Hymn of Harmony (Worm/Ar Tonelico Crossover Alt Trigger Taylor) (Complete)

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony

or Melody of Escalation

Interlude The Uncertainty


-Hebert Residence: Danny-


The house was cold.

There was sunlight coming in through the window and the heater was on, but that changed nothing. The house was cold. The man moved about the kitchen as if he were ancient rather than the thirty some odd years he possessed. It wasn't a feeling that he could place, but it was something he knew all the same. There had been a dark foreboding this morning. The activity around the table had made the house feel truly alive in a way that had been missing since his wife died. The cold had begun to settle in his bones despite the warmth and affection. He pushed it away to focus on the bright lights that filled the home with light and love.

If someone had told him that his daughter's best friend, sister in all but blood, would be betray her it would have been inconceivable. The fact that she was able to hide it for nearly two years was worrying. Just how much had he neglected his little girl that this would slide right by? That same person was now sitting at their table with a smile on her face, but a deep pain in her changed eyes. The vivid pink hue would dim briefly throughout the day as her grief would strike. He knew that feeling well. She had been badly damaged by an abusive home life and the toxic views of another. He knew that her gaining powers had been further complicated by his own daughter. The very night of her Trigger she defended herself from her drunken parents and killed them in the process. Emma Barnes was deeply scarred by her experience. He couldn't hold a grudge against a girl so full of remorse. To the outside observer she was fine, but to someone who knew grief he could see she was still on the mend.

When he met Lisa for the first time it had been an interesting experience. The term broken bird is used a lot in literature to describe a girl that has had a rough life. He never thought he would meet one literally. She put on a brave front, but it was clear just how worried she was. Taylor was in the hospital again and here was this girl that had clearly been taken with her. His little owl was making friends and it made him glad to see that. Lisa had somehow seen that the jig was up and let him see the real concern she held. The poor girl was so lost and unsure. Scared for her friend and scared for feeling such deep affection for anyone. He didn't pry into her life, but let her know that he would listen. To see her smiling at Taylor was like watching the sun rise. Even if she wasn't at the table right now it still held her presence.

Cocona had crash landed in their life literally. He might have been warned that she was coming, but to see this very petite girl having floored Taylor, Lisa, and Emma it made him laugh. She was like a ball of energy that wanted to grasp the whole world. The pain in her eyes was old, but deeper. Helping to save your world twice would put a heap of weight on anyone's shoulders. Doing it with a death sentence over your head even more so. She fought with everything she had even as an accident of birth slowly killed her. To see the naked gratitude in her eyes whenever she looks at Taylor is humbling. His baby girl was responsible for not just Cocona, but many of the girl's people no longer having to suffer. Seeing her at this table was welcome. She came through a dimensional portal just to be with his daughter and help her. It showed him that no matter where in creation you come from there are decent people. That was a comforting thought.

The newest member of the family continued to make him smile. Sonata Annette Hebert was a true joy to have around. Her body was created as a test bed for medical science, but the young girl herself was made with love. There was nothing about her personality that didn't show her roots. The affection she had for everyone and the wonder at life was refreshing. Instead of just making a simple lab partner his daughter had truly given birth to this child. Until the day she came home he hadn't believed in such a thing. Intellectually he knew that Cocona's people were much like her, but Annette brought it home. Taylor named her daughter after two things of her mother's. Her love of music and her name. It was hard not to get emotional when he thought about that. The fact that the PRT had even gave her legitimate credentials drove it home further. She was here to stay and looking adorable.

There was one person whose presence was felt at this table, but wasn't here physically. Mir. An ancient Reyvateil that at one time was considered a villain. Her actions in the past driven by an emotional breakdown and callous treatment. Trying to blame her for those things, to him, would be like blaming the victim for lashing out at her tormentors. It didn't excuse what she did, but her actions weren't without reason. She discovered a love of her own and was redeemed by her own actions. Now they hailed her as a hero. If anyone could understand what his daughter had gone through at the hands of a tired and broken system it was her. She was there with Taylor in the locker and it was her that saved his baby girl. He could excuse any monstrous act for someone that cared about his daughter. If it wasn't for Mir then Taylor never would have met Lisa. Never would have regained her friendship with Emma. Never would have met Cocona. Never would have had Annette.

She never would have reconciled with him. Maybe that was the cold feeling he was getting. If she had Triggered alone in the dark, would Taylor have come to him? No. Why would she come to the person that abandoned her when her mother died? He loved his daughter and did the best he could, but even he knew it was abandonment. If he had truly loved her then he would have sent her to stay with Kurt and Lacey. The right thing to do would have been have her stay with people that weren't emotionally broken. That was in the past, but he would remember that decision. He would use it as a talisman to ward off similar feelings in the future. Danny wouldn't just be the father and grandfather his girls needed, but all the one they deserved. Though looking into his heart it was becoming harder to tell who his girls were.

The phone rang and the cold came back with a vengeance. He drove it away with the heat of his determination. Not now. Don't let yourself be paralyzed now. This dark foreboding was swirling around his head like a storm cloud as he picked up the phone. The PRT agent on the other end called to inform him that Taylor had been kidnapped from the hospital. A full search was being conducted by several groups. The full weight of the PRT was behind the search. The agent didn't try to get his hopes up or feed him meaningless platitudes. He told Danny exactly what they would do and when they found his daughter exactly what would be done to the ones that took her. He took a certain vindictive pleasure in the idea that the Protectorate, New Wave, and the PRT were looking for his daughter. They were also looking to make an example of the poor fools. The last time something happened to a Ward it had been legendary. Details had been kept classified, but several villains just disappeared without a trace.

The phone rang even before he hung it up. He stared at it for a moment, but there was no chill this time. Actually he found himself looking forward to the call. Maybe it was already news about Taylor?

"Danny? It's Lisa." The voice on the other end was tinged with worry, but welcome.

"Hello Lisa. I'm sorry, but Taylor isn't in right now..." He wanted to tell her, but there was the feeling that she already knew somehow. It probably had to do with that chat channel his girls could use.

"I know and you know that I know. That was a little confusing. Let me start over..." Lisa sounded flustered, but also like she was gaining her composure.

"Whatever you need to say it doesn't have to be cleaned up. You can be honest with the both of us." Danny assured her. The silence on the other end of the phone was strangely telling.

"Okay. My friends and I will start looking for Taylor. We plan on coordinating with the other searchers. Whatever it takes we'll find her. I can promise you that." The blonde was so serious and so self assured. She truly believed what she was saying.

"Thank you." He said in appreciation. "Wait...just know that anytime you need a place to go...you can count this as your home too. Okay?" The feeling that this was right wouldn't leave him. He already knew it in his heart.

"Th-thank you...I better...get going." Lisa hung up with a suspicious catch in her voice. The gratitude was real. He hung up the phone. There was one other person that he wanted to speak with. He made his way to the terminal in Taylor's room.

At one time he would have referred to it as a monitor, but it was so much more than that. The terminal looked like one of those old Gateway all in one devices that was a monitor combined with a computer. The device weighed maybe two pounds, if that, with a screen cover for easy transport. He stared at the twenty-one inch screen and marveled at what his daughter could build. The machine was designed to activate with the appropriate thumbprint. No sooner had he touched the device that it flared to life. The camera running its check against the approved user database. He did listen to his daughter when she rambled after all. The icon for what his daughter affectionately called HymmnSphere was on the desktop. He hit the key for a well used address.

"Hello Danny." Mir greeted me from her desk. She wasn't at home apparently, but seemed to be at a desk in a well appointed sitting room. The walls were done in soft blues while the floor was a muted green. He had never seen this place before.

"Hello Mir. I hope I'm not interrupting anything." They weren't close, but they also weren't stiff with each other. The spoke sometimes. Sometimes he even talked to Croix, Aoto, and Lyner. The poor guys were always outnumbered by women. Anyone who tries to say they would love to have the attention of gorgeous women has never had to deal with more than one at a time.

"Just my brooding." She admitted frankly. The amount of trust it must have taken to admit that was humbling. Mir's lips curled up slightly in amusement, but the worry was visible in her eyes.

"She'll come home safely. You've given her the tools to survive and our girl is a fighter." Danny assured her. She gazed at him with some surprise. The expression wiping away the jaded woman and showed the hopeful young woman she once was.

"Thank you, Danny." She didn't elaborate on it, but he knew. Acknowledging Taylor was just as much her daughter as Danny and Annette's was surprisingly not difficult for him. Not now at any rate. She looked off to the side for a moment to get herself together.

"There are two super hero teams, a government agency, and a band of rogues all searching for her. Where there's hope there's a way." It was growing easier to believe that. He never would have believed that normal humans could have stood up to parahuman threats, but they did and won. Clean and affordable energy in his lifetime was a reality. A possible end to world hunger was just around the corner. To know that his daughter was involved all because of a golden ray of hope made him a believer.

"Would you like to hear the song I taught to our girl?" Mir asked in a strangely shy tone. He never got a chance to hear it before. Of course he wanted to hear the melody that changed her life.



The words seemed to unfold in his mind as he allowed himself to be carried away. The song was more than just a song, but an affirmation of good things in the world. There was an innocence to it as if she had been transported to a time before her torments. Despite her woes. He blinked the tears from his eyes as the song came to a close, but it seemed that a flute somewhere picked up the tune. It faded softly in the stillness, always remembered, and never forgotten. Mir looked surprised as tears streamed down her cheeks. It was as if she were hearing it again for the first time. They sat in silent contemplation of their daughter lost somewhere out there in Brockton Bay.

But we had Hope.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony

or Melody of Escalation

Fourth Arc 4.6



-PRT Headquarters-



This entire situation was bad. There just wasn't a better way to put the absolute disaster today had become. This was just the sort of situation that had people transferred to outer Mongolia or to a Simurgh Containment Zone. The higher ups would want this resolved immediately or find a scapegoat to sacrifice to the forum of public opinion. Miss Militia was understandably jaded on the entire concept. Soldiers lived or died while pencil pushers made decisions from their ivory towers. She couldn't show just how frustrated this situation made her feel. There was a certain way a director, even if only an acting director, must behave. She looked to the two that managed to drop this in her lap and tried not to get mad at them.

Mouse Protector was the easiest of the two to read. Bombastic and irreverent to all, but she took her duties seriously. Well, for a given value of serious. She was dependable and trustworthy which were qualities that mattered to the patriotic cape. To see the normally larger than life woman with a look of bitter recrimination was difficult. It was plain to see that she was beating herself up over her perceived failure. To be completely honest this was not something anyone could have planned for. That someone would brazenly kidnap Aria, a Ward, in broad daylight and in the company of five other capes was inconceivable. On the other side of the coin all the heroic mouse had to do was touch her. There was no easy answer to this debacle.

Brandish was the harder of the two normally, but the tenseness in her posture and steely look in her eyes promised pain. This was supposed to be a PR thing. The up and coming young Tinker for the Wards with Panacea? It was a pure photo opportunity with a walk around the hospital. Something simple and would make good press for New Wave and the PRT. The fact that Panacea and Glory Girl were legitimately friendly with Aria gave them a rather nice connection. Brandish was taking it personally that something she and Lady Photon had put together resulted in a child being kidnapped. The worst part of that was that the crazies would come out and claim New Wave arranged it so that their healer would the most sought after in town. Miss Militia inwardly sighed as her thoughts turned to worst case scenarios.

Personally she could care less if her head was on the chopping block as long as they found the girl in one piece and alive. She looked over the predictions that the PRT Thinkers had sent over regarding this disaster. It seemed that in their time of need the central office had given permission to make use of whatever resources were available and she was not too proud to turn that down. There was only one cape that fit the criteria for the information that was brought back. Trickster. The last anyone had heard he was still in Boston with the Travelers. Something had obviously changed, but damned if she knew what the connection was. The Travelers had never been interested in Tinkers before after all, but that didn't rule them out. They might just have a high paying client who would love to have Aria's tech all to themselves.

"What are we gonna do, chief?" Mouse Protector asked without anyone of her usual bravado. The steel in her posture would remind any villain that this was a cape that often punched above her weight class and won.

"I say we take it to the streets and see what garbage we can shake out. That makes the most sense." Brandish folded her arms in front of her chest. She was a known firebrand when riled which did more for deterring crime than her own power.

"Searching blind? Hey I know my ideas are crazy, but that takes the cake. Let's just see what M&M has to say." The mouse themed heroine turned expectantly to Miss Militia. Brandish also turned in her direction with a raised eyebrow.

"Unfortunately it really is the best idea that I've heard. The Empire is out as well with their own troops and capes. Whether it's to find Aria or not we don't know. Either way we have a missing Ward and at this point some action is better than none. By having our people out there we maximize response times for when she's found. New Wave knows their area better than we do so that's where they'll patrol. The Protectorate will check high parahuman activity areas while the PRT agents will scout the Wards' normal routes. The Wards themselves will go along with a detachment of agents. We've already sent Despedia to the Market area. Her, Granspear, and Sonata will let us know when they get a lock on her location." Miss Militia informed them.

"Why can't this girl find her now?" Brandish asked.

"The thing that she uses to track Aria only works if she's conscious." The possibility that they might just keep her unconscious until they fled the city didn't bear thinking about. The other two understood the unspoken message.

"What can I do to help?" Mouse Protector asked.

"Armsmaster, you, and I will be remaining here at HQ. Once information about her location comes in we'll head right to the scene. Dragon has also volunteered to come along." The patriotic cape told them.

"I better get going then. The sooner we start looking the sooner we'll find her." Brandish seemed unusually tense. Ever since Aria had been taken she was on edge. It wasn't purely worry about the girl, but right now it made her bound and determined to find her. That was more useful than poking at her issues. The woman strode out of the office to head back to her team.

"Whew...she's really stiff. So chief, what do we do until the call comes in?" Mouse Protector sat down in the office chair.

"We talk about how this isn't your fault." She held a finger up to silence the other woman, "It isn't your fault. The only one that I could think of that might blame you is Despedia and she doesn't. That girl is so devoted to her best friend that it's scary, but she doesn't blame you. No one blames you for this."

"I let myself get complacent. You know that's a big no-no when dealing with villains. How much time would it have taken to just pat her on the shoulder? None. I just figured that with so many capes in one place and hospitals normally being neutral territory..." She shrugged halfheartedly. It was just common sense that hospitals were neutral ground. They also treated villains that were brought in which is why this blatant violation was all the more galling.

"It's not complacency, Kat. What you..." the acting director was interrupted by the phone ringing. She snatched it off the cradle hoping for news of the lost Ward, but what she got was a sick feeling. Mouse Protector stayed silent as the phone was set back down. Miss Militia stared sightlessly at the ceiling as if she had been delivered an enormous shock.

"Hannah...is it Aria? Is she alright?" Mouse Protector asked in the sudden stillness. Assuming, correctly, that this had something to do with the missing girl. The patriotic cape shook herself from her reverie. She didn't answer directly, but motioned for the other woman to follow her as she hurried out of the room.

"This is bad. This is very bad. We've been compromised and have been for God only knows how long." The bandanna clad woman didn't slow down as she spoke. Her companion easily keeping pace with her.

"That's certainly bad. Where are we going?" Mouse didn't raise her voice as they were speaking in low tones. Their urgent movements might have been a tip off that something was wrong, but no one know just how wrong.

"Armsmaster's lab to tell him what I just found out and to have Dragon purge our systems. I don't know if this has spread to them as well, but better safe than sorry." The cryptic statements still managed to convey just how serious this situation was to the normally excitable cape. Mouse Protector was far more perceptive than she let on. They reached the lab and thankfully the man himself was there. Dragon was also in residence in the sleek bodysuit that she had taken to wearing. The two of them were standing fairly close together with their heads bent over a project, but sprung apart when the door opened suddenly.

"Miss Militia, Mouse Protector, is there something I can help with?" Armsmaster asked politely. It was clear the two were working on something to distract themselves.

