Titania's POV
"No!"
It was the only word to escape my lips. I had planned what I was going to say to Steel Hawk after all these years. I had a whole speech prepared. But as he pushed my daughter off of the roof, right in front of my eyes, it was all I could do to keep myself together. My body wanted to pull me into shock, but my mind told me to finish the job Della assigned me to. She didn't risk it all for me to let Steel Hawk get away.
I lunge after Steel Hawk. He slides away right as I go to tackle him. I catch my balance before I fall on my face. Hawk turns around, bracing for my second attempt, but he cannot prepare himself for my overpowering strength. I pin him down in a second, surprising both of us. He doesn't even have time to self-destruct. My fists begin to pummel his face. Each hit is for Della. Each hit is for an innocent citizen. Each hit is for the anxiety and depression he's caused me all these years.
I look into his dark eyes. Is there even a soul behind those eyes? I waste no time in pulling the liquid out and stabbing Steel Hawk in the chest with the needle before he knows what's happening.
I expected him to scream out in pain, and he does. The other alternative I expected was for the disabler to actually be a fake. How trustworthy is a villain's ex-wife, anyways?
"Melissa?" Steel Hawk's eyes become heavy as he looks off in the distance behind me.
"It's me, Allen." I risk turning around to see the lady who handed Della the needle. I mentally groan because this was probably all a set up. "You're going to be powerless now, do you understand?" I'm taken back at how calm she is in stating this.
Steel Hawk doesn't respond, he only slips away into an unconscious state. I know he's still alive because I can feel his pulse in his wrist. For the first time in a long time, I don't feel bad for hurting Steel Hawk. This is his end. This is my beginning.
Then I'm sucked back into the reality of watching my daughter fall to the ground many floors below. My mind races as I try to keep my emotions together.
"Your daughter... she was a fighter," Steel Hawk smiles evilly. I feel a tear slip down my cheek, and I scold myself for crying in front of someone who doesn't feel emotions. He's spent his whole career trying to tear me down, and I'm giving him the satisfaction of watching me break.
"But she was no match for me, Titania. She got that from you." What can he possibly do to me from his current position? It's Blacklight and the other guy I have to worry about at the moment. Red Raven is powerless, just like his dad now.
As hard as it is to hold myself together, I stand up from my crouched down position, and bring my fists up to my face. My stance evidently says 'fight me'.
"Are y'all ready for an earthquake?" I inquire seriously. Blacklight laughs, but I know he's always been afraid of me. Mickey's adopted dad, really his uncle, has been working in my company for years. I'm the boss, and he always knew never to step on my toes. I am more powerful than him in more ways than one.
"Where's your motivation coming from, Titania? Your daughter just died in front of you." Blacklight taunts.
I choke back the tears and the sobs waiting to burst out of me. Finish the job, Titania. For Della.
Before I can mutter a reply, I spot someone flying up behind the three guys in front of me. A gold suit... Mason? What's he doing up here?
I avert my eyes so I don't cause Blacklight to turn around and see my son flying in to help me. Wait a second. He has someone in his arms.
Oh my - it's Della!
Without knowing if she's conscious or not, I slam my fists down into the roof of the hotel, hoping that will knock them off their feet long enough for Mrs. Michaels to step in and assist me. I look behind me to see she's still standing near Steel Hawk, silently observing his limp body.
"A little back up would be nice!" I call out to her, or anyone listening for that matter. Blacklight is the only one still standing after my earthquake shattered the roof. Melissa comes running over, jumping over jagged pieces of roof debris.
"You're not going to win. This is the end of The Undergrounds."
In an instant, the boy dressed in a dark blue suit with red and orange flame designs up and down his arms, burst into a giant fireball. I hold back a shriek as he begins to take a leap off of the roof.
"I'll do it! I'll jump and burn the whole city down with me!"
"Owen, you'll die!" Blacklight screams at him. Now he knows what it's like to feel the gut-wrenching feeling of agony watching someone you love fall to their doom.
"I have to, dad! This is the price I have to pay to get us a win."
All of a sudden, a storm cloud rains over us. I didn't even know it was supposed to rain today. Is this Gavin's new powers going haywire again?
