Throne of Bet

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the grammar and use Word to write it.

There are going to be a few references throughout the story, you don't need to know them as this will focus more on the Worm universe.

I play FGO EN by the way.

I finally got around to rewrite this chapter. Now everything is in the first person.

I apologize for taking so long to fix that.

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September 17th, 2010.

Brockton General Hospital.

I was looking at my hands in a daze, still trying to understand the situation and desperately hoping that this was just a dream.

"Henry. Henry. Can you hear me?" The doctor asked.

I looked at the doctor standing next to my bed, "I...," I took a big breath. "Yes, I can hear you. Just...need a moment to gather my thoughts."

"Take all the time you need," The doctor said with a kind smile.

I attempted to organize my thoughts, but one question kept lingering in my head.

"How long was I in a coma?" I asked the doctor, dreading the answer.

The doctor looks at his files, "Two months."

I swallowed heavily, the answer echoing in my mind.

"I know it can be a scary moment but your parents will arrive soon. Everything will be alright," The doctor said trying to reassure me. "We might even get Panacea to check on you."

"Panacea?" I asked confused.

"Yes, she makes rounds here daily. Honestly, I worry about that girl, she spends too much time here," The doctor said.

"How is she going to help me?" I asked.

The doctor looks at me in confusion for a moment then gains a worried look.

"Do you know what city we are in right now?"

The question sent a sharp pain through my head as memories surged back all at once. I pressed my hands against my temples, trying to alleviate the pain, but it didn't help. Within moments, everything came flooding back.

Brockton Bay. Protectorate. PRT. New Wave. Earth Bet. Parahumans. Endbringers.

"Brockton Bay," I said as the pain started to go away.

The doctor checked me again after my headache went away, "Nothing seems wrong and your memories have returned. I'm going to give you some medicine for the headaches and let me know if you have any more of them. I'm going to check if your parents have arrived."

"Thank you...," I suddenly realized I didn't know his name.

"Oliver," Doctor Oliver said with a smile.

I smiled in return," Thank you doctor Oliver."

He gave me a nod and left the room.

Alone in the room, I attempted to analyze the situation, but my mind was too chaotic to focus. As much as I'd like to dismiss this as just another singularity, losbelt, or enemy attack, every fiber of my being tells me that this is real.

And that scares me.

Could all of my time in Chaldea just be an elaborate dream? Mash, Da Vinci, Goredolf, Holmes, and everyone else are just figments of my imagination.

I shook my head furiously, trying to stop that train of thought. There is one simple way to confirm the veracity of my memories. Hesitantly, I glanced at my arms and concentrated on activating my Magic circuits. I almost cried in relief as familiar blue lines started to appear.

Satisfied with the results, I found myself puzzled by what was happening. Before I could think through, the door to my room swung open.

"Henry!" A woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair and blue eyes grabbed me in a tight hug. Another pair of arms quickly follow surrounding us both in an equally tight hug, they belong to a man with short black hair, brown eyes, and a stubble medium beard.

These are my parents, Nora and Isaac Karn.

I closed my eyes and leaned into the hug. For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was the gentle sobbing of my parents. When I opened my eyes, I realized that Daisy wasn't in the room.

"Where's Daisy?" I asked.

"She is with your aunt," Isaac said after calming down.

"I was so worried, the doctors didn't know what was wrong or if you were ever going to wake up," Nora said finally letting go of Henry.

I looked at my mother in confusion, "What do you mean they didn't know what was wrong?"

"Well, all the tests they made said that you were healthy and that nothing was wrong," Isaac said.

"How exactly did I end in a coma?" I asked, feeling uneasy about the situation.

"You fell down the stairs, sweetie," Nora said, not liking to remember it. "After it you just...wouldn't wake up."

Something happened but there's too little information. I wish that Holmes was here, he would have been able to give a hypothesis on what is going on. Well, it's not the first time I'm separated from everyone, and while this is certainly...unique I already know what to do.

A summoning ritual.

"When can I leave?" I asked.

"We don't know yet," Isaac shrugs his shoulders. "I'm going to look for the doctor." I mentioned the name of the doctor who had been in my room earlier as Isaac exited.

While waiting for my father to return, I asked if anything important had happened in the last two months. My mom said that last week there was a clash between Empire 88 and the ABB, which escalated into a gang war. Besides that, it has been pretty much the same.

I tilted my head, reflecting on the heroes and villains of modern times, and couldn't help but laugh at their outlandish costumes and gimmicks. Times have certainly changed. But to be fair, my servants also wore some pretty eccentric outfits too.

We kept chatting until my father returned with Doctor Oliver. He checked me again and said since I was in, surprisingly, good shape I could return home.

My parents were delighted by the news, doctor Oliver went to get my release papers and my mother went to the car to grab the clothes they brought to me.

I made my way slowly to the bathroom in the room, my legs were a little unsteady. After removing the hospital gown, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror.

Short chestnut hair, brown eyes, and an unblemished body. None of the scars I got in my adventures were there, it was a strange sight. After putting on the clothes I leave the hospital with my parents.

////////

As we were driving back home I took a look outside to the same gloomy atmosphere that seemed to refuse to leave Brockton Bay. This city is not a safe place to live, to put it simply, with so many villains in one place that likes to clash frequently, you end up with many innocents injured or dead.

The heroes try to bring order to Brockton Bay but they are outnumbered three to one, and no matter how much effort is made they accomplish so little. The worst part is that it's not just Brockton that is in bad shape, but so is the rest of the world.

Earth Bet is falling apart.

I smiled wearily, aware that there was still much work ahead, but that was the purpose of Chaldea. They're humanity's shield and sword.

Before I realized we had arrived home, It was an apartment building on the border between the docks and downtown, we lived on the first floor. After getting inside I looked around at the familiar yet alien apartment.

"Henry, why don't you go to your room to rest a bit while I make some food? You must be famished," Nora said as she went to the kitchen.

I nodded absentmindedly and started to head towards it. After entering I looked around to see a bed, a closet, a desk with a computer, and some posters from the Protectorate heroes.

I sat on the bed and sighed again, wishing for a few days to relax and collect my thoughts. But there's just too much to do.

'Even after defeating the alien god and restoring the world, I can't catch a break,' I thought cynically.

I heard my mother calling and headed toward the kitchen, where I saw a single plate of chicken casserole on the table.

"It's leftover from yesterday, I forgot to buy more groceries," Nora said sheepishly.

"Mom, it's fine," I said with a small smile. "Where's dad?"

"He went to get Daisy," Nora said.

I sat down at the table and took a bite of the casserole. The taste stopped me in my tracks, not because it was unpleasant, but because it evoked a deep sense of warmth and love that brought a tear to my eye.

"Is...something wrong?" Nora asked hesitantly.

I gently shook my head and wiped away the tear, "I'm just happy to be back home."

My mom smiled gently as I kept eating. After I finished, I headed to the living room to watch TV. I flipped through the channels until I landed on a report about the latest cape fight.

"-another clash between the ABB and Empire has just ended. As you can see behind me the Miss Militia, Velocity, and Dauntless managed to make both gang's capes retreat," said a middle-aged woman into a microphone.

In the background I could see the paramedics desperately working to help as many people as possible, police officers arresting gang members, firefighters trying to put out a fire in some building, cars flipped, body bags and children crying.

I focused on what the heroes were doing and was pleased by it. Velocity was taking the injured somewhere, most likely to the hospital, Miss Militia was helping the police officers with the gang members and Dauntless was rescuing the civilians that were trapped by rubble.

"Do we know who started this conflict?" Asked a man, the anchor if I were to take a guess.

"Hookwolf seems to have aggressively attacked members of the ABB until Oni Lee appeared to drive him off," said the woman.

"Do you have an Idea of how many injured?" Asked the man.

"I don't have the exact number but there are already five confirmed deaths and many more injured," Said the woman.

The man puts his finger in the ear, "I'm being informed that the PRT is calling for a press release on the growing tension. We will tu-"

I turned off the TV, feeling even more exhausted. Such scenes are sadly all too familiar in Brockton Bay. I glanced at my mother, who was watching me with concern and forced a smile.

"I'm fine Mom," I said.

She didn't seem convinced by it but before she could speak the front door opened. A child went straight towards me. She had back-length black hair and blue eyes.

This is my little sister Daisy.

"Henry!" My little sister screamed as she collided with me.

I let out a grunt from the impact but I wrapped my arms around Daisy, overjoyed to see her once more.

"Daisy you have to be careful, Henry is still recuperating," Nora lightly chastises her daughter.

Daisy pouts while I laugh and reassure Mom that everything is fine.

"It's fine honey, Daisy just missed him," Isaac said with a chuckle after closing the front door.

We spent the rest of the day talking about any nonsense that came to mind, for example, Daisy mentioned she needed to give a presentation, and that her partner was kinda of a grouch.

Her name is Missy or something.

//////

It was around midnight when I left the apartment to find an isolated place for the summoning ritual. It wouldn't be hard as Brockton Bay has plenty of abandoned buildings. I was wearing a hoodie to hide my face.

I was a few blocks away from my house when a trio of idiots decided to bother me. I pulled the hoodie lower and looked at them. Shaved head, an armband with 88, and a cocky attitude. Your typical empire grunt.

Once they were close enough, I quickly attacked the one that was closest to me with a jab to his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. The other two were caught off guard, and I seized the opportunity. A chop to the neck to one's and an elbow to the face to the other's face, and it was over in an instant.

I glanced at my attackers with mild disinterest before resuming my search. Although I wasn't particularly physically strong and my magecraft was average across the board, I would never lose against idiots like that.

If I ever did and Scáthach found out, she would put me through even more intense training. I shivered at the thought, while she is a good teacher the woman is demanding.

Stopping in front of an abandoned building, I scanned the area for anyone who might interfere with what I was about to do. Seeing no one, I entered the building and made my way to the first empty room. There, I picked up a piece of metal from the floor and began drawing a summoning circle.

To perform the ritual, you would need a holy grail, which I don't currently possess. But, I do have something else. I glanced at the command spells on the back of my right hand; they began to appear a few hours after leaving the hospital.

I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and started the chant.

Let silver and stone be the essence.

Let Stone and the archduke of the contracts be the foundation.

Let red be the color I pay tribute to.

Let rise a wall against the Wind that shall fall.

Let the four cardinal Gates close.

Let the three-forked Road from the crown reaching the Kingdom rotate.

I hereby swear.

I shall be all that is good in the world.

I shall ward off all that is evil in the world.

From the seventh heaven, wielding three words of Power, come forth from the ring of control, guardian of the heavenly scales!

At the end of the incantation, the summoning circle erupted in a burst of blinding light, forcing me to shield my eyes. When the light diminished, a person was standing in the middle of the circle.

It was a woman with white hair and cold blue eyes that softened a little when she saw me. She was wearing a Black and blue outfit.

"Husband," The woman said.

"Morgan," I said with a soft smile.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

This one ended up biger than I though.

Here is a question:

In later chapters when there's going to have more servants, would it be confusion if I switch to theirs POV when they aren't close to Henry.

Like in fight scenes

And than return to Henry POV, in the same chapter.

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"Where're we?" She asked with a look of disgust at her surroundings.

"An abandoned building," I said.

Morgan turns to me with a questioning gaze.

I shrugged my shoulders, "Needed some privacy to do the summoning ritual. This place was good enough."

Now to get some answers.

"What hap-" I was interrupted by the sound of an explosion in the distance.

We ran outside, and I could see smoke rising a few blocks away. There was only one explanation for what was happening.

"Let's go," I said through gritted teeth.

Morgan softly taps her demonic spear on the ground. I reinforced my legs as the wind started to gather around me, and after a moment I leaped.

The wind guided me to the roof of the building in front of us. After landing on it I broke into a sprint towards the fight, Morgan was easily keeping up with me.

After a few minutes of jumping between rooftops, we arrived at the battle. I grimaced at the scene in front of me.

It's pure chaos on the streets.

The police were trying to evacuate as many civilians as possible while fighting back against empire grunts. Bullets were flying everywhere and I could already see casualties on both sides.

A man wearing a tiger mask launches a wind attack toward a flying blonde teenage girl who is charging at him. The attack destroyed all the windows of a building as she dodged out of the way.

