Chapter 3: Dolls, dogs, and roadkill.
As I walked down the streets of my neighborhood, costume concealed by a thin gray cloak Lisa bought for me shortly after we met, I couldn't help but lose myself in the winter air.
Ever since the pit I only truly felt comfortable outside. After the upgrades Dad installed when I finally returned home, I knew it was the safest place in the Docks, aside from the DWA building. Despite that, whenever I was indoors I couldn't stop shaking. After the first few nights, I took to sleeping on the roof, eventually moving to the balcony once Dad added it to my room. Being inside sent my heart racing, like at any moment I would be back in that dark, bloody place. Expected to kill if I didn't want to die, being thrust onto that rusty-.
I slapped myself, the sting banishing thoughts of the moment I got my powers. It doesn't matter. I'm safe. I'm a hero, and nothing will ever do that to me ever again! The words came easily, as I brandished them once more against the sick beast of my memories of that disgusting night.
During my introspection I'd meandered out of my neighborhood and now I was approaching the Trainyard. Despite its name, it encompassed far more than just train tracks. At first it was just that, the area where goods arrived to be shipped off, but over years of the Bay's decline more and more neighborhoods started to be considered part of 'the Trainyard.' A similar thing had happened to the Docks. Originally just the physical port and the facilities devoted to providing for it, now the name refers to one of the four main sections of the city: the Docks, the Trainyard, the Boardwalk, and Downtown. While there were many differences, like The Trainyard being the most crime ridden, and Downtown being home to all the wealthy people, the terms truly referred to which group controlled an area. The DWA in the Docks, the E88 Downtown, the PRT on the Boardwalk, and Carian in the Trainyard.
When I crossed into Carian's territory it felt- well, it felt like any other street. I was expecting… I don't really know, maybe some kind of run down, gothic waste where crime and debauchery ran rampant? What I got was just… an ordinary street. The only thing noteworthy would be that it was cleaner than a typical street in the Docks.
A trend which remained even as I went deeper into the heart of Carian's power. It was all so… normal. Like it wasn't controlled by a gang at all. Was Lisa right? Were the members of Carian even villains at all? Sure they fought the PRT, but only when the heroes attacked first. Supposedly they produced drugs, but everyone I saw seemed perfectly sober and polite.
Despite that, I kept my head on a swivel. The place was cleaner than I expected, and the people I ran into seemed okay, but there was one thing that kept my heart thundering in my ears. The entire place was just so… empty.
I had been walking around the Trainyard for almost an hour, but I hadn't seen more than a dozen people. Even with how large the Trainyard was, I expected to find more. Not even the Docks were this devoid of life, except within the Boat Graveyard. Reluctantly, I swallowed my nerves and prepared to ask the next person I found where everyone was.
It was risky, of course. Doing so would mark me as an outsider, and the person I ask could be a gang member. While Carian technically had colors, blue and white, so few members of the gang actually wore them that it was more a formality than a sign of their allegiance. Sometimes you have to take the risk.
When I finally came across another person, I couldn't help but freeze up. He was a hispanic man in what was quite possibly the most flamboyant outfit I had ever seen. Seriously, I don't think I had seen so many rainbows at once, outside of the one time my dad took me to the pride parade when I was six. His shirt was rainbow, his hair was rainbow, his glasses were rainbow, his shorts were rainbow, he even had tattoos of… Wait no, that's a leprechaun.
Why on earth would anyone ever wear that willingly. I barely had any kind of fashion sense but even I knew that there was such a thing as too many colors. This guy crossed the line with the rainbow glasses, and left the ground with the rest of his ensemble.They are pretty cool though.
By the time I recovered from my bluescreen, the man had nearly passed by. "Uh, excuse me, sir?" He stopped about a few feet behind me, his muscles rippling on his neck as he looked over his shoulder.
"Oh! Sorry young lady, guess I was just a bit lost in my thoughts." He turned to face me fully, and in one continuous motion lifted his hat and bowed to me. "My name's Clark, what's yours?" He was clumsy, breath stinking of some drug I couldn't recognize, but he still did his best to be polite. It was sweet, and I couldn't stop a giggle from escaping when he dropped his hat midway through his bow. On an instinct I didn't know I had, I made a stake to catch his hat before it could hit the ground.
