Olivia and I worked in a mad dash to get everything on my list done before darkness settled over the city of Brockton Bay. After a few minutes of being confused about what I was saying, Olivia seemed to make a choice, deciding to just go with it. She covered herself in a muted version of her cloak, no doubt to buff her intelligence and learning ability, and went about helping as best as she could. She quickly proved she hadn't been joking about her power buffing her learning speed, as while she started out only really helping by grabbing me stuff when I needed it, by the time we were done, she had drawn at least a few circles and lines at my direction.
The arcane symbols seemed beyond her, potentially because she had no connection to the magic itself, but even so, she was a great help. She even spotted an error or two before I did.
When we were finally done, Olivia sent her cloak to her shadow, and we both climbed down off the roof. John and Charles were waiting nearby, as were just under two dozen men and women. While they were of varying shapes, ethnicities, and sizes, they all had that bearing you associated with people who knew what they were doing, with soldiers who knew what they were capable of and were confident in their abilities. As we approached, we carefully placed our bags down.
"Alright, assume these guys are them?" I asked the two unofficial leaders as I gestured to the group, both of the leaders nodding. "Great."
I turned to the group, which almost instantly quieted down. Most of them had seen Olivia and me coming, and it didn't take long for the rest of them to quiet the ones who hadn't.
"Okay, so as you probably know, there is a pretty good chance that Lung, or at least the ABB is gonna show up here, trying to teach me a lesson," I explained, watching the small crowd nod in understanding. "While I would save those people from that fire every time, I regret getting this community involved. That's why I'm breaking some of my rules and handing out toys."
I reached into the first bag, pulling out a worn jacket, one of many in the bag, bought from a second-hand store.
"This jacket, as well as the rest of them in the bag, are extra protective. It will stop a knife or other stabbing weapon, cushion something like a bat, and stop small pistol-caliber bullets," I explained, throwing it to the nearest person before gesturing for everyone else to come to the bag to grab one. "I want to emphasize that the
jacket is what is protecting you. You can still get hurt in other places that it doesn't cover. I know it's not much, but we are short on time. Unfortunately, we didn't exactly have time to take everyone's sizes, so please trade around with people to get the best fit."
As the people gathered and started to pass around the jackets, I went to another bag and pulled out a pair of pants.
"These pants protect against heat. They do
NOT make you fireproof," I emphasized, making sure that everyone heard me. "Unlike the jacket, these make your entire body harder to burn. Their effects are noticeable, but constantly standing in fire, getting fire thrown at you, or being held by someone who is on fire is going to override that very quickly. These are to give you a few extra seconds to roll, run, jump into cover, or whatever you need, not to let you stand toe to toe with Lung."
The group quickly started to pull on jackets and pants, trading and helping where they could. At least a few people needed to have their pants and jackets taped up with duct tape since Olivia and her help had purposely leaned towards larger sizes when buying everything.
"Just a warning. Both the jacket and the pants will stop working sometime tomorrow evening. Most of them will unravel and fall apart, but even the ones that don't will still lose their effect," I said seriously, looking around at everyone. "So unless you want to put on a show, I suggest you change out of them before then."
My flat joke got a few chuckles, but most people were focused on getting dressed. While they did, I pulled out the final bit of kit, the stun wands.
"The last little toy is a stun stick," I explained, picking one of them up and pointing to a nearby dumpster. "Now they look a bit fantastical, but all you do is point them at your target and…"
I focused for a moment before a blast of smarks fired from the wand. Some of the sparkes reached the dumpster, impacting it with a thump. It wasn't nearly as energetic as my simple, wordless spark, but it was still a magical projectile. I slid the wand into my pocket before turning to everyone else.
"Had that been a person, they would be unconscious for the next six hours," I explained, making sure to look into as many of their eyes as possible. "These are nonlethal and have twenty-five shots
each. If you shoot twenty-six, the last one will pull from your stamina, as will every shot after that. For anyone assuming they can handle it, one or two shots will probably going to be fine, but any more than that, you risk making yourself too tired to keep up. Any more than five, and you will likely pass out. Keep track."
"Why not just use guns?" One of the older men asked with a frown. "Why stick with this nonlethal crap."
