I picked my cape name after the name of one of my designs. The strongest bomber I had was fast, powerful, and came with a stealth system. In many ways, it stood for what I wanted to be as a cape. Having the power to change the world for the better, the freedom to make my own choices, and to never, ever, let my enemies find me.
One part of that was that I need a way to speak to others without revealing my identity. Getting some open-source text-to-speech software wasn't too difficult, and improving it so it would automatically create new words on the fly hadn't been too difficult with my newfound skills in writing software. When people would hear the voice of Revenant, they'd actually be listening to a voice modulator creating a blend of different people. Considering what I'd done with it though, my voice changer was a bit of an inside joke for me now.
There were plenty of videos available of public speakers, so after hacking into a few unprotected wireless networks I'd gone shopping for good sound bites the past few days. The last five presidents. Several actors and sportsmen. The newsreader and weatherman from BBTV. Having a male voice would add another level of deception.
Adding Armsmaster to the voice mix might have been a bit petty, though.
Testing. Testing. My name is Kaiser and I like Sesame Street.
"Testing. Testing. My name is Kaiser and I like Sesame Street."
All right. Voice synthesizer works like a charm, time to start my vigilante career. Brockton Bay will learn that crime doesn't pay no matter who you work for, that there's nowhere they can't be found. They will learn to fear my name... eventually.
I fidgeted a bit. I might have plenty of big plans, but if this went wrong...
"Dad? I'm making the call now, wish me luck!"
<...>
<...>
<...>
"Pelham residence, this is Sarah speaking."
"Good evening, Lady Photon, my name is Revenant. I'm a new independent hero and I was wondering if you had the time to discuss some things..."Arc 1 Final interlude:
The Unmourned Dream
Sarah Pelham is a woman who's been in charge of the New Wave Initiative for several years. She's a mother of two teenagers with superpowers. She's a local celebrity. Being composed and in control of any situation she found herself in is pretty much required for any part of her life.
Answering the home phone had come with a certain expectation, that overenthusiastic fans, reporters or pranksters would be the one to call. Consequently, almost no-one of importance used their home phone any more. Anything that was important but not urgent went by regular mail or email, and if it was actually important and cape-related they would get the call on their PRT-issued work phone.
Few capes cared about New Wave's cause any more, and most who wanted to be a hero joined the Protectorate or Wards. No-one had asked about joining New Wave since Fleur's death. If anything, New Wave had only lost momentum. The children, both the Pelhams and Dallons, had made the team bigger but hadn't truly brought back the spirit of the team. Nowadays, they would patrol from time to time or provide support to the Protectorate if Lung or the Empire became too violent or dangerous. Answering the phone only to find herself ear-to-ear with what appeared to be a new hero who was looking to partner up had been a new experience, and quite unexpected.
"A new cape wants our help to take down a Merchant drug house."
Neil looked up from the book he was holding and peered back at her over the couch. "Come again? Something about Merchants?"
"Sorry dear, I didn't realize you were that engrossed in your story. The phone call I just answered was from a new cape, an independent hero who's tracked down a Merchant stockpile of drugs. He asked me if our team can help arrest them."
"Really? Sounds like it could be interesting, but I don't see how he needs us if there's nothing special there. Pretty sure the PRT or BBPD will beat us there anyway, the team doesn't work nine to five like they do."
Sarah walked back over to the couch and picked up her glass of wine. "That's the thing, he didn't contact the authorities, he only called us. Apparently, he thinks New Wave's focus on accountability means he can trust us but not the PRT."
"Hmmmm. A bit odd, but in some ways that's why we started the movement. It's good to hear someone else who values transparency. Uhhh, did they just ask for help or are they interested in joining the group itself? Come to think of it, what are his powers, anyway? Not everyone has flight, lasers and shields, after all."
His rumbling laugh shook the couch and she twisted over and punched him lightly on his shoulder.