Thankfully he didn't react outside momentary surprise, quickly picking up his hat from its perch and smiling at me. He had a nice smile. Sure it wasn't the prettiest, but it was still full of kindness and sincerity. It was so far from my image of a druggie that the whiplash left me stunned for an embarrassing amount of time.
"Eh, hu hmm." I coughed, the awkward moment coating my cheeks with red. Still I had answers to find and I couldn't just run away at the first screw up. "So, um Mr. Clark," He raised a rainbow gloved hand to stop me, shaking his head.
"Just call me Clark. Mr. makes me sound old, you know? I'm only 32, hardly a Mr."
I didn't really get it, but I supposed that didn't matter. It wasn't like I had any reason to not call him by name.
"Judging by your outfit, I assume you're here for cape stuff, right?"
I froze like a deer in headlights. How did he- god damn it. Why did I ever think that a cloak was enough for me to blend in. The hell do I do?! Druggie or not I couldn't just knock him out. Ignoring the fact that he hadn't done anything to warrant something like that, I just didn't have any way to safely put him down. Dad made damn sure I knew how to defend myself after the pit, so I was well aware of how much damage a knockout would do to a person. And I couldn't just trap him like with Alabaster. With how few people were around there was a real chance that he would be left in there for days if he got unlucky. My panic grew and grew as I went through everything I could think of, dismissing each plan as too dangerous to use against a normal. It wasn't until a firm hand landed on my shoulder in a comforting grip that I realized that I was hyperventilating.
Clark had come closer while I had been lost in panic, his face a mix of concern and light humor. "Hey, don't worry young miss, I can tell you're new round here." My breath caught again. He knew I wasn't a Carian cape. Damn, there goes that plan. He frowned, brow scrunching up in confusion before realization passed over it and he snapped his fingers. "Of course! You don't know where it is."
What? Where what is?! My mouth flapped soundlessly. Whatever conclusion he got to, clearly it wasn't that I was an enemy cape as he kept smiling and seemed to be in an even better mood than before. "What are you-?"
"No need to be embarrassed, young miss. Everyone gets lost on their first time." He cut me off, hand releasing my shoulder to wave around. "Come on now, I'll take you to it!" With that he grabbed my hand and started dragging me away, ignoring my spluttered questions until I gave up. Whatever was going on, he was leading me somewhere, and wherever that is might just get me some answers to why this place was so empty.
After about half an hour of walking through backstreets and alleyways, Clark stopped in front of a three story warehouse with flashing lights and some kind of music muffled by the walls. The pulsing lights changed colors in a cycle that I couldn't help but be fascinated by. Red, to blue, to orange, to green, to purple, back to red. Each blending perfectly into the last until they made a cycle of colors which held almost hypnotic beauty.
"Amazing, ain't it?" Clark's voice made me realize just how long I spent staring at the lights. It had to be almost five minutes. A sudden fear bubbled up within me.
"Is it a-"
"Master effect? Nah, just really good lighting." He waved me off, as if he'd been asked that dozens of times already. "Radio's parties are always awesome, but the ones he throws after a successful fight are…" he makes a kissing sound, fingers curling in a motion unfamiliar to me. "The absolute best! Now come on," he grabbed my arm again, and pulled me inside. "Don't just stand out in the cold!"
His sheer enthusiasm brought a smile to my face once again. It was hard to believe this guy lived in gang territory. Clark was just so… happy. Far more so than anyone I had seen at Winslow, far more than anyone that wasn't in my Dad's area of protection. A gang practically ruled this place, but here he was, laughing and smiling in true joy.
The way everything continued to defy expectations set me off balance, like the entire world shattered and I was left floating on a sea of confusion and doubt. Until one word sent waves of ice down my spine.
Radio. He said this was Radio's party. I didn't recognize the name, but it had to refer to a cape. Or a DJ. Could just be a stage name. Jumping to conclusions gets a lot of capes killed, Lisa taught me that. When all it takes is one unlucky hit, any assumption was a massive risk.
Breathing deeply, I felt my heartbeat slowly return to normal and I forced myself to think again.
