Castle_Bravo
The user formerly known as Nuke_Equestria
I name all my female characters Steve.
Firebird, a Worm AU/Xover?
- Thread starter chibipoe
- Start date
GiftOfLove
From the Heart
Name her Sarah. Then she can have a Sarah party with Lisa and Photon Mom.
Bell, Stacy, Jane, Mary, Jo, Lisa.
(that's not my name)
(that's not my name)
Prince Charon
Just zis guy, you know?
How about this? She goes by her middle name of Lisa, because her first name, Mona, leads to too many jokes.
EDIT: Too late. Oh, well.
Wolfman217
Oh No! Oh No! Oh No!
- Location
- England
Ethan finds Randine quite Randy
Assault would never let her live that name down.
Castle_Bravo
The user formerly known as Nuke_Equestria
He probably wouldn't think to make a joke of it, since it's only a name for Americans.Ethan finds Randine quite Randy
Assault would never let her live that name down.
lancelot
Completely worth it
If you're still waiting on your beta, can people volunteer to replace/add another beta?
chibipoe
May I tell you of the glory that is Catradora?
- Location
- Astoria, Oregon
I will actually have 3.4 out tonight.
- Location
- United States
>,> Her name is Kitty.
"Why so you keep calling me "puppy?"
"You look more like a puppy than a kitty!"
Dream Eater - 3.4
chibipoe
May I tell you of the glory that is Catradora?
- Location
- Astoria, Oregon
3.4
"Then everything changed when the Air Empire attacked," I said, mimicking the girl narrating the show. I was watching television in my hideout, curled up in a chair with a blanket wrapped around me. Even after being healed by Amy, I hadn't felt like going out the past few days. The close encounter with Cricket still stung, as well as the fact that she knew who I was. Or at least knew my face.
She was in PRT custody now, but if she ever got out… I still remembered how close she was to killing me, the way she had stood over me, weapon raised in what would be a killing blow if I had been a hair's breadth slower in shoving her away. It was frightening.
So now here I am, hesitating and hiding in my hideout. How appropriate. How do I handle this? I honestly don't know. Which was why I was still sitting here, watching a show I enjoyed in order to distract myself. I heard a door squeak somewhere within the building during a lull in the television sounds and my precog spiraled into effect as I mapped out the most effective means of dealing with whoever intruded.
"Anyone home?" a voice that I recognized called out. Dismissing the visions, I raised a hand in greeting for Catherine and Minako as they came up the stairs into the living space that I was curled up in.
I switched off the TV after a moment and stretched. "Sorry I didn't notice you come in. Got sucked into watching The Last Firebender. How are you two?"
"Well, we heard from a source that you got roughed up a bit and thought we'd come visit," Catherine said, grinning. "And watching Firebender, huh? How far in are you?"
"I just finished Season two, where Zuko nearly got sliced in two by that crazy Airbender," I caught myself about to touch my face where I had been hit by Cricket. I put my hand down and smiled sourly, "They were running a marathon before season three starts."
"That was a horrible way to leave things!" Catherine said. "The Earth Kingdom's fallen and Zuko's hurt really bad."
"It will be all right, I think," I said. "He's got to face the Air Emperor still."
"I do not mean to interrupt, but we are here to inform you that you will be going out with us," Minako said, a frown creasing her normally serene features. "We have to visit Chronicles, but there was another matter we wanted to discuss before we do so."
I glanced between them, noting the frown on Catherine's face too. They were practically radiating discomfort. "What's going on?"
"Well, we met someone last night," Catherine said, her frown shifting into a scowl. "Lousy know-it-all loudmouth…"
"Catherine," Minako chided, interrupting what was clearly the beginning of a rant. "While she was abrasive, the person we met insisted that she wanted to talk to Sirin. She seemed certain that we would know how to get in touch with her."
"What," I said flatly. I felt my stomach twist unpleasantly and shook my head, not sure I had heard her correctly. "I… what? Someone just came up to you about me?"
"Some blonde twit," Catherine groused. "Said her name was Tattletale."
I shook my head. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it. "I don't know her." Another person knows who I am? And was harassing my friends to get my attention? That burned.
"There was one other thing," Minako spoke ahead of whatever Catherine had been about to say, cutting off another potential rant. "She had a time and place to meet, but she wanted us to carry a message to you. She seemed absolutely certain you would come once you heard this."
"I can't imagine there's something that someone I've never met could say that would make me want to meet them, but okay." I shook my head, trying to make sense of this as I gathered up the blanket off the couch. Truthfully, I was curious why someone I'd never met was trying to get in touch with me. Someone who knew who I am.
"'I can tell you the truth about the library'," Catherine said. "That was her message."
I froze in the middle of folding the blanket, certain I hadn't heard her correctly. "Repeat that."
"She said to tell you that she can tell you the truth about the library," Catherine repeated. "I'm guessing that makes sense to you?"
I exhaled. "It does. I don't like it, but it does make sense. She gave a time and place?"
"Mall, seven pm, food court. She said she'd find you," Catherine said, her distaste morphing into worry. "You really do know what she's on about, don't you?"
"As much as I wish I didn't, yes," I muttered, mulling over her words. The food court at seven? That was one of its busiest times. Going as Sirin would draw all sorts of attention, but…
I felt like I had been doused with cold water. She knew about the library. That meant I could confirm that another person knew that I was a cape. And I didn't even know this person at all.
"Why the hell do I even bother with a mask?" I snarled, slamming the blanket down onto the couch. "I should just use my real name. That would be more of a secret identity than what I have right now!"
"No one would expect a cape to actually use their real name," Minako pointed out. "They would assume it to be a trick of some sort."
"Not helping," I grumbled, running a hand through my hair as I considered what to do. "Okay. Seven pm. That's a few hours away. You two up for a trip to the mall?"
"You want us to come with?" Catherine asked, the beginnings of a smirk forming. "She gave the impression that this was a come alone deal."
"And?" I snorted dismissively. "She jerks you two around to deliver cryptic messages to me. After the library I'll be damned if I walk into a possible trap alone. What she wants or doesn't want can go hang for all I care."
"This library thing bothers you," Minako observed, a crease forming between her eyes. "What exactly occurred?"
"Didn't I tell you two?" I asked with a frown. They shook their heads and I sighed. "Damn it, I thought I had. Well, a few weeks back, before… well, all of this…" I waved a hand at the interior of the firehouse before giving them a summary of what I had experienced.
Minako nodded slowly after I finished. "And nothing similar has happened since?"
I shook my head. "Not that I've noticed and it's kind of obvious, at least to me, when it happens."
"So, we're with you on this then. We can hit Chronicles and then swing over to the mall," Catherine said after a moment of thought. "You do want us with you when you talk to her, right?"
"Just nearby," I said, trying to decide how I wanted to deal with this. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious, that sort of thing."
Catherine nodded. "We can do that."
"We should go soon, if we wish to manage our other errands before then," Minako said. "Christa Poe is speaking at Chronicles shortly with another reading and I would like to be there."
"Let me get dressed and we can go," I told them, heading toward the bedroom to change.
"Does it smell like something got burnt in here?" I heard Catherine say behind me and I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to answer.
Krouse stared at the immense doors with a scowl, glad that his mask hid his expression. "And you're sure she'll be fine here? That you can help her?"
"As I've explained before, I have contacts and resources already devoted to finding a solution to Ms. Meinhardt's condition," the almost unhealthily thin man murmured smoothly. "Anything within my power will be done for her."
He nodded slowly, not looking at the other Travelers arranged behind him. They weren't happy with this arrangement, but they didn't have any other options at the moment. Accord didn't want them in Boston after what had happened before Coil had offered his help with Noelle. He just had to hope that there was a solution. The alternative wasn't one that he wanted to entertain. They were in it together. All of them.
"You said you had a place set up for us?" he asked as the rest of the Travellers looked expectantly at their host.
Coil didn't miss a beat as he nodded, waving a hand down a different concrete hall. "Indeed. I took the liberty of arranging rooms nearby for you. If you'll follow me?" He didn't wait for a response, simply starting down the hall. Krouse followed after a beat, the others continuing to trail behind him by a short distance.