"You wish. I asked about his powers but he wouldn't say until he believed we could keep it a secret. Based on the name, I'd guess they're a Stranger of some sort. Maybe he's cautious because his powers work that way? As for recruiting, that kind of decision needs to be made by the team as a whole. Considering he doesn't seem to trust the more conventional heroes it might be possible, but I don't know if he would be a good fit for the team, or even if we're going to accept any new members at all. He didn't even give a phone number, said he would call back in two days instead to hear what we're going to do. "
"Hmm, maybe not the best fit with the rest of us, then, even if they might be interested in joining. Stranger makes sense though, on his own he might not have the power or resources to take down an entrenched group like the Merchants. You think we should take him up on it?"
"I'm not sure. New Wave has always been about protecting innocents, not about taking the fight to the gangs. It could be risky."
Neil got up and put his book away before walking out to the sliding door and staring out at the garden. Small sparks lit up as he scratched his chin, but he didn't immediately answer. Most people assumed brutes like Manpower were nothing but that, brutes, but Neil's pensive nature was one of the reasons Sarah had married him in the first place. Better to let him work through his thoughts for a little while.
She turned back towards the TV, but the commercials that were on when the phone rang had ended a while ago. Muting the TV because she expected only a short call had meant she couldn't hear when the program started back up, and she'd missed a sizeable chunk of the soap she had been watching. Turning it off, she was just in time for Neil to get back.
"Something sounds off about all this, now that I actually think about it. Someone calls us out of the blue because we're heroes and we can help, but they won't share their powers despite claiming to be a hero. Might be someone who's cautious but genuine, regardless of how they feel about the PRT. Might also be someone who's putting more effort into pranking than usual. It could even be the Merchants trying to kidnap one of us, or another group like the Empire hoping they can have us do their dirty work."
"You're thinking it's a trap?"
"No, I think we should check it out, give the new guy at least the benefit of the doubt. Maybe set some limits, make sure he knows we'll do what he says but only within reason. I just mean we shouldn't take risks and go in this with our eyes open."
"All right. Carol and Mark should be home right now, I'll call them and see if we can figure out where to go from here. Maybe she or the girls will have any insight on what to make of all this."
=======================================================================
The next evening found her flying high above the docks, wearing a dark coat and jeans instead of her typical starburst costume. A warm winter hat and gloves completed the outfit and served to both keep her warm in the late March chill and further reduce her visibility from the streets below. She was usually a lot more visible as Lady Photon, but without the white bodysuit nobody should notice her as long as she kept her shields down. Armed with a pair of binoculars bought on a holiday way back when, she was trying to check if the given address was indeed a Merchant den... or something more sinister.
"Ugh, why didn't you tell me stakeouts were this boring?"
The stealthiness part of the stakeout had of course taken an immediate dive when discussing the tip with the Dallons had resulted in Glory Girl being out as her usual enthusiastic crime-busting self alongside her. She'd at least had the common sense to grab a coat as well, instead of just coming out in her costume. The two would just have to keep their distance and stay high up to make sure they weren't spotted.
"I know you like to keep your patrols simple, but please learn to have some patience as well, Victoria. For some crime, rushing in and punching everyone is not the best solution, or even a good one."
"Ugh, I get that enough from Amy and mom. Are you starting it as well now? I just wish I brought something to do, I'm freezing up here. When Carol said you were going to check out a Merchant stash I was expecting more action than this. I was about to call Dean if I could drop by this evening and instead I'm standing around watching some junkies while I could be down there doing what I do best!"
Sarah sighed to herself. Victoria was a remarkably intelligent young woman, yet her powers had made it so easy for her to always take the easy approach. Maybe it would be a good idea to get the two families together again for some sparring and exercises. Some more discipline and creativity with everyone's powers would be useful in the field, and maybe they could convince Victoria to learn how to fight beyond the classical 'Vicky smash!' routine. She'd have to remember to ask Neil about it, as the only other person on the team with super strength maybe he would have some pointers for her.
"If we go in there now, it's just the two of us. Not only that, but it would be very disrespectful to Revenant as well. He was the one to give us the information, if would not be in good taste if we then rush in on our own before even telling him we'll help."
"Myeah, that does make sense. I'm still cold though, can we move soon? My coat wasn't made for standing in the wind a hundred yards up in the air."