"Lock down the lab. Dragon? Please run a full diagnostic of our communications and other systems. There are things I've heard that shouldn't get out just yet." Her tone was so different than what they were used to that it took a few moments to process, but they set to work. The lab was closed off and Dragon was going through the systems piece by piece.

"The lab is isolated." Dragon reported. Some of the tension went out of Miss Militia's shoulders. Mouse Protector perched on one of the tables while Armsmaster took a seat. The Canadian Tinker also sat down facing the acting director.

"Now are you gonna tell us what's going on?" The bombastic cape finally had enough of the cloak and dagger to get straight to the point.

"Despedia found Aria. She shared that they have a way of communicating that involved their melodies. Once she was in range they were able to talk. She hadn't been able to narrow down the location immediately. The thing is Aria found out some information from eavesdropping on Trickster and another person who is his employer. Kaiser is missing and this employer knows how it happened. Possibly responsible." The patriotic cape exhales slowly in sudden weariness. "Aria found out that the employer is Coil. His melody has the same effect on her as that of PRT consultant Thomas Calvert. She is absolutely positive they are one and the same." The silence was deafening. He wasn't a trusted man given that in order to escape Ellisburg he shot his own superior in the back. There was something shady going on when despite that he wasn't even charged with anything. He was fired from the PRT, but then came back in the capacity of a private consultant.

"That's terrible news. If he realizes that she knows his identity he...he already does." Dragon visibly deflates. Armsmaster rubs her shoulder comfortingly. The sight would have brought a smile to Miss Militia if this were a better time.

"But you said they found her. I get the feeling that's not the case anymore." Mouse Protector sounded grim.

"Despedia finally got a lock on her location, but there was no one there by the time they arrived. Aria is unconscious again apparently. A search of the building turned up a sewer access. Despedia said that she could faintly smell Aria from that direction, but the other scents in the sewer confused her." Not even a bloodhound could pick out an individual scent from a sewer. A buzzing started up on Armsmaster's terminal.

"What now?" He asked irritably as he went to check. The irritability was replaced by a cold fury, "There are several power armors in Merchant colors attacking the hospital and down by the Docks. Skidmark, Squealer, Trainwreck, and Mush are confirmed at the second location. Crystal, Angel and Smack are near the Boardwalk with more power armor."

"Son of a bitch..." Mouse Protector groaned, "Diversion. Like saying 'pick one job and fail the other." The whole mess left a bad taste in their mouths.

"What do we do?" Dragon asked. She was plainly torn. It was obvious that Aria and her mentor had become close, but she was seemingly being asked to ignore her charge in favor of this new chaos.

"We stick to the plan. Do not deviate. We have armor of our own and capes of our own. New Wave is at the Boardwalk so send a division of agents to their location. Send another to the hospital and to the Docks. I want Velocity, Dauntless, Assault, and Battery to deal with the Merchants." If the Merchants wanted to pick their heads up during all of this then they were gonna get blown off.

"Done. What do we tell the Wards?" Armsmaster asked after sending out the orders.

"Keep looking for Aria and stay away from the fighting. When they find her call back to base." Miss Militia knew that morale was an integral part of any operation. The Wards wanted to feel useful and they would definitely be useful. They had enough armored units and capes that for once they were the ones holding the big stick. The children could look for their friend without getting caught up in the fighting.

"Once they find Aria we'll swoop in..." Mouse Protector said with a slowly spreading grin, "...and swooping is bad."

"I've been looking for a place to test my new lance." Dragon's grin matched Mouse Protector's. Armsmaster and Miss Militia had the same thought. Dear God there's two of them!



-Hospital-



It was a scene out of a sci-fi movie in front of the hospital. Power armors had stormed the block flying the Merchant's colors and firing their weapons into the air. The panicked masses fled as the wall of hi-tech shock troopers descended on the largest hospital in the city. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the assault as they shot up cars and the street. Some kind soul had dialed 911 which brought the police. Whoever had made the Merchant armors hadn't put in a flight unit, but the police were using PRT special issue which gave them greater mobility. There was now a blue line drawn in the sand between the Merchants and their objective. The firefight was intense as both sides fought tooth and nail to reach their goals. The police were proving valiant in the face of their foe, but the sheer number of Merchant mecha was slowly grinding them down. Lieutenant Fred Lee slammed another clip of HE rounds into his faithful rifle before resuming his assault. The massive weapon sent another bullet down range that blew out the optics, and skull, of another enemy yet they kept coming. The lack of blood was telling. At first they had hope that if enough of them fell the rest would panic and flee.

There was no one in the suits.

They still held out hope that eventually whoever was controlling them would realize that they were losing resources. That whoever had organized this assault would cut their losses. They remembered then that the Merchants owned these things and they weren't known for their wisdom. Like lemmings these machines would press the assault until either they, or the police, were gone. He looked at his band of brothers and sisters grimly. Their armors were damaged and soot stained, but nothing severe. Not yet at any rate. The real danger was running out of ammunition. Soon they would be down to photon blades and melee while those armors still held beam weapons. Above their heads was a police helicopter trying to send down an ammo crate, but every time it got close enough a blast from the enemy would make it veer off course. His rifle clicked empty. The scene was repeated down the line as their heavy weapons ran out of ammunition.

"Agh!" A voice cried out followed by the sounds of pain as several more of his comrades started to fall. With no way to fight back except engaging in close range this was turning into a route. According to the HUD their armors had done their jobs well. His fellow officers would live, but they would need a hospital soon. How ironic that the very place they needed was right behind them. He laughed with gallows humor as he got the heavy metal tube from his waist and clicked on the vibrant blue blade.

"Give these fuckers hell!" He roared as he vaulted into the air on his thrusters before coming down in the enemies' midst cleaving back and forth with his blade.

The rallying cry was taken up as many officers followed his example and flew into the fight with desperate determination. A blaster shot hit his force field dead on causing it to flicker while the next dropped it just in time for the follow up shot to his upper torso. The pain was like nothing he had experienced before, but the powerful war machine held. He bellowed like an angry bull as he fought like a man possessed. They would not get to that hospital. They would not cross this line! All at once the enemy armors started exploding. The lieutenant turned his gaze to the sky and thought he'd seen a miracle.

"What the hell...?" One of the officers asked in a stunned voice. "The PRT! PRT incoming!" There were ragged cheers and a renewal of flagging energies. The supply copter was able to finally make it's delivery. Caught between the police and the PRT it was a meat grinder. Metal components littered the ground as the battle shifted from a war of attrition to a rout. During the clean up a black and red armor with the PRT logo strode towards Lieutenant Lee.

"Nice day for a party, eh? Agent Cogwell. Sorry that we're late, but our invitation was held up." The voice that came from the mech was friendly, but also contrite.

"Lieutenant Lee and I gotta say you were right on time. What the hell was all this?" The man asked. The agent sighed, but nodded.

"You deserve to know. The Ward, Aria, was kidnapped from the hospital as I'm sure you're aware. Someone is using the Merchants as a diversion. I can tell you to be wary of snakes that like to coil in wait." The cryptic statement took a few moments to process, but when it did he simply nodded in acknowledgment.

"I'll make sure to do that. This is gonna take forever to clean up." He gestured at the ruined streets, cars, and junk from the mechs.

"All in a day's work. Excuse me." Agent Cogwell nodded briefly before heading back towards the others, "Okay guys! Secure the area and make a landing area for the clean up crew!" The lieutenant went back to check on his own people. The injured had already been moved into the hospital. Thankfully their armors hadn't been so badly damaged that they couldn't disengage.

"What's the word? Gonna shut us out of this again?" The officer that spoke jerked a thumb at the armored agents.

"Keep it up Jenkins and watch where it lands you. As a matter of fact he shared some interesting information. The Merchants are the ones helping whoever kidnapped Aria. I think they need to be taught a lesson about messing with children. A long overdue lesson." Just because he was Officer Friendly on the PHO didn't mean that he was always friendly as the Merchants were about to find out.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony

or Melody of Escalation



Fourth Arc 4.7



-The Boardwalk-



It was a cold and clear day. The kind of day that one would take a stroll along the Boardwalk and see where life took them. It was a gorgeous day meant to be spent doing any number of fun activities. Unfortunately that wasn't the case right at this moment. The cape known as Crystal watched listlessly as the patrons along the Boardwalk were being herded like sheep. Merchant power armors stormed the shops and had a field day looting with no one to stop them. She just couldn't get excited about throwing her power around on people weaker than herself. Her eyes fell to her sister, Angel, as she leaned on a Merchant in more intimidating armor than the rest. She snorted softly.

"Livin' the dream, huh sis?" She said softly. A smile that didn't reach her eyes crossed her face. That was Angel alright. Attach herself to the strongest, the baddest, the most influential. It wasn't that she lacked strength, but that she was a climber. She was someone that strove to reach the greatest heights. The person that wanted power the most. That man in the power armor was the Merchants' freshly appointed lieutenant. Some clean cut guy that could make money appear out of thin air with his smooth talk and easy manners. Also the fact that he could keep his composure no matter the situation. Skidmark was an asshole, but he wasn't actually stupid.

"No...please! Just take it...don't hurt us...please!" A man cried out above the commotion. One of the unarmored Merchants was threatening him with a gun. Oh, not him. The man had a lovely girl standing behind him and was shielding her with his body.

"Hey I got the gun! Don't fuckin' tell me what to do shit stain!" The thug was growing impatient. This wasn't part of the script. They were supposed to loot the Boardwalk and take off. No one was supposed to get hurt. Crystal looked over to Angel and the armored man beside her.

"Okay knock it off." The armored man, Michael, stepped forward. She breathed a sigh of relief until the next words were spoken, "Take her into on the stores. We don't need the kids to see this." There was a smattering of raucous laughter. Angel leaned in close to his helm and whispered something before giggling. No help from that corner. The man interposed himself again.

"Don't hurt my daughter, please! I'll give you my credit cards! All of them! Please!" He gazed about wildly looking for some way out of the nightmare. His eyes met her own. Terror, love, desperation, dwindling hope.

"Back off! This isn't what we're here for." Crystal shouted as she strode over to the scene. Those eyes would haunt her. They were the eyes she saw in the mirror growing up.

"Oh chill out, Crystal. It's just a bit of sport." Angel stared at her as if expecting her to back down. She loved her sister dearly, but this was not something her sister was prepared to stand down from.

"Skidmark said..." The armored man started to say only for Crystal to interrupt him.

"Cause some trouble and loot the place. We've been here too long anyway. What if New Wave shows up, huh? Did anyone think of that?" She demanded.

"Geez...don't get your panties in a twist, sis..." Angel started to say only for her lover boy to let out a huff.

"Everybody is looking for Aria. We have some time to mess around so just relax." Michael said in a calming tone.

"This is not cool. If that guy tries to touch that girl I'm breaking his legs. Got me?" Crystal folded her arms over her chest mutinously. No way was she going to allow some scumbag to do that in front of her. A quiet voice asked how many have done it out of her sight, but she silenced it again. Unfortunately the voice was becoming harder to quiet.

"You don't give the orders here, sis." Angel spat in sudden fury. The cocktail of drugs she took made her unpredictable at the best of times and downright murderous at others. "Michael is the one in charge. Not you." Despite being close when they were younger, the sisters were pulling apart more and more. Angel never would have thought of taking someone else's side over Crystal's and the same was true in reverse.

"Ladies please...Crystal? Could you go find Smack? He hasn't come back yet." The armored man told her. The guy was always playing peacemaker between the different elements of the Merchants. It was made him so invaluable. The only power he had in abundance was sweet common sense, but lacked any other redeeming qualities like morals. She fixed one last glare on the unrepentant thug. The hairy bastard had the balls to grin at her before turning away dismissively.

She headed off in the direction that Smack was last seen heading. The lack of respect they had for her was understandable. Crystal just wasn't a bitch and she wasn't cruel. She didn't wield her authority that being a cape gave her. She only had herself to blame. That little voice had come back already asking her if it even mattered anymore. Did she actually stop anything or did they just wait for her to leave? She manifested a crystal shard in her hand. The beautiful translucent piece of glass was absolutely perfect. There was not a flaw to be found. It was harder than real diamonds and sharper than blades. Angel had managed to work her way into Skidmark's good graces. When he approached her with the offer of power she took it without hesitation. She managed to get Crystal in on it as well. What she never told her sister was that the vial didn't work.

She had already gained power.

With an angry growl she banished the crystal back to wherever it was it came from. This didn't help her find freaking Smack. The rubbery cape was someone after Skidmark's own heart. He did what he wanted, when he wanted, and fuck all if they disagreed. The fact that the only way to hurt him was to actually cut him made him a difficult customer to reign in. Oh Skidmark has brought him into line by threatening his drug supply, but Crystal was an entirely different stick. Her crystals could hurt him badly. She wouldn't do it, but no one needed to know that. He was found sitting in the back lot where he had his ass handed to him for the first time. That was something else she had to deal with. He was in a brooding mood.

"Come on. Michael wants you back with the others." She called out. He barely responded except to flip her off.

"Go away. I'll be back when I'm good and ready." He said in that strange tone caused by his power. God why did he have to sound like he was actually speaking through a gas mask? That was just creepy.

"I can't go back without you. There's plenty of loot if you come back now. The good stuff might be all gone." She tried cajoling him, but instead was forced to bring up a wall of crystal to stop his fist.

"Get out of here. I won't tell you again." He snarled. Dammit. She shook her head. There was no way that she was getting herself killed over this shit. A white streak flashed overhead followed by several other streaks. The sight made her tremble. New Wave was here and inbound from the Rig was several black spots in loose formation. PRT power armors.

"Smack! New Wave and PRT are coming!" She tried to rouse him. That seemed to do the trick.

"At last...is Glory Hole with them?" He rasped eagerly.

"Yeah..." Crystal didn't like the excitement in his voice. It sounded too much like...no. Don't think about that. That way lie madness.

"Ha ha ha ha ha! I'm gonna get me some of that!" He howled before bounding off faster than she had ever seen him move. There was a sick feeling in her stomach as she rushed back to where her sister was last. New Wave wasn't supposed to be here? Yeah right! Why wouldn't they search the Boardwalk? It was practically their backyard. A lot of things were starting to unravel her already thin loyalty to the Merchants. Thoughts of fleeing became even more tempting, but her sister was here. She would stay for her.



-PRT Headquarters-



The meeting at the PRT building had gone about as well as she expected. No leads, no new information, and Mouse Protector. There were no good things to be said about her visit. The stories about the cape were favorable in that they said she was personable and had a strong work ethic. What they failed to accurately convey was just how damn annoying the woman could be. She was more irritable than usual and could recognize that about herself. It wasn't that she wasn't in tune with her emotions it was just never the right time to stop and think about them. A young girl was kidnapped on her watch. That would not stand. No more innocents should be subjected to the dark and the uncertainty. She shook her head to dispel the troubling thoughts. Brandish was not one to waste time.

She strode out into the lobby to meet up with the rest of New Wave. Lady Photon, her sister, was looking at her in sympathy. They understood just how far someone could fall with no support and no hope of rescue. Her brother-in-law, Manpower, had an arm around his wife's shoulders in a gesture of support. Her niece and nephew were also there. Laserdream and Shielder were ready to help out in any way they could. Her husband Flashbang smiled at her reassuringly. Today had been unequivocally a good day for him. His mood had remained stable and he was engaged in what was happening. She nodded at him. Her own children were here as well. Glory Girl was everything that a mother could want in a daughter. Bright, cheerful, and talented. She wasn't without her own flaws, just like her mom, but she was earnest. Her gaze then fell on Panacea. The girl was undeniably talented and a hard worker. Set her a task and she would do whatever it took to finish. She was not the daughter of her body, but by adoption.

