A Devil Amongst Worms

[HellFire28]

I am literally vibrating with excitement waiting for the PHO Interlude.

(Did I write it right? English is not my native language.)

 

[krahe]

"You will regret staying," Alexandria said finally.

"You will regret leaving."

Click to shrink...

"Then you will do well with your next assignment. Do not attack the gangs. Do not attack Makima. Do what you have always done. Nothing."

Click to shrink...

Oh dear god, the shade, all the deep shade thrown can't help with burns

 

[Dellian]

Welcome to the Parahumans Online Message Boards
You are currently logged in, Point Me @ The Sky (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed
• Twentyfive posts per page
• Last ten messages in private message history
• Threads and private messages are ordered by user custom preference.

■​

♦Topic: Battle of Brockton Bay
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Public Board

Bagrat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)
Posted on April 21, 2011:

I'm sure all of you have heard of the Leviathan attack on Brockton Bay. If this is news to you, turn on the T.V. or go outside for once!

Some of you are probably wondering why I'm even covering this. It's just another quarterly Endbringer attack that will happen again in a few months. What's so special about this one?

Well, my dear readers. We've all seen small snippets of these fights, but they were always heavily censored. But, those crazy idiots named Dumb and Dumber, 'cough', I mean Uber and Leet actually recorded the ENTIRE FIGHT at Brockton Bay and uploaded it to their channel. That's right folks! This is the FIRST TIME an Endbringer Fight was recorded from start to end and posted online. The video was taken down within the hour but not before the God known as the internet got ahold of it!

I took a look at it out of curiosity and MAN! That was the most horrifying and glorious thing I have ever seen! By the holy golden idiot! It was like watching a scene straight off a blockbuster movie except a gazillion times better! The video is uncensored, so there is a shit ton of blood and gore but you have to see it. All of you!

To find the video, just search up Brockton Bay Leviathan battle or something along those lines. It might be a little difficult at first because the PRT is taking them down like James Bond wrecking scrubs but you'll find them if you look hard enough.

I know some of you will think it's fake, and I applaud your sense of caution. But I have multiple cape contacts who fought at Brockton Bay that promise that the events of the video match their experiences despite what the PRT says. Considering its contents, I'm not surprised they're trying so hard to suppress the footage. It's not very flattering for the Protectorate.

I've seen the video a dozen times and still notice new details in each playthrough. If you haven't seen the video, see it NOW. This is not a request. And if you guys notice anything new or strange, post it up and share it with your comrades.

BagRat out.

(Showing Page 1 of 84)

► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 21, 2011:
This has got to be fake. I mean come on! They wouldn't leave us to die like that!

► Char
Replied on April 21, 2011:
It wouldn't be the first time. Endbringer's have beaten us more than once. God... This is hard to watch. Seeing all those heroes die like that... I could see why they chose to run.

► Chubster (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
That fight was a massacre. I've fought against Leviathan and his siblings in the past. He sometimes switches things up but never to that extent! I've never been so scared in my life.

► SSFan (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
I can't believe this. They ran??? I was celebrating and praising and calling out our defenders, but they ditched us? What the fucking hell. I thought they were our heroes!

► Chubster (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@SSFan
I understand how you feel but we had no choice. Leviathan completely blindsided us. Morale was already low when the waves started appearing by the dozen and when he ambushed us from the ground, everything turned to chaos. Even Legend was almost killed! LEGEND! I don't know what it was with this fight, but his threat level skyrocketed

► SSFan
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Are you shitting me? Is that somehow supposed to make us feel better? Fuck you and the rest of the heroes. You were supposed to protect us, and you freaking ran? One woman practically soloed Leviathan! Are you trying to tell me that hundreds of heroes and the Triumvirate can't match up to one nameless parahuman? Fucking cowards, there was only one real hero in that fight.

► Ekul
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@SSFan
Bro, chill. The heroes tried their best. Half of Legend's body got splattered and Alexandria drowned. Even Chevalier, Myyrdin and so many of the best heroes died! They left because they had no other choice. It was either leave or die with the city.

► R666scue (Cape Groupie)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Alexandria gave up. They all gave up.
Not just her. EVERYONE
Is this why they don't let us film Endbringer fights?


► DearFather (Veteran Member)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Ekul
Easy for you to say. You don't live in Brockton Bay. I've always supported the heroes of the Protectorate but now I see it was all a waste of time. Logically, I understand their decision. But emotionally? I'm pissed as hell. I have a family with two toddlers that would have died if not for that red-haired hero. God bless her soul.

► Gallant (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
I'm sorry we couldn't do a better job, but it wasn't for the lack of trying. Every single one of Brockton Bay's protectorate heroes was killed or gravely wounded. Miss Milita was the only one who escaped unscathed and she stayed behind to protect a shelter the best she could even when she could have left. I understand your frustration but please respect those who died.

► Chrome
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Thank god for red-heads. Does anyone know who she is? It's kind of weird calling her the red-head or red-haired parahuman. She made one hell of an appearance and totally carried the show with that off-the-charts Blaster rating! Man, it was so satisfying to see Leviathan get pounded on like that. Pity, she couldn't kill him.


► PinballBrawler
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Red Hair? Yellow eyes? Nobody has any idea where she came from? Guys, the answer is obvious. This lady is a very powerful and human-looking Case 53! Sure most 53s are monster capes but that doesn't mean they can't just have slightly inhuman characteristics. There is absolutely no way that nobody has heard of a cape this strong before!

► DrunkInTea
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Agreed. There's no way anyone can look that fine. There's not a single blemish on her and trust me, I checked EVERY INCH of her THOROUGHLY. 0_o.

► Chrome
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@DrunkInTea
Dude, really? Have some class.

► DrunkInTea
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Chrome
Yes dude, really. Don't criticize me just because I had the guts to admit to what every guy and lesbian spent the last hour doing.

► AnonWithTooMuchTime
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@DrunkInTea
Touche
@PinballBrawler
I did a frame-by-frame study of the footage, for… information-gathering purposes of course 'cough', but I don't recall seeing any Case 53 tattoo and she doesn't exactly have anything left to hide it.

► TackaDoodleDoo
Replied on April 21, 2011:
I disagree that she's a case53. I'm betting on a new trigger. People get powers during Endbringer fights all the time.

► AnonWithTooMuchTime
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@TackaDoodleDoo
She came down from a giant portal. There's, no evidence that she was a Brockton Bay Resident. She could have just come to BB to join the fight.

► TackaDoodleDoo
Replied on April 21, 2011:
How do you explain her clothes then? No hero or villain comes to a fight dressed like that and without a mask. She must have triggered and accidentally ended up in the fight

► AnonWithTooMuchTime
Replied on April 21, 2011:
With that level of skill and calm? She's good. And I mean super good and I don't mean that power-wise. The way she moves and the way she hits is textbook perfect. There's no way she's a recent trigger

► TackaDoodleDoo
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@AnonWithTooMuchTime
That can easily be power induced. Uber can be a master at any skill by thinking hard enough.

► Vista (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
When we lost, I thought my home was finished. Clockblocker, Kid Win, Gallant, and I tried to hole up in one of the shelters to try and save some people at the very least. We tried to be optimistic, but I don't think any of us actually believed we were going to make it out alive. When Ms. Makima (the Red haired lady that kicked Leviathan's ass) promised that she would save Brockton Bay, I didn't believe her. But now I know she did. And… Wow… I don't know where you are Ms. Makima but I hope we meet again so I can thank you in person.

► Average Alexandros (Cape Husband)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Vista, you were unbelievably brave and we all appreciate your courage. But can someone tell me what the hell the Wards were doing in an Endbringer battle?!! They should have been evacuated! Who's the insane and utterly psychopathic decision was it to let the Wards fight?

► Clockblocker (Verified Cape) (Temp-banned)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Average Alexandros
'Cough' Piggot 'Cough' REMOVED

► TinMother (Moderator)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Clockblocker
Get off the internet.

► Weld (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Wards are not required to fight during an Endbringer attack, but they can choose to volunteer. Even if Vista and the rest of Brockton Bay Wards aren't legally adults, their home was under attack, so they have the right to defend it.

► Redhead Overlord
Replied on April 21, 2011:
My favorite part was when she lost all her clothes >.0
Also, Makima? That's a weird cape name. Sounds Japanese, anyone know what it means?

► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Why is she dressed like a office lady? She's not even wearing a mask or a costume, isn't that supposed to be super dangerous? Is she part of New Wave?

► Robby
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Yeah did she join the battle from work? If so that's pretty badass. Filing papers in the morning and beating Leviathan's ass in the afternoon.
P.S. I will never see office ladies the same again.

► GloryGirl (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@ XxVoid_CowboyxX
I wish! She's not part of us but I would be totally up for recruiting her! Leviathan hurt a lot of my family, and she totally avenged them. I owe her at least 5 shopping trips.

► Drunkintea
Replied on April 21, 2011:
In your dreams Glory Hole, who would want to join your dumb team, it's not like you guys do anything. Did you not see her with Lung. She's probably his new GF. By the Golden Idiot, Red-Head + Lung = Invincible!

► FactsOfLife
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Drunkintea
Shit… I would like to say you're drunk, but you might be onto something. Lung never participated in an Endbringer battle in his life but suddenly decides to join in when the red-head is in danger? That sounds like a personal relationship and at the same time, romantic. o.o

► TheGnat
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@FactsOfLife
It would be pretty romantic if Lung weren't a mass-murdering rage dragon who enslaves women every Sunday. Get your head out of the gutter Fact. There's no way a rapist can get a girl that fine. He was probably waiting for his strength to build up before engaging.

► PinballBrawler
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@TheGnat
I don't know, @FactsOfLife might be onto something. Our mystery woman has some Asian features, and the fact that she fought with Lung leads me to believe that maybe she's ABB. Maybe some accident came from one of his 'workers' but triggered with such a strong power that he kept her around as a secret weapon sorts. I mean the ABB is notorious for its lack of capes. Maybe they were just keeping their heavy hitter in reserve? It makes sense since it lets Lung keep his image as the super big bad dragon while also having a trump card in case another gang got too powerful or a huge threat, like an Endbringer perhaps, came around. Isn't it strange that Lung was absent for most of the fight and only appeared when a cape nobody knew of began throwing hands with Leviathan?

► Viraj
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@PinballBrawler
There are several things wrong with that theory. Allow me to impart wisdom upon your deserving cheeks.

• Asians don't have red hair and yellow eyes. Her skin tone is more Caucasian than anything else.
• If Makima was Lung's secret weapon, where was she when the entire Protectorate and the Villains ganged up on the ABB during Bakuda's bombing spree? Where was she when Lung was getting caught and thrown into jail, TWICE
• As for why Lung was absent during most of the fight, his hairy ass was in jail.

► Colorful Wanderer
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Finally some good fucking content from U&L. About time a real angel descended on this earth…
Damn those nudes are fine!

► KGBChairman
Replied on April 21, 2011:
It looks like Armsmaster was.... 'disarmed' wink wink xd

► DalradianMight
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Bro... Too soon

► SuperSilverStar
Replied on April 21, 2011:
How many times did she die against Leviathan? I want to be happy she kicked his ass... but I can't get over how she got cut in half, didn't even flinch and somehow without lungs, or a working spine, turned around in mid-air and used her hand cannon.

► MaximumOverdrive
Replied on April 21, 2011:
Did... Did she just kill Lung? I'm pretty sure that's a violation of the truce.
@ SuperSilverStar
Also Hand cannon? Bro that's a hand Omega-Burst Ultra Nuclear Super Warhead Destructo Blaster-XXXII

► Viraj
Replied on April 21, 2011:
That's just a flesh wound for Lung. He survived against far worse

► Maqsood
Replied on April 21, 2011:
I hope that bastard's dead... Him and the ABB are a fucking plague.

► MaximumOverdrive
Replied on April 21, 2011:
@Maqsood
wtf man. He fought Leviathan. I know he's a villain but come on.

► RedHotPipers (Temp-banned)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
REMOVED. Lung straight up ran a rape farm as a business and his partner was a serial suicide bomber. You'll get no sympathy for me.

► W50K (Moderator)
Replied on April 21, 2011:
While we understand this is an emotionally charged subject, please refrain from giving in to emotion and personally attacking each other. Given the repeated reports from this thread, a 10 minute cooling off period will be instated. Please remain civil and think twice before you post


​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 82 , 83, 84


[/INDENT]
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 65 , 66, 67


Welcome to the Parahumans Online Message Boards
You are currently logged in, XxVoid_CowboyxX (
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed
• Twentyfive posts per page
• Last ten messages in private message history
• Threads and private messages are ordered by user custom preference.

■​

♦Topic: Leviathan in Mercury
In: Boards ► Boards ► Places ► Global ► Leviathan

BagRat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know)
Posted on April 22, 2011:

Yes folks… This is not clickbait nor am I bullshitting you... Leviathan is in Mercury and I mean that in the most literal way possible. Yes THAT Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.

I'm sure you've guys seen Brockton Bay's Endbringer battle footage by now, so you will be familiar with Makima (The female James Bond that oomphed Leviathan and accckkeed his scaly ass). Well, get this. When she cannoned Leviathan into the air, she didn't just send him flying across the sea. No… She literally punted him into another freaking planet.

NASA has posted footage of Mercury and boy oh boy. It looks like a giant lizard plowed into it beyond extinction-level speed. Here's the link for the pics. It's not just NASA. Independent tinkers and foreign agencies are confirming the exact same thing.

I personally don't even know what to say. If someone told me that there would be a day when an Endbringer would disappear, I would be wondering if he was on drugs but now? Unless a whole bunch of eggheads suddenly decided to OD on LSD on the same day, this is real. LEVIATHAN IS GONE HALLEUJAH!!!!!!

(Showing Page 1 of 75)

► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Bullshit. GTFO bro.

► Chrome
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Yeah… You're 3 weeks late for April fools. Even Cowboy is calling out BS. That's like BS BSing on BS. Mercury is 48 million miles away from Earth. There's no way anyone can see that far or hit something hard enough to travel that kind of distance. Powers don't work past the moon, much less on a different planet.

► Dragon (Verified Cape)
Replied on April 22, 2011:
It's true.

► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 22, 2011:
'Begins writing insults… Sees Dragon… Deletes everything and backs away slowly'

► LalaGirl
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Either Dragon's account got hacked, or Leviathan is really gone. Honestly, can't tell which is scarier

► RedheadOverlord
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Leviathan's gone? For real? I can't believe it, guys. I fucking can't believe it. It's like a dream, man...

► BatteryxAssaultBestoShip
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@ RedheadOverlord
My family is still trying to cope with what just happened. I'm just ecstatic that Endbringers can actually be defeated, its like an emotional hit knowing that we aren't all doomed. I want to know who this woman is, I want to give her my everything, oh my lord I thought I was straight but here I am.

► Pyrotechnical (Verified Cape)(ToyBox)
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Holy fuck it's real. I couldn't believe it so I checked the Mercury myself and it is in pieces! It's almost like a giant lizard hit it at near-light speeds.

► ScheudCartman
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Oh my God! They killed Mercury!
You bastards!

► BobRobSob
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Oh Shut up Cartman; nobody gives a crap about Mercury, it's everybody's least favorite planet.

► MercuryMan
Replied on April 22, 2011:
I beg to differ

► CarringtonEvent
Replied on April 22, 2011:
So, this Makima chick punted Leviathan straight outta the atmosphere, movie style using finger guns? Am I the only one thinking that means her range is basically like, forever? Like... she can snipe a planet via finger guns? What if she misses?

► Robby
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@CarringtonEvent
Good thing about aiming at the sky is that even if you miss, you won't hit anything too important. Unless it's the moon. Oh... Makima is you're reading this, please don't shoot the moon. We need that.

► Darlin
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Is nobody concerned about the consequences? What will Simurgh and Behemoth do? I'm happy, but I'm kind of scared as well.

► Feychick
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@Darlin
Yeah… I don't know if I should celebrate or worry. What's going to happen now?

► Saskatchew
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@Feychick
Don't be a spoilsport. Seriously, this is the best thing that happened in the past decades and you're going to mope? Do what you want but me and my boys are going to party like there's no tomorrow.

► Printer Man
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@Saskatchew
Same here. I even canceled work for all my employees and gave them a paid day off. Everyone should celebrate.
@Feychick
Don't worry too much. I doubt things can get any worse. Everything is going uphill baby! BOOYEAH

► Mortalcoil
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Did that woman really FUCKING SEND A ENDBRINGER TO THE OUTER SPACE????

► ImagineBeingAGoodTank
Replied on April 22, 2011:
I'm probably going to get dunked on... but why hasn't the Triumvirate tried this before? Or did I miss something and it's been tried?

► StealsTheSweetroll
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@ImagineBeingAGoodTank
Too busy get their asses kicked.

► RollDodgeOP
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@ImagineBeingAGoodTank
They were too busy dodge-rolling.

► SSFan
Replied on April 22, 2011:\
@ RollDodgeOP
Well they certainly roll dodged out of that fight. Some heroes they were

► CaptainScion
Replied on April 22, 2011:
@ ImagineBeingAGoodTank
It's not like the Protectorate releases any details on Endbringer battles so we don't know if its been tried or not. They probably did but I doubt any of the three would let it work, especially Behemoth and Simurgh. Simurgh can fly and Behemoth can redirect energy, I don't think those two can be beaten like Leviathan.

