Your head goes on a swivel. No sign of the knight, robots, Symphony or the flying ball of fire. How they're managing to keep the last one out of sight is a mystery to you, but any sign that you're in the clear for now is good news.
A barrage of 'Thank you's and cries of happiness break you out of your thoughts. You smile hasn't wavered an inch, and it turns the few shouts of gratitude into a chorus of them.
Fantastic, spectacular even.
You flew here as fast as you can and were met with a literal city on fire. But despite that, despite all these people have been through and how they scared they are, a small smile is all you need to give to make them cry tears of joy.
It's… easy, easier than you ever thought it would be.
Guess there's another thing to be thankful for.
Someone cries, in distress. Your head snaps to the noise, a building beginning to fall over. Your hand snaps out, directing a legion of waves to surround the building. Rock, even dust stops dead in the air.
Protection Frequency Archived.
Blinking out the lights in your vision, you follow the visors direction, adjusting the waves till they match the output. Slowly, the building leans to the side, collapsing in on itself and barely even peppering the civilians with some dust.
The silence barely lasts a second before more cheers ring out, but you keep your head on a swivel. The fire and the damage are going to make it hell for this number of people to get out of here, and as you agreed your on the strike force against Symphony.
Rebecca said to go straight for the dome, but…
You look out over a sea of people, desperation littered all over their faces, only to look to you for some semblance of hope.
Rebecca wouldn't mind a small detour of one of you, right? You reach to the edge of your mask, the click of connection starting to sound all too familiar.
"Legend," you call, "I've got a group of civilians here. They've got no protection and no way to get out, they need an escort."
A neon flashbang explodes right next to you, and Matthew forms from the shimming lights. He glances down, then gives you an offhanded thumbs up. He thrusts a hand out, sending down a shower of blue lasers that put out the fires closest to everyone, leaving nothing but frost and a cold breeze.
"You heard the man," Matthew calls, "We can't stop until we're out of the city!"
A few members of the crowd shakily look to you, a perfect mix of confusion and worry painted all over them. All you need to do is nod, and suddenly Matthew's words become gospel. They move as a mass down the street while Matthew stays by your side, firing beams to snuff out fires that get to close and destroy debris that's gotten in the way.
He'll do good work, he'll get them out.
"Good luck," you say.
He sends a look you can't understand, holding out a hand and firing away.
"We all need it."
He floats over, shepherding everyone as best he can. You don't watch them go, your eyes scanning the city as the waves push you upwards. Fires and destruction, but nothing that can't be rebuilt.
In the distance, the dome lurches.
The crystal walls push against the ground around it, scraping away buildings, cars, even statues that stand in its way. The upper edges reach for the sky and the faint sounds of music echo from inside.
In the center of it all, a golden light show, as a psychopath enjoys every second of what's going on.
"Are you guys seeing this?" You call on your mask.
"No," David growls.
You grit your teeth and force your eyes to stay put as the dome pushes against the river. A thousand tons of water doesn't even slow it down.
"I'm seeing it," Rebecca calls in, stopping the pounding in your chest with three words, "And whatever power you're using to get here Eidolon-"
"It's already going as fast as it can."
"Then make it faster, I'll proceed as planned," you say.
Just like that, the pounding returns, but it becomes background drums as the ringing returns. You feel the waves build behind you, ten piling together to make a hundred, a hundred into a thousand.
Sound Break Frequency Achieved.
The waves fly free, and the street under you buckles and shakes. It blurs as the sounds of fire fade into the background. The blocks fly by in the blink of an eye and you will the waves in front of you to slow you down.
But you swipe them away as something makes the sky go dark.
Sound comes back to you in a blast of force. Your ears ring, and a ball of crystal the size of a semi truck comes barreling towards you.
Waves surround it instantly, and you will the thing down. It drops like a rock in front of you, smashing into the ground and breaking through to the underground railway. You catch it cracking through right before you catch the source in the air.