Some days there were two voices in her mind. One that strove to remind her that this was her child. A responsibility that she took up without any arm twisting. While another reminded her that the girl's father had been a villain. A villain so terrible he went to the Birdcage. It didn't help matters that the girl's looks clearly came from her biological father and her power was a direct expansion on his power set. He could manipulate bone while she could manipulate far more. The second voice was the more compelling to listen to since it fit with her belief on being prepared. Today that second voice was quieted. It wasn't gone, but the first voice was the louder of the two and full of self recrimination. Table that for later.

Aria had been an interesting person to meet. The girl had Triggered under a horrific circumstance, but had come out of it with a more positive outlook. She was polite and friendly. Glory Girl and Panacea clearly thought the world of her. It was a subconscious thing to be wary of who her daughters interacted with and had mostly calmed the obvious reactions. Aria had still somehow seen through her. Then again wasn't one of her powers the ability to read someone's emotions and general personality? She had to calm herself or risk making the girl nervous. Her children never would have forgiven her for making their friend feel unwelcome.

"Well how did it go, sis?" Lady Photon asked as Brandish approached. She brought herself back into the hear and now. Glory Girl and Panacea came to stand near her. She absently gripped them on the shoulders in greeting. Vicky reacted with a pleased flare of her aura, but Amy's reaction cut her heart out. The girl had reacted to a simple touch from her like it was a treasured gift. How had she failed to notice that before?

"Ah...ahem. They're splitting up search teams. We're taking the Boardwalk. Panacea? Please remain at the PRT building for now." Brandish calmed herself and got back in the game. Time for blaming herself later. Her family politely ignored the loss of composure, but Lady Photon looked approving.

"Good idea, We have enough to cover the Boardwalk ourselves." Her sister nodded in agreement. No one argued, but Panacea did look a bit put out. Yet the expression she wore was more mystified than anything else.

They headed outside and prepared to make their way to their destination. Glory Girl was going to be carrying Flashbang while Manpower held onto her legs. Brandish had an arm around Lady Photon's neck while her sister gripped her belt. It wasn't the most glamorous of methods, but it worked. She considered seeing if the PRT would part with a flight pack or two. The amount they would cost to rent probably wouldn't bankrupt them and make it easier to travel. She shook her head to regain focus before casting her eyes towards the Boardwalk. They were making good time when a tongue of smoke curled into the air from their destination.

"What in the world?" Lady Photon stated in disbelief. Was the Boardwalk on fire? What was going on over there? Brandish's phone received a text stating the Merchants had assaulted the Boardwalk.

"The Merchants are there! They've brought power armor!" She called out so that the rest of New Wave could hear her over the wind.

"Hey! The PRT is sending some backup!" Shielder called out and gestured to the flying suits of PRT issue armor. Who knew how many enemies they would find down there? It was a good thing that they had backup if only to evacuate the civilians.

"Does it say if there are any capes?" Laserdream asked as she joined the conversation.

"Crystal, Angel, and Smack." There were general grimaces at the mention of that last cape. They would actually have to injure him for real to make him back off. He didn't have a problem causing severe injuries to them, but that just made him as dangerous as Hookwolf. Angel was another difficult issue. Her smoke wasn't fully understood, but it could turn people into berserkers that felt no fear or pain. Crystal, and did Laserdream hate finding out a villain's name was the same as her own civilian name, could generate crystals of varying types.

"At least they can't fly, right?" Glory Girl pointed out in good humor, but the hard set to her eyes said she was looking forward to round two with one in particular.

"Yeah, but they'll have hostages. I'll drop flash bombs while the civilians are evacuated." Flashbang contributed to the discussion. It was surprising, but served to fill them with a sense of renewed vigor.

"Alright then! We have our plan set so let's get to it!" Lady Photon called out. Shielder pushed himself to full speed and soared over the Boardwalk. The Merchants down below were clearly torn between fighting and fleeing. There was a large group of innocent civilians gathered in the center of the area with several thugs, some in power armor, standing guard. The blue haired cape erected a force dome over the hostages that cut them off from their captors.

"Open fire! Bring them down!" One of the Merchants was keeping his head about him and firing off orders. Some of the calmer thugs turned their blasters towards the oncoming capes and started shooting. Unfortunately whoever gave them their weapons spent more time on the guns than on whether the recipients could even shoot.

Glory Girl sped up and flew over the collected Merchants while her father rained yellow energy spheres on the gathered men. There were cries of shock and dismay as the brilliant flashes burst around them. When the young blonde flew over the armors a second time, Manpower let go and dropped right into the center of their deteriorating formation. Lady Photon set Brandish down before taking to the sky again to rain down her namesake with impunity. They knew what the PRT armors were capable of taking in terms of punishment.

Some of the PRT armors were firing canisters of containment foam over the unarmored thugs. The rest were down at ground level forming a wall of blaster fire to create a corridor for evacuating the civilians. Shield opened a hole in the field for the panicked populace to escape through. Laserdream was adding her own energy blasts to the fray.

"Careful! These armors actually have people inside of them!" One of the PRT armors warned over the external speakers. That was a good thing to know. It was starting to look as if the situation was manageable. The hostages were cleared and the last few pockets of resistance were starting to fall.

"Where do you think you're going?" Brandish called out. She spotted Angel heading for a back alley to escape in all of the confusion.

"Gonna try and stop me?" The Merchant cape looked strangely eager as she readied herself for the woman's approach. She already had her pipe headed to her mouth, but the New Wave cape had already closed with her and sent the prop spinning away with a shield slam. The startled villain cried out as she was knocked back. Brandish was already on her before she could regain her footing and stung her rapidly with quick blows of a hard light baton.

"Do you yield?" The more experienced cape demanded. "I'll just keep striking until you either give up or fall over!" She promised the younger woman. Angel glared at her from amidst the pain and blew straight in her face. The sudden action disoriented her or was it the smoke? Why did her head suddenly feel foggy? She dropped to one knee in confusion.

"Damn...wish I didn't have to reveal that so soon..." Angel grumbled irritably. Brandish was able to drag her awareness back with difficulty. She didn't need the pipe. The pipe had been a prop. She cast her gaze about blearily, but the fighting was elsewhere. Carol groaned as her heart started beating faster and a peculiar heat surged through her body. It felt like her veins were on fire and in her mind was flames. Her temper coupled with Angel's power were overriding her will. A delicate finger tilted her face up.

"Brandish..." She murmured as more smoke wreathed her head intoxicatingly, "I need a favor...go and fight New Wave for me please." Angel smirked before slipping off into the alley that was her destination. Carol snarled as she tried to wrestle back control of herself. There was no way this bitch was mastering her. There was no way she was going to attack her family. She gave the side of her head a hard knock that brought stars to her vision, but did the trick. When she looked back to the fighting it was nearly over. She grumbled about losing the Merchant bitch, but that was fine. The girl would slip up and Brandish would smash her kneecaps so that she couldn't run.

Something was happening. There was a strange commotion as six of the Merchant armors broke free of the fighting and turned their weapons on the surprised members of New Wave. Their blasters and melee abilities were overwhelming the suddenly beleaguered capes. Where was the PRT? What the fuck were they doing?

"Stop! Fuckin' stop you bastards!" She charged the armors from the rear and brought a massive hard light spiked mace down for the head of the lead armor. The suddenly fearful pilot was waving their hands rapidly and shouting at her, but she couldn't hear them. Attack her family? She'd fuck them up! She'd tear them all apart! No one was going to stop her! The shield was replaced by another mace as she continued to hammer away at the armor's ridiculously durable force field. The blood was pounding in her ears. Other armors were closing in on her, but she was ready for them! Her maces flying about with reckless abandon. She had to save her family. They weren't going to...stop...her...?

"...dish! Brandish! Snap out of it!" Lady Photon was almost hysterical as she cried out to her sister. She was standing in front of Carol with her force field up at full power. Shielder and Laserdream were also using their fields to keep her penned in.

"Oh God...what am...what am I doing...?" She clutched at her suddenly splitting skull. The pain in her head was nothing compared to the one in her heart. She gazed at her family in misery, but a feeling of love and acceptance from Glory Girl's aura helped thaw the ice. It wasn't enough, but it was a start.

"Shooooooowtiiiiiiiiime!" A brazen voice shouted from on high. The wild cry was accompanied by a figure in a trench coat swinging a double hammer blow down for Glory Girl. The young girl spun to intercept, but took the twin strikes to the head. She stumbled back and was immediately covered by three force fields.

"Don't touch my daughter!" Flashbang growled as he tossed several violently glowing spheres at the cape known as Smack. The bastard had the gall to laugh as the spheres struck his body and exploded.

"Ohhhh...sorry, but that just won't work...I absorb force." He laughed in derision even as he swung a fist out at Manpower that sent the larger man tumbling away. He absorbed all force? This was bad. This was very bad. The PRT armors couldn't engage him. New Wave couldn't engage him without deliberately aiming to injure him. His rubbery body made his movements difficult to predict. He couldn't get through their force fields, but they couldn't hurt him. Stalemate.

"What just happened!?" Lady Photon cried out in surprise as her force field dropped without warning. That brief moment of inattention was enough for the vile cape to punch her in the chest and send her down the Boardwalk. She rolled to a stop after an uncontrolled tumble and was still. From this distance they couldn't tell if she was alive or dead, but at the very least severely injured.

"Mom!" Laserdream broke formation to check on her mother, but her flight suddenly stopped. Manpower surged forward to keep Smack busy with Flashbang setting off several brilliant flashes of light to disorient. Brandish made it to her sister's side at the same time that Laserdream did. From what she could her sister was alive. Small mercies. The deformation of the right side of her chest, however, spoke of broken ribs and internal damage.

The PRT agents were throwing themselves into the conflict with containment foam sprayers. They were trying to just pin the bastard down, but on top of his other power he was still a Brute. Brandish's splitting headache wasn't helping her to concentrate at all. She was casting about desperately for where the source of their power loss was coming from. Laserdream already had her abilities back.

"My flight cut out. I don't know why...Brandish we need to get mom to a hospital. Now." The younger girl was in tears, but trying not to panic.

"Your flight...Lady Photon's force field..." She cudgeled her brain. The connection was obvious. A power canceler. The Merchants had a power canceler. She bolted towards the PRT agents standing guard over the Merchants. Their enemy power armors were trashed or forcibly deactivated. Some of the pilots were groaning in pain or just moaning in fear.

"I'm sorry, Brandish, but the situation is too unstable..." The agent sounded worried for her sister's health and genuinely apologetic. There was a cry of shock and alarm from behind her. She whipped her head around to see the cause and saw Shielder, Manpower, and Glory Girl down. Dammit no! The nightmare she almost caused herself was coming true.

"That's not it! One of your prisoners is a power canceler!" She spoke in a low and insistent tone to avoid alerting said canceler. Brandish didn't wait to hear what the man said as she charged into the fray. She wasn't a Brute. She didn't have a Blaster power. She didn't care. That was her family in danger!

"Welcome back to the party!" Smack called out as he lunged to meet her charge. She waited for the last possible second and manifested a hard light shield with one extra addition. A five inch spike directly in the center of face. The rubbery cape couldn't stop in time and slammed into the spike at full speed. If he had been shorter it would have gone through his chest, but it still rammed home just below the sternum. He screamed in unbearable agony with both hands placed over the hole. The collision had not been kind to Brandish as it had thrown her off her feet. She knew her shoulder wasn't just dislocated, but pulverized. Her eyes could barely comprehend the damage done, but if that was the price to pay then so be it. She did a visual check of her family. With the enemy down they could call in medical assistance.

"Brandish...lay back down. You've done enough. You've more than earned a rest." One of the agents spoke to her gently. A rest sounded good. Sleep claimed her as soon as she closed her eyes.



-Boardwalk: Alley-



Crystal grit her teeth angrily at the spectacle she just witnessed. Her sister deliberately turning a mother against her family. What happened to her? Why had she turned out like this? Is this what she's become since joining the Merchants? Hot shame filled her as she had just stood by and watched. She kept saying to herself that New Wave had it well in hand. That one of the PRT armors would help them save the day. It took a last ditch attack by Brandish to save her family and the situation. Now look at her. Pulverized shoulder and God only knew what else. It didn't matter that Panacea could heal her family. She wouldn't have to if Crystal hadn't been such a damn coward. If she had just done the right thing. Crystal sighed miserably before stepping back from the scene and heading into the back alleyway.

"There you are." Angel said as she approached. The Merchant cape was staring at her sister with utter loathing and contempt. "Where the fuck were you? Watching like a goddamn pussy?" She spat.

"Yeah, like a coward." Crystal didn't even try to deny the charge.

"Skidmark is gonna kick your ass. I'll try to help, but frankly I think you should get the shit kicked outta you." Angel folded her arms across her chest.

"He can kiss my ass. I'm done." The crystal manipulator said. A startled look crossed her sister's face.

"You would abandon me? Your own sister? Come on...it's not that bad...I'll look out for you. I promise." Angel wheedled. "We have to get out of here..."

"You're not the sister I remember. Maybe when you find yourself again I'll come back, but as long as you're with the Merchants I'm finished." Crystal said with finality before turning her back on the only family she had left. Angel's screamed threats and vile imprecations only cementing her resolve.

She was not going back.



AN: Wow this chapter ended up longer than expected, but I found a good stopping point. I was going to put in the fight at the Docks, but decided to give you guys a break. Some time to digest the meal if you will. Next chapter Rumble at the Docks.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Fourth Arc 4.8



-The Docks-



"Whatever idiot got the bright idea to point Mush at the junkyard is gonna fuckin' die. I'm not lying. They're gonna fuckin' die." Shadow Stalker swore angrily at the sight of the enormous Merchant cape. He wasn't normally so big, but the idea that he went to the junkyard first wasn't a stupid one. Mush had the ability to extend his nerves and tendons into trash to create a golem of garbage. Somebody had the brilliant thought that even broken down cars and trucks counted as garbage. Now the cape was enormous and covered in far more durable materials than normal. Tattletale couldn't blame Stalker for being pissed. Super Mush was bad enough, but the other Merchant capes were here as well. Her and SS were watching the mobilization at the Docks from a concealed vantage point. A set of cheap walkie talkies kept them in touch with the rest of the team who were also hidden.

"I know this looks bad. We're just going to observe them for awhile and decide how to proceed." Tattletale soothed the angry girl. Stalker sighed exasperatedly, but subsided. The blonde was busy looking over the enemy forces. Inwardly she grimaced at the phrasing, but it was apt. Someone had taken the time to train the Merchants. They weren't Special Forces, or even Hogan's Heroes, but they were generally more competent. Skidmark was identifiable by his armor missing a helmet, but the mask was replaced by a black visor. His complexion was better than she was used to seeing and he held himself better, but the foul cape was still as crass as ever. Whoever gave the Merchants a makeover apparently skipped his language skills.

Squealer looked cleaner and healthier overall as well. She was wearing a skintight bodysuit with armored plating over critical points and was astride some nightmare machine. It looked like a Magitek Armor from Final Fantasy VI in the promotion art. The thing was bigger than one of Bitch's dogs at full size with suspiciously familiar weapon systems. Tattletale grimaced as she recognized the unmistakable sight of Aria's own sonic blasters, but many times larger. Squealer apparently could plagiarize quite nicely.

"TT? What's the plan?" Grue asked. He could see the same thing that she did and knew this was not a fight they could win. Their chances dropped even further when Trainwreck arrived. Merchants in Tinker power armor, Tinker super weapons, and competence? This had disaster written all over.

"We have to withdraw." Tattletale felt terrible saying it, but their safety had to take precedence. Fighting the Merchants with the odds as they were was suicide. She knew the team wouldn't be happy about that, but there was nothing else they could do. The choice not to act was taken from them however as Skidmark answered his phone. They weren't close enough to listen in, but with his mouth exposed Tattletale could read his lips.

"What's going on?" Stalker asked her quietly. The blonde cape grimaced at what she was seeing. His posture was eager. He just heard something that sounded good to him. Readiness. From what he was saying it was clear they were just given the go ahead for whatever it was they were doing. Wait. Given the go ahead? Suddenly it made sense why Coil wouldn't want them to harass the Merchants anymore. He was using them. All of that Tinker gear would have been a big tip off, but with how good they looked? It was just as logical that they had made quite a haul with the ABB territory up for grabs. She knew differently, however.