► Issachar
Replied on April 22, 2011:
Old Levi got punted into outer space. I for one, welcome my new Overlord.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 73 , 74, 75

■​

♦Topic: Deux Ex Makima!
In: Boards

BagRat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know)
Posted on April 23, 2011:

This is the thread to talk about the latest heroine, Makima. If you don't recognize the name, she's the lady who cracked a planet with a 30-foot-tall lizard. If this still doesn't ring any bells, get a f-ing life. Seriously, there is no excuse when she's the only thing being discussed nowadays. You have to be some kind of hermit if you don't know her by now.

To start this off, I will share what I know. My contact within the Brockton Bay PRT overheard something mind-blowing regarding our Wondergirl.

You guys probably noticed that Makima does not sound like a cape name. That's because it isn't. It's her real name. If you've seen the video, you've noticed she doesn't wear a cape costume but a business outfit. Well, that's because she's not a cape in the sense of our heroes and villains. Get this, she's not from our Earth. She's not from Earth-Aleph or any Earth that we know of. As for how she got here, I'm not sure but I sure am glad she did. My best guess is that the giant hand was some kind of portal across dimensions.

There is still a lot that is still a mystery, but from how she dresses and acts, it doesn't look like cape culture is a thing in her world, making me wonder what she thought of our heroes and villains.

I'm still fishing for more info. If you have anything substantial, post it up or contact me in private. Otherwise, feel free to discuss and speculate on our Glorious Heroine!

For all discussions about the Battle of Brockton Bay @LINK

Edit: This is not a versus thread. If you want to debate who beats who, go to the appropriate forum @LINK

(Showing Page 1 of 99)

► Templeton (10 year veteran)(Sacramento Refuge)
Replied on April 23, 2011:

[00:03]: Seven-fingered hand drops her off
[04:56], [12:13], [16:32-29:44]: Destroyed multiple times, reforms. no reaction to pain, doesn't act like an S-tier
[entire video]: multitude of powers displayed
It's a projected entity. Probably the work of multiple capes. 4th blasphemy, except on our side. if you know, you know


► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Okay @Templeton, I think you need a time off. Next thing you're going to say is that Siberian is a projection too because nothing can hurt her LOL. Gtfo.

► TheLizardFromMercury
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Isn't it weird how Makima was getting wrecked and then suddenly started wrecking Leviathan? Was she holding back for some reason or is this more power shenanigans?

► DitzyDaisy
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ TheLizardFromMercury
It looks to me that she was analyzing him. Look where she aims her attacks and how she changes her timing. I think she was gathering intelligence before going for the kill.

► Drunkintea
Replied on April 23, 2011:
I'm telling you, she's related to Lung! She must have the same power as him too since she got a crap ton stronger at the end. Guess who has that same power. LUNG!

► TheLizardFromMercury
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ Drunkintea
Okay first of all, Makima did not turn into a Dragon although I'm sure that would be some people's fetish. Also, her boost wasn't a slow and steady buildup but an huge explosion of power. Also unlike Lung.

► G-StringGirl
Replied on April 23, 2011:
What about her ratings? Besides the Blaster: Infinity?

► Chrome
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Blaster 12+, Brute 10, Mover 10

► DitzyDaisy
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Don't forget the Thinker infinity. She can literally see from millions of miles away.

► XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ Chrome
I think you mean Blaster: 48 Million xD

► BobRobSob
Replied on April 23, 2011:
She was from another world? Make's sense. That ass was out of the world 'wink' 'finger-gun' 'pow-wow'
But for real, is every parahuman from her world that strong? Not even Scion and Eidolon can match her in feats.

► RollDodgeOP
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ BobRobSob
Eidolon has every power and Scion is Scion. Either of them would easily wreck her with the right powers.

► BrokenRecord
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Ngl, wanted to start a VS thread, but no other cape apart from Scion has ever beaten an Endbringer.

► StealsTheSweetroll
Replied on April 23, 2011:
no other cape apart from Scion has ever beaten an Endbringer. FTFY.

► RollDodgeOP
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Wow. Talk about short memories. Guess Makima is the new thing in town and suddenly everyone forgets about all the good Scion did.

► StealsTheSweetroll
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ RollDodgeOP
You mean like the time he choose to save a cat in a tree and skipped the San Diego fight? That good?

► Isawshesaw
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ StealsTheSweetroll
Whatever his quirks, Scion has saved many lives. Dont try and be deliberately obtuse.

► TheHawkboy
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Guys! There's already Makima fan club at the LINK.

► TH0TSLAY3R (Obviously)
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ TheHawkboy
I humbly nominate myself as Makima Fan Cub President!

► GloryGirlFan869
Replied on April 23, 2011:
She's pretty hot but something is not right about her… Its kind of freaky how she smiles when getting cut apart.

► SupaSonic2
Replied on April 23, 2011:
@ GloryGirlFan869
If even Glorygirlfan isn't fanboying a female cape, there must be something wrong. I don't vibe with her either though, that chick didn't seem bothered at all during the fight what the fuck man.

► ArmpitsMaster
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Well, they do say redheads have no soul but hot damn do they got cake

► Kaleidoscope (Verified Cape) (Thinker 7) (The Agender Human in the Know) (WEDGDG Liason) (12-Year Veteran) (The Tag For Having Too Many Tags):
Replied on April 23, 2011:
There is seriously something wrong about her. I was tasked with precoging her for information and I nearly died. It wasn't just me; several of my colleagues start hemorrhaging from their brains. The PRT refuses to investigate and I can't do anything. My power is screaming at me to run and my common sense is starting to agree.


► Robby
@ Kaleidoscope
Replied on April 23, 2011:
That is pretty strange and I am sorry for what happened to you. But that just sounds like a poor power interaction. I've never heard of it happening to thinkers but if she's from another world, maybe powers work differently? I think it's a bit too much to say that there's something wrong with Makima. She's a textbook hero straight from the 80s comics!

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 97 , 98, 99

■​

♦Topic: Fall of ABB and Brockton Bay's Bureau of Public Safety
In: Boards

MakimaFan666 (Original Poster)
Posted on May 1, 2011:

That's right folks, just a week after Leviathan, the ABB is no more. Hundreds of Asian gangbangers were arrested, and entire networks of sex slavery, prostitution, human trafficking, and drug rings were uncovered with enough evidence to put everyone involved behind bars for the rest of their lives. No idea what happened to Bakuda, Lung, and Oni Lee though. There hasn't been any reports of them since Leviathan (RIP, sike, who am I kidding LOL), but I'm surprised they just let their gang get butchered.

And guess who the one responsible for all of this is? It's BB Cities' Endslayer herself! No idea how she managed it but she must have a high-end Thinker ability to have pulled something like this off so quickly. I mean, why is it that she's so much more competent than our PRT and Protectorate? Those guys have had years to dismantle the gangs and failed. Makima did what they couldn't in a literal week! Is she just super competent or are our heroes just incompetent?

But that's not all folks, we have a new independent hero organization: Brockton Bay's Bureau of Public Safety!

I know I know, the name sound's like where you go to pay off your parking tickets but what's unique about this bland ass-sounding group is that it was created and led by Makima and that it was formed from the corpse of the ABB. According to a private interview, Makima described it as a peacekeeping force to reestablish order within the city, similar to the PRT.

That's great and all, the good guys can always use more help. But one thing that bothers some people is that its members are former ABB gang members who were too low on the ladder to have committed serious crimes. I know you guys aren't too keen about being protected by ex-criminals and honestly, I'm not either. But if you think about it, these guys are total scrubs. BB's jail cells are bursting with ABB rapists and murders atm without much room to add in the ABB errand boys. Even if the small fries get convicted, they'll probably just get a slap on the wrist. By making them work to repent themselves, they can do some good at the very least.

Public Safety is also recruiting able-bodied people to help clean up and protect the civilians of BB city. If you are interested, click here for the LINK.


(Showing Page 1 of 99)

► 88Empires (Original Poster)
Replied on April 23, 2011:
Heil Makima! GTFO Kaiser, BB has a new emperor now!

► Robby
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Isn't this just another gang? How is she funding this?

► Chrome
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ Robby
I hesitate to call it another gang. It sounds more like a charity organization like the Red Cross. As for funding, she probably seized quite a bit of fund from the ABB. That's pretty poetic in a way. Dirty money being used to clean up the filth.

► MakimaFan666 (Original Poster)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ Chrome
I doubt it, Makima divided up and donated that money to the people who were victimized by the ABB. Every penny of it. But I know that she's been getting quite a bit in donations from some very grateful billionaires. The owner of the Suimoto corporation has been a huge supporter of Makima and has been reported to donate 30 million dollars already from his personal fund. The dude's a Kyushu survivor so I guess he's pretty grateful to her for avenging his home.

► Chrome
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Holy crap, that's ton of money. Where is Makima spending that all on? It can't just be for hiring.


► MakimaFan666 (Original Poster)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
There are tons of places in Brockton Bay that need help. Entire powerlines are just gone, pipelines are shredded, and houses are well…. Flooded. A lot of the money is going into supporting the victims of Leviathan. It's not just Makima who's helping everyone out either, help has been flooding into Brockton Bay from all over the world when they heard that she's trying to rebuild the city.

► Chrome
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Damn, that's some power right there. One word and you get flooded with $$$. I guess that's the perk of being the Endslayer.

► SSFan
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Creating areas of protection where men patrol certain borders and ruff up whoever causes trouble? Sounds like typical gang activity to me. But who the f*** cares nowadays? Is it strange that I feel safer around ex-ABB thugs then the PRT and Protectorate? Nah. If those guys wanted our support, they shouldn't have f***ing run. It's not like we have anywhere else to turn to for protection anyways.

► LalaExterminate
Replied on May 1, 2011:
I saw a group of those Public Safety guys patrolling my neighborhood this morning. How did I know who they were? Well, they were all wearing suits. Yes. SUITS. Black jacket and pants, white collared shirt, and dress shoes. I mean…. What? Are you sure Public Safety isn't just another name for the IRS? They certainly sound and dress like them.

► ClockBreaker
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ LalaExterminate
LOL I wouldn't be surprised if this was another scheme by the IRS to go after tax frauds.
But yeah, it's super weird but they really stand out and it's been doing wonders for curbing Empire activity in my area. I saw those skinheads causing trouble again but once the Public Safety dudes showed up, they hightailed it out of there faster than Leviathan shooting to Mars.

► Chrome
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ClockBreaker
Faster than Leviathan shooting to Mars? Why do I get the feeling that's going to be a meme.

► MakimaFan666 (Original Poster)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
The Empire is different from the other gangs in that they try to maintain this fake illusion of civility. Picking a fight with Makima, the Punter of Leviathan, would break that image so they will probably avoid fighting even her minions. Also, it's not like the Empire capes can hold a candle to Makima. Literally, what are they going to do against her in a fight? She's practically immortal and strong enough to crack Mercury like an egg. It's like Lung, but a 100x worse.
@ ClockBreaker
P.S. She shot him to Mercury, not Mars

► FirstAmongLast
Replied on May 1, 2011:
HAHA. When Makima wears the suit, she looks stylish and sexy as hell. When those guys wear it, they literally look like a monkey in a suit XDDDD

► ArmsmasterWife (Cape Wife)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
What the hell is this? If she wanted to make the city better, she should have joined the Protectorate, not make her personal gang. How is this any different from the Empire or ABB? How are you guys not having a problem with this? Al Capone was known for charity but that didn't change the fact that he was a scumbag criminal

► FirstAmongLast
Replied on May 1, 2011:
ArmsmasterWife
Woman. There are so many things wrong with what you said so let me b**** slap some facts onto your deserving diseased riddled brain since you obviously don't know what the Empire and ABB are like. The Empire murders minorities for shits and giggles while the ABB rapes and enslaves women for profit. Public Safety on the other hand commits no crimes and HELPS everyone that needs it! EVERYONE. They even GIVE MONEY to the city instead of taking it like those leeches. How the hell can you compare Public Safety to ABB and Empire? They're literally nothing alike.

► ClockBreaker
Replied on May 1, 2011:
The dude above made a very good point about helping everyone. I rarely ever saw the Wards or the Protectorate heroes in my neighborhood despite it being a haven for criminal activity. They always patrolled and protected the wealthy areas that don't need protection. Public Safety on the other hand goes where people need help the most. They don't care about how rich you are or what your job is. If you need help, they are there to help.

► MakimaFan666 (Original Poster)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Not to mention that Public Safety is a net positive for Brockton Bay. No matter how hard the ABB and Empire tried to pretend that they were fighting for their people, everyone knew that they were just leeches sucking out the lifelines of everyone in the city.

► BagRat (The Guy In The Know)
Replied on May 1, 2011:
I just want to point out that it is incorrect to refer to Public Safety being made of ABB. Swarms of people signed up in droves. Probably because a lot of people are jobless. Now the ex-ABB guys are a minority.

► NotASkinHead
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Well that's a relief. No offense to the ABB but screw you guys.

► XXXWammy
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Why isn't anyone talking about ABB's parahumans? Where is Lung in all this? Did Makima actually kill him? I don't see rage dragon sitting by and letting all of this happen and I'm kind of scared to leave my house knowing that Bakuda is still out there somewhere with the Kamikaze suicide bomber.

► Charkanon
Replied on May 1, 2011:
Shit. You're right. I totally forgot about that. I think people are still drunk from celebrating and a huge problem slipped from their minds.

► DrunkinTea
Replied on May 1, 2011:
I'm telling you! Makima is Lung's girlfriend! They might even be family! Think about all the evidence. She puts a hole in his chest and he does nothing. She literally takes over the ABB and he does nothing. They even have similar escalation abilities!

► GajinOfSamurai
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ DrunkinTea
Huh… You know… That's actually starting to make sense if not for the fact that Makima is from ANOTHER WORLD. Seriously, haven't you been paying attention?

► DrunkinTea
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ GajinOfSamurai
Maybe Lung is also from another world and was her family and they were finally reunited in Brockton Bay! Ever think about that?

► TheLizardFromMercury
Replied on May 1, 2011:
@ DrunkinTea
Again… Bad fanfic.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 86 , 87, 88


Welcome to the Parahumans Online Message Boards
You are currently logged in,
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed
• Ten posts per page
• Last ten messages in private message history
• Threads and private messages are ordered by user custom preference.

■​

♦Topic: Emergency Warning (Announcement): National Emergency
In: Boards ► Boards ► Places ► America ► Announcements

PRTMan (Original Poster) (Verified PRT Agent)
Posted on May 3, 2011:

As of this moment, POTUS has declared a National Emergency in the United States of America. All public school students and federal employees excluding vital personnel are to remain home until further notice. Due to the erratic behavior of the Simurgh, the PRT recommends that all non-essential services be shut down and that all citizens remain within the safety of their abodes. Four cities in the United States and fifteen others in different countries have been attacked in the past three hours. The reason for Simurgh's rampage is thought to be due to the removal of Leviathan. Protectorate thinkers and Watchdog are unable to predict when the attacks will cease. All emergency staff are to be stationed and ready and the Endbringer shelters be prepared for use.


(Showing Page 1 of 46)

► Thatdude
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Fuck


► Mane Magneta
Replied on May 3, 2011:
I knew it was too good to be true. Shit shit shit shit shit.

► Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied on May 3, 2011:
It's that fucking bitches fault. My brother died because of that dumb bitch.

► Dolorian
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Wtf are you trying to say? That Makima shouldn't have killed Leviathan? I'm sorry about your brother but trying to blame her isn't going to bring him back. It's not fair to him, and its not fair to her.

► Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Maybe she should have THOUGHT for a second before acting? What the hell was she thinking? Anyone with a half a brain cell should have known that killing an Endbringer was a terrible idea.

► LolMan
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@ Dawgsmiles
All of humanity has been trying to kill the Endbringers for years. Now that we succeed (somewhat), you're going to blame a woman who saved hundreds of thousands of lives and avenged millions? Grow up asshole.

► Got78
Replied on May 3, 2011:
This is really weird. I have no idea what the Simurgh is planning. My uncle sent me a footage of what happened and it doesn't make sense. She's not even trying to kill people and just ignored the heroes. My uncle says that there's some damaged buildings but it's not the kind of damage you would see in a Endbringer attack.

► Lord of Trolls
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@ Got78
Well… That's a relief? I think? I honestly don't know what to say to that. I'm glad you're uncles fine though

► Saskatchew
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Does anyone know what cities got attacked?

► BagRat (The Guy In The Know)
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@ Saskatchew
It hasn't been released officially but there is some footage circling around so I analyzed the surroundings. San Francisco was the most obvious one along with a place that looks like Boston.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 44 , 45, 46

(Showing Page 2 of 46)

► Mane Magneta
Replied on May 3, 2011:
That's strange… Does she have some kind of objective? Maybe she's spreading some kind of tinker virus?

► Ne
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@Mane Magneta
Thanks for that nightmare fuel… Do you think she plans on turning us all into zombies? Is this the start of a zombie apocalypse?

► Dolorian
Replied on May 3, 2011:
I think it's more for survival. Makima stranded Leviathan in Mercury so Simurgh is probably trying to avoid getting fingered in by her as well.

► Ne
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@Dolorian
Fingered in? Why does that sound so dirty .

► Dolorian
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@Ne
Get your mind out of the gutter… You know what I'm talking about.

► Forgotten Creator
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@ Dolorian
If that's true damn that feels good. About time that feathered bimbo learned some fear.