"You mentioned jobs that you would want us to do while we're in your employ," he ventured after a moment. "What do you want done?"
"Yes. As per our agreement, I do have a few tasks lined up for you. It would be preferable if you were prepared." Coil pushed open a door and walked into a wide, nicely furnished common room. "The first task will take place in just a few days. Your abilities will explicitly be needed for it. There is an asset I intend to acquire and I'll need you to divert attention at the appropriate time."
"An asset?" Ballistic's voice inquired and Krouse bit back a sigh, hoping that this wasn't going to be a repeat of Boston. Established villains like Accord and this Coil weren't known for being the most stable of individuals. Questions were better off not asked unless offered.
Coil did not appear to be offended, however, making an absent gesture. "Indeed. Once I have it secured, it will prove beneficial, both to myself and your group. All you need to do is secure it when the opening is provided."
Krouse frowned beneath his mask, but nodded slowly. Just acquire something for him as their first job? They could do that. All they had to do was make sure no one got hurt. "I don't see a problem there."
"Excellent," Coil said. "I'll provide details closer to the date. For now, feel free to get settled in. Every necessity is provided. There are individual rooms off to the sides, as well as one for the the unique needs of your companion, Genesis."
The rest of the group said nothing, but he could feel them shifting awkwardly, particularly the smaller form that Genesis had taken for this meeting. He himself was not pleased at hearing this. How much did this Coil know? How did he know?
He hated unanswered questions. But he knew better then to ask them. This would work. It had to.
"I shall leave you to get settled, then," Coil said pleasantly, slipping out without another word. The rest of the group did not say anything to him after their host had left, scattering to different parts of the room, Genesis leaving to retrieve her actual body. The tension left him, and he flopped into a chair and pulled the rim of his top-hat over his face. This would work out. It had to. He wasn't sure what they would do if it didn't.
The food court was bustling when I arrived. I looked around for a moment, but there were so many girls with blonde hair around that picking out which one was Tattletale would be a waste of effort. Muttering in irritation under my breath, I started toward one of the miniature restaurants and ordered some fries to nibble on. If she wanted to talk, then she could come and find me.
I let my eyes wander around the food court while I waited for my food, looking for a good place to sit. There were a few open seats near the windows, but I wasn't going near those if I could help it. I collected my tray and took a corner seat away from the windows. Not as far away as I would prefer, but the tables were mostly filled. Catherine and Minako had come in from a different direction and were keeping their distance. The fact that they were still close by in case something went wrong lent me a feeling of comfort. Minutes passed and I found myself growing bored as no one approached.
My thoughts turned to whoever this Tattletale person might be and I squeezed out some ketchup in the basket holding the fries. Maybe she was one of the other independents in Brockton Bay? I picked at the fries, rolling one around in ketchup and tracing patterns idly. I knew this. I'd heard the name before, recently even. She had apparently heard of me at some point. So why couldn't I place it?
The biggest thing bothering me was that she knew about the Library. I didn't know the first thing about what happened. The fact that someone else did left me feeling more than a bit irritated. I bit off a fry, then pushed the tray away slightly, realizing they had grown cold already. I stared at them for a moment, then glanced around the food court to see if anyone was looking in my direction. Maybe I could heat them up?
Taking a deep breath, I extended my powers, thinking of how I had managed to make things burn. Warmth flooded over them in a rush and I drew the power back quickly before they caught on fire. A tentative touch told me I was going to have to wait a minute for them to cool now. I had overdone it. Well, not bad for a first try. At least I hadn't burnt them.
I turned my thoughts back to Tattletale. So she knew about the Library. That was a start. How she knew was the question. Where could someone even-
I blinked, a flash of memory hitting me. The Library. There had been a blonde there, hadn't there?
"No way," I said to myself, frowning. "It couldn't…"
"Cold fries suck, don't they?" an unfamiliar voice asked and I looked up to a lightly freckled blonde standing nonchalantly in front of my table. She frowned for a moment as if something didn't make sense to her. "Mind if I sit down?"
I didn't immediately respond, instead just looking at her. And surely enough, recognition bled through. The smile especially. It was the same girl from the Library. The one that was off in the aisle, watching… Suddenly, I couldn't help but feel a spike of hostility as I made the connection.
She had been watching alright. She had been watching me. There was no other explanation for it. Her smile faltered, slipping for a half-second as I let my defenses down and felt a sudden drop in her confidence as it was overtaken by a split-second of panic, before control was exerted and she was smiling again as if she had never stopped.
"I'm not stopping you from sitting down," I finally said, though the words felt hollow. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and centering myself. Getting angry wasn't going to help me here; I needed calm.
Like this? Just like when I had been trying to figure out what to do with Hookwolf, it was as if I prompted myself into doing something with my powers. My anger dissipated, leaving calm reason in its wake. "What do you want?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you, you know, girl to girl," she said with a grin that I couldn't quite identify. Not quite smug, but bordering on it. Like she knew something no one else did and found it hilarious that she was the only person in on the joke. It wasn't, I decided, a grin I liked.
"That's great," I said, unwilling to be baited into whatever game she was playing. "What do you want? Or am I going to be meeting more soldier friends?"
"No," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Someone would have to be insane to launch that sort of attack in the middle of a crowded mall."
"The downtown library around lunch time is okay, though?" I retorted. "I'd ask what the difference is, since clearly someone thinks there is one."
"I had nothing to do with that," she responded. "I was just scouting for a possible recruitment offer."
"Recruitment…" I let the word trail off before laughing, the sound a touch off-key. "That was a job offer?"
"The health benefits are unreal," the blonde said with a lopsided grin. I stared at her for a moment, struggling to rein in my temper at her joking.
"What do you want?" I finally forced out, the words bitten off and tense. I didn't come out here at the lure of this person to endure a comedy routine. "If it was to annoy me with bad jokes, then I'm just going to leave. If you're here to talk to me, then actually do it."
She was silent for a moment, before nodding and offering a somewhat more sincere smile. "Right. Business then, I suppose. I guess I should actually introduce myself. My name's Lisa."
What I told Catherine and Minako about my real name being a better secret identity than my cape name came to mind. If she knew who I was, then there wasn't any point in trying to hide my name.
"Taylor," I said, giving her an unfriendly look. "But you already knew that, right? You said you knew about the library. I guess it's because you were there."
Lisa held her hands up. "Guilty."
"You were watching me," I said, thinking back to the moments before everything had gone crazy in my mind. "Why? To see how I reacted to… whatever that was?"
"I was only observing, to get a feel for you and your personality," she said. "That's all. I had no idea something was going to go down, or not go down as the case may be."
I narrowed my eyes at that. She did know. But there was something else I caught onto there. "Observing for who?"
Lisa shifted slightly, her shoulders hunching in and I felt a current of fear trace through her being. "My…employer… if you will."
"And this job offer you mentioned?" I asked. "From him? You?"
She grimaced. "Both. I wanted –" Whatever it was that she wanted as cut off as something caught her attention in the parking lot below. Her eyes widened and I before I could lean forward to see what she was seeing, I heard a muffled screech and the muted sound of metal scraping against concrete. Shouting rang out from others sitting near the window, and by the time I could see there was a giant woman in armor with a spear approaching an overturned armored car.
"PRT prisoner transport," Lisa remarked. "They're likely rescuing their teammate that got arrested the other day."
I felt cold settle over me as I realized who that likely was. Sure enough, Hookwolf appeared and began slicing into the truck while the woman, either Fenja or Menja, stood guard. I could hear sirens in the distance, and in the background people were either clamoring closer to the window or moving away.
"Either way it's none of our business," Lisa continued on as I stood there with a lump of ice in my stomach. I could swear I heard the snap of cameras from somewhere nearby as people started gawking. Air hissed between her teeth as she turned to me. "Or… it is?"
She sounded unhappy at that as I clenched my hands into fists as a familiar head of blonde hair emerged from the eviscerated transport. Cricket. They were rescuing her. Where the hell were the Protectorate that they were just letting them do this?
No. I hadn't gotten my face nearly smashed in; hadn't been nearly killed by this bitch, just to let her escape this way. I shifted my backpack off one shoulder, glad that I was wearing most of my uniform beneath the loose fitting shirt I had on. I was actually kind of thankful that I could hide most of it since the pants looked more or less normal. My jacket was neatly folded inside the backpack and I just needed to find a place to get the mask on from where it was bunched up beneath the overshirt.
