familiar scent that smelled of home and finally allowed herself to relax for the first time in nearly a week. 

“I fucking missed you,” Nicole said, tears prickling at her eyes.

Grace didn’t answer with words, but Nicole found herself nearly crushed under the strength of her girlfriend’s arms, not that she cared.  After so much time in the jungles of that damn cave, Nicole would savor the moment for as long as she could.

“Aww, ain’t this sweet,” Anita said, interrupting the moment.

“Do you mind?” Grace snapped. 

Anita huffed.  “Sure, but I do think we should address the Sylan in the room sooner rather than later.” 

“The what?” Devon asked, but he was already looking at Jeff as he laughed along with something Maraline had said.  His shoulder was slung over her shoulder and even Kayla was smiling at whatever was going on.  “Fucking hell, it’s her!” 

Sword and shield flashed into his hands as he kicked off the ground with explosive force.  Nicole’s eyes widened as she watched him move in slow motion, the power within already rising up to answer her unspoken call.  Negative light flashed through the space as her hand reached out and caught Devon by the ankle before he could do something foolish.

The force of his motion almost pulled Nicole off her feet, but she simply adjusted her stance and braced, cutting off all of his forward momentum.  Devon fell to the floor with an undignified thump and Nicole let out her breath.  A sucked in breath drew her gaze to where Grace was staring with a hanging jaw. 

“Well, that’s unexpected,” Anita said.

And Nicole was promptly pulled into another hug from her girlfriend.  “You got your morpher working!” 

If her arms weren’t currently pinned, Nicole might have rubbed the back of her head.  “Not exactly.  It’s part of the long story I need to relay to everyone.  Speaking of, please tell me Becca and Colin made it here safely.” 

“Yeah,” Grace confirmed without delay.  “They’re both in the house asleep.” 

“We should probably wake them,” Nicole said with a sigh.  “Becca would kill me if she missed this one.” 

“Oh, this I’ve got to hear,” Anita said, pulling up a chair.  “I can’t wait for the excuse you have for why you went missing for a week then managed to return with a Sylan General in tow.” 

Nicole let out a mirthless chuckle as she considered just where to begin.  Well, at least she had a few minutes to figure that out as Kayla went to fetch the sleeping couple.  It was already a long night, and it was shaping up to be longer still. 

***

“This better be good,” Becca muttered as she was all but herded into the garage.

The poor girl had never been a night person, and getting woke up at ass A.M. was never one of her fondest experiences.  Nicole knew that, but this was too important to wait for until morning.  Colin trailed behind her, looking far more alert, but was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  Becca paused as she squinted against the harsh lights, looking over everyone present with some the sort of detached ambivalence of someone who just wanted to go back to bed. 

It surprised me that Kayla hadn’t told her the reason for being woken in the middle of the night, but sometimes she let her chaos gremlin side dictate her choices.  Nicole caught the exact moment that Rebecca’s eyes trailed over her with their tired glaze, only for it to all vanish in an instant as they snapped back to Nicole’s morphed form. 

“How the fuck,” Becca muttered, walking right up to her.  “Nicole, that is you, right?” 

Nicole chose that moment to dismiss the morph and let her best friend see.  Her clothes were still the rustic fare that she’d been given, and in hindsight it was a bit of a surprise that the cops hadn’t said anything about it given the Renfaire was long since cancelled for the year.  Nicole smiled hesitantly at her best friend, unsure of where exactly to begin given how invested Becca was into the research. 

“I suppose I should start with the teleport,” Nicole said, addressing everyone.  “I’ll admit, I expected to end up on a Sylan ship in orbit, but something else happened.  We ended up in a jungle that happened to be buried deep underground with a stone acting as an artificial sun.” 

Skeptical looks were expected, something she expected to see a lot of over the coming debriefing.  Some of it she didn’t want getting back to Sinclair, but with Anita present, that was all but a given and if Maraline was going to be stuck in a civilian life, overcoming the suspicion would be a necessary step.

Given how she was all but kidnapped a week earlier, some skepticism was warranted, even if it did hurt to see it reflected back in her best friend’s gaze.  At least Grace was smiling at her, even if her expression was slightly strained. 

“They are known as luminescence stones,” Maraline interjected.  “The technology is ancient, even by The Empire’s standards.  It is primarily a farming tool, but the fact that it was present on Earth was alarming.” 

Anita hummed.  “You’re suggesting that Earth actually had contact with ancient aliens?” 

“Not suggesting,” Nicole said.  “We found proof.” 

“No shit?” Kayla said.  “I mean, we know aliens are real and all, but you have to admit how outlandish that sounds.” 

Running a hand through her hair, Nicole smiled.  “Yeah it really does, but there is something we could do that would put any doubts to rest.” 

“It’s not that we doubt you, but that is a pretty tall ask,” Rebecca said.  “I mean, that’s the kind of find that Sinclair Industries would kill for.”  She shared a look with Anita and Nicole caught the way she pitched her voice as she continued.  “He’s investigated every rumor of ancient aliens, and all of them turned out to be busts, right?” 

Anita hummed, her face shifting slightly.  “Nothing that we could conclusively prove.  A few periods where civilization seemingly improved overnight, new gods emerged in their pantheons, but never anything that we could point at and call it a smoking gun.” 

The candescense of her words had shifted as well, indicating that Maria was now out front.  It was unusual to hear Maria again, because she rarely came out in combat situations, but a debriefing like this was right in line with what she liked to stick her nose into. 

“Well, if it’s a smoking gun you’re after,” Nicole said, looking at each of her teammates in turn before settling on Sinclair’s private Ranger.  “How would you like to see an ancient spaceship?” 

Maria blinked at Nicole’s admittedly ridiculous non-sequitur, but it did give her something to latch onto and it was the largest elephant in the room that Nicole needed to address.  Their presence was something that Nicole wasn’t happy about, but keeping secrets from her would only raise the suspicions over Maraline to new heights. 

The half-Sylan had moved to stand beside her, if a bit reserved, but the support was welcome all the same.  No, this needed to be confronted head on and kept in the open if her friends were going to trust her on this.  It hurt that they weren’t all speaking up in support, and even Grace was giving her a bit of a look at all of it.  

“If that isn’t the most obvious trap I’ve ever heard of,” Devon said with a grunt.  When the others didn’t immediately agree with him, he kept going.  “I’m sorry, but Nicole goes missing for a week, then turns back up being able to morph again, with a Sylan General in tow, and on top of that is asking if we want to come back with her to the mysterious not-a-candy-van to see something cool?”

“It is highly suspicious,” Maria agreed.  “You offered us a tour, which I’m assuming means you have a means to bring us back to this mysterious ship?” 

Nicole nodded, but held off on elaborating.

“I’ll want a look at that tech,” Becca said, cutting off whatever the Sinclair sponsored Ranger was going to say next.  “Long distance teleportation would be a game changer if we could reverse engineer it.” 

“Put the techno babble back in your pants,” Mar—no, that was definitely Anita— said.  “If we’re going to entertain this, it should be in a controlled environment, not the middle of nowhere.” 

“Like the controlled environment that set half the city ablaze?” Jeff demanded.  “If you haven’t noticed, we aren’t exactly trusting of Sinclair right now after that whole fiasco.” 

Kayla crossed her arms, nodding along.  “Like, why was Nicole’s morpher down there?  You don’t expect us to buy that you were trying to fix it?” 

“Of course we were—” 

Becca snarled, stalking forward.  “Then why was I pulled off the project?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Anita said, taking a step back with her hands raised.

“Are you referring to the Source surge?” Maraline asked. 

Everyone turned at her interjection, and Nicole could admit to being curious herself as to what might have caused it.  That Anita was looking rather nervous only cemented that conviction as the woman’s hand inched towards her morpher.  Nicole moved to stand with Rebecca, making sure that Anita didn’t have a clear path to prevent Maraline from revealing whatever secret it might have been. 

Maraline smiled and gave a short nod before she continued.  “Obviously you were experimenting with the battery you recovered from Nicole’s near death, but that surge had a rather unique signature.” 

A pause followed and after a beat Kayla huffed.  “Don’t keep us in suspense, drama queen.  Out with it.” 

“No sense for dramatic timing,” Maraline muttered.  “It was the surge of a first morph.  They were tapping into a morphing effect.  In other words, they were creating new Rangers.” 

“Well fuck,” Anita said, her shoulders slumping.  “I really wanted to avoid this.” 

That was when the lights cut off and the outer doors exploded.

Inheritance - Consequence 4.5

For those following for Original fiction updates, this is a chapter of my most popular fanfic, Inheritance. If you're curious to check it out, follow this link!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36326725 

***

Tuesday May 10th, 2011

Amelia snored lightly, finally asleep after her harrowing evening.  That Carol fucking Dallon would attempt to sell her children to the Protectorate was enough to make my blood boil, but I had to take solace in the fact that she was safe for the moment.  Lisa was stroking her hair, smiling softly down at her from where she laid on Lisa’s lap. 

“That shit is too damn sweet,” Fester said. 

Chisel however was focused on something else.  “We’re skinning that bitch first chance we get.” 

There was a round of agreement from the collective, and I wasn’t about to deny them.  In fact, I wanted it just as much as they did, perhaps moreso.  Seeing Amelia finally at peace warmed my heart in a way that was difficult to ignore.  Knowing that she was my line in the sand, that I was willing to kill heroes for her if needed?  The only other person that made me feel that way was Chrissie, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to dig into what that meant. 

“Oh come on, you know exactly what —” 

I shoved Sanguine down, mostly because he was right, I just wasn’t ready to unpack that mess and it wouldn’t be fair to Amelia to try to after the… everything she just endured.  My hand reached across the couch, finding Chrissie’s and squeezing gently.  We had taken up flanking positions around Amelia and Lisa, to make sure she knew that the people that cared about her were close at hand. 

That still left Victoria, who was currently sitting on another loveseat and talking in low tones with Ashley.  I hadn’t expected Victoria to join the fight, let alone the absolute screaming match she got into with her mother. 

“The soccer kick into the Bay was pretty damn great though,” Knockout said with a grin. 

The memory of the absolutely primal rage that Victoria unleashed, followed by Brandish’s annoying ball form being launched out towards the Bay, would probably remain with the Butchers for the rest of time — and easily rank up there with some of the best moments in Teeth history. 

“Now we just need her to become XVI so we can claim it as our own!” Sabertooth said. 

Taylor rolled her eyes.  You just want her so we can finally fly. 

“Do you blame us?” Quarrel asked.  “Admit it, you want to fly too.” 

Well, they weren’t wrong — I just wasn’t ready to become a voice in someone else’s head.  I wanted at least a few years in the driver’s seat before that happened.  Besides, that would just dump more stress on Amelia, which I wanted to avoid at all costs. 

The collective chittered in laughter, but wisely kept their comments to themselves.  Outside the sun had begun to rise, and I knew the coming day would only lead to new headaches for the Teeth.  Amelia had made one hell of a public declaration of her loyalty.  Hell, I could hear some of the partying minions singing songs in celebration!  

“You mean hella badass,” Butcher cooed.  “That girl is Teeth to the core and you know it!”

I rolled my eyes as I let my senses sweep through my swarm, taking stock of my territory.  That was a bit of a misnomer these days given all of Brockton counted towards that.  Amelia’s relay bugs allowed me to perceive all of it, including the conversation currently underway in the Wards area of the PRT building.  They had some anti-bug measures in place, but there was never a truly bug free environment, especially when someone wanted those bugs in place.

Madison was standing alongside Lily and Missy, arms crossed and glaring at a cape that I didn’t recognize through my bugs’ limited senses.  I hadn’t been paying it much attention at first, but the standoff had drawn my metaphorical eye to the escalating altercation.  I couldn’t make out what was being said either, but I did recognize that Madison had their cube in hand and ready to be crushed. 