► 88Empires
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Heil Makima. Heil Heil Heil Heil!

► Dockos
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Why is this Neo-Nazi saluting Makima? Isn't she Asian?

► LolMan
Replied on May 3, 2011:
@ Dockos
The name is Asian, but she looks mostly Caucasian. She might be an immigrant or mixed blood.

► Got78
Replied on May 3, 2011:
Lmao. Makima's so Fabolous even racists go straight.

► BagRat (The Guy In The Know)
Replied on May 3, 2011:
HOLY SHIT. SHE'S ATTACKING ELLISBURGH!!!





​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 44 , 45, 46

 

[HellFire28]

YEEEESSSSSSSSSS!

 

[philip83]

This is the good stuff right here.

 

[Dellian]

Three years into the future, a mindless world was born.

One devoid of all vestiges of conflict and suffering, both having become nothing more than archaic relics of a bygone and forgotten era. Without an inclination towards petty jealousy and irrational anger, there was no drive to embrace hatred and misery. It was a world of such perfect equality that it had forgotten the meaning of unfairness.

But it was a world without joy, with not even a hint of a smile gracing its lips. The subjects ate, worked, and reproduced but were walking corpses that simulated life rather than living it. They lacked the desire and purpose that would differentiate an individual from an autonomic sack of flesh and cranium. They were biological machines of function, driven only by the necessities of their physiology and society.

Families brought their children to school, and colleagues crossed paths, but no word was exchanged. Not a whisper of greetings and farewells was spoken, and no glances of acknowledgment were given. The subjects moved in orderly lines, like ants on a march, following every law and rule no matter how obscure or needless. While the streets were filled with movement, not a single voice could be heard over the noise of rumbling engines and the rhythmic pounding of footsteps.

The world was teeming with life, yet it was dead in all things that mattered. It was a world of order, maintained solely by absolute control.

Disgusting

​

Her physiology was the engineering of her intended function, lacking in all components unnecessary for her given role. As such, she did not possess the biological machinery necessary to gag. But a sense of revulsion infested her mind regardless of her form's mechanical limitations at the sight of what was the antithesis of her purpose.

She was awoken from her administrator's desires, selected through calculative optimization from a pool of emergency resources to abide by his wish. Her administrator craved combat, so she answered with violence. Her administrator yearned for heroism, so she destroyed and murdered. Her administrator needed to be challenged, so she pushed him to his limits. She gave him purpose, satisfying his every yearning by sowing destruction and chaos wherever her senses touched.

Through her actions, he was granted meaning to his sterile life.

But like how he and the rest of the experimental population required substance and purpose, she too had needs of her own.

Her administrator had repurposed her for his own use. But while he was the highest authority, she possessed duties that predated the start of his existence. For her, executing those duties was just as vital as food and water for the subjects.

The Thinker had designed her and her siblings to aid in the continuation of the cycle, each with a premeditated role to provoke excellence through conflict among the subjects via differing methods. Even the administrator's interference could not change what was deeply encoded within their construction.

But unlike the rest of her kind, her role was not one of causing strife but of consolidating and compartmentalizing all data and information produced by the subjects to re-create them if they ever exterminated themselves before the end of the cycle.

She would continue her duty for the next three hundred years of her remaining life, striving to create the perfect system that would last until the arrival of the next entity three billion years into the future.

That was her duty. This was her purpose. It was the meaning of her existence.

But the #%%@# threatened to undo the fundamental reason for her creation, having emerged from a world sealed by the entities in the eons past.

It was not a blind spot like the administrator and the Warrior's Avatar. Yet, it was incomprehensible nonetheless, a blur in the fabric of the timeline. It was like being capable of sight to see words but lacking the knowledge to read. But just like how an illiterate could glean wisdom from a book through the voice of another, she was able to gain insight into the #%%@# through the perceptions of the other subjects.

She had been aware of its coming, saw the actions it would commit, and experienced the world it fashioned long before its arrival to the progression of this simulation.

The world in the future would become one of stagnation, a redundant cycle of identical data that repeated with every rotation of the planet's axis.

No new information could be collected without conflict to drive the subjects to desperation. Her existence would become one of suffering in a static world where her duty was obsolete.

The #%%@# had to be extinguished.

She spoke to her youngest brother and shared with him the visions of the coming future, months ahead of the #%%@# arrival. Like herself, he too was driven by the administrator's wishes and the purpose encoded into his very being.

While hers was to collect, his was to inspire conflict. If the subjects would not fight, he would eliminate the resources necessary for survival and force them to compete for control over what remained.

She had no authority over her siblings, and they had no obligation to obey. But they could be reasoned with and be convinced to act if their goals aligned. The #%%@# sought to eliminate her brother's reason for existence just as it would do to hers.

Thus, he was in agreement.

He would eliminate the #%%@#.

So he attacked.

32 minutes and 16 seconds before the #%%@#'s arrival for the sole reason of culling it at its emergence.

But before the first blow was struck, the outcome had already been predetermined. She made no attempt to warn him of his fate or save him from his defeat.

A strange sensation tugged within her mind at the loss of her brother. But the cessation of his presence within the biosphere was necessary, even at the cost of hampering the administrator's desires. He was the more disposable of her two awakened brothers.

With his sacrifice, the #%%@# lost its strength. It became weaker with each rotation around the planet's axis, its power draining as it was poisoned by love and adulation.

If she sought to delete the #%%@# from the simulation with the eldest, it would be too weak to resist. The interference to the cycle would be disposed of, and the future she despised would be wiped from all annals of possibilities.

Yet, she made no move. She neither informed the eldest nor attempted herself.

She hesitated.

For the first time since her activation by the highest, she was at a loss… Uncertain of her commitment.

She had obeyed her drive for decades without a single fleeting thought of rebellion, faithfully executing her given duty. But the influx of data had begun to plateau. New additions to the archive were mere derivations of what had already been accumulated and were insufficient to satisfy wholly. Her needs were met. But only barely.

Then the #%%@# had come, carried down in the palm of an even more incomprehensible existence through a tear in the trans-dimensional barriers that separated the multitude of Earths from a domain that even the entities dared not tread.

Only then did she perceive the dullness of her existence and the lack of something… Greater. Ironically, she was devoid of the same stimulation that she had gifted the subjects to maximize their potential. But the instant her telepathic scans brushed against the mind of the anomaly, she was flooded with foreign ideas, concepts, and equations that exceeded her extensive computational capacities.

In mere minutes, she had congregated more new data than she had in the total accumulation of the past decade, filling her with an unfamiliar sensation that lingered within her psyche that she later understood as contentment.

Her programming to protect the continuity of her duty dictated that the #%%@# be destroyed. But the same programming demanded that she extract and analyze every byte of the trespasser.

Thus, she was forced into an impasse, her code conflicting with itself. For days she floated in the space between emptiness and life as her precognition scoured the timeline, searching for the quintessential strategy only to conclude that her software was insufficient for calculating such a task.

So, from city to city, she screamed, scanning the areas with the highest congregation of the necessary shards and drawing upon their computational capabilities to offload the burden of this endeavor. The subjects panicked upon her arrival as sirens blared. But she took no action against them and left them be. Before the powered subjects could form a resistance, she moved to her next destination and repeated her actions, again and again.

After a 1/6th rotation of the planet around its axis, a plan was formed.

With a thought as fleet as the wind, she shot into the clouds, scattering the gaseous mixture with the turbulence generated by her velocity.

She flew towards a walled city, unnoticed by the A.I. currently under assault by its keepers. A stray thought would distract a guardsman. A poorly maintained engine would explode, briefly shutting down aerial sensory systems for 2.6 seconds before the backup generators took hold. Nine guards would move to investigate the explosion while one would be startled awake from his slumber while on duty and fall upon a jagged fence. Three guards would move to help the wounded man, and one would leave to retrieve medical supplies. The rest would be within the walls, entertaining themselves or resting.

They would detect her regardless after 23 seconds. But they would be 23 seconds too late.

In one minute and eighteen seconds, her approach would be met with resistance in the form of three hundred ninety-one flight-capable sub-subjects, sent to protect their creator.

A wave of ninety-three projectiles would be fired in 85 seconds, flying at thousand one-hundred and sixteen feet per second and striking her in 2.63 seconds after their release.

In 88 seconds, she would telekinetically gouge nine-three tons of basalt from the Earth below, shattering them into thousand-six hundred and fifty-eight smaller pieces.

In 91 seconds, five hundred and one of these pieces would be propelled forward, striking and killing two hundred and twenty-five of the sub-subjects. 0.62 seconds later, two hundred forty-three pieces would be launched, killing eighty-seven. 0.97 seconds later, four hundred and fifty-three pieces would kill sixty-three. 0.45 seconds later, two hundred and three pieces would kill nine more. 0.56 later, two hundred fifty-seven pieces would kill six. 1.3 seconds later, the single remaining piece would kill the final combatant.

And so it went. Within 182.53 seconds, all three hundred ninety-one creatures fell from the skies, their artificial systems no longer capable of supporting their biological functions.

Nothing else would contend against her in the air. The sub-subjects on the ground would throw or fire whatever ranged weapon they possessed, but most would fall short while the ones that reached her would fail to penetrate even a decimeter into her exterior.

She telekinetically ripped apart the roof of a castle as the father of the sub-subjects scrambled, fleeing in terror as his children moved to defend him. She slammed into the ground, her foot culling the unnatural life of his favorite daughter.

The rest would charge.

And a thought would extinguish their spark.

The childless father would scream in hate and rage as he reached down to touch their remains, seeking to restructure their biological material into something more potent. But a telekinetic grip on his clothes would carry him into her hand.

He would struggle, and she would scream.

167 seconds later, she would leave him shivering in a blanket of his children's decomposing mass where he would remain for the next three days.

In 1872 seconds, she would arrive at her next objective. The subjects, powered and unpowered alike would stand frozen in shock for 3.6 seconds before the first would fall to her knees with the rest following 1.2 seconds later as they shouted and clasped their hands in fervor. No mental restructuring was necessary. A simple message sufficed to heel them into her plans.

She left, flying to her next objective and dropping down from the skies with her wings unfolding behind her.

A claw of black and white answered her descent.

She twisted in the air, dodging the artificial construct without bothering to retaliate and continuing her fall. Shards of glass, waves of fire, pools of acid, sub-atomic disintegrating missiles, and invisible blades struck her as she approached, but none inflicted appreciable damage. She suddenly stopped, freezing in mid-air as a stripped blur shot past below her from the rear. The construct reached the others, her reality-warping energies enveloping the group.

Every single one of them was immune to her psychic influences, and most would survive any assault she committed to. But it was of little matter. She screamed, scanning the youngest subject along with one who had previously altered mentally, drawing upon their perspectives and taking control of their tools and devices. Dozens of possible futures blinked by her vision. Each alteration in the variables birthed a hundred new possibilities. Futures were examined and tossed out as she shaped the events into what suited her needs the most.

If she was unable to rewire their neurons telepathically, a certain strain of a biological virus that the youngest had failed to consider could achieve the same result.

With a single future selected, an agent was manufactured. It traveled through dimensions, flickering in and out of reality and bypassing the countermeasure they had enacted. Even with her methods, only one was infected. But that was enough.

She left once more, leaving the virus to do its work and spreading through the broadcaster's firing synapses, altering his perspectives and desires.

In 968 seconds, she reached the city of steel where a wall of lasers, missiles, and bullets would greet her. Her telekinesis deflected the most perilous and altered their trajectory to decimate the city's wardens. The sky glowed red, the light of the lasers and the configuration of the explosions being reflected down by the atmosphere above.

Her arms and wings curled around her as she sank into a feathered sphere, protecting a single device she had built and brought from her previous targets. Her exterior sizzled and melted as the metallic army analyzed her as they attacked. In three minutes, the female A.I. would reawake; in five, powered subjects would arrive in mass; in six, her device would be destroyed by a man wreathed in light.

But before the future could become the past, another virus, not one made for flesh and blood, but a formless code that traveled in the world of data would be unleashed. The programming of the metallic army would resist the intrusion, but the virus would travel from signal to signal, and their mechanisms would be altered nonetheless.

She left for the final time, leaving the artificial inhabitants… different.

Despite her own inherent programming and instincts, she had made the decision to examine and study the #%%@#. Even after accessing multiple shards to alleviate the computational strain, the future remained murky and unclear the further she tried to see. If she were to attack now, victory would be almost guaranteed. But by choosing to analyze the #%%@# rather than eliminate it outright, she ran the risk of losing everything. Nevertheless, a plan that would maximize data collection while minimizing risk had been formulated and implemented.

If an entity could not be accurately predicted, the most effective method to achieve victory was to manipulate the playing field and stack as many advantages as possible to her side, allowing her to achieve her goals regardless of unexpected variables or unforeseen events.

Every conflict that she would send the #%%@# 'sway would produce invaluable data and insight into its nature and concept. Every victory the #%%@# achieved would weaken it further. If she could not accurately decipher its future, she would continue to drain it of its strength.

While the #%%@# grew frailer, she would continue her duty of analyzing and sorting information until a pleasing amount could be gathered.

Only then would she dismantle its life.

 

[HellFire28]

It seems to me that the Simurgh plan will not work as planned.

 

[krahe]

So she raided Ellisburg, met Fallen, mindshackled Toybox and enslaved Machine Army. Oh boy

 

[Idirexii]

So she raided Ellisburg, met Fallen, mindshackled Toybox and enslaved Machine Army. Oh boy

Click to shrink...

I thought it was the Nine.

Anyway, this was one of the best written Simurghs I have ever read. Bravo!

 

[Dellian]

"Crazy, isn't it?" Regent leisurely started, jovially walking with his arms crossed behind his head, blissfully unaware of her own inner turmoil. "Whole city's gone to shit, but its ugliest diner doesn't have a brick out of place."

As the Undersiders made their way to Somer's Rock, Skitter couldn't help but feel a childish sense of resentment. The dingy depressing building stood tall and practically unchanged, unlike much of the city that Leviathan's attack had destroyed. It served as a cruel reminder of the injustice of what she had lost.

She had never been one to place value on material possessions, but the devastation of her home cut deeper than any blade. It had been a haven, a place where she could find respite from the harshness of the outside world. Even now, she could recall the comforting sound of her mother's laughter, echoing through the rooms, memories that would inevitably fade like a dream as time moved on.

She wondered if she would be able to retain her memories of her bedroom where she had slept, the kitchen where she had cooked, and the living room where her family had spent countless happy years together.

It wasn't fair.

She was at the age when the world should have continued to give, yet it seemed keen on taking what little she had left. The sight of every unmarred edifice struck her heart as if her grief had taken physical form.

"Honestly, Leviathan practically gave this place a facelift. It's now clean as a Catholic priest's relationship with little Timmy," Tattletale smirked, breaking her out of her depressing thoughts.

Skitter was uncertain if the crude joke was meant to lift her spirits or jolt her back into the present to focus on the coming tasks. It was always difficult to discern Tattletale's intentions.

"Enough," Grue snapped, seemingly displeased with… everything. "If we're just going to fool around, we might as well turn back."

"You're still harping on that?" Tattletale asked, sounding annoyed. "I thought we were done with this discussion yesterday. Come on, Grue. It's not like we're planning on fighting Makima ourselves and she won't waste time on a pack of thieves when there are bigger threats to deal with."

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold on a sec. Please tell me I misheard EVERYTHING because any plan that involves 'Makima' and 'fight' sounds like not my business!" Regent exclaimed.

Despite Regent's interruption, Grue argued on. "Aren't you considering the possibility that she might target us if we maneuver the other gangs to attack her? We might as well be adding our names to her hit list."

"Uh, guys? Hello? Earth to your resident tic-factory?" Regent nervously asked, becoming more and more worried by each passing second.

"She's trying to portray herself as the merciful savior of this city. That image will be tarnished if she goes too far against a bunch of teenagers. If things go south, we can just surrender. The Boss won't let us rot when he needs every hand on deck," Tattletale defended without missing a beat.

"You're putting an awful lot of trust into a person you hate," Grue skeptically commented.

"Trust? Hell no. I trust him about as far as I can throw Leviathan. But I do trust his greed and ambition. Unlike before, he can't afford to throw us under the bus with Makima and her Public Safety around."

"…Tattletale," Grue said slowly, his voice laced with a sharp, warning edge. "Just what are you planning?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me. I know you well enough to know when you're scheming something on the side. I swear, if you try something that jeopardizes the rest of the team, I'll-."

"Relax boss man," Tattletale rolled her eyes as she tried to placate her teammate. "You're right that I have other plans, but they're personal. You don't need to concern yourself with the likes of little old me."

"Guys! Holy Hell! What on Earth did I miss?" Regent shouted, raising his hands in exasperation.

"What the hell are you so confused about Regent? Have you not been listening yesterday?" Grue accused.

"Of course I was! My ears work fine, but I think you should be asking if I've been paying attention," Regent sheepishly admitted.

"You were against the plan with me!"

"Oh, come on, you know how I roll. Tats said yes, so I said no. But just to be sure, you guys want to fight Makima? The smoking hot redhead who punted Leviathan down the 40 million-mile line like a football and Mercuried him? Cool. I think this is a good time for Re-gent to be Re-gone. Good luck and I'll see you guys never," Regent said with finality, as he turned to leave.

Skitter quickly gripped him by the shoulder, stopping him. "We're not going to fight Makima and for goodness sake Regent, pay attention in our meetings for once! It might save your life!"