A hand grabbed my upper arm and I started, turning to see Lisa standing there, her face reflecting worry. "Listen, that's Hookwolf and Menja. Fenja's probably somewhere nearby along with who knows who else. They get arrested and get out. It's just a big game of cops and –"
I shrugged my arm free. "It isn't a game to me, so spare me." I looked toward the food court to see Catherine and Minako approaching, both looking worried. "If you actually have something important to say, you'll stick around to say it after. If not, leave."
She looked frustrated but I turned my attention to Catherine and Minako. "You guys going to be okay?"
They exchanged frustrated looks before Catherine spoke. "We've got our stuff… but…"
"We...we are not prepared for this kind of a fight. She is right, Taylor. Fighting them is dangerous. We should focus on making sure no one else is hurt," Minako finished, the statement sounding sour.
I could feel they wanted to help but I wasn't surprised, this was bigger than anything they had done that I knew of. My jacket slipped free of the backpack. "I understand. This.. I can't let this go. I can't let her go. Can you keep an eye on Lisa here if she sticks around?"
Unfriendly looks were directed at the blonde, who looked a little ill at being the focus of their attention. Catherine still looked very unhappy though, crossing her arms while alternating between glaring toward the scene outside and at Lisa. "I think we can do that."
I glanced between them, feeling their worry for me. I didn't bother with deciphering the mixture of emotions from Lisa as I pulled the overshirt off and quickly shoved it into my backpack. "I'll be careful, I promise." I threw a glance out the window, just in time to see the E88 starting to retreat. Without another word, I shoved my backpack into Catherine's arms and took off toward the escalator, taking the steps two at a time till I reached the ground floor and headed towards an service door. A quick burst of power turned the inside of the lock into scrap metal as I forced it open without a second thought and ran full tilt down the narrow hall.
I stumbled for a moment while pulling my mask into place and felt a tension I hadn't realized was there evaporate when it settled. It felt right. Before it had just felt good to put it on, but this instant, it was something more. The locked door at the end of the hall didn't stay locked for long, and I emerged outside the building alongside the road for the delivery trucks.
My feet stayed on the pavement for only a second before I was airborne and above the mall, orienting myself toward the first obstacle in sight. Menja. With Hookwolf and Cricket as well, who was hobbling away from the transport still in what looked like heavy manacles and some sort of face mask. I swallowed for a moment as I thought of the former, then shook my head. I wasn't afraid of her. I wasn't.
Which was why she was going down first. Afraid or not, I wasn't giving her the chance to sneak up on me again. I barreled down at the retreating form of Cricket. Menja's spear swung at me as I passed her, but I merely swerved around it, the attack not keeping me from closing in on my real target.
Cricket went down on the pavement in a sprawl with a telekinetic slap that I probably put more force into than was necessary. But it was gratifying to see her out in a daze again as I seized hold of some scrap metal from the crash, using it to pin her down. She wasn't going to get a second chance. Not this time.
It had taken no time at all, from start to finish a few seconds. But with Cricket dealt with, I now realized I still had two more to handle. I wasn't sure that they would be so easy. Especially as a third leaped off a nearby rooftop, growing in size as she did so. Fenja. I caught her mid-air with a telekinetic grip, saw her expression shift in realization and –
...she slipped through my grip, suddenly shrinking as I was left holding nothing but air instead. Shrunk? What the hell? I frowned as she landed on both feet, already regrowing with her sword and shield at the ready.
I shot upward to avoid another swing of Menja's spear from behind, and to avoid Hookwolf's attempt to claw at my legs, noting she had grown larger than a small building now. On the ground, Hookwolf growled before moving towards Cricket. If I didn't do something to handle him, he would have her free in moments.
No. I didn't need to approach him to stop that. A telekinetic shove forced him away from the fallen neo-Nazi. Now to – I shifted my attention to deflecting the immense sword that Fenja wielded. I shoved her off-balance but no sooner than I moved to press the advantage, Menja interposed herself, stabbing at me with her spear in a series of rapid-fire strikes.
I busied myself with that, cycling between the three while I ran through my options. Fenja and Menja had near perfect teamwork, and even with my precog, I was forced to devote more attention to them. I could see that if they kept me occupied like this and I let them dictate the pace of the fight, it would only be a matter of time until Hookwolf freed Cricket. Then they would retreat, backed by reinforcements from the rest of the Empire.
Wrenching Menja's spear from her hands, I almost growled as it began shrinking and slipping away. I caught it and brought it up so it was floating beside me while the giantess snarled something that I thought was supposed to be unflattering.
"I suggest you just give up," I called out in what I hoped was an intimidating voice, swatting Hookwolf away from Cricket while hovering out of range of Fenja's sword. I could take that away too, but taking away their weapons entirely made them more unpredictable. With just Menja's spear in my possession, I knew that Fenja was going to take a running leap to reclaim it right… now.
She went airborne as I had expected, but I realized when she was almost in front of me that her target wasn't the spear.
It was me.
I threw my hands up, forcing her considerable bulk away and felt my grip on the spear fail as my focus shifted. Damn it!
Menja vaulted backwards, her weapon once more in her hands and growing again to match her sister. I ground my teeth together, realizing they worked together better than I had assumed. Trying to anticipate what they would do was tricky, even when I could see it before it happened.
Hookwolf was making another attempt toward Cricket and I smacked him away once more, snarling to myself as he just dug into the concrete to get his feet under him, heading towards Cricket again. I was tired of this game of keep away. He wanted to keep getting my attention like that? Fine. He was going to get it. I didn't bother slapping him away again so I could stay focused on the twins. This time I grabbed hold, weaving away from Fenja and Menja as I trapped him in a sphere, repeating my trick from the other day. I was done with him being a distraction. It was time he made himself useful.
I didn't give either of them warning, simply turning back to the pair as I yanked the sphere holding Hookwolf toward me. Unfortunately for her, Fenja was still in the way and the Hookwolf-ball slammed into her back at high speed. She grunted and pitched forward, her armor still ringing like a gong from the impact as she crashed down onto the pavement. Her sister leaped forward, trying to knock away Hookwolf mid-swing. I saw it coming, and merely shifted his course, swinging him around like a flail at her again.
Menja tried to deflect with the spear, but whatever it was made of was not up to standing against the force I was using. The shaft of the spear shattered and my makeshift weapon slammed into her torso, sending her to the ground as well. While she was reeling, I glanced toward Fenja, who had gotten one foot in place and was moving to stand.
The sound made when I slammed Hookwolf into her knee was quickly drowned out by her scream of pain. Her sister gained her feet, shouting something at me that was filled with rage while her emotions dissolved into worry and panic. She positioned herself over the other, who was shrinking slowly back to her normal size, clearly intending to defend her from me.
The worry and panic I could feel from her almost made me smile as I glanced toward where I had trapped Cricket. She was still unconscious. I focused back on Menja and sneered at her defiant expression. A beat and she ducked down, aiming to pick up her sister and wrench Cricket free. Planning to run.
No. Not just no. But hell no. There was simply no way I was letting them escape. Especially after what Cricket had done to me. Hookwolf-the-ball slammed into her shoulder as she was half turned with a gratifying crunch. Unlike her sister, she didn't make much more sound than a grunt as she twisted her body to fall away from her companions. She managed to roll out of the way of a strike to her knee, but from the way her arm was hanging, I didn't think Menja was going to be carrying both of them.
The second blow did not miss and Menja screamed just as loud as her sister when her knee shattered. Unlike her sister, she didn't fall, holding herself up with her arms. Neither of them were getting up now, but I wasn't finished. I brought Hookwolf around, and relished the split-second look on her face before my weapon slammed into the side of her helmet, watching her slump to the ground like a massive puppet whose strings were cut. I held onto Hookwolf until she was back to normal size and used some of the nearby rubble to make sure they wouldn't be moving if they should wake.