Each of my people carried one no matter where they went in the city, the fly within were modified by Amelia to stand out to my senses and it would send out a signal upon death to all nearby relay bugs, drawing my attention to it even when sleeping.  With the city on the verge of boiling over, I didn’t want to leave anything to chance after my father needed to shoot a cape in his own office. 

“It is strange that nothing has come of that,” Stratego muttered. 

His power was less than helpful in determining what strategic advantage the PRT wanted by just treating the event as self-defense, and we were missing too many details.  Obviously they were planning something, since they knew that we were related.  I didn’t have a secret identity, and thus it was officially known that Danny Hebert was the Butcher’s father.  Was that enough for them to overlook his actions?  It certainly didn’t feel like it, especially with a faction working to replace the Teeth with the Elite. 

I knew it would come back to bite us, I just wasn’t sure how. 

“At least he claimed the trophy,” Fester said.  “Few unpowered ever managed that, and it earned him a lot of respect around here.” 

I still wasn’t sure how I felt about my father coming back to headquarters with me, but he had indeed followed through on the tradition of claiming a trophy, even if it wasn’t a body part.  A piece of the man’s mask, still stained with his blood from the killing blow, was more than fitting.  That it meant we were at the arena when Amelia arrived was an added bonus and I couldn’t help but suspect Omen might have pushed things a bit in that direction. 

Lily had stepped forward, and seemed to be dictating terms to the person addressing them.  The bugs on Madison were picking up a subtle shaking that I recognized as laughter.  Whatever was going on, I would no doubt be hearing about it next time they came by the arena. 

“They’re hardly the first hero the Teeth have corrupted, but I think they might be my favorite,” Sabertooth said. 

I couldn’t help but smirk.  Is that some shapeshifter solidarity?

“Damn right it is.” 

I wanted to laugh but it would disturb Amelia and that would be the greatest sin in the world at the moment.  So, I just squeezed Chrissie’s hand again and snuggled closer to Lisa, letting myself relax as best I could.  It was hard not to listen in on others, especially with my ever expanding domain.  I didn’t want to pressure Amelia, but there were good odds that she could come up with bugs that I could hear or see through just as well as I could with my own senses. 

Of course, now that the Protectorate knew Amelia was a biotinker, they would be coming for her.  Pandemic’s debut removed any and all doubt, and the PRT could hardly ignore the danger.  I needed to be ready for whatever bullshit was coming, and I knew it meant I might need to kill to keep her safe. 

“Bring it,” Butcher said. 

I didn’t dispute his words, and simply let myself drift off, content to be with the people most important in my rather complicated life. 

*** 

“Five more minutes.” 

A grunt escaped me at the sound of a familiar voice, all I wanted was to curl up with the source of warmth and so that was what I did.  It squirmed a bit, then I felt a gentle softness press to my lips.  I leaned into the contact, returning the kiss with a smile.  My eyes flicked open, but rather than deep red locks, I was instead greeted by a frizzy mess of brown. 

The collective howled their approval even as my eyes shot wide open and I pulled away.  Amelia was still in a half daze, and reached for me as I jumped off the couch in a panic.  Shit, did she kiss me in her sleep thinking that I was Lisa?  I slammed the entire collective into the darkness to get a moment to think, and even then I could still sense their amusement at my predicament. 

I knew that I had feelings for Amelia beyond friendship, but I’d always chalked it up to being part of the Butcher experience.  She had Lisa, however, and I didn’t want to do anything that might ruin that for them.  The rest of my senses began to catch up with me, and it was with a very deliberate slowness that I turned my head towards the kitchen where Chrissie and Lisa were standing at the island. 

Lisa had her signature smile firmly fixed on her face, but Chrissie’s expression was far more complicated than anything I had seen on her in weeks.  The last time she looked at me like that, it had been when we were fighting.  I almost reached for the furthest bug I could sense, Pyro’s teleportation itching to pull me from the (social) danger, but I quashed the urge. 

Amelia sat up, rubbing at her eyes as she did. 

“Too early,” Amelia muttered. 

Lisa shook her head, walking over with a steaming cup.  “Here, drink this.  I think we all need to be awake and alert before we have this conversation.” 

Amelia winced as she accepted the cup.  “How bad is it?” 

Lisa paused.  “Right, we have two conversations to get through.  Well, easy one first then.  Someone posted a video of your little debut to PHO, so that cat’s out of the bag.  The mods spent long enough wondering if, with you being an open cape and all, it counted as being out of costume.” 

I had taken the opportunity to get up, slipping over by Chrissie, but my girlfriend wouldn’t look at me.  I almost let some of the collective back out, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t help matters, so I kept them suppressed.

“That’s bullshit!” Amelia thundered.  Her clothes rippled with the declaration and it was only then that I realized she was still effectively wearing her living costume.  “You’re telling me that even after all that I don’t get the benefit of a secret identity?” 

“Oh but you do!” Lisa said with full confidence.  “See, now you fall under the same umbrella as the rest of us.  Everyone knows who we are, and they know that if they fuck with that, the Butcher will turn them inside out.” 

Amelia looked away, muttering under her breath as she did.  “I could do that too.” 

“That you most certainly could,” Lisa said, flopping on the couch beside her.  “The Protectorate had an emergency meeting about things, and then a second meeting without anyone they even suspected might be in the Teeth’s corner.  I didn’t get much out of that one, but I do know that Madison stuck up for you when things got heated in the first.  They’ll be by shortly to fill everyone in, but suffice to say that Carol doesn’t have many fans locally at the moment, including your cousins.” 

Amelia let out a heavy sigh, but still curled around her cup before leaning against Lisa who feathered a kiss to her forehead. 

“That does bring us to the second point,” Lisa continued after a moment.  “You kissed Taylor.” 

I winced at the bluntness of the statement, and I sure as shit didn’t miss how every bug I had on Chrissie could feel the tension coiling in her body.  I wanted to say something, to insist it wasn’t on purpose, but something told me that was exactly the wrong thing to say at the moment.  It would also be a lie, because I had been thinking about it ever since the collective put the idea in my head.

“What?” Amelia asked in what seemed to be genuine confusion.  She looked between Lisa and myself, and her eyes widened when she caught sight of me.  “No…  Oh fuck.” 

“Yeah,” Lisa said.  “You might have been mostly asleep, but it’s something I think has needed said for a while, and this seems to be as good of a time as any to bring it up and have that talk.” 

“What’s there to talk about?” Chrissie said, Stratego’s power blaring warnings about her body language.  “Who doesn’t want to fuck the Butcher?  It’s sort of a tradition among the Teeth.” 

“She’s not wrong,” Damascian said.  I almost pushed her back down, but she was also one of the few Butchers that I actually trusted to give me sound advice, so I let her continue.  “Naturally, Chrissie harbors no small volume of apprehension concerning abandonment.  The situation is complicated by the fact that Pandemic is an exemplary Teeth cape with alarming synergies with your own ability.”

“She’s worried you’re going to leave her for Amy and her tentacle monsters!” Ironsides snapped.  “Can you cut it with the diction already?”

They descended into squabbling — though snollygoster and cockalorum were excellent additions to my insult repertoire — giving Fester the chance to speak.  “Just be honest and talk to her, Taylor.”

Butcher himself nodded from the edge of the depths.  “Ain’t none of us want to mess up this thing you got going.  The Teeth have never had this much power or respect before, and hot damn do people fear us.”  

“Well fuck me,” Sanguine said sarcastically, “even Butcher can mellow out.” 

“Oh good, they’re not going to mess this up,” Lisa said, eying me.  “Chrissie, first of all, Taylor thought it was you kissing her, right up until she realized it wasn’t.  You saw how she reacted.” 

“I did,” Chrissie said bluntly.  “I’ve also seen how these two eye fuck one another.” 

“I won’t deny that,” Lisa said.  I glared at Lisa as a tiny swarm buzzed around us, but she didn’t seem intimidated in the slightest.  “Meanwhile, Amelia and I probably never will.  I’m ace, and she most certainly isn’t.” 

“Your point?” Chrissie snapped. 

“Be honest, you think Amelia’s cute too.” 

Chrissie froze at Lisa’s words, then averted her gaze.  I could only blink and even the collective seemed momentarily surprised at the silent admission. 

“You haven’t been worried as much that Taylor will move on,” Lisa continued.  “You’ve been worried that she would leave you out of it.” 

“What?” Amelia whispered, her face tomato red.  “Why would…  She has Taylor!  I’m just, well, me.” 

“Poor girl is an eight in a family of nines and tens,” Chisel said.  “It’s no wonder she has self-esteem issues.” 

“Eh, I don’t think anyone in New Wave is a ten,” Alkaline added. 

“Did you see Manpower when he was just starting out?” Sabertooth asked.  “Dude was absolutely a ten back in the bad old days.” 

“You’re pretty damn cute, okay?” Chrissie muttered, silencing the collective as she eventually dragged her gaze from Amelia and back to me.  “Both of you are.” 

Lisa’s grin widened but all Amelia could do was gape at both of them.  Hell, I wasn’t doing much better as my brain tried to figure out just what the hell was happening. 

“Lisa’s getting this polycule rolling, that’s what’s happening,” Pyro said, rubbing her metaphorical hands together.

“About damn time too,” Fester agreed.

Wait, what? 

“You know, sometimes I feel like I can pick up the conversations you’re having with them,” Lisa said with a smirk.  “And they’re right.  You’re all being useless about this, and it’s kinda sad that it’s falling to the ace girl to set you all straight.” 

“None of us are straight,” I said petulantly. 

“Exactly!” Lisa chirped.  “Now, Chrissie, come over here and kiss me and prove your girlfriend right.” 

Chrissie’s eyes widened and darted between Lisa and I, then at Amelia who was sitting there in stunned silence.  It was very clear that Lisa was the only one that knew just what the hell was going on at this moment, aside from the raucousness of the collective cheering for whatever the hell was happening. 

“We all know we won’t be able to out-talk Lisa,” I said with a sigh of defeat.  “She won’t shut up until someone makes her.” 

“Then why don’t you?” Pyro asked sweetly. 

Lisa nodded enthusiastically.  “I’ll admit, I’m mostly doing this for the cuddles.  No matter how good either of you might be at kissing, I’ll never really enjoy it the way you do.” 

“Oh, that was a challenge if I ever heard one,” Fester said.

Chisel huffed.  “Prove that bitch wrong, for the honor of the Butcher!” 

While I was listening to my predecessors’ demands, Chrissie seemed to take up the challenge herself, though before she closed the distance she did spare one last glance back at me.  I gave her a nod and next thing I knew my girlfriend was kissing Lisa.  Something inside me twisted, but it wasn’t unpleasant like I expected, instead it was almost excitement. 

“You’re watching two hot girls kiss, it’s the natural response,” Alkaline said enthusiastically.  

Ironsides grunted.  “You’ll get another turn, don’t worry.” 

My face lit up with warmth at the thought of joining in with them, and the Butchers were throwing all sorts of memories of their own at me to show just how normal it was for the Butcher to have multiple partners.  The recent memories of Alice were the most distracting, as well as the most numerous.  She was old enough to be my mother and they were so damn insistent that it would happen at some point.

I shoved down each of them that was prodding those memories.  I didn’t need the distraction, or the encouragement, as my girlfriend pulled away from Lisa.  Chrissie was frowning softly at Lisa’s grinning visage, not a spec of pink on the girl’s face. 

“See, I can tell you enjoyed it, but I’ve got nothing in that regard,” Lisa said.  “Now, kiss Amelia.” 