A giant valkyrie was waving around a spear trying to hit a flying woman that was throwing energy blasts at her. One of her swings hits a building and the rubble that fell almost crushes some of the non-powered members of the empire.

A teenager with blue hair was helping the police by protecting them with a bright blue shield. It was giving them some breathing room but not much.

Morgan tilts her head at the scene, "They're...humans?"

"Parahumans to be specific," If I'm not wrong those two are capes from the empire and the others are from the New Wave.

Just wish I could remember their names right now.

"Parahumans?" Morgan asked puzzled.

"Did not you receive information about this world from the grail?" I asked turning to her.

"No, I didn't," Morgan said.

"I will explain everything later." A thought crosses my mind," Are they using magicraft to do all this?"

I could see her eyes glow a little as she looked more intently at the fight.

Morgan humms, "Whatever method they're using has nothing to do with mystics."

That's a new one. Da Vinci will be very interested in this.

But that's for later, let's focus on the now.

"Focus first on the valkyrie then her partner. Don't kill them," I emphasize the last part.

"What will you do?" Morgan asked.

"I'm going to take some of the pressure off those shields," I didn't know how long he could keep it under such have fire.

Morgan cast a shield that covered me in a gentle light before I could request it. It disappears after a second.

"Thank you," I said with a big smile.

"It's nothing," Morgan said with a small smile.

As I was about to jump down, I remembered something important.

"Oh right, I need a mask," That could have been very bad.

"Why is it necessary?" Morgan asked while using item construction to make it.

She handed it to me when it was done.

"To keep my identity hidden," It was a pale blue domino mask.

After I placed the mask on, the wind gathered once more and we jumped.

The wind slowed down my descent towards the unsuspecting gang members.

Morgan created lances made of light, she launched them toward the valkyrie.

BOOM.

I really hope that she doesn't kill anyone.

I landed behind two gang members who were distracted by the explosion. I punched both of them on the back of their heads, easily taking care of both of them.

Looking around I saw that no one realized yet my presence.

But they won't stay distracted for long, I need to move fast.

There weren't many left that could still fight. But charging head first is just foolish, especially when they're armed.

"Never stay still in a shooting. Be always on the move or find cover," Billy's lessons echoed in my mind.

I wrote the rune 'Ansuz' three times on air as fast as possible to launch head-sized fireballs at the remaining gang members. I didn't stay to see how many were hit.

Running to a corner of a building for cover, I came to face with an officer who was on the ground holding her bloody leg.

She was pointing a gun at me.

I raised my hands to try to calm her, "Easy there! I'm not your enemy!"

"Who the hell are you?" She said breathing hard.

"I'm a hero," I said with a grimace at her condition.

She was losing too much blood.

"Let me help you," I said moving closer.

"Stay back!" she yelled.

I stopped," Please, let me help you." I said as calmly as possible, "You're losing too much blood."

She looked at me for a moment and lowered her weapon with a resigned sigh.

I moved quickly to her side to put pressure on her wound. I tore a sleeve from my hoodie.

"This will hurt a little," I said tying tightly the sleeve around the wound.

Her response was to put her hands over her mouth to muffle the screams.

BOOM.

I ignored the explosion and focused on the problem in front of me.

She needs medical attention ASAP.

There were ambulances behind those Shields. I need to take her there.

Taking a peek at the street I saw that the fight wasn't going to last much longer.

The valkyrie was covered in bruises, cuts and holding her right side, blood seeped between her fingers. Her spear was nowhere to be seen.

I couldn't find the man with the tiger mask. Hopefully, he wasn't a threat anymore.

The remaining gang members were occupied with a small fire.

"We will make a run for it," I said picking her up in a bridal carry.

She groaned in pain.

Reinforcing my legs, I ran as fast as possible towards the ambulance.

At the speed I was going it would take at-

CLANG. CLANG. CLANG.

I was a few meters away from them when a glow surrounded me for a second. The sound of metal hitting metal buzzed in my ears.

Something just hit me, but thanks to Morgan's shield I felt nothing.

I jumped the rest of the distance and landed behind the shields.

Some were shouting around me but I didn't pay attention to them.

"Medic! I need a medic!" I roared at the officers around me.

"Miller!" Someone shouted alarmed.

Na officer ran to me to check on her. Most likely her partner.

"She lost too much blood," I said to him.

He looked at how pale she was and led me to the ambulance.

I handed her over to the EMTs, and after that, he turned to me.

"Who're you supposed to be?" He asked In a gruff voice.

I'm going to have to think of a cape name later.

"Don't have a name yet," I said. "Just here to help."

He snorts, "You choose one hell of a night to do that."

A pained yell brought our attention to the fight.

The valkyrie was impaled in the stomach by a bigger version of Morgan's spear made of light.

I could see her pulling the tip of the spear from a portal that was in front of her, making the bigger version disappear.

"Is she with you?" He asked nervous.

"Yes, she is," I said with a smile.

A lot of blood started to flow from the wound. Before she could even put her hands over it the blonde teenager from before flew to her face and threw a vicious punch that finished her.

The ground shook a little when she fell. After that, she started to shrink to a normal human size.

"Man, Glory Girl has a mean right hook," Someone in the crowd said.

Now I remember who they are.

That's Glory Girl, Shielder, and Lady Photon.

That was bugging me.

Morgan was walking towards me, ignoring all of the attempts Lady Photon and Glory made to talk to her.

Reaching me, she looked down.

"Why are your hands covered in blood?" She asked.

...What?

Looking down, my hands were indeed covered in blood.

"It's from someone I helped," Didn't even notice that.

Most people would be more distraught with having so much blood on their hands.

I was not like most people.

Morgan created a small ball of water for me.

I cleaned my hands with it.

"Ahem" someone coughed loudly next to us.

I turned to see Lady Photon and Shielder.

With one look I could tell they were both exhausted, but Shielder was also...angry.

"Hi," I said while drying my hands on the hoodie.

Going to have to throw it away later.

"Are you hurt?" She asked concerned.

"Thanks for the concerns but it's not mine. I helped an officer that got shot in the leg. Must have hit an artery, she was bleeding too fast," I said calmly.

"I..see," She gave me a strange look.

Did I say something wrong?

"Anyway, thank you both for the help. I shudder to think how much more damage Fenja and Stormtiger would have done if the fight had gone any longer," She said with a frown.

Oh yeah, those two.

Wait, isn't the valkyrie called Menja? Or am I remembering someone else?

All right, that's it. The first thing when I get back home is to use the internet to refresh my memory.

Honestly, should have done that already.

"I'm Lady Photon and this is Shielder, but you probably know that already," She said with a forced chuckle. Trying to alleviate some of the tension.

With all the commotion around us, it wasn't very effective.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," I said with a smile.

"And you two are?" She asked curious.

"Don't got a name yet," Never thought I would need a hero name.

I glance at Morgan to see if she would say anything.

"Berserker," Morgan said blankly.

At least she isn't ignoring them.

"This is your first time?" Lady Photon said a little surprised.

Even Shielder gave me a shocked look.

I tilt my head to the right, not understanding their reaction.

Wait, I get it. I'm claiming to be a newbie but acting like someone with more experience.

Well, whatever.

"I guess so," I said unbothered. "By the way, what happened to Stormtiger?" I couldn't find him before.

"He's on the hole," Lady Photon said with grim satisfaction.

Hole?

Looking over the street I saw what she meant. There's a small crater with Stormtiger right in the center of it. He was covered in bruises and, most importantly, his right arm was bent the wrong way.

How did I miss that?

"Glory Girl?" I asked looking at the crater.

"Yes," Lady Photon said casually as if talking of the weather.

I'm going to give her a high five later.

"So, how did this begin?" I said referring to the situation.

"The empire were being assholes again," Shielder hissed in anger.

"Shielder," Lady Photon said tiredly.

"This is just another show of how strong they're and not afraid of any-" He stops ranting when Lady Photon places a hand on his shoulder.

She looked worriedly at him.

"Go help, Glory Girl," Lady Photon said softly.

He flew with slumped shoulder to Glory Girl.

She sighed, "I'm sorry about that. He's just-"

I knew exactly how he was feeling.

"Frustrated," I said looking at his back. "That all his efforts aren't enough. That no matter how hard he tries it might never be enough," my body started to tremble.

"In the end, all you can do is swallow those feelings and hope next time will be better," I said with a shaky breath.

Failures flashed before my eyes.

Too lost in memories, I didn't notice the looks Morgan and Lady Photong were giving me.

"Husband," Morgan grabbed my hand in concern.

Looking at her, I tried to take a deep breath to calm my nerves.

It didn't work.

Wanting to have some time alone, I turned to Lady Photon to say goodbye.

She was staring wide eyes at me.

I gave her a brittle smile, "I think I had enough excitement for one day."

I left with Morgan before Lady Photon could say anything else.

////////

"Are you better now?" Morgan said next to me.

"A little," I said sighing.

We were inside a bounded field in Boardwalk, sitting on a bench and looking at the beach.

There's so much litter.

Which's a shame, since it seems like such a nice beach.

"You are being too harsh with yourself," Morgan said softly.

"I could have saved so many more if-" a finger was put on my lips.

"No," Morgan said firmly.

"Wondering if the outcome could have been different if you had more information, more resources, more power, or any other variables, will only make you look back at all the choices made and resent them. We can only work with the tools at our disposal and nothing more," Morgan said.

She puts her hand on my cheek," You restored the world and proper human history. Hold your head high and be proud of what you achieved, Husband," Morgan said softly while wiping some of the tears that were falling from my eyes.

I could only nod since I wasn't in a condition to speak.

Morgan smiled and leaned her head on my left shoulder.

After that, we settled in a comfortable silence and watched the moon.

I don't know how long we kept doing that, but I still needed some answers.

"What happened after we defeated the alien god?" I asked in a low voice, breaking the silence.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Morgan made no move to lift her head.

I thought a little, "Da Vinci said something was happening and suddenly I woke up in a hospital."

"Hospital?" Morgan asked.

"I was in a coma for two months," I still don't know how to feel about that.

Morgan humms, "It matches what he told us."

"What?" I asked confused.

"Let me start from the beginning. As the world was starting to restore to how it once was, you were enclosed in a glow and started to disappear in small particles of light," Morgan said.

Wait a second.

"That's what it looks like when servants return to the throne," I exclaimed in disbelief turning to Morgan.

Morgan lifts her head and nods.

"At first we thought it was some sort of attack from the alien god but Da Vinci confirmed that he was gone which left us confused. All the methods used to determine what happened were of little use since, as you said, they all matched with data of a servant returning to the throne," Morgan said.

"However it wasn't the throne you were returning to but someplace else and we couldn't tell where. While we were looking for answers, the Mage's Association came to Chaldea demanding answers," Morgan finished with a sneer.

That can't have ended well.

"What did they do?" I asked with dread.

"Walking around as if they owned the place, making ludicrous demands, non-stop screeching," Morgan was fuming. "And they dared to call us liars when proof of what transpired was shown," Her fist was clenched tightly.

Holy crap, I've never seen her this angry.

"Were any of them killed?" Please say no.

Morgan takes a breath to regain her composure," As satisfying as that would have been, Da Vinci and Goredolf stopped us. Saying it would only make things worse."

Thank god, that would have been ugly.

"That's when he appeared," Morgan said more calmly. "A man by the name of Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg."

I sucked a deep breath in surprise.

The wizard Marshall.

Kaleidoscope.

You don't learn about the world of mystics without learning about him too.

"Why was he there?" I asked in a small voice.

"To take over the investigation on Chaldea's actions, since they were deemed unfit to conduct it," Morgan said with a satisfied smile. "That was just an excuse he used to send those pests away."

"How mad were they," I asked in an excited tone.

"They were red in the face from indignation and looked like were about to throw a tantrum," Morgan sighs in disappointment. "However they stayed quiet and just stormed out."

That's a shame, but it would be foolish to go against his orders.

After all, he is one the highest authorities in the Mages's Association.

"So, what did he say?" I asked.

"Firstly, he expressed gratitude for the success in restoring proper human history. Afterward came the explanation of what had happened to you," Morgan looked me in the eyes. "He said that you returned home since your contract was completed," Morgan said seriously.