Hookwolf was still sluggishly moving inside the sphere I had been using as a flail and I stared at him for a moment. The impact as he crashed into the ground was almost as satisfying as the one before, and I buried him in scrap and rubble.. I could see some of his limbs sticking out, weakly twitching, but I could see that he wasn't going to be an issue anymore.
A shuddering breath escaped me as I surveyed the area, noting how eerily quiet it was. There were sirens in the distance… but why hadn't anyone arrived yet?
That was forgotten as I surveyed the scene again and realization set in. I had just taken out four of the E88 by myself. How in the hell had I –
Cricket groaned, the sound reaching my ears from where I was floating. Right. They were all down and I had hit her pretty hard to open. I should probably check on her. The last thing I wanted was to have the PRT breathing down my neck for excessive force or whatever bullshit they would try and drop on me.
Touching down beside Cricket, I threw a quick glance toward the other E88 I had taken out, making sure that they were still down for the count. The twins were still out, and Hookwolf wasn't getting up anytime soon. I really had taken out four of the Empire… I shook my head, still trying to make sense of that and turned back to Cricket.
I had half-bent to check on her when she exploded upward. Pain exploded in my face as I felt something… her forehead? make contact. I stumbled back, my hands going to my face in mirror of a moment three days ago
I saw Cricket's weapon rising for a killing blow. The memory of what had almost happened surged to the front of my thoughts. And with it, fury.
I couldn't quite see between tears and stars dancing in my vision, but I heard metal scraping against concrete. She wasn't entirely free. Had she been playing dead and working to get free the whole time?
"F'king b'ch!" I said, the words garbled as I slammed my power at her in imitation of what she had done to me the other day. Her own sound of pain was gratifying. I wiped at my eyes and as my vision began to clear, I saw Cricket laying. in a half-twist, her stomach mostly to the ground. She nursed her face in the crook of her arms, blood staining her prison suit, as she looked at me with hate in her eyes.
"See how you like it," I forced out, each word a stab of pain. I wasn't sure if I made sense, but she seemed to get what I had said and the hate was replaced with… amusement?
She thought it was funny? Cricket continued to stare at me and the way her shoulders shook spelled it out for me clearly. She was laughing.
She was laughing. At me.
I snarled, the pain forgotten. I gestured for effect and I was gratified at the flash of alarm before she rocked backwards, her arms flailing as something she couldn't see moved her. An instant later, she slammed into the pavement face first with a sharp crack. If she wanted to headbutt something, I could oblige her.
"Still think it's funny?" I asked, uncaring whether she even understood me as I jerked her back up. Her face was a mess and there was a dazed look in her face. I held her there until she started to focus and her shoulders shifted. Her head tilted back a bit, then jerked forward and I flinched, even with the distance between us. Something hot and wet smacked against my cheek. I stood frozen for a moment before I wiped away the mix of blood and phlegm with the back of my hand.
The metal holding her down scattered as I picked her up and threw the villain across the lot, bouncing her off the now-dented hood of someone's car before she rolled to a rest. I stalked forward, picking her up again and holding her in place while I hammered home a storm of telekinetic strikes, her body curling around each blow. Spit in my face? I would –
Light erupted in front of me as my power screamed threat. I pushed off the ground into the air as a glowing figure dropped into place between me and Cricket.
"That," Purity said in a firm voice, "is enough."
I stared at her. "I don't think it is."
She didn't move for a moment. "You're a vigilante, right. A hero?"
"And you're a Nazi and her teammate, what about it?"
She tensed for a moment. "I'm no longer with the Empire."
"Then why are you stopping me?" I shouted, not dwelling on the absurdity of what was happening now.. "She's –"
"Had enough!" Purity's voice cracked over me, cutting off what I was going to say. "Look at her!"
I almost laughed in her face. Purity was a member of the Empire for as long as I could remember. She was claiming she wasn't now? Telling me… My eyes drifted to where Cricket had fallen, the way she was lying still.
Did someone's leg even bend that way for real?
"I…" I shook my head, feeling the rage that had been fueling me ebb slightly. I wobbled as I dropped onto the street, taking a moment to really look around at the stretch of street I had been fighting them on for the first time. Craters dotted the street and from the shape, I knew none of them were the work of the Empire. There were several men near the overturned transport, tending to each other. Had I even thought about them when I went after Cricket?
Did it matter? The Empire had been around before I was born and the Protectorate didn't do anything to stop them. In the last ten minutes, I had done more than I ever remember anyone else doing. And it felt good. I turned to look at Purity again. She hadn't moved, tension radiating from her body as she watched me.
"And if I don't believe you?" I asked, my voice eerily soft. "You don't get to be a Nazi for most of my life and then say you're not out of the blue."
The light surrounding her grew brighter. "I don't want to fight you."
I snorted, the anger buoying me once more. "Oh, trust me, it won't be a fight."
"That's right," a familiar voice interrupted and a figure I had seen just days ago dropped down, skidding to a halt, followed by the faintly glowing figure of his partner. Assault and Battery. "I think everyone's broken enough bones for today. How about you let us clean this up, Skipper?"
"Assault," I said, taking in a slow breath as my eyes flicked toward approaching PRT squads. The anger fled in a rush, leaving me feeling empty. "Fine."
"See? That was easy," Assault said cheerfully before turning to look at Purity. "How ya doing, Lightbulb?"
"Don't call me that," Purity retorted, though it had the feel of a habitual response, rather than one she actually expected to be followed.
"You did all this?" Battery asked with a hint of something I didn't care to identify in her voice. "Making a statement?"
"I suppose," I answered. "It kind of got out of control."
"Just a touch, Skipper," Assault said, his attention returning to me as he leaned down. "Ouch. She got you good, huh? Lemme see…" I almost jerked back as he brought his hands up, but when I realized he was just feeling the area around my nose, I settled down. I didn't feel like being prodded by the paramedics like the other day. Especially if it was broken again. Setting it had hurt just as bad.
"Well, good thing is," he finally said, clapping a hand on my shoulder, "nothing is broken. I would recommend getting some ice on it soon, though. A lot of ice. You're kind of burning up, you know?"
I shrugged. "I feel fine, other than the nose."
Assault whistled. "Huh. If I were you, I'd check your temperature. Oi, puppy. Come over here and check Skipper, tell me if she's running a fever or not."
"Moron," Battery replied absently, her attention mostly on Purity. "We're on the clock, you know."
"It's fine," I said, shaking myself. "I should go, I guess. No sense in sticking around now."
"Well, we need statements," Assault interjected. "You know the drill. How did dee and dum end up out cold next to wolfie? Chirpy over there looks like she ran into a meat tenderizer, several times, too."
"They were helping her escape. I didn't let them. Cricket likes to play dead and she headbutted me ag –" I cut off, feeling my temper start to flare again. "They tried to get away. I stopped them. The end."
Battery's shoulders slumped at my words as she looked around at the fallen Empire members. "Sirin, this time, I'm not so sure about that."
--
And here we go. Sorry for the long delay. 3.5 will be much faster since it is around half-done.
"Then everything changed when the Air Empire attacked," I said, mimicking the girl narrating the show. I was watching television in my hideout, curled up in a chair with a blanket wrapped around me. Even after being healed by Amy, I hadn't felt like going out the past few days. The close encounter with Cricket still stung, as well as the fact that she knew who I was. Or at least knew my face.
She was in PRT custody now, but if she ever got out… I still remembered how close she was to killing me, the way she had stood over me, weapon raised in what would be a killing blow if I had been a hair's breadth slower in shoving her away. It was frightening.
So now here I am, hesitating and hiding in my hideout. How appropriate. How do I handle this? I honestly don't know. Which was why I was still sitting here, watching a show I enjoyed in order to distract myself. I heard a door squeak somewhere within the building during a lull in the television sounds and my precog spiraled into effect as I mapped out the most effective means of dealing with whoever intruded.
"Anyone home?" a voice that I recognized called out. Dismissing the visions, I raised a hand in greeting for Catherine and Minako as they came up the stairs into the living space that I was curled up in.
I switched off the TV after a moment and stretched. "Sorry I didn't notice you come in. Got sucked into watching The Last Firebender. How are you two?"
"Well, we heard from a source that you got roughed up a bit and thought we'd come visit," Catherine said, grinning. "And watching Firebender, huh? How far in are you?"
