Newter has a knife wound just below his shoulder blade that stretches along his side. My companions stop just before their feet hit the puddle of his blood. That's right, hallucinogenic blood. I wonder, if I shut off his power, if it would still be active.
I don't want to risk it right now, but it's something to try later. I'd put away the spray bottle before rejoining the group and I am now reminded that I am the only one truly safe from Newter's fluids. In my combat boots, jacket, and gloves, none of my skin is exposed.
Skitter tells Bitch to get rubber gloves or saran wrap and a first aid kit from downstairs. I put a hand on Bitch's shoulder as Skitter talks to Sundancer. "Just the kit. I can move Newter if needed." Bitch nods and leaves. Skitter goes down the hall and I stay with Sundancer.
Skitter soon returns with a plastic sheet. She and Sundancer lay it down by Newter's feet upside down just as Bitch comes up the stairs with a first aid kit. According to Bitch, it feels light. Fucking fantastic.
Skitter looks at Bitch "What about the-" I interrupt. "No need." I say as I lean down and pick up Newter, one arm under his chest, and another under his legs. It takes a bit of effort since I'm being careful not to aggravate the cut as I place him down on the plastic sheet.
The three stare at me and that's when it truly hits me. I am the only adult in the room. All of these capes are teenagers and the only conscious ones are girls. Sure Bitch is strong, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm a 47-year-old, 6'4" man.
Powers imply trauma. I became a rogue to try to limit the horrors everyone faced, but these kids before me...I couldn't protect them. It's an enlightening thought. I am quick to snap out of it though for the sake of the child at my feet.
I help Bitch look for purses. It takes me a minute to figure out what Skitter is thinking. When I do, I stride over to Bitch. She glares at me. I roll my eyes but keep my voice firm. "It's nothing personal. She's panicking under pressure."
We return to Sundancer and Skitter. I choose to run up the stairs with Bitch. Bitch tosses three purses at them while I rummage through two more. We find period pads and apply them to Newter's cut. When I see that Skitter is tense, I nudge her with my elbow.
She looks at me "Relax. If you were doing something wrong, I wouldn't let you do it." Once he's all bandaged up, I carefully pick him up. "I'm gonna get him back to Labyrinth and Vigilant. They can watch him." I go to the window and spot Labyrinth past her maze.
I focus on teleporting right behind her. Without fail, I appear behind her. She whirls around and runs over when she sees that I have Newter. I put him down and look at her. "Take care of him will you? Lung is still here and they're gonna need me. If you need evac, you know what to do."
She nods and I teleport back into the window just as the entire building shakes. Thankfully, I teleport two more times. Once in mid-air over the first floor, and another onto one of Bitch's dogs.
A section of the wall is torn off as a bunch of ABB members retreat through the hole, only to stop when they see us. They are quickly followed by Lung. He's 15' tall now, with scales, talons, and the beginnings on wings on his back.
FUCK! Not how I wanted this to go. Kaiser strolls in and generates a blade aimed right at Lung's chest. I roar at him "Kaiser you dumbass! This was what we wanted to avoid!" Kaiser glares at me and Lung unleashes something like a chuckle, though it's distorted by his form.
I am seething as I focus on Lung. I just hope that every other power of his is taken away when I do this. I stare at him and I can feel it, the energy flowing from me to him. It seeps past his armor and to that crystal inside of him.
My energy encircles his crystal, sending out almost a wave through his body. On the outside, Lung stumbles a bit and he looks at himself. Then he noticed Skitter as she told off Kaiser. I think I like this girl.
Apparently, Skitter 'accidentally' made Lung's 'crotch rot off'. I don't know how one might accomplish such a feat by accident, but it has made her a target. Lung tosses Bitch's dogs aside like stuffed animals before Kaiser starts encasing him in a metal pyramid.
I only notice what this means a little too late. I yell "Wait! I can't-!" But it's too late. Kaiser has blocked my view and a giant sword has cut into the pyramid. Lung regained his pyrokinesis and strength when I lost sight of him, allowing him to soften the metal and push his way out.
Kaiser calls him an animal, pushing him to the opposite wall with a pillar. "Your people... animals." with that, there are screams from one of Lung's followers. His feet pierced by metal from the floor, and his hands as well when he fell.
Skitter yells "Kaiser! No!" "Not your business, little girl." Kaiser chides, looking at her. She steps back in fear but persists "This is wrong." A blade inches towards the ABB member's neck, forcing him to arch to get away. Lung is watching, silent and unreadable.
Kaiser's next words make my blood boil. "Wrong? As far as I'm concerned, the moment you need to fall back on morals to argue something, you've already lost the argument. This is war." Lung charges Kaiser, but he's intercepted by spearpoints, Fenja, and Menja.
Upset but with my priorities still in order, I focus on Lung just as he shoots a column of fire at one of the twins. The column is cut off abruptly as my power takes effect. Lung looks around for the source of his problem.