Chrissie blinked, looking at the still shellshocked biokinetic sitting on the couch in stunned silence.  At the same time Lisa stepped over to where I was standing, and grinned up at me.  Before I realized it, she kissed me with every bit the enthusiasm that she had kissed Chrissie.  I wasn’t sure what to think of it, and just let myself roll with it, returning her enthusiasm with everything I had and all the tricks the collective had learned over their lives.  Yet, the bugs in the air could tell that Lisa wasn’t getting anything out of it like I or Chrissie were, the scents were all wrong.  Bloodsight confirmed that for me, and I broke the kiss. 

“Yeah, that girl is definitely ace,” Pyro said.

“Damn, all those lifetimes of experience really do amount to something,” Lisa said. 

I had to admit, it stung my pride a bit for her to brush me off so easily.  Chrissie and Amelia on the other hand… 

“Can we get in on that?” 

Whoever had asked that went ignored as I watched the two women, my heart thundering in my chest as I did.  I barely even noticed as Lisa gently pushed me towards them, or when they both looked up with lidded eyes and I licked my own lips on reflex.  The collective was cheering for me, throwing out suggestions with reckless abandon.  Chrissie reached up, pulling me close, and—

“The hell did I just walk in on?” 

I’d never spun so fast in my life.  Across the room, standing in the doorway, was Madison.  They wore one hell of a glare on their face, but it was aimed at Lisa who was too busy laughing at how someone managed to surprise me.  This time I did silence the collective for their calls of drama and requests to get them to join in on the fun.  There was no way in hell I’d ever make out with one of the trio.

The rumbling from the dark was pointedly ignored.

Chrissie laughed, and I could tell she was playing it up a bit to hide how flustered she was.  “You should have seen how many people were fucking in the open during Tay’s introduction party.” 

“Was it worse than the victory over the Empire celebration?” Madison asked with a raised eyebrow.  

Lisa just laughed harder.

“Laugh it up, Lise,” I said before that could get out of hand.  “Sorry about that, we let the Thinker talk.” 

“Oh don’t try blaming this on me,” Lisa said with a smirk.  “All I did was give everyone a little nudge.  The rest was all you.” 

“I really don’t want to hear this,” Madison muttered, walking over to the kitchen.  She pulled a hard lemonade from the fridge—one of Alec’s—and downed half the bottle in one go before letting out an absolutely thunderous belch.  “PRT is a shitshow right now, and funny enough Amelia’s little defection barely rated compared to the spectacle of Li—Flechette throwing down Youth Guard policies to prevent half the Wards from being relocated without notice.” 

“We’ve all met Lily, remember?” Lisa said, but I could tell she was getting lost in thought.  “Let me guess, they wanted to move you, Missy, and Sophia?” 

“They know Sophia left,” Madison said, throwing a glance around the room as if looking for the girl.  “They apparently don’t know about Lily and Sabah being friendly with Teeth.” 

“We’ve tried to keep that out of the headlines,” I said, gesturing towards the rooms where Sophia was still sleeping off the night or something.  “Sabah doesn’t want anything to do with cape stuff, so we just pay her to make cool clothes for us.” 

“She doesn’t even know I helped make sure her shop was completely above board,” Lisa added.  “Something the Elite no doubt already learned when they tried their usual legal pressures.  Have I mentioned how annoying their shit is with Medhall?  I’ve got another board meeting coming up and I know they have something up their sleeve.” 

“Oh the horror,” Madison said flatly.  “Not like you have to deal with a bunch of government types trying to ship you off to St. Louis just to make room for capes they don’t think will hang out at Teeth parties.”  Lisa opened her mouth but Madison just held up a single finger.  “Trust me, I’d rather be shot at.” 

“Self-biokinesis,” Amelia said.  She wasn’t quite composed, but seemed to be grasping for the distraction to avoid talking about what just happened like the rest of us were.  “You shrug off bullets like silly putty.” 

Madison huffed.  “A shot to the brain would still drop me for good.  I’m not a proper Brute, even with my telekinesis, I can just fake it with the best of them.” 

“Your skull is literally bulletproof,” Amelia snarked.  “Seriously, I used your bone composition as a model for Lisa’s enhancements.” 

“You did?” Madison asked, their eyes wide.

Amelia let out a heavy sigh.  “Your powers are far more instinctive than mine.  I can twist nature at a whim, experiment as much as I want, but I still have to study and learn.  You can just turn yourself into a Xenomorph in seconds.  I still haven’t figured out how to make one that will live for more than five minutes out of my care.” 

“Wait, you’ve been—” 

Lisa slapped a hand over Madison’s mouth before they could finish the question.  “So, someone’s trying to clear out the capes that have backed the Teeth in the past?” 

Madison nodded.  “Assault and Battery got assigned to Armsmaster’s team, they’re deploying to Boston with Legend to clean up the second Boston Games.” 

“They need the PR win,” I said.  “Especially with the whole thing with Amelia being the leading news story today.” 

Amelia winced, looking away.  “How did the PRT take that?” 

“Lots of yelling,” Madison said with a frown.  “Brandish threw a shit fit, and that’s when Assault mentioned a certain photo they had seen.” 

The pointed look from Madison was all that needed to be said, but when had that ever stopped Lisa before? 

“Oh, was that all?” Lisa said sweetly.  “Maybe we should show them a picture of us all making out next time?” 

“Not helping,” I said, putting a finger to Lisa’s lips.

She licked it.

I almost rotted her saliva in retribution, but Lisa pulled away the moment the thought crossed my mind.  She looked back with wide eyes as I fluttered my eyelashes innocently at her.  A pouting glare was thrown my way, but I ignored it in favor of turning towards the next person to stumble into the loft. 

“Too early,” Sophia muttered. 

“You missed the Wards meeting,” Lisa said. 

Sophia flipped her off.  “They all know I quit.”

“Actually, officially you’re AWOL as you weren’t allowed to quit per your plea deal,” Madison said.  “We were given a detain on sight order if we ever see you.” 

“Didn’t think you were into bondage,” Chrissie said with a smirk then shrugged.  “Eh, you do you.” 

Madison suddenly sprouted a second head, both speaking in unison.  “Technically I could.” 

“Kinky,” Sabertooth said.

Shaking her head, Sophia pulled a box of cereal from the cabinet, then glared at the spider sitting on it.  I had the little guy wave at her before it jumped off and scurried back into the shadows. 

“And I thought Clock’s pranks were bad,” Sophia muttered, taking a seat and pouring a bowl without any milk.  “I’d say go fuck yourself, but…” 

“Is it just me or has joining us dislodged the stick up her ass?” Knockout asked. 

“That or she’s smoking Amelia’s weed,” Alkaline said.

“Anything in the meeting about me?” Sophia asked. 

Madison snorted.  “Everyone forgot about you after Pandemic made her debut with a public defection to the Teeth last night.” 

Sophia froze, her spoon part way to her mouth.  “No fucking way.  I thought you were trying to keep that under wraps, the fuck did I miss last night?” 

“That was intentional,” Lisa said.  “We didn’t need wildcards in that mess, so I made sure to hand out some Cactus for everyone the moment I realized what was happening.” 

“I didn’t take anything though,” Sophia said with a frown.  “I remember drinking some tea, then I laid down…”  Lisa started to snicker and Sophia jumped to her feet, pointing with a snarl on her lips.  “You fucking drugged me!?”

The Butchers howled with laughter, but I didn’t find it nearly as humorous as they did.  It was turning out to be a day where I would probably be better off keeping them in the dark, but I was proving to be too emotionally compromised to keep them there.

“Not cool, Lisa.” 

“Oh come on, most people in the Teeth are happy to get a free high like that,” Marauder whined.

“Better than her accidentally killing someone, or getting killed,” Lisa said.  “Brandish was out for blood, that’s why I made sure Victoria held her off instead.” 

I quickly felt out my swarm and located Victoria in one of the spare rooms, she was being held in Ashley’s arms as they watched something on TV together.  Gentle sniffles escaped the Brute, and Ashley just ran fingers through Victoria’s hair, comforting her as best she could.  A box of tissues sat half used, my bugs reporting the smell and taste of snot and tears soaking the pile nearby. 

“She’s locked in a room crying,” I said, again glaring at Lisa.  “I know you’re a Thinker, but sometimes you should try to remember the human element.” 

Lisa’s shoulders slumped and Amelia moved to pull her into a side hug.  “I know, but the entire situation was beyond fucked and I didn’t want to have to console our girlfriend because Carol was a dumbass and committed suicide by Teeth.” 

I opened my mouth to retort, but quickly shut it.  That was entirely fair and even with everything that happened I didn’t want Carol dead, even if the only reason was entirely selfish.  Amelia didn’t need that guilt on her shoulders.  With a heavy sigh, I stepped over and joined the hug, pulling Chrissie in with me. 

“Oh god, tell me they didn’t all bang,” Sophia whispered to Madison. 

The shapeshifter shook their head.  “Pretty sure I walked in before it could get that far.” 

“Unfortunately,” Sabertooth muttered. 

“Ignoring that whole mess,” Sophia said, turning back to face Madison.  “So, what had you in such a tizzy that you walked in on one of the Butcher’s fuck buddies?  Even I know better than that and I’ve been here for a day.  Some of the guys have some wild stories…” 

I flipped her off but she wasn’t paying any attention only to be pulled into a kiss by Chrissie that was brief but full of warmth.  Her eyes shone with something, and I knew we needed to have a very long talk and see just what the hell all of this amounted to.

Madison recounted the details again, and Sophia crossed her arms in thought.  “No shit.  Sounds like someone wanted everyone out of the way and they’ve just about got all their pawns in place for it.  Any word on the new Director?” 

“Nothing I’ve heard,” Madison said.  “I asked Legend about the Tagg rumor, but he assured me the Chief Director would never allow that.” 

Sophia hummed, lost in thought for a moment.  “Unless the brass send him in.” 

“He’d need Congressional support,” Lisa said from her place in the hug pile.  “He’s a military man, so he might be able to get it.” 

“He shot a twelve year old joke villain three months ago,” Madison said.  “He’s not well liked at the moment, even if she did survive.” 

“Not liked by the capes,” Lisa corrected.  “His men follow him with an almost cultish fanaticism that will be a major problem for us if he does get the gig.” 

“Who better to throw at the Butcher?” Sophia asked.  “He either gets eaten by bugs, or he somehow pulls it off and gets rid of her.” 

“Definitely eaten,” Marauder snickered. 

“Sounds like this Tagg guy is someone I should kill at first sight,” I said with a nod and a resounding agreement from the voices in my head.  “Any downsides to that approach, or should I at least try for reasonable cause first?” 

“With Tagg, reasonable cause is basically a given,” Lisa said.  “If he becomes Director it will turn into a bloodbath within forty-eight hours, easily.” 

“Without us firing the first shot?” Chrissie asked. 

“Yes,” Lisa said. 

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” Knockout said. 

Quarrel laughed.  “Another excuse to show up the heroes!” 

I groaned, dropping back to the couch as I ran a hand over my face.  “He’s the worst case scenario?” 

“He is,” Madison agreed.  “Director Senica is also in the running from Alaska.  I’ve heard good things about him.” 

Lisa hummed.  “He’s not likely to start problems, but he won’t tolerate a lot of things either.  We’ll need to find a balance if he gets it, but it shouldn’t mean open warfare.” 

“Think you can help that one along?” I asked.  “I’d prefer someone reasonable rather than premeditated murder.” 

“Never thought I’d hear the Butcher balk at that,” Sophia said. 

“It’s the only reason you’re still alive,” I said to Sophia as I drew upon my swarm for effect.  “I’m still me, deep down.  Just because I am now Butcher XV doesn’t mean I stopped being Taylor Hebert, I just have fourteen other lives to draw experience from.” 

“And what you’ve done with that,” Alkaline said with pride. 

“Hell of a lot more spine though,” Sophia said. 