"I just finished Season two, where Zuko nearly got sliced in two by that crazy Airbender," I caught myself about to touch my face where I had been hit by Cricket. I put my hand down and smiled sourly, "They were running a marathon before season three starts."
"That was a horrible way to leave things!" Catherine said. "The Earth Kingdom's fallen and Zuko's hurt really bad."
"It will be all right, I think," I said. "He's got to face the Air Emperor still."
"I do not mean to interrupt, but we are here to inform you that you will be going out with us," Minako said, a frown creasing her normally serene features. "We have to visit Chronicles, but there was another matter we wanted to discuss before we do so."
I glanced between them, noting the frown on Catherine's face too. They were practically radiating discomfort. "What's going on?"
"Well, we met someone last night," Catherine said, her frown shifting into a scowl. "Lousy know-it-all loudmouth…"
"Catherine," Minako chided, interrupting what was clearly the beginning of a rant. "While she was abrasive, the person we met insisted that she wanted to talk to Sirin. She seemed certain that we would know how to get in touch with her."
"What," I said flatly. I felt my stomach twist unpleasantly and shook my head, not sure I had heard her correctly. "I… what? Someone just came up to you about me?"
"Some blonde twit," Catherine groused. "Said her name was Tattletale."
I shook my head. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn't place where I had heard it. "I don't know her." Another person knows who I am? And was harassing my friends to get my attention? That burned.
"There was one other thing," Minako spoke ahead of whatever Catherine had been about to say, cutting off another potential rant. "She had a time and place to meet, but she wanted us to carry a message to you. She seemed absolutely certain you would come once you heard this."
"I can't imagine there's something that someone I've never met could say that would make me want to meet them, but okay." I shook my head, trying to make sense of this as I gathered up the blanket off the couch. Truthfully, I was curious why someone I'd never met was trying to get in touch with me. Someone who knew who I am.
"'I can tell you the truth about the library'," Catherine said. "That was her message."
I froze in the middle of folding the blanket, certain I hadn't heard her correctly. "Repeat that."
"She said to tell you that she can tell you the truth about the library," Catherine repeated. "I'm guessing that makes sense to you?"
I exhaled. "It does. I don't like it, but it does make sense. She gave a time and place?"
"Mall, seven pm, food court. She said she'd find you," Catherine said, her distaste morphing into worry. "You really do know what she's on about, don't you?"
"As much as I wish I didn't, yes," I muttered, mulling over her words. The food court at seven? That was one of its busiest times. Going as Sirin would draw all sorts of attention, but…
I felt like I had been doused with cold water. She knew about the library. That meant I could confirm that another person knew that I was a cape. And I didn't even know this person at all.
"Why the hell do I even bother with a mask?" I snarled, slamming the blanket down onto the couch. "I should just use my real name. That would be more of a secret identity than what I have right now!"
"No one would expect a cape to actually use their real name," Minako pointed out. "They would assume it to be a trick of some sort."
"Not helping," I grumbled, running a hand through my hair as I considered what to do. "Okay. Seven pm. That's a few hours away. You two up for a trip to the mall?"
"You want us to come with?" Catherine asked, the beginnings of a smirk forming. "She gave the impression that this was a come alone deal."
"And?" I snorted dismissively. "She jerks you two around to deliver cryptic messages to me. After the library I'll be damned if I walk into a possible trap alone. What she wants or doesn't want can go hang for all I care."
"This library thing bothers you," Minako observed, a crease forming between her eyes. "What exactly occurred?"
"Didn't I tell you two?" I asked with a frown. They shook their heads and I sighed. "Damn it, I thought I had. Well, a few weeks back, before… well, all of this…" I waved a hand at the interior of the firehouse before giving them a summary of what I had experienced.
Minako nodded slowly after I finished. "And nothing similar has happened since?"
I shook my head. "Not that I've noticed and it's kind of obvious, at least to me, when it happens."
"So, we're with you on this then. We can hit Chronicles and then swing over to the mall," Catherine said after a moment of thought. "You do want us with you when you talk to her, right?"
"Just nearby," I said, trying to decide how I wanted to deal with this. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious, that sort of thing."
Catherine nodded. "We can do that."
"We should go soon, if we wish to manage our other errands before then," Minako said. "Christa Poe is speaking at Chronicles shortly with another reading and I would like to be there."
"Let me get dressed and we can go," I told them, heading toward the bedroom to change.
"Does it smell like something got burnt in here?" I heard Catherine say behind me and I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to answer.
~~~~~~~~
Krouse stared at the immense doors with a scowl, glad that his mask hid his expression. "And you're sure she'll be fine here? That you can help her?"
"As I've explained before, I have contacts and resources already devoted to finding a solution to Ms. Meinhardt's condition," the almost unhealthily thin man murmured smoothly. "Anything within my power will be done for her."
He nodded slowly, not looking at the other Travelers arranged behind him. They weren't happy with this arrangement, but they didn't have any other options at the moment. Accord didn't want them in Boston after what had happened before Coil had offered his help with Noelle. He just had to hope that there was a solution. The alternative wasn't one that he wanted to entertain. They were in it together. All of them.
"You said you had a place set up for us?" he asked as the rest of the Travellers looked expectantly at their host.
Coil didn't miss a beat as he nodded, waving a hand down a different concrete hall. "Indeed. I took the liberty of arranging rooms nearby for you. If you'll follow me?" He didn't wait for a response, simply starting down the hall. Krouse followed after a beat, the others continuing to trail behind him by a short distance.
"You mentioned jobs that you would want us to do while we're in your employ," he ventured after a moment. "What do you want done?"
"Yes. As per our agreement, I do have a few tasks lined up for you. It would be preferable if you were prepared." Coil pushed open a door and walked into a wide, nicely furnished common room. "The first task will take place in just a few days. Your abilities will explicitly be needed for it. There is an asset I intend to acquire and I'll need you to divert attention at the appropriate time."
"An asset?" Ballistic's voice inquired and Krouse bit back a sigh, hoping that this wasn't going to be a repeat of Boston. Established villains like Accord and this Coil weren't known for being the most stable of individuals. Questions were better off not asked unless offered.
Coil did not appear to be offended, however, making an absent gesture. "Indeed. Once I have it secured, it will prove beneficial, both to myself and your group. All you need to do is secure it when the opening is provided."
Krouse frowned beneath his mask, but nodded slowly. Just acquire something for him as their first job? They could do that. All they had to do was make sure no one got hurt. "I don't see a problem there."
"Excellent," Coil said. "I'll provide details closer to the date. For now, feel free to get settled in. Every necessity is provided. There are individual rooms off to the sides, as well as one for the the unique needs of your companion, Genesis."
The rest of the group said nothing, but he could feel them shifting awkwardly, particularly the smaller form that Genesis had taken for this meeting. He himself was not pleased at hearing this. How much did this Coil know? How did he know?
He hated unanswered questions. But he knew better then to ask them. This would work. It had to.
"I shall leave you to get settled, then," Coil said pleasantly, slipping out without another word. The rest of the group did not say anything to him after their host had left, scattering to different parts of the room, Genesis leaving to retrieve her actual body. The tension left him, and he flopped into a chair and pulled the rim of his top-hat over his face. This would work out. It had to. He wasn't sure what they would do if it didn't.
~~~~~~~~
The food court was bustling when I arrived. I looked around for a moment, but there were so many girls with blonde hair around that picking out which one was Tattletale would be a waste of effort. Muttering in irritation under my breath, I started toward one of the miniature restaurants and ordered some fries to nibble on. If she wanted to talk, then she could come and find me.
I let my eyes wander around the food court while I waited for my food, looking for a good place to sit. There were a few open seats near the windows, but I wasn't going near those if I could help it. I collected my tray and took a corner seat away from the windows. Not as far away as I would prefer, but the tables were mostly filled. Catherine and Minako had come in from a different direction and were keeping their distance. The fact that they were still close by in case something went wrong lent me a feeling of comfort. Minutes passed and I found myself growing bored as no one approached.
My thoughts turned to whoever this Tattletale person might be and I squeezed out some ketchup in the basket holding the fries. Maybe she was one of the other independents in Brockton Bay? I picked at the fries, rolling one around in ketchup and tracing patterns idly. I knew this. I'd heard the name before, recently even. She had apparently heard of me at some point. So why couldn't I place it?