Contract?

"What?" I whispered breathlessly.

"To put it simply. Zelretch summoned you to save the world," Morgan said.

How is that simple?!

"Why me?! I'm a nobody!" I screamed furiously at Morgan.

She was unbothered by it and waited for me to calm down.

I took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Sorry," I said after calming down.

"It's fine, you have all the right to be angry. He placed a burden that was too heavy on your shoulder without permission," Morgan said with a frown.

Screw being a magician, I'm going to punch that asshole if I ever get the chance.

"Why did he even do something like that?" I was feeling even more tired.

"He knew the human order incineration incident was coming but was being watched by an unknown enemy. Thus his movements were very limited," Morgan said.

I'm not surprised with that, given what Goetia is.

"But what forced his hand was the results of all the simulations on the chances that humanity had to overcome the coming crisis. They all showed less than one percent of success," Morgan said grimly.

Less than one percent!?

"Tha-that's is to be expected right? With Levy sabot-" Morgan interrupted me.

"Even if such an incident had never occurred and Chaldea was at its peak, the results would still be the same. That's something that he made quite clear to us," Morgan said.

I don't know what to say to that. I always thought that our chances were so low because of what Levy did.

"That's when he summons me, and I fell into a coma," I'm getting a headache from this.

Morgan nods," It took your conscience and gave a new body, while the original was back here waiting for your return. It was a one-sided contract that forced you to do his bidding."

Well, now I know why I was in a coma.

Now that I think about it, that also explains why Mash found me sleeping on the ground on my first day there.

"He was quite apologetic about his actions and wanted to give us something," Morgan said.

As if anything he gives will ever make up for all I have been through.

"He made it possible for us to reunite," Morgan said with a smile.

I blinked in confusion," What do you mean?"

"Chaldea has no connection to this world besides you. Summoning would have been simply impossible," Morgan said.

Seriously?! That never even crossed my mind.

Wait, so then how was I successful?

The answer hit me like a lightning bolt.

"Kaleidoscope," I said with wide eyes.

"Yes, though I'm unsure of how was made possible, you will have to talk to Da Vinci," Morgan tilts her head in thought.

I cover my face groaning.

I'm too tired of this crap.

"Alright, here is what we're going to do," I groaned while getting up. "We will go home and sleep. Tomorrow we will thing of our next step," I got a fucking migraine.

Dad, I hope you have some strong booze.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

The uniform that Henry is wearing is the Decisive-Battle Chaldea Uniform.

Describing clothes is hard, I don't think I would be able to do it without the wiki helping me.

Next chapter we get more servants and more action.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

"Weird, I could swear that there was still some beer left," Isaac rubbed his chin while looking at the open refrigerator.

I drank all of it after coming back home last night.

I was hoping to find something a little more strong but Dad was never much of a drinker anyway.

I even asked Morgan to make something stronger than beer.

She was not amused.

I also used the internet to refresh my memory and tell Morgan more about parahumans. I focused more on the capes from Brockton Bay.

"Put in the grocery list for later," Nora was putting a fried egg on toast. "Here you go Henry," Nora puts the plate in front of me on the dining table.

"Thanks, mom," I said.

Nora notices the wristband on my right wrist.

"What language is that?" Nora raised an eyebrow at the writing on the wristband.

"I think is Latin," I was hoping no one would notice.

Nora hummed, "What does it say?"

"Something about good health and fortune," I said. "I bought a while back in the Boardwalk."

I have no idea what's written on it, this isn't a language that humans can ever hope to understand.

This is the language of fairies.

Last night when I was changing clothes I saw that all my scars were back. Morgan theorizes that my body changed to match the current state of my soul.

My parents would freak out if they saw this, so I asked Morgan for a way to hide it.

She made this wristband that will hide the scars and command spells when I'm wearing it.

Nora nodded at what I said and started to wash the dirty plates that were on the sink.

Daisy was eating cereal in the living room while watching TV.

I glanced to see that she was watching some cartoon about chibi versions of the Protectorate.

Taking a bit of the toast, I thought of the next step to re-establish contact with Chaldea.

We need to find a ley line.

Making contact with another world will require high amounts of magical energy that a ley line can provide.

Morgan said that she felt one in the city, now they just need to find it.

"Look, it's New Wave!" Daisy said excitedly.

I jumped a little at Daisy's voice and turned to see what she was talking about.

Footage from last night's fight is being shown by the morning news.

"New Wave last night was confronted again by the empire but this time they received assistance from two unknown capes," a man said. "With their help, New Wave was able to defeat Fenja, Stormtiger, and seventeen members of the empire. They're currently in the custody of the PRT."

"The PRT is also asking for these new capes to enter contact with them immediately," the man said. "Now we will go to Tracy who is at the site of last night's fights. Tracy, how's the situation there?"

The image changed to the same reporter from yesterday.

The background showed the destroyed street from last night's fight and people leaving their homes as it isn't safe to stay there anymore.

There were also construction workers cleaning the rubble and fixing the street little by little.

"It's not good Ben, while there weren't any deaths in the fight, thankfully, the damage done to some buildings has injured some and left many more without a home," Tracy said.

"Is there any idea of when they will be able to return home?" Ben asked.

"Unfortunately no. There's a shortage of material and manpower to fix all the damage all the damage across the ci-"

"Hold on Tracy," Ben puts a finger on his ear. "I'm being informed that Oni Lee has been spotted near empire territory. Nothing has happened yet but it's advice to be careful as another confrontation might happen soon."

"That's enough of that," Isaac turns off the TV.

"I was watching that," Daisy whined.

Isaac turns to Daisy, "I'm going to drive you to school today, so don't take long to get ready."

Daisy grumbled a little while going to her room to change clothes.

"Speaking of school, we need to find out when they expect Henry to return," Nora said.

I groan loudly at that.

"Oh shush, it's not the end of the world," Nora said amused.

I hold back a snort.

"So listen, I'm going to go for a walk after I eat," I said.

"Why?" Issac raised an eyebrow.

"To stretch my legs a little, and get some fresh air," I shrugged my shoulders.

Nora and Isaac traded concerned glances.

"Don't worry, I'm going to the Boardwalk and stay there," I said, trying to reassure my parents.

Normally the boardwalk is a safe place to go but right now there isn't anywhere that's safe in the city.

"Return before gets dark and don't forget your phone," Isaac said sternly.

"Gotcha," giving thumps up to my dad.

"Oh, look at the time!" Nora looks at her wristwatch.

"Daisy, are you ready?" Isaac asked.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Daisy was putting on her school bag.

"See you later shrimp," I ruffled her head.

She batted away my hand and stuck her tongue out at me.

"I'm going later to the market," Nora grabbed her purse. "Is there anything you want?"

"A pepperoni pizza and some chocolate would be nice," I said.

She nodded and left with the rest of the family, leaving me alone.

But I'm not alone.

"So that's your family," Morgan materialized on a chair at the dinner table.

I nodded while putting my plate on the sink, "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"Is there any tea?" Morgan asked.

"Sorry, no one here drinks tea," Even if there was, it wouldn't be from a brand she likes.

"Shame," Morgan glanced at the TV."Is such occurrence common here?"

"The cape fight?" I asked.

"Yes, your parents didn't seem surprised about how more fights are expected to happen," Morgan said.

I sighed, "Cause that's the normal here. They will butts heads for a while, make claims of how strong they're, or any other nonsense. All the while not caring how many innocents are hurt in the process."

Morgan frowns, "Their actions are too bold, do they not fear reprise from the heroes?"

"Not really. They're outnumbered and without special circumstances, heroes don't kill here," I said.

"Having such leniency towards pests that only destroy is the height of foolishness," Morgan said coldly. "They should be crushed and be displayed as a warning for others that think they can act with impunity."

I kind of agree with her, maybe that way they would think twice before causing trouble.

The problem is that Morgan would have everyone put to death.

Including the heroes.

She would never tolerate their incompetence.

I better not even tell her how commonly they fail to stop the villain from escaping confinement.

"The Protectorate and PRT wouldn't agree with that," I said.

Morgan scoffed, "From what I see, they have no right to complain."

This isn't getting anywhere, let's change the topic.

"Besides the ley line, what else do you need?" I asked.

"Only the ley line is required," Morgan puts a jewel on the table.

It was a ruby the size of an orange, looking closer I could see a kaleidoscope of colors.

It was mesmerizing.

"What's this?" I asked.

"A mystic code that the wizard marshall gave us. It will work as an anchor for Chaldea to connect to this world," Morgan said.

He is going the extra mile to apologize, but I'm still going to punch him.

"Did you finish my uniform?" looking away from the ruby.

"It's in your room," Morgan said.

I nodded and went to my room, laying on the bed was a white uniform with gloves.

Grabbing both the uniform and cell phone I put all inside a school bag.

After that, I went back to Morgan.

"Aren't you going to change?" Morgan tilts her head.

"Not here, don't need the entire city to know where I live. Which direction are we going?" I went to the front door.

"North to Northwest from here," Morgan comes to my side.

Before opening the door I turned to Morgan.

"You need to switch to spiritual form," Morgan raised an eyebrow. "If anyone sees you leaving, we're going to get some very curious people around here," I explained.

It's going to be the Protectorate/PRT or the gangs that will come knocking on that door later if that happens.

She huffs in annoyance and switches to spiritual form.

She doesn't like to have to hide.

Better not keep her waiting then.

////////

Leaving the apartment I waited to be a few blocks away before finding the first empty alley to change clothes. Morgan materialized next to me and created a small bound field so no one could see me change clothes.

After changing I put the school bag on my back and left the alley with Morgan.

"There's something that puzzles me," Morgan ignored all the looks she was receiving.

"What?" I also ignored all the looks.

"What are the gang's ultimate goals," Morgan said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"This struggle has been going on for years, correct?" I nodded. "And yet no one of them seems close to conquering the city. Is that not what they wish for?" Morgan asked.

I honestly don't know.

I can't remember them ever saying anything like that.

"I guess that would be what they want in the end but taking over the city wo-" Morgan abruptly stops and snaps her head up.

I was startled at first and quickly did the same as her.

Looking up I saw a flying man wearing Greek armor approaching us quickly. Anyone who lives in Brockton Bay knows who he is.

That's Dauntless.

He lands a few meters away from us.

"Hey," Dauntless said.

I took a glance around us and saw some people move away, others were using their phones to record this.

Of course, someone was going to call the Protectorate.

With how Morgan and I are dressed, we scream 'cape'.

"It's okay, he's one of the good guys," I said quietly to Morgan.

Morgan narrows her eyes at him.

"Hey," let's make a good impression. "Wans't expecting to get a visit from a celebrity," I joked.

"I was passing by and decided to say hi," Dauntless shrugs his shoulder. "So what're you two doing here?" He asked casually.

"Taking a stroll," I said.

"A stroll," Dauntless said amused.

"It would be a shame to stay indoors on such a nice day," it's kinda cloudy today but still nice.

"You did pick a nice place for a stroll. There's a bakery around here that has a chocolate cake that you just have to try," Dauntless said.

"Oh, that does sound nice but right now I would prefer some hot chocolate. Unfortunately, everything here is so expensive," I lamented.

A cup of hot chocolate is almost thirty dollars here!

Dauntless nods, "That's true, the coffees here are good but I'm not paying thirty dollars for it. If it wasn't for a friend telling me about the bakery, I wouldn't buy the food here."

"You don't say," Great, now I'm getting hungry.

"It's a small place, easy to miss if you don't know about it, and they have better prices. I could give you the address if you would like," Dauntless said.

"I would appreciate that," I'm liking this guy. "Pleasantries aside, do you need something from us?"

"Not really, I was told to check on two unknown parahumans that were walking here. Didn't expect to be you guys." Dauntless said. "My boss on the other hand would like to speak with you two."

I don't want to do this right now, they're going to make a pitch for me to join the wards.

"Going to take a rain check on that, right now I'm kind busy," I'm finding that ley line today.

"Any way I can change your mind?" Dauntless asked.

"Sorry," I smile apologetically.

"All right then," Dauntless grabs a card from his pocket and offers it to me. "Here's the number you have to call to warn us when you're coming."

