Salt Pile 6.2
As Flare and Mouse Protector bickered over the line, since the former didn't want to leave the latter alone until- I didn't really care right now. Medical scan let me line the head up so that the serum could put her back together. It was just a matter of making sure everything lined up, and with a half dozen limbs devoted to the task I had the matter well in hand.
Around me, I was vaguely aware of the crowd of people on their cell phones. I wasn't sure how many had called 911, but at least two I'd seen on the way in were filming. So, yeah, Glenn was going to have a field day with this. Most of the crowd, though, was caught up with watching me try to put a murdered teenager back together.
Alright, the head was attached, but I couldn't kick-start the vitals just yet. Scans were saying that a revival wouldn't be sustainable yet, which meant she'd die again within a minute of my bringing her back. Blood pressure, maybe? Yeah, judging by the pool of red I'd say blood pressure. Setting Co-Op's body down, I pulled an injector head out of my utility belt and began switching a claw off a tendril with the other three while my hands removed a half-empty serum vial from one of my gauntlets.
One of the civilians deduced that that was the best time to strike up a conversation. "What're you doing?"
Catch the falling claw, insert half-full vial into injector. "Prepping to inject healing serum directly into her bloodstream. Her blood pressure's too low for revival at the moment."
"But..." Attach injector, put claw in belt, pull out fresh vial of healing serum. No need to leave a dragon gauntlet's healing slot vacant if I could help it. "She got her head cut off."
"Really?" Calibrate injector... the four tendrils were enough to start making injections while my hands loaded the gauntlet. I was fairly confident that half a vial, on top of what I'd sprayed her with, would be enough to get her conscious again. "It looks pretty firmly attached now."
"Because you put it back on!"
"You're new to the whole 'tinkers are bullshit' paradigm, aren't you?" Echo was showing the vitals were kicking in again, and I cradled Co-Op's head as she started to come to. I zoned out the old lady somewhere behind giving Jesus the credit for all my hard work as I focused on the patient. "Hey, there, duckling. Lay back for a moment. Even with the serum injections, your blood pressure's going to be low. Anything hurt?"
Co-Op coughed a few times, sending drops of red, black, and a mix thereof into the air. "My... neck. It's a bit sore. Goes deep. What... happened?"
"Nervous and memory checks first." During Endbringer fights, I usually delegated this stuff to the doctors that volunteered, mainly because something might come up to send me into tinker mode. "I'm going to touch a fingertip outside your peripheral vision while you tell me your most recent memories. When I touch one, you say which finger and which side. Any questions before we start?"
"Are Mouse Protector and Flare alright?"
Ah... maybe I shouldn't zone everyone out. I reached for Co-Op's ear and tapped her earpiece. "Ask them yourself."
Co-Op nodded, started to pull herself upright, but quickly fell back against the hand holding her up. Hopefully that was because the blood loss had made her lightheaded. "Hello?"
"Co-Op!" "Duckling!" The voices of Flare and Mouse Protector were soon followed by those of other heroes who'd been demonstrating proper communication discipline up until now. It was incoherent, but the sentiment could be understood well enough. It was making Co-Op's cheeks turn brown under her mask from blushing.
Wait... ah, the serum in her bloodstream. Still on death's door.
Now seemed like a good time to insert myself into the conversation. "AHEM! Now that we've confirmed that everyone's alive, can I get back to making sure that Co-Op isn't going to need corrective surgery at any point in the near future? I've never treated a decapitation with this clean of a cut before."
While Leviathan wasn't exactly notorious for clean cuts, the precision that Co-Op's killer had demonstrated was cause for concern. Theoretically Breach could've pulled it off, but she was accounted for thanks to the chase. Maybe Mayhem, but there would've been additional injuries inflicted, along with enough debris to incriminate him from casual observation.
It was a question for after I finished attending to Co-Op. After getting affirmative noises from the Protectorate capes, I turned my focus to Co-Op. "Now, tell me what you remember, and which fingertips I'm touching."
Co-Op nodded. "Left index fiugh. Left index. We were chasing Breach after we saw her - right pinky - setting up a sniper rifle. PRT should be analyzing - left ring - the nest to figure out the target. The chase... right thumb. The chase is furgh! Harder to remember. I remember turning back - left middle - to meet with you, though. Did you say I got decaugh. Ow."
