I walk alongside my new teammates in my full gear. I have my guns and knife but the safety is on for both guns. I am walking between Labyrinth and Newter, making for an interesting picture. I am walking slower than normal so I stay between them instead of passing them.
A small part of me is worried about how Coil might react to seeing me here. I talked with Faultline extensively about what I am to do at the meeting. In a nutshell, I am to protect Labyrinth and teleport her out should things go south.
After experimenting at the base, we discovered that I can either take Gregor and Labyrinth, or any combination of the others with me when I teleport. It would seem that my carrying capacity while teleporting is limited to my own size.
I can't transport anything, or any combination of things, that exceeds my own size. If I try to exceed it, it will cut off excess amounts. It took extensive amounts of math to determine that I can carry any two members of the team, or Gregor and Labyrinth, without issues.
It helps that I stand at about 6" taller than Gregor who is closest to my size. Everyone else is almost a foot or more shorter than me. We arrive at a dingy pub with a dirty sign above it spelling Somer's Rock.
We step inside to find that we had arrived just after Coil since he was just sitting down. Kaiser and most of his heavy hitters are already here, along with the Undersiders, and a group of three that I don't recognize.
I'm gonna have to fix that. I don't like not knowing people. There's two guys and a girl. The guy sitting at the table is shorter than Kaiser and wearing dark colors and a gas mask. He's sitting across from the seat between Kaiser and Coil.
Most capes are seated at booths around the room, but Kaiser and Coil are sitting at the central table. All eyes turn on us as we enter and I can see Coil visibly tense when he spots me. Faultline makes a point of walking past the Undersiders on her way to a chair to Kaiser's right.
I see one of the Undersiders stand from their table. Taller than the rest of them and cloaked in darkness, I can only assume that one is Grue and leader of the Undersiders. He takes the seat between Faultline and Coil. Speaking of Coil, he has yet to tear his eyes away from me.
A group of three enters before I can comment on it. Apparently, these are the 'big guns' in The Merchants. I heard plenty about them from my patrols on the street and while walking Buck. They're addicts who make and sell drugs to everyone. Even children.
Despite losing my daughter 16 years ago, I still have the same protective instincts. These instincts have extended to cover my new team in the week I've been a member, especially over Emily and Elle. No. Spitfire and Labyrinth.
Thus, just seeing them has me seething. Kaiser and the others make it quite clear that The Merchants don't get a seat at the table, forcing their leader, Skidmark, to sit at a booth with his subordinates.
The meeting draws to a close with only a small challenge from Hookwolf and Kaiser directed at Bitch and Grue of the Undersiders. Coil asks for any other comments or concerns. The meeting is adjourned and The Merchants leave. Then the Undersiders. Then Kaiser and the Empire 88.
Coil and Faultline discuss prices while I get more information on the villains that attended the meeting tonight from Newter, Gregor, and Spitfire. I sit next to Labyrinth, making sure she's comfortable.
She seems to have taken to seeing me as a father figure over the past few days. I'm not surprised though. They are very much like a family. Labyrinth is the youngest, with Spitfire and Newter as her older siblings, and Gregor is like an uncle or much older sibling.
I cannot say that Faultline is a mother figure. Perhaps an aunt or adoptive mother...but not a true mother. She's not quite nurturing enough. It seems that I have filled a much needed parental role in the group.
Someone to chide Spitfire or Newter for being teenagers. Someone to help Faultline with work. Someone to provide conversation for Gregor. Someone to protect and care for Labyrinth. In all honesty, I feel like I've already adopted her.
I keep an eye on the door and Coil while also making sure the Labyrinth drinks something. She's better than when I first met her, but she's not as lucid as I've seen her one of her better days. Faultline comes to our table when she finishes and we all stand.
We leave money for the drinks and prepare to leave. Just as we start for the door though, Coil calls out "So, you'll work for Faultline but not me? I'm rather hurt Anubis." I can't help but chuckle at how childish he sounds.
I turn to look at him "I told you before Coil, transparency. She went the extra step that you didn't." With that, I turn and walk out the door, ready to get back to the Palanquin and feed Buck. Aside from Spitfire and Newter, the entire crew is silent on the entire walk back home.