"Because if Lung attacks, and we all use nonlethal stuff to take out the entourage he will no doubt show up with, then when all this is over, you can all disappear into the crowd. You help, you stop them from rampaging through the camp while I deal with Lung, and then your job is over. We start picking up guns and killing people, or baseball bats, or knives, or anything else you might be able to get your hands on? Then shit starts to get complicated. Investigations need to start, questions need to be answered, and suddenly all of you are accomplices, not random brave people willing to protect innocent victims. Your potential new gang members or overzealous maniacs who need to be stopped before they overreact again."
That got a reaction from a few people, who clearly didn't like me implying that defending the camp with that level of violence would be an overreaction. I held out my hand to hold them back while I explained.
"I wouldn't agree with them, but leaving ourselves open for people to take advantage of is something we should avoid if we can," I explained. "Hence, nonlethal weapons. Trust me, anyone you hit with this is not getting up for several hours. These aren't tasers that someone can walk off with enough drugs and anger."
That seemed to mollify them slightly, and each of them picked one of the wands up, holding it in their hands. A few of them shot theirs off once, just to get a feel for them, before passing on their experience to the others, helping them prepare. Both John, Charles, and Olivia got one wand as well, the former two also getting jackets and pants.
Once everyone was armed and armored, I returned to my lookout, though really it wasn't needed. Alya had long since spread herself out around the community, reaching several blocks around it with ease. She was keeping track of more or less every person who got close to the community all by herself and would warn me should anything change. While I was "keeping watch," Olivia returned to her little nest in one of the warehouses the community claimed. She didn't flat-out say it, but her power did seem to have an effect on her, making her feel uncomfortable with being out in the open. Her cloak did seem to help with that, but only when it was activated.
Time passed, and as the night progressed, the tension seemed to ratchet up higher and higher. Quite a few people had left the camp, either convinced to because they were old or young or because they were scared of what might happen. I honestly wished more people would leave, but part of me understood why they didn't. This was their home, and as little as it was, abandoning it was out of the question for a good chunk of people.
I could only hope that they would run if I failed.
Time passed, and night settled heavily over the community. It was almost three AM when Alya's presence pulled back around me. I immediately felt something was wrong.
"They are coming," She warned. "A fleet of five cars coming from deeper in ABB territory."
"Fuck. Okay," I nodded, sitting up from my spot on the roof. "Keep watch, let me know what's happening."
I could feel her agreement, and I pulled out my cell phone. I quickly called the PRT number I was given for emergencies. A woman answered the phone, giving a boilerplate message about it being a PRT line.
"Hello. This is Arcanum," I stated simply. "Lung and the ABB are about to attack the Docks homeless community."
"A-Arcanum, it is recommended that you retreat. Lung is a dangerous threat when he ramps up," The woman warned me, stumbling over her words.
"I can't, not when he will take it out on the people that live here," I explained. "Send help if you can."
I hung up the phone, taking a deep breath before stepping forward off of the roof and landing in the clearing below. People keeping watch noticed my activity, and when I waved them down, they started waking people up, rushing through the camps and buildings. Within a few minutes, Charles, John, and the others had rushed out into the opening square at the center of the community, taking cover behind concrete barriers, dumpsters, and corners. They cast eerie shadows as they moved, the various burning barrels providing just enough light to see by.
Olivia was nowhere to be seen.
Within another minute or so, the fleet arrived, pulling to a stop along the edge of the forward parking lot. Dozens of gangers poured out of the vans armed with swords, bats, knives, and guns. I even saw a few with hatchets.
The last door to open was the back of a car, both sides opening at once. From one side came Oni Lee, dressed in a new costume, showing no visual signs of being injured, but considering they had no way to heal him, it must have been an act. He locked eyes with me the moment he stepped out, not looking away for a second. In truth, I barely paid any attention to him once Lung stepped out the other side of the car.
Lung was tall, muscular, and covered in tattoos that depicted various eastern iconography. His face was covered by a steel dragon mask, with sharp teeth and antler-like horns protruding from the top. He was shirtless and dressed in simple pants. Considering how often he burned through them, I couldn't blame him for going with the simple-style costume.
He walked forward confidently, Oni Lee walking around the car to stand to his right, just behind him. Both of them stopped fifteen, maybe twenty feet away from me. Behind them, his men stood confidently, holding their weapons and watching me, glancing at the others around me.