The biggest thing bothering me was that she knew about the Library. I didn't know the first thing about what happened. The fact that someone else did left me feeling more than a bit irritated. I bit off a fry, then pushed the tray away slightly, realizing they had grown cold already. I stared at them for a moment, then glanced around the food court to see if anyone was looking in my direction. Maybe I could heat them up?
Taking a deep breath, I extended my powers, thinking of how I had managed to make things burn. Warmth flooded over them in a rush and I drew the power back quickly before they caught on fire. A tentative touch told me I was going to have to wait a minute for them to cool now. I had overdone it. Well, not bad for a first try. At least I hadn't burnt them.
I turned my thoughts back to Tattletale. So she knew about the Library. That was a start. How she knew was the question. Where could someone even-
I blinked, a flash of memory hitting me. The Library. There had been a blonde there, hadn't there?
"No way," I said to myself, frowning. "It couldn't…"
"Cold fries suck, don't they?" an unfamiliar voice asked and I looked up to a lightly freckled blonde standing nonchalantly in front of my table. She frowned for a moment as if something didn't make sense to her. "Mind if I sit down?"
I didn't immediately respond, instead just looking at her. And surely enough, recognition bled through. The smile especially. It was the same girl from the Library. The one that was off in the aisle, watching… Suddenly, I couldn't help but feel a spike of hostility as I made the connection.
She had been watching alright. She had been watching me. There was no other explanation for it. Her smile faltered, slipping for a half-second as I let my defenses down and felt a sudden drop in her confidence as it was overtaken by a split-second of panic, before control was exerted and she was smiling again as if she had never stopped.
"I'm not stopping you from sitting down," I finally said, though the words felt hollow. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and centering myself. Getting angry wasn't going to help me here; I needed calm.
Like this? Just like when I had been trying to figure out what to do with Hookwolf, it was as if I prompted myself into doing something with my powers. My anger dissipated, leaving calm reason in its wake. "What do you want?"
"Well, I wanted to talk to you, you know, girl to girl," she said with a grin that I couldn't quite identify. Not quite smug, but bordering on it. Like she knew something no one else did and found it hilarious that she was the only person in on the joke. It wasn't, I decided, a grin I liked.
"That's great," I said, unwilling to be baited into whatever game she was playing. "What do you want? Or am I going to be meeting more soldier friends?"
"No," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Someone would have to be insane to launch that sort of attack in the middle of a crowded mall."
"The downtown library around lunch time is okay, though?" I retorted. "I'd ask what the difference is, since clearly someone thinks there is one."
"I had nothing to do with that," she responded. "I was just scouting for a possible recruitment offer."
"Recruitment…" I let the word trail off before laughing, the sound a touch off-key. "That was a job offer?"
"The health benefits are unreal," the blonde said with a lopsided grin. I stared at her for a moment, struggling to rein in my temper at her joking.
"What do you want?" I finally forced out, the words bitten off and tense. I didn't come out here at the lure of this person to endure a comedy routine. "If it was to annoy me with bad jokes, then I'm just going to leave. If you're here to talk to me, then actually do it."
She was silent for a moment, before nodding and offering a somewhat more sincere smile. "Right. Business then, I suppose. I guess I should actually introduce myself. My name's Lisa."
What I told Catherine and Minako about my real name being a better secret identity than my cape name came to mind. If she knew who I was, then there wasn't any point in trying to hide my name.
"Taylor," I said, giving her an unfriendly look. "But you already knew that, right? You said you knew about the library. I guess it's because you were there."
Lisa held her hands up. "Guilty."
"You were watching me," I said, thinking back to the moments before everything had gone crazy in my mind. "Why? To see how I reacted to… whatever that was?"
"I was only observing, to get a feel for you and your personality," she said. "That's all. I had no idea something was going to go down, or not go down as the case may be."
I narrowed my eyes at that. She did know. But there was something else I caught onto there. "Observing for who?"
Lisa shifted slightly, her shoulders hunching in and I felt a current of fear trace through her being. "My…employer… if you will."
"And this job offer you mentioned?" I asked. "From him? You?"
She grimaced. "Both. I wanted –" Whatever it was that she wanted as cut off as something caught her attention in the parking lot below. Her eyes widened and I before I could lean forward to see what she was seeing, I heard a muffled screech and the muted sound of metal scraping against concrete. Shouting rang out from others sitting near the window, and by the time I could see there was a giant woman in armor with a spear approaching an overturned armored car.
"PRT prisoner transport," Lisa remarked. "They're likely rescuing their teammate that got arrested the other day."
I felt cold settle over me as I realized who that likely was. Sure enough, Hookwolf appeared and began slicing into the truck while the woman, either Fenja or Menja, stood guard. I could hear sirens in the distance, and in the background people were either clamoring closer to the window or moving away.
"Either way it's none of our business," Lisa continued on as I stood there with a lump of ice in my stomach. I could swear I heard the snap of cameras from somewhere nearby as people started gawking. Air hissed between her teeth as she turned to me. "Or… it is?"
She sounded unhappy at that as I clenched my hands into fists as a familiar head of blonde hair emerged from the eviscerated transport. Cricket. They were rescuing her. Where the hell were the Protectorate that they were just letting them do this?
No. I hadn't gotten my face nearly smashed in; hadn't been nearly killed by this bitch, just to let her escape this way. I shifted my backpack off one shoulder, glad that I was wearing most of my uniform beneath the loose fitting shirt I had on. I was actually kind of thankful that I could hide most of it since the pants looked more or less normal. My jacket was neatly folded inside the backpack and I just needed to find a place to get the mask on from where it was bunched up beneath the overshirt.
A hand grabbed my upper arm and I started, turning to see Lisa standing there, her face reflecting worry. "Listen, that's Hookwolf and Menja. Fenja's probably somewhere nearby along with who knows who else. They get arrested and get out. It's just a big game of cops and –"
I shrugged my arm free. "It isn't a game to me, so spare me." I looked toward the food court to see Catherine and Minako approaching, both looking worried. "If you actually have something important to say, you'll stick around to say it after. If not, leave."
She looked frustrated but I turned my attention to Catherine and Minako. "You guys going to be okay?"
They exchanged frustrated looks before Catherine spoke. "We've got our stuff… but…"
"We...we are not prepared for this kind of a fight. She is right, Taylor. Fighting them is dangerous. We should focus on making sure no one else is hurt," Minako finished, the statement sounding sour.
I could feel they wanted to help but I wasn't surprised, this was bigger than anything they had done that I knew of. My jacket slipped free of the backpack. "I understand. This.. I can't let this go. I can't let her go. Can you keep an eye on Lisa here if she sticks around?"
Unfriendly looks were directed at the blonde, who looked a little ill at being the focus of their attention. Catherine still looked very unhappy though, crossing her arms while alternating between glaring toward the scene outside and at Lisa. "I think we can do that."
I glanced between them, feeling their worry for me. I didn't bother with deciphering the mixture of emotions from Lisa as I pulled the overshirt off and quickly shoved it into my backpack. "I'll be careful, I promise." I threw a glance out the window, just in time to see the E88 starting to retreat. Without another word, I shoved my backpack into Catherine's arms and took off toward the escalator, taking the steps two at a time till I reached the ground floor and headed towards an service door. A quick burst of power turned the inside of the lock into scrap metal as I forced it open without a second thought and ran full tilt down the narrow hall.
I stumbled for a moment while pulling my mask into place and felt a tension I hadn't realized was there evaporate when it settled. It felt right. Before it had just felt good to put it on, but this instant, it was something more. The locked door at the end of the hall didn't stay locked for long, and I emerged outside the building alongside the road for the delivery trucks.
My feet stayed on the pavement for only a second before I was airborne and above the mall, orienting myself toward the first obstacle in sight. Menja. With Hookwolf and Cricket as well, who was hobbling away from the transport still in what looked like heavy manacles and some sort of face mask. I swallowed for a moment as I thought of the former, then shook my head. I wasn't afraid of her. I wasn't.