"They've been given the go ahead. This isn't independent action. Our employer is having the Merchants cause a ruckus." It grated at her that she was here and not out looking for Aria. She knew that everyone with a pulse at the PRT was looking for her, but Tattletale felt like doing more. The last message she heard from her friend was Coil's true identity. Unfortunately hunting down that lead would have to wait. If what she suspected was true than it explained how he was getting away with so much. This diversion was just to keep people from looking for the Tinker.

"It looks like there are dockworkers leaving work today." Regent said from his vantage point. Her and Shadow Stalker were on a building away from the immediate fray. Regent, Imp, and Bitch were holding position closer to the Dockworkers' Association offices. Grue and Browbeat were waiting at a point equidistant to the other two positions. It was deemed a good idea at the time as the ability to harass the Merchants on three fronts was solid reasoning. Bitch had her dogs here, but had only grown them enough to warm up her power.

"Let's do this then. Bitch? Forget stealth. Make your dogs grow. I'll lay down my darkness then Browbeat charges straight up the middle to take out Skidmark. Regent and Imp? Evacuate the civilians. Tattletale and Shadow Stalker hold your position. Stalker? Try to take out Squealer since she's sitting right on top of that thing." Grue sketched out the plan with an air of professionalism. He was in his element as their leader and commander.

"Got it." Regent confirmed while Bitch snarled in the background 'About fuckin' time.' That got a couple laughs from them and took away some of the tension.

"I'm contacting the PRT now." Tattletale informed them. She called the PRT and told them to trace her call. The agent on the line took her seriously which cut down the time spent. She had another idea that just might work. Better than just sitting on her ass at any rate.

"What are you doing?" Stalker asked impatiently. She was keeping watch as the Merchants finished psyching themselves up and started their haphazard march on the goal. Their own team was out there getting into position. They would need the element of surprise to make it through this fight until the PRT arrived.

"A little insurance. Hopefully it works." She didn't want to elaborate on what was done. Tattletale sent a private message to Uber and Leet with footage of the situation. If they were responsible for Dragonzord then this was the best way to get some added firepower. She had no reason to believe the guess was wrong either. Once the action down below had started they would move into position themselves. They just had to wait for the right time.

"Here we go..." Shadow Stalker was using the binoculars to keep an eye on the action. "Okay, Bitch moved the dogs behind a storage container. Regent's heading for the yard and..." She groaned. "Whatever...I can't think of who else was with them. I think they were headed for the offices." Imp's ability didn't work as well on Tattletale anymore, but it was still effective on her. She at least could remember Imp, but telling where she had gone was a different story.

"Okay...Grue's on the fire escape. Very good...he's letting the smoke build up in the alleyway first..." The blonde hummed thoughtfully as she kept watch and waited for the signal. Their plan called for Shock and Awe. Hit them from multiple fronts and hopefully cause their troops to panic. They would start to move once Bitch's dogs were the right size. She was cautiously optimistic about their chances. The Merchants were almost to the building, their armored thugs leading the way. There was no hesitation or wariness in their steps. She bit her lip lightly. The people hadn't been evacuated yet from what could be seen. Suddenly the sounds of furious barking could be heard and it never sounded so beautiful as creatures from a nightmare bounded towards the flat-footed gang members.

"Let's move." Shadow Stalker put the binoculars away as she hustled off to get a better vantage point with Tattletale right behind her. Squealer was still in the back of the gathering with Skidmark riding on the shoulder of the mech. If he stayed up there then Browbeat would have to actually fight the thing and the plan didn't call for that. Hopefully by taking out Squealer it would stop the machine. The Merchant Tinker's body language was cocky and prideful. She was hot shit and she knew it from atop her machine. Tattletale was practically willing the leader of the Merchants to hop down.

"The smoke is moving in. The Merchants are still in disarray." Tattletale noted with relief. The swiftly moving Hellhounds were hard to pin down as the suits were too responsive. They were taking the weight of armor into account, but with enhanced musculature it just meant that they were firing wildly. Mush and Trainwreck had already taken several shots to the limbs before the withdrew from the main battle.
"What the fuck are you asslickers even doin'!? Stop tryin' to shoot the fuckers and just shoot 'em!" Skidmark yelled loud enough for them to hear from their vantage point. Apparently yelling doesn't make your men shoot better when they're freaking out. Who knew? Unfortunately that state wouldn't last long once they realized that even though the dogs were bowling them over it just wasn't hurting them. The smoke wafted out far enough as to completely obscure the mouth of the alley, but the Merchants had moved too far away for it to cover an approach.

"Shit...that's not good. Skidmark's aiming his gun that way." Shadow Stalker noted tensely. She turned back to her own target, but the stiffness in her shoulders betrayed her worry. The issue was solved by a hurled dumpster that sailed in blatant defiance of gravity. Skidmark simply shot at it with his rifle, but didn't take into account the size of the object he was aiming at. It burst into heated fragments and chunks. Browbeat used the distraction from the smoke and garbage to charge straight for the leader of the Merchants.

"There he goes." Tattletale said tersely. The fake out was a good one. Squealer was even turning in her seat to see what was going on, torn between watching the literal dog fight and her boyfriend. Stalker lined up her shot and let fly. The powerful Tinker made crossbow firing it's bolt straight and true right through a holographic projection.

"Shit!" Stalker snarled. The projection vanished as the machine turned in the direction of the rooftop observers. Tattletale suddenly grabbed Shadow Stalker and started yanking her frantically for the fire escape. The former Ward didn't need to be told twice as a horrific sound started up. A bass toned note was swelling gradually with dark purpose. They made it to the fire escape just as the sound suddenly went from bass to the screeching wail of an air raid siren. The sonic emitters in her mech were magnitudes stronger than Aria's as it effortlessly pounded the building they were on into rubble. Stalker held Tattletale close and leaped from the fire escape. By some miracle the blast wave carried them both to the next rooftop over, but neither of them were in a position to appreciate their good fortune.

The howling weapon had robbed her of all hearing. Tattletale rolled over painfully as the worst headache she had ever experienced pounded away in her skull. She checked on Shadow Stalker who was already starting to move and with greater ease. Her Breaker state must have saved her from the sound waves. She managed to gather from Stalker's posture that something bad had just happened. The currently reeling cape was helped up to look at the scene and nearly recoiled at the sight. That wasn't a weapon. It was a disaster. The Merchant armors were blown about like matchsticks, Mush and Trainwreck were on their backs with pieces missing, and Skidmark was nowhere to be seen. Bitch's dogs were laying in motionless heaps. If she hadn't seen them twitch Tattletale would have thought them killed, but their enhancements saved their lives probably. Browbeat was also down for the count. The Brute was already starting to move, but he was clearly injured. Her eyes swept to the building full of people they had tried to protect, but couldn't tell if everyone had been evacuated. Shadow Stalker waved a hand in front of her face to get her attention.

"Regent, Imp, and Bitch are two streets over. Grue's with them." She had her mask up and mouthed it very carefully. "The Dockworkers are shaken up, but alive." The blonde sagged against the other girl in relief. Stalker stiffened briefly, but returned the hug. This wasn't a safe place, but it was safer than down there. Now they just had to find a way to get Browbeat and the dogs out of there. Her hearing was coming back slowly, but the terrible ringing wasn't going away. She heard as if from a great distance Stalker's exclamation that the PRT had arrived. About damn time was the uncharitable thought. Browbeat was there one moment and the next gone before reappearing some distance from the battlefield with Velocity beside him. The armored agents were moving the dogs to a safer distance. There were three active Merchant capes. Squealer in her mech, Robo Mush, and Trainwreck. Well two and a half. The cyborg cape was clearly punch drunk from the sonic attack and with Mush how could you tell?

"There's Assault going toe-to-toe with Mush with Battery handling Trainwreck. Dauntless is attacking the mech directly. Velocity is helping to round up the Merchants with the PRT armors." Tattletale looked the scene over. The missing Skidmark was bothering her. He could have escaped, but that blast hit everything. She could see the devastation down below. If you weren't a Brute or enhanced then it would be impossible to walk away from that. The PRT agents were providing fire support as Assault recklessly attacked the trash cape. With each hit the Merchant cape staggered back, but refused to fall. The beams were more trouble for him, but they were being careful to not accidentally kill him. Battery was having a much easier time as she simply grabbed Trainwreck by one massive arm and tossed him bodily at Mush. The impact sending both capes to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Dauntless was knocking the mech back with his Arclance with audible zaps on contact, but the machine was still standing. A thin shimmering force field was blunting the attacks. The barrier flared brightly with each hit, but refused to fall.

"Let's get out of here. We've done what we could. The PRT will take in Browbeat and the dogs for treatment. We can get them later." Shadow Stalker made sure that Tattletale was facing her as she spoke. The blonde hated leaving anyone behind, but their part in this was over. The civilians were evacuated and the Merchants were about to be taken down as well. That menacing sound suddenly started up again.

"Dammit no!" She spun to look in horror as the mech started to build up for another sound blast. There was no way the PRT or the Protectorate could get away from the epicenter. Squealer clearly didn't even care who she hurt. Stalker tried to get her to run, but sick fear had stuck her feet to the ground. The emitters vibrated ominously. Dauntless, Assault, and Battery were throwing everything they had at the mech as the agents attempted to withdraw. Just the memory of a near miss was making her weak in the knees. A sound, however, rode over the hateful noise. The sound of an iconic flute and a world shattering roar.

"You called in the fuckin' Dragonzord!?" Stalker cried out in amazement. The saurian mech moved quickly despite it's size and brought it's massive claws down on the similarly sized mech. There was a distressed snap as the field collapsed from the force of the combined blows of the heroes and the titanic machine. Dauntless jammed the Arclance into one of the emitters before flying into the air rapidly. The Dragonzord grabbed the remaining heroes and used his body to shield them as they hurried away from ground zero. Shadow Stalker was hustling us to the fire escape down. As much as she wanted to see the remainder of the action, self preservation trumped curiousity. The emitters gave off a subsonic whine before a titanic explosion rocked the area.

"Couldn't have happened to nicer people." Tattletale remarked in the shocked silence.

"Mush and Trainwreck were right there. Squealer was inside of that thing. Skidmark got blown away by his own girlfriend. Think the Dragonzord's okay?" It was telling that the girls were more worried about the fate of a thirty foot tall engine of destruction. Granted it saved the city twice.

"It stood up to Super Lung." That was all that needed to be said. They would have to get Browbeat out of the hospital and find Bitch's dogs at whatever kennel they were taken to, but that was a minor issue. It wasn't like the PRT was going to be holding their teammates that securely. That was for tomorrow though. Today they would go home and nurse their wounds. Especially the ache in their skulls.

Damn Tinkers couldn't even make a better painkiller.



-Coil's Base-



Squealer grit her teeth, but said nothing as the last image the mech's camera caught was the inside of the cockpit just before it exploded. You don't just turn off feelings of love for someone even if it was based on chemical dependency. It wasn't Coil's idea to use a cybernetic body double of Skidmark or use a hologram of herself projected from the base. With the drugs cleared from her system she was free to actually think. Did she know that the mech would be destroyed? Of course not. It was built sturdier than anything else she had ever built because Skidmark was in the machine. She didn't want to be with him anymore, but she didn't want him dead either. Though the mech had done very well. Through the eyes of the security cameras that LiveWire was patched into she could see the devastation it caused. Buildings were destroyed in an instant by turning that little girl's own sonic emitters into real weapons. Even the explosion was huge. Mush and Trainwreck were a loss she would feel later, but right now collecting data was more important.

Coil was funding a rather large lab for her work. Nothing was cut rate. Everything was top of the line and in the best shape. The Merchants had more money than most realized, but being stoned out of your mind most of the time was a bad state to buy tools. These armors and mechs were what she could build with a clear head and actual funding. The girl whose tech she was having fun with was now in the base. A recent acquisition as the guy called her. If she was smart then she'd get with the program. You either worked for Coil or ended up dead. Frankly she wasn't worried about winding up dead since the work agreed with her.

The sight of the Dragonzord sent shivers down her spine, but also pissed her off. It was obviously Leet's. The reject liked his games and toys. What would be the biggest toy on the playground? Dragonzord. For a pair of goof offs like Uber and Leet the continued success of the Power Ranger inspired thing was unheard of. Normally Leet's shit blew up long before now.

"You want to build something great? Pfft...I'll show you greatness, dumbass." She approached the hangar where her own mighty creation was taking shape. It wasn't the most original design, but those assholes wanted to bring a dragon to the Bay? She would bring a saurian nightmare to the field. The smooth head of polished bluish silver metal with bright yellow optics stared out of the darkness. A familiar body matched the coloration of the head. There was no part of this killer machine that wasn't weaponized. She sneered wickedly.

"Wait until they meet Mecha Godzilla."



AN: Another chapter down and I'm rather satisfied with it. Next chapter is an interlude before moving on to the next day of Aria's imprisonment. I'm all fired up!

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Fourth Arc 4.9



-Coil's Base: Locked Room-



Waking up in a strange bed is never a pleasant feeling that's for sure. There's always the little things going through your head like asking why are you there. The bed that I woke up on was lumpy and the mattress smelled a bit stale. The weird smell wasn't helping the splitting headache I currently sported from being drugged twice in one day. My internal clock was telling me that it was very late at night, but not quite the next day yet. I finally sat up to stake a proper stock of my surroundings. The bed was a metal prison bed set in a concrete bunker chamber. There was a table that had clearly seen better days and a wooden chair sat by the wall. I attempted to extend my senses to try and find any networks in the immediate vicinity, but hit a dead end. There was nothing in my room and nothing around me that was electronic. That was worrying. There wasn't even a camera to watch me. I checked myself over and was pleased to discover that even being knocked unconscious hadn't dropped the clothing field. It had held up the first time, but I wasn't sure how it would do the second. The bastards had, however, taken my visor. Well the joke's on them since the visor's biometric scanner wouldn't allow anyone but me access. They probably pulled it open and watched the systems fry themselves. I always made sure to wear a mask under my visor to protect my identity. It wouldn't prevent the determined from figuring out who I was, but it was a nod towards the unwritten rules. Though judging by the fact Coil, or Thomas Calvert, had kidnapped me I would have to say he doesn't care about those.

"Aria? Are you awake yet?" Despedia's voice came across the chat channel. I grinned evilly. No one knew about the chat channel so they couldn't figure out a way to block the connection.

"I'm awake and my head is killing me. Can you feel where I am?" I asked and hoped the answer was yes.

"Yeah. I just need to get Granspear, Sonata, and Tattletale. She wanted to come with us as soon as we found out where you were." She informed me. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know where I am so why not call in more people?" If they were going to come why not get the Protectorate?

"Sonata's already calling the Rig. Miss Militia, Armsmaster, Dragon, and Mouse Protector have been waiting on stand by. Everyone else is dealing with the general insanity the Merchants created." Des sounded annoyed. I face palmed. Great. Just great.

"The Merchants huh? Awesome." I groaned.

"Naw, it's not them anymore. They just kicked over the hornet's nest. The gangs are scrambling to cover their borders. The Empire is out there trying to find Kaiser and it's making them testy. We're getting ready to head out. Don't do anything crazy." She warned.

"I have to get out of this room. As long as I'm here then they'll know right where to go to get a hostage. I have an idea for pulling that off too." The chat channel went quiet after that. I paced the room as everything was calculated and taken into consideration. The lock on the door was fairly complicated. If I did have a lock pick it wouldn't do me any good. Using my power was out given the grounding wire I could see. Since my blaster power is electrical it only makes sense that he made this door as resistant to electricity as possible. I tapped the door with my fingertips to get an idea of the composition. Okay so going straight through was clearly out.