I couldn’t help but laugh.  “No, I’d say I have less, if anything.  I’m just quicker to use violence to remove annoyances.” 

Chrissie laughed.  “Oh please, you know how the prior Butchers were.  Even Damascian didn’t hesitate to break faces when she ran things around here.  Remember, she’s the one that brought the Teeth back to Brockton.” 

“Hard to forget when I can still remember the planning sessions,” I muttered.  “I remember lots of things I’d rather not, and some of them are things I experienced myself.” 

“We’ll just have to make new memories for you,” Lisa said.  “Though, you’re going to need to get a bigger bed.  I don’t think the four of us can fit on your mattress.” 

I blushed looking away even as the collective started to chant about an Alaskan King.  The idea was certainly appealing, even if I was hesitant about the possibility of expanding my relationship to be more than just Chrissie and I.  We were still working through things from our first fight, and adding another two people to our dynamic would only strain that further. 

“Still nice to have it in the open, though,” Lisa said with a grin. 

I flipped her off. 

“It’s okay, we aren’t going anywhere,” Lisa added, pulling Amelia in closer.  “Just keep an open mind and communicate and it will all work out.” 

“And they’re back to talking about fucking,” Madison muttered.  “Hey Sophia, wanna have a round in the pits?  I need to work off some shit from those meetings.” 

“Sure,” Sophia said, shoving the rest of her breakfast into her mouth.  “Should be interesting to fight you without all the kid friendly restrictions.” 

Madison’s mouth shifted, the extended mouth of a Xenomorph extending from it.  “Oh, you have no idea.” 

Their form rippled as flesh distorted, black carapace sprouted all across their body as Madison’s form melted into Ripley.  The now Xenomorph followed Sophia over to the railing that overlooked the arena below with disturbing quickness.  Sophia stepped over the edge calmly, but Madison scurried along the walls as they raced down.  The few people awake pointed and I just knew word would spread quickly.  Chrissie disengaged from us, her curiosity winning out.  I didn’t need to leave the cuddle pile thanks to a few different bugs I kept around.

Amelia grumbled about something, then pulled out her phone.  “Shit!  I need to go to school!” 

Chrissie and I shared a look, then began to laugh.  Technically we were blowing off school too, but nobody would dare mention it, especially with everything in the news last night.  My identity was the worst kept secret in the city, and finding someone with the balls to come after the Butcher for playing hooky would be rather difficult. 

“Amelia, think this through,” Lisa said, taking her girlfriend’s hands in her own.  “Do you really want to go to school today, with the Wards, right after you’ve officially joined the Teeth?” 

“Would send a message,” Amelia muttered, looking away. 

Chrissie laughed.  “It certainly would, but counterpoint!” 

She nodded to me and I grinned.  “Come with us to Winslow today, let people see you.  There’s no restrictions on gang colors either, so you can wear your hoodie in the open.” 

“She was already doing that,” Lisa said. 

“That was one time,” Amelia said with a pout.  “I was told it wasn’t allowed, even if it was a gift.” 

“Well there you go!” I said.  “Lisa, think you can work out the paperwork to make her transfer look all official for next year while we go about causing chaos today?” 

“Already made up the forms, but I’ll need to get them printed so Amelia can fill them out herself.  If I do it all electronically like the Protectorate tried with you, it would probably be ruled a Thinker plot and thrown out.” 

“Joy,” Amelia muttered.  “Lise, you still have my change of clothes?” 

Lisa chuckled, shaking her head.  “You act like I don’t have a full wardrobe on standby for you.  I already dropped off some stuff in Vic’s sizes as well, so don’t worry about her either.” 

“Does this mean Demolition Dallon is joining us in Winslow?” Chrissie asked.

“Probably not,” Amelia said.  “She’s already got full credits to graduate, she’s just been going for the experience.  I’m pretty well finished on my end as well, though I’ve got another year thanks to Carol lying about my age.” 

“Which means you’ll get to spend it with us!” Chrissie exclaimed just as Madison almost speared Sophia with their tail then shifted it into something electrified that clipped Sophia’s shadow form and sent her sprawling.  “Fuck her up, Ripley!” 

Madison moved atop Sophia’s prone form, pinning her down with a shifted claw that sparked with energy.  Sophia tapped the ground twice and Madison backed down with a wicked grin, offering the former Ward a hand up.  At least a hundred people had filed into the stands since the bout began, and were cheering for Ripley’s win. 

They moved back to their starting points, but this time Sophia drew a knife before squaring up with the shapeshifter. 

“Oh, this ought to be interesting,” Sabertooth said. 

Stratego narrowed his eyes.  “The question will be what Sophia intends to use the blade for.  I do not think that superficial cuts will have much effect on Madison.” 

I was tempted to join Chrissie by the railing and watch the fight with my own eyes, but at the same time that would mean untangling myself from Amelia.  Yesterday that wouldn’t have been a question, but after the events of the night, as well as Lisa’s manipulations, I was hesitant. 

Alkaline scoffed.  “You’re really gonna bitch that a Thinker is trying to get you laid?” 

Warmth crept to my cheeks and Amelia looked up, no doubt noticing my shifting biology through our skin contact, of which I was now hyper aware of.  This was all Lisa’s fault, I just knew it, but at the same time, Alkaline was right.  Why the hell was I getting upset about this?  Sure, I’d need to talk to Chrissie first, because no doubt she had her own thoughts on everything.  If she was okay with it, then we would need to talk to Amelia without Lisa present, then again with her once we were all sorted. 

It would be a process, but it wasn’t something I was actually against. 

Just another footnote on the list of things that the Taylor of last year would be freaking out over if she saw happening through some ghost of futures past bullshit precog effect.  Well, if school was going to happen, we would need to get ready soon if they wanted to make it in time for lunch.  Morning classes were in full swing and making it before lunch would be cutting it close even if we hurried.  It was the rather ridiculous idea of having Chrissie on one arm, and Amelia on the other, that was just too tempting to let go of. 

“Oh yeah, it’s all coming together,” Fester said. 

“That would be my line,” Stratego said. 

Pyro laughed.  “Like you ever had a romantic bone in your body.” 

I left them to that argument as Sophia managed to phase her blade into Madison’s arm, or claw…  They paused, looking down at it, then their body shifted, the flesh molding around the chunk of inorganic matter until it fell to the ground with a clang.  Sophia glared at the weapon like it had both offended and betrayed her, then Madison kicked it back over. 

“That answers that,” Knockout said with a sigh.  “Shapeshifters are bullshit.” 

“Not always,” Quarrel muttered, sending a mental glare towards Sabertooth. 

“Oh not this shit again!” Sabertooth roared.  “You gotta stop blaming me for your shitty allergy!” 

She wouldn’t, I knew that, just like Quarrel would never truly forgive me for being the one to deal the killing blow and inheriting the mantle of the Butcher.  When it finally came my turn to become a part of the collective, I imagined I would hold a similar grudge against whoever ripped me away from those I loved. 

“You should get Stalker a pair of ice picks,” Stratego said suddenly.  “Or hammers.  Anything that she could phase into someone then rip out in the most brutal way possible.”

“That’s hardcore as fuck,” Butcher said, almost in awe.  “Where the hell did that come from?” 

Stratego sent a wave of smugness at the praise from our namesake and basked in the cumulative preening of the collective.  Personally, I filed the idea away for later once I was more assured that she wouldn’t turn those weapons on me when my back was turned. 

“Come on,” I whispered.  “We should get dressed if we’re going to go through with this plan and throw further wrenches into the hero’s PR plans.” 

“But comfy,” Amelia said as she looked up, her eyes full of fire and defiance, as well as something that I still wasn’t ready to quantify. 

I didn’t even need to turn to know Lisa had her smugest of grins plastered on her face from her place in the cuddle pile.  Still, the day was slipping away and there was only so much I wanted to just stay in, a statement needed to be made. 

“The PHO thread this spawns will be entertainment for days,” Alkaline said with a giggle. 

Sanguine chuckled.  “Could you imagine social media in the bad old days?  It would be a true trainwreck, and not that pretender that Robbie ganked.” 

That was an understatement if I ever heard one.  Hell, I hadn’t even dared look at the current threads, let alone imagine them.  If anything would get me banned from the forum, it would be sticking up for Amelia in the face of whatever the mindless masses were spewing about her, or the neverending propaganda being spread by all the PRT plants that operate on the forum.

“Sophia, Madison!” I said through my swarm.  “Wrap it up, we’re going to school today to show the flag and make a statement.” 

Madison didn’t need to be told twice, their form already shifting back to the cutesy teen girl that nobody would ever suspect of being a five hundred pound shapeshifting beast of flesh and acidic blood.

“Come on,” I said with my own lips this time.  “We can chill some more once classes are over.” 

“That a promise?” Lisa asked.  “I’m going to be busy at Medhall today, but I can certainly cut things short if you need me for any discussions of a polyamorous nature.’ 

“Foot off the gas,” Chrissie said, stepping between Lisa and I.  “Just because I’m pretty sure we are both more open to this than either of us realized,” she spared a glance back at me and I nodded in agreement, “doesn’t mean you need to overplay it.  Just, let us work through this on our own, we’ll let you know when we’re ready to expand the discussion.” 

“Just keep me in the loop,” Lisa said with a wink. 

I didn’t need bloodsight to know that Amelia was positively glowing from embarrassment.  Hell, my face wasn’t much better and Sabertooth’s shifting wasn’t nearly as good at hiding that as Madison’s. 

“Deal,” Lisa said.  “Alright, I’m off to make some Nazi supporters cry as I render them broke and destitute, I’ll send you the recording.” 

“Oh, that girl knows exactly what to say to moisten m—” 

I shoved Fester down before she could finish the statement.  She pouted at being cut off, but got the point.  The woman was like an aunt to me and it was really fucking difficult to stay in the mood when she was making sexual comments that often involved my own mother. 

It didn’t take long for us to split off and find something to wear, the hoodies that Parian made for us were the dress code for the day, everything else was just window dressing from there.  I made sure to grab a half box of cold pizza from the fridge for us to nibble on for the ride which Chrissie pulled from my hands with greedy glee, then passed it over to Amelia who was a bit more skeptical about the contents. 

It was fun, having all of us getting ready together, even if Sophia was the odd one out, I was already coming to accept her as part of our circle.  She’d chosen the Teeth, and despite any worries I had about her one day seeking the mantle, she was one of us and I’d treat her as such right up until she stood across from me in the Arena under an official challenge. 

Just as we were about to head out the door I stopped to turn the TV off when I froze in place and every bug in the city began to frantically scurry about.  A press conference was being shown live from a location that I couldn’t locate anywhere inside of my range, but the news made it clear that it was about Brockton Bay. 

There was Miss Militia standing alongside a cape called Luminance which was easily the most half assed rebranding Purity could possibly have received, as well as a Ward by the name of Scribe who I already knew to be a rebranded Rune thanks to Myrddin. 

They were coming back to Brockton Bay, despite my promise to kill any of them if they did have the gall to return. 

“Well, this will be good,” Butcher said, rubbing his hands together.

Marauder grinned.  “Looks like Nazi is back on the menu.” 

“Along with a side of bootlicker,” Fester said. 

Marauder was positively ecstatic.  “The question is, which are we capping first?”

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 64 - Checkpoint

The rooftop of Avant Garden was rather peaceful late at night even as a gentle snow fell.  It was early in the year for it, but that was how Minnesota tended to work.  Even with the whole globe turning into an oven as countries threw caution to the wind in the face of annihilation, Minnesota still saw frequent snow. 

“Beautiful, as always,” Maraline said, her hand held out to capture some of the falling flakes.  “That girl, I feel there is a story.” 

Nicole sighed, turning to sit on the parapet.  “Yeah, there is.  It’s a long one though.” 