"Ah yes, the diabolical price of teen fashion. If our new hero's information is correct, I haven't seen everyone down there yet. I'd like to make sure, so it might take a little while longer. If you're really so troubled by the cold, you can go buy some coffee to warm up if you like. I'm sure there are still some cafés open around this time. Oh, could you be a dear and bring me a hot chocolate as well? We'll just return the cups before we go home."
"Sure, I'll fly for a bit first so I can find a place somewhere further away and nobody knows we're here. Oh, maybe they've got some of those mini-marshmallows for your hot chocolate, too! Be back in a bit!"
Sarah watched the girl race away into the night. Vicky was always enthusiastic about their heroics, but she did get bored easily. Having something to do would help and, like much of New Wave, flight was one of the things that could always cheer the teenager up. There was just nothing else like it.
Turning back to the storehouse down the street, she slowly circled around to check it from yet another direction. Wiping off the fog that had settled on the binoculars, she went back to observing the handful of people inside.
Revenant said there were five guys here, maybe six, so there should be at least one more guy around. So where are you hiding...?
=======================================================================
The Pelham residence, 19:52.
"So the information was genuine then?"
The house was filled to the brim with the seven of the eight members of New Wave. Amy was still volunteering at the hospital, and the girl hadn't wanted to cancel the planned visit because the hospital had some critical patients lined up for her. She wouldn't be back in time before Revenant's call, but the others had made sure she knew about what was going on.
"As far as I can tell, yes. We couldn't see all the guards because we didn't want to draw their attention, but everything we've seen matches the information we were given. We won't know just what their stockpile is until we get there, but I'd say we go for it."
Victoria joined in on the discussion, she'd been getting more and more restless all evening waiting for the call. The new cape definitely had one supporter among the team, if her enthusiasm was anything to go by.
"It's great, if this guy tells us where to find the bad guys, we can do so much more! When I go patrolling there's always so little to do, and I have to be lucky to see any crime. Having actual information on the gangs means we can go to them instead of letting them come to us. New Wave could be a real power again!"
"Sounds like he's made one friend already then. Hey, why not bet on his powers before he calls? Five bucks says he's a Stranger. Gotta be, with a name like that. Maybe a bit of Mover too, like Shadow Stalker."
Half the gathered capes face-palmed at the teenager's antics even as Eric himself didn't even look up from the TV where was playing a racing game of some sort to pass the time. While he was charming and outgoing, he never ignored a chance to screw around with others. Even his first act as a new cape had been to poke fun at the idea of 'power comes with responsibility' and dye his hair blue in a rebellious streak. His older sister Crystal was the only one who even bothered to reply in words other than a groan of some sort.
"All right, I'll take that bet. I'm guessing... a less-racist Crusader. Remote-controlled ghosts, creating spooky stuff in the corner of your eyes, maybe possessing household appliances like a poltergeist. He didn't want to take a German name because of the-"
The impending trainwreck of sibling rivalry was interrupted by the ringing of the home phone. Sarah headed over to the phone and, after taking a moment to collect herself and wave back to the others to silence them, she took the call.
"Pelham residence, this is Sarah."
She listened for a moment, then turned to the others and gave a thumbs up.
"One moment, I'll put you on speaker. New Wave, please say hello to Revenant. Revenant, the rest of New Wave is here as well, with the exception of Panacea who couldn't make it in time."
"It's a pleasure, everyone. I take it you have all been told about my offer of information?"
"I've already told them, yes. Glory girl and I have checked the location and confirmed your information is genuine. The rest of the team is on board as well, but some of us have some questions for you. We're especially curious as to why you contacted us instead of the PRT and what your goals are, both with us and in general."
"Right. Well, I'm a new hero who would like to help Brockton Bay. I reached out to New Wave because I need help to stop the gangs. I could have reached out to the PRT as you say, but I have learned from experience to not trust them and I refuse to work with them. As for how I can help, I can collect a lot of information on the gangs such as locations of gang stockpiles like I gave you two days ago."
"We've discussed things with the team, and we'll work with you but we do have one condition. You're a complete unknown to us, and we want to know who we'll be working with. Will you accept to meet us face to f-"
Carol's question was cut off, the response taking New Wave by surprise both because of the answer itself and because Revenant had answered before Carol had even finished speaking.