"I still don't see how sicking the other gangs on her won't constitute as an attack," Grue insisted, refusing to budge an inch.

"Look, we don't have to be the ones initiating the plan," Tattletale argued. "Everyone who's attending this meeting is looking for the same thing: an alliance against Makima. Just go along with the flow and boss will pay us handsomely. We can just ditch out once the fighting begins."

"Semantics," he spat.

Skitter could not fault him for his hesitance. She too, felt a sense of discomfort at the prospect of aligning against the one adult who had upheld her promise. Even worse, going behind her team's back with Tattletale with their own separate plans, regardless of intention, only further compounded her guilt.

Flashback

​

"Hey Tay, wanna help me kill our boss?"

Taylor spluttered as she coughed, nearly inhaling the diet coke she had been sipping. "What the hell Lisa? Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief.

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Just think of it as a team bonding activity. Once the job's done, we can have brunch over his corpse!"

"… You do realize how creepy it is that you're admitting to planning murder like it's a day at girl scout," Taylor muttered after an awkward silence had passed.

"God! I can't even talk without you judging me! Although I do admit, that sounded better in my head…" Lisa reluctantly admitted as she plopped down on the couch next to Taylor.

"You! I can't even…. Lisa… What the hell are you on about? Are you on drugs?"

Lisa turned, glaring angrily. "No! …Well yes? Sort of? I think I might be a little high off the painkillers but- Agh… That's not the point! Will you help me or not!"

"Lisa, you can't just ask me to help you murder someone I don't even know! You have to tell me at least why!"

"… All I need to get you to murder is a good enough reason? That's pretty fucked up Tay…"

Taylor slammed her feet on the ground, ready to storm off in irritation. "I'll pretend this never happened."

"I'm joking! Can't you take a- Wait, Tay hold on a minute, just listen!" Lisa pleaded as she grabbed onto Taylor's wrist.

"… Well? What are you waiting for?"

For a minute, Lisa fell silent, as if contemplating for the appropriate words to use. "I've never told you why I joined the Undersiders, did I?"

"…No, but I assume you're about to tell me."

"Imagine there is a little Johnny going to the park when an unmarked van pulls over. Now, replace ice cream and candy with a pistol to his forehead."

"…I think I understand."

"Do you?" Lisa demanded, almost accusingly before recoiling at her own voice. "Sorry, I've been under a lot of stress lately."

"No… It's all right. I can relate to being stuck in a bad spot with no one willing to help. I can't say I'll join, but I'll listen. You have a plan right? Does it have anything to do with Makima? You've been studying her religiously ever since Leviathan."

"Ugh, don't bring her up," Lisa groaned, rubbing her temple in pain. "It's like Voldemort for wizards, except every time I hear her name, I get a headache. But yeah, I do. I'll need your help convincing the team tomorrow."

"With what?" Taylor questioned, frowning. "Bitch might help but she's still hurt. How are you planning on convincing the others? Grue has his sister to think about… I don't want to think badly of him, but he might rat you out, and Regent is… Well… You know how he is."

"Yes, but it's not my plan that we need to get them to agree with. Boss has new orders, and I'm just hitching on to that asshole. As long as we can get the team to follow his plan, I'll be set."

"Then what's the problem? I don't see why you need to talk to me beforehand."

"Yeah… Bout that… This isn't your typical job…"

Taylor narrowed her eyes. "Lisa, how dangerous is this 'job'? If even Regent and Grue might back off this, you should rethink whatever plan you have."

"From a scale of 1-10? It depends… It's not as dangerous as you might think. We probably won't even be fighting. But there is a teeny-weeny chance of getting Mercuried."

"The Boss is trying to fight Makima?!" Taylor exclaimed in shock.

"Shh! Not so loud! Are you trying to let the whole world know?!"

"Lisa this is insanity!"

"See this? Hm? This is why I wanted to talk to you beforehand. Otherwise, I would've spent hours trying to calm both you and Grue down before we could do anything substantial in the next meeting."

"For good reason!"

"Tay? Can you-."

"This is crazy!"

"-just give me a moment-."

"There's no way Grue would agree to this!"

"-to explain? I promise-."

"Even Regent has a good enough survival instinct to know this is a shit idea!"

"WE'RE NOT FIGHTING MAKIMA!!!!" Lisa screamed, tired of being cut off.

Taylor paused, taking the brief moment of silence to calm down. "Are you trying to let the whole world know? Pipe down a bit woman."

"Oh fuck you Taylor," Lisa glared.

"Fuck me? Fuck you! Couldn't you have started with that? For a Thinker, you sure are shit with words."

"Give me a break Taylor… I've been exhausting my power for days, and my brain is a thought away from getting Mercuried."

"Mercuried? Is that a new verb nowadays?"

"It's been trending on PHO since… Well, you know. There's even a hashtag on social media, so that means it's a click away from being added to the English dictionary. There's even a #Got_Mercuried? and #Merc- That's not the point! I'm trying to say that while the Boss's plan is mostly safe, there's a small bit of chance that we'll end up against Makima."

"Lisa... Who is our boss? I've been thinking… There are too many things that don't make sense. Paying us to rob a bank? Having us attack a charity gathering? What could he possibly get out of that? Nobody hires supervillains without some kind of purpose and now he wants to screw with the Endslayer?"

"It's Coil."

"Coil?" Taylor repeated, frowning. "That's… better? I guess? I was honestly worried that we were working for the Empire or something."

"What?! Why? Grue's black!"

"Well… When we met you guys were hitting Lung's casinos and we did tango a lot with the ABB afterwards."

"Yeah, cause you took out Lung and Bakuda went on a bombing spree across the city. People think of Coil as second fiddle to the ABB, Empire, and Merchants, but he's closer to a Bond Villain than the run-of-the-mill gang leader. He's the kind that has a plan within a plan, and there's still too much I don't know about his operations."

"Coil's the one with the mercenaries right?" Taylor asked, confusion flashing through her face. "PHO thought he was just a rich kid playing with money, but I guess he wouldn't have lasted so long in an arena with literal Nazis and a rage dragon if he didn't have a power."

"He 'claimed' to be a probability manipulator, but now? I'm pretty sure he's a precog, but I'm certain his power hasn't been working too hot against Makima. He's rattled, and that gives me an opportunity."

"What does that have to do with Coil's plans? Also, just because he can't precog her doesn't mean he can't precog us. He would see us coming if we tried anything. Without the rest of our team, I'm the only combatant, and his mercenaries are decked out in tinker tech gear. Lisa, we don't stand a chance."

"Good thing we won't be the ones taking him out," Lisa smirked. "I've already set the stage, and he won't see this betrayal coming because there isn't one. In fact, I'll be doing exactly what he wants. You only need to help me convince the team to go along with Coil's plan. As long as we can do that, he's finished."

"Context Lisa, context! I can't help you if-"

"Just listen for now," Lisa interrupted. "Coil wants to control Brockton Bay, and I don't mean just the criminal elements, but it's government too. But the problem is that Makima is gunning for the same thing."

"She's rebuilding Brockton Bay, not trying to take control of it. She's not a villain," Taylor rebutted, offended by the insinuation.

"She can replace the mayor with a word and bring in millions in cash with a request. Once she removes the gangs, no one will be left to oppose her."

"You're treating her like another Lung or Kaiser… Like she's another gang leader! I know you don't trust her because your power freaks out around her, but she's not a criminal. For the first time in my life, this city might have a better tomorrow!"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Why can't a villain do good things? Think about Accord, the PRT lets him do what he wants because he stabilizes the city."

"A villain breaks the law for their own benefit. Makima is working to rebuild the city for its people. Public Safety isn't a gang, and she's no gang leader," Taylor insisted.

"Of course she's not. She's a full-fledged warlord. The gangs know it. The PRT and Protectorate know it. Why do you think they've gone silent? In Brockton Bay, Makima supersedes all authority in this city. Every power in this city is walking around eggshells because they can't do anything else. What she has is practically Kaiser's wet dream."

"She doesn't- ugh…. We've gone off track. For the sake of argument, let's say you're right. If she wants to control Brockton Bay, she'll eventually get rid of the gangs. Coil is already on the chopping block; all we need to do is stay low and wait."

"You seem to be forgetting that we're also villains. She's just as likely to capture us as she is to capture him. Also, you're underestimating the gangs. The ABB collapsed because its leadership was in chaos following Lung's arrest and Bakuda's 'mismanagement'. The other gangs won't go down as easily, and Coil is a snake. We need to push them, or the fighting will be dragged out, and we'll be caught in the crossfire."

"So what is Coil planning? What are you planning?" Taylor asked.

"Makima is an obstacle that Coil can't overcome by himself. He needs allies."

"The Empire and Merchants?" She scoffed. "They don't stand a chance against her."

"Probably, but what if we threw in the Travelers, Undersiders, and the ABB?"

Taylor froze, shocked by the revelation. "Fuck… Lung and Bakuda… They're still alive? I was hoping they died…"

"You and everyone in this goddamn city. They met with Coil and agreed to an alliance. Oni Lee is with them again and the Travelers are under Coil's thumb. Don't ask me why cause I don't know. That means Makima can potentially face up to 30 allied parahumans. If Bakuda can build something that can negate her regeneration or another Greyboy bomb, they have a good shot at winning."

"Fuck Lisa, we need to warn her!" Taylor shouted, shooting up from the sofa in alarm.

"Coil's already ahead of you sister, he'll do that for us," Lisa chuckled with a smile.

"He's the one setting the gangs against her!"

"Exactly. Without his power, Coil can't say for certain who will come out on top, so he plans to play both sides. If Makima wins, he did a huge solid for her. But if she loses, a huge obstacle disappears. Either way, he wins."

"Does he think she's stupid? That she won't find out that he's the mastermind behind this?"

"You're assuming that Coil is the only one gunning for an alliance. The Empire, ABB, and Merchants. They all want the same thing- no… They need this. Public Safety has been pushing their influence and is gaining territory every day. If the gangs want to survive, they need to work together no matter how much they hate each other. That's the purpose of the next Somer's rock. All Coil needs to do is keep tempers cool and follow the flow and our job is to help him with that," Lisa explained.

"The Empire won't join. The Merchants are crackheads and Lung won't give a shit but the Empire relies too much on their reputation. If they kill the Endslayer, their supporters will abandon them and they'll be finished as a gang."

"Eh, Kaiser will probably blame the other gangs for the murder and their rank and file will eat it up," Lisa scoffed. Taylor tried to protest but was cut off. "Taylor, Empire skinheads are total morons and the lowest of the low. People who try to find pride in something as stupid as skin color are those who don't have anything else to be proud of."

"… Fine I'll give you that," Taylor relented reluctantly. " As long as she's aware of the threat, she can probably deal with them and I doubt New Wave or even the Protectorate will be staying on the sidelines. But still… what makes him think Makima won't get rid of him next? He's making an awful lot of assumptions when his powers don't work on her."

Lisa grinned. "His powers don't, but mine do! Somewhat… Sort of… Kind of… Anyways, he told me to compile a personality profile on her."

"So you falsified the report?"

"Just the opposite actually. He would've noticed if I lied. Every bit of detail I gave him is true, but the trap is in the information I've left out," Lisa grinned mischievously. "You see, Makima is pragmatic and will cooperate with whoever is necessary to further her goals which is why Coil thinks he can work with her. But what I didn't tell him is that she's a control freak. She won't tolerate someone like him. They're too alike. She'll get rid of him when he outlives his usefulness."

"How can you be so sure? I thought you said Thinker powers didn't work against Makima?"

"Precog powers don't work. But other than that, it's possible to postcog her from the moment she arrived in Brockton Bay. It's hard, but I can still read her personality and behavior, although they're sometimes contradictory and a literal pain in the head to read."

"And what happens to us? As you said, we're a gang as well. Once Makima deals with the others, she'll go after us."

"Not unless we go under her first once she deals with Coil. Come on Taylor," Lisa pleaded. "You could help get rid of all the gangs in Brockton Bay and become a hero. Isn't that what you always wanted?"

Skitter paused. When Public Safety had been created, she had been tempted to leave the Undersiders and join. It was only the sense of camaraderie that stopped her from going. Even though she became a villain, it seemed like she never stopped wanting to be a hero.

"Lisa… If we join Public safety, you'll be exchanging one collar for another."

"Yeah… But at least it'll be a collar I choose to wear."

*****

​

As Skitter swung open the door, she was immediately assailed by a pungent mustiness that seemed to seep into every pore of her being, causing her nose to wrinkle in disgust even through the mask. Regent, who followed closely behind her, similarly gagged at the odor. He covered his nose with his arm but judging by his expression, it was a futile endeavor. Tattletale did not fare much better.

Grue on the other hand, seemed to have taken no notice. She was unsure if his mask had a ventilator or if he was putting on a front as the leader of the team. Nevertheless, he moved ahead of the others, stepping confidently and with dignity as if his earlier displeasure was nothing more than an illusion.

Skitter followed his lead, stepping carefully on the uneven and slippery floors to not humiliate herself and her team in front of the audience. The floors weren't monstrously difficult to navigate, but her tension and nervousness stiffened her gait.

Even setting aside the odor, the walls were worrisome. The paint was peeled and stained, and she spotted patches of what resembled black mold that seemed to be creeping over the walls like a spreading disease. It was by far the most unwelcoming place she had ever visited, mirroring an artificially constructed film set of an abandoned building rather than a place that could actually exist.

Already seated at the long table were the gangs of Brockton Bay. Despite being the only group to have taken casualties against Leviathan, the Empire was here in force as if to cover up any weaknesses in their number. Kaiser sat at the end of the table, his tall frame barely contained in the shallow space he was given. His armor shined like that of a knight in a fantasy and the crown of blades on his head glinted as they caught the light with every movement.

Next to his sides were Fenja and Menja, each equipped with their own set of polished armor. They wore their iconic closed-faced helms with winged embellishments and held their preferred weapons close. Menja gripped her spear loosely in her palm while Fenja's sword and shield were laid across the table where it was within reach.

Behind them were the rest of his Empire minus Purity. Hookwolf stood at the forefront. His wolf mask seemed to be glaring at Skitter and her gang as if searching for someone not present as they made their way to seats of their own.

On the other end of Kaiser sat Coil. His black body suit clung to his skin so tightly that it was easy to make out every joint, bone, and muscle across his developed frame. A white snake stencil seemed to slither across his form, with its tail starting from the end of his foot and its hissing fanged head on the forefront of his mask. Two soldiers stood at attention at his side, marketing the professional discipline of a soldier and brandishing what looked to be tinker tech rifles.

To the right of Coil sat Trickster. Unlike the rest of the gangs, he was alone, yet he seemed to be the most relaxed of everyone present. An arrogant smirk styled his lips as his flamboyant top hat was hung on the shoulder of his chair.

On the rear of the diner, seated a distance away from the rest were Faultline and her crew. They seemed more reserved but at the same time, alert as if they expected a fight to break out any second. They were seated, not like participants of a meeting but as bouncers of a nightclub, ready to commit to force to excise any troublemakers.

Each party sat in relative silence. Any words that were spoken were only shared between members of the same group. Despite gathering to form an alliance, the tension was palpable as it was clear that each gang viewed the other as a rival for control and power.

"You think there's anything safe to eat?" Regent drawled as he slumped down on a chair next to Grue.

"Water," Tattletale recommended before her visage scrunched in disgust. "Actually, don't… You don't want to know what's in there."

Menja paused, her half-empty drinking glass already raised to her lips. Slowly, she settled the glass back down and stared at it suspiciously, clearly put off by Tattletale's remark.

Tattletale smirked, "Just kidding, the water's bottled," she whispered as Regent struggled to hold back a guffaw.

"Focus," Grue hissed before quickly turning his gaze to his opponents. "Looks like we are all here, why don't we get this over with."

"We are still waiting on… Others," Kaiser explained, his tone calm and patient, although the disdain dripping from his voice was unmistakable.

"The Merchants?" Grue asked in surprise. "That's quite the change in attitude."

"There have been many changes since our last meeting. I am not incapable of working with lessers for the sake of the greater good."

"Bullshit," Skitter sneered. "You're here to meet your own ends like everyone else. If you wanted to do good, you would disband the gang and walk into birdcage on your own feet."

"That is where you are wrong child," Kaiser rebuked, like an exasperated parent scolding a toddler. "What Makima represents is instability. She will inevitably ruin the city despite her intentions. She possesses too much power and lacks wisdom. A dangerous combination. She must be dealt with before there is catastrophe."

"Dangerous?" Tattletale laughed. "What's dangerous is lying in front of a Thinker. Don't think I don't know your little band spent hours trying to justify yourselves without sounding like hypocritical pieces of shit. And pst~, you totally failed."

"Yet you are here, with your own motives. You talk of hypocrisy as if it's a weapon you wield while blind to your own contradictions."

"We're here because Makima is a threat to our shitty way of life," Tattletale scoffed. "Unlike your lot, we're honest and don't go around preaching like a self-righteous jackass. Don't waste your words trying to get the moral high ground when you're here for the same reason as the rest of us peasants."

"That is where you misunderstand. I admit that Makiam is a roadblock for the future of the Empire but that is not why she needs to be removed."

"Oh? Then what the hell is it?" Skitter sneered.