Her shoulders are surrounded by the same crystal the that domes juts out as spikes. Green armour comes around her chest, not doing it any favors. Beyond that, a patchwork of pieces of similarly colored armor crudely surrounded her thigh, feet and her elbows. Anything that isn't covered by that has the same crystal surrounding it, turning her entire body into some sort of 3D stained glass project. Over her face, a crystal mask protects everything but her eyes with only a mop of dirty blonde hair staying unprotected.
Her hand grasps the air, and as her palm opens up, the crystal from her skin flows. Like water flowing over someone's skin, it rushes from the spikes on her shoulders into her hands.
Shit, you need to fight, and you need something to work with. No one screaming, so hopefully, no ones around. The city's gone through enough already, but there are plenty of cares.
They'll do.
Your eyes narrow and you reach out. The waves pick two cars from off the ground as easily as you would picking up toys. Your hand clenches down, and the metal bends until they're nothing but three balls of floating scrap.
The woman flinches, throwing the liquid in her hand straight at you. The waves under you explode, lifting you and the scrap skyward. Something emerald goes wide to the side of you, but you don't even have to blink before you're already on the same level as her. She tries to fly back, but with a flick of your hand, a ball of scrap turns into an artillery shell. It goes over her shoulder, the wind buffeting her back with the ball itself smashing into the dome with enough force to make it sound like a bomb went off.
The woman freezes, and you get the feeling that realization is starting to form in the back of her head.
"Get out of here."
The woman jerks back, surprise lighting up in her eyes.
"I don't want to hurt you, but you're only getting this one chance."
To prove your point you raise another hand, but wince as a million waves ignite under you. Another erupts right in your face, forcing you back and out of the range of a jet black fist that misses your jaw by inches. Your last ball drops and the crystal woman throws something out. It forms a disc of translucent crystal that stops in the air, letting the black figure grabs it, put a foot against it and push off.
There's no waves to warn you as the air blasts out of your lungs, putting the world into a merry go round. You feel your shoulder smash into something, and you hear the tell crumbling of rock. Adrenaline forces you to your feet, and your ears bleed as the waves blare and an artillery shell blasts into the ground.
No, not a shell, the knight.
Barely a breath of rest and he's charging out of the crater that he made straight towards you. Your hand shoots out, a million waves smashing into him, his first red hot and ready to take off your head. You see his eyes widen, then like the fist of an angry god he's blasted away as the waves come to life.
But not before his fist goes black and you're shot in the opposite direction. Your back smashes through four, maybe five walls, only to have your arm burn as it slows you to a stop. You blink the stars out of your vision, you catch a massive splash, then an explosion of neon lights up the sky above you.
You look up, and a dozen different beams smash into a sphere of diamond. It soars through the sky and you lose it over the roofs of buildings.
"Thanks," you cough out.
A second passes, but no response. Oh, your hand isn't against your mask, right. You shake your head to try and rid yourself from the ringing in your ears. The edge goes away, but as you start to float into the air, it rushes back with a vengeance.
"Easy there tough guy, you're going to break my stuff doing that."
You blink, and if you'd been flying forward at that point, you would've stopped dead.
"Charles?" you ask.
"The one and only!"
Oh god, you can practically feel the smile radiating off of him at that declaration.
"Stay focused," Rebecca reminds everyone, "Where are you Charles?"
You hear a grunt from across the line, giving you a chance to see where you are. In the middle of the street, glowing like some Christmas decoration.
Keep moving, if you can't, find a place with cover to hide.
Rebecca's warning blasts through your head and instantly your head is back in a swivel. All the buildings are destroyed, mostly because of you. A few walls from the remains of an ally are still up.
It'll have to do.
A wave pushes against your side, sliding you between the remains.
Landing Frequency Obtained
A number flashes in your visor, and you force the waves under you to dwindle till they match the number in front of you. You don't even hear yourself land, not that it's much of an achievement given the fires around you. Though, now that you weren't lite up like New Year's, you could actually get a breather in. You take a deep breath, and the ringing mercifully fades away.