"No. I will not reveal my identity if you ask me. I will not reveal myself to anyone, not even to you."
This was obviously something the new hero had considered and rejected well before they had contacted the team. Why was this cape so paranoid? It was well known that superpowers could... change the way people thought. Accord. Myrrdin. Glaistig Uaine. Was Revenant's paranoia a result of his power or was it justified? It kept coming back to the PRT somehow, what had happened between them?
"That's not what she meant, Revenant. We won't require you to unmask like New Wave has, but we'd like to know you better than just as a voice on the phone."
After her words, the phone stayed quiet for a few moments. As the silence stretched on, the different capes started glancing at each other.
"All right, but if I do that I have a condition of my own. If we work together, you can tell the police or the PRT you received a tip from me and give them my name, but nothing else. Not my powers, not my identity if you ever learn it, nothing."
Carol was again the one to take point. "I trust you're not asking this because you're a wanted criminal, and telling the authorities would get you arrested?"
"What? No, that's not... I'm not a criminal! Look, I'm giving your group a chance but I don't trust you enough yet to explain why I distrust the authorities. In the future perhaps, but not now."
At the same time, Victoria glared at her and hissed "Damn it mom, stop scaring off the new guy!". Everyone in the room suddenly felt on edge as the girl's aura flared. Teenagers. People call me 'Photon Mom' for Crystal and Eric, but it sometimes feels like the entire team is made of children.
"Vicky, please reign in your aura, we should be discussing this with a clear mind. Revenant, we don't think you're a criminal but right now we don't really know anything about you. Can you understand that we're at least a little cautious?"
"All right. I'll show you some of my powers and how I work if you're willing to keep it secret."
"That sounds reasonable enough. Do we all here agree so long as everyone acts in good faith?"
She looked around at the others in the living room. Everyone seemed to support the choice, although Mark and Carol weren't so certain.
If nothing else, it would give them a chance to find out what was going on. Reading between the lines, Revenant sounded at least somewhat unhinged and it will be much easier to find out what the problem was without alienating him. She wanted to see the best in everyone, but the enemy you know is less dangerous than one you don't know. And if Revenant's worries were justified, New Wave was founded on the principle of accountability. If there was something wrong with the PRT... they were both independent and influential enough to do something about it.
"Ok, Revenant. I think we're agreed. Is there anywhere we can meet?"
"Actually, could you open the sliding door to your backyard for me? I'll be there in a minute. Oh, and ahhh... please don't shoot. It's not the most PR-friendly machine ever and I'd rather not have to fix any laser scorch marks, if that's all right."
The phone clicked and went to the dial tone.
"Well, that was certainly something. Looks like we're having a guest tonight. Honey, could you open the door for Revenant, please?"
Shrugging, Neil headed over and opened the door to the patio, letting in some of the cold March air before Eric put one of his shields over the opening to keep the chill out. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, a large black shadow dropped out of the sky to end hovering just above the patio tiles. New Wave was faced with a flattened, three foot wide machine with a menacing, almost spider-like appearance adorned with jagged black spines and dull red plating. This close, a nervous whine could be heard from the inside of the machine. The patio was dimly lit by both the red glow coming from slits within the robot's exterior, and the blue light from the shields that appeared between the robot and the Pelham family.
Drone on one side, two somewhat spooked celebrity families on the other, in the end it was Eric who broke the awkward silence.
"All right, I'm asking it, everyone's thinking it. Why did you make your flying robot look like it's trying to out-evil Darth Vader?"
=======================================================================
Author's note:
=======================================================================
It's surprisinly tricky to write New Wave. Apart from Glory Girl and Panacea, they aren't actually present during much of the story and we don't really know much about their personalities. And as Skitter is a villain, they're not really interacting much socially.
Anyway, this is the last part of Act 1, in which Taylor is introduced to New Wave and things go... not quite smooth but at least it doesn't end with nukes flying so it's all good. Next arc will be all about making Vicky's dreams come true by punching Merchants in the face! Also, there's a barbeque.