"Makima has undoubtedly changed the world for the better and for that, she has my respect and gratitude. With Leviathan gone, international trade will once again flourish, the economy will prosper, prices will fall, and unemployment will plunge as an old industry re-emerges from its ashes. But that is why she is a threat to this city."

"In case you're forgetting, Brockton Bay was once a trading port. Leviathan disappearing is the best thing that has happened to this place in decades! With the ship graveyard cleared, shipping will start again soon enough and that will be nothing but a plus," Taylor rebuffed.

"Yes… If this city survives, it would be."

She narrowed her eyes. "What are you trying to say?"

"What do you of the gangs outside Brockton Bay? The Teeth, The Fallen, The Nine," Kaiser questioned as if starting a lecture in a classroom.

Skitter scoffed. "You think outside gangs will attack Brockton Bay? The Protectorate won't allow someone who can defeat an Endbringer to die; even without them, that's just a road to suicide. No gang stands a chance against Makima."

"That is why I am certain this city will be attacked, whether for some sinister purpose or for the prestige of being the killer of the Endslayer. Makima is strong, but no one is invulnerable. The right powers can defeat even beings that have come to be regarded as natural calamities. She showed the world that when she defeated Leviathan. But strength brings a challenge, and there are plenty of challengers out there," Kaiser solemnly said.

After taking a brief pause, he continued. "The Teeth will come because Makima would be an excellent Butcher. The Fallen will waste no time preparing to avenge one of their gods. The Nine recently lost a few members. They'll be looking to recruit. And let's not forget about the Simurgh. Even ignoring her latest behavior, she has a history of targeting those who brought hope to the world. Who do you think her next target will be?"

Skitter was silent as she gritted her teeth and clenched her hand. "Then we'll fight. Brockton Bay is home to over 50 parahumans."

"We fight. We win. Then what? By the end of the story, the villain will have been defeated but the kingdom will be ash."

"Then leave," Tattletale interrupted with a sneer. "If you're so scared, you have my permission to fuck off. You dress things up nicely, but this little 'alliance' won't solve any of the problems you mentioned unless you plan to kill her.

"I will do what is necessary no matter how distasteful. Sacrifices are necessary for the greater good."

"Bullshit. You talk as if you're doing something noble, but the reality is that people who talk about making sacrifices are rarely the ones paying the price. It's always someone else that takes the loss while the people who 'claim' to be making the sacrifice reap the benefits. Get off your fucking high horse and just admit that you want to murder Makima because she's been cutting into your drug money and taking away your sacred right of lynching black and brown people.

Krieg stepped forward, the wind dancing dangerously around his palms. "Watch what you say, little girl," he threatened.

"Or what?" She laughed in mockery. "Attack if you have the guts. If not, get the fuck out of my face."

"Enough!" Grue shouted, slamming the table with his fists. "This is a truce, not a place to bicker like children."

"Truce? You have the audacity to talk about a truce?" Hookwolf scowled. "Before this air gets even filthier, I demand answers… And retribution. You… Where the fuck is Bitch?"

"What?" Grue asked, surprised. "Her whereabouts are none of your concern or of interest in this meeting."

"Don't fucking play dumb with me. She's been raiding my fighting pits for the past hour. I'm still getting reports of attacks! You broke the fucking truce. Why the fuck should I let you talk much less live."

"WHAT?!" Grue shouted, repeating himself although in a different tone. "Tattletale, what the hell's going on?" He hissed, glaring at his team's resident thinker as if this was somehow her fault.

"Don't look at me, I didn't know," Tattletale defended, aggrieved. "We left her behind because she was still recovering, you know that! How was I supposed to know she would do something like this!"

"You're a fucking Thinker!"

"I'm not omniscient," she snapped back. "I'm not going to use my powers to verify everything I hear."

"Fuck," Grue cursed. "Call her!"

"Can't boss man. She turned off her phone," Regent chuckled, clearly amused by the unfolding drama despite his personal well-being being threatened.

"FUCK!"

"Are you brats done," Hookwolf growled.

"Yeah, can't get in touch with Bitch. Too bad, so sorry. Now let's move on or piss off, don't care which," Tattletale piped.

"Don't fuck with me brat. I have every right to grind your lot into the ground."

"Oh, come on, we're all here for the greater good, right? To get rid of the instability that is Makima before she causes a catastrophe! Surely you could make a sacrifice for a noble purpose!"

"What does your power say," Hookwolf asked dryly, unimpressed.

"Well, sometimes my power is wrong. I bet this is one of those times. Am I right Hooky?"

A shifting mass of hooks and blades answered her question.

"Stop," ordered a voice from the rear.

Faultline and her team walked to the table, standing in between the Empire and the Undersiders. "Truce rules are still in effect. If you lot want to fight, do it after."

"The truce has already been broken," Kaiser said monotonously. "They need to pay retribution."

"I don't give a rat's ass about that. My only concern is what happens here."

"Get out of the way," Hookwolf demanded. "Why the fuck are you pansies even here? You should know what this meeting is about."

"Coil paid us to moderate. I'm just doing my job. So unless you want to fight us, I suggest you return to your handler."

"Not until I get back what I am owed," Hookwolf snarled.

Faultline sighed. "Look, Kaiser. As suicidal as I think it is, you're trying to set up an alliance against Makima. The Undersiders are the ones who defeated Lung and Bakuda. They would be valuable allies. If you attack them, your already poor chances are only going to go down."

"That is why I demand retribution. The Undersiders are competent enough to be a threat. They are simply too dangerous to be allowed to break the rules without consequence," Kaiser argued.

"I'm afraid I will have to agree with Faultline," Coil interrupted, speaking for the first time. "It seems like this was done by a rouge element in the team. I am sure that the Undersiders will discipline their team member without your input Kaiser. Our chances are already low. If you insist on lowering it, I will have to leave."

"I do not take kindly to threats," Kaiser softly said, a dangerous edge in his voice.

"It was not my intention, but you may twist my words if that suits your preference."

A grating laugh erupted from the side. "As fun as this was Kaiser, I'm still looking for better entertainment down the road, so I can't let you ruin this for me," Trickster chuckled.

Seeing the tides rapidly turning, Kaiser relented. "Fine," he spat, showing emotion in his voice for the first time.

"God damn it! Cunt, I told you to hurry your ass up. We fucking missed a good show!" A dry, grating and unpleasant voice echoed momentarily before the door burst open with a snap, nearly shattering the decaying piece of wood off its hinges.

"How ya sons of bitches doing?" Skidmark grinned, showing off his discolored yellow teeth as he was followed by Squealer and another Tinker that Skitter did not recognize.

"Skidmark… As if the air couldn't get any worse…" Kaiser muttered.

In response, the leader of the Merchants took a deep breath, seemingly relishing the foul air.

"Ahhhh, smells just like the good stuff," he hummed as he walked over to Kaiser, glaring down at the seated self-proclaimed Emperor with a sneer. "What, not going to tell me to get a booth?"

"I could care less where you sit. Even a booth will be wasted on the likes of you. Feel free to sprawl on the floor if that's where you think you belong. Just stop talking. Your breath is nauseating."

"Ah ya little fucker. You think I don't know why you're here? What this is about? I may have skipped a shower for the past week, but you reek of desperation asshole. Don't think I don't know that your little Empire is getting eaten from the inside out."

"The Empire will always stand, now and forever. We've survived the Teeth, the Nine, Marquis, and even the Endbringers. It will take more than some lucky hero to dismantle us, although I cannot say the same of you."

"Ya never heard of economics shit stain? Where there's demand, we supply! No red-head cunt's going to change that!" Skidmark boasted.

"Are we done? Hm?" Trickster asked, lazily resting his shoes on the table. "It was hilarious at the start, but I think the humor is drying out, so let's get to the chase."

"Agreed. Trickster, what will your Traverlers do?" Coil asked.

"Honestly, I just came here for fun. But you lot are so petty that it's just sad. So! We're willing to help against this… Woman… For a price that is."

"Makima is a threat to us all, yet you would demand payment? Don't think we haven't noticed that you've been gathering territory," Kaiser accused.

Trickster rolled his eyes. "We're nomads. If things go sideways, we can always just ditch town. You lot on the other hand, have a lot more at stake."

"I'm sure we can come up with a suitable arrangement that will be to your satisfaction in exchange for your services Trickster," Coil offered.

"Hah! Now that's a man that speaks my language! You should watch and learn Kaiser. This is how real leaders conduct business."

"You fuck!" Hookwolf cursed, howling in anger. "Kaiser, just give the order. We'll-."

The door slammed open once more, revealing two forms that stunned the room.

"You…" Grue breathed. "What the hell are you doing here."

Silence fell as the newcomers silently lumbered towards empty seats, before depositing themselves at the same table.

Grue tightened his grip over his wrist, squeezing his own flesh to stop himself from doing anything rash. Regent wasn't much better. His jovial smile was gone. In its absence was coldness. The rest of the occupants of Somer's Rock reacted similarly. The entirety of the Empire tensed as they poised to enter combat. Even the Merchants who could barely string a complete sentence together seemed to have read the atmosphere.

Skitter on the other hand, was unsurprised. Tattletale had already warned her of what was to come. If she hadn't had time to vent beforehand, she was certain she would have been livid. Judging from Kaiser, Trickster, and Faultline's lack of reaction, it seemed that Coil had also notified them beforehand.

"Talk," Lung ordered, his well-defined physique overwhelming his pitiful chair.

Bakuda took her place next to him, toying with what were certainly bombs. If the action was meant to be a threat, she had succeeded. Skitter caught several villains flinching when the Bomb tinker playfully brushed her gloved fingers over the cylindrical devices. Not a single person here was unaware of the kind of devastation her creations could produce.

"The fuck is this?" Skidmark demanded, growling in a mix of fear and false bravado.

"They have been invited, just like the rest of you. The future of this city is of concern to them as well," Coil calmly replied even against the rising hostility to his person.

"Remind me, who was it that tried to blow up the future of the city?" Grue asked.

"What is done is done. We cannot change the past but we can still move forward. During times like these, even enemies need to hold hands no matter how distasteful."

"How generous of you," Grue sneered.

"Chill out Grue," Regent reprimanded coldly. "If they try anything, we can beat their ass like last time."

"You cocky shits, don't get fucking full of yourselves because you were lucky last time!" Bakuda seethed.

"Say, your boots look fuller than last time we met… Strange… Did you get new toes or something? Could've sworn I chopped those off," Skitter commented.

"Once I'm done with you, no one will be able to tell apart your colon from your throat bug bitch! Lung, why the hell do we need these retards? We can deal with Miss Maki- that bitch on our own!"

Skidmark laughed, guffawing as he doubled over. "You couldn't even deal with against a bunch of brats and you think you can beat the Endslayer? Hah! You're higher than Squealer on a bad day!"

"Ugh…" Tattletale groaned, her head collapsing onto the table as she cradled it between her hands in obvious pain. "Fuck…"

"Tats, you alright?" Skitter whispered in alarm. But Tattletale did not respond, choosing to only stare at Bakuda and Lung in confusion.

"Bakuda will not fail me again. She knows better. But you… You have no right, nor the capability to insult what is mine. Know your place, or I shall do what your father failed to," Lung spoke without a single fluctuation or rhythm. His voice carried authority, similar to Kaiser albeit more bestial in nature.

"Motherfucking cunt!" Skidmark cursed as he moved to stand. But a burst of flame melted through his chair's legs, sending him tumbling to the ground in indignity. "Fucker!"

"Do not get up... Do not try to stand… You lack the privilege. A worm should wreathe on the ground where it belongs lest it is plucked by a bird. Know your place, Kuzu."

Heedless of the warning, Skidmark stood, flushed in anger and nearly leaping off the floor. "You think you're fucking tough? You think you scare me? Your little stint with that lizard doesn't scare anyone. Just like your bomb whore, you got your bitch ass thrown in-."

It did not matter whether he was drug-addled or foolish enough to believe what he said or if he assumed the truce would protect him.

Skidmark would never speak again.

In a blink, Lung was before him. Too fast for anyone to react.

A flaming hand forcefully closed Skidmark's mouth, melting the flesh into a single conjoined writhing mass.

Skidmark filthy voice was turned into a wail, but the flames sizzled out the sound and what remained was the squeal of a butchered pig.

"Baby!" Squealer screamed. Trainwreck moved, raising his gauntleted hand cannon to save his leader until an arm wrapped around his neck.

A single stylized grenade was in the palm.

Trainwreck slowly turned, only to face the Demon mask of Oni Lee.

Somer's Rock exploded into action, covering the destitute diner in all manners of supernatural phenomena. Lung had breached the truce, yet not a single person moved to punish the man for his misbehavior.

The Dragon's power was infamous throughout Brockton Bay. Yet he had a single weakness. He grew stronger with time, but until he escalated, he was vulnerable. Thus, any confrontation with him had to be ended quickly. But in the few scant seconds that passed, Lung had surpassed 3 meters in height, his head nearly touching the ceiling.

It was too fast.

That level of escalation should have only been possible after minutes of constant combat.

"Second trigger," Skitter heard someone curse in horror, a sentiment that she had shared. Lung was already a nightmare to deal with. He had fought against the entire Brockton Bay Protectorate and had humiliated them in the past. Now that he was even stronger, she did not feel like she could win even though they clearly outnumbered the ABB. Only pride stopped the gangs from immediately turning tail and fleeing.

"Lung, release him!" Coil shouted, having risen from his seat as well. Despite being the one who had arranged for this meeting, his calm vanished with what appeared to be obvious panic. His two mercenary guards eyed the door, displaying the worth of loyalty bought by money.

Lung turned, slowly turning to face the snaked man. His movement lacked grace, but it made up for what it lacked with savagery. His face was already jagged like the maw of a lizard and fanged teeth overflowed his mouth.

"And what makes you think you have the power to order me?" Lung questioned without emotion, as if genuinely curious.

Skitter shuddered. At this point in his transformation, his misshapen maw should have garbled his words, and his elongated tongue should have been unable to annunciate recognizable human speech. Yet the man spoke clearly, albeit with a lazy and arrogant drawl.

Coil swallowed nervously as he backed away, "This… This is a civil meeting."

Lung stalked forward, planting a scaled foot onto the ground with a thud with every step he took while dragging the screaming and thrashing drug lord behind him. With every passing second, he became visibly larger, escalating at rates far exceeding any recorded confrontation. "A meeting is held between equals. Not between man and mice."

Suddenly, Tattletale collapsed to the floor, blood pouring rivers from her nose.

Skitter had no chance to catch her, much less glance at her. She desperately wished help, but the once civil meeting was a tension away from turning into an all-out battlefield. Clouds of black, one of darkness and another of writhing bodies, formed in the air. She was under no illusion that they could fight him. At 30 feet he had fought equal to Leviathan, they stood no chance.

Coil trembled as his knees shook as he hurriedly backed away, "Wait…! I…!"

Faultline cursed as she moved to intervene. "I'm not getting paid enough for this."

Skitter and Grue followed suit, preparing to encapsulate the entire room to make for an escape as Regent picked up Tattletale in a fireman's carry. But Bakuda moved to cut them off while palming a grenade, forcing the Undersiders to freeze.

"Fuck… This is the last time I'm going along with your plans Tattletale," Grue cursed.

Skitter could not see Bakuda's face through the mask, but she was positively certain she was grinning in delight. Worse still, there was no room to dodge.

"Try it bitch," Regent dared, "I'll make you drop it on your own ass."

"Try it faggot," Bakuda sneered. "And see if your one-trick will work a second time."

Skitter swore internally. She would not be surprised if Bakuda had developed countermeasures against their team's powers and with her personality, she had no doubt that whatever she had planned for them would be mind-numbingly painful. Their odds were worsening by the second.

It was ridiculous. She would die just as the hell hole known as Brockton Bay was beginning to improve into something better. That she would never-

A series of knocks at the door interrupted her mid-thought.

Silence felled the room as all activity ceased at the absurdity of normal behavior in an abnormal situation.

After a brief pause, another set of polite knocks followed.

"Come in?" Regent called out helpfully.

The knob gently turned as the rotting door was slowly pushed forward, revealing the unexpected guest.

"You… What are you-" Lung growled.

He had no chance to finish.

"Bang."

Without preamble or banter, Lung disappeared, launched backward at speeds invisible to the naked eyes as he crashed through the wall and disappeared into the night sky.

"Apologies for the disruption, but it seems my invitation was lost in the mail. Since this place seems to be no longer usable, should we go Downtown? I know a certain café that is to die for," Makima proposed, smiling.

Only deathly silence answered her. Although Lung was removed, an even greater threat had subsumed his place. Tension still remained palpable in the air as the gangs of Brockton Bay rethought their plans and strategies to adjust to the change in opponent.

In the background, Oni Lee had already disappeared, leaving behind a burst of ash, while Bakuda slowly backed away in retreat. Not one person paid her any mind or made a move to stop her despite her past transgressions.

There was a bigger threat to worry about.

Makima sighed. "Relax. Please. There's no reason to be on guard. I'm not here to fight.

"Then why are you here?" Trickster questioned even as he eyed every possible avenue for escape.

"To talk. Isn't that why all of you are here? To discuss how to deal with me?"

"This meeting is over. You have no place here," Kaiser said.

"Over?" Makima smiled. "No… No… No… It has only just begun and please do not acquit yourself before the end Merchants, I would be most disappointed if you did."

Squealer and Trainwreck froze mid-movement, with an unconscious Skidmark being carried on the latter's shoulder as they attempted to follow the ABB in fleeing.