“You saved her,” Maraline said with a smile.  “She figured out who you were and wished to thank you.” 

Swallowing heavily, Nicole turned her attention back to the sky.  “Yeah.  It hit home when she told me how close things were to going badly.  That I helped someone else avoid something I’ve struggled with?” 

“You felt closer to her for it,” Maraline supplied. 

“Exactly,” Nicole said, sweeping her arm out a bit.  “It’s great to meet the people and hear how I helped them, but something like that just feels personal.  Sure, the fancy suit helped, but it didn’t define what I did.” 

That was the core of it, and she really hadn’t had time to process the whole thing.  Given Kayla’s van was pulling up, something told Nicole that she wouldn’t be able to sort out her emotions for some time. 

“Well, looks like our ride is here,” Nicole said.  “Can you give me a minute with her first?” 

“Of course,” Maraline said with a smile.  “I do not wish to frighten your friends.” 

Well, that was all but a given at this point, but she could still avoid the worst of it.

Nicole stepped over the side of the building and dropped, twisting just enough in the air to land on her feet with only a slight flexing of her knees to bleed off the worst of the impact.  She had barely started to stand when a dark-haired missile impacted her, gripping tight. 

“Thank fuck you’re okay!” Kayla exclaimed.

The hug was returned with much of the same enthusiasm, after a week sequestered away in some hole in the ground that happened to be filled with jungle and spaceship, being back among friends was more than welcome.  

“I’m just glad to be back,” Nicole said, stepping back.  “I wouldn’t recommend it as a vacation spot.” 

Kayla blinked.  “Right, and where the hell was that?  And where the hell did you find those clothes?  They’re about a thousand years out of date.” 

Nicole laughed.  “Try ten-thousand.  Their selection was rather archaic.” 

“Now I really want to hear the story,” Kayla said.  “Well, hop in, we’ll get you to Grace, the rest of the team are already on their way out there.”  She hesitated just long enough that Kayla caught it, her eyes narrowing almost immediately.  “Okay, what gives?”

“I’m not alone,” Nicole said, looking back up at the roof.  

It was unfortunate that Maraline couldn’t just step off like she had, not with all her enhancements being down.  Nicole took a deep breath and power surged with it.  Darkness swelled around her as she jumped, her suit firmly back in place.  Maraline took a step back as she landed, and Nicole hated that she had fallen into a loose combat stance from the sudden appearance of a Ranger. 

“Sorry,” Nicole said, rubbing the back of her helmet, or tried to as the hood got in the way.  “Kayla’s down there waiting.” 

Maraline relaxed, though most of the tension remained.  “I did notice that you didn’t explain anything to her.” 

Looking back over the edge, Nicole winced at Kayla’s returned glare.  “You could have LED with getting your morpher working!” 

“It isn’t,” Nicole said, then turned back to face her friend.  “Come on, let’s rip this bandage off and get the yelling over with.” 

“Let it be known that I do not approve of this ploy,” Maraline said, begrudgingly allowing Nicole to pick her up in a princess carry.

“Duly noted,” Nicole said, then hopped over the edge of the rooftop.  Her feet hit the ground with greater impact than before, yet she didn’t even feel it.  The power that came from being a Ranger was almost intoxicating at times, yet she couldn’t let it go to her head, not when she had to keep that power consciously in check or risk death.

Setting Maraline back on her feet, Nicole dismissed her morph just as easily as breathing out.  It got progressively more difficult to do so as she channeled ever increasing amounts of power, but she’d barely drawn enough to shift into her Ranger form to ensure a smoother trip for her friend. 

“Um, Nicole?” Kayla said, her voice carefully controlled as she eyed the Sylan General.  “A word in private before I let this STRANGER into my car?” 

A rather undignified snort was Nicole’s answer to that as she just shook her head.  “She’s exactly who you think she is.  Let’s just say that Maraline and I went through some shit these last few days and there’s a lot to talk about.” 

“Riiight,” Kayla said, still skeptical as hell.  “So, somehow on your little vacation you made nice with the bitch that slapped all of us around like we were nothing?” 

“If it helps, I am currently incapable of repeating the feat,” Maraline offered with a short bow.  “I am rather literally at your mercy.” 

“Sorry if I don’t buy that,” Kayla said with a huff.  “Fine, whatever.  You knew enough to get the info from Lisa, which means that you aren’t a fake.  Get in, we’ll meet up with the others and you can tell whatever crazy tale resulted in all this.” 

“Your faith is admirable,” Maraline said, her voice regal. 

Kayla narrowed her eyes as Nicole struggled to hold back her laughter.  Maraline wasn’t much of a comedian, but she had come to appreciate the dry wit that the woman could pull out at the most unexpected moments.  Nicole took the middle row of the van along with Maraline, though she made sure that Maraline was behind the empty passenger seat.  That would hopefully ease some of Kayla’s worries, though she knew it wouldn’t be enough for all of them.

Then the car started and an ever familiar pony song came on. 

“Oh, I adore this show!” Maraline said, then she began to hum along with it as her head gently swayed with the beat. 

“One of us then,” Nicole said with a chuckle and began doing the same. 

Kayla stared up at the mirror with a slack jaw as she struggled to find the words to describe what she was seeing and hearing.  Thankfully she shook it off and focused back on the road and began the long drive out to the forge where Grace was supposedly hunkering down.  Well, where the entire team seemed to be congregating. 

Nicole bit her lip as she wondered if Becca and Colin were holding up okay given all the attention their little stunt had no doubt brought down on them.  If Grace was wanted as a person of interest and Nicole was missing, it didn’t take much for someone to figure out that Becca might know more. 

Then again, Sinclair was supposedly helping keep all that under wraps, which would only go so far.  Well, Nicole often imagined she might end up on the wrong side of the law in the early days of being friends with Becca, though this certainly wasn’t how she imagined it.  Well, the happy songs while they drove were often part of it, so close enough?

At least Maraline seemed to be enjoying the music and it was serving to distract each of them from the elephant in the car.

The minutes passed slowly, and the songs kept coming.  That was when they caught sight of flashing lights in the distance, the distinct red and blue of emergency vehicles.  Nicole’s whole body began to coil in anticipation of a coming fight, but Kayla just sighed. 

“They’ve been checking every car entering and leaving the city for the past few days,” she said.  “I’ve been stopped twice so far, it’s a rather painless process.” 

“Unless one is searching for you,” Maraline said.  “I have no identification, and Nicole is wanted for questioning is she not?” 

“She is,” Kayla said carefully.  “They also haven’t openly shared her face on the news, so we can only hope that the officers don’t know who we are.” 

Well, if there was ever an indication of an upcoming fight, that would certainly be it.  Nicole fell back on the breathing exercises that she had practiced in the days spent under The Progenitor, drawing up the ever growing spring of power within her being.  If it turned into a fight, she would be ready for it. 

The cars came into view, a pair of police cruisers parked on the road with only a single space between them for a vehicle to pass, and it was blocked by a spike strip.  Kayla pulled up, leaving enough room so she could easily pull across the space the moment she was cleared to proceed.  Two officers were quick to approach, one went to the driver’s window while the other stood back, his hand resting gently beside his pistol in what was hardly a non-threatening gesture. 

“Evening officer,” Kayla said cheerfully.  “Just on our way to see a friend out in Oak Grove.” 

The officer’s expression remained stoic, he wore sunglasses despite it being night and had a mustache taken straight out of every cop drama of the past twenty years, even if it elicited more thoughts of jokes about mustache rides and liters of cola than anything else.  He had a flashlight on Kayla, who was doing an admirable job of concealing her displeasure at the bright light nearly blinding her. 

He then shifted it back, illuminating the Sylan in the back seat.  Her eyes narrowed to squints as she recoiled, a hand coming up to block the blinding beam.  Then it was on Nicole who made it a point to already have a hand up and shift it away after a moment. 

“We got another ginger,” the officer said.  “Alright, you in the back, get out.  We need to see your id.” 

Nicole swallowed as she looked away.  “I don’t have it on me.” 

“And whose fault is that?” Kayla snapped.  “Seriously, last time I let you go to a party in the city if that’s how you’re going to act.” 

Nicole rolled her eyes even as she squashed the internal panic.  Seriously, she was only nineteen, which was far too young to drink at a college party.  Sure, everyone knew that anyone that attended would be drinking, it didn’t change that she was saying this to the fucking police! 

“Alright, no id, we’ll still need to check you over,” the officer said, gesturing to the second man who was already stepping over. 

With no small amount of hesitation, Nicole undid her seatbelt and stepped out of the car on unsteady legs.  It was all for show, and Nicole was largely drawing on the one and only time she had gotten drunk.  She knew that faking it would only make her stand out, so instead she played it off as being only slightly out of it. 

The two officers looked her over, compared her to some picture on their phone, then scowled.  “I mean, it could be her.” 

“We’ve seen a dozen gingers today and you’ve said that about half of them,” the second officer said.  “Her hair’s too short anyway.” 

“A haircut,” they argued.  “A rather hasty one at that.” 

Nicole was still pissed about her hair being torn apart like that and would need to clean it up sooner than later.  At least it played into the whole story that she was fucked up after a party that got out of hand, even if it didn’t explain why they were leaving the city. 

“Fucker was playing with a vacuum, caught my hair in it,” Nicole muttered. 

A lie, but still based on something she had seen happen before in a video.  A passed out drunk girl ended up with only a quarter of her hair after some dumbass thought it would be funny to see what happened.  Well, Nicole’s own results weren’t far off from that viral video in appearance. 

The cop snorted, but continued to look her over, then paused.  “Usually we’d have a female officer pat search, but we’re stretched thin tonight.  I’ll try not to be invasive.” 

“It’s fine,” Nicole said, even if it really wasn’t. 

The officer nodded, then began to check her over.  Sure, they used the back of their hands for anything sensitive, and didn’t cup anything they shouldn’t, but it still made her shiver as someone touched her that wasn’t her girlfriend.  The officer finished up, flashed her an apologetic smile, then turned back to talk with the second officer. 

“Are we good?” Nicole asked. 

The officers looked back while the observer was the one to speak.  “Stand by, we just need to clear something.” 

Nicole tried to not let her anxiety show.  It was obvious that she was who they were looking for, not that it helped her nerves in the slightest.  The last thing she needed was to get into a proper altercation with the police and draw more attention to themselves.

Forcing herself to throw up would be foolish, and would potentially expose that she wasn’t actually drunk.  Sure, her appearance was on point, but smell was certainly a factor.  No, all she could do was stand and wait for whatever information they were waiting on. 

If nothing else, she could fight her way out and hope they got to Grace’s before anyone else showed up.  Kayla was tapping her hand on the steering wheel as they waited, and Maraline had shrunk down in her seat to make her presence less obvious. 

Light shone from down the road, Nicole squinted against the blinding LED headlights that really should be illegal.  The black car’s windows were tinted to the point that nothing within was visible, even to her enhanced perception.  Dread began to coil within Nicole’s stomach as the vehicle parked and the officers seemed to relax slightly. 

The door opened, and Nicole wasn’t sure if they were about to be saved, or damned. 

Anita stood, sunglasses covering her eyes as she surveyed the scene.  She was dressed in a form fitting suit and tie that were so professional on the woman that it was completely out of place.  Her gaze locked on Nicole, yet her expression didn’t once falter. 

“This her?” Anita asked the officers. 

The pair glanced at one another.  “She’s the best hit we’ve had all week, right age and hair color, and her build is a match as well.  Add in that she doesn’t have ID and—” 

“It’s not her,” Anita snapped, eyes drifting to the van where they lingered.  “You’re wasting my time once again.” 

“How are you certain?” 

Anita once again looked Nicole dead in the eyes, and this time she smirked.  “Because I know our wayward girl, and this little one is coming up rather short.” 