That's... a bizarrely specific combination of powers. Then again, the Seraphim do have that fascination with nukes so there's some overlap with stereotype Russia... for the Motherland Motherdimension?
Aaaaanyway, I got some more writing done, and between the sudden burst of productivity yesterday and the slightly shorter chapter length, have an update! A real one this time, now with 25% more Merchant face-punching and 50% less superpowered trolling! (No Simugh, but Shielder is still there, obviously )
Arc 2: From dusk till dawn
2.1
Seventeen icons moved around in the area I could see with my sensors. At the center of my awareness, nine icons moved around the storehouse without a clue what was about to happen to them. On the roof and hovering just above it, my (currently strictly non-combat) combat drone and disguised sensor waited patiently for the action.
Across the street, on top of a run-down warehouse like the countless others, seven more icons were huddled close together, going through the last few preparations before combat.
Lady Photon. Manpower. Shielder and laserdream. Brandish. Glory Girl. Even Panacea had come, although the group didn't expect to run into any kind of trouble bad enough that they might need the healer. As a group, it would be vastly more than necessary for taking out a single building with not even a dozen unpowered mooks. However, Lady Photon had apparently decided to get the whole team in on the action, speaking about teambuilding and 'training to be ready for any situation'. Something to with Glory Girl somehow, if the glance was any indication. I honestly didn't understand their team dynamic well enough to know what was going on there.
I felt like an outsider, despite the fact that I'd managed to get an entire superhero team out in the cold on nothing but my word. Flashbang was the only one that wasn't present, Brandish had explained he wasn't feeling too well and he didn't want to slow the others down.
"Nine people inside, no strange activity. You probably understand eachother's strengths and weaknesses better than I do. How do you want to do this?"
"Two groups, one for each floor so we catch them all off guard and give them no chance to rally together. Panacea will stay out of the line of fire. She's got no combat experience and might have to patch us up so her safety is the first priority. She'll stay here on the roof overlooking the storehouse. Shielder, laserdream, can you stay behind and provide protection?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Do I get to blast anything?You said we're here for practice, too, right? I don't get to use my lasers nearly enough."
The sigh was audible even on the other side of the phone.
"Yes, Eric, you can blast things. We're still hidden for now, once we hit them you, Laserdream and Panacea can move to the edge of the roof and provide cover from there. Just keep your shields up to prorect the girls."
"The others will take on the Merchants then?"
"Yes. Manpower and myself will go in through the front door. Glory girl will carry Brandish into the upper floor while she's in her Breaker state. Shielder and Panacea keep watch here on the street, Laserdream gives extra cover fire and can chase down anyone that manages to get away from the rest of us."
"Hey Taylor. How are you going to let New Wave know if there's any surprises on your sensor thing?"
I glanced over at my dad, thanking him for the tip. He could listen in on the conversation, but I hadn't yet managed to build a screen for the sensor readings so he couldn't see anything I was doing. I'd been too focused on building sensors and digging through my designs in the hope of finding something, anything, that I could use as a weapon without going past merely dangerous and straight into 'vapourize a normal person when you hit their little toe'. Maybe I should figure out if he wanted to be more involved. Giving him a thumbs up, I turned back to the impending battle.
"Actually, I can provide tracking and information for your group, but I'll need a way to stay in contact. Do you have any suggestions?"
"You mentioned your phone number doesn't show up because the drone is mimicing a cell tower signal, right? Can you call the phones of the others as well? If we put them all on speaker, it'll work as an improvised comm system. Brandish' phone will lose the connection if she moves into her breaker state so that won't work though. Carol, you and Vicky stay close so you'll always be in touch with everyone."
"Seems like an awful lot of trouble for less than a dozen thugs, really..."
"But training!"
"Stop it, both of you. Revenant, you still have the others' phone numbers, correct?"
"Yes. One moment, I'll call everyone. It might be a bit chaotic to keep track of everyone though. Do you want me to link the conversations together on my end? That way everyone can hear what everyone else is saying?"
"Good idea. Might be nice to coordinate without having to shout at everyone, I think my ears are still ringing after Neil tried to get a hold of me two weeks ago. Can everyone check they've got an open phone line, please?"