Okay, if he is a cape then he'll know I'm not a member. No doubt all of Carian's capes knew each other by sight, it would be stupid if they didn't. So what if I-
"Come on young miss! Don't just stand there, have some fun." Clark pushed me forward, and I stumbled, almost falling. Before I could catch my bearings, I was bombarded by ever changing sounds and colors. Crowds of people filled the warehouse, separated by tables covered in food and drink I couldn't recognize.
My inspection halted as a swarm of dancers engulfed me. I was jostled by the countless bodies surrounding me, each person blending together in a rush of music and color. The sea of bodies pressed against me sent my stomach churning. In the chaos, my guts were pushed to their limit. Sweat flung off their bodies and hung in the air, tainting my mouth with salt. Sounds and scents all mixed together into an amalgam of sensations.
After an eternity in that prison of movement, I managed to break free of the crowds and unsteadily made my way to an empty corner. Only, when I arrived, I realized that there was a person already occupying the tiny sanctuary. Thankfully for my stomach, they gestured for me to stay with a pale hand covered in a dark fingerless glove. I couldn't really tell if they were a boy or girl, as almost their entire body was covered in dark, baggy clothing. Hoodie, sweatpants, and gloves made up their entire appearance, a look I more than understood from my time at Winslow. The kind of outfit you wear when all you want is to be overlooked.
The figure gave me a disinterested once over before their eyes returned to the device half hidden in their hands. I leaned against the wall, just as content to avoid conversation. Now that I finally had a moment to breathe, my eyes roamed the area, examining the warehouse without the weight of that hellish crowd pressing in on me.
First thing that stood out to me was just how large the place was. Clark had pushed me before I could really take it in, but now seeing the dozens of entirely distinct crowds easily fitting within left me speechless. It had to be nearly twice as large as a regular warehouse, split into sections by towers of boxes, tables, and broken down trucks.
The groups were spread out, with large gaps between each crowd occupied by the pillars holding up the upper floors. The columns of concrete were covered in layers of blue padding, and the why was made obvious as I witnessed one particularly intoxicated woman walk right into them while making her way to one of the many buffets.
However, the one place where everyone grouped together far closer was the central area right in front of the doorway. The largest chunk of the building; Carian's dance floor was filled with people.
The roiling mass of people held dozens of smaller clusters. All constantly moving, like schools of fish in an ocean of noise and smells. Just the thought of it sent shivers down my spine. My deep breaths must have drawn the attention of my partner in the corner, as they tilted their head before returning to their screen.
This is stupid. I slapped my face and looked closer at the smaller enclosures. Unlike the dance floor these were each inhabited by only a single group, all taking part in one activity or another.
Between two trucks there was a group of people from some European country, maybe France? They were taking turns hitting what I think was a bong, if I remembered Lisa's lessons right. Across the room, a group of Japanese and Korean people were playing some kind of card game in a loose circle. Similar areas filled all sides of the warehouse, sections where people ate, played games, or simply just relaxed away from the chaos of the dance floor.
Along the opposite wall I spotted a staircase to the upper floors, blocked off by two figures clad in blue and white. One obviously female, her massive chest bouncing along with the music in a very distracting manner. The other a muscular goblin of a person, ripped body straining against their blue t-shirt that had no place being worn in winter.
My inspection of the warehouse was brought to a stop when a gut-wrenching noise dragged my eyes to a stage I originally overlooked. A simple thing, formed of boxes covered in some kind of glossy material, all grouped together to make a platform about a yard off the ground. On it were a pair of pitch black speakers that blended almost perfectly into the wall behind it. Further observation was cut off by a figure striding onto the stage.
While his clothes were civilian, composed of a casual white hoodie and jeans, the helmet half-covering his face made his status as a Carian cape obvious. With his hoodie sporting a simplified radio tower, it was obvious who he was.
He started to talk, and despite the distance and echo mangling his words I had a pretty good idea what his speech was about: Carian's attack on the Merchants. It was the only thing that would matter to the gang, the only thing worth celebrating recently. His wild gestures and almost manic grin didn't exactly give me the best first impression of the Carian cape. All the exaggerated flailing formed the image of a cocky, self centered airhead. A stereotypical villain right out of a comic book.