I grabbed the car and put it in my pocket.

Dauntless leans closer to us, "You two have to be careful," he lowered his voice so only Morgan and I would hear him. "The empire is going to come after you two hard," he said seriously.

I tensed, "Cause of Stormtiger and Fenja?" I also spoke in a lowered voice.

"Little bit about that but mostly is that they can't let newbies give them a bloody nose without retribution," Dauntless said.

They have to attack us or lose some face for letting rookies get one over them.

"New Wave was also there but we're the easier targets," I said grimly but was smiling on the inside.

They're going to have a nasty surprise.

"Exactly, so don't hesitate to call this number if you're in trouble. Don't want to see two new heroes die so young," Dauntless said sincerely.

I smiled at the gesture, it's easy to see why he's so popular.

"Got any other advice?" I asked.

Dauntless hummed in thought, "The ABB might take a shot at you two but right now I'd say that has a very low chance. They will most likely stand back and see how the both of you react to the empire."

"What about Coil?" I raised an eyebrow at him not being mentioned.

"Him?" Dauntless asked surprised.

What's with this reaction?

He has been a gang leader for years now.

"I'm not sure what he would do," Dauntless said after some thought. "Look, it should be fine as long as the two of you stay out of his territory," Dauntless shrugs his shoulders.

What the fuck, how do you have no idea what he might do!?

Alarm bells went off in my head, "Don't take this the wrong way but how the hell do you not know?" I asked in disbelief.

"Unlike the ABB and the Empire, Coil actions are difficult to track. And yes, we're keeping an eye on him but the other two cause too much trouble that that we have to focus more on them. Leaving Coil with less oversight," Dauntless sighed in frustration.

He's using the ABB and Empire as a smoke screen. Clever bastard.

I winced, "I'm sor-"

"It's fine, I know what this sounds like," Dauntless waved off my apology. He suddenly perk up his head, "Yes?"

The question wasn't directed at us. Seems like there's trouble somewhere.

"Understood, I'm on my way," Dauntless said. "I'm going to have to end this talk here but before I leave, Lady Photon said that you didn't have a cape name before. Do you have one now?" he asked curiously.

"Magus," I'm not wasting my time with this.

"Interesting name," He moved a little away from us. "It was nice meeting you two and enjoy your stroll," Dauntless said louder before flying away.

This meeting gave me a lot to think over but right now I have a more immediate concern.

"You okay? You stayed quiet the entire conversation," I asked Morgan concerned.

"I was trying to discern the origins of his spear and shield," Morgan tilts her head in thought.

"And?" I asked.

"They're embedded with some unknown energy that turned them into something akin to a mystic code. How curious," Morgan said.

"How strong would you say they're?" I asked seriously.

I know how strong mystic codes can be.

"Without a closer look I can't say for sure," Morgan said.

Looks like I'm going to have to make a list of things we need to check.

Now I'm wondering if tinkertech could hurt a servant's body.

"Let's pick up the pace, we already lost enough time," the next interruption might not go so well.

Morgan nodded and we started to walk faster.

///////

After an hour of walking, we have reached our destination.

The Boat Graveyard.

We're atop a building observing the dockworkers walking around the place, doing miscellanies activities.

"All right, let's do this quickly. Then we can find a more secluded place to set everything up," I said.

"It doesn't work like that, husband," Morgan shakes her head.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The jewel has to be placed where the ley line is the strongest and it will become rooted to it when used," Morgan said.

I can feel a migraine coming.

"Fucking perfect, we have to hide the damm thing in a place where thousands of people work," I pinched my nose.

"We could kick them out," Morgan suggested.

"No, we can't," don't make this more complicated Morgan. "Hide us with an illusion and let's get this over with," one problem at a time.

Morgan casts an illusion that hides us from everyone and we jump down towards the Boat Graveyard.

Walking towards the warehouses we stop in front of one that seems to have been left unused for a while given how the door hinges groaned in protest when opened.

The air was humid on the inside and everything was covered in dust.

Morgan quickly creates a bound field that will make anyone who comes near the warehouse will ignore it.

"Disgusting," Morgan looked around with a frown.

"Yeah, times have not been kind to the Lord's Port," I said with a shrug. "How long is going to take?"

"It shouldn't take too much time," Morgan walked to the center of the warehouse with the ruby at hand.

I walked to a pair of old wooden crates and sat on them.

Morgan creates a magical circle on the ground and places the ruby in the center. She starts to chant an incantation that makes the circle glow brightly.

The ruby, glowing just as brightly, starts to levitate. Small wisps of light slowly connect with the magical circle, as if it was creating roots with the ley line.

Huh, so that's what she meant by rooted.

I cover my eyes when the light becomes too much. I don't know how long it has lasted but I opened my eyes when Morgan spoke.

"It's done," Morgan stepped away from the circle.

"No one saw that right? Cause it was very bright," that was one hell of a light show.

"I'm certain no one saw," Morgan said.

The ruby glowed once more and a screen manifested in front of it.

There was static on the screen for a moment before it was replaced with the image of a young woman with lilac hair and wearing glasses.

When she saw me, her face lit up with joy and relief.

"Senpai!" Mash said with happiness.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

When I first thought this chapter there was going to be a fight scene but I'm satisfied with how it went.

The next one will have more action.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

I was happy to see Mash again but before I could say anything she was pushed away from the screen by a young woman with horns.

"Master!" Kiyohime exclaimed.

"Hey Kiyohime," I said with a soft smile.

"Thank goodness, I was so worried when you disappeared," Kiyohime had tears brimming in her eyes.

Before I could attempt to comfort her, Kiyohime was also pushed away from the screen.

Oh boy, that's not going to end well.

"Yo Master! You gave us quite the scare but of course, you wouldn't die so easily!" Oda Nobunaga was smiling from ear to ear. "What's you wor-" Nobunaga leaped away from the screen to dodge a fireball.

And now they're fighting.

"The hell are you doing?!" Nobunaga screamed with her rifle in her hands.

"I'm finally reunited with my beloved. Don't get in our way, you tramp," Kiyohime said with a furious glare.

"Who're you calling tramp?!" Nobunaga screamed indignantly.

I could hear other voices in the command room that were trying to stop both of them from fighting each other.

"Kiyohime! Nobu! No fighting in the command room!" I said.

My command caused Kiyohime and Nobu to hesitate briefly. In that moment of hesitation, they were grabbed by two giant mechanical hands.

"That's far enough you two. Can't have the command room destroyed by your bout," Da Vinci said to the two she was holding in her mechanical hands.

"She started it!" Kiyohime and Nobu said at the same time.

"Don't matter who started I'm ending it." Da Vinci sighs. "I get that you two are relieved to see Henry again but don't go causing trouble for everyone else."

Kiyohime and Nobu grumbled under their breaths.

Da Vinci releases both of them.

"So as punishment, I'm going to kick you two out of here," Da Vinci turns her head. "That also goes for anyone who isn't essential for this meeting. The room is too cramped with so many here."

The next few minutes all I could hear was Da Vinci kicking people out of the command room and a lot of complaining about what she was doing.

After finishing it, she appeared on the screen again.

"Hey there Henry, Morgan" Da Vinci waves enthusiastically.

"Hello Da Vinci," Morgan greeted back.

"Hey, Da Vinci. Seem like things are as lively as ever," there was never a boring day there.

"A little more now but that's not important right now," Da Vinci's eyes were sparkling.

I know that look, she's going to ask me a bunch of questions about Earth Bet.

As Da Vinci is about to start with the questions, Holmes stops her by putting his hand on her head.

"As much as I would like to also ask some questions about his home, let's do this in another moment. We have much to discuss," Holmes said.

Da Vinci pouts at being interrupted but nods in the end.

I sighed in relief and sent a grateful look towards Holmes.

Da Vinci is relentless when comes to things that interest her.

"Good day Henry, Morgan," Holmes said.

"Hey Holmes," I greeted back.

"Hello Holmes," Morgan said.

A blonde man walks in front of the screen and I had to hold myself from flinching at his appearance.

Goredolf had dark circles around his eyes, his hair was messy, and his clothes were wrinkled.

"Director, you look...good," he looks like he hasn't slept in days.

"You don't have to watch your words, Henry. I'm quite aware of my appearance," Goredolf said. "Hello Morgan," He said respectfully.

"Hello director," Morgan said.

Goredolf gives me a critical look and nods pleased, "You seem to be in good health."

"Thanks. Don't you want to take a break?" I asked concerned.

"I agree with Senpai. Director, you have to take a break. You've been working nonstop for days," Mash appears on the screen with a concerned look.

Goredolf snorts, "I wouldn't have the right to call myself the director of Chaldea if I let my subordinates do all the hard work," He shakes his head. "I just need a good cup of coffee."

It's moments like this that make me glad that he's the director and not some snooty magus from the Clock Tower.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"We have more paperwork than usual, that's all," Holmes said.

"Mages Association?" I asked already knowing the answer.

Don't they have anything better to do with their time?

"They can't touch us but they certainly can make it harder for us to buy more resources," Da Vinci said with a huff.

"What're you working on, Da Vinci?" I asked.

"A project that will affect greatly Chaldea future, but before we delve into it there's something that I would like to know. Why're you wearing a mask, Henry?" Goredolf asked.

By the look on the faces of everyone else, they also wanted to know about the mask.

"Oh, it's to hide my identity," I took off the mask. "Maybe I should wear one that hides more of my face than just the eyeballs," I thought out loud after giving the mask a more critical look.

That only made them more confused.

Holmes rubs his chin," Why do you need something like that?"

That is a loaded question.

"So the villains that plague this city don't target Henry's family," Morgan said.

"Villans?" Mash tilts her head sideways in confusion.

"I still say that more drastic measures need to be made," Morgan said to me.

"We can't kill them without cause, Morgan," I said with a groan. "If we do that, the heroes will attack us."

"Getting rid of pests that cause daily destruction is not enough cause?" Morgan raised an eyebrow.

I paused at what she said. Given the amount of damage that the city receives daily from them, the PRT ENE should have been allowed to use more aggressive means to deal with the villains.

Yet they haven't.

"Look, I don't know how things work in the PRT. What I do know is that we don't want to become enemies with them," I said with finality to Morgan.

There's no point in antagonizing them. That would just create unnecessary problems.

I noticed the looks we were receiving from Da Vinci, Holmes, Mash, and Goredolf.

Yeah, this talk must only be confusing them even more.

"It would be better if you explained what this project is first. It's gonna take a while to explain how things work here," I said with a tired sigh.

Da Vinci, Mash, Holmes, and Goredolf traded glances with each other.

Goredolf coughs in his hand, "Very well. Da Vinci, you have the floor."

Da Vinci steps forward, "Behold my genius."

Schematics of a building appeared on the screen.

"What am I looking at?" I asked.

"Chaldea new headquarters," Da Vinci puffed her chest, proudly.

I hummed in confusion, "Why do we need a new headquarters? And where would it be located?"

Chaldea is located in Antarctica so no nation could claim it.

Is there another place like that?

"I'm glad you asked," Da Vinci pointed at me in an overdramatic way. "The new permanent headquarters will be located in your world, Henry,"

My mind came to a crash at the declaration.

What the hell does she mean by permanent?!

"What're you talking about?" I asked surprised.

I knew that we would need to have a base here but I thought it would be only temporary.

"Zelretch implied, rather strongly I might add, that it would be in our best interest to have a change of scenario and that your home would be the ideal place to go," Holmes said.

What?

"Did he say anything about Earth Bet?" I asked.

"Earth Bet?" Mash asked.

"Weird name, I know. There was this incident in the late eighties that revealed the existence of other earths," I said rubbing my neck.

That piece of information certainly surprises them.

"Tell me everything!" Da Vinci demanded with an excited grin.

"An incident that revealed the existence of other earths. How curious," Holmes leaned closer in interest.

"When you say other earth, do you mean parallel worlds?!" Goredolf exclaimed in disbelief.

"That's amazing senpai!" Mash said with sparkling eyes.

"You didn't inform of this, husband," Morgan said.

"It wasn't relevant before," I only told Morgan what were the current events happening in Brockton Bay.

"I take that it was one of these parahumans that have done such deed," Morgan said.