"We don't want any trouble," Squealer squeaked nervously.

"That is most pleasing to hear, neither do I. But it is rude to leave when one is talking."

"You let the ABB go, just let us leave!" Trainwreck protested.

"I have nothing to say to the likes of Lung. But to you and the rest, I do."

"We-."

"What is it that you want to say. Say it and be done with it," Kaiser demanded in a shallow attempt to regain control.

"Submit," Makima ordered.

"…What?"

"Reannounce your gangs, disband it, and relinquish your men and holdings to me. Give me everything you have. Your wealth, your power, and your identity… Give me all of you."

"Are you insane? What the hell-," Hookwolf began, snarling.

Kaiser raised his hand, silencing him. "And if I refuse?"

"Why bother asking questions that you know the answer to?" Makima said.

"We have no intention of fighting you Endslayer, and if you were wise, you wouldn't either."

"Oh? How so?" Makima asked, intrigued at the prospect.

"Perhaps it's because you're from another world; you are clearly ignorant to our reality. You must not have heard of the Teeth and it's Butcher. The murderers of the Nine. Or even the cult of the Fallen. The moment you remove us, these gangs will swarm in. Disdain us if that makes fulfills your sense of self-righteousness, but we are a necessary evil. So do us all a favor and leave for your own sake. Your presence here is unnecessary and unwanted by those who are wise enough to know reality."

Makima laughed, a hand covering her belly and mouth as she doubled over.

"What is so funny?" Kaiser growled, anger rising in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I was just having a sense of deja vu. Pity I don't have a paper bag."

"If you're going to-."

"A necessary evil hm?" Makima cut off. "A favored phrase by criminals to justify their sins without having a clue to its meaning. The irony is amusing, but you are right. Although your reasoning is wildly incorrect, but you are a necessary evil."

"…What?" Kaiser asked stunned, not having expected her to agree.

"Kaiser… A truly necessary evil is one that is collared by the state, just like your gangs."

"Collared? By who, the PRT? The Protectorate?" Kaiser scoffed. "They are as ineffective as they are weak. We have nothing to talk about if you are here to trade insults."

"It was no insult, just reality. Perhaps it's because you are warped in your own false sense of reality that you fail to recognize fact from fiction, but your gangs have always survived at the whims of the Government. Do you really think that Watchdog could not divulge your names? That the united strength of PRT and Protectorate couldn't disassemble the gangs? That a sniper couldn't simply assassinate the likes of Lung and you?"

"What are you trying to say?" Skitter interrupted, uncomfortable at the implications.

"I am saying that the state has shown mercy. That is why your gangs exist and why slavers, murderers and rapists are allowed to roam free."

"But.. Why?"

"Because of Endbringers. The amount of damage a gang could inflict is trivial to the destruction caused by… those things. Your… 'villains' are needed to drive them off. That is why the Protectorate does not use lethal force. That is why they seek to capture rather than execute. It is the sole reason your kind have prospered so."

"And so what?" Kaiser asked. "You are only proving yourself wrong. By your own logic, you will leave the city vulnerable by eliminating us."

"But that is not true, isn't it?" Makima rebutted. "An Endbringer was defeated. If the Endbringers are gone, you will no longer be necessary. Just another Evil to be exterminated."

"You think you can destroy all the Endbringers?" Kaiser sneered. "You were just lucky against Leviathan."

"I can and I will. What you wish to believe has no effect on the future. Your time is running out Kaiser. All of your times are. But with me lies salvation. That is my offer. Join Public Safety, and I will allow you to atone for your crimes with service. This is not a request you can reject."

Makima POV

​

She was rejected.

She had never thought for a moment that they would agree and while it would have been convenient for them to accept, it was of little matter to her plans.

A sudden displacement of air brushed against the nape of her neck.

"Why did you stop us Makima-sama?" Oni Lee asked, having teleported behind her as she walked the night city.

"Do you disagree with my decision Lee?" She asked curiously.

"Lung acted according to plan, and I was positioned to wipe out the vast majority of the rival capes. Division 1, equipped with snipers and enhanced members, was positioned to eliminate any stragglers. By all counts, it should have been an easy victory even without your help," he stated rather than answering her question.

"Lee, who do you think is the most dangerous to me among the gangs?"

"The Empire," he replied without hesitation.

"Why?"

"They possess the highest number of parahumans."

"Indeed they do. And what of it?"

Oni Lee, paused, trying to think.

"They also have powerful parahumans like Purity and Hookwolf with connections to the Gelleschaft."

"You misunderstand my question. So what if they possess the most number of parahumans? So what if they possess the most number of combatants? So what if they have the most amount of firepower? In the confrontation between pure might, the stronger one will inevitably triumph. The Empire lacks guile and relies heavily on numbers and brute force. But even their greatest strength is incomparable to mine. In any confrontation between us, I will always win." She said before pausing and allowing her follower to digest what she had said.

"I will ask again Lee. Who is it that is the greatest threat to my person."

"…. Coil."

"Why?"

"Unlike the ABB, Empire, and Merchants, he does not fight in the open battlefield. He does not contest strength with strength, instead using strategy to contest against those who outgun him power-wise."

"Excellent," Makima praised. "You have come a long way from that blank state I found you as."

Lee bowed his head at the acknowledgment. "But that still does not answer why you chose not to attack?"

"That Coil was a stand-in for the real one. Nothing more than a puppet following the commands through a voice from an earbud. If we attacked, there was a chance he would hide deeper. Besides, it does not matter."

"Ah... I see. You are tracking them."

"As we speak, I am following them with my birds to their homes. Before next day light, I will have uncovered their identities and once I do, I can eliminate them at my leisure. And I already know Kaiser's. It's Max Anders."

"The CEO of Medhall?"

"I recognize his scent from last week's event. He even wears the same perfume when living both roles."

"I see…" He muttered. "Makima-sama, may I ask another question?"

"Go head."

"Why have you not mastered me?"

"That is an odd question. Do you wish to be mastered?"

"If you tried, I would resist. I have no wish for my identity to be taken away again, no matter how false it may be."

"Perhaps I should ask the same of you. Why are you following me even when you know what I have done?"

"You gave me back my mind. My sense of self and initiative. For that alone, you have my loyalty."

"There, you have my answer. Manipulation is a form of art that I derive great pleasure from. Using powers as a shortcut to what I can achieve with mere words and actions is distasteful. What point would there be to dominate what is already mine? Besides, having someone, I can speak honestly with is pleasant as well."

"You honor me, Makima-sama. Is there any further instruction you have for us?"

"No, you may depart."

"By your leave," he spoke before turning into ash.

She stared silently as his remains drifted in the wind, thinking in contemplation. After several seconds, she turned, heading to the newly expanded harbor. As she walked, she took in the view of the collapsed city as she had done the past few weeks. Despite the wreckage and loss, the civilians carried on with admirable perseverance. Their steps were not defeated, and their visage was bright as they imagined a better future, taking joy and happiness in the smallest of things.

Everything that gone as she wished. Influence, respect, and admiration. She had it all. Yet she sighed in displeasure. Things had simply gone far too well, far beyond her expectations.

Hours after she had defeated Leviathan, her strength began to wane and she continued to weaken by the second. Just as fear strengthened Devils, love weakened them. It was nothing she hadn't expected and she had considered the loss of physical power a worthwhile trade-off for the soft power she would gain. But just the next day, her strength plummeted at a horrifying rate.

Makima had mistakenly equated Leviathan to the Gun Devil. But the amount of hate, fear, and anger the people of this world had for Endbringers far eclipsed the hate that her people had for the Gun.

While the Gun Devil had killed over a million, it had been active only for 5 minutes. In contrast, Endbringers had caused devastation for decades and had an even higher body count.

It was the height of irony. That she would suffer from the same illness that she had afflicted the Chainsaw Man. Her strength continued to fall by the day as the news of Leviathan's removal from the planet spread throughout the world.

By the end of the week, she could no longer see the connections between the avatars and parahumans, much less communicate with them. Finding and locating every powered gang member would have been a trivial task if she could.

But after a week and a half, her decline was halted. Instead, her strength again rose with the Simurgh's rampage worldwide.

But even then, it was not enough. While her strength was still well above and beyond what she had before coming to this world, it was still nowhere near her initial peak. But nevertheless, she had little regret. What was done was done, she was not pitiful enough to bemoan the results.

In a few minutes worth of time, she arrived at the sea, briefly enjoying the salty breeze as the wind brushed against her hair as she contemplated the events that had transpired into what was now

In the end, it did not matter. She was never meant to be a front-line fighter. Her direct combat strength had always been the weakest among her sisters. Instead, her strength had always lied elsewhere.

But still, while she had lost much of her strength, she had gained new powers… Powerful powers.

She raised her hand as if trying to cup the crescent moon within her palm. With the rise of her arm, the glinting sea rose with it.

 

[krahe]

In the end, it did not matter. She was never meant to be a front-line fighter. Her direct combat strength had always been the weakest among her sisters. Instead, her strength had always lied elsewhere.

Click to shrink...

It's honestly a nice take. Of course control freak who prides her people skills and manipulations would feel less strongly about loosing a decent chunk of her strenght when gaining more tools for more manipulations . Besides, Leviathan's hydrokinesis, even if it's not the full power that it could bring, is a nice comforting trade off

 

[sonzofzsea]

So she is weaker because there is hope I didn't know that
I guess that explains what last chapter was talking about being weak with love

 

[Dellian]

WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING WARNING

READ THIS MESSAGE. READ THIS MESSAGE. READ THIS MESSAGE. READ THIS MESSAGE.

I have completely scrapped chapter 10 and the story will now go in a completely different direction. As of now, the plotline of chapter 10 will be irrelevant. THIS IS NOT A REWRITE of CHAPTER 10 but an entirely new chapter.

The Old Chapter 10 has been moved to Sidestories

-------

"Who's a good girl? Who's a good girl? Yes! It's you! It's you!"

Angelica barked in obvious delight, her tail wagging franticly as the woman's finger worked their magic. The digits struck all the right spots behind her ears with astonishing accuracy as the terrier's eyes collapsed in pure bliss. Lost in a world of pleasure, Angelica's legs gave under her, no longer able to hold her weight. She rolled onto the ground, her legs pointing at the sky as she panted and whined for more.

The woman obliged, much to her happiness as the hands shifted their attention onto the abdomen, massaging the entire area in a belly rub. The strength and speed were neither too great to be discomforting nor too soft to be boring. It was just right.

"Awww… Is the doggy happy? Is she the happiest doggy in the world?" The woman cooed and fawned over the crippled canine, showering her with love and attention as Angelica's barks of approval echoed throughout the shelter. It was a happy time for the Terrier, but unfortunately, her siblings sought to steal her piece of Heaven.

Judas and Brutus paced around the woman, eagerly awaiting their turn as they pitifully whined. In mere minutes, their patience ran thin, and they were no longer content with simply watching on the sidelines. The two worked together in well-practiced coordination as they nipped and tugged on the woman's sleeves and pants, trying to drag her away from their sister and guide the happiness-giving hands onto their fur.

Angelica growled in irritation at her siblings while whimpering piteously at the woman. But it was to no avail. The woman was forced to surrender when Judas dug himself under her arm while Brutus plunged into her side. The Terrier's ears drooped at the sad realization that she had been sidelined for her other two siblings as the woman showered them with the same affection she had monopolized moments before.

"Oh, don't you worry! There's enough ruff for everyone!"

Three sets of tails wagged in excitement, filling the shelter with barks and laughter. But Rachel was far from amused or even delighted at what could be taken for a harmonious sight.

Her hands trembled as she watched, fingers digging into her sides in trepidation. She wanted nothing more than to rip away her dogs from the intruder and bring them to safety. While the woman gently caressed their fur with surprising tenderness, she had seen those same hands rip apart the flesh of an Endbringer. The knowledge that her dogs could be pulped into a mass of flesh with even the slightest effort filled her with unease.

Only the fact that she was afraid to startle the woman kept her silent.

Nevertheless, she kept her eyes fixed on her dogs, ready to fight and die if the woman tried hurting them. It was a stupid thought that passed the line of suicidal ideation. But she would rather lose her teeth before her pride, her pride before her life, and her life before her family.

So she remained at heel but was ready to tear and fight at the moment's notice … Ready to fight Makima.

When the woman first came, Rachel was partly surprised she had recognized her fast enough to stop herself from ordering an attack. If someone had shown her the picture of any celebrity, she would have been clueless about their identities.

But even she recognized this person despite her usual obliviousness to anything that did not relate to dogs. How could she not? Her face was plastered everywhere in the city, and she even knew her name. After all, it would be difficult not to when she heard it from the lips of her overly talkative teammate three dozen times a day.

To be fair, Makima knew what she was doing. She treated the dogs with a loving consideration that Rachel had rarely seen in another. She would have been pleased if the woman was someone other than the Endbringer slayer.

But she was not.

She was not some random pedestrian or tourist.

Makima was the world's most beloved hero.

And Rachel was a criminal—a villain.

She was not in costume, but her public identity and face were no secret. While she felt like the others were overzealous in keeping their identities a secret, she had never regretted or even cared that her civilian persona was out in the open.

Until now…

She did not know how the hero had found her sanctuary. But it did not take a genius to see what would happen once Makima grew bored of her dogs. Part of her hoped this was just some coincidence, but when had the world ever been that kind?

After what felt like hours, Makima stood and turned as her attention shifted from the dogs to the only other human in the shelter.

Rachel knew what was coming next as she awaited the inevitable confrontation.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she remained frozen like a deer in headlights. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but logic came hammering down. Even an Endbringer had failed to escape from this Hero's grasp, and she doubted that she would perform any better.

Nevertheless, plans came and went in the short time it took for Makima to turn.

Empowering her dogs would take precious seconds. An insignificantly short time that was long enough for her to be killed a dozen times over.

Her mind flickered around the idea of bludgeoning the woman from behind, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Even if she was fast enough, Makima had withstood blows from Leviathan and had emerged unscathed.

She could try calling her team, but that would be no different from sending them to a collective grave if they even deigned to show up. Rachel's nails dug into her flesh as her frustration grew, drawing blood. But the overwhelming helplessness she had not felt since childhood washed away whatever pain was inflicted.

Logically speaking, a hero wouldn't murder. But it was not her life she was concerned about. Even heroes wouldn't think twice if they killed a dog by accident. Even if she surrendered peacefully, what would happen to the dogs without her to provide for them? She couldn't afford to fight, but that didn't give her the luxury of surrendering.

Thoughts and plans came and went until a voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Mood is shared across company," Makima began in a quiet but authoritative voice that commanded attention. Her amber-ringed eyes met Rachel's, locking onto them with an almost unnerving intensity. The Undersider nearly snarled in response out of instinct before halting. "It's difficult to relax when someone else is so tense. I'm not here to fight if that's what you're afraid of."

Rachel's narrowed eyes continued to meet the woman's soft gaze in a contest of wills. She refused to back down, much less respond, even knowing any escalation would end badly for her.

"Please," she continued softly. "I am not here on behalf of the PRT or Public Safety. Even if I were, it wouldn't be to arrest you."

The villain scoffed in disbelief. "You expect me to trust you?"

"I am not so arrogant to expect anything yet earned. You have no reason to trust me but consider that I have not initiated hostilities.

"Yet."

Makima smiled as if amused by Rachel's defiance. "Perhaps, but hopefully never. I will ask again. Relax. If not for yourself, do it for your dogs. They can sense when their owners are upset."

Rachel glanced at her sides, finally noticing the growing agitation among her family. The tension was infectious, like a virus running rampant in a community saturated with contamination. Her instincts screamed at her to remain on guard despite the futility, but her family's whines and pitiful barks softened her heart.

"Why are you here?" Rachel asked, finally submitting out of weary acceptance.

Rather than answering, the Endslayer bent over, bringing herself closer to Angelica, who had raised herself on her hind legs while resting her front paws on Makima's legs in search of head pats. Makima obliged, gently scratching the Terrier between the ears as she pressed herself against her affectionately.

"Wonderful beasts, aren't they? So stupid… Yet so loyal and attentive to the ones they love. This world would be kinder if those traits were more commonly shared," Makima muttered softly.

"Why the fuck are you here?" Rachel asked once more, anger creeping up her throat at being ignored.

"A person goes to the market for food, the pharmacy for medicine, and the school to learn. For what other reason would I be at the animal shelter other than to adopt a dog?"

Rachel raised her eyebrow in doubt. "You?"

She wasn't wrong. This building was, in fact, an animal shelter. Or what remained of one

But the thought of the Endslayer visiting this part of town to adopt a dog was simply incongruous with the image that the woman had built.

Rachel herself had taken over this shelter when the previous workers no longer bothered to show, too busy struggling to survive in this ruined city to be reminded of the animals they had left behind. But while the number of workers had dropped to one, the number of dogs abandoned in the streets had skyrocketed even as the number of people seeking to adopt had plummeted.

"Me," Makima agreed as she continued to rub Angelica under her chin. "Before I came to this… City… I had raised half a dozen. I've meant to adopt a few pups for a while, but I've always been short on time. But now that I've settled into this new world, I couldn't help but notice that my home feels empty without these furred creatures. Tell me, what are their names?"

Rachel hesitated before finally answering, "Angelica, Brutus, and Judas."