“Fuck you too,” Nicole snapped, glaring at the obnoxious woman.  “Can we go now?”

Anita waved her off.  “Yeah, get lost.  We’ve got a kidnapper to track down and all that.” 

Nicole took a step, but didn’t miss how Anita was watching the van rather than her, or more specifically, the back seat.  Making a point of it, Nicole got in the passenger seat instead and slammed the door behind her. 

“I think Anita knows Maraline is with us,” Nicole whispered.  “We’re not out of the woods, she’s just giving us more rope here.” 

“Fuck,” Kayla said, putting the van back in gear.  “This day is just getting better by the fucking minute, isn’t it?” 

“I’ll feel a lot better with the team back together,” Nicole said, watching the flashing lights as they passed and faded into the distance. 

Nicole tried to watch for a flash of yellow, or for someone stalking them through the woods, but she saw nothing.  She wasn’t the only one watching the trees, Maraline kept her attentive gaze locked outward, but Nicole could only worry about how her team might react when they saw who Nicole had returned with. 

Would it end in a brawl?  Nicole certainly hoped not, but she couldn’t help but fear that it was an inevitability.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 63 - Return

The blinding nausea of the teleportation faded as the world returned with wavering focus.  Nicole blinked away the last spots from her vision and was greeted by the shimmering skyline of Minneapolis.  It was a sight for sore eyes after nearly a week away.  Had she missed the Sylan attack, or had Maraline’s absence stalled out the coming assault? 

Questions to ask once they were somewhere safe.  Given the woman now standing beside her, that meant few places on the surface.  Nicole didn’t recognize the area they had arrived in, but it wasn’t hard to get her bearings by checking the skyline.  Anoka would be to the north-west if she had it correct.

Maraline looked about, eyes first to the pitch black sky where not one star could pierce the light pollution, then her nose scrunched up as she took a deep breath.  “I will never understand why your people insisted upon polluting the world like this.”

“Some people put profit over the welfare of the world,” Nicole said softly.  “You know, when the Sylan first attacked, I had hoped it would at least unite the world in a singular purpose.” 

“It did not,” Maraline said, a statement, but one that lacked understanding. 

“Not at all.  People still fear other humans they don’t understand, either through ignorance or pure intolerance.  Look at Grace.  Her family rejected her for being different.  Such is the nature of humanity, we fear that we don’t understand.” 

“And are unwilling to learn about those you do not,” Maraline said, grasping the other side of the coin.  “You do not share this flaw.” 

Nicole could only laugh.  “Oh, I do.  I think all of humanity has it in some form or other.  You see, anyone who is prejudiced against people like myself or Becca?  I will jump their asses at the first sign of their bigotry.  I did it to Devon when he stuck his foot in his mouth, and looking back, I can admit I was heavy handed about it.” 

“You don’t sound apologetic,” Maraline said. 

A scoff was her answer.  “Not really.  Did I go overboard?  Yeah.  Was I wrong to do it?  Not at all.  Ideas like that need to be confronted and challenged, otherwise people think they are okay to spout whenever.  It’s how intolerance gains footing and social acceptance.” 

“It is also how one galvanizes others against them,” Maraline said.  “As I tried to do with you.” 

Nicole snorted.  “So you did, and yet, I still tried to understand you.” 

“Not at first,” Maraline said, though it was a bit teasing.  “I still remember your little speech that first time we met after the faire.  What was it you said again?”  Maraline shifted her stance, and Nicole could only cover her face in embarrassment for what was about to come.  “Send your armies and monsters.  I’ll throw myself at them each and every time, until I can no longer do so.”

Maraline stumbled as Nicole shoved her away, laughing the entire time.  As embarrassing as it was, it also humanized the Sylan in ways that few things could.  Maraline was a person, that much was so clear, one with wants and fears, and she was putting her trust in Nicole to keep her safe. 

“Come on,” Nicole said, ignoring her bemused friend.  “We should get back to my place before someone realizes you’re the feared Sylan General.” 

Maraline wiped a spot of moisture from her eye.  “Something tells me they couldn’t imagine me laughing like this.” 

“Probably not,” Nicole agreed, already reaching within for that now familiar sensation.  Light that wasn’t washed over her and the Black Ranger stood once more.  “Come on, princess, let’s get you somewhere less conspicuous.” 

“You are not carrying me.” 

Nicole shrugged.  “Are your enhancements working now?  Can you keep up with me?”

And there was the expected pout.  “No.” 

Her movements were barely a blur as she scooped Maraline up in her arms with an indignant squeak, then wiped the glare from her face as she burst into motion.  The city blurred around them, and Nicole was surprised that Maraline hadn’t screamed like so many would during her search and rescue work. 

The sights quickly turned familiar as she tore through the distance, and soon enough she was leaping over the Mississippi and into Anoka proper.  The college stood as it always did, with a few students mulling about.  None caught the blur of black against the void of the night sky as Nicole set feet on the rooftop of her dorm, silent as a rogue should be. 

Maraline immediately squirmed to be free of her grasp, her own boots touching down with a rather loud crunch.  Nicole let her transformation drop, the power bleeding away with her very breath.  She hadn’t wanted to spend days within the bowels of the ship training, but she had to admit that learning to control her new power would prove useful enough in the days to come.

Checking the pouch at her side, Nicole retrieved the transponder within.  The device still shone with light, signaling that it had indeed retained its own power despite the morph.  Proof of The Progenitor’s knowledge of the Source and the tech that it powered.  She was quick to return it to the pouch, the fabric lined with something that shielded it from giving off the energy. 

That there were ways to track the energy shouldn’t have surprised her, it was no doubt how the Sylan knew to send their machines after Rangers.  Putting that aside, Nicole made her way over to the rooftop access and reached into a shaded alcove that would normally go unnoticed.  Inside was a single key that she had stashed to allow them quick access in the event they needed to hurry to an emergency. 

“That is poor security,” Maraline said as she eyed the key. 

Nicole just smiled as she unlocked the door.  “Who do you think left it there?  It’s not like many others are going to be landing on the roof and trying to gain entrance.” 

“Fair point,” Maraline conceded as the door swung open.  “How likely am I to be recognized?” 

Taking a moment to look over the former General, Nicole nodded.  “You’re far less put together than normal.  No makeup, your clothes aren’t the elaborate dresses or armor you’re known for either.  If anyone pays too close attention, I’ll come up with something to cover.” 

Part of her hoped someone would ask, it would be all too easy to do so when Maraline currently looked like a girl who got wasted at the club and had only just started to sober up.  Her dress was stained, if largely intact, and her makeup was long since washed off. 

Hitting the halls, Nicole kept an eye out for anyone that might recognize her, but she found them blessedly deserted.  That alone was strange as Blake usually threw grand parties unless classes were heavy in the morning.  Given it was probably a weekday and she had been missing for a week, who knew what had changed in that time. 

“You seem troubled,” Maraline said as she followed.  “Is it not a good thing that others seem to be avoiding the halls?” 

Nicole shook her head.  “No, it’s a good thing, just a bit strange.”

Maraline hummed, but didn’t comment.  

Nicole made it down the stairs and to the floor her dorm room was on.  She’d never missed her own bed as much as she currently did, even if the conjured bed that The Progenitor had provided was beyond expectations.  She could do without the ancient clothes that would look out of place even in a Renfaire.  The black pants weren’t the worst, but the leather vest over the Sinclair Industries under armor was a bit much, and all of it was in her standard black.  At least she was able to keep her boots.

Maraline’s own outfit was a royal blue dress that wasn’t far off from the one she’d worn when they first met.  She always looked regal in such outfits, yet it was her battle regalia that stood out the most in Nicole’s mind.  She hadn’t even fought the woman, but instead her mentor, and yet it still stuck in her memory. 

Arriving at her dorm, Nicole cursed when she remembered leaving her keys in Grace’s car.  She knocked on the door and waited, then knocked again.  After several moments it became clear that Becca wasn’t at their shared dorm.  Sighing, Nicole turned and made her way to Grace’s dorm.  If nothing else her roommate should know something.

“That was your room?” Maraline asked as they hurried along. 

Nicole grunted in agreement.  “It was, but I left my key with Grace before that whole fight in the fields.  I’m going to check her room next.” 

The room was on the first floor, and on the opposite side of the building besides.  This time she did see others, but aside from a curious glance, none of them really paid the pair any attention.  That alone raised Nicole’s hackles, but she pressed on.  She needed information, and all she could do was go from place to place until she found someone who might know something. 

Approaching Sinclair was a last resort, but one she would consider if all else failed.

“I’m surprised you don’t dwell with her,” Maraline said. 

Nicole sighed.  “You’re not the only one.  We’ve talked about it, but hadn’t made any definitive plans.” 

The arrival at their room and knocking on the door stalled any response that Maraline might have had for her.  The door didn’t open right away, but Nicole did hear shuffling inside which caused her shoulders to sag in relief.  She hadn’t even realized how wound up she was in the face of the coming conversations.  She was in full fight mode, ready for anything that came her way, even a certain Sylan Commander on the warpath.

The door cracked open, and Nicole noted the chain still in place.  It wasn’t the standard chain, but one which was far thicker and she had little doubt it was built to survive a good mule kick from some asshole jocks looking to make a scene.  Blue eyes looked back and Nicole gave her best smile to the somewhat familiar girl on the other side. 

“Hey Lisa, is Grace in?” 

“Holy shit,” Lisa hissed, quickly shutting the door before the sound of chains clinking sounded, muffled by the shut door.  Maraline seemed concerned but Nicole could only shrug as the door flew open.  The short haired girl grabbed her arm and pulled her inside.  Maraline followed with a bemused smirk as the door was shut behind them and the lock was clipped back into place.  “Grace asked me to call her the moment you showed back up, but she seemed worried that it wouldn’t happen…” 

“That tracks,” Nicole said with a sigh.  “How much did she tell you?” 

Lisa glanced at Maraline, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of the pale woman whose alien features were largely hidden by her hair at present, yet she was still recognizable if one knew her well enough. 

“She showed me her watch when she got back with someone important,” Lisa said carefully, clearly nervous about saying too much around an unknown woman. 

When Nicole sagged in relief, the lingering tension left Lisa as well.  “Good, that means Sarah is safe.  After that little disaster I wasn’t sure what might have happened.” 

“You aren’t the only one that came looking for her,” Lisa said.  “Some detectives claiming to be with the FBI asked about her a few days ago, not to mention the normal cops stopping by twice a day.” 

Well, that was less than convenient, but hardly unexpected. 

“I’m guessing her parents have been stirring up no small amount of shit then,” Nicole said with a resigned sigh as she leaned back against the wall.  “How bad is it and have our faces hit the evening news?” 

Lisa shook her head.  “No.  Someone named Sinclair apparently stepped in and helped keep things out of the news.  Grace mentioned it last time she spoke to me.” 

“Where is she?” Nicole asked, failing to keep her hammering heart under control. 

Again Lisa glanced at Maraline first, then to the blades barely hidden under Nicole’s flared vest.  “Those blades, they’re the ones Grace made for you?” 

“They are,” Nicole confirmed. 

“Then bring them to where she made them,” Lisa said, giving the only clue Nicole needed to know. 

“Thanks,” Nicole said with a sigh.  “Now I just need to figure out how the hell I’m getting over there…” 

The forge was nearly an hour outside the city, which would be hell without a car.  Sure, she could morph, but bringing Maraline with would make for an uncomfortable journey for them both, which meant she needed to get in touch with the team first and see if anyone was still in the city or if they had all gone to ground. 

“Did she leave an emergency number with you?” Nicole asked. 

Lisa bit her lip.  “Not a number per-se, but she did mention that Green was in the city and had her phone with her.” 