I walked back to the bed purposefully. My power was fine, but it made a lot of noise. I had an idea that would handle the finesse required quite nicely. A search of the bed frame provided me with what I was looking for. The damp that had seeped into this room had not only mildewed some things, but rusted others. I changed the texture of the index finger on my glove using the clothing field and started filing at the rust, using my mask to catch the shavings. The things I needed were easily found from the rusty bed and the pipes. There was even a discarded aluminum foil wrapper stuffed in a corner. I wasn't MacGyver, but then again this had more in common with Burn Notice. The wrapper made a packet of shavings that I carefully set to the lock. I wouldn't get more than one chance at this. The Song Thrash Beat would be too much for this and really the energy didn't have to be shaped. I mentally tagged the packet. The power came to me eager and ready to be set free so I did. Arcs of electricity shot from my fingers towards the target. There was a fierce sizzling noise as the packet caught fire and began it's work eating through the lock.

I waited several minutes for the heat to die off before checking my handiwork. The lock was gone and now just needed to cool before touching. It wasn't terribly heavy and I was able to move the door out of the portal. Freedom was at hand. I couldn't hear the melodies of anyone in the immediate vicinity. That was sloppy thinking, but it worked in my favor. The thought had crossed my mind that this might be a test of my abilities or some scheme to get my hopes up only to crush them. If that had been the case then this was a well thought out plan, but I sincerely doubted it was that complex. More and more I appeared to be just a target of convenience. My ability to tell who Coil actually was is what had me captured. If I had a better poker face for suppressing pain? He still would have taken me.

The corridors were well spaced and well lit. Cameras dotted the corners with few blind spots. I wasn't Solid Snake enough to avoid the cameras, but cheating was well within my power. The network for the cameras was closed off from the main network of the base, but not from each other. They couldn't exist in a vacuum from one another as that would probably be too much work. Too great a cost for too little value. I had a choice of two directions, left or right, but no way to tell which way was the one I wanted. Mentally I reached out to the cameras to see if I could actually get control and found that it was easy. Relatively speaking. The cameras reset their connections on a staggered timer to prevent tampering. If one turned off for any reason it would send an alert to the main terminal. The door to my cell was set into the wall and not directly visible by the cameras, but I would be made the moment a foot stepped out. Think Aria. I can't stop the cameras. I can't turn them off. Could I slow their scan arc? It was doable and possibly seen as a hardware malfunction.

"No time to dilly dally shilly shally..." I murmured softly. The left was looking like the best option with shorter turns. I wanted to avoid long halls to minimize my chance of exposure. Okay, just slow the cameras down a couple seconds on the sweep. Once it was no long aimed down the hallway I sprinted down the hall to the left, cornered quickly, and sprinted down the next section of hall. My view through the cameras was feeding me a steady stream of information from around the corners. The issue I suddenly had was that the hall chosen lead straight to a keypad locked door. I threw my will at the keypad and tore through its programming. The door slammed open as if the force of my urgency was behind it and slammed shut again once I was inside.

"What the hell?" A voice said. Four men sat around a table playing cards. Their rifles were resting on gun racks by the wall and the smell of cigar smoke was thick. Each man was built hard with tough faces and the kind of presence professionals gave off. They stood up quickly, but we were obviously startled by the sudden confrontation.

"Shit...how'd she get out of her cell?" The one man asked as he pulled out his sidearm. I had moments before someone got their presence of mind back. The melody filled me and I went with the flow. My first step closed the distance between the armed mercenary and myself followed by a swift strike to the throat. Inwardly I winced at the choking sound, but forced it down in favor of facing the other three. Apparently the sudden violence galvanized them as a stun baton was brandished with normal batons in the hands of the other two.

"Okay kid...I don't wanna hurt ya so why don't ya go back to your cell?" The leader said reasonably, but there was a hard edge in his eyes that said he didn't care if I went quietly or not. I spread my hands and backed off. They eased down fractionally, but they were well trained. He nodded once and started to reach for his comm, but a quick jolt of electricity to the solar plexus took the fight out of him. The other two had started to look for exits when they realized they were alone in a room with a cape that forgot her PR provided happy pills. I let out a shrill scream at the very edge of my voice range to disorient them before charging the one closest to the rifles. There was no way he was getting a weapon in hand. The man was well trained and reacted to my sudden movement by jabbing his baton forward. Unfortunately for him I was in full command of my faculties while he could barely swing straight. A sudden series of blows to his abdomen, just above his groin, left him out of the fight. The last man made it to the door while grabbing for his walkie talkie. Another blast of electricity to his lower back, however, caused his legs to buckle. I struck a pressure point in each man's neck to ensure that he stayed down.

"Damn...not exactly...a good plan, but it worked..." I picked up a bottle of water from the table and took a deep pull. My throat was telling me that an unprepared scream was a bad idea, but too bad. My stomach was also telling me that I was hungry and the pizza boxes still held their treasures. I made sure that the men were secure and somewhat comfortable before adding insult to injury by raiding their pizza. They were thankfully still unconscious as I divested them of their weapons and communication devices. A search of the room as I ate revealed that it was a security center for this floor with controls for the cameras. Nothing was connected to the outside, but I could make a few changes from here. Putting a continuous loop of empty hallways was the best that I could do at the moment, but it wouldn't last forever. According to a countdown I had fifteen minutes before the camera reset fixed the systems. I altered my costume to include a holster for the sidearm and a holster for the stun baton. The rifle was tempting, but shooting someone with a rifle was rather permanent.

"Forget it." It was easy to make the argument that I was in danger now, but that could be a slippery slope. I shook my head before hurrying back out into the hall and locking the door thoroughly. A nice sixty-eight digit passcode should do the trick. Now to find my way out. There was a door at the far end of this hallway that hopefully lead me out. The keypad was even more sophisticated than the one I cracked before, but again throwing my will at it caused it to fold shortly. When I got out of here there was a hot bath and painkillers waiting for me.

The room beyond was quite a bit larger than the guard room. It was the size of my cell and the guard room put together. There were strange apparatuses along the walls holding bald and nude men in harnesses. Several conveyor belts ran about the chamber in front of each restrained man that was apparently collecting metal. Wait a minute. These men were generating metal that was being sent somewhere else. Were they parahumans? I walked slowly through the room in a daze. My mind had shut out the nudity to focus on the inhuman cruelty of whatever these devices were doing. They appeared to be suffering as electrical shocks ran through their bodies in a steady rhythm that caused the metal to form.

"Like what you see?" A man's voice intruded on her disturbed thoughts. She turned to see a well dressed man in a business suit. There was nothing unusual about him, but his visage seemed to carry a magnetic charm. A charisma that would make others stop to listen. She straightened up, but said nothing. He was trapped inside of a force bubble that obscured very little of his appearance. She recognized him as Max Anders the CEO of Medhall. The men looked like distorted versions of him.

"Interesting to see you here." I couldn't think of anything better to say. Seeing him made me suddenly glad that I was using the costume field to give me a mask. My old one was too full of rust shavings. I had an idea of who Mr. Anders was now, but I didn't even dare think it. There was no time to worry about that now.

"He just couldn't help himself. Considering the measures he took it isn't a terrible plan." The imprisoned man remarked easily as if he wasn't trapped and at another man's questionable mercy. I looked the figures over before looking back to him.

"I can get you out of here. The only thing I ask is help in escaping." There was a peculiar calm that had settled over me. I could feel Mir in the back of my mind soothing me and keeping me settled.

"If anything tampers with the system then it will release my clones. That would be a very bad thing considering they all have my power." He was a pragmatist. There was no point to playing the cops and robbers game when you were already screwed. I walked over to the main terminal.

"There should be a way to crack the system. Just give me a few minutes and I'll have you out of there. That is if you'll help me." I was already plumbing the depths of the production center's systems to isolate his containment from the fail safe. If he said no then I would still release him anyway, give him a five minute head start, and follow. It was a mercenary way of doing things, but better he trips the traps than me.

"If you can manage it then fine. Just until we are out of here." He agreed grudgingly. His melody had already told me that he was willing, but he had to rationalize it first. I finished isolating his force cage by looping the signal feed back in on itself before lowering the shimmering field. He covered himself from head to toe in steel as he strode from his prison.

"Let's go. I know the way to the elevator." I made sure to keep my tone to the same one used with Armsmaster. Polite and respectful. Best not to piss off the already annoyed ferrokinetic. He didn't deign to respond. There was a sudden spike of killing intent in his melody and faster than I could account for spikes of steel shot out from the floor to kill all of the clones. The alarms immediately began to wail.

"Which way to the elevator?" He demanded imperiously as we hurried out of the room. The gun had found it's way into my hand and it was only my self control that kept me from shooting him. The imperialistic dumbass!

"Just follow me. We won't have much time now." I managed to keep my frustration from my tone, barely, but he seemed to get that I was pissed. He didn't seem to care, but it was nice that he noticed. "Despedia? ETA?" I shot over the chat channel.

"Uh...five minutes. We're waiting on the Protectorate before going in. We are right outside." She assured me.

"You've gotta come in now. I just sprung Kaiser and he did a stupid as fuck thing that set the whole base off." Okay my language was bad. So sue me.

"Shit...okay. We're coming in." She promised before cutting the connection.

"Which way now?" He asked. Apparently the flashing lights and sirens finally convinced him that what he did was stupid. Probably not, but one could hope.

"Up ahead there's a stairwell. I just tried to access the elevator and it's locked down." I informed him. At this point it didn't matter if he became aware that I was a technopath. We had to at least get closer to surface level to meet with the rescue team.

"Let me go first. I can handle bullets better than you can." He sounded resigned to the job of meat shield, but probably liked the idea of being cloned and captured even less. The metal cape slammed into the door with surprising force, bursting through it, and continuing right for the stairs. I tapped into my awareness of the stairway cameras and melodies to predict what was ahead of us. Almost immediately we came under fire from above. Without my superhuman grace this would have been dicier and Kaiser was surprisingly durable against lasers. I noticed a black sheen to his steel and realized he must have coated it somehow. Clever. He was simply creating a steel forest up top that skewered the mercenaries that weren't smart enough to realize a pissed off cape is a dangerous one. I hadn't had to fire a single shot, but that didn't mean I wasn't watching his back. Good thing too since a guy with a bazooka was taking aim. A shot from the pistol right into the barrel of his weapon rendered that issue moot. Just grit your teeth and keep on going.

"Up one more floor!" I shouted over the commotion. With the amount of rearranging he had done to the stairwell it would have taken a miracle for anyone to follow us up. He grunted an affirmative. That much steel could not be easy to run around with even if his power did give him control over the stuff. My respect for his ability went up a few notches as he simply charged through another door and out into a larger area. I stayed back by the door even as my senses expanded.

"Where do we go now?" Kaiser demanded. There was no hint of tiredness, but plenty of fury and resolve. I checked the cameras on this floor before emerging to join him.

"We go left if we want to get out of here." I wasn't going to mention that a rescue party was coming in from that direction. That was stupid. The chat channel was the best secret weapon I had. He grunted before heading in the direction indicated. We had gone no more than ten steps before a voice came over the intercom.

"I must congratulate you on escaping your prisons. Very resourceful indeed. Kaiser? I don't need you anymore, but if you go back quietly I won't kill you." Coil said in a conversational tone. I was already back tracing where the signal came from. Shit. The message was coming from the right and it was more heavily fortified than the left. He would have plenty of time to escape if we went towards him.

"Oh believe me this isn't the end of our business, Coil. We will see each other again very soon." Kaiser shouted furiously.

"Save the posturing for when we're out of his stronghold, okay?" I didn't even hide my exasperation now. Okay macho man. We get it. You're the supreme alpha master race. The look the Nazi leader shot me was full of pure venom. Keep it up and maybe it will frighten me. Maybe.

"Dear Aria...you are far too valuable to kill. I would not harm a single hair on your head. Come to work for me and you will be treated as a queen. If you don't...well...I know that you have a soft spot for your family." Coil spoke in a sibilant tone with underlying menace. I didn't even respond just kept right on walking. He wanted to threaten my family? He was dumber than a sack of rocks. I didn't have to posture. If he came for them I would leave him a quadriplegic on a hill of soldier ants. The part that worried me was the lack of horror I felt at that threat. Even in my own mind that was vicious.

"I think that her answer is no chance." Kaiser seemed more amused at my refusal to be baited than angry at my tone with him. Well good for him. I'll even give him a Funbun when we get out of here. Good behavior should be encouraged after all.

"That really is too bad. Oh well. I'll make sure that there is enough left of both of you for my plans." Coil warned ominously. A large something was approaching from the rear. The sound of thrusters was plain as day. We both spun to look and took a wary step backwards. It was a large pitch black warmech with a gold V on the forehead. The machine was humanoid in appearance and held a rifle sized appropriately. There were a pair of missile pods on it's shoulders and on the hips. Twin machine guns were perched by the neck.

"This might actually be a challenge." Kaiser admitted grimly.

"The only easy day is yesterday." I sighed, but prepared myself to Sing. This was not going to be easy, but who said life ever was?

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Fourth Arc 4.10



-Outside of Coil's Base: After Speaking to Aria-



I could tell that Despedia was mad. We came as fast as possible, but still too late. Mom was pissed off in a way that I had never heard before. At least she didn't sound injured or in pain. No. My dear mother just sounded like she wanted to rip Kaiser's head off and use it as a candy dish. I checked my buster rifle again in preparation for the breach. The darkness worked to our advantage in this instance. Coil couldn't afford to have this place lit up too brightly or it might attract unwanted attention. Granspear was standing off to one side twirling her spear. She was on edge as badly as Despedia was, but the surprise was Tattletale. Her own demeanor was cool as ice. I embraced her calmer melody and let it soothe me. This wasn't the time for all of us to lose our minds.

"Where are the other Undersiders?" Granspear asked.

"Bitch had to get some of her other dogs and is on the other side of the building with Regent and Imp. I managed to get a tentative layout of the base. Hopefully where I placed them is the actual back door to this hideout." It wasn't perfect, but it was a chance that if Coil tried to leave he would be dogpiled. Pun intended.

"Right. Uh huh. We'll be careful." Despedia assured Miss Militia over the comm. She rolled her eyes, but kept her tone respectful. It probably would have helped if they had Mouse Protector talk to her or it might have been worse. All it would have taken was one Huzzah and we would have lost Des. She would have probably burst into the base already.

"Sneak or just break in?" Granspear asked curiously. She was eager to get moving which was a sentiment we all shared. Tattletale approached the wall and opened up the hidden keypad. She stared at it for several long moments before her fingers flickered over the keys and the elevator appeared out of the wall.

"Sneaking is probably a better idea. Anything we need to watch out for, Sonata?" She asked me. I had my terminal out to check ahead. The camera in the elevator was easy enough to fool. We got in the spacious elevator and started downward.

"There doesn't seem to be anything to worry about which just makes me more concerned." I confided. Judging by their reactions hearing that nothing was visibly wrong just made them more on edge. If they were aware that Mom had escaped then shouldn't they be more alert?

"Shouldn't they be more alert?" Granspear asked as if echoing my thoughts.

"You have Aria and Kaiser loose in your base doing who knows what. Guarding a door to the outside to a base as secret as this is probably not the first thing on your mind." Tattletale commented. We were all a bit nervous as the doors opened. Nothing was coming up on my visor. There just didn't seem to be anyone down here. Despedia suddenly stared to the right.

"Someone is here. Stealth or fight?" She asked our nominal leader. Granspear thought about it before nodding decisively.

"Fight. Forget sneaking around. We need to get Aria and get out of here. Let the Protectorate handle the details." She said. It was the right thing to do. We were mad at Coil, but we would rather my Mom come home even more. I tossed Tattletale a three barreled gauntlet.

"What's this do?" She asked curiously as she fastened it on.

"I modified one of Mom's photon dart launchers. The middle one launches tranq darts." I informed her. Despedia vaulted up suddenly and came down like a bird of prey on her target. We hurried over to where she went only to find that Des had squashed a mech suit.