"Parahumans?" Goredolf asked.

"It was a tinker. I can't remember his name right now but I know he was a villain," I said.

"And to think that a miracle was achieved without the use of mystics. What a strange world this is" Morgan said.

"WHAT!" Holmes, Da Vinci, Mash, and Goredolf screamed at the same time.

That new piece of information motivated them to ask even more questions.

The problem was that they were all talking at the same time.

I couldn't understand anything that was being said and it was starting to give me a migraine.

This has been happening a lot lately.

"ENOUGH!" I screamed.

I rubbed my temples in an attempt to reduce the migraine.

"One thing at a time," I said through gritted teeth. "We will finish this talk about the new headquarters then I will answer all of your questions, okay!?"

I didn't mean to raise my voice but it helped in calming them down.

After their apology, the meeting continued as normal.

"What did he say?" I asked again.

"He didn't say anything beyond that we should move our operation to your home," Da Vinci shrugged her shoulder.

He must know how dire things are here, why else would he suggest that?

"And you're okay with this plan director?" I asked.

"Chaldea will be dissolved one way or another," Goredolf said bluntly.

I took a deep breath without realizing it.

"Oh, don't be so surprised Henry," Goredolf chuckles. "Zelretch protection only goes so far. If enough lords from the Clock Tower work together, they will be able to override his decision."

"So that's how it ends," I said bitterly.

After everything we have done this is how they repay us.

"Don't look so down Henry. That might be how Chaldea's story ends but that is here. A new chapter awaits in a new world," Holmes said.

I snorted a laugh at what Holmes said.

"A little over dramatic, don't you think Holmes?" I asked with a grin.

Holmes nodded, "It might be but you understand the point I'm making."

He's right, there's no point in being angry.

"Exactly Holmes. I will never allow any of those greedy lords from the Clock Tower to get anything from Chaldea. So effective immediately we will move our operation to a more secure place. Are there any objections?" Goredolf asked.

"None," I, Da Vinci, Holmes, Mash, and Morgan said at the same time.

"Good," Goredolf nodded pleased.

As good news as this was I realized something important.

"If that's the case, we're going to need a new director," it's a shame that Goredolf won't be able to come.

It will be either Da Vinci or Holmes.

I have no interest in the position. I saw the amount of paperwork they do daily.

"That won't be necessary senpai, the director will also be to visit your world," Mash said.

"Really?" I asked.

Man, this ruby sure is handy.

"It will take more preparation but eventually I will be able to visit your world. So don't write me off yet, Henry," Goredolf said.

"Does that mean that you will live here from now on?" I asked.

"No, I will only stay long periods of time there. I won't abandon my responsibilities with the Musik family," Goredolf said seriously.

"All right then. Is there anything I can help with it?" I asked eagerly.

The sooner it's done the better.

"Aren't you forgetting something, Henry?" Da Vinci asked with a smile.

I was confused for a moment about what Da Vinci meant until I remembered the deal from before.

Let's get this over with.

"Better get comfortable, there's a lot to cover and a lot of it isn't pleasant," I said with a grimace.

I started to tell them everything I knew about Earth Bet.

Parahumans. What the Endbringer are and the damage they have done to the planet. The horrors committed by the Slaughterhouse Nine. Heroes and villains. The gradual decline of Earth Bet.

By the time I was done, the warehouse was in complete silence.

I was looking down at the floor absentmindedly. Holmes was smoking from his pipe with a thoughtful look. Da Vinci was thinking deeply with her arms crossed over her chest and eyes closed. Morgan closed her eyes in deep thought. Mash had a sad frown on her face.

Goredolf looked around and gritted his teeth. He takes a deep breath and claps his hands loudly.

The sudden noise startled everyone. I returned my attention to the screen.

"I understand how upsetting all of this is but this isn't the first time we came across a situation that seemed hopeless," Goredolf said. "We will do as always, tackle one problem at a time."

"What facilities have you secured, Henry?" Goredolf asked.

"Right now all I got is an unused warehouse. There're a lot of abandoned warehouses and apartment buildings throughout the city that we could use," I said.

The failing infrastructure of the city is going to work in our favor.

I don't know how to feel about that.

Goredolf turns to Da Vinci, "How many servants are we able to send right now?"

"With this amount of magical energy we can send three servants," Da Vinci said after checking the data she was receiving from the ruby.

"Medea, Cú Chulainn, and Hassan of the hundred faces," I said immediately.

"Mash, go help them get ready," Goredolf said.

Mash nodded and left quickly.

"Henry, a quick question. The time of each endbringer attack, is it always the same?" Holmes asked.

I thought a little and nodded, "Yeah, every four months there's one."

"Is that so," Holmes rubs his chin in thought.

I need to check when the next one is expected. To see how much time we have to prepare.

"What do you plan to do, Henry?" Goredolf asked.

"Right now, I plan to crush the gangs without mercy," I said bluntly.

"...I see," Goredolf blinked at what I said.

Goredolf let out a big yawn.

"Director, I think it's time for your break," Da Vinci said.

"Nonsense I-" Goredolf yawned again.

Goredolf froze and quickly tried to hide with a cough. Noticing the stares we were giving, he sighed in resignation.

"I will take a quick nap. Wake me up in an hour," Goredolf went to his room.

By the glances Da Vinci and Holmes shared I could tell they weren't going to do that. They were going to let him sleep as much as he wanted.

Speaking of sleeping, I could go for a good night's sleep. Didin't get much yesterday, I had too much on my mind.

Fortunately, I'm used to working with little sleep.

The ruby started to glow brightly again. When the glow dwindled there were three new individuals in the warehouse.

"Yo master," Cú Chulainn said with a smile,

"Hey Cu Chulainn," I raised my hand in a high five, which he gladly returned.

"Well, you certainly could have chosen a better place master," Medea said while looking around.

"Honestly, even if I could choose another place I would still have looked for an abandoned warehouse or some empty building," I shrugged my shoulders.

That was the original plan before I was told the ruby would be rooted to the ley line.

"Besides this isn't going to be our main base," I said.

We're going to have to find a way to hide this warehouse.

Medea hummed in response, walking around to see how much space she had to work with. She starts to cast spells to clean the air and dust inside the warehouse.

"Hey Hassan," I greeted the quiet assassin.

"Master, I'm glad that you're in good health," Hassan said.

I smiled in return.

"So master, what's the plan?" Cú Chulainn leaned on one of the wooden crates.

"We're going to end a gang war that's currently happening," I said.

Wait, they don't know what I'm talking about.

As I was about to further explain Cú Chulainn interrupted me.

"Don't need to do that, Mash gave us a summary of what's going on," Cú Chulainn said.

Best kouhai ever.

"What a nasty city you live in, master," Medea finishes cleaning the warehouse.

True but that's going to change now.

"Morgan and Medea, fortify this warehouse. If you need more space there are abandoned ships nearby that you can use," I said.

They nodded and started to get to work.

I turned to Hassan, "Find the locations where the gangs keep their cache of weapons, money, and drugs," I said.

I turned to Cú Chulainn, "And you're going to attack those caches."

Cú Chulainn's smile was full of teeth.

Suddenly the sound of ringing echoed in the warehouse.

I looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the sound.

"Your backpack," Holmes informed me.

I grabbed the backpack and opened it. My cellphone was ringing.

That reminds me that I need to get a burner phone.

"Hello?" I answered the call.

"Henry, where're you?" Isaac asked.

"I'm still in the Boardwalk," I answered a little confused with the question.

Wait, what time is it?

I looked at the clock on my phone and winced.

This meeting has gone way longer than I thought.

"Do you need me to go get you?" Isaac asked.

"No!" that was louder than I wanted. "I mean, there's no need. I can see the bus arriving, it won't take long for me to get home."

"All right," Isaac said.

The line was quiet for a few moments.

"Dad? You there?" I asked.

"Is everything alright Henry?" Isaac asked.

His question caught me off guard.

"What? Of course, I'm okay," I said a little nervous. "Why are you asking that?"

"You seem tired," Isaac said.

I paused at his question.

I was feeling a little tired but it wasn't anything serious.

"I...just got a lot on my mind right now, that's all," I said weakly.

Why does it sound so hollow?

"Okay," Isaac said.

He doesn't sound convinced and I don't blame him.

"Dad, everything is going to be okay. I promise," I said softly.

"...all right, call me if you need anything. I love you," Isaac said before ending the call.

I sighed tiredly while looking at the cell phone.

I missed the looks everyone was giving me.

I turned to Cú Chulainn, "I'm going to need a ride home."

"Master, are you okay?" Medea asked concerned.

I put the mask back on.

"I'm fine," I said emotionless. "We're going to focus on the Do-"

"Nope," Da Vinci interrupted me.

I turned to Da Vinci shocked, "Excuse me?"

"You're going to home and rest," Da Vinci ordered.

I frowned in frustration, "I can rest later, we nee-"

"Nope," Da Vinci interrupted me again.

"STOP INTERRUPTING ME!" I screamed.

No one said anything as I tried to regain my breath.

"The world can wait a day," Da Vinci said softly.

"But," I tighten my fists.

"Senpai," I blinked surprised at Mash's voice.

When did she return?

I turned to see Mash looking at me worried.

I always hated worrying her.

Mash had a sad smile, "You have to rest senpai."

"I agree with Mash. It's important to take care of one's own health," Holmes said.

I tried to protest again but Holmes kept talking.

"The problems that plague the world won't go away in one day," Holmes said. "It will take time to make any sort of impact, be patient Henry."

I felt a hand on my shoulder, turning I saw Cú Chulainn smiling at me. And he wasn't the only one, everyone was giving me reassuring smiles.

"All right," I whispered.

"Go spend some time with your family, senpai," Mash said gently.

"Hassan, make sure he has a full night of sleep," Da Vinci ordered.

Hassan nodded and moved next to me.

"Da Vinci," I groaned.

"Don't make me send Nightingale over there," Da Vinci threatened.

I paled at the thought of what Nightingale would do.

"You don't have enough magical energy," I said with panic.

"As if that would stop me," Da Vinci scoffs.

I believe her.

///////

"I'm home," I said opening the front door.

Looking around I saw Mom cooking dinner, Dad and Daisy were watching TV in the living room.

I went straight towards Dad.

Isaac got up to greet me but before he could say anything I hugged him.

He quickly reciprocates the hug.

"Welcome home," Isaac said after letting go of me.

I gave him a smile in return.

"Dinner is ready," Nora said.

Isaac and Daisy went towards the dining table, Nora was putting a tray of lasagna on the table. It didn't take long for them to start some chatter about the day.

Something that I learned in my journey is that moments like this should be cherished, as they never last long.

I shook my head and joined my family in this peaceful moment.

Da Vinci is right, the world can wait a day.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

//////////////

"So, how's school been going?" I asked while eating an apple.

"Boring," Daisy was doing her homework.

We were both sitting at the dining table. Mom was on the other side of the table reading a novel and Dad was taking a nap.

It was Saturday and it was feeling like one of those days that made everything seem so peaceful.

Well, if you forget the whole gang war thing.

I was feeling a lot better after getting some sleep.

The wonders a full night's sleep will do to you.

I raised an amused eyebrow, "And?"

"And nothing, it's just the same as always," Daisy shrugs her shoulders.

"Okay, what about the presentation?" I asked. "And what's it about?"

"It's about the impact parahumans have on society. And it's going," Daisy said with a pout.

"Problems with your partner?" I asked.

Is she partnered with a slacker? I know how irritating that is.

"Kinda but not in the way you're thinking. Missy can be a little too serious sometimes but nothing bad. The problem is that she won't stop complaining," Daisy erased a wrong answer in the homework.

"About what?" I asked.

"She's in this program about helping the community with the fallouts of cape fights. While she seems to enjoy it, Missy wouldn't stop complaining about how everyone there treats her like a kid," Daisy said.

"You two are the same age, right?" Daisy nodded. "Then she's a kid," I finish eating the apple.

"I said the same thing! She didn't like it," Daisy with a huff.

"Why doesn't she just leave then?" I asked.

"I don't know, she never gave me a straight answer," Daisy. "Stupid homework," she muttered.

Nora perked up at the mention of homework.