"Manpower."
"Um, Panacea here."
"Laserdream"
"Glory Girl."
"Shielder report'n fer duty!"
With all the connections open, I merged the signals together and gave the ok for the group to move. From this point on, it was out of my hands now. I didn't like being unable to do anything but watch as the others put themselves in danger, but I couldn't work alone. I needed to be known as a hero, and I needed New Wave's support to do that.
Manpower and Lady Photon headed back around the building to approach the storehouse from further down the street. Glory Girl went straight up into the air while carrying Brandish in her Breaker form. Laserdream and Panacea seemed to just huddle together, trying to stay warm in the cold night air. Shielder, meanwhile, was wearing a gigantic grin in anticipation of the night's excitement even though he was mostly stuck on the sidelines.
I sighed and readied myself.
Showtime.
=======================================================================
After realizing I would be working on my own rather than in the Wards, I'd put more effort into making myself self-sufficient. The nanite implant I'd made for myself was good enough to control my technology and give a boost to my math skills, but it didn't do much beyond that. But there was a lot more I could do with the implants, if I was willing to invest the time and resources.
I now had what I called a 'level three' implant, the strongest I could make before the side-effects became a problem. Better than 20/20 vision whether or not I was wearing my glasses, greatly increased hearing, and I could resist sudden changes in light or sound without being blinded or deafened. I could now have the implant suppress my own emotions, keeping me calm even in the middle of the most chaotic or terrifying battles. And finally, I had an upgrade that let me experience the world at as little as a tenth of the normal speed. It didn't make me any faster than I was before, but watching the world in slow motion had done wonders for my reflexes.
The mental accelleration and emotion suppression were very useful in school as well, keeping me from getting too hurt by their attempts to trip or push me, or snapping at the insults and verbal harassments.
I couldn't have the accelleration on non-stop at full strength without getting a headache, but turning on one of the lower settings at night meant I would be fully rested after only three hours of sleep.
I was now using the extra time in my day to start fixing our house in earnest to keep up appearances. Homework and crime-tracking activities were left for later in the evening and at night.
Those very same upgrades to my awareness and speed now let me see in perfect clarity and slow motion, every crack, every wood splinter and piece of glass, every glorious detail as Manpower made a running jump through the front door of the old store. The hole left behind by his passing gave me just enough room to see three men with a good number of gaudy jewelry, old ratty clothes and slowly forming looks of shock. Two seconds later, Manpower reached the table the three of them had been sitting at and flipped it on its end with a swipe of his arm. Cards went flying everywhere, the poker game the three had been playing scattered to the winds. The optics on my drone were good enough I could recognize no less than two Aces of Spades slipping out of one of the guys' sleeves as he tumbled to the ground.
Heh. I wonder if my implants are good enough to track cards and cheat at poker?
As Lady Photon flew in through the newly created entrance, I moved my drone up a bit. Apart from the hole in the front door, the ground floor was mostly invisible, the windows having been sealed off by wooden panelling some time before. Other than the icons on my tactical map, I had no way to see what was happening inside but from the looks of it Manpower and Lady Photon had things well in hand. The upper floor by contrast still had most of the windows intact and gave me a better view of the second battle.
The upper floor was bathed in an unearhtly light coming from a hard light tower shield held by Brandish. Glory Girl was huddled behind her mother, and I could see ripples spread across the shield as three Merchants were firing their weapons at the duo. One more was lying face down on the floor, having presumably been the first to get a taste of Glory Girl's physical might.
"Manpower, Lady Photon, looks like Brandish and Glory Girl are pinned upstairs, can you head up th-"
"No! We got it!"
Well, okay then.
A few moments later, I realized why Brandish had refused to be reinforced. With Glory Girl's aura on full burn, any common sense they'd had was overshadowed by raw terror. None of them had bothered to keep their weapon ready while the others shot at the two heroes. Within seconds, all three had emptied their magazines and were desperately pulling the trigger on their empty guns.
"Boost."