"Empty shells. Smart. He gets more forces and doesn't have to provide for them all. Coil's smart so we won't know what suits have people in them and what ones don't." Tattletale warned.

"Operate under the assumption that someone is in there unless your life is in danger." Granspear said as she continued heading in the direction that Mom's signal was coming from. "Despedia? Use your senses to warn us. Sonata? Keep us patched into the camera network." Des briefly looked mutinous, but a quelling glance from Tattletale calmed her down. Our hierarchy was a bit strange, but we've never had to test it out without Mom before. Ostensibly Granspear leads up if she's not available and Tattletale isn't around. Des will listen to her then.

"We need to come up with a better system for leadership in a crisis." I muttered. Three amused looks were sent my way as I had forgotten that everyone here has enhanced hearing of a sort. The tension fell off so go me.

"I smell...plasma. It's faint...but definitely here...hmmm...something else...definitely not human." Despedia muttered as her claws manifested.

"I'm getting an image of a woman in a black bodysuit with suns and a beast looking thing. Lots of spikes and a hard shell." According to the database the one on the left was Sundancer, but I couldn't identify the one on the right.

"The beast is probably Genesis. Keep a sharp eye out for Ballistic and Trickster." Tattletale warned. They were waiting for us up ahead. The maze of boxes that we were forced to wind through made an ambush entirely possible. Despedia continued to use her senses while Granspear relied on her ears.

"I'll keep a look out for the other two. Let's give you ladies a boost." I executed the program for 2Fast4U. The amplifiers didn't even hum as they ramped up. Their feelings were with me and each other boosting the Harmonics gauge. An inherent flaw in the system was that if I wanted to use it then it required me to stay in one spot. Despedia let out a whoop of surprise as her speed carried her across the chamber and into the room with the startled villains. Granspear vaulted after her. Sundancer had started to create a smallish sphere. Getting clobbered in the head by the flat of a shock spear caused her to not only recoil, but lose cause her power to wink out as she went unconscious. Despedia fell on the beast with her claws slashing viciously until the projection fell apart in generic organic matter.

"Behind you!" Tattletale called out as she opened fire with the dart launchers. Glowing blue sticks of photon energy sped out and through Ballistic's projectiles before a tranq dart caught him in the neck. The villain stared stupidly at the blonde before falling backwards. Dead to the world.

"Thanks...somehow he didn't come up on the cameras..." I panted at the close call. The projectiles that he was using were iron rivets. Fired at the speed his power was capable of they would have gone through us like sniper bullets.

"That's why they picked these crates for the ambush...lots of places to hide and objects to switch places with..." The former villainess concluded grimly. As long as we were here he had absolute control. She suddenly vanished only to be replaced by Trickster himself.

"You'll do nicely." He was already jamming a stunner at me. I let the stun gun hit my armor and watched with dark amusement as the Tinker enhanced device was drained dry by my force field generator. He didn't stop before vanishing again just as Despedia arrived. The box he traded places with didn't deserve to have her fury.

"Shit...he's a pain in the ass..." She growled just before catching Granspear out of the air. The crane over their heads had the crate replaced with the orange clad heroine.

"Teleporters...I hate teleporters..." Granspear groaned. She was less hearty than Despedia so I guess getting jostled around by teleport wouldn't be comfortable. Suddenly it was my turn to get forcibly relocated. By the melody I could tell that Trickster had replaced me with Tattletale and that we were a good distance away. Unfortunately the teleport disrupted the Song.

"What a pain, but worth it." He sounded like a man possessed. Not in a crazy sort of way, but in a gradually more unhinged fashion. "Come here!" He grabbed me by the upper arm. Sorry, but we weren't playing out the standard female grab area. Sound dampeners were a standard part of my communications set up for just such an occasion. He was point blank for an explosive burst of high pitched sound from my sonic emitter. I didn't have multiples, just the one, but sometimes one is more than enough. He stumbled back with both hands glued tight to his skull. It was just a quick burst for any more would deafen and cause more harm to my friends. However I did attack his weak point for massive damage with my force field reinforced leg three times. That decisively ended the encounter. When Tattletale fired the tranq dart into him it was a mercy.

"Geez kid...good going." Despedia ruffled my hair.

"You're definitely your mother's daughter." Granspear joked.

"I felt that and the equipment just isn't there on girls." Tattletale just had to read his body language. We hurried past the unconscious villains. Granspear gave the PRT a status update to let them know the Travelers were subdued. That was a kind way of putting it.

"Where is the Protectorate?" Despedia queried with frustration in her tone.

"Securing the scene. They have agents circling the building and setting up in the sewers." Granspear reported. The only way out was up and none of us were foolish enough to believe that he didn't have a secret helicopter or flying device.

"Grab Aria and get the hell out of here. Let Kaiser make his own way out." Des said.

"We'll help him get out too. He's arrogant enough to hate the idea of owing anyone a favor, but he'll acknowledge the debt." Tattletale said. We were rapidly approaching the location only to hear the sounds of explosions up ahead. The sight that greeted us was dire enough. There was a fifteen foot tall black war machine opening fire on the smaller figures standing before it. A wall of thick steel was between the machine and it's targets, but a blast from the thing's rifle melted straight through. Mom was recognizable in her white uniform weaving a Song whose words were well known to anyone that saw the fight on the Boardwalk.

"The wall won't hold and she's not charged up enough. Let's go!" Granspear shouted as she lunged into the fray followed closely by Despedia. Tattletale stayed back with me as I got 2Fast4U started again. Well that was unusual sensation.

"Shall we share this Song?" Mom asked in my mind. Her melody coiling around mine as mine coiled around hers. I could feel the Synchronicity building as Tattletale's melody joined. Granspear and Despedia were sending their own feelings that increased the Harmonics. Strangely enough there was even a connection to Kaiser.

"Let us Sing..." I acknowledged the request and felt my awareness grow...



-With Aria-



I didn't even realize just how important my suit was until this giant machine attempted to kill us. It wasn't because of the force fields, armor, or weapons, but because it let me stay mobile. The suit took a great deal of the pressure off of me. I could move and Sing at the same time without losing my place. Now any distraction made it hard to keep my Song growing. Dodge and it stopped, run and it stopped, now I realized exactly why the other Reyvateils thought my armor was so great. Kaiser set me up in a well fortified area. The machine wasn't aiming for the support columns and we were taking advantage of that fact. Either someone was piloting the mech or the combat system was just programmed well. What that meant for the Nazi cape, however, was he had to try and fight this thing off while I charged.

"Are you finished yet?" He demanded as his steel walls took another hit. This time the rifle punched through without hardly stopping. If he hadn't already been moving to dodge it would have been messy. I'd love to answer you, but y'know, I'm SINGING. It made me feel a bit unclean to know that we actually had some fight chemistry if the Harmonics reading was anything to go by. We weren't going to last much longer. I might just have to chance the Song as it is now. Wait, several melodies I was familiar with were inbound.

"Let's go!" Granspear shouted as she charged in on her spear turned V Board. The tip slamming into the mech's head with little effect, but it did get the machine's attention. Despedia followed shortly thereafter with her claws raking down the front. That got a more energetic response as those claws sliced into the reinforced steel like it was butter. I heard the first notes of 2Fast4U begin playing and embraced the feelings they brought.

"Shall we share this Song?" I asked my daughter. It was a strange and wonderful feeling as we connected. The sense of our melodies resonating with one another. I could feel everyone joining the harmony as even Kaiser was welcomed.

"Let us Sing." She accepted the request. I was hunkered down by the support pillar while she was crouched in a doorway. Tattletale was standing watch over her as Granspear, Despedia, and Kaiser fought the machine. The rifle was able to punch through the steel, but it's footing was instead being compromised by the ferrokinetic putting jagged chunks of steel underneath it's boots. The spear wielder was flying around his head while unleashing short bursts of Song Magic. The purplish spheres impacting the back and shoulders with appreciable force.

"Wait...get away from there!" Tattletale yelled in concern. Our friends listened and vaulted away, but Kaiser finished caging the machine in steel. He dramatically closed his fist as the metal curled inwards to crush the mech.

"Good idea. Let an adult handle this, children." Kaiser said as the cage grew tighter. My friend must have had a reason to order them to scatter. Unfortunately she was proven right. The machine let out an audible hum from exertion as it broke free from the prison before hurling riot canisters from the chest plate. Each canister unloaded tear gas in a large cloud. Granspear and Despedia were out of range, but Kaiser was caught right in the blast. Since he wasn't screaming about his eyes it must mean that the eye slits in his metal helmet were closed. The worst part of the gas was that it obscured the mech's form. The machine didn't waste any time in opening fire in all directions with it's armaments.

"Get down!" Granspear shouted as she knocked Kaiser off his feet and behind a pillar before crouching down with him. Des was standing in front of Tattletale and Sonata since her unidirectional barrier could withstand a lot of punishment. Beams and bullets careened wildly from the smoke chipping and blasting everything haphazardly. It wasn't even trying to avoid hitting the support pillars now.

"Ready yet, Aria? I hate to rush you." Tattletale said over the chat channel. This was as good as I was going to get it without putting everyone at greater risk. Thrash Beat upgraded to Thrash Beatle as the Song was released. All the potential power that had been collected emerged as the beetle projection. The might and will of five people was bound up inside of this image as it roared it's battle cry "Boom for the Boom Goddess!" At least he was gender accurate this time. Kaiser had managed to sit up in time to watch as the projection opened fire on the mech. Plasma bullets slammed into the armored form with enough force that the machine skidded backwards. The shielded steel held, but the heat conferred by the attack melted it to slag in moments. I collapsed to one knee dazedly. This was my first time trying to build the attack up on my own without a support in place. No amplifiers or battery support. It was exhausting, but also felt more rewarding.

"Come on...up up up..." Despedia scooped me up into her arms, "We have to get out of here."

"Move it people!" Granspear helped up Kaiser, "Tattletale? You're riding with me. Sonata? Slap a couple hover disks on Kaiser." She looked at the Nazi cape, "We're not leaving you behind."

"I appreciate that." He said magnanimously. There was genuine gratitude in his melody which was nice to note. Sonata placed a few anti grav disks on his armor and held his hand to tow him through the air. Tattletale was behind Granspear on the V Board while holding onto the shorter girl for dear life. Apparently she wasn't actually good with flying. We were hurrying as fast as possible to the elevator shaft to escape. It was such a relief to have my friends around me after all of this. Des held me closer as she hurtled along fast enough to keep up with the others. More melodies were felt up ahead that were familiar to me. It wasn't the Travelers.

"Excellent work girls!" Mouse Protector caroled in greeting as we approached. Well that was more than a little surreal. Armsmaster was sticking a syringe from the tip of his halberd into each Traveler. I hope there was some medical tech on that needle to sterilize it after each use. Ick. Miss Militia was gesturing to a group of armored PRT agents.

"Fan out and secure the base. Leave no stone unturned. He kidnapped one of our own? Make him regret that decision." She told them. The agents saluted before setting off to their duties. The patriotic cape made her way over to us. Her eyes and melody showing how relieved she was. "Good to have you back, Aria."

"It's good to be back." The nightmare was over. I was going home. Des still hadn't put me down which was fine.

"Kaiser." Armsmaster said neutrally. Neither welcoming or caring about the other man.

"Armsmaster." Kaiser responded. Sonata removed the anti grav disks.

"He helped save Aria." Granspear interjected, "When we found them he was protecting her from a war machine." It didn't cause the tension to drop.

"Okay how 'bout I get the kiddies out of here and checked over?" Mouse Protector barged in on the stand off and diffused the situation. There were some squawks of indignation from my own friends, but I was perfectly okay with getting out of here. She lead us to the elevator with Kaiser trailing behind. As much as it probably rankled they were going to let him go. Sometimes you had to do things that you didn't want to for the greater good. I hated that term, but in this case it fit.

"How do we know the elevator won't suddenly just fall?" Granspear asked as we rode in the car.

"Dragon's got this whole place locked down. She's definitely someone good to know." Mouse Protector replied.

"So...Coil might be trapped in here?" Tattletale asked. She didn't sound like she believed it, but the hope was there. For her sake I hoped that he didn't escape.

"We waited until Dragon had the base under her control before coming in. There's also a ton of agents in the sewers and around the building. He kinda made a lot of people angry." She shrugged her shoulders in a 'What can you do?' kind of way. The elevator doors opened and I was whisked off to be checked out. It didn't actually hit me until that moment that I was actually free. I wouldn't take freedom for granted again.



-With Coil-



He rubbed his forehead tiredly. This was not going as planned. At all. It was his own decision to make the best out of the hand the Travelers had dealt him. He couldn't afford for Aria to go back to the PRT with the knowledge that he was Thomas Calvert. It was a calculated risk. Whether it was forced on him or not was irrelevant. The rewards had outweighed the risks. Now he was further backed into a corner by this latest debacle. It was bad enough that she had somehow managed to escape her room. A Tinker/'Thinker on the loose in his base was nightmare fuel enough. The fact that she managed to release Kaiser and get his cooperation had ratcheted up the concern. The mercenaries failed spectacularly. He groaned before taking more painkillers. At the rate he was going through them the bottle would be empty soon. The war machine had been Squealer's idea. Convince them of the futile nature of their escape and what happened? They decided to fight. It was only a matter of time before the machine defeated them, but then her friends arrived to turn the tide.

"Time to cut my losses." Coil sighed as he stood. With the push of a button he engaged the base's self destruct and opened the escape tunnel. His eyes bulged behind the mask at what he saw. An armored gauntlet gripped him by the throat and lifted him into the air.

"Hello Thomas. We have much to discuss." The Dragon growled menacingly.



-With Squealer-



She looked around the lab that had been given to her with a sigh. This was going to be a bitch to replace, but she could do it. At least her project had been evacuated in time. There was no way that she was going to try and face the Protectorate for Coil. Screw that. She was done fighting for idiots and madmen. The war machine was a nice touch. It wouldn't succeed, but it would buy her the time she needed to make good on her escape. She looked at the monitors that showed the sewer access. It was always good to have things on a closed circuit. Something that Coil had taught her. Unfortunately his base was still too automated. It gave Dragon too much to latch onto. The number of agents in the sewers was worrying. That is if she intended to fight them.

"Come to momma..." She tapped a few buttons on the sleek machine that was angled on a ramp leading into the sewers. The access door wasn't open yet. The neural suit let her connect with the machine that resembled a formula one racer as a black canopy slid over the cockpit. She leaned back into the luge like seat and hit the button to open the path. Thrusters whined as the machine revved up. Another button was pushed to launch. Her baby burst from the access door and hit the sewers at an angle. The PRT agents were too late to stop the high speed craft.

"Sorry Coil, but I've still got too much to do and getting caught isn't in the cards." Uber, Leet, and Dragonzord were her targets now. Aria? Please. Kid was so busy plugging away for World Peace that it was embarrassing. She grimaced at the fact her former employer had actually kidnapped the girl. There was still something of a conscience inside of her. So when it came to her attention that somehow the doors and systems were being hacked on the lower levels she just didn't see it. She shook her head. There were more important things to do now.



AN: End Fourth Arc. PHO Interlude and a few regular interludes are up next.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Interlude The Unlamented



-May 6, 2011-



It was a nondescript van traveling down a lonesome highway in the middle of nowhere. The sun was setting and the passengers were contemplating where to bed down for the night. They weren't what anyone would call friends, but they had a close working relationship. They had a mission that often kept them on the road for months out of the year. There was no time for vacations or holiday visits, but that was okay because the work was satisfying. They loved their job. The van pulled up to an out of the way truck stop. There were several eighteen wheelers already there and a restaurant with tinted privacy windows. For a dive in the middle of nowhere it tried to be fancier than it had to be.

"Hey Mr. Jack? Do you think they have pie?" A precious tween with blonde hair asked. She would have looked adorable if not for the manic look in her eyes and smile. The man, "Mr. Jack", patted her on the head.