Which was why she was going down first. Afraid or not, I wasn't giving her the chance to sneak up on me again. I barreled down at the retreating form of Cricket. Menja's spear swung at me as I passed her, but I merely swerved around it, the attack not keeping me from closing in on my real target.
Cricket went down on the pavement in a sprawl with a telekinetic slap that I probably put more force into than was necessary. But it was gratifying to see her out in a daze again as I seized hold of some scrap metal from the crash, using it to pin her down. She wasn't going to get a second chance. Not this time.
It had taken no time at all, from start to finish a few seconds. But with Cricket dealt with, I now realized I still had two more to handle. I wasn't sure that they would be so easy. Especially as a third leaped off a nearby rooftop, growing in size as she did so. Fenja. I caught her mid-air with a telekinetic grip, saw her expression shift in realization and –
...she slipped through my grip, suddenly shrinking as I was left holding nothing but air instead. Shrunk? What the hell? I frowned as she landed on both feet, already regrowing with her sword and shield at the ready.
I shot upward to avoid another swing of Menja's spear from behind, and to avoid Hookwolf's attempt to claw at my legs, noting she had grown larger than a small building now. On the ground, Hookwolf growled before moving towards Cricket. If I didn't do something to handle him, he would have her free in moments.
No. I didn't need to approach him to stop that. A telekinetic shove forced him away from the fallen neo-Nazi. Now to – I shifted my attention to deflecting the immense sword that Fenja wielded. I shoved her off-balance but no sooner than I moved to press the advantage, Menja interposed herself, stabbing at me with her spear in a series of rapid-fire strikes.
I busied myself with that, cycling between the three while I ran through my options. Fenja and Menja had near perfect teamwork, and even with my precog, I was forced to devote more attention to them. I could see that if they kept me occupied like this and I let them dictate the pace of the fight, it would only be a matter of time until Hookwolf freed Cricket. Then they would retreat, backed by reinforcements from the rest of the Empire.
Wrenching Menja's spear from her hands, I almost growled as it began shrinking and slipping away. I caught it and brought it up so it was floating beside me while the giantess snarled something that I thought was supposed to be unflattering.
"I suggest you just give up," I called out in what I hoped was an intimidating voice, swatting Hookwolf away from Cricket while hovering out of range of Fenja's sword. I could take that away too, but taking away their weapons entirely made them more unpredictable. With just Menja's spear in my possession, I knew that Fenja was going to take a running leap to reclaim it right… now.
She went airborne as I had expected, but I realized when she was almost in front of me that her target wasn't the spear.
It was me.
I threw my hands up, forcing her considerable bulk away and felt my grip on the spear fail as my focus shifted. Damn it!
Menja vaulted backwards, her weapon once more in her hands and growing again to match her sister. I ground my teeth together, realizing they worked together better than I had assumed. Trying to anticipate what they would do was tricky, even when I could see it before it happened.
Hookwolf was making another attempt toward Cricket and I smacked him away once more, snarling to myself as he just dug into the concrete to get his feet under him, heading towards Cricket again. I was tired of this game of keep away. He wanted to keep getting my attention like that? Fine. He was going to get it. I didn't bother slapping him away again so I could stay focused on the twins. This time I grabbed hold, weaving away from Fenja and Menja as I trapped him in a sphere, repeating my trick from the other day. I was done with him being a distraction. It was time he made himself useful.
I didn't give either of them warning, simply turning back to the pair as I yanked the sphere holding Hookwolf toward me. Unfortunately for her, Fenja was still in the way and the Hookwolf-ball slammed into her back at high speed. She grunted and pitched forward, her armor still ringing like a gong from the impact as she crashed down onto the pavement. Her sister leaped forward, trying to knock away Hookwolf mid-swing. I saw it coming, and merely shifted his course, swinging him around like a flail at her again.
Menja tried to deflect with the spear, but whatever it was made of was not up to standing against the force I was using. The shaft of the spear shattered and my makeshift weapon slammed into her torso, sending her to the ground as well. While she was reeling, I glanced toward Fenja, who had gotten one foot in place and was moving to stand.
The sound made when I slammed Hookwolf into her knee was quickly drowned out by her scream of pain. Her sister gained her feet, shouting something at me that was filled with rage while her emotions dissolved into worry and panic. She positioned herself over the other, who was shrinking slowly back to her normal size, clearly intending to defend her from me.
The worry and panic I could feel from her almost made me smile as I glanced toward where I had trapped Cricket. She was still unconscious. I focused back on Menja and sneered at her defiant expression. A beat and she ducked down, aiming to pick up her sister and wrench Cricket free. Planning to run.
No. Not just no. But hell no. There was simply no way I was letting them escape. Especially after what Cricket had done to me. Hookwolf-the-ball slammed into her shoulder as she was half turned with a gratifying crunch. Unlike her sister, she didn't make much more sound than a grunt as she twisted her body to fall away from her companions. She managed to roll out of the way of a strike to her knee, but from the way her arm was hanging, I didn't think Menja was going to be carrying both of them.
The second blow did not miss and Menja screamed just as loud as her sister when her knee shattered. Unlike her sister, she didn't fall, holding herself up with her arms. Neither of them were getting up now, but I wasn't finished. I brought Hookwolf around, and relished the split-second look on her face before my weapon slammed into the side of her helmet, watching her slump to the ground like a massive puppet whose strings were cut. I held onto Hookwolf until she was back to normal size and used some of the nearby rubble to make sure they wouldn't be moving if they should wake.
Hookwolf was still sluggishly moving inside the sphere I had been using as a flail and I stared at him for a moment. The impact as he crashed into the ground was almost as satisfying as the one before, and I buried him in scrap and rubble.. I could see some of his limbs sticking out, weakly twitching, but I could see that he wasn't going to be an issue anymore.
A shuddering breath escaped me as I surveyed the area, noting how eerily quiet it was. There were sirens in the distance… but why hadn't anyone arrived yet?
That was forgotten as I surveyed the scene again and realization set in. I had just taken out four of the E88 by myself. How in the hell had I –
Cricket groaned, the sound reaching my ears from where I was floating. Right. They were all down and I had hit her pretty hard to open. I should probably check on her. The last thing I wanted was to have the PRT breathing down my neck for excessive force or whatever bullshit they would try and drop on me.
Touching down beside Cricket, I threw a quick glance toward the other E88 I had taken out, making sure that they were still down for the count. The twins were still out, and Hookwolf wasn't getting up anytime soon. I really had taken out four of the Empire… I shook my head, still trying to make sense of that and turned back to Cricket.
I had half-bent to check on her when she exploded upward. Pain exploded in my face as I felt something… her forehead? make contact. I stumbled back, my hands going to my face in mirror of a moment three days ago
I saw Cricket's weapon rising for a killing blow. The memory of what had almost happened surged to the front of my thoughts. And with it, fury.
I couldn't quite see between tears and stars dancing in my vision, but I heard metal scraping against concrete. She wasn't entirely free. Had she been playing dead and working to get free the whole time?
"F'king b'ch!" I said, the words garbled as I slammed my power at her in imitation of what she had done to me the other day. Her own sound of pain was gratifying. I wiped at my eyes and as my vision began to clear, I saw Cricket laying. in a half-twist, her stomach mostly to the ground. She nursed her face in the crook of her arms, blood staining her prison suit, as she looked at me with hate in her eyes.
"See how you like it," I forced out, each word a stab of pain. I wasn't sure if I made sense, but she seemed to get what I had said and the hate was replaced with… amusement?
She thought it was funny? Cricket continued to stare at me and the way her shoulders shook spelled it out for me clearly. She was laughing.
She was laughing. At me.
I snarled, the pain forgotten. I gestured for effect and I was gratified at the flash of alarm before she rocked backwards, her arms flailing as something she couldn't see moved her. An instant later, she slammed into the pavement face first with a sharp crack. If she wanted to headbutt something, I could oblige her.
"Still think it's funny?" I asked, uncaring whether she even understood me as I jerked her back up. Her face was a mess and there was a dazed look in her face. I held her there until she started to focus and her shoulders shifted. Her head tilted back a bit, then jerked forward and I flinched, even with the distance between us. Something hot and wet smacked against my cheek. I stood frozen for a moment before I wiped away the mix of blood and phlegm with the back of my hand.