"Oh, that reminds me," Nora went to her room.

She came back with a stack of papers and put them in front of me, it was about three centimeters in height.

"What's this?" I looked closer at the first page and blinked at what was written.

It was a math test.

"All the homework that you missed," Nora said.

"Son of a bitch," I cursed.

"Language," Nora scolded me lightly.

Daisy was cackling at my misery.

Like any responsible older brother who was being laughed at by their younger sibling, I responded the only way possible.

By giving her a wet willie.

"Mom!" Daisy whined while covering her ear.

"Henry, don't pick on your sister," Nora said amused at our antics.

Daisy went to the bathroom grumbling.

"So, how much time do I have?" I asked flipping through the pages.

"Two weeks to finish them but they expect you to go back to school by the beginning of October," Nora said. "I got you a little more time before going back," she whispered to me.

"Thanks, mom," I said gratefully.

Is it weird that I rather fight a Beast than go back to school?

"Oi master, when are we going to attack the gangs?" Cú Chulainn said boredly in my head.

"Hassan, how many caches have you found?" I asked mentally while continuing to flip through the pages.

"Seventy-two so far," Hassan said in my head.

Damm, that's a lot.

No point in waiting until nightfall to make a move. Gotta make the most of the time before I'm only able to go out at night cause of school.

"I'm heading out," I said mentally to them.

"I'm going to go out for a bit," I said to Mom.

"Where're you going?" Nora asked.

"Thinking about going to the bakery a few blocks from here and then going for a stroll," I said getting up.

"...all right but don't be late this time mister," Nora said. "It's dangerous right now," she said concerned.

When is it not dangerous around here?

"Do you need some money?" Nora asked.

"I wouldn't say no to it," I said.

Nora went to her room to grab some money.

I felt someone approaching from behind and quickly turned around.

Daisy had one of her hands extended forward and the index finger was wet.

"Whoa!" Daisy exclaimed in surprise.

"Did you just try to give me a wet willie?" I looked at her hand.

"...no," Daisy said.

"I'm too good to fall for something like that," I was grinning from ear to ear.

Daisy gave me an unimpressed look and kicked me in the shin.

"You brat!" I grabbed her and started to mercilessly tickle her.

Daisy was laughing uncontrollably.

The sound of a picture being taken made me pause the tickling.

I turned to see Dad with a camera in his hands. Mom was beside him with a smile on her face.

Daisy used this distraction to escape my clutches.

"Hey, Dad. Had a good nap?" I asked.

"Yes," Isaac showed the picture to Nora.

"That's a good one," Nora said happily.

"Dad. Henry is being mean," Daisy whined with a pout.

"There, there," Isaac pats Daisy's head. "How about we eat some ice cream?" Isaac suggested.

"Yay!" Daisy cheered.

"Do you want some, Henry?" Isaac asked.

"No thanks, I'm going out," I said.

"Don't be late this time," Isaac said seriously.

"I already said that," Nora giggled. "Here's the money," she hands to me.

I watched Dad grab a tub of ice cream from the fridge and put it on the table. Daisy was eagerly waiting and Mom went back to the novel.

The scene in front of me only reinforced my conviction.

I'm going to fight tooth and nail to protect this.

/////////

"Where're you both staying?" I asked mentally while walking down the street.

"Five blocks down and take a right. The first motel on the right," Hassan responded

While it would be faster if she was carrying me, I wasn't wearing my cape clothes.

Following her instructions, I came to face with a cheap motel.

"Room 209," Hassan said.

I entered the motel, walked towards the room, and knocked on the door.

"Sup," Cú Chulainn opened the door.

He was wearing a yellow Hawaiian shirt and black pants.

After I entered the room Cú Chulainn inscribed a rune on the door, so that we wouldn't have to worry about anyone hearing us.

It was a small room, with a bed, small TV, and a bathroom. The TV was showing a channel about fishing, there was a backpack and a pack of six cans of beer on the ground next to the bed.

"Nice room. Let me guess, some gang members decided to bother you," it isn't hard to guess where he got the money.

He scoffs, "Some punks thought I was easy prey," he grabs a can of beer. "Want one?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"I'm good, thanks. Hassan show us what you got," I said.

Hassan appeared next to me, she walked to the bed and put a map of Brockton Bay over it.

Looking over I saw a lot of 'X' and 'O' that were marked in diverse places.

"The 'X' marks the places where the gangs keep primarily guns and drugs. The 'O' marks places of dog fighting rings and brothels," Hassan said.

Most of the 'O' were located at the Docks. That's ABB territory.

"Who're we attacking first?" Cú Chulainn was looking at the map.

"I got some people in mind," I grabbed my phone and navigated the internet.

"Have you seen this man?" Showing a picture of Oni Lee to Hassan.

"Yes but he never stays in one place for long," Hassan said.

It's going to be annoying to deal with him.

"Keep a look out for him," I said. "What about her?" showing a picture of Othala.

Hassan shakes her head.

"Who's she?" Cú Chulainn looks over my shoulder.

"The Empire healer," I said.

I took a moment to think of a plan to draw her out.

"Take us to the nearest safehouse of the Empire," I said to Hassan.

"Finally some action," Cú Chulainn grabs another beer. "Oh right. Master here's your stuff," he points to the backpack.

Opening I saw my uniform and mask, but most importantly my revolver.

A while ago I asked for a mystic code that is easy to use and would be very effective against magical beast and the likes of it. After a lot of testing to see what would suit me better, a revolver was the winner in the end.

What can I say? Guns are easier to use than swords, bows, or spears.

It was a caliber 38 revolver.

"Oh man, this completely slipped my mind," I checked the revolver.

"Da Vinci remembered and asked Medea to make another," Hassan said.

I grabbed the two boxes of ammo next to it, one was blue and the other was red.

"Blue is non-lethal and red is lethal," Cú Chulainn explained.

I nodded and put all back inside the backpack.

"Before I forget. Hassan, please warm me up when it's about an hour before nightfall. I don't want to worry my parents again," I said with a frown.

Hassan nodded.

"All right, let's go," I said grabbing the backpack.

Hassan disappeared, and Cú Chulainn and I left the motel.

We followed her directions to the nearest Empire safehouse.

///////

"We need to establish a base quickly. I don't want to keep changing clothes behind a dumpster," I complained.

We were hiding in an alley, two blocks from our target.

"It could be worse," Cú Chulainn changed to his regular clothes.

"How?" I asked.

"You could have been attacked while bathing in a river and be forced to fight naked," Cú Chulainn said casually.

"Summer or winter?" I asked curiously.

"It was more annoying in the winter," Cú Chulainn grunted.

Yeah, I can definitely see that happening.

Celtic's are something else.

I took a peak at the end of the street to see a warehouse, some Empire members were chatting in front of it.

"That's the place?" I asked mentally.

"Yes," Hassan said in my head.

She was inside the warehouse.

"Capes?" I asked.

"None," Hassan said.

That's a shame.

"How many?" I did one last check on my revolver. Feeling satisfied I put it back on the holster.

"Fourty seven," Hassan said.

Let's get this show started.

"All yours," I said to Cú Chulainn.

Cú Chulainn broke into a sprint towards the warehouse. He didn't slow down a bit when reaching it and simply went through the wall.

The Empire grunts that were in front of the warehouse screamed in fright at the sudden noise. After a moment they quickly ran inside.

It wasn't long before the sounds of gunshots and explosions started to come from the warehouse.

Well, the idea is to be as loud as possible.

It took a few minutes for all the sounds that were coming from the warehouse to stop.

"Is it safe?" I asked mentally.

"Yes," Cú Chulainn said.

I ran to the hole in the warehouse and entered through it.

The first thing I saw was a person on the floor groaning in pain. The same could be said about all the other occupants except Cú Chulainn. He was standing in the middle of the place looking around boredly.

Yeah, normal humans could never defeat a servant.

Looking around I saw bullet holes everywhere, blood splatter in some places, and a lot of wooden crates. Some of them were open, showing the weapons that they had inside.

"That's a lot of weapons," I look at the crates around the place.

And this is just one of their safehouses.

"Should we destroy them?" Cú Chulainn grabbed a rifle from one of the crates.

I shook my head, "Let the police handle that."

"Who's in charge?" I asked mentally to Hassan.

"Four meters to your left, he has an E88 tattoo on the left side of his neck," Hassan said.

I saw the man she was talking about and walked to him.

He was on the ground holding his right arm in pain.

"So, you're the guy in charge," I kneeled in front of him.

"Fuck you," He glared hatefully at me.

"I'm going to need your cellphone," I said unbothered.

His answer was to spit at me.

I reinforced my fist and punched his face, breaking his nose.

"Why the hell I'm even trying to be nice?" I muttered to myself.

I found his cell phone in one of his pockets. Looking through his contacts I found Othala's number.

At least I think it is, there's only one number in the 'O' section.

"Let's tie them up," I put the cell phone in my pocket.

For the next half an hour, Cú Chulainn and I were busy tying the grunts with rope and covering their mouths with tape. Cú Chulainn also wrote runes on the ropes of each tied grunt, to make sure they couldn't break them.

After making sure that all the members of the Empire were restrained, I grabbed the cell phone and dialed the number.

Let's see if my acting skills are good enough.

"Yes?" A man answered the call.

Please be someone who works with Othala.

"We need help!" I screamed in panic.

"Who's this?" The man asked.

"Dave but that doesn't matter, we have been hit!" I said.

"Calm down an-" I interrupted the man.

"All my friends are on the ground bleeding! I called Othala, who the hell are you!?" I said.

"Victor." The man said.

I raised an eyebrow at that. Rumors are circling on the internet that they are dating.

"Oh shit, I-I'm so sorry-" Victor interrupted me.

"Start from the beginning," he said impatiently.

"We were arranging the guns when some lunatic busted through the wall and attacked everyone," I said.

"Who was it?" Victor asked.

"I have no idea who he was. Please, I need to talk to Othala," I said desperately.

"She's with me," Victor said.

That's convenient, Victor is another one that I want to deal with as fast as possible. His power makes him a very dangerous opponent to me.

"Which safehouse do you work?" Victor asked.

Oh crap.

"Hassan, the location of this warehouse," I asked mentally.

"3822 Winfield Ferry," Hassan said.

"3822 Winfield Ferry," I repeated the address.

"...I'm on my way," Victor ends the call.

I looked at the cell phone with a frown.

"Problem?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"I don't know, he hesitated at the end of the call. Maybe there's some codename for each safehouse or something," I dropped the cell phone. "I don't think he's coming."

This is such a shame, capturing Othala would have been a devastating blow to the Empire.

"He's going to send reinforcement to this place to see what happens," Cú Chulainn guessed.

"Most definitely. Even if he doesn't come here, Victor can't ignore the possibility that one of their safehouses was attacked," I said.

"Well, we will just have to keep beating them until she comes out of hiding," Cú Chulain shrugged.

"I like the way you think," I chuckled at that.

Even if that doesn't work, it will only be a matter of time until Hassan finds her.

"Someone is coming," Hassan said mentally to me.

"Empire?" it can't be them, this is way too fast.

"No, it's a man wearing some kind of blue armor and he's driving a motorcycle," Hassan said.

Blue armor? There's only one person who wears that in Brockton Bay.

"We got company," I calmly walked towards the hole.

"Friendly?" Cú Chulainn walked next to me.

"Should be, as far I'm aware the heroes got a good opinion of me. Just got to explain what's going on," I said.

Walking outside we came to face with the lead of the Protectorate exiting his motorcycle.

"Nice armor," Cú Chulainn complimented.

"Identify yourself," Armsmaster was holding his halberd.

"Hi, I'm Magus and this is Lancer," I introduced us.

"Hey," Cú Chulainn said relaxed but his were tracking Armsmaster's every move.

Armsmaster gave us a critical look and frowned when he saw my revolver.

"You and Berserker helped New Wave in dealing with Fenja and Stormtiger," Armsmaster stated. He looked at the hole behind us, "What happened here?"

"This is one of the safehouses of the Empire. We attacked it with the intent to draw out Othala and capture her," I explained.

Armsmaster frowned, "While I do see the benefits, it's too reckless of a plan. The Empire will interpret this as a declaration of war."