A day later, Faultline knocks on our bedroom doors calling "Get in gear! The groups are splitting up and hitting hard!" I quickly toss Buck a chew toy and get dressed in my gear. I hear another knock on my door and I open it.
My hood is down, my bandana is around my neck, and my visor is on top of my head, and I'm just sliding on my jacket as I look down at Newter. Newter grins. He's dyed his hair cobalt blue today and tied cloth around his hands and feet.
I pull up my hood as I step out of my room, telling Buck to stay as I do. Faultline looks at each of us in turn. "There are three groups and every team is splitting up so they can't mess with anyone while their teammates are hostage."
We nod to show we follow the train of thought. "Gregor, Spitfire, you two will be in Hookwolf's group. Gregor, I want you to be ready to contain Spitfire's fire so it doesn't get out of hand." he nods and Emily grins, the mask of her suit isn't on but the rest of it is.
She looks at the rest of us "Newter, Labyrinth, Anubis, you'll be in Kaiser's group." I want to argue her logic in going alone and sending three in one group, but she catches me and beats me to it. "I need you to watch out for Newter and Labyrinth. Get them out if need be."
I sigh. I know she's right. She looks at Newter and Labyrinth. I use my power to make Labyrinth more lucid, if only to answer the question. "What's the code word to get out?" They answer in unison "Leviathan."
After much debate, we'd agreed to make our 'get us out of here now' code the mover of the Endbringers. I lift my powers from Labyrinth so she can settle back into her partially lucid state and prepare for the upcoming battle.
I teleport us outside and down a few streets to put some distance between us and the Palanquin before we decide to walk the rest of the way to our meeting spot. It was a tower that the ABB had pushed the Merchants out of.
Surprisingly, we arrive first. I take this time to observe our surroundings. I checked my watch. We're several minutes early. I look up at the tower to my back and at the surrounding buildings. I look at Newter and nod at Labyrinth.
"Keep an eye on her will you?" He nods "Where're you off to?" I point up at the tower "Scouting. Get a better idea of the area. I'll be back before we head to the target." He nods "I'll text ya when everyone gets here."
I nod and I start by teleporting up to the roof of a nearby building before immediately teleporting to the top of the tower. It really is a great view. I pull out the waterproof paper I carry inside one of my belt pouches and add to the map of Brockton Bay that I've been making.
I teleport to the top of a few other buildings, and even inside a few of them to see if there were any enemies inside. I make sure to check a block in every direction, making sure that that circle is clear of any enemies.
I get a text from Newter that just reads 'Here.' I nod to myself and teleport back. It only takes me two jumps to get back to the top of the tower. I look down to see that we have 9 more villains to help us.
I can hear Kaiser huff about how late the Undersiders are and I smirk to myself as I teleport into the middle of the group. It makes nearly everyone flinch and I grin behind my bandana. Kaiser growls. "And who are you?"
I look around the group. Kaiser brought Fenja and Menja with him, the Travelers sent the girl with the sun icon, the Undersiders sent Bitch and Skitter, Coil sent 2 mercenaries, and that group of three sent the guy with green in his costume (not the one with the gas mask).
I turn to Kaiser "I'm Anubis. I just joined Faultline's Crew." Kaiser huffs "Any reason why you're so late?" I chuckle "We got here before any of you, so I decided to scout the area, make sure no one got ambushed."
"Really?" Skitter sounds unconvinced and I smile, knowing she can't see it. "Yes, and before I forget," I look at the entire group. "Let me handle Lung." "Excuse me?" Kaiser asks, sounding more than a little pissed.
I walk right up to him so my face is inches from his "If Lung shows up, let me get to him first. I can shut him down and he won't be a problem at all. But, my power becomes less and less effective the more he changes."
Kaiser huffs, unimpressed. I roll my eyes, only to remember that I'm wearing the visor so he can't see that either. Fuck. I sigh as I stare at him. I'll either have to demonstrate or explain. Kaiser is unlikely to listen unless he knows exactly what I mean by 'shut down'.
Kaiser stares at me, daring me to give him a reason. I really don't want to, but I'm gonna have to. So, for the sake of everyone, this cocky, arrogant bastard is gonna get exactly what he wants...for now. "I can make Lung nothing more than an short-tempered gangster."
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