"Arcanum. You interfered," The ABB leader said, his voice gravelly and low as he talked in a Japanese accent similar to Oni Lee's. "We left you alone, so that you may work your charity, and yet you spit on our generosity. Why?"
"Because there were civilians inside that building," I responded. "Whatever business you had, I assume with the store owner, I needed to save the innocent people inside the building."
He looked at me for a moment, before shaking his head.
"The message was that no one is safe, and you interfered with that," He stated.
"They were innocent, they had done nothing wrong," I repeated. "How could I do nothing?"
Tension rose, and the air around us suddenly felt like it was taught with energy, like a drum drawn too tight, ready to snap.
"Listen, I get that you can't let me get away with driving off Oni Lee, especially since I injured him," I said. "But how about a trade. I heal Oni Lee from all the damage I caused. You get to tell everyone that I basically surrendered because I didn't want to fight you, and you also get your second in command back without a lengthy healing process. In exchange, you leave this community and its members out of this, and we move on."
"No. There will be no middle ground today," he responded, shaking his head. "When you interfered, you gave them hope. As pitiful as it might be, it is also dangerous. Soon, people will refuse to pay their dues, and some may even fight back. A lesson must be taught about what happens when people interfere."
"Lung, we don't have to do this," I said, trying one final time. "These people have done nothing but try and survive."
"But you have given them hope," he said. "They now rely on you, which means they must be punished as you are. I will burn this community to the ground and kill all who remain before driving any other groups from my territory. And it will be on your head, Arcanum."
As he talked, I could see him beginning to change. His skin cracked and split, slowly revealing a glowing from underneath. He grew taller and slightly more hunched as his arms slowly elongated, his legs doing the same. By the time he was done talking, I could see a slight heat haze coming off his body.
"Over my dead, probably charred body, you fucker," I responded, grabbing my staff from my hip and uncoiling it before slamming it down on the asphalt.
As I spoke, all of the in-cover community members shifted slightly, and a barrage of stun blasts flung themselves across the gaps. Several ABB dropped where they stood, and before they could do anything, that number doubled as they scrambled to react. A few bullets sparked off the ground, but it seemed like the community members had the smarts to target those with guns first.
With a roar, Lung charged at me, his men not far behind. Oni Lee disappeared into a puff of white ash from behind him, vanishing to who knows where. I cast blast after blast of lighting at Lung, but they barely slowed him down, even the stun spell barely making him pause as he continued to grow in size. By the time he was close enough to swing at me, he was a full head taller than when he started, his body a crisscross of cracked, glowing skin.
I ducked under his punch, slamming my fist into his stomach hard enough to crack his ribs before I jumped back out of his range. When I landed, I watched him straighten out, having slouched from the sudden impact and pain from his ribs breaking.
"You are stronger than you look," He said, the gravel in his voice only getting stronger, almost overriding his accent. "But it isn't enough. I've fought stronger, it only takes time."
I could hear his ribs cracking back into place as he talked. He took a step forward, and I moved to dodge, looking to run circles around him, using my speed to my advantage. As I went to move, Oni Lee appeared in front of me, slamming my side with a metal bat before disappearing into a puff of ash. He didn't hurt me, he barely even moved me, but he did delay me.
Suddenly, Lung was in my face, lashing out with a kick that sent me tumbling backward, head over heels. I was fine, but his strength was clearly already rising, and as I quickly climbed to my feet, I could see heat waves roiling out of his mouth.
I tried to move again, only for Oni Lee to appear once more, ready to swing his bat at my head this time. I raised my arm to block it, only to see the demon ninja frozen in place, the bat raised. Before I could even think, a crowbar smashed into his mask as Olivia stepped out of a nearby shadow swinging. The blow cracked the villain's mask severely before the clone burst into ash and faded.
"I got you back," Olivia said, standing beside me for a moment before fading away into a shadow. "Call me Crow for now."
I couldn't help but smile, even as Lung continued to grow, now growling angrily. He was at least seven and a half feet tall, and every second, he looked less human, liquid fire dripping from his mask, his hands turning into clawed weapons.
"Alright Crow. Cover me as best you can." I said before raising my staff. "This is going to be rough."
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