Lung spots me and growls something that might have been a 'you'. Kaiser practically cackles as I teleport away from Lung, reestablishing my line of sight on Lung each time I reappear. "So that's what you meant! Can you only target his pyrokinesis?"
I growl as I teleport next to Kaiser, making Lung charge at both of us. I grab him and teleport us away from Lung, making Lung ram himself into the wall. I growl at Kaiser as we reappear between the twins and Skitter and Sundancer.
"You know nothing of true war Kaiser. Take it from the actual soldier. You're a coward and a pathetic excuse for a human being." I keep my eyes trained on Lung, so I can't watch Kaiser to make sure he doesn't stab me.
Unfortunately, Kaiser does punch me, making me lose sight of Lung just long enough for Lung to gain his enhanced reflexes again. Sundancer sends what appears to be a small sun at Lung. I can't look at Lung without looking at the sun so I close my eyes and pray it's enough.
Suddenly, the light goes out. I open my eyes to see that Kaiser has stabbed Lung. Sundancer yells at him that the fight was already over. I growl and turn on Kaiser. I shut off his powers long enough to knock him to the ground, my gun at his face.
Fenja and Menja come over, ready to attack me. I growl at him but Lung starts to get up. I can hear him grow larger. I narrow my eyes at Kaiser before teleporting to Sundancer. I grab her and teleport her to the door. She's dazed but she's further away from Lung.
I teleport back, ready to shut down Lung again, teleporting near Bitch, ready to get her away from Lung. But Lung goes for Kaiser first, beating him into the wall before tossing him aside and stabbing Menja.
Fenja catches her boss and then rushes to check on her sister. Bitch sends Brutus charging into Lung but he tosses Brutus aside and grabs Bitch. He manages to grab Skitter too as I teleport away from his foot that he tried to kick me with.
I've shut off his pyrokinesis, regeneration, strength, and reflexes...but he's still over 15' tall and covered in scales. It will take time for him to revert back to normal. I watch as he drops Bitch. I teleport to her, grab her, and teleport us both to the door before he can step on her.
It seems he dropped her so he could pull a bug off his eye. I watch, fascinated, as he slowly falls until he's on his face, unconscious. Skitter explains how she had one bug, carry another bug covered in Newter's blood to drug Lung.
She calls Tattletale to confirm his regeneration abilities. I am about to put a hand on her shoulder, but think better of it with my gloves. So, instead I step up to her, my eyes still on Lung. "Hey." she looks at me "Hm?"
I can see she's looking at me out of the corner of my eye as I speak. "My power, it will stunt his recovery. Whatever you do to him, I can only stall his recovery time." She nods as she approaches Lung drawing her knife.
I want to tell her to stop, that it's not necessary, but I just can't seem to form the words. Skitter calmly, deliberately, carves out Lung's eyes. She sheathes her knife and checks with Bitch about her and her dogs.
She turns, telling Fenja to advise Kaiser to drop the dog-fighting ring thing since they saved his life. I make damn sure to look her straight in the eye "And do let him know that I won't require payment to beat him senseless."
She stares at me but eventually nods, turning to leave while she carries Kaiser and Menja. Sundancer flinches back when Skitter approaches her. I sigh. People are getting powers much younger now, and it is doing horrible things to these children.
I follow them. Skitter calls 911 and hangs up as we walk to where we left Labyrinth, Newter, Coil's men, and Vigilant. Sundancer is freaked out about Skitter cutting out his eyes. I must admit, I am equally disgusted but I also understand why.
Apparently, one of Coil's guys was a medic. Newter is awake. I help Coil's man help up Newter. I look at Coil's guy "Thanks for taking care of them." Another interesting development is that Skitter apparently had her bugs collect the money from the warehouse into bags.
Sundancer grabs one, as does Vigilant, Coil's guy grabs 2, and Newter grabs one with his tail. Skitter picks one up and hands it to Labyrinth. Newter takes it for her. Newter pulls off my gloves for me so I can take Labyrinth's hand and we walk along together with Bitch and Skitter.
We'll split off and use the sewers to get back. As we walk, Skitter asks about Labyrinth and Newter explains that her powers make her less lucid. Seeing Newter hurt hasn't helped her mental state today though. I can feel Labyrinth squeeze my hand and I squeeze back.
I can hear Skitter call to me "I've never heard of you Anubis. New cape?" I look at her and I can't help but chuckle at the concept. I shake my head "No. I've had powers for about 25 years now. I've been a rogue up until recently though."
She seems startled by that. "Really? What were you doing before?" It seems to have been a reflex and she immediately tries to apologize. I shake my head "It's fine. To give you an idea, technically, today was my first time fighting another cape."
We part ways and head home. I use my teleportation to get us there faster. Once home, we get Newter to rest and I clean my gear of Newter's sweat and blood while we catch up with the rest of the team. Overall, a very eye-opening first cape fight.
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