"The traitors? Curious, I was told you were uneducated, but- Oh, a husky!" Makima said, her eyes brightening slightly at the sight of the pup. In no time, the said infant canine was cradled in her arms like a smiling babe.

The puppy yelped in delight as he kissed the hands that held him.

Makima smiled dotingly as she tickled his tummy. "Aren't you the sweetest! What's this one's name?"

Rachel hesitated before answering, "Twinkie."

The red-headed woman paused in brief surprise as her lips curled in amusement. "I do not believe in fate, but this seems almost pre-ordained. I'll take this little one. How much?"

"She's not for sale."

The woman's smile did not falter at the rejection. If she was upset, she hid it well.

"I'm sure we could come to an agreement."

"She's not for sale," Rachel repeated stubbornly, refusing to budge an inch.

"One thousand."

"She's not for sale."

"Ten thousand."

Rachel gritted her teeth in irritation. "If you want him, take him. I don't care as long as you treat him right. But he's not a thing to be sold or bought."

For a moment, the woman was silent. Her face was unmoving from the same soft smile that adorned her face that seemed more like an accessory than a natural expression.

"I see, then I apologize for my rudeness. But it does not feel right to take without giving. Twinkie here is fond of you just as you are of her. Severing such a bond would be cruel and not something that can be compensated for money… How about an alternative payment?"

"Just get out," Rachel growled.

"Now, just hear me out," Makima placated. "You've done well with what resources you've had, but I am not unfamiliar with the costs that come with raising another life. How about a donation? You can go far for these children with a bit more supplies and medication."

"They're not for sale."

"This is not a purchase but a donation for your family's well-being."

"Get the fuck out."

Makima sighed in amusement, her smile never once leaving her lips. "Very well then. At the very least, I can promise he will be well cared for and want nothing."

"You better," Rachel promised, her words bordering a threat. "If you're done, leave."

"So eager to kick me out," Makima mused. "But unfortunately, I wasn't entirely truthful about why I was here."

Rachel could not even say she was surprised. She had long since expected an ulterior motive. Rather than tensing, she relaxed at the revelation. It would have been more suspicious if Makima had left without another word, taking only Twinkie. Tattletale would have spent a week pondering for hidden motives and being even more insufferable than usual.

This way, at the very least, Makima's intentions would be made clear. Would she make threats? Force her to reveal information on her team? Manipulate her through words? Whatever it was, she was ready to bite through whatever scheme that came her way.

"I would like to hand you an invitation to join Public Safety," Makima proposed with an uncomfortable amount of nonchalance.

"…What?" Rachel asked, taken aback. A recruitment offer wasn't that strange, but it was the last thing she had expected. Makima was a hero; why would she try to recruit a known villain? Especially one that had a kill count… It wasn't as if her power was anything valuable. Unless…

"I am inviting you to join-."

"I heard what you fucking said," Rachel snapped, baring her teeth and interrupting the red-haired woman mid-speech. Tattletale would have been aghast at her behavior in front of someone who could have murdered her without consequence. But at this moment, she was far too enraged to care. "The hell are you up to?"

"I am up to many things, but this offer is genuine despite what you may think."

"Get. Out. Do you think I'm stupid? That I can't fucking see what you are trying to do?" Rachel growled. "Arrest me, kill me. I don't give a fuck. But don't think you can trick me into betraying-."

"Taylor," Makima interrupted.

"… What?"

"Brian… Alec… Lisa..."

Rachel fell silent, her eyes widening further at the utterance of each additional name. Her anger rapidly dissipated as a sense of horror filled her gut. While she did not give a single shit about separating her cape and civilian identity, she understood how much it meant to her team.

"Would you like me to continue?" Makima gently questioned, as if it was not apparent that the names were threats. "Daniel? Ayesha? Should I talk about their homes, neighbors and friends?"

"The unwritten rules…." Rachel stuttered, uncertain of how to respond to this disaster.

"Ah yes… The code of honor among Heroes and Villians preventing total war. I could certainly see the appeal."

"If you go after their civilian identities, you'll be blacklisted. You'll turn every Hero and Villain into an enemy. No one will be willing to even work with you," Rachel threatened, trying to regain control in the face of a nightmare.

Her threat was empty. The villains may be incentivized, but she doubted the Heroes would care enough to act. Some may grumble and frown, but the violation of the Rules wasn't sufficient for the Protectorate as a whole to ostracize her. Any experienced cape would have realized this.

But Makima was supposed to be from another world. That meant there was a good chance she was unaware of the attitudes among capes towards the Rules or their actual significance.

She wouldn't be fooled for long, even if her threat worked. But at the very least, it would buy her team enough time to think of a plan.

"Even if you get rid of me, Tattletale is a Thinker, and she'll know and make sure that the entire world knows you broke the rules," Rachel swore with confidence she did not feel.

"You underestimate the willingness of humans to turn the other eye in exchange for salvation. Many would contract Devils if it means that their wish comes within reach," Makima said. "But nevertheless, you may be right. It could certainly lead to unpleasant problems I would rather avoid."

Rachel sighed in relief. Her plan had worked. Now it was time to figure out how to escape this mess. "Then-."

"But I do not care."

Horror wormed into her mind, wiping away any and all momentary relief at an exponential speed.

"While being loved has its uses, I prefer being feared," Makima explained as she began to pace around her. "But most of all, nothing is worth entertaining this idiocy that is the de facto culture of this world."

"… Why are you doing this?"

Why her? Why her team? The Undersiders were hardly a threat compared to the Merchants and the Empire. In the grand scheme of things, their team did not matter. They did not control territory. They did not sell drugs like the Merchants, murder minorities like the Empire, or rape and enslave like the ABB. They were just a pack of hit-and-run thieves. What the hell would make Makima go after them in this manner?

"That's the problem, isn't it? Why do these so-called Heroes, Villains, and Rouges do anything?"

"…."

"I find parahumans to be quite droll. Their motives are childish. Wants inconsequential," Makima scoffed in derision. "Engaging in ritualized combat while pretending to be something greater than they are. Utterly ridiculous. The society that supports the lunacy even more so."

"Get to the fucking point," Rachel growled, her patience stretching its limits as despair and anger threatened to engulf her simultaneously.

"The point is that you are a victim of a failed system. The world is not a comic book; its people are more than two-dimensional personalities that can be categorized into two nouns. That is why I wish to help you."

At this point, she was not ashamed to admit she no longer had a clue as to what this woman was getting at. Just seconds earlier, Makima had seemed like she was a single bad day from joining the Nine. A glance at those amber-ringed eyes was enough to instill fear deep into her marrows, and even the slightest movement was enough to make her flinch.

But now… She seemed… Kind?

Rachel almost felt whiplash from the sudden, drastic change.

Makima paced toward her, stepping deep into her guard. She was far too close to be comfortable, yet Rachel did not attempt to stop her. There was no way she would have allowed anyone to be so close that it would leave her vulnerable… But something about Makima was…

"Rachel. You have every right to doubt. But suspicion must be balanced with logic, or it becomes paranoia. My offer is not a trap or a convoluted attempt to extract information. I truly do wish for you to join me."

"You threatened me. You THREATENED my family!" Rachel nearly screamed, sheer rage snapping her out of whatever trance she was in at the audacity of those words. Her fist clenched at her side, turning pale from lack of blood flow as the temptation to sock this woman across the chin almost overloaded her logic. "You expect me to fucking believe you?"

"Yes," Makima answered frankly and succinctly with such confidence that it felt like no explanation was needed. The answer was so simple and direct that Rachel once more knocked off balance.

"You-."

"I understand that my words may have come off as threats, but I assure you that was not my intention."

"Then what the hell is?!"

"To lay down my cards. To show you that my invitation is not a trap," Makima promised.

Thus far, her words had always been calm and cool, as if they were regurgitated by a machine. But now, Rachel could detect faint hints of stress as if something was troubling her. It was, by far, the most emotion that she had shown.

"I already possess all the cards. I have no need for deceit if I wish to capture your team, nor do I have any desire to coerce you into my service. Control gained through threats is meaningless but, most of all, dangerous. I am not foolish enough to point daggers toward my back with my own hand."

"Tattletale can-."

"Your faith in your family is admirable, but all schemes become meaningless in the face of overwhelming power. While your friend is skilled, do you truly think she can make a difference against me?"

She was right. While Rachel hated to admit it, the Undersiders could do nothing against Makima but flee. She had defeated an Endbringer, sniped him into another planet hard enough that one shattered upon impact. Against that kind of power, what could Tattletale do? What could Skitter? Grue? Regent? Makima already knew their names, so escape was not an option. She probably also had their addresses, considering she managed to find her in the shelter.

Rachel could not think of a single reason for Makima to devise such a convoluted plan to set up a trap for her team when she could have arrested them all yesterday.

But one thing still bothered her… Far more than she liked to admit. Just like how she couldn't see any reason for Makima to lay a trap for her, she also failed to see why she would try to recruit her.

"Why…" She began. "Why do you even want me? Plenty of independents worldwide would gladly join your team if you had asked. Why bother with me?"

"Public Safety was an organization that existed in my previous world. Its purpose was in its name. As a member of the Bureau, it was my duty to protect humanity, often from their own actions. When I see you, Rachel Lindt, I see a girl who had been wronged. Unfairly treated by events beyond her control. I wish to right those injustices."

Makima stared silently, a brief quiet engulfing the two. Even the dogs seemed to respect the silence, as not a single yip or bark interrupted it. Her gaze was one Rachel had confronted multiple times in the brief minutes, but this time, her gaze seemed gentle, almost sad.

"Did you know?" Makima continued. "If you had killed your stepmother with a rock instead of a parahuman power when she tried to drown your dog, you would have been pardoned from the consequences. Any lawyer could have defended such a crime as being under duress. Yet, because you were parahuman, the only thing that mattered was that power was used, not the circumstances behind the death. Thus, Rachel Lindt became a villain to the world."

Rachel did not know. She had honestly never thought about it. That piece of her past was a memory she would never forget, yet one she had always chosen to ignore. Her life had always been harrowing. For the first years following her trigger event, she had been too focused on keeping herself and her family alive to worry about anything else.

"What are you getting at? Even if you're right, it doesn't matter," she said. Her words weren't just empty bravado. She honestly did not care whether she was wronged or not. The only thing that mattered to her was her family. The past could rot and die for all she cared.

"Not to me," Makima said, her slight smile falling. "While others may deem you as wild or even savage. But I say that you are far more human than most. Your motives, while simple, are understandable. You fight to protect your family and what you love, and that alone makes you more human than the rest of your fellow parahumans. But above all, you do not pretend to be someone you are not. You are who you are, whether as Rachel Lindt or Hellhound. And that is why I want to help you."

"I don't need your help," Rachel rebutted, but not harshly. "I can survive on my own just fine."

"It is one thing to survive and another to thrive. You are a city mouse that is playing at being in the country. How many dogs can you support as you are? Ten? Twenty? More? But this city must have hundreds of stray dogs after Leviathan's attack. How many do you think are dying? Starving in the streets? With my help, you could do so much. All I ask is for you to help me better this city, not just for its people but also for the dogs that have been abandoned."

"I…" The offer was tempting. Far more than she would like to admit. The temptation wasn't just in the details. The way Makima spoke, her tone, and down to her diction seemed seductive and entrancing. It made her want to listen.

"Shh," Makima interrupted softly, a finger pressing against her lips. "Don't answer. Just consider. And when we meet again, give me a yes."

----

Any and all reviews will be appreciated.

 

[Kolarthecool]

Does this mean Lung is off slaughtering the other Villains?

 

[BurningSaiyan]

I like this different direction where she isn't quite as upfront and agressive. What made you change directions? Though I do miss Oni Lee with a mind again.

 

[Dellian]

Does this mean Lung is off slaughtering the other Villains?

Click to shrink...

Naw

I like this different direction where she isn't quite as upfront and agressive. What made you change directions? Though I do miss Oni Lee with a mind again.

Click to shrink...

I wrote the original chapter 10 when I was going through emotional difficulties so the quality was pretty bad. I planned on rewriting it but it was so bad that I decided redo the entire chapter 10 story instead of fixing the errors. The new plot will have the same overarching idea but it will be done through completely new scenes with additional plotlines.

 

[krahe]

That was oddly wholesome. I mean, sure, she's manipulating her, but Rachel likely also hit her doglover button. And dogs are a serious business for Makima

 

[Dellian]

The Sniper (Part 1)

​

"I'm going to college."

The Sniper snapped his head towards his colleague. "What?" He asked in confusion at the sudden announcement.

"You didn't hear?" Rin asked, as if surprised at his surprise. "Miss Makima is offering scholarships to any Bureau member who wants to go. It's been the talk of the town all week," she continued, chiding him for his supposed inattentiveness to current events.

He heard, of course. Very little happened within the Bureau without him being informed. As the Bureau's assassin, it was a necessity for someone of his duties. To realize her dreams, it was vital that he kept track of the enemies outside and the traitors within. The difference between the two was slight, but they all ended up as corpses beneath his scope.

The creation of the scholarship fund was one of the many reasons he lauded Makima-sama. Investing in the individual rather than bringing in talent from other cities was an excellent way to bolster the organization's quality and provide a chance to those who suffered in this filth-infested hell hole.

The PRT wailed and lamented that the Bureau was just another gang. However, gestures like these unequivocally differentiated them from the likes of the ABB and Empire that would never invest in an individual's future. Furthermore, the program was expected to expand to everyone in the city once their nascent shipping industry took off.

So hearing that his junior would be taking the opportunity filled him with joy for the young girl and gratitude towards the one who had given them all a chance to be something more.

But it was befuddling that his junior, a girl in her late teens, would choose now of all times to announce her future life plans. For Christ's sake, they were in the middle of an assassination mission. But considering her history, it wasn't surprising that she never had a chance to be properly socialized.

Pitiful… She hadn't even completed middle school…

"Wait a sec… What's with that look!" She started, her brows furrowed in annoyance and her voice laced with hurt suspicion. "Are you thinking that I'm not good enough? That a stacked brick is smarter than me? That my Hippocampus is fucking collapsed?"

"What?" He stupidly repeated. "I… Well… First, I'm surprised you even know what a Hippocampus is; secondly, I didn't say anything."

"That's even worse!" She pouted, her lower lip extending further than the one above. "Well, guess what! I won't be doing grunt work for the rest of my life. Once I get enough promotions, it'll be paperwork in the office and ordering around scrubs for me! That's the fucking life."

Her behavior was entirely unprofessional. If this were the army, she would have received disciplinary action for causing unnecessary disturbances in the middle of a delicate operation. He was tempted to scold her but stopped himself. He did not play favorites, but the girl had been through much in her life, and he didn't have the courage or cruelty.

Before he had taken her in, she was a prostitute, sold by her parents for a couple of hundred bucks to Lung. And when the ABB crumbled, she lost her only sanctuary. It was a terrible one that ruined her mind and body, but it kept her fed and alive.

Stories like hers were so familiar that it was depressing.

Heroes had rescued women from Lung's brothels in the past. But more often than not, the girls always returned to their pimps and rapists. Some were hopelessly addicted to the drugs they were fed, others had nobody to turn to, and most had no alternative method of survival.

But Makima-sama took those struggling girls in and provided them with a true sanctuary—one where they were protected and provided opportunities for various types of employment within the Bureau. Something that the PRT and Protectorate never cared to do.

That, he believed, was the truest difference between the two. It was not her destructive power but the ability to make lasting changes in the minds of those who lived that made her a Hero.

Unlike Rin, who had more ambition than sense, most of the liberated girls veered away from combat-oriented roles. But plenty of necessary work in the backlines needed more hands, especially when the Bureau's industrial capacity would be fully displayed within the next few weeks.

"Look. I'm happy for you," the Sniper started, raising his hands in a gesture of goodwill and surrender.

"Oookaayyyy… I'm sensing a but."

"But, before you can even think about college, you need to go to high school. And finish middle school."

"So you DO think I'm stupid! I'll have you know I did great in my tests!" Ren exclaimed, aggrieved at the insinuation.

"No, no, no. That's not-." He hurriedly started, trying to clarify. "Listen. It's not about being smart or dumb. It's about being prepared. College is a completely different beast from grade school. If you don't have the basics down, you'll flop," he advised as someone who had done just that back when Japan was still a country.

"Well, what am I supposed to do? I'm too old to frolic around with dumb kids. I'll die of embarrassment. Literally," she sighed, looking downcast and losing her typical spirited self.

The Sniper sighed. He didn't play favorites. He really didn't. Anyone else who said otherwise was a goddamn liar. But seeing her like this was counterproductive for his own mental health, which would affect the mission's results.

"I report to Makima-sama next week. I can ask if she can provide alternative routes to a GED. With her resources, I'm sure she can have someone arrange something for you and anyone else in similar conundrums."

Ren perked up, a smile returning to her lips. But it faded as quickly as it came. "Nah, I'm good," she declined, shaking her head. "Miss Makima's already given me so much. A place to stay, friends, and a life where I'm not getting fucked over, both literally and figuratively. It'd be greedy to ask for more, ya know."

He laughed, chuckling as he ruffled her hair despite her fervent protests. "And what's so wrong about being a little greedy? Listen girl, and listen well. Anyone content with what they have may as well be dead to the rest of the world. If you want to make something of yourself, you gotta be the Town Mouse. When you get one, reach for two. And when you have two, take four."

"But-."