Before the Merchants got their wits together and reloaded, Brandish turned into her Breaker form. Glory Girl, meanwhile, had pulled back and once her mother was ready, punched. The basketball-sized golden orb that Brandish had become shot across the room with a deafening crack, knocking the centermost Merchant into the wall behind him. Small bits of plaster rained down as he slumped to the floor.
At the same time Brandish turned back into human form and backhanded the left thug with some sort of buckler strapped to her forearm, Glory Girl clotheslined the last guard.
I put some attention back on my mental map of the area to find the last two Merchants. One was in another room downstairs, the last one was upstairs and heading across the floor at a good speed.
"Whoah, one of your guys just jumped out of a second story window! I guess he's traded common sense for drug-addled bravery with a drop like that. He's running off back out the alley, I think he's going... no, damn. I can't see, no idea which way he went."
"Right. Eric, which sections of... no, wait. Revenant, can you track him? Let laserdream know which way she needs to go to catch him."
"No problem. Laserdream, head to the back of the store and go left into the alley connected to the one next to the storehouse. Manpower, Lady Photon, there's one more guy on your floor but he hasn't moved yet. Take care not to get ambushed in there."
"Got it. Sarah, tie these guys up, I'll take a look at our last guy."
I leaned back into the couch and eased up on my emotional suppression. With how things went out there, I didn't expect to need the enforced clarity at this point. Wow. People sometimes think New Wave were all fame and little skill to back it up, but thirty seconds in and seven of the nine men in the building were out of the fight, without even a single injury on their team. For all that Lady Photon had wanted to turn this into a 'training opportunity', that performance was already damn impressive, and a little scary as well.
"Laserdream, twenty meters ahead and turn right."
"Manpower here. Looks like our last guy is actually a girl. Barely notices me, she's drugged for sure. Maybe... early twenties, definitely no older than 25. Also not a fighter by the looks of it, might be a Merchant prostitute. Could also be a victim they've been having fun with while she can't fight back because of the drugs. Panacea, can you check her over when we're done here?"
"Of course. Is anyone else injured?"
"Nothing on our side, but we've got one guy here with a broken nose and I think the last one here might need a patch job, too. He's got a broken clavicle if his arm is any indication."
"In my defense, the guy was shooting at us not five seconds before I hit him."
I tuned out their conversation, confident that the fighting was all but over and they had it handled. I turned my attention back to my sensor readings and sent the drone flying after Laserdream. With the storehouse fight, effectively over, it was time to track down and catch their last drug dealer for the day.
"Revenant, which way did he go?"
"Actually, head back to the street. Our guy is slowing down and heading back around to the main roads. He probably thinks he's managed to lose you, but if you come at him from this side you can cut him off more easily. Two streets north of the drone."
"Can someone help me haul him back to the store when I've caught this last guy? I don't have any super strength to help with that."
"No problem. We're dragging the guys here down the stairs so they can all wait together for their free police-sponsored taxi service and hotel booking. I'll fly out there and give you a hand once your mom and dad can keep track of this bunch as well. But if that guy spits at me again I might just DROP HIM OUT OF THE WINDOW INSTEAD!"
"Dean's got his competition lining up, I hear. Ah, I see your drone, Revenant. Two streets past, right? This shouldn't take long."
I watched as Laserdream banked out of the alley near my drone and shot ahead to the street the last thug was about to come out of. A small, red shield appeared in front of her as she turned into a lazy arc across the street, lighting up the sides of the buildings with a low-powered laser show before rushing straight at the thug. She might not have Glory Girl's aura, but she was definitely going for the intimidation factor there.
"Suprise, punk, you're on... ahFUUH-"
Laserdream suddenly dropped down to the street as a garbage can sailed past her. Moments later, a dumpster followed and clipped her leg as she was trying to get some more altitude to recover from her dive. She went into an uncontrolled spin and hit the ground hard.
"Laserdream!"
"What's going on? Revenant? Crystal?"
She was still moving, but as the girl rose back up into the air with one limp leg, I watched a massive, lumbering figure emerge out of the alley. Discarded cans, shopping bags and loose brickwork started rolling towards the figure as a giant heap of garbage and rubble lumbered fully into the streetlights.
"It's Mush! The guy that ran away was fucking Mush!"