"No, I said you got decapitated. I put you back together, though, so it's nothing to lose your head over." That earned me a glare. Probably a couple from the civilians, too, although I did hear a snicker out of one of them. It might have been Mouse Protector on the line, though. Senses in Co-Op's fingertips seemed to be fine, at least, and that was the priority. "Can you wiggle your toes?"
"I think? Ugh. Yeah. I can feel them wiggling. Just lightheaded with a sore throat."
I nodded and shot her in the neck. Since the dragon gauntlets were still on the healing serum, the black formula jetted out and painted a thick black line across where a cut had gone through her jumpsuit. It was one of my enhanced leathers, and from the way the material was arced it looked like the attack came from behind. Shame she wouldn't be able to remember which direction she was facing when it happened. Witness testimonies somehow turned consistently inconsistent when parahumans were involved.
Co-Op flinched, but relaxed as she realized what I did. "Seriously?"
"Serious is a relative concept. Now, come here." I slid my lower pair of tendrils under her, lifting her enough that I could get my arms into position. I suspected that supporting her weight with a pair of meat cables wouldn't go over well. "I know you're going to have trouble standing upright, so it's a... either a fireman's carry or a bridal carry until a PRT van shows up. Whichever this is."
Co-Op nodded and reached up to her earpiece. "Co-Op here. Requesting a transport for medical pickup. Also, somebody should let PR know that there'll be videos of Fossil bringing me back from the dead online sooner or later."
"Mine's already posted!"
"Correction: At least one is already online."
She was using the same communication channel I'd been given access to, so I was able to hear the response on the other end. "Transportation is already on the way, Co-Op, but I'm sure PR will appreciate the head's up."
Co-Op and I exchanged looks, neither of us commenting on the phrasing. Before the PRT officer could continue, I cut in. "I'll keep an eye on her in the meantime, maintain a barrier screen. How are things with Mouse Protector and Flare?"
"Fear not, my misunderstood mallard!" I looked to Co-Op for sympathy. The Ward, weary as she was, simply held up her hands defensively. "Flare has convinced me that the capture of Breach wasn't as important as ensuring the welfare of the team as a whole. We'll be arriving in less than a minute."
Alright, that just left figuring out who attacked Co-Op, and why. As Co-Op chatted with her team as best she could manage, I turned my attention to forensics. Judging by the direction of the blood splatter, it looked as though the attack had come from the south... the witnesses must have come from the auto shops, while the angle of the attack suggested it came from the treeline. But there was a steep downhill, so the attack would have either needed to be in a tree or airborne in order to overcome the crest of the hill, especially with a cut as straight as what had killed Co-Op. Either could be done stealthily with preparation, but still...
My right calf muscle tensed, and I found myself tightening the barrier screen. This area was too open if there was a blaster/stranger threat in town. I tapped into the conversation. "Mouse, Flare, be advised that Co-Op's attacker may still be in the area. Initial forensic assessment suggests a blaster/stranger threat, minimum 5 and 3, respectively."
Flesh and tights swelled out of Co-Op's forehead, and the Mouse was in the house. She had her fencing baton out at the ready, and struck a pose as she landed back to back with me. How- ah, Co-Op had used her power on me. "Thanks for the tip, Fossil, but it'll take more than some blaster to get the drop on me."
Then, through Co-Op's eyes, I saw a circle of light cut away the ground beneath the Mouse's feet in favor of what looked like an unfinished basement. She fell, and despite my reaching for her with my tendrils I failed to get a grip on her before she was through and the portal shut behind her.
Comms. "Fuck! Mouse, are you still in range?"
"Not of any of my marks, but... ugh. Air tastes funny in here. Gonna look for an eggs... a way out."
Shit shit shit! This could not-
Something landed on the roof of my barrier screen with a thunderous noise, and I looked up to see a man in biker leathers with a bandanna mask. He smiled down at me, tapping the barrier beneath him and sending off ripples of small sonic blasts with each touch. "Well, well. I was expecting Flare would be the one to join Co-Op there for the start of the slaughter."