A shuddering breath escaped as Nicole said a silent prayer of thanks to anything listening that she wouldn’t need to run nearly fifty miles in one go.  “Can I borrow your phone?” 

Lisa blinked, then smacked her forehead as she hurried over to one of the kitchen cabinets, pulling a thing of oatmeal out before shoving her hand deep into it and removing an old flip phone from the grains. 

“A burner,” Nicole said, her voice flat and lips tight. 

A blush came to the sandy blonde’s face as she held it out.  “Sorry, she kinda hid it there in a rush on her way out and it only just came back to me.” 

“It’s fine,” Nicole lied.  The stress of everything was wearing on her and it would take a moment for the relief to set in.  No numbers were programmed into the phone, but she had made sure to memorize each belonging to her teammates.  Kayla’s number was punched in and dialed.  

She picked up on the first ring.  “This better be important.” 

Nicole couldn’t help it, she laughed.  “Good to hear from you as well.” 

“Oh shit, Nicole!  You’re okay!” 

“I’ve been better,” she admitted.  “Took the long way back home but I made it.” 

Kayla said something in the background before returning to the call.  “I’m guessing you’re at the dorms, well, you need to leave.  Cops have been crawling all over the place looking for you and Grace.”  

“Got it,” Nicole said with a sigh.  “Think you can swing by and pick me up somewhere?” 

“Yeah, Colin’s little shop isn’t far, meet me there in about thirty,” Kayla said.  “We’ll head straight for our little safe house after that.” 

“Good,” Nicole said, tension fleeing from her before it returned tenfold.  “Just don’t freak out, I’ve had a bit of an adventure and a long story to tell besides.  Promise you’ll hear me out?” 

Kayla laughed.  “Careful.  You might just convince me you and a certain general hooked up if you keep talking like that.” 

Nicole froze even as her friend ended the call, leaving Nicole with a tension headache from hell that made her want to slam her head against the wall.  Rather than do that, she handed the phone to Maraline. 

“Hold onto that, just to be safe,” she said.  “Last thing we need is for it to die when shit hits the fan.” 

“Understood,” Maraline said, holding it close.

Right, she didn’t have pockets for it.  “Thanks.  Lisa, I’d suggest heading home if you can, better to make yourself scarce if the Feds are poking around.”

“Yeah, probably a good idea,” Lisa said with a pained sigh.  “Just promise you’ll keep safe.  This city wouldn’t be here without you.” 

“I’ll do what I can,” Nicole said, pushing aside the mix of feelings she had at that statement.  She considered asking about any attacks she missed, but held off.  She could catch up with her team soon, so she could wait until then. 

She was out the door a moment later, a Sylan General following on her heel.  She hadn’t said anything through that exchange, yet Nicole could feel the questions just begging to be asked.  Well, there would be many of those to go around in the coming hours, and Nicole wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and crawl into bed. 

Pity the universe seemed out to keep her from getting what she wanted as a rather familiar girl met her at the door.  Their eyes locked and Nicole’s stomach dropped when the surprise shifted to actual recognition. 

“Sorry,” Nicole said quickly, “we’re in a bit of a hurry.” 

There wasn’t enough time in the day to be dealing with this, especially with a rogue Sylan clinging to her heel.  Much as Nicole wanted to check in with the girl she’d helped, this really wasn’t the time for it.

Unfortunately, the young woman could really pull off the puppy dog eyes thing as she held her hands in front of her and looked bashful as all hell.  “I just wanted to talk for a minute.  Unless, oh, you’re busy busy, aren’t you?” 

The girl actually recoiled back slightly as she jumped to that conclusion, yet it wasn’t wrong, just concerning that she knew Nicole was a Ranger. 

“What do you mean?” Nicole asked, though her voice was resigned to dealing with this situation.  

The woman blinked, then her eyes flicked towards Maraline and widened.  “Oh, right.  Um…” 

Sighing, Nicole shook her head.  “Let’s find somewhere out of the way then.” 

Looking around, she started walking without checking to see if the woman was following.  Nicole was trying to recall her name, but was drawing a blank.  It was very possible that she hadn’t gotten a name through the whole situation.  She spotted an empty study room and checked the door, finding it unlocked.  

“Mara, can you watch the door for us?” Nicole asked.  Maraline blinked, be it at the nickname or the request she wasn’t sure, then the Sylan nodded with a soft smile.  Nicole gestured for the woman to step inside, then followed, shutting the door behind them.  The woman flinched at the sound of the door closing. 

“Sorry about the ominous nature of this,” Nicole said, flicking on the lights.  “Also, I didn’t catch your name.” 

“Brandi,” she said, her eyes looking anywhere but at Nicole.  “It was my nickname long before I made it my legal name.” 

Legal?  Oh, right.  Brandi had mentioned being trans, which would explain changing her name.  

“You don’t have to share that information if you don’t want to,” Nicole said with a smile.  “I’m an ally regardless.” 

“I know,” Brandi whispered.  “Your roommate is part of the local trans meetups, she spoke well of you the few times we got to talk.” 

It was a bit of a surprise that Becca talked about her at those meetings, she didn’t really discuss them much during the times they spent together.  Not that they saw much of each other since Nicole became a Ranger, and Rebecca’s ‘internship’ kept her away most nights.  

“What did you need me for?” Nicole asked. 

Brandi looked away, biting her lip.  “It’s about the other day.” 

“I heard about the shooting,” Nicole said. 

There was no point in volunteering her identity to someone, even if it was barely a secret at this point.  Nicole knew that making a scene like that in front of everyone was just asking for it to get out, especially after Grace morphed and stepped in, but that didn’t mean she was going to help it along further. 

“Ugh, are we really going to play this game?” Brandi whined, her shoulders dropping.  “Nicole, I know that was you that talked me down.  The entire campus knows you’re the Black Ranger.  The government might be deleting footage, but they can’t stop word of mouth.” 

“Fuck,” Nicole said, slumping back against the wall.  She’d been afraid that might happen, but she’d hoped that people hadn’t been paying close attention.  “Guess I was pretty blatant about it.” 

“You have the body of a goddess, people pay attention to you,” Brandi said with a soft smile.  “Not to mention your girlfriend on a light show in front of hundreds of witnesses.” 

A loud groan was her only answer to that as she cupped her face and slid down the wall until she was seated on the floor.  Like, Nicole knew her identity was flimsy, but she just had to be cavalier with it.  It wasn’t her fault that watching cops standby and do nothing was a hot button in her life.  Back in high school her bullies never feared repercussions, because they did whatever the hell they wanted regardless of witnesses and got away with it every time. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Brandi said, laying a gentle hand on Nicole’s shoulder.  “I’m very thankful you stepped in.  You probably saved my life, and saved my reputation as well.  That bastard wanted me dead for ‘tricking’ him, and his buddies were intent on making sure the cops gunned me down.” 

Nicole snorted.  “Like those pussies were about to go in while shots were still being fired.  They were going to wait another half hour after that shot, then hope they found you dead of a self-inflicted.” 

There was a beat of silence, then Brandi pulled Nicole into a hug before she spoke in a near whisper right next to Nicole’s ear.  “I was minutes away from just that when you arrived.  I was spiraling, and you pulled me out of it.  So, thank you.  You saved my life and I can never repay that.” 

Grabbing the girl and returning the hug, Nicole allowed herself to cry.  She’d paid it forward, saved someone from being killed by bullies.  It wasn’t much, but she’d impacted a life positively, and that meant the world to the former victim.

The Reluctant Ranger Chapter 62 - The Progenitor

They were machines, towering higher than anything Nicole had ever seen in person.  Yet despite how impressive they might have been, it was what they represented that spoke most clearly to Nicole.  These weren’t machines gifted by the invaders to instill false hope and collect data, these were hope itself.  

“They aren’t ready to deploy,” the being continued, crushing her dreams before they could take flight, “there are still numerous systems to be tested and bugs to be ironed out.  They operate on a completely closed system as well, to prevent The Prime Administrator from assimilating them into their network.” 

The idea of a skyscraper sized machine getting hacked by the Sylan Empire was not something that Nicole wanted to entertain, and now she understood why this information was being kept from Maraline.  Nicole trusted her, for the most part, but this ancient being had no reason to do the same. 

“How long until they are ready?” Nicole asked. 

The being hesitated.  “That depends on how long it takes to clear certain factors.” 

Great, that was nerd talk for ‘not anytime soon’ unless a literal miracle happened.  Well, Nicole could probably help with that, but would she offer that right away without some form of assurance that they weren’t the beginnings of a worse Empire waiting for their chance to arise.

Nicole sighed.  “Alright, you’ve made a compelling argument.  Can my friend be let back in on things before she’s convinced she’s stuck in another simulation?” 

Without preamble the room shimmered, once more turning into the generic sci-fi space it had been moments earlier.  Well, aside from the pouting Sylan standing about a dozen feet away as her foot tapped against the floor. 

“Was the hold music necessary?” Maraline asked. 

“It felt culturally relevant,” the crustacean snarked.  “I do not trust you with sensitive information.  That I am allowing you to view this space at all is already straining my ability to extend a claw in faith.” 

Maraline scoffed.  “I’m already marked for death from my own creators.  My enhancements are down, and with it, the kill switch built into my skull.  I think it’s obvious what would happen if I were to return to my people.” 

“You still call them your people despite being lab grown.” 

Nicole had enough, and stepped between them.  “Okay, calm down before this all devolves into nothing but hurled insults.” 

The two both huffed and turned from one another, and Nicole had to actively bite her lip to keep from laughing at the childish display.  A bit of snarking wasn’t the worst thing in the world, they could be attempting to kill one another.  Something told her this mysterious entity could manage it easily with their holograms. 

“Do you have a name?” Nicole asked instead.  “I can’t keep calling you crab man in my head if I’m going to take you seriously.” 

The being’s face twisted into a look that could only be described as absolute horror. 

Then Maraline laughed. 

Tension successfully broken, Nicole walked up to the hologram.  “Okay, that was a bit of a fib, but a name would be useful.” 

Gathering their wits, the holographic crustacean gave Nicole a flat look.  “That was mean spirited.” 

“I needed to do something to get you to put the claws away,” Nicole answered. 

They each ignored the continued giggling of the Sylan defector in their midst. 

“My original name is long since lost, but I have taken on another,” the being said.  Was that a trans allegory, or were they just being dramatic?  “You may refer to me by the name that the Sylan came to know me as.  The Progenitor.” 

Maraline’s laughter died almost immediately as she sucked in a breath, then immediately began to cough.  Nicole moved to her side, patting her back as she got it under control.  That name obviously resonated with her in some way, but an explanation could wait until her friend wasn’t choking on her own spit.

“The Progenitor,” Maraline hissed between hacking coughs.  “How?  Your location was considered a Priority One threat.  How have you remained undiscovered on this world despite decades of observation?” 

The projection somehow managed to look smug.  “Forest for the trees.  If you were aware of the location of this wayward vessel, you would be quite amused.” 

Well, if that wasn’t ominous… 

“Fine, be mysterious,” Nicole snapped.  “You’re offering help, yet keeping secrets.  I get that, given everything, but it still makes it difficult to trust you.” 

“Nicole,” Maraline said, her voice warbling with an emotion that she had never heard come from her friend before.  “This is not some charlatan, this is The Progenitor, custodian of their entire Republic.  The amount of knowledge likely contained here is simply impossible to fathom.” 

“Leave it to the Sylan to grasp the magnitude of what they have stumbled upon,” The Progenitor said, their voice almost petulant.  “This is why I will not be revealing many of our secrets in your presence, Sylan.  There is too much at stake here and if the knowledge locked away here could doom the entire universe if The Prime Administrator were to gain access.” 

“The entire universe?” Nicole asked, unable to keep the skepticism from her voice.  “That seems a bit much, don’t you think?” 