"I'm sure they have lovely pies my dear. So lovely that we'll want to thank the chef personally." He assured her. He was a dignified looking man that had aged well. His blue eyes twinkling with merriment and a dark hunger.

"It will be nice to stretch my legs." A rather attractive young woman with a faint Canadian accent said before stretching. The older gentleman driving the van said nothing, but the faint smile on his face foretold ill things to come. A strange collection of sleek rounded parts in the shape of a person shifted where it was resting. It cared not for whatever was being served, but would not turn down the pleasures afterward.

"Pie..." A hideous brute of a man said with a voice loaded with disdain. For all of the disdain he was showing it didn't mean he wouldn't have a few slices for himself.

"Now now...dear Riley deserves a treat. She has been such a good girl on this long trek." Mr. Jack chided gently. "Why don't we go and see what they have to offer?" He opened the back of the van and stepped outside.

"Spoils that girl rotten..." A disfigured woman complained, but there was little ire. Jack wasn't known for kindness if you ruined his games.

"Better to keep the little one happy than allow her to entertain herself." The final person commented. She was rather beautiful herself with a voice that one couldn't help but notice. Riley hopped out of the van behind her Mr. Jack.

The atmosphere outside of the van was far less jovial. There was a strange foreboding in the air. Years of risky and dangerous lifestyle choices had honed his danger sense to a fine edge. As keen and sharp as his mind and blade. He stepped cautiously around the van and the problem suddenly entered his mind. A bullet heading at supersonic velocity that was followed immediately by the sharp crack of the rifle that sent the package. The young blonde that had come out after Mr. Jack looked to the spot where he had been standing at the moment the bullet had turned his entire head to a mash of bone bits and gore. She let out a shriek of pure terror and despair.

The others emerged from the van at her scream. The brutish man jumped out with his weapon, a blood stained monster of a thing, brandished. He was the next to fall as a sniper's bullet defied his might and caused his head to erupt in a fountain of gore. The next to emerge immediately took to the sky while the disfigured woman stayed inside of the van with the Canadian. There was an angry furor as the man that was more machine than human leaped out to do battle. Riley was staggering back at the sight of two of their number dead in so many moments.

Tracers lit over the flying woman and riddled her full of bullets. She fell to the ground without even a despairing cry as her mangled body smacked into the asphalt. The young blonde fled towards the diner to get out from immediate danger only for something spherical to hurtle at her. She tried to dodge the grenade shaped projectile only to be suddenly captured in a blue force field ball. Her fingers scrabbled at the smooth interior of her prison, but there was no way to gain purchase. She could only watch helplessly as men in suits of that PRT power armor jumped out of the trailers with their weapons trained on the van and opened fire with a virtual hailstorm of bullets. The vehicle that had been their home was torn to shreds as hundreds of AP rounds tore through the reinforced plating.

"Bravo team keep watching for Crawler. Charlie team look for the Siberian. Alpha team let's check for survivors." The leader gave his orders and the other units went off to their assigned tasks. "Will the girl be okay in there?" He gestured with his head towards Riley's prison.

"The field is air permeable. The only reason she's not screaming is probably from shock." Another man said. The first man grunted something.

"Kid's got years of therapy. Shit." He shook his head. "Any survivors?" One of his men had a portable medical scanner out.

"No sir. Zero life signs." Came the report and there was a general feeling of ease that vanished when the agent said, "This person..." They had started to come through the wreckage and came across the man in the front seat. "My database is reading this is William Manton."

"The guy that gave us the Manton Effect?" The leader asked in disbelief.

"The same one, sir." The agent reported. A message came over the comms and the leader nodded in relief.

"That was Bravo team. They have Crawler trapped in a force bubble. Let's get the hell out of here." The leader gestured to one of the trucks. The loading of the prisoners went easily enough until Riley rediscovered her voice.

"How...how did you find us...?" Riley asked timidly. This was not Bonesaw of the Slaughterhouse 9. This was a terrified little girl that suddenly found that in the grand scheme of things villains do get what's coming to them.

"You shouldn't have hit that last police station." The leader said with a certain amount of satisfaction. "They told us which way you were going. We had some help getting here ahead of you though." He gestured and the truck flickered before revealing itself as a Dragon transport ship.

She slumped to the bottom of her prison. Dead. They were all dead. Even Crawler couldn't escape. She looked over at where he was fruitlessly spinning and twirling in the large force bubble. Her Tinker's intellect rapidly dissected how they would keep a beast like Crawler from simply shoving his way out. The near frictionless surface inside of her own sphere would keep even him from gaining purchase. There also seemed to be a disorientation effect that was confusing him couple with a null gravity field. She shook her head in disbelief.

The Slaughterhouse 9 ended not in a blaze of glory, but on their knees.

AN: To satisfy the conflict drive we all share here is an interlude! You wondered what I was going to do to them...mwa ha ha ha ha ha!

Fixed a couple threadmarks and putting this interlude in the Arc that it belongs with.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Interlude The Birth of Nyamo Mask!



-The Market-



It was just supposed to be a normal Saturday. Get up, have cereal, deal with the cold shoulder from her parents, and head out until late afternoon. Madison sighed as she realized that somewhere along the way this had become a normal day for her. It wasn't that her parents didn't love her, but they were still disappointed with her actions. They were in limbo. She didn't know how to make it up to them and they didn't know how to relate to her anymore. Their precious princess had shown that she was a toad. A warty and disgusting toad. Why should they just magically let her off the hook anymore? She screwed up badly. What else was there to say? So it was a cold house where there once was a home. The worst part of it all was they just weren't talking to her. It was generic things like asking how her day was or about class, but they didn't seem to hear her. She tried to tell them about talking to Taylor and ended up in the bedroom with her ears ringing. They didn't want to hear about her and Taylor. They didn't want to hear about her and Emma. They didn't want to hear that they had become friends and that it was healthy now.

"I wish life was easier." She muttered dejectedly. Taylor didn't go to Winslow anymore. She made sure that Madison knew it wasn't her fault. To her senses it felt like an Eldritch Location. Some kind of Mouth of Hell. At least she still had Des and Aisha. She was still getting used to Cocona, but the shorter girl was a trip. Her and Aisha were merry practical jokers while Emma held herself aloof. Right up until she sprung one of her pranks on them. She smiled at the thought of what school was like for her now.

They still had the gangs, but they were much quieter. It wasn't the calm before the storm, but a full on ceasefire. In some ways the silence was worse than the noise. For awhile it felt unnatural. Then it came to light that the ABB was falling apart and the E88 were scrambling. No one was sure what was up with that, but it explained why frictions had died off. The Merchants were still loose around the school, but not as visible as before. Winslow was starting to feel like a real school. She was doing better in her classes. Real friends that were there for her. If she could get her home life straight then everything would be golden.

She noticed up ahead Despedia, Granspear, and Sonata making a patrol through the Market. That was strange since the normal patrols weren't scheduled to go through here until later. It wasn't actually a secret what routes and times the Wards had their patrol. They were also looking way more serious than she was used to seeing. They suddenly looked at each other before taking off. Each using their own way to fly. That was just so bizarre.

"Do you think they found her?" A woman asked the man standing next to her.

"I hope so. What the hell is this place coming to when a Ward can get kidnapped right out of a hospital?" The thickset man sounded frustrated. Similar exclamations and comments were being made around her. How out of it had she been not to know a Ward had been kidnapped? No wonder her friends were looking so serious.

"Which Ward? Did they say?" Madison asked. Since they were being such fonts of information. They gave her a strange look that made her flush in embarrassment.

"It was the Tinker girl, Aria. That sweet thing who was all protective over her daughter. Nabbed in broad daylight." The woman fussed. Madison's heart dropped like a stone. Taylor was kidnapped? No one knew where she was? She didn't hear what was being said as vague excuses were made. She had to get away. Madison couldn't imagine the hell that her family was going through. Her heart was clenched tight in her chest. She had to find a place to sit down.

Her head was swimming as everything just came roaring back to the fore. If someone had said in January that she would be having a full blown panic attack over Taylor Hebert she would have laughed. The girl had become a part of her life, but in the sense that she was a victim and that was where Madison was helping to keep her. Then the locker happened. The most fucked up thing they had ever done to the girl. She wasn't excluding herself. She had become a part of the very system that was beating her down. Taylor cries for help were agonizing. She Triggered in that locker and gained super powers. A whole slew of civil suits followed the locker and her relationship with her parents deteriorated. She screwed up so bad, but the worst part was Taylor forgiving her. Madison was prepared for scorn and anger. She knew that she deserved all of it, but Taylor had to ruin it by forgiving her.

"No...calm down...have to...calm down..." She clutched at her chest. The sensation of a hand gripping her heart was growing and there was a fire in her mind. She became dimly aware of something happening and managed to force her eyes open.

"No no no...put those cell phones away. Just throw your money over here and nothing bad will happen." An unclean looking man was waving a gun bigger than Madison's forearm at the crowd. They were several other people in ratty blue outfits. They looked like trash. Merchants? Here?

"What do you want with us?" A frightened woman asked.

"Nothing much. Just toss your valuables over here and we'll be out of your hair. I promise." He smiled with blackened and rotting teeth. Yeah that was the face of trustworthiness. "Got the jammer?" He shouted at one of the women Merchants.

"Yeah yeah...all done. Just flick a switch, y'know?" She made it sound like it was nothing. It probably was. Flick a switch was probably all the drug addled bimbo could manage.

Madison slid from the bench as her heart started to hammer. She wasn't a brave person, but what she was tiny. No one paid any attention to her as she slipped into a mom and pop store that had the front door open. The people inside were frantically trying to get their phones to work. Not even the land line was working. The Merchants were going through the shops and hustling people out. She tucked herself securely in an alcove and prayed no one would find her.

"Coward. You're pathetic. Gonna just keep hiding when the bigger kids aren't around to protect you? You can't do a damn thing for yourself." The voice sounded like an amalgamation of everything she had heard. The voices that having real friends hadn't silenced. The voices of her heart. She cried, but there was nothing else she could do. Just huddle in a ball of misery. Suddenly there was a gunshot. A lone gunshot that pierced her mind. She uncoiled from her position and frantically crawled to the window. Dreading what she would see, but helpless before the urge to know.

"Awww...so scared, but you wanna see? That's why you never helped Taylor. Too scared of being picked on. Too scared of being singled out. Better her than me. Right? All you did was trade Sophia for Taylor. Now you can feel good about yourself. Didn't even have to lose Emma, right?" The voices were growing more insistent. She was like that, but not anymore. Her eyes fell on the man holding a gun to a woman's face. Just like that day with Aisha when that punk was about to strike her. The look in her eyes haunted Madison.

"I'm not scared. Not now...not ever again..." There might not be anything that she could do, but seeing that fear caused something inside of her to snap.



[Destination]

[Agreement]

[Harmony]

[Song Load: EXEC_EP=Nova]



A ridiculously catchy tune started to play. It broke through the voices and washed her mind clean of self doubt. Her lips curled into a smile as she snatched a white cat mask with black ears from a rack. The simple mask had a rubber band that she slipped over her head. The tune that played demanded action and she was ready to go. Just go with the flow and let the magic happen. She bounded out the door in a single leap startled everyone. Madison could hardly blame them. Here was this tiny girl in a dime store mask pointing dramatically at a man holding a gun. It was actually kind of hilarious.

"Halt! Cease and desist! Your actions have consequences and it falls to me to deliver them!" Was she channeling too much Mouse Protector? Naw. There was no such thing!

"What the fuck...?" The goon had let the woman go in his confusion. Step one of her master plan was complete. Baffle them with bullshit so they ignore the people until help arrives. Step two was not get shot. So was step three for that matter. Step four? Profit!

"That's not a cape." Another mook stated. "Listen kid if you go over there I don't have to get rough. Unless you like it like that?" He leered at her. She drew herself up indignantly.

"Oh that is not PC sir. I have half a mind to teach you some manners!" Her tail bristled angrily. The Merchants were suddenly staring at her butt. Why were they staring at her butt? Seriously! She couldn't help being flat! Her ears laid back in annoyance.

"Uhhh...she's got a tail..." One of them pointed at her rear. Another looked bewildered, "Why does she have ears on her head...?" Did he seriously just ask that?

"Of course I have ears on my head! Where else would they be? Stop staring at my behind!" Her claws emerged from her fingertips. The man with the gun suddenly aimed and pulled the trigger. It happened in slow motion as she twisted her torso just slightly to the left without the bullet even grazing her shirt. Three more bullets followed which were avoided by the simple expedient of back flipping onto the awning above the store she exited. Madison didn't give herself time to think about the bizarre acrobatics as she tumbled forward in the air and dropped her heels on the gun man's skull.

"Shit! She's a cape! Fuck my life!" One of the Merchants yanked a hostage in front of them. "Don't come any closer or I'll blow this bitch's brains out!" He was pointing a gun at the woman she spoke to earlier. The kind woman that was worried about Taylor. She pointed at him dramatically and traced a circle in the air with her fingertip as she spoke.

"This won't get you very far. You seem a little tense. Why don't we all get happy?" She beamed. The mask showing her smiling face to the suddenly more nervous thugs. To be fair even the crowd was nervous. They seemed to think she was going to shoot lightning out of her eyes. Nope. She was just going to dance for them. The song that wouldn't stop playing, that filled her with peace and cheer, came to the forefront in a rush as she started to sing the lyrics in English. Sure the song didn't make any sense, but it was still great. Her hips swayed and she bopped along to the beat. Strangely enough the Merchants started bopping right along with her!

"Why are we dancing!?" The thug sounded panicked. She laughed merrily at the sight of these strung out druggies dancing like hyperactive children. When the song came to an end everything stopped. The people were treated to the sight of those affected falling to the ground in a sound sleep.

"Let this be a lesson to evildoers everywhere! This day marks the beginning of Nyamo Mask! Away!" She triangle jumped from wall to awning and finally to the roof of the building before tearing off at full speed. With the adrenaline starting to crash she was able to think again.

"Wait...tail...ears...? Nyaooooooooo!" The life of a rogue hero was a hard one. Especially at the beginning.

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



PHO Interlude 3





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■​

♦Topic: Merchant Madness?

In: Boards ► News ► Capes ► Brockton Bay



Bagrat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)

Posted on April 23, 2011:



Today was absolutely insane. Details are scare at this time, but for some reason the Merchants came out in force. There are a few things that we do know, but it doesn't make this any easier to understand.

The first is that someone kidnapped the Ward, Aria, from the hospital during a PR function with New Wave. The kidnappers haven't been confirmed yet, but not long after the Merchants made their move. They hit several places simultaneously including the hospital where Aria was taken.

Several Merchant capes have been confirmed as KIA. The fight down at the Docks was probably heard all over the city due to one of Squealer's machines actually blowing down a building with a confirmed sonic weapon. The quality of the video is terrible and the noise is deafening so I'm not posting it here. Dauntless, Assault, Battery, and Velocity with the brave agents of the PRT were able to hold off the Merchants. The BB Dragonzord also played a part in the take down. We're still waiting for more details on what capes died.

There was a hostage situation on the Boardwalk again perpetrated by the Merchants. They were certainly busy today. The entirety of New Wave's front line showed up with armored PRT troops to deal with the problem. Thanks to their efforts there were no civilian causalities. The reports get a little vague on what exactly happened, but Brandish and Lady Photon are recovering at the hospital. It has been confirmed that Smack is in PRT custody after being treated for a life threatening injury.

There was another hostage situation at the Market. Thankfully there were no Merchant capes present or armors, but plenty of thugs. It looks more like a target of opportunity with everyone spread so thin. According to eyewitness reports a young girl in a hoody and a cat mask made the Merchants dance until they fell asleep. I'm not making this up. They danced until they dropped. No one was injured.

The attack on the hospital was stopped by the brave men and women of the police. This was the first full mobilization of their armor division and they certainly proved themselves. The armor in Merchant's colors were many, but they were held back until the PRT arrived.