A flash of lightning strikes the spot beside Owen. While I panic as he teeters over the edge, Melissa uses her force field to trap him in place. My heart is racing so fast it could beat out of my chest.
"I thought Della fell?!" Blacklight screams to Mickey. Mickey runs off down the steps to investigate below. Little does he know Della isn't down there. I try to hide my smirk. The storm is Della's last strike.
Blacklight is the last one left to fight.
"It's over, Blacklight. Your whole family is down. Fight me, and I will end you," I usher towards Melissa, Blacklight's sister-in-law, "We have plenty of power disablers left." I don't know if that's accurate information, but I hope seeing his brother drained of his powers is alarming enough to surrender.
Blacklight scoffs, throwing his head back with laughter. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."
Oh, but I do. I'm fully aware that he can hypnotize me at any moment. I've experienced the 'blacklight' before. He's given me a warning to not look into his eyes.
"Give up, Blacklight!" Mason lowers himself onto the roof. A booming clap of thunder erupts overhead.
Blacklight throws his head back with laughter. He turns to face Mason, a stand off I realize I have no place in. Blacklight has directed all of his attention on my son. An unsettling panic builds inside of me.
Where's Della?
"Titania!" A shrill cry directs my focus to Melissa. She's slipping all over the place, and I realize the rain is going to cause a bit of a problem if she's going to keep her balance. Luckily, Mason's fire won't be put out by the rain. In fact, he's armed himself by setting his arms ablaze with flames. He takes his stance against Blacklight. A final battle between him and his mentor.
I rush over to assist Melissa, hoping that I can help in some way. "Do you have another power disabler?" I ask her as I use my strength to hold onto her. She's stopped slipping, but she can't hold onto Owen forever.
"Only one. We can take down Owen or Blacklight, but not both."
I shake my head, "We'll take them both down." I'm determined to make this the final fight.
"How?"
"Half and half!" I holler out over the howling of the wind.
"I don't think it works like that!" She yells back.
"Well we have to try! Where's the disabler?"
"In my bag!" Thankfully, her bag is on her back, and I can grab it with one hand. I keep her close to me with my left arm.
"I'm going to let go, but keep holding on to Owen!"
"I'll try!"
I release her quickly and dash over to Owen. The perimeter of the force field isn't huge, it's just enough to protect Owen. "Okay, now!" I call out with a nod of my head.
Melissa drops the force field and I use my quick reflexes to grab onto Owen's wrist. I toss him to the side and inject the green liquid into his skin before he can react. He cries out in pain, and I take the needle out. Exactly half.
Without hesitation, I rush over to see Blacklight in a fist fight with Mason. I'm proud to say Mason is definitely winning. Mason is trying his best to not look him in the eyes and Blacklight has burn marks on his face. How Mason managed to do that is beyond me.
I sprint into action with the needle in hand. "Mason! Move!" He backs away with one last slash at Blacklight's face. Blacklight runs his hands over his face, and I can see him battling with himself not to scream. While he's distracted, I stab the serum into his chest and watch the needle empty out the remaining liquid.
I sigh in relief. Owen and Blacklight are both lay passed out on the roof, as well as Steel Hawk. We're on a rooftop filled with unconscious villains.
Mason and Mrs. Michaels walk over to me. I think we're all in shock that we made it out of this alive. Mason shrugs his shoulders, "Now what?"
"Where's Della?" I don't miss a beat.
Mason hangs his head, shaking it back and forth. I'm afraid to know what he has to say.
"That girl..." He pauses to laugh. "She's one heck of a fighter," He scratches the back of his head. "She's alive. I mean, I caught her when she fell, but I watched her hit her head on a window ledge and she didn't immediately pass out. The storm was her." To hear my son finally acknowledge how impressed he is with his sister fills me with pride I've never felt before.
"I know." I bring him in for a hug, which I haven't done in so long. There's a mess in front of us and we have cuts and bruises all over our bodies. Despite all the chaos, I find the beauty in our unity.
We're a beautiful mess, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
A/N
1 more chapter and the epilogue...
At this point everything is written out, I just have to edit. Expect a bunch of notifications to come in :)
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Always, Sunny