Whatever speech he was giving didn't last long, and soon he had taken over the stage, singing a tune I had never heard of before. I'd give him one thing, he was a pretty good singer. Then again, it wasn't like I listened to music all that often anymore. I turned away; with how invested in singing Radio was, I doubted he was going anywhere anytime soon.
Don't think I'm gonna learn anything else, coming to this place was stupid anyway. As I searched for an exit, my eyes landed on the figure who until now had completely slipped my mind. They had taken off their hood, revealing an androgynous face with dark rings of exhaustion encircling their eyes. Black curly hair framed their face, bringing out the pale blue of their eyes. For some strange reason I couldn't stop myself from moving closer, and after a few awkward seconds they lifted their right hand from their lap and offered to shake.
Using my handshake, they pulled themselves to their feet, offering me a tired smile, and waving with their free hand. "Never seen you round here before." The voice was clearly a boy's, not just in how it sounded, but how he talked as well. "Name's Alec, nice to meet you." Alec's pale eyes sparkled with mischief, though it was dulled by a haze of exhaustion and stress.
"I'm Ta- I mean…" I paused, racking my brain to think of something. Really wish I listened to Lisa right now. But luckily a thought came to mind before the moment became any more awkward. "I'm Lanius." It wasn't bad, for a name I pulled from my ass. Certainly better than the horror stories Lisa told me about names the PRT gave to independents.
If my stutter confused Alec he didn't show it, simply giving my hand a quick shake before releasing it and turning. About a yard away from our hideaway, a door was camouflaged into the wall. Giving me a quick smirk, he pushed it open before gesturing me onward with a sarcastic. "M-lady"
Giggles leaked from my mouth as I stepped out into the open air, once more greeted by the welcome winter cold. Alec closed the door with a loud clang of metal striking metal as I gratefully basked in the wondrous chill. After my lungs were properly cleansed of the party's air, my attention returned to the smirking face of my black haired companion.
"Gotta say, didn't take you for the outdoorsy type." Heat sprouted in my face, and I whipped my head away to hide my blush, though judging by his laughter I was far from successful. His chuckles went on for a bit, but eventually he calmed down. "Hey Lanius."
I turned back, my body tense from how different his tone was. "Yes?" Scanning his body once again, I didn't see anything different. No weapon, no fighting stance, nothing. But his sudden shift made it impossible to lower my guard.
He sighed, black hair swinging left and right as he shook his head. "Sorry, used my work voice there." A small smile twisted his lips upwards before his stoic persona returned. "I have a few questions I want to ask. Maybe we should go somewhere else? There's a building a bit away, got a fire escape we could climb to get onto the roof."
Ice filled my veins. He knew. But what could I do about it?
Even if I attacked him, there were too many people around. And Radio was still inside, he would hear and be out in seconds! Fuck, fuck, fuck. I did it again, let my guard down and got kicked in the gut for it! Fighting to keep the panic off my face, I only nodded. I had to go along with him for now, it was my only option. Running wouldn't work, there were too many people. I couldn't fight either, for obvious reasons. All I could do was follow and hope that wherever he brought me I would have more options.
Dread bubbled in my chest as he led me away from Radio's party. As we walked, the streets grew less and less crowded, just like they had been when I first entered the Trainyard. But it was still too early to do anything, with my luck Radio would be a mover and somehow would know if I attacked Alec. The first thing Lisa drilled into my head was the importance of never fighting unless I knew my opponent. Over and over again she told me how a cape's career, and often life, were cut short because they picked a fight and got surprised by their opponent.
When we finally arrived at the building Alec had talked about, my heart was beating so fast I was convinced it was audible. The building was a decrepit old thing, an apartment complex that was abandoned long ago. Walls that once must have been a vibrant forest green were now faded and cracked. The fire escape Alec mentioned was so coated in rust I didn't trust it to hold a penny, much less a person. Despite the horrendous appearance, the black-haired ganger fearlessly stepped onto the creaking metal steps, quickly making his way to the roof before looking back down at me.