With it gone, you press yourself flush against the wall, reflectively glancing down both ends of the alleyway. Wincing, you check your arm. The suits still there, thank god, but it still burns. You flex, tap your fingers together, everything works.
Again, small mercies.
"I'm in my lab in Cauldron. Just give me another few minutes and I'll be able to fly out there," Charles answers.
"Then move faster," David, ever the demi-god, declares.
You grit your teeth, and for a second, your hand starts to glow. Damnit David this not the fucking time.
"It doesn't matter," Rebecca calls.
From her tone, she agrees with you.
"What does is that Charles needs stay in Cauldron," Rebecca orders.
You can practically feel the shock through the channel.
"B-but I can-"
"No buts!" Rebecca exclaims, and Charles' line instantly goes dead.
In fact, every line goes dead. You can barely breathe. This… this is Rebecca? For a second, you can barely hear the sound of crackling. Then, a sigh.
"Charles," Rebecca whispers, "You can stand here and list the hundreds of reasons you could help here, but without you monitoring channels we're never going to get information. We're still blind out here, and I'm not risking any more than we already are."
Silence fills the line. Cuts of movement come from Charles' end, something bashing against a table, and a sigh.
"... Ok, well, the military channels are defining right now. Air strikes, spec ops requests, full navel bombardment, you name it and some government wants to do it. Some lines are calling for concentrated evac efforts, but no one seems to be listening. Any lines that are trying to get into the city go quiet, so either someone's blocking them or they're…"
He doesn't finish, no one wants him to. But Rebecca does it anyway.
"The city is locked down, no one gets in or out."
You swallow the block of ice that suddenly lodges itself in your throat. Mattew might be with one group, but how many others are on their own right now?
"How are they doing this?" Matthew asks, breaking you out of your thoughts.
"The drones," you answer, remembering the robot above the bridge.
"They're keeping the big guns out in the open, crashing through buildings and setting them on fire to get everyone's attention while the robots went to work taking out anyone who could defend themselves," Rebecca explains.
"I'd call it a good plan if it didn't make me wanna puke," David growls.
For once you agree.
"Focus, and listen up," Rebecca calls again, "Legend, you're the fastest of everyone. Make lines through the city and take out any drones that you can."
"I've still got civilians with me."
"Then get them to safety and get to work as soon as you can."
Some glass on the line, sending a burst of static through along with a swear from Matthew. There's a wiz, another explosion, and a distant cry of joy.
"What about the attack on the dome?"
"Like Atlas said, he and I will buy time till Eidolon gets here," Rebecca answers, "Atlas has already made a lot of noise over there, and it'll only get worse. Having one less thing to worry about will be as much as we can get. Everyone clear?"
"Crystal," David says.
"Yeah," Matthew says before his line goes dead.
"Loud and clear," you add in.
Breaks over.
You stare at the ground and will another set of waves into life. More press against your back, then another comes around your side, then in front of you.
Wait… you're not making those.
You gasp, and nothing. You can't breathe, oh god why can't you breathe!?
You fall to your knees, hitting the waves. Your chest burns, you can barely see a thing.
All you can see, are the waves, and they're dimming.
"Just... just get me get out of here."
The ground glows, and you're flung upwards. Your arms and legs flail like a ragdoll, but you suck in, and the rush of air breaks away the black of your vision. Your fingers curl, and you stop dead in the air. You look down, past the clouds to a white figure. It's looking up at you, and both of you hear the crack. A black blur crashes into it. They grapple, and with a mighty shove, the white figure tumbles through the air. Something cracks the ground on the other end of the river. It leaps and hits the white streak, sending them both crashing into the distance that's so far away you can only hear the result.
"You were supposed to throw them out of the city."
Your neck cranes and the only thing that stops you from flinching is that Rebecca was the one speaking. She stares at the dome, while you look back to the direction of the two figures.