It certainly seems like we know a lot, but the big question is: Why was Aria taken? Hopefully someone can answer that.



(Showing Page 1 of 16)

► whaddya say

Replied on January 1, 2000:

Those Merchants better not get loose. If they do then there's some seriously fucked up shit goin' on. I was at the fuckin' Boardwalk and that shit was intense. Hope New Wave is alright.



► Kay Win

Replied on April 23, 2011:

I have no idea what happened. At all. I thought they were going to shoot me and then there was a cat girl. God I wish I was making this up, but there was a singing cat girl. I'm grateful she saved my life, but...there was a singing cat girl.



► monkeybone (Temp-banned)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Touch Fluffy Tail



► Shulda (Moderator)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

I don't care if that's a meme, but the girl is definitely underage. Have some time to think about it.



► justincal

Replied on April 23, 2011:

So a bunch of druggies blew themselves up? Cool. Less filth on the streets.



► hit_me

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Yeah fuck you! People died and you don't care? Fucking fuck!



► justincal

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Hmmm...nope. Not really.



► fightenthusiast

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Whoa...come at me, bro! rofl!



► Bagrat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Okay guys settle down. The Mods have already been in here and this just the first page.



► that_one_lady (Mother)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Every life is special, but sometimes the wrong decisions are made. They chose a life of crime and it ended badly for them. My thoughts go out to Aria's parents.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 14 , 15, 16



(Showing Page 6 of 16)

► Cog (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Good news! Aria has been found and is currently being checked over. She should be in her own home by tomorrow.



► IndolentMinx (The Minx in the Know) (Veteran Member)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Well that's great to hear. We needed more good news. Do they know who kidnapped her?



► crazyinbrockton

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Probably won't tell us. They never tell us anything except their sanitized garbage.



► CryoTech51

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Why is this guy still here? Seriously? SuperMod take him away!



► Cog (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Coil was working with the Travelers and the Merchants. He was the one that took Aria. A formal press release will be made, but the concerned citizens of Brockton Bay deserved to know.



► the bay

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Weird. Someone actually told it to us straight. I'm not sure how to feel.



► CarbuncleLoki (Experimental Subject)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

And no crazyinbrockton to whine about our machine overlords or something. I'm scared.



► the bay

Replied on April 23, 2011:

@ CarbuncleLoki How did you even get that tag?



► CarbuncleLoki (Experimental Subject)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

That is a tale for another day.



► steel_workin_man (Dock Worker)

Replied on April 23, 2011:

Don't know what we're gonna do. The Docks were never the prettiest sight, but now they're completely torn up. At least that girl is home with her family.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 ... 14 , 15, 16



(Showing Page 16 of 16)

► Bagrat (Original Poster) (The Guy In The Know) (Veteran Member)

Replied on April 24, 2011:

At least we know more than earlier. Aria is home safe and the Merchants have basically been dealt with. Here's hoping that we get some peace and quiet before the next storm hits.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 14, 15, 16

■​

♦Topic: Nyamo?

In: Boards ► News ► Capes ► Brockton Bay



Kay Win (Original Poster)

Posted on April 23, 2011:



She's cute, fluffy, and apparently can sing and dance you to sleep. She's Nyamo Mask. Cat-like agility and reflexes with twitchy ears and a tail. Even without a costume she's PR bait. The plastic cat mask was cute though. I will admit this has to have been one of the stranger things I've witnessed and for a Brockton Bay resident that says a lot.

I was at the Market and had just struck up a conversation with someone. We were talking about the news of Aria being kidnapped. Terrible news. It was at that point that all hell broke loose. The Merchants showed up and made us crowd together. It's easy to order someone around when you have a gun after all. We were hoping that someone had managed to call the PRT or the police before our phones were fried. Whatever the Merchants were using fried our phones. There was a woman loudly screaming and carrying on to the point one of our captors was going to make an example out of her.

I don't think he planned on a surprise cat girl. I was there and I'm still mystified. The girl sounded like she went to Mouse Protector for lessons. It was that kind of crazy. Then she dodged bullets, drop kicked the gun man, and ended with a song and dance number.

I'm grateful to Nyamo Mask for saving us, but I'm still not sure what happened.



(Showing Page 1 of 22)

► Knight2254

Replied on April 24, 2011:

There's nothing wrong with fluffy tails and cuteness. Though a suitcase with a gattling gun would be useful for her.



► creepypony

Replied on April 24, 2011:

I have to agree with Kay. What the hell was that? Singing and dancing as powers? That was some weird Master stuff.



► justincal

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Oh no. Let's not start talking about Master stuff. Then there would be calls to throw her in the Birdcage.



► The Grey Rider

Replied on April 24, 2011:

But didn't Canary do that stuff? Make people do as she wants by singing? Just what we need. Another out of control Master.



► MirAnalyst

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Oh great. Here comes another wonderful derail. If you have a beef with Masters then this probably isn't the right thread for you. Is she a Master? Probably, yeah. It doesn't change the fact that she saved a bunch of people. Just go back to your hole with your tinfoil hat.



► Kay Win (Original Poster)

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Master or not she was definitely serving up enough HAM and CHEESE for everybody. I can't get that song out of my head either. It was just that catchy. If anyone suggests I've been Mastered I will hurt you.



► Mouse Protector (Verified Cape) (Protectorate ENE) (Huzzah!)

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Another noble defender of the Bay? If you are reading this then please come to the PRT building! I hope to meet you soon, Nyamo Mask! Let us unite our efforts for the good of the people.



► DicePaste (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Does anyone want to see the film of Miss Militia chasing Mouse Protector? I'm planning a live stream [here].



► VanishingSong (Protectorate Employee)

Replied on April 24, 2011:

He won't have a job at this rate.

We would like to have you come down and at least tour the facilities, Nyamo Mask.



► GiftZwerg

Replied on April 24, 2011:

Weird cape, weird thread. At least the theme makes sense. Seemed like a nice kid though. It was pretty funny watching the Merchants dancing uncontrollably.

​

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 20 , 21, 22

■​

♦ Private message from Jakuri is Watching:

CrazyComputerGuy: Aria is safe. I know that the two of you share emails from time to time. The thing is that she needs help in another way that you can provide. There are things going on in your world that you aren't aware of and have been deliberately left in the dark. Your world is not going to survive what is coming if action isn't taken soon. I have already secured the assistance of Dragon and Armsmaster in this task, but we need you as well.

I have enclosed a clip to prove that what I'm saying is true. Aria and I are from the same race. She wasn't always like this, but I digress. We are a race of gynoids from the world of Ar Ciel. Aria was born on Earth, but with her permission has become one of us. This is a lot to take in, but the thrust of all of this is that we want to help Earth. Not just Earth Bet, but all of the Earths. I don't expect you to believe me right away, but your assistance would prove invaluable.

Please look the clip and accompanying data packet over. If you decide to help then just contact Dragon. If not then that's fine as well. This is, and will always be, your choice.

​

He watched the entire clip in silence. The young boy that dreamed of other worlds and the marvels of space was clamoring for his attention. If this was an evil AI overlord then she had just bought his soul with sweeping vistas and a beautiful sky on a far off planet. A world that he would have never seen if not for the strange moderator that showed up on PHO one day and never left. The data packet that he received explained the situation in horrific detail. Other dimensions were known to the people of Earth Bet, but interstellar beings that wished to destroy their world? Alien conspiracies designed to keep people silent? The truly sad thing was that he believed. Sometimes he almost wished that his curiousity had never lead him to this point, but then he remembers what he gained. His companions were his friends again. He was no longer a slave to a mad man's goals.

This wouldn't have even come to his attention if Dragon hadn't sent him a message to check the PHO boards. Aria had been kidnapped, but rescued. That was a relief. He did enjoy his talks with her. Then curiousity once more got the better of him and he started looking at other posts. Due to the very nature of the boards anyone could post. It didn't stop a trend from surfacing. A strange trend that pointed to someone manipulating things just a bit. He rubbed his forehead. Being able to put conspiracy theories together like this was either the work of a deranged mind or something else. He was done with being deranged, but here he was again planning to do something crazy. A message to Dragon was sent off to say that he was in.

"Let's see how far down this rabbit hole goes."

 

[dingbat779]

Hymn of Harmony



or Melody of Escalation



Interlude Quiet Reprieve



-April 24, 2011-



-Hebert Residence: Cocona-



The spear flashed through the air so quickly that the metal glittered in the fading light of day. The grass was turned up from her constant and frenetic movements. The tiny girl's steps were sure and quick like a dancer's as she battled with her phantom opponents. Each one bearing the face of the ones that had taken Taylor. She was trying to tire her body and hopefully her mind as well. Her thoughts just kept coming back to how they had lost her. What if she had actually been at the hospital? Could she have prevented the abduction? She let out an animalistic growl as the spear stuck fast in the ground from a mistimed thrust. Why was she so angry? Taylor was found safe and sound. She had actually been well enough to escape her cell and rescue Kaiser of all people.

That didn't make her feel any better.

She flopped onto her rear. Her practice clothes were soaked with sweat and her hair was plastered to her scalp. Cocona brushed an errant strand of wet hair out of her eyes irritably as her body cooled down. She knew that it was sloppy to not go through proper cool down exercises, but right now she just didn't care. Her body was as exhausted as she wanted it to be, but it did nothing for her mind. The anger that she was feeling was perfectly normal. Perfectly natural. Perfectly understandable. The only thing that wasn't perfect was her exact feelings. Anger was certainly there and made the entire logic train chug along nicely. The only problem was that this train wasn't just running on anger. There were other parts that she did not want to face. She did not want to admit those things.

"How the hell do you admit to that?" Cocona groaned exasperatedly. "If I was Lisa this wouldn't be a problem. She has zero shame when admitting to anything. No...she has zero shame in admitting things about other people. Despedia's the tactless one. Sonata just wouldn't understand that there was a problem." She was surrounded by people that just threw their hang ups away. They got nervous, but never let that stop them from getting what they want.

"But what is it that I want?" She fell back on the ground to gaze at the sky. There was no moving from her current position. Did she want to be the strongest? Out of her current friends that would have to go to Despedia. She had the highest weight capacity, the greatest striking force, but without guidance she was unbelievably lethal. Her claws could shred all but the strongest Tinker tech metals. Cocona's spear was actually specially designed using such a metal. Anything that could stand up to her claws made exceptional solid weaponry and armor. The only reason those claws weren't rated higher is because of their melee limitation. Her scream was a terrible weapon as well. Disruption of binding forces was the official explanation. Des wanted to train with Cocona to improve her combat ability. As the group's resident combat veteran it made sense.

Did she want to be the smartest? Lisa was not stupid by any means. Her native intelligence was exceptional and combined with her power it was even greater. She knew of only one person that could beat Lisa in raw intelligence and that was Mir. While Despedia was the brawn, Lisa was the brain. She had a way of knowing things even without using her power. In terms of tactical planning Cocona had her beat. She grimaced at that thought. Trying to compare herself to her friends wasn't helping either. Was that what was bothering her? Was she trying to figure out her place in all of this?

"That's just too boo. Skip it." That wasn't the issue. Was it the likability? Sonata just oozed with adorableness. If she somehow made it to Ar Ciel the girl would be an instant hit. Already her popularity had taken off on the HymmnSphere back home and on the PHO Boards here. Cocona was perfectly fine with that. So it wasn't popularity that was bothering her. The fact that the younger girl was also a top tier inventor of weaponry didn't detract from her kid friendly appeal. So what if she's lugging around enormous floating cannons? She's cute and fluffy! Breathing deeply didn't fill her with new wisdom. She could tell that her thoughts were narrowing down the choices and reaching a conclusion.

Danny was certainly in her thoughts. He was like a father to them. In the case of Taylor he was her father. He just seemed to accept what was happening. Not without complaint. The man had a spirit that according to Taylor reemerged after her Trigger. She owed her Trigger for giving her dad back his fire. He saw what his daughter had been through and immediately set out to correct the problem. He supported not just her, but all of them. Danny reminded her of Dr. Gojo actually. A man of principles that would take up arms to protect what mattered. Dr. Gojo hadn't been trained as a warrior, but he still stood his ground as an able combatant. She could actually see Danny in a similar situation without difficulty. For all that he said Taylor took after her mom it was his own influence that she saw.

"Taylor..." The feelings associated with her were many. Cocona would be lying to claim that she didn't have a case of hero worship for the girl. When she first met her at the party it was hard not to like Taylor. The poor girl was so shy, but the love she had for Mir was bright as day. The dark Reyvateil was someone that Cocona herself looked up to as a mentor/big sister/surrogate mother. She was thinking that maybe her and Taylor could be like siblings. It was through the research into turning her into a Reyvateil that they found a way to save the Third types after all. That was where the hero worship was born. Taylor had easily taken a spot at the same level, if not higher, than Lady Cloche in her mind.

Then came the calls. Taylor got the interdimensional communication working, HymmnSphere, and used it to call Mir. They ended up talking and it became harder to put the girl on a pedestal. She was just so down to the ground. Lady Cloche was always a sweetheart, but her mannerisms still showed the refined Lady. Cocona was actually glad that her new friend was so easy to relate with. The first time they talked she was training. It was a little thing, but she noticed Taylor looking her over. At the time she dismissed it, but the same thing happened in other calls. Cocona wasn't sure how she felt about that. They were friends, and it was normal for Reyvateils, but it hadn't really happened to her.

Her only real experience with crushes included Lady Cloche, Luca, her own brother, and Mir. She knew later what those feelings were signaling. They were signs of respect and affection. Crushes were a normal part of growing up, but she found her eyes straying to guys more. When she went to the Third Tower area and met Aoto it was when she was undercover. As Tatsumi they were more like buddies, but she would be lying if she didn't think he was cute. They met other people, but the one that stood out was a fellow Reyvateil named Finnel. Finnel gave all the indications of being interested in her. Well, interested in Tatsumi, but the point was that it made her uncomfortable. At the time she thought it was because of not liking girls, but then realized it was something else entirely.

She wasn't comfortable with Finnel's attention because of her not knowing the real Cocona.

It's obvious now, but at the time it wasn't. She was just uncomfortable and didn't even look further into why. Croix was her brother and now Mir is her sister-in-law. She knew that wasn't going to work as relationship material. Aoto still couldn't get past seeing her as Tatsumi. It didn't even matter that she was using female mannerisms. He admitted that it was because Cocona had played Tatsumi as kind of effeminate. Annoying, but understandable. When Finnel started treating Cocona like one of the girls she wanted to scream. They had this great rapport when she was Tatsumi, but once the big reveal happened it evaporated. She wanted to be valued for herself and not what other people perceived. Her hand was clenched into a fist over her heart as thoughts gradually spun back towards present day.

Taylor valued everything that she had seen of Cocona. The experience, the skill, but she also saw her as a person. She had almost put Taylor on a pedestal. Almost committed the same act that she had railed against. She almost didn't see the real Taylor.

Taylor. Aria. Two names for one person. The people of this world that were granted powers kept their civilian and other lives separate. It was no different where she came from really. Soldiers liked to keep the service out of their ordinary lives as well. She was the full package of caring, compassionate, and strong-willed. No matter what it was she gave it her all. She valued everything and everyone in her life. When Taylor looked at a person there was no doubt she was speaking to them. Her fist clenched tighter as her thoughts slowly came to rest. She was trying to talk herself into something that had already been decided. Emotionally she already knew, but it took until now to get there mentally.

"I like Taylor." Saying into the stillness of the evening was freeing. Admitting it out loud made her feel better. Whether Taylor felt the same way or not didn't matter. She would still give it a try and see what happened. Cocona made it to her feet tiredly, but with a smile on her face. There was just one thing left to do.

She needed to get Lisa's help with this.



AN: Okay so my muse is being crazy, but I managed to give you guys another Interlude. I haven't forgotten this story of course.