"Well? Are you coming?" His carefree voice stirred a fire in my blood. Who cared if I was at a disadvantage? Who cared if this was reckless or stupid? I would not be looked down on by anyone, let alone some random ganger! Drawing on the indignation coursing through my veins, I completely ignored the pitiful metal stairs. I used my power to grow steps right out of the wall, retracting them back once I moved to the next. I rose to glare at the source of my displeasure, who had the audacity to smirk at me.
Despite being exposed to my anger, the boy showed no sign of fear or hesitation, simply smiling and pointing to the opposite side of the roof. After shooting him one last irritated look I turned to see what the ass wanted to show me. Breath caught in my throat, blood drained from my face as I realized who I now looked at. Cursing my foolishness, I almost missed the boy's departure. At this point he was far from my greatest concern, however, as before me were the two most famous Carian capes. The duo who had never been seen apart after they joined. The only two capes that had actual, reliable information on them, despite one of them only being in the gang for mere months. Together they fought back Stormtiger, Cricket, and Krieg. It was one of the few times Carian actually fought head on, and the pair behind it was right in front of me.
Parian and Bitch.
I had no time to create a field of any significant size, so I settled with the single spear I could form before they turned from their inspection of the street below. My muscles tensed in preparation for an attack by the pair, but it did not come.
Parian's blue gothic dress was eerily still despite the winter breeze. The very picture of serene calm, a mask of a pale white doll concealing her face perfectly. At first glance her hair appeared to be a beautiful platinum blonde, but with my enhanced sight the locks were clearly artificial. A rose of white cloth rested at her throat, each fold lined with a blue so pale any normal person would struggle to see it at all. Her entire outfit was full of details like that. clearly the doll cape hadn't abandoned her roots as a fashion designer.
Her partner was the exact opposite. For all that Radio's costume was lackluster, it was leagues better than this. The only thing that marked Bitch as a cape at all was the dog mask; everything else was just completely mundane civilian wear. Well, that and the monstrous dog laying at her feet.
The creature had to be at least as large as its master, and while it had yet to move from its position at Bitch's feet, the muscles straining beneath its thin fur showed it was ready to strike in a heartbeat. With its razor sharp claws, needle teeth peeking out from its lips, and armor of bone I didn't fancy my chances. If I just had more time. But there was no point in complaining, this was my hand and I would just have to deal with it best I could.
The cool stone of my spear soothed my frayed nerves, its weight a promise. No matter what the pair before me did, I wasn't helpless, not anymore. With my newfound calm, I examined our arena. The roof beneath us groaned with our combined weight, perhaps I could bring it down? But what if there were people underneath us? The area was far too small for me to really use my mobility, but the same applied to Bitch's dog. And with how unstable the place was, she couldn't grow it to the larger form she used against the Empire.
Unless she doesn't care. I wanted to think Parian was better than that, that she would hold Bitch back, but I simply didn't know.
This entire time the capes had just been staring at me, not moving an inch, until Parian sighed and brought a hand to her face in obvious annoyance. "Damn it Alec," her wig swayed with her shaking head. "Always piling work onto the rest of us." Her eyes peered between her splayed fingers. Acorn pools pierced into me, as if I was a frog she was about to dissect. Those cold brown orbs held no trace of concern, anger, or even arrogance. They were utterly empty of all emotion, like I wasn't worth the energy to feel. The gaze of someone about to take care of a trivial chore; something so mundane that even the annoyance born from repetition faded into an overwhelming sense of boredom.
Her presence was overwhelming; soon my eyes were only able to focus on the expressionless mask of the former rogue. The empty void of her eyes dragged me in, forcing me to only see her. As if everything else ceased to exist before her, like the entire world had disappointed her and all of that ire was now on my head. In the background I could hear a strange buzzing noise but I couldn't look away from the abyss of her eyes. It stretched ever deeper, seeking to swallow everything I had in one fell swoop. All consuming, all enveloping the pit went on and on and-
The sudden wet chill pressing into my hand sent me leaping back, creating three small stakes to lash out at my attacker on instinct. As my senses returned I realized what had happened, while I had been focused on Parian, Bitch's dog snuck near me. It must have been trying to get a better angle to attack; thank god I snapped out of it in time.