"I'm quite aware of that, but according to Dauntless, they're already targeting us," Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

Armsmaster hummed, "That may be true but you still shouldn't attack them so openly. It would be better to keep your head down and let us deal with them."

Cú Chulainn laughed, "Sorry but that's not our style. We don't run away from danger."

It's also safer to take down the Empire now than let them become a thorn in our side at a later date. Chaldea has a lot to work on and doesn't need this kind of distraction.

"Also haven't you guys been struggling to deal with them for years now?" Cú Chulainn asked.

Armsmaster frowned heavily at the reminder that the Protectorate hasn't been able to take down the Empire yet.

"So, as you can see our hands are kind of tied," I said.

"The two of you could join the Protectorate for protection. Berserker too. All of you have the potential to be great heroes," Armsmaster said.

I tilted my head sideways confused, "I'm seventeen."

Armsmaster looked surprised, "Truly? You seem older."

"Thanks, I guess. And before you say anything, I will also have to decline to join the wards," I said politely.

"Wards?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"It's the kid version of the Protectorate," I explained.

"What about you?" Armsmaster asked Cú Chulainn.

"Sorry but I'm already part of an organization," Cú Chulainn said.

Armsmaster hummed in interest at the mention of an unknown organization.

"Are the both of you and Berserker part of the same organization?" Armsmaster asked.

"Yes, we are," I said.

"Could I have the name?" Armsmaster asked.

I don't think there's any problem answering that. Since Chaldea doesn't exist here, they're only going to waste resources trying to gather information.

"Chaldea," I said.

Armsmaster frowned, "I never heard of this organization."

I gave him a wide smile, "We're new."

Which is technically true.

"Okay then, call us if you ever need help," Armsmaster said."How certain are you that Othala is coming?" he asked.

I winced, "Here's the thing, I tried to call her but for some reason, Victor answered instead."

"They're in a relationship," Armsmaster explained.

"Huh, so they're dating," I said. "Anyway, I tried to trick him into bringing Othala here but I think he caught on something and is not going to come. On the other hand, there's a high chance that he's going to send reinforcement to this place," I rubbed my neck a little embarrassed.

Even with his face covered by a helmet, I could easily tell that Armsmaster was looking at me with a deadpan face.

Armsmaster sighed, "Any idea who's coming?"

"It will either be one of their capes or more unpowered members," I said.

"I should have asked this before, but are any of these capes strong?" Cú Chulainn asked interested.

I rubbed my chin in thought, "In the Empire maybe there's two or three members that have powers that could hurt you. The ABB has Lung and he can turn into a dragon."

"There's a dragon here," Cú Chulainn perked up at the mention of a dragon.

"I wouldn't call him a full-blooded dragon. Maybe a pseudo-dragon, since it's a human turning into a dragon," I said.

"So, the same as Fafnir?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"I don't think so. When Fafnir transformed, he stayed as a dragon. Lung on the other hand, only turns into a dragon during fights," I said.

"Fafnir?" Armsmaster asked.

Wow, I actually forgot he was there for a moment.

"Oh, it's nothing. We like to talk about mythologies," I chuckled nervously.

"Still sounds like a good fight. Let's go after him next master," Cú Chulainn said with an excited smile.

"Master?" Armsmaster said dangerously. "You mastered him," he tightened his hold on the halberd.

My eyes widened when I realized what he was talking about. There's a stigma that surrounds all 'Masters', especially those that have human-like minions.

"Hold on a minute! It's not like that!" I said hurriedly.

Cú Chulainn got in front of me in a fighting stance.

"Think twice before you do anything you will regret later," Cú Chulainn warned.

"Was Berserker also mastered?" Arsmaster accused.

"It's not like that!" I shouted.

"Then explain," Armsmaster growled.

This is a problem, I can't tell the truth and even if I did he would never believe it. Could I say it's some sort of codename? A joke between us?

"What's he talking about?" Cú Chullain asked.

"He thinks I brainwashed you," I responded mentally.

"The hell," Cú Chullain said.

"Masters can control others," I elaborated.

"...is that only limited to people?" Cú Chulainn asked.

Where's he going with that?

"No, it can also be projection-" My explanation was cut short.

"I'm his familiar," Cú Chulainn declared.

I looked at Cú Chulainn in shock.

"Familiar?" Armsmaster asked.

"I'm not a real person," Cú Chulainn elaborated.

Armsmaster was quiet for a moment.

"True," he said. Armsmaster turns his gaze to me, "Is Berserker also one of your familiars?"

I clenched my fists in anger and was about to tear him a new one.

"It's okay," Cú Chulainn said mentally.

"No, it isn't, you're so much more than that. All of you are," I growled mentally.

I heard Cú Chulainn's joyful laugh inside my head.

"Master, it's okay," Hassan reassured me.

"...yes," I relented in the end.

This feels so wrong.

Armsmaster kept looking intently at me, "You're telling the truth," he stated. "So that's why she wasn't wearing a mask and neither are you," he said looking at Cú Chulainn.

I blinked at what he said. I didn't even think of that angle, it must have confused everyone that Morgan wasn't wearing a mask while I was.

Also, how the hell does he know that Cú Chulainn and I are telling the truth?

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Are we good now? In case you forgot, reinforcements are coming here and we do-" I was interrupted by Hassan.

"A car is approaching," Hassan warns me.

I turned to my left to see a car moving quickly towards our location. Cú Chulainn and Armsmaster also notice the approaching vehicle.

It stops two blocks away from us and a man exits. He was wearing a trench coat and a gas mask.

Armsmaster tenses at seeing the man. "Krieg," he said through gritted teeth.

Well, looks like I was right about the reinforcements. And they ended up sending one of their heavy hitters.

Cú Chulainn decides to make the first move by reeling back his arm and throwing Gáe Bolg at Krieg.

As it was about to hit him square in the chest, Krieg was able to deflect Gáe Bolg away from his body by sending it upwards. But by doing so he was launched several meters backward, bouncing a few times off the ground before stopping.

Cú Chulainn hummed in interest, "Ohh, he deflected it. Not bad."

As much I as hate to admit, that's impressive. Krieg was one of the capes I was thinking of earlier that had a power that could potentially hurt a servant.

"Warn me if anyone else arrives. And stay hidden," I said mentally to Hassan.

I want to keep her a secret as long as possible.

Cú Chulainn holds out his hand and like a red streak, Gáe Bolg returned to his hands. He charges forward to continue his attack.

Armsmaster and I quickly followed him.

Krieg got up from the ground just in time to use his power to slow down a spear thrust from Cú Chulainn.

Reaching them, I could see how Krieg's power was affecting Cú Chulainn. And it was kind of weird seeing from the side.

It was like seeing Cú Chulainn attacking in slow motion. Little by little his spear was moving forwards, getting closer to Krieg.

I gave it a minute before it pierced his chest.

And Krieg was trembling violently. Desperately trying to change the trajectory of Gáe Bolg but not having any success as Cú Chulainn refused to budge.

Armsmaster didn't let this chance go to waste and fired some projectiles from his halberd.

I grabbed my revolver and fired all the bullets at Krieg.

Fortnually since it was taking all of Krieg's strength to slow down Cú Chulainn, our projectiles were able to hit him. Breaking his concentration.

And in that moment his chest was pierced by Gáe Bolg.

Before Krieg could scream in pain, Cú Chulainn rips out his spear and gives a brutal front kick that launches Krieg directly into a car. He lies in the car immobile.

Please tell me that he only passed out.

Armsmaster quickly throws something to the downed Krieg. When it hits him, some kind of foam covers all of his body except his head.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Containment foam," Armsmaster slowly approached Kreig.

Cú Chulainn walked back to my side.

"Did you kill him?" I whispered to Cú Chulainn.

"I didn't hit any vital organs but it would be a good idea to stop the bleeding," Cú Chulainn whispered back.

"Will the containment foam stop the bleeding?" I asked Armsmaster.

"A little bit," Armsmaster frowned.

Cú Chulainn walked to Krieg and wrote a rune over his head. It made him glow for a second.

"What did you do?" Armsmaster asked tensely.

"Something to slow down the bleeding," Cú Chulainn said.

Armsmaster presses a button on his helmet and looks intently at Krieg. He stays still for a few seconds then turns to Cú Chulainn.

"His bleeding has considerably lessened but the wound hasn't changed," Armsmaster commented.

Cú Chulainn grunted, "That's the idea. It will stop him from moving too much unless he wants to die from blood loss."

Armsmaster turns to me, "That revolver-" he began.

"The bullets are all non-lethal. It feels like you're being hit by a sledgehammer," I quickly explained before any accusations were made.

"Have you tested them before?" Armsmaster asked.

"No, I haven't but I trust who made them," I said.

I didn't have an ounce of doubt that Medea would mess up something like this. This is child play to her.

"You should have tested them. What if they hit harder than you expected? Or grievously injured someone?" Armsmaster frowned in disapproval. "You always have to strictly test tinker tech," He berated me.

Tinker tech? Sure, let's go with that. I'm certainly not going to correct him.

"All right, all right, I'm sorry. She always did quality work, so I didn't have any reason to doubt her now," I rubbed my neck.

What Armsmaster said did make me curious. Is it common for tinker tech to fail?

"Do you need us to stay or we could leave?" I asked.

"I still need to know what happened inside the warehouse," Armsmaster said.

"I kicked everyone asses," Cú Chulainn said flatly.

That's what happened but Armsmaster didn't seem pleased with the answer.

"Inside the warehouse, there're forty-seven restrained grunts and a lot of wooden crates with weapons inside," I informed him. "You can handle things from here. We got more things to do."

Cú Chulainn and I left before Armsmaster could say anything.

/////

We were atop a building resting.

"That could have gone better," I sighed.

Cú Chulainn and I were leaning against the rooftop balcony.

I sent Hassan to the next warehouse to scout the place. Don't need any surprises now.

"So, what the deal with 'Masters' around here?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"Masters have powers that allow them to control others. Some control animals, others inanimate objects, and so on. But the ones that everyone fears are the ones that can control people," I said grimly. "There're so many horror stories about Masters striping individuals of their free will and making them do horrible acts."

"And he thought you did that to me," Cú Chulainn said.

"Yeah," What a fucking mess.

"Should we lay low?" Cú Chulainn asked.

I shook my head no," That would only make me look guilty. By the way, I still can't believe you told the truth."

"Something needed to be said," Cú Chulainn said.

"Why did it have to be that?" I asked incredulously.

"So he wouldn't think you were controlling someone," Cú Chulainn said.

"We could have said something else," I said.

"Like what?" Cú Chulainn raises an eyebrow.

I opened my mouth to say anything but no sound came out. I couldn't think of any excuse that doesn't make me look weird or that raises a lot of questions.

I didn't have this problem with New Wave since Morgan calls me 'husband'.

Oh god, I don't even want to know how the PRT/Protectorate is going to interpret that bit of information.

I groaned, "I got nothing."

Cú Chulainn pats my shoulder.

"We're still attacking more safehouses today?" Cú Chulainn asked.

I nodded, "Gotta keep the pressure on the Empire."

I asked Hassan for direction and we went to the next target.

////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at: pa-tre-on (slash) regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

//////////////

"I'm home," I said opening the front door.

Mom, Dad, and Daisy were all sitting on the couch, attentively watching TV.

"Welcome back," Nora didn't look away from the TV.

I raised an eyebrow and walked closer to them.

"What're you guys watching?" I looked at the TV.

It was a report about the safehouses Cú Chulainn and I attacked.

After leaving Krieg with Armsmaster, we were able to attack four more before Hassan warned me that it was time to go home.

It was surprisingly uneventful. I was kinda hoping that we would come across Hookwolf or any other cape from the Empire.

But no such luck.

I sent Cú Chulainn back to the warehouse to ask Da Vinci to make me a burner phone and Hassan continued to look for more safehouses.

I asked her to focus more on Coil territory. I want to know what he's been up to in this gang war.

"Someone attacked Empire safehouses," Isaac kept watching the news.

"Really?" news sure travels fast. "Who did it? New Wave or the Protectorate?"

"It wasn't them. They're saying it was two new capes. What were their names?" Nora places a finger on her chin in thought.