The metal holding her down scattered as I picked her up and threw the villain across the lot, bouncing her off the now-dented hood of someone's car before she rolled to a rest. I stalked forward, picking her up again and holding her in place while I hammered home a storm of telekinetic strikes, her body curling around each blow. Spit in my face? I would –
Light erupted in front of me as my power screamed threat. I pushed off the ground into the air as a glowing figure dropped into place between me and Cricket.
"That," Purity said in a firm voice, "is enough."
I stared at her. "I don't think it is."
She didn't move for a moment. "You're a vigilante, right. A hero?"
"And you're a Nazi and her teammate, what about it?"
She tensed for a moment. "I'm no longer with the Empire."
"Then why are you stopping me?" I shouted, not dwelling on the absurdity of what was happening now.. "She's –"
"Had enough!" Purity's voice cracked over me, cutting off what I was going to say. "Look at her!"
I almost laughed in her face. Purity was a member of the Empire for as long as I could remember. She was claiming she wasn't now? Telling me… My eyes drifted to where Cricket had fallen, the way she was lying still.
Did someone's leg even bend that way for real?
"I…" I shook my head, feeling the rage that had been fueling me ebb slightly. I wobbled as I dropped onto the street, taking a moment to really look around at the stretch of street I had been fighting them on for the first time. Craters dotted the street and from the shape, I knew none of them were the work of the Empire. There were several men near the overturned transport, tending to each other. Had I even thought about them when I went after Cricket?
Did it matter? The Empire had been around before I was born and the Protectorate didn't do anything to stop them. In the last ten minutes, I had done more than I ever remember anyone else doing. And it felt good. I turned to look at Purity again. She hadn't moved, tension radiating from her body as she watched me.
"And if I don't believe you?" I asked, my voice eerily soft. "You don't get to be a Nazi for most of my life and then say you're not out of the blue."
The light surrounding her grew brighter. "I don't want to fight you."
I snorted, the anger buoying me once more. "Oh, trust me, it won't be a fight."
"That's right," a familiar voice interrupted and a figure I had seen just days ago dropped down, skidding to a halt, followed by the faintly glowing figure of his partner. Assault and Battery. "I think everyone's broken enough bones for today. How about you let us clean this up, Skipper?"
"Assault," I said, taking in a slow breath as my eyes flicked toward approaching PRT squads. The anger fled in a rush, leaving me feeling empty. "Fine."
"See? That was easy," Assault said cheerfully before turning to look at Purity. "How ya doing, Lightbulb?"
"Don't call me that," Purity retorted, though it had the feel of a habitual response, rather than one she actually expected to be followed.
"You did all this?" Battery asked with a hint of something I didn't care to identify in her voice. "Making a statement?"
"I suppose," I answered. "It kind of got out of control."
"Just a touch, Skipper," Assault said, his attention returning to me as he leaned down. "Ouch. She got you good, huh? Lemme see…" I almost jerked back as he brought his hands up, but when I realized he was just feeling the area around my nose, I settled down. I didn't feel like being prodded by the paramedics like the other day. Especially if it was broken again. Setting it had hurt just as bad.
"Well, good thing is," he finally said, clapping a hand on my shoulder, "nothing is broken. I would recommend getting some ice on it soon, though. A lot of ice. You're kind of burning up, you know?"
I shrugged. "I feel fine, other than the nose."
Assault whistled. "Huh. If I were you, I'd check your temperature. Oi, puppy. Come over here and check Skipper, tell me if she's running a fever or not."
"Moron," Battery replied absently, her attention mostly on Purity. "We're on the clock, you know."
"It's fine," I said, shaking myself. "I should go, I guess. No sense in sticking around now."
"Well, we need statements," Assault interjected. "You know the drill. How did dee and dum end up out cold next to wolfie? Chirpy over there looks like she ran into a meat tenderizer, several times, too."
"They were helping her escape. I didn't let them. Cricket likes to play dead and she headbutted me ag –" I cut off, feeling my temper start to flare again. "They tried to get away. I stopped them. The end."
Battery's shoulders slumped at my words as she looked around at the fallen Empire members. "Sirin, this time, I'm not so sure about that."
--
And here we go. Sorry for the long delay. 3.5 will be much faster since it is around half-done.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Of course. Now the PRT/Protectorate has something on Taylor to force her into the Wards or get labeled a villain.
BrokenAscendent
Unum prae omnibus aliis
- Location
- Auld Lang Syne
These are not how they should be.
What are you doing now>?
What game are you playing?
PRT really bad at this, should have cape with it, or a air transport.
It never was a game.
It was rigged from the start.
so its the E 84 now?
Enough, is never enough.
Pheonix fire burns hot.
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
That's a cool reversal.
I'm reminded of Shadow Stalker's recruitment. The PRT'll pull out all the stops, and Piggot'll swallow her prejudice on this one, to get Taylor on the Wards.
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
Thing is, this time they're not wrong. She went too far, and needs to learn more control and restraint. At this rate, it won't be long before she's as much a danger to civilians as the villains she's fighting.
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Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
Tats, you're trying to jerk around and smug to an actual psychic, not your stupid act.
Not having a hell of a lot of sympathy for whatever happens to you in this fic!
Only in that last instance and honestly, she had it coming. That's the kind of thing that gets a prisoner normally police brutality'd without super powers coming into occasion.
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Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
If she's acting smug, her shard must not be picking up either Pheonix or Jean in Taylor's head or the shard's reading is being blocked by one or both of Taylor's new headmates. She's operating without information for once, and she doesn't even know it.
Jim Starluck
CO, ICS Vanguard
- Location
- Cincinnati, OH
I'm not even really counting the brutality against Cricket. I'm looking more at the collateral from taking down Fenja, Menja and Hookwolf. She was getting tunnel vision on winning the fight and not letting them escape above all else, which is dangerous with how strong she's getting.Only in that last instance and honestly, she had it coming. That's the kind of thing that gets a prisoner normally police brutality'd without super powers coming into occasion.
thefluffyone
Big Ego for Something so Small, eh?
- Location
- Earth
In her defense, it's not like she actually knows that.
All she knows is that Taylor's a powerful telekinetic, with a high chance of being linked to the null-Thinker firebird.
The second one would be very strange. Tattletale's power doesn't affect anyone but herself, after all. It doesn't add to her senses, it only processes their inputs.
- Location
- Little Rock, AR
Ira Taylor that is your sin, and your doom.
Wrath of godding those empire goons was awesome but heroes don't get to kick them the enemy while down unless it's with Con foam. Then you can lather that on all ya want if you can pay the bill.
Also I don't know when your offbrand namebrand humor's gonna stop being and I don't want to know.
Yeah you'd think she's have more sympathy and respect for a person also in the position to be in her position.
Wrath of godding those empire goons was awesome but heroes don't get to kick them the enemy while down unless it's with Con foam. Then you can lather that on all ya want if you can pay the bill.
Also I don't know when your offbrand namebrand humor's gonna stop being and I don't want to know.
Tats, you're trying to jerk around and smug to an actual psychic, not your stupid act.
Not having a hell of a lot of sympathy for whatever happens to you in this fic!
Only in that last instance and honestly, she had it coming. That's the kind of thing that gets a prisoner normally police brutality'd without super powers coming into occasion.
Yeah you'd think she's have more sympathy and respect for a person also in the position to be in her position.
Taylor's already a ward. Now piggot has to bring her to heel because ward cop brutality on the already incapitated is not okay. And Shattering bones and other wise maiming in a rage is not okay when submission them elsewise.
Got to "love" how Dinah has been dehumanized. Or is he talking about someone else...*dun dun dunn*
I liked this part. A funny noncombat use of her pyrokinesis.
That is a nifty trick to counter Taylor's telekinesis, I will admit.
One would think Taylor would have learned more from her last Empire encounter. They used group tactics there too to keep her off-balance.
I chuckled at the image of Hookwolf-the-ball.
*winces*
Cricket certainly jammed on one of Taylor's berserk buttons.
Battery is right. Taylor used an extremely excessive amount of force after giving in to Cricket's goading. Piggot's going to have a field day with this.
Great chapter, chibipoe.