"You fucker!" the older girl cried, making some kind of hand signal to the dog. I didn't have much time to wonder before the beast slammed into me. It was surprisingly light, but the impact still sent me stumbling. Soon my arms were covered in scratches by its sharp claws, my leather being gouged away as the beast raged. Leaping backward for distance, three stakes slammed into the dog with enough force to shatter the stone forming them. It shouldn't have done more than stagger it, yet the hulking form was sent flying to the end of the roof. How-?
Thought was cut off however, as it was back on me in an instant. Each time we clashed the roof beneath us cracked more and more, small fractures transforming into gaping fissures that forced me to constantly change position. Each time it would charge, and each time I would have to block, cracking the concrete below. With my footing ruined I would be forced to flee to a new section of roof, where the cycle started anew. Our dance went on like this, neither of us able to land any meaningful blow to the other. But it was anything but a draw, as I was quickly running out of space to move. If I didn't do something soon I would be cornered and fall. I absent-mindedly noted the cold way I perceived my peril, as if I was an observer instead of the one fighting. It was disturbing, the way I could see how everything would turn out with not the slightest doubt.
But now wasn't the time for introspection, for I had to change the game. I can't lose, I can't, I can't, I-
Once more, the warm body of Bitch's monster slammed into me. However, this time I didn't leap back, instead I formed tiny stakes to enforce my footing. With how strangely light the creature was, combined with the greater leverage my new position granted me I managed to lift the beast into the air. Each second sent a burn through my muscles like the flames of Behemoth himself, trying to scorch my grip away in the agony of effort. But I kept on, lifting the hulking form of the monster over my head and hurling it into the rusted block that was once an air conditioning unit. The husk caved in with a metallic crunch, no way the beast was down for the count but It gave me a chance to do what Lisa had drilled into me over months of training.
Listen, while the specifics change all the time, there are a few strategies that apply to all parahumans of a certain type. Never let a thinker talk, never let a tinker plan, never let a brute recover. So on and so forth, but a lot of those just boil down to keep on the offensive and don't monologue like a cartoon. However with masters it's a bit more complicated. Sure, obviously you want to separate them from their minions, take them out first blah blah blah. But there's a problem with that, going after the master means leaving yourself open to the minion. So it's not enough to just separate them, you have to do so while not getting them so far apart that the creature can recover before you take down the master. It's part of what makes masters such a pain, but with your speed…
With that in mind I rocketed towards Bitch, three stakes erupting from the roof to block her escape. My spear pulled back back as I prepared to slam it into her stomach like a club when-
The roof gave way.
My head spun as I fell, my spear torn from my hand by a segment of rubble striking its shaft. How?! I should have had more time, the cracks shouldn't have grown large enough yet, so why?! A cold stone rod stuck my face, making me clench my eyes before I grabbed it. One of the stakes I used to pin Bitch. My face contorted as the realization struck me. Damn it! I was so caught up in my offensive that I used too much stone, this entire collapse was my fault! There was no time to wallow in lament, as I needed to break my fall. I pushed off my platform, leaping from segment to segment until I could get a good look at the rubble strewn street below. My fault.
I banished those thoughts and leapt down to the largest open area. Stone chunks still littered the ground, with more falling from the sky by the second, but it was clean enough for me to land without losing my balance. Immediate crisis dealt with; I turned back to the building. Bitch had been caught by her dog, and Parian was somehow floating like a feather.
However there was no time to wonder about the strange event, as once Bitch landed on the ground her dog shot towards me. Somehow it was even faster than before; weaving through the rubble; using the fallen rocks to obscure my sight as it drew close. My head whipped around as I did everything in my power to not lose sight of the mutant dog, but it was all for naught as it managed to ambush me from behind. Somehow it had gotten me turned away from it, and that single moment of distraction was more than enough for it to pounce on me.