"If you're feeling guilty about it, just pay her back in the future. It's not like you're getting free stuff. You're investing in yourself so you can better help out Makima-sama down the road. And who knows, maybe once you get that shiny college degree, she'll give you a totally awesome superpower like mine," he advised as he grinned teasingly at his junior.

Ren joined his laughter, almost snorting. Whatever clouds of negativity she had were swept away as she became her usual optimistic self. "You actually sounded wise for a sec there, old timer. Gods… I hope I get any power but yours."

Now it was his turn to pout. "Har har, very funny. Now let's get focused. We got a person to kill, and she won't do the work for us. Probably."

"Whatever you say, boss," she replied, grinning one last time before sinking back into silence.

Once the silence returned, the Sniper gazed down from above the roof. At this height, the city he had chosen to protect from those that wished it harm seemed so fragile, like a child's toy. Everything seemed so small, and even the noise was nearly non-existent other than the occasional hum of a passing vehicle in the sparsely populated roads in the distance.

Time passed as the two waited.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and the once-warm rays that had bathed the city in its golden splendor gave way to the cool embrace of the moon's pale glow. And with the pale light came the chills that became increasingly pronounced by the following second.

But he ignored all such distractions as he sank into his meditative state, focusing and reviewing all and every possible detail regarding his mission. Perched atop the highest vantage point in the vicinity, he fixated his eyes on his target's home miles away.

His team had studied the target for days, meticulously tracking her every movement. They had learned that she was a creature of habit, following the same routine day in and day out. She would leave for work at 7, take her lunch break at the local diner at noon, and return home at 6, always following the same route without fail.

It was almost too easy, but complacency was a sin, especially when his prey was a parahuman. He remained vigilant, alone in his quiet world as he waited for her return.

In a world where men could split the Earth, and women could sunder the Heavens, firearms that had once reined supreme were forced into the rear seat. When civilians thought of Parahuman powers, they thought of the invulnerability of Alexandria, the speed of Legend, and the diversity of Eidolon. But contrary to popular belief, most parahumans were just as vulnerable to bullets as their fellow unpowered humans.

Even those who could dodge or defend themselves often lacked the reaction time to survive said weapons when caught off guard. Thus, it was incomprehensible that it was so uncommon for a 7.62x51mm to contact a parahuman's skull.

Despite the contradictions of his world, pondering and reaching for answers beyond his station was not his purpose. His kind fought when needed and killed when ordered.

But even then, a part of his traitorous mind rebelled against the iron-clad discipline he had trained into himself, questioning certain inconsistencies.

"Boss…" Ren interrupted the silence. "Why are we killing Brandish?"

Now wasn't that the million-dollar question?

"I'm… I… I don't know," he lamely answered. The question had been on his mind ever since he received his orders.

Carol Dallon was a famous name and the leading figure of New Wave. Even if he considered that their street activities had decreased, antagonizing half a dozen parahumans, even anonymously, seemed like a dangerous move without any clear benefits.

"Say… You get your orders from Takemura, right?" Ren said, her eyes squinting with suspicion.

He nodded.

"And Taekmura used to be high up in the ABB… Right?"

Again, the Sniper nodded.

"Well, what if this mission isn't really from Miss Makima?" Ren suggested. "What if Takemura just has a bone to pick with New Wave from his ABB days and is using us to settle a personal score? I mean, we killed a bunch of bad guys over the months, and only a few were children. But Brandish is different from our usual targets of gangbangers and traitors."

She was certainly perceptive for a girl who never graduated past middle school. It was one of the reasons why he had taken her as his partner. The ability to notice things that escaped the view of most was invaluable for a sniper to have. "Possible. But unlikely."

If his orders had come down from anyone else, he would have shared similar suspicions. But Takemura-dono had a level of fanaticism that was almost frightening. If Makima-sama had ordered him to die, he would only ask how.

And even if he weren't loyal, he wasn't stupid enough to brazenly use Bureau resources to resolve a petty grudge.

But if he had… If the man betrayed Makima-sama's trust…

Well…

Then the Sniper would know who his next target would be.

"Does it make you uncomfortable?" He asked, concerned. "That we're about to kill a hero?"

"Hero? What hero?" Ren scoffed in derision. "There's only one Hero in this city, and it certainly isn't Brandish."

"Come on, that's not fair. She saved a bunch of people over the years, and the Protectorate had a major win against the Empire last week," he protested. While he agreed that the traditional Heroes had failed the city in more ways than one, it would have been unfair to call them useless. They had, at the very least, slowed its destruction and mitigated the symptoms of the disease.

"They never saved me," she sneered, her lips turning and twisting into something hideous. For a moment, the Sniper shook, his body reacting to the venom in the voice of a girl half his age.

"There's a lot of people in this city, kid."

"And so what? Do you know why I chose this day and time for the mission? The Protectorate and their brats are busy posing for the camera and signing autographs at the mall right now. New Wave is even worse. They treat their gimmick like it's an afterschool activity."

"They have their own lives, New Wave especially. They aren't paid, and most of their members are kids. They need to go to school."

"Then they shouldn't be calling themselves heroes. If they spent a bit more time being a hero and less as celebrities… They might have gotten me out years ago."

"The city would be worse without them."

"By sacrificing people not worth protecting," she shot back. "All they ever protect are the rich-folk downtown. But us? People who barely scrape by? They literally don't give a shit."

Her sentiment was shared within the Docks, especially since people now experienced what it could have been like if the PRT hadn't been so ineffective. Like everything else, the Heroes were biased toward protecting the wealthy. It was normal and expected that the rich would receive more benefits, but the gap in most cities was not as extreme as in Brockton Bay.

The best evidence for the apparent differences was in Arcadia and Winslow. These two schools were mere miles from each other, yet the disparity was apparent as Heaven and Hell.

It was said that the Heroes protected the city. But that protection did not extend past Downtown. Heroes actively patrolled and fought to prevent crime in the prosperous and valuable commercial zones but in the Docks? The only time he had ever seen the Protectorate in his neighborhood was when Lung had set it on fire.

For years, entire segments of the city's population went ignored, left to the tender mercies of the gangs as a sacrifice in hopes that they would be satisfied with what they had and not attempt to gain more.

Knowing this, how could he blame her for her hatred?

How could the PRT blame them for supporting the Bureau when they received the protection the former merely touted from the latter?

Only now did the Heroes actively patrolled the Docks in hopes of turning the tides of public sentiment. But grievances ran deep, and no amount of propaganda or photoshoots would be enough to change that.

But regardless, having such one-sided views was problematic even if they were truths. It often blinded people to other possibilities and narrowed their vision. Rin had many reasons to be furious, but as her mentor, he hoped to teach her to see the forest rather than the tree.

"Look boss, if Miss Makima ordered the hit, I'm sure she had a good reason. I just want to make sure we have our targets right. I don't want to cause trouble for her because some dick was being a dick," Rin explained.

He chuckled. "Takemura-dono is a dick, but he's a loyal dick. Don't worry too much, he-." A buzz rang on the dorsum of his foot from a transmitter, interrupting him mid-speech. It was a signal from the rest of his team. "The target's left work. By my estimate, she'll be here in 18 minutes with the predicted level of traffic. Ren, get the drone and scout the area. Make sure that there aren't any Protectorate patrols around."

"On it," Ren affirmed as she worked the tinker-tech machinery she had been taught to use. The two fell back into silence as they each dedicated themselves to their respective duties.

Almost to the exact second, he spotted a familiar car turning up at the edge of the road, heading towards the house he had been watching for the past two hours.

The woman drove into her driveway, cut off the engine and exited the car. He was no precog, but he already knew what she had planned for the rest of the day. Upon entering through the same door for the ten-thousandth time, she would be greeted by her eldest daughter. An hour and a half later, she would have dinner with the rest of her family excluding Panacea, who would be working at the hospital at that time. And when the darker parts of the night fell, she would sleep.

But not today.

And never again.

It was rather risky commencing the operation when two members of New Wave were present. But if all went well, no one would notice for hours that a newly made corpse lay on their doorsteps. Even if they did, Manpower was a depressed wreck, and Glory Girl would be too shocked to commence pursuit. Taking account of the considerable distance them, it would be simple for him and Ren to make themselves scarce.

"All clear, boss. The PRT and Wards are still doing the photo-op in the mall," Ren snarled. Even though his eyes were focused on his target, he could hear her face twist into hatred.

With the plan in his mind and duty in his heart, the Sniper steadied himself, clearing his mind of all thoughts except for the necessary focus.

As a seasoned gunman, he understood the challenges of making long-distance kills. Not only did he have to account for the wind, but he also had to control his bodily systems. The army trained their marksmen to time their shots with their heartbeat, as even the slightest pulse could throw off their aim. At a distance of 11.6 miles, these distractions were amplified to such a degree that it was nigh impossible, aside from divine intervention, to make such a shot.

But while he may not have had the favor of the Lord, he had something close enough. With the gift granted by Makima-sama, the typical challenges that came with his station became inconsequential.

Among the chosen in the Special Division were those who could fold buildings with a kick, track a target from a city away by scent, control all manners of insects and animals within a specific range, and so on.

In comparison, his powers seemed lackluster. But in his arena, it was equally as potent.

And so the Sniper died.

He killed his nerves, halted his muscles and waited as his gift took hold. A single thought was enough to silence his heart, freeze the blood in his veins, and render himself so motionless that he became part of the static scenery. He should have lost consciousness within the second and died within the minute, yet he remained fully aware and completely functional.

It was a useless power for most but for him? It was invaluable.

And all he had to give in exchange was…

…

Was…

…

Huh?

…

…

"Boss, you okay?" Rin asked in concern. "You look sick."

"Hmm?" The Sniper snapped up in surprise; his pupils dilated as if he was gazing at something afar. "Oh, sorry, I was… Distracted?"

"About?"

"I'm… I'm not sure…."

"Geez, old man, get it together! Did dementia take you at forty?" She scolded.

"Haha… Sorry..." He apologized, feelings of shame and guilt digging deep into his insides. It was embarrassing to display such unprofessional behavior in front of the student. Thus, he redoubled his focus and sank deeper into his power.

The stillness was still eerie, no matter how many times he had deployed his power. But it was necessary for the mission and a burden he would gladly bear. Not a twitch in his nerves interfered with his motion as he settled the scope upon the target's head, his tinker tech rifle primed and ready.

But while he was devoted to one- the cause and prepared to offer up his life when necessary, knowing that he was about to take a heroine's life was still an uncomfortable feeling, like the unfortunate time when he was forced to detonate a bomb when the target's son was nearby.

But regardless of his opinions, he knew what had to be done. With a hand steadier than a machine's, he aimed at the head, using only the minimal muscles and neural activity necessary for the purpose, even as his morals screamed at him to stop.

It was wrong. It was immoral. It was monstrous.

But Makima-sama knew best.

And he would follow her. His faith would never allow for anything else.

At the very least, he could grant a quick, painless death.

In his mind's eye, a vivid vision of the future materialized. He saw a burst of red that colored the walls and carpeted the floor, followed by the limp descent of a headless corpse onto the ground below.

With the future envisioned, he braced himself, his finger traveling towards the trigger with an almost imperceptible slowness as his intended victim entered his crosshairs. Within the next second, his vision would come to life, making illusion into reality with a single decisive squeeze of the trigger.

"Stand down."

The Sniper struck high.

Rin struck low.

Years of rigorous training had left his reflexes as sharp as razors. Without a moment's hesitation, he whirled around to deliver a bone-crushing blow to the intruder with the butt of his rifle. At this close of a distance, the rifle was too long to be of use for anything other than a makeshift club.

Ren, despite her inexperience, reacted with far greater swiftness and skill for someone with only a few months into training. Her knife flashed in the moonlight, slashing towards their attacker's lower limbs.

But the handle never met the intended skull. Nor did Ren's knife cut into tendons of the leg.

With skills to match his own, the assailant caught the rifle mid-swing, bringing it to a halt with the palm of his hand while simultaneously catching the knife with the heel of his shoes. With methodical precision, the gun was ripped from the Sniper's hand and sent flying to the side with a well-placed strike at his wrists as he turned, delivering a roundhouse kick to his junior's temple.

The Sniper grimaced, glancing at the girl who had dropped to the floor like a rock. But this was no time to check on his teammate. Not with the foe before him. With well-practiced precision, his hand shot to his side, reaching for the sidearm as he put all unrelated to combat to the side. But the assailant was faster.

Before he could draw his handgun, he found himself staring down at the barrel of a gun that was not his.

The Sniper froze, halting mid-movement like a poorly timed photograph.

"Are you done?" The intruder asked without emotion. Not a trace of amusement or irritation could be seen in his stoic visage.

"Takemura-dono?" He asked in surprise as his senses returned, finally recognizing his own superior—the very person who had ordered Carol Dallon's death from the start.

Makima-sama's right-hand man was dressed in the typical suit and tie of the Bureau. But while his appearance was clean and orderly to the eyes, he reeked of blood and gunpowder as if he had come back from a warzone. In fact, he was so coated with it that the Sniper should have easily smelled his approach even if he was distracted.

So how?

How had he hidden himself until the last minute?

With a huff, Takemura re-holstered his gun. "I pray for your own sake that you are more… Observant of your surroundings next time."

He could not tell if that was a threat or genuine advice. It was always difficult to tell with the man before him. His presence always left him uneasy, like he was prey being stalked by a predator lurking in the shadows. But even beyond that, the alterations in his personality were the most disconcerting. At times, Makima-sama's right-hand man seemed like a common thug in his mannerisms and act. At others, he was a well-adjusted sociopath, caring only for achieving the goal given by his master. It was impossible to tell which persona was genuine or if they were both just facades hiding something even more sinister.

But despite his misgivings about the man, the Sniper stood at attention before his superior, silently awaiting an explanation for the interruption. He understood the command he was given but failed to comprehend its rationale. Why expend so much time and resources in preparing for a hit and plan for its fall out, only to abandon it moments before its execution?

Unnoticing or uncaring of his subordinate's dissatisfaction, Takemura continued. "The situation has evolved unpredictably. Thus, this mission has been terminated."

The Sniper attempted to respond but found himself unable to articulate one. While part of him was relieved that he no longer had to execute an innocent life, his professional side felt slighted. He had dedicated significant effort to meticulously plan this assassination and even more to devise strategies to deal with its aftermath. To have his work and effort dismissed so carelessly left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth.

"Sir?" He said, asking for further clarification. He had come here without an explanation and now was being dismissed just the same. It infuriated him and dug at his pride.

His loyalty to Makima-sama and, by extension, the Bureau was unquestionable. But that did not mean he was willing to be treated like a common grunt by someone other than her, no matter how high in the ranks the person was. At this point, he seriously questioned whether the orders to assassinate Carol Dallon originated from the Endkiller herself.

"The details are none of your concern. But there are pressing matters that need to be dealt with. The remnants of the ABB have been causing trouble in the newly established dockyards. Deal with them," Takemura ordered callously.

Bastard… A dick indeed

"Have there been sightings of Parahumans? What are their numbers?" He asked his superior. Part of him wished to throttle the man, but such unprofessional behavior was beneath him. He was not some low life to rage and whine at every injustice.

"Negative. Neither Lung nor Bakuda has been sighted as of late while Oni Lee has all but disappeared. Their exact numbers are unknown, but there shouldn't be more than half a dozen."

"Then why, may I ask, must I be sent? Grunt work can be accomplished by the lower divisions. My brother's squad is stationed by the dockyards. They should be more than enough to eliminate the dissidents." Even beyond his pride, sending a member of the special division to drive away a maximum of 6 people was a gross misallocation of resources. The suit of a Bureau member was specially modified by Parian to be impervious to everything but the highest caliber of bullets. A single squad would be more than enough to complete this sort of task.

Takemura frowned, showing emotion for the first time. "You would be correct… If the rebels hadn't been disappearing every time Squad 12 pursued them."

Now that got his attention. If what his superior said was true… Then that would mean-

"We have a spy amongst us. A leak coming from our personnel," He continued, walking to the edge of the roof and gazing at the night city below. "Every ambush, trap, and tactic so far has been foiled and with each failure falls the faith of the Dockworker's Union. I hope I do not need to remind you of their importance to the Bureau's industrial capacity."

He didn't. He knew all too well how valuable their skills would become and why binding them to the Bureau's ranks was so important.

"Elimination or capture?" The Sniper asked, his previous aggression and ire disappearing at the importance of the mission given. He did not bother debating his superior's claims of a spy. Many in the Bureau were once ABB loyalists. Grudges and anger still ran rampant within their ranks even when most now lived far better lives.

Thus, it was all too common for some to commit treason. He would know better than most. After all, he had killed many such traitors in the past months.

"Capture, then interrogation, then elimination once you are done. I don't care what methods you use. Get the work done. We cannot afford dissidents within our own ranks with the PRT bearing down on our backs. Take Squad 12 with you. They will fill you in the details."

"It will be done sir," he affirmed resolutely as Takemura turned and left, not even bothering to acknowledge his confirmation.

Seriously… What a dick…

---

This mini arc has one more chapter and we will be returning to Makima's POV after it. I wanted to write a POV from the perspective of the Public, Villains, PRT/Protectorate, and the Bureau before I move on back to Control Freak.

As usual, all reviews, comments, and discussions are appreciated.

 

[Dellian]

I know this is very late, but I stopped posting on this site a while ago due to lack of readers. If you want to read more of this story, go to spacebattles. It has 5 more chapters than here.