The hologram turned to face her.  “If you understood the magnitude of what the Source truly is, you would not question the scope of this threat.  You can feel it, can’t you?  Beating within your core with every breath you take?  That is what the First Ranger felt when they called upon it by chance.  We made great strides in understanding over the millennia following that discovery.  When the Sylan Empire rose up, we were ready to defend ourselves against the encroaching might.” 

“You still failed,” Maraline said. 

“Yes,” The Progenitor admitted.  “Our preparations were lacking because we did not start until the enemy was at our gates.  This time, we had thirty thousand years to prepare for the coming war.” 

Maraline blinked, understanding crossing her gaze.  “You’re responsible for the anomalous Rangers.” 

“That is a word for it,” The Progenitor said.  “Echoes of past Rangers persist within the Source, and can call out to potential successors.  Nicole is one such Ranger, as are others spread across your planet.” 

Maraline sat in silence for a moment and even Nicole could admit that the information was a bit much.  Literal ghosts of the past reaching out across time and space to pass on their abilities was a hard pill to swallow.

Well, at least it wasn’t haunted meat moons. 

Not wanting to even consider such horrors, Nicole shook those thoughts away and focused back on what she had been told.  The vision and voice made more sense that way, especially with how the words carried more meaning than sound, as though her mind were interpreting abstract concepts rather than language.

“So, not directly responsible, but still connected,” Maraline said, her visage turned thoughtful.  “Still, that only serves to raise more questions than it answers.” 

Nicole stepped forward, glaring at the hologram.  “It certainly does, but I think one should take precedence.  You snatched us away to parts unknown.  My girlfriend is no doubt worried sick about me.  I need to get back to her before my team decides to attack the Sylan mothership in orbit or something.” 

“They would fail.” 

Nicole blinked as she heard the words in stereo, Maraline and The Progenitor both shared a look that suggested nothing but animosity between them.  It would have been amusing if it weren’t for the fact that less than an hour prior, this strange being hadn’t been trying to ‘test’ one of her friends. 

“I need to get home,” Nicole reiterated.  “Is that possible, or did you one way trip us across the stars?” 

“You’re still on Earth,” The Progenitor said with a scoffing click.  “This vessel is more than capable of transporting you anywhere on Earth.  The issue it returning you here.” 

Of course it wouldn’t be that simple.  As much as Nicole wanted to get away from all of this, she also knew that she would need to return if she wanted to get a chance to pilot a giant anime mech.  It was too tempting to pass up on, which meant she needed to play along with the designs of this otherworldly being.  Maybe one day they would earn her trust, but that wouldn’t be happening for some time. 

“I’m guessing you have a way to deal with that,” Nicole said, glancing at Maraline.  “If the Sylan figured it out, I doubt you haven’t.” 

“Where do you think they got the tech from?” The Progenitor said, if a touch smugly.  “I can easily convert your damaged Syla morpher into a communication and teleportation device.” 

Nicole shrugged, because it wasn’t like she needed it at present.  Taking the broken thing off, she held it out.  The Progenitor raised a ridge of carapace where its eyebrow would be and Nicole quickly realized the problem, as did Maraline. 

“Not going to give yourself a non-permeable design to accept it?”

“Sarcasm, how quaint,” The Progenitor said, then accepted the device in one of their non-clawed hands.  “Just know that doing this for myself if horribly inefficient.” 

“Yet a dozen machines attacking me wasn’t?” Maraline asked sweetly. 

The Progenitor coughed.

“How long to make the modifications?” Nicole asked.  Something told her it would take just as long as The Progenitor needed to verify that Maraline could be trusted.  “Something tells me you don’t have cell service here, so I do need to get back sooner than later.” 

“Cell service?” The Progenitor asked.  “I’m afraid I only have limited access to the Earth’s own networks.  Without a working device to model after, all attempts to parse the data have been trial and error.” 

“Yet you knew my name,” Nicole muttered. 

“Pulled from the Sylan’s own network,” The Progenitor said, seeming to enjoy the look of shock and surprise painting Maraline’s visage.  “Your security protocols haven’t changed significantly since we departed for this world.  It is how I disabled your implants mid-transport.” 

Huh, maybe Becca’s computer virus idea would actually pan out after all.  She would just need to access their protocols and get something that could accept the…  Shit, how did she explain it again?  Eh, not important right now.  Once teleportation was established she could always bring Becca back with her to check things out.  No doubt her best friend would absolutely lose it over all the technology available. 

“If I was planning to return, that might trouble me,” Maraline said.  “Now it is only a reassurance that I might be safe from their intrusions.” 

The Progenitor eyed her carefully.  “Would you consent to the removal of your implants?” 

“I would,” Maraline said without hesitation.  “Obviously these implants are easily compromised, which makes them less than worthless.” 

“Interesting,” The Progenitor muttered.  “I’ll admit, I’m surprised you’re willing to give up such an advantage.  Most would cling to power in my experience.” 

Maraline huffed, looking away.  “The Prime Administrator approved a plan likely to see me dead within the year, five at most.  If they wished it, those implants could fail at a critical moment and leave me vulnerable.” 

Which was a fair concern.  The moment Nicole learned that her morphing ability had come from the Sylan, she no longer trusted in the power, because if there was a kill switch for Maraline’s implants, there was absolutely one for their morphers. 

The question then became, why hadn’t Bartran used it each time he set off to kill a Ranger?  Was it a warrior’s pride?  Did he welcome the challenge while also seeking to give his foe a worthy death?  It was a bit Klingon for Nicole, but she could understand it to some extent.  She would keep that in mind next time she faced the monster, because there was little doubt that he would come for her the moment he was able to do so. 

Which meant she needed to be in complete control of her ability to morph. 

Learning to control her morph was a lot like meditation, with breath control being a major factor.  She could start there, then branch out.  Odds were she had another day or two stuck waiting, which meant making the most of her time hidden away in the mysterious ship from the stars. 

As Maraline and The Progenitor spoke of her implants and what it would take to remove them, Nicole settled into a lotus pose.  “I trust that you’ll actually help Maraline.  If you want to win mine, that’s a good place to start.” 

“Noted,” The Progenitor said. 

Maraline grimaced, but seemed determined to prove that she wasn’t the proud Sylan General anymore, but just a woman who wanted to do the right thing, even if it wasn’t easy.  Nicole offered her friend a reassuring smile. 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nicole promised.  “I’ll be here when you wake up.” 

Maraline’s eyes shimmered as she nodded.  “I’ll hold you to that.” 

Nicole grinned back, pushing the nervous butterflies down as she settled in for what promised to be a long wait.

***

A breath flowed in, power swelling with it.  She held it within, letting it suffuse her entire being, flowing freely through her form until it returned to her lungs to be exhaled back into the world.  Nicole could feel it now, how she was drawing in power from somewhere else.  The Source wasn’t natural to her reality, yet her body was tuned to receive it. 

Had The Progenitor taught ancient humans how to harness the energy?  Was that where tales of super human feats had come from in different cultures?  She could always ask, but it didn’t feel quite right to do so, not yet.  Maraline had been out of surgery for hours now, and still hadn’t woken, which was concerning to the Ranger. 

If she didn’t wake soon, Nicole would test just how much damage she could inflict upon a smartass hologram.  Nicole was beginning to understand that whatever The Progenitor was, it wasn’t strictly biological anymore.  The being hadn’t slept once, which might not be unusual for their species, but something about it felt off to her. 

One of her favorite sci-fi stories featured people being kept alive by machines for far longer than was usually possible, was that what happened with them?  Was there a husk of a crab person in a tube hooked up to a neural interface somewhere?  Those thoughts would need to wait for later as her friend finally stirred. 

Nicole was by her side in a blink, grasping her hand as Maraline groaned.

“Easy now,” Nicole said softly.  “Just stay laying down for now, you need to rest and recover.” 

As if reading her mind, a wooden cup filled with water materialized on a table beside the bed and Nicole was quick to help her friend drink the cool liquid.  That was one of the more interesting things about the room they were in, they had perfected true matter replication with permanence.  Sure, most things present were holograms, but anything meant to be consumed was faithfully replicated, from the food to the drinks. 

Now she just needed to get the replicator programmed with modern dishes, because the things it could produce were rather underwhelming.  Beans and stews were common, as were rice dishes, and she was thankful they had more herbs and spices to them than just salt and onions. 

The less she thought about how the restroom could vanish biological waste, the better, as she didn’t like the idea that she was sitting in a room that could completely break her physical form apart on the whim of any ancient being.  Would she be able to resist if The Progenitor attempted it, or would her body simply be torn apart in an instant? 

If it came to it, Maraline was the more likely target. 

“This hurts less than I expected,” Maraline said after a moment. 

The form of The Progenitor flickered to life beside them and it was only through every ounce of discipline that Nicole possessed that she didn’t jump in surprise.  That didn’t stop her from glaring at the prankster’s smug expression when Maraline did exactly that and let out a sharp hiss for it.

“Could you NOT?” Nicole demanded. 

“I could have left her conscious for the operation,” the asshole said.  “That I did no such thing should speak to my magnanimity.” 

Nicole groaned, wishing she could smack a projection but knew it was a futile endeavor.  “How long will her recovery be?” 

Twin pincers clacked as The Progenitor seemed lost in thought.  “She is ready now, though if you remained another day, perhaps two, the lingering soreness would be dealt with much quicker than it would otherwise.” 

Nicole could only gape in surprise at how short the turn around was. 

“Does that mean I can return home now?” 

“Excuse me?” Maraline said, glaring at Nicole.  “What do you mean YOU will return home?” 

Nicole couldn’t help but shuffle as she nearly wilted under her friend’s harsh gaze.  “I thought you wouldn’t want to put yourself at risk.” 

“I have every intention of going with you, or did you think I would elect to stay here with someone who despises me for the circumstances of my creation?  If I am to be marked for death for treason, I would sooner spend my remaining time free than a prisoner in all but name.”

Well, when she put it like that… 

“Is that allowed?” Nicole asked their custodian. 

“Sending two will require more power than one, and I’m sure you can accept that I refuse to hand over a second transporter to a potential enemy.” 

Even if she didn’t like it, that was a reasonable precaution. 

“Perfectly.” 

“Good,” The Progenitor said, then her old morpher was there in their hand along with something else held in a cloth bag.  “Take this, it is ready, as are the transponders needed to teleport additional persons to this location.” 

Nicole accepted the device, along with the bag full of additional markers for the transport system.  She was both nervous for what she missed, and excited to see her team again.  The problem was the woman currently holding her hand.  How would everyone react to Maraline returning with her, not as a combatant, but as a defector?  Would they accept her?  Would the team face a schism over it?

How would Sinclair and his people react to her? 

Nicole found that one much easier to parse, if Sinclair came after her, she would stand in his way.  It wasn’t as though she needed his armor anymore, not with her ability to morph now restored.  It was stronger than it used to be, but the risk of over-stressing herself had grown.  That was one feature of the morpher that she would miss, it didn’t allow her to push beyond her limits. 

Perhaps The Progenitor could come up with a more refined device, but that was a question for later, it was past time that she returned home. 

“Thank you,” she said, bowing slightly to the hologram.  “I promise I’ll be back once I’ve caught up with my friends.” 

“Bring them with you,” The Progenitor said, much to her surprise.  “We will need pilots for the fighting machines, and people you trust are a good starting point.” 

Nicole could only gape at the declaration, her mind already racing with possibilities.  “Can I bring someone close to me that isn’t on the team?  She’s one of the leading experts on Sylan tech among humanity.” 

“I do not have any issues with that.” 

Oh, that changed things.  If Becca could make sense of their technology…  Well, she didn’t want to get ahead of herself, but things were starting to look up when it came to humanity’s chances in the war for survival.