"Rebecca," her head snaps to you, "How are they supposed to survive that?"
Her lips are a flat line, but she doesn't meet your gaze, even through the helmet.
"She was caught, but I was careful. She won't be using her arms anytime soon, but she'll live."
Your feel a scowl slowly etch itself onto your lips, and Rebecca's lips quiver ever so slightly. Then, it hardens over and for a second, you can't recognize her.
"Just… let's just crack the dome and finish this."
You stare at her, and you can't stop the small scowl. Raising a hand, you focus on the edge of the dome. A million waves exploding right next to it. If that doesn't crack it, then you'll just try for ten million next time.
"Well, that took quite a bit longer than expected."
Your hand jerks back, the waves disappear and not even a mask can hide the surprise from Rebecca's face.
"What the fu-Who is this!?" Charles demands.
The voice chuckles, but the underlining current of unease masks any amusement that could be had.
"I would hope that enough of you recognize me that an introduction is unnecessary. All the remainder of you need to know is that without me, the odds of a casualty amidst your group are… Sixty-three point four-five percent. Your plan is quite poor, honestly."
You'd know him? You're sure you've never heard this voice in your life.
"Rebecca, what the hell is this guy-"
"His name's Roland, he's a precog" Rebecca blurts out.
You blink, was that… was that respect?
"Considering the circumstances, I'll be going by Oracle."
"We didn't ask," you mutter to yourself.
"Who cares? All I want to know how got into my channel in the first place. Cause I don't appreciate it," Charles mutters darkly.
"I'd like to know why a precog would think now would be the best time to talk," Matthew cuts in.
The line warbles a bit, as though the connection is almost going haywire before stabilizing again.
"This was both the quickest and most efficient way to contact you all. I would apologize, but considering your lives hang in the balance on the back of my path to victory…" Oracle's voice trails off, putting an almost obscene amount of emphasis on those last three words.
For a second, you're back in your room, as Fortuna gives you everything you've ever wanted.
And all she had to do was talk.
Was he... No.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Charles screams defensively.
"Don't worry, I'm not her. But it's unfortunate that she isn't capable of directly assisting me, I would have appreciated the assistance," Oracle half-drawls, almost sounding… Casual.
"Well you're doing a fantastic job so far," Matthew spits out.
You barely catch it, but you think there's the sound of a pen tapping against something on Oracle's line.
"This wasn't a situation that could be avoided, I'm afraid. Thankfully, I had time enough to prepare in order to stave off the worst of the destruction in many of London's suburbs. Though I have to ask, what about you, Mr. Bryant? How long ago did you become aware of the attack on the city I have, so far, done more to protect?"
"Listen-"
Matthew sends a tirade through the line. It's getting no one anywhere, and there are worse things to deal with. You steal a glance at Rebecca. She was able to make all the lines go dead with barely a word.
If she isn't going to stop this, you at least needed to try.
"Enough!"
Your voice echoes through the streets, drawing a wince from Rebecca but stopping Matthew from going further than he needs to.
"Mr Everett, while I appreciate your efforts in diplomacy, now would be the time to evacuate."
You blink, why? Then you notice that Rebecca's expression twists. Her jaw drops, and her helmet starts to reflect gold.
That's… that's not coming from you.
An arm wraps around you, pulling you down to earth faster than any normal wave. A golden streak slices through the air right above you, so close that you could almost touch it.
It hits one of the waves that kept you up, and it narrows into a concentrated stream. You try to breathe, but Rebecca keeps pushing you down and the beam starts to follow you down. Wind rushes through your ears, then everything goes quiet.
Another arm wraps around your neck, twisting you and Rebecca till you see the roof of a building an instant before Rebecca's back smashes through. Waves keep the dust off of you but you can't see a thing.
What you know is that Rebecca's grip tightens. She pulls you faster than any wave, smashing back first into a wall, then another, and another, and so many more till the world fills with the sound of broken stone.