Before the weight had been minor, enough to wind me but not much else. However the beast somehow became far heavier since our fall, pinning me down beneath its mass with its front claw on my heart and fangs at my neck. How?! I was faster than it before. How did it change this much?! Its hot breath did NOT help me think, as each time my brain started to rebalance itself the moist air washing over me set me back to step one. Slowly but surely, however, my mind worked it out. Bitch could enhance her dogs, that was common knowledge, but with as close of a look as I was now getting one thing became painfully clear. The form I saw and read about on PHO, the form that had fought off the E88 and the Protectorate again and again, was NOT the same form that pinned me down. I didn't know of any master that could change their minions forms into more than one type, all the one's I knew about were limited to only one type of minion.
But now that I thought about it, Bitch gave hand signals to her dog, a master wouldn't need that. A thrill rushed through me as I realized something that should have been obvious from the start. She's not a master, she's a trump! Of course she could give her dogs more than one form, all the power lending trumps had at least three powers that I knew about.
Damn it. I should have listened to Lisa. She had warned me over and over again of the risk of fighting when you didn't know their power, but I ignored it like a fucking idiot. Assumptions get capes killed.
"That's enough Bitch." A stern voice shattered the realm of isolated thought I had trapped my mind in. With the little movement I had I could just barely make out Parian striding over to her hulking partner. Despite her expressionless mask I could practically feel the sheer irritation radiating off her, somehow the slim form of the doll cape was far more terrifying than the monster dog pinning me. "Let her up."
"Pari, she attacked Brutus. She's an enemy!" The cape growled, and if the situation was different it would almost be funny that she was more doglike than even the creature trapping me. Brutus, I guess.
The sigh that ripped through Parian seemed to echo in the street, a solemn song of annoyance and exhaustion. "Bitch, she was panicking. Alec must have brought her to us without explaining anything. Like he did with Dilate. And Circus. And Spitfire. And every other person he attempts to recruit. Believe me darling, this is not the first time that lazy prick has gotten me into a fight and it won't be the last. Now let her up and let's talk like civilized people, okay?" She draped a slender arm over Bitch's shoulder comfortingly.
After a moment of hesitation Bitch whistled, "Brutus, here!" Immediately the dog leapt off me and padded over to its master. Once it was there it reclaimed its original place lying at her feet. While Bitch immediately set to stroking and scratching Brutus, Parian walked over to me.
I reluctantly took her offered hand; despite my feelings it was obvious they weren't looking for a fight. They'd have just left the dog on top of me if they were. So all I could reasonably do was hear them out.
"Now then," the doll cape began, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Impaler."
Only nine words into our conversation and I was already bluescreening. "Th-that's not my name." I felt heat in my face as she looked at me, how does a blank face look more feminine than me?
As I was lost in my head, the doll cape merely shook her head in… pity? "I guess you haven't seen it then." She sighed, damn she did that a lot, before offering me her cell phone. I wanted to push it away, I wanted to have nothing to do with phones, but Lisa's training once again took hold. When you don't have to fight, don't start one. I couldn't beat Bitch by herself, no way in hell could I beat them both at once.
So reluctantly I took the phone, holding it like a bomb that could go off at any moment. I must have looked ridiculous. Heat filled my face, and I probably resembled a tomato at this point. But all thoughts of my embarrassment were driven from my mind by what I saw on that screen.
A PHO post by Bagrat, a well respected source of cape news.
♦ Topic: New cape in the bay.
In: Boards ► Places ► America ► Brockton Bay
Bagrat (original poster) (the guy in the know)
Posted January 13th, 2011
Once again, a new parahuman has emerged in the Bay. First sighted wandering the Docks, the cape, designated Impaler by the PRT, soon attacked a E88 party and fought with Alabaster. While there is a good chance that this new parahuman is a hero or at worst a vigilante, evidence found at the scene has raised concerns within the PRT that this might be the action of a new villain seeking to set up their foothold.
While the PRT is remaining alert for any possible threat from Impaler, they have not yet declared her a villain or hero. According to my sources they don't want to risk forcing another parahuman into the arms of Carian like the former assistant director Davidson did to Parian.
WHAT. THE. FUCK.
AN:
If anyone is actually reading this at all, sorry this took so long. Editing the draft was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Anyway, enjoy chapter 3 of AoM. Next up is a PRT/Protectorate interlude to explain what the cliffhanger is all about. Not sure how long it'll take me, as its gonna be in third person instead of my usual first person. But it will be coming eventually.