You jerk to the left, and Rebecca's grip loosens. You blink and jerk your head around. You're behind a pile of rubble, no river or dome in sight. You catch Rebecca pull herself off the ground, shaking the dust off her helmet and dusting herself. She gives you a once over, before flying to the corner of the ruble. You push off of a wave and manage to catch up with her, peaking your head out like she is.
You can barely see the dome in the distance. God, you must've travelled two miles away at least. Although, you can see the line of nothingness that the beam's made. An entire section of the city is just… gone. Buildings, cars, even the street's been erased.
You grit your teeth to stop another legion of waves from forming.
How many people could've been there? How could he not care?
"Impressive reactions, Ms Brown. Words alone don't do your abilities justice," Oracle compliments.
You catch Rebecca's lips go back to the hard line she had on earlier. She taps the side of her helmet, taking a few more steps behind the rubble for what little cover it provided.
"What's your plan then?" Rebecca asks.
Your eyes widen so fast no mask could hide the reaction. What... what the hell is she talking about?
"Wait, back up, we're asking him for advice now?" Charles asks, the disbelief palpable from his tone.
"You're willing to throw away the advice of a precog?" David asks.
"Yes, I mean..."
Charles trails off, muttering something under his breath as his line rattles.
"If you would like the time to discuss it, there are approximately three and a half minutes remaining before London takes unacceptable losses," Oracle conveys, the sound of that tapping pen coming through once more, "I would offer to drop the line, but I would know what you said regardless. You're all coming through quite loud and clear now that you're not hiding away in that facility of yours."
"Then you can clearly hear me tell you to shut up while I think," Charles grunts.
"You were the one that wanted to help," David says, "Here's the chance. You and Oracle send information through, and everything goes smoothly."
"Fuck that! He could be working with Symphony!" Charles points out angrily.
There's the sound of a throat clearing over the line.
"If I were working with Richard, I'm afraid your chances of survival would already be zero."
"Then we'll make our odds better by telling you to get out," Charles bites.
"Charles remember we need all the help we can get," Rebecca reminds him.
"We'll get it the second that Doctor Mother hears me tell her where everyone is. Then we'll have Contessa and we don't need to hear this."
"But until then, everyone don't have much to go on till I get there," David comments sidelong, exasperation clear in his voice.
"But we trust her," Matthew says, "I don't trust him."
"Neither do I," David admits, "But you heard Alexandria, we can't pass up any advantage that comes our way."
"That still doesn't solve the issue Eidolon."
"Then trust me," Rebecca presses "If any of us don't make it out of here because of him, I'll find him, and I'll make him regret it."
Again, that pen keeps tapping away in the background. It has you gritting your teeth in annoyance.
"Trust isn't the issue, it's capability. So long as I'm in London, mine is the only path to victory you'll be capable of utilizing."
Dead silence reigns over the comms for a full few seconds.
"No, Mr Fehey. I will not be leaving London, so don't bother. Heroes you may be, but-"
He actually cuts himself off, weirdly enough, and his line goes completely dead for a full second before it comes back in.
"There's no point to this. Time is running out. The fact of the matter is that two of you are willing to trust me while another two are not, so..."
There's a shift on the line, and you feel a chill run down your back.
"You've been largely quiet, Mr Everett. What do you think?"
Just like that, your mouth goes dry. You catch Rebecca take her hand off of her helmet, cutting the connection to the channel.
"It can't hurt," she whispers.
"But why are you pushing this?" you ask.
Rebecca tenses and you find yourself hating that visor even more.
"I'm…" she starts, cutting herself off to look over the city.
"I'm trying to get both of us out of here."
You stare at her, but nothing comes out. You wait, hoping whatever gave you the strength to speak in moments like these would come back.
But it doesn't.
There's nothing.
"Two minutes left. Well, Mr Everett?"
[] Trust him. If he can help, then you need to take the chance that he can.
[] Ignore him. It's too good to be true. You have a plan, and you've wasted enough time talking to him.