"Magus and Lancer, Mom. And Magus isn't new, he and Berserker helped New Wave before. But where's she?" Daisy crossed her arms confused.

Yeah, Daisy was always more into cape news than I was.

"What're they saying about them?" I asked.

"Only that they would attack the place and leave the moment cops arrived," Isaac said.

Well, there was no point in staying since all the Empire members in those safe houses were un-powered ones. The cops could handle them but maybe I should have stayed and talked with them.

It's not a bad idea to have some friends on the inside.

"Krieg was also detained and is already being transported to the PRT," Nora added

I hummed at what Mom said.

"Anything else?" I asked.

This time it was Daisy who answered me.

"Oh! The Undersiders robbed a jewelry store," Daisy said.

"Who?" I never heard of them.

"They're small-time thieves who specialize in quick heists. They carry out robberies all over the city, so it's hard to anticipate their next move," Daisy explained.

Mom, Dad, and I looked at Daisy in confusion.

"How do you know so much?" Isaac asked.

"PHO," Daisy shrugged.

Ah, that makes sense. I also used that site to introduce Morgan to the world of parahumans.

That reminds me, I need to create an account for 'Magus'.

"There doesn't seem to be anything about our discussion with Armsmaster. He must have returned immediately to the PRT to report about us," I scratched my chin in thought.

It might not be that bad since he, somehow, was able to confirm that I was telling the truth. That should deter the Protectorate from attacking me on sight.

At least I hope so.

"I will be in my room. Call me when the food's ready," I said.

Entering the room, I went straight to the computer and started to research everything that was cape related.

It never crossed my mind that it might be a problem if the servants called me 'master' in public.

I never delved too deeply into the whole cape business before, only knowing what was common knowledge.

The research I did with Morgan was too shallow. And because of it, Cú Chulainn was forced to reveal information to bail me out.

It's nowhere near the worst information that Armsmaster could have learned, but it didn't need to have happened.

I wonder how bad their reaction will be to noble phantasm.

I'm going to collect everything and give it to Da Vinci later. That way she will be able to distribute the information to all of Chaldea.

After saving everything inside a flash drive, I shifted my attention to all the information that the internet had on Coil and couldn't help but frown.

He operates in the Commercial District, had some skirmishes with the Empire, mostly sticks to his territory and it is uncertain if he's parahuman.

That is it.

I'm going to talk with Holmes about this. Just to make sure that I'm making a big deal of nothing. Coil may be just a small-time gang leader.

While browsing through PHO I came across the Empire's response to the attacks. The comments section was inundated with death threats and racist slurs, directed at me and Cú Chulain.

There was one comment that caught my attention, and it was about Kaiser calling us a coward and saying that we will soon face 'justice'.

I'm going to destroy this son of a bitch.

After closing PHO, I decided to tackle one of the most tedious tasks of all time.

Homework.

Better to start already, there's so much and not a lot of time. I grabbed the first sheet and started to look over the question.

About an hour and a half later, there was a knock on the door.

"Food's ready," Nora said.

"Coming," I put away the homework.

"How's the search going?" I went to the dining table.

"In progress," Hassan said.

I'm sure it's not going to take too long to find them.

//////////

It took Hassan the entire night to find three of Coil's safe houses. From what she told me, the way he hides them is completely different from the other two gangs.

I decided to wait until it was night to go out. My research showed that it's more common for capes to go out at night.

Which makes sense when I think about it. It's only a small number of capes that can dedicate their entire time to it.

I spend the afternoon doing more homework and hanging out with Daisy. Mom and Dad went out with their friends to see a movie.

I did receive some upsetting news from Hassan. From what she was able to gather, the ABB was organizing to attack Empire territory.

Lung smelled blood on the water.

She's trying to figure out when this is supposed to happen.

It didn't take long for the night to arrive.

I switched clothes and grabbed the flash drive before calling Hassan to take me to the warehouse.

Entering the place I could easily see how different it was from the last time I was here.

There was a workshop being built in one of the corners, I can't tell if it's Morgan or Medea. In another corner, Cú Chulainn was taking a nap on a makeshift bed.

And in the center, the ruby was surrounded by half-built machines and scattered tools.

I tilted my head sideways in confusion, that doesn't seem to have been done by Morgan or Medea.

I took a closer look and noticed something different about the ruby.

Did the number of wisps increase?

Before I could count them, the door of the warehouse opened.

"Master?" A woman said behind me.

I blinked at the familiar voice and turned around to see-

"Barghest?" I blinked in surprise.

Barghest puts down the wooden crates and approaches me with a smile.

"What're you doing here?" I asked.

"I answered the summon from Her Majesty. She thought that you could use my assistance," Barghest said.

I didn't have an idea of who to summon next, maybe an archer for long-range attacks. But this works too, Barghest is a force to be reckoned with.

"And where's she? Also, where's Medea?" I asked after looking around and not seeing them.

"They're helping Da Vinci in scaving resources from one of the ships," Barghest said.

"Da Vinci is here?" that explains the machines.

"Yes, she appeared shortly after I was summoned," Barghest said.

I shouldn't surprised, of course, she would take the first chance to come here.

"Da Vinci," I said.

"Yeah?" Da Vinci asked.

"I need you to come here," I said.

"Can it wait? I'm dismantling the engine of the ship," Da Vinci said. "By the way, has Barghest arrived yet?"

"Yeah, she's right next to me," I said.

"Tell her to put the crates next to the workshop," Da Vinci said.

So that workshop belongs to Da Vinci.

"Please, put those crates next to the workshop," I said to Barghest.

She grabbed them and walked to the workshop.

"I really need to talk with you," I said.

"Is it about the whole 'Master' thing?" Da Vinci asked.

Good, Cú Chulainn already told her.

"That's part of it," I said.

"All right, I'm coming," Da Vinci said.

It's going to take her a minute or two to get here, so let's take a closer look at the ruby and see if I'm imagining things.

I walked closer to it and counted the wisps connecting to the magical circle. Yeah, I'm not imagining things, there are more wisps.

Da Vinci entered the warehouse and walked to me.

"What's up?" Da Vinci said.

"Is this supposed to happen?" I kept looking at the ruby.

"The increase in numbers of wisps?" I nodded. "Yes, that way the ruby can siphon more magical energy from the ley line. You may think as if the ruby is growing."

"And how much more will it grow?" I turned to Da Vinci.

"I'm still studying it but I believe it will only grow to the size necessary for Goredolf to travel safely," Da Vinci crosses her arms. "I wish Zelretch had said more than just the basics of how to utilize it."

"I hope you're right, the last thing we need is for this thing to grow to the size of a building," I said.

"I doubt that would happen," Da Vinci said. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

I grabbed the flash drive and handed it to her, "Here's all the information on parahumans and anything related to it. Make sure everyone reads it and says it's mandatory if necessary."

"Geez, it doesn't need to go so far. I get that it wasn't an optimal solution but what Cú Chulainn said could work in our favor," Da Vinci puts the flash drive inside her pocket.

"What?" I blinked in confusion.

"Your claim of Chaldea being 'new' was never going to hold. In what world would make sense that we would be able to 'recruit' scores of powerful members, many with backgrounds from different countries, in a short period?" Da Vinci asked.

"I mean, when you put it like that it does sound unbelievable," I rubbed my neck.

"We're too used to people accepting what we tell them and not asking too many questions," Da Vinci chuckled. "That's not going to work here."

"That's true," I hummed in agreement.

"It's better in the long run for the Protectorate to believe you're a 'Master', that way we have an excuse as to where all of our members come from. Otherwise, they're going to want to know where we found so many people," Da Vinci said.

The fewer questions made, the better.

"What do you suggest?" I asked.

"Share the information that Hassan gathered on the safehouses. That will show that you are willing to cooperate with them. And keep attacking the gangs, you can't go wrong with that," Da Vinci said.

"Amrsmaster was able to tell that Cú Chulainn and I were telling the truth and that has to count for something," I said.

"It does, from what Cú Chulainn told me that was the only thing stopping him from attacking," Da Vinci said.

Krieg's arrival also helped in distracting him a little.

"Is there any other team that we might be able to work with if things go south with the PRT?" Da Vinci asked.

"There's the Guild and honestly it would be better to work with them," I said.

"What's the difference?" Da Vinci asked.

"They're the ones that deal with international threats," I said.

"International," Da Vinci muttered while rubbing her chin.

"They also have Dragon, who's considered the world's greatest tinker," I added.

That got Da Vinci very interested.

"That is better but let's first see the opinion the PRT has on us before making any more plans," Da Vinci said.

Yeah, the Guild won't listen to us if the PRT says that I'm dangerous.

"Did you finish the burner phone?" she nodded. "Can you also connect it to my other phone, so I don't need to carry both of them?"

Da Vinci nodded again and I gave her my 'personal' cell phone. She went to the workshop and messed up a little with both cell phones.

Da Vinci walked back to me and handed me the phone, "Here you go."

"Thanks," I put it inside my pocket. "Hey, can I summon anyone else?"

"Sorry, Barghest and I used all the magical energy," Da Vinci said.

"What're you even building around the ruby?" I looked at the machines.

"Scanner to see how much magical energy is being drawn from the ley line and a few other things I want to confirm," Da Vinci said.

All right then. Time to talk to Holmes.

I walked to the ruby and a screen appeared. Mash showed on the screen, she was holding a stack of paperwork.

"Yes?" Mash asked.

"Hey there Mash," I said with a smile.

She smiled back, "Senpai. How ca-there you're Da Vinci!" Mash exclaimed.

I blinked confused at her reaction.

"Hey there Mash," Da Vinci walked closer to the screen.

"What did you do?" I asked.

Mash spoke before Da Vinci could give some excuse.

"She left without telling anyone," Mash said.

"Hey, I did warn Goredolf," Da Vinci huffed.

"You said that you were to run more tests on the ruby," Mash deadpanned.

"Which I'm doing by building all these scanners. It's just easier to do that on this side," Da Vinci said.

"You didn't specify that!" Mash glared.

Mash doesn't get paid enough to deal with this crap. Wait, does she even have a salary?

I coughed loudly, "As much as I want to let you berate Da Vinci on her irresponsibility-"

"Hey!" Da Vinci exclaimed.

"-I need to speak with Holmes," I said.

"I'm sorry, but he is busy with paperwork," Mash said.

Goddamn it Da Vinci.

"...what about Moriarty?" it might be better to talk with him.

Mash hums, "He should be free at the moment. Let me call him," she walks away from the screen.

I turned to Da Vinci, "Really?"

"What? I do need to run more tests on the ruby," Da Vinci crossed her arms.

"Sure, you also didn't use this as an excuse to escape from doing any more paperwork," I said sarcastically.

"It's nice when things work out," Da Vinci smiled.

Sometimes I forget how shameless this woman is.

It didn't take long for Mash to return with Moriarty.

"Here he's senpai. Now if you excuse me, I have to help the director," Mash walked away from the screen.

"Hello, master. How may I help you?" Moriarty asked.

"Were you told how things work here?" if not I'm going to give him all the information on the flash drive to read it.

"Of course, Goredolf made sure that all of Chaldea had access to the information that he had about Earth Bet. I'm intrigued about these villains," Moriarty said.

"That's what I want to talk about. There's something about one of the villains here in Brockton that's bothering me," I said.

Moriarty humms in interest, "And that would be?"

I told Moriarty everything I was able to gather on Coil.

Moriarty rubs his chin, "You're correct to assume that there might be more to this man than meets the eye."

I knew it.

"For example, the fact that all of the members of his gang are mercenaries and all of them are outfitted with these 'tinker tech rifles'. From experience, I know how expensive some mercenaries can be, but I'm unsure when it comes to these rifles. How much would it cost to buy one of them?" Moriarty asked.

"Give me a moment," I grabbed the cell phone Da Vinci made.

Searching the internet for how much would cost to buy a tinker tech rifle, I came across a forum that explained that each tinker puts a different price for how much they will sell their inventions.

The forum did contain a few examples of how much tinker tech could go for.

"It depends on who you're buying from but there are some examples of how much it could cost," I said.

"What's the lowest value?" Moriarty asked.

"Ten thousand," I said.

"Quite odd that a small-time gang can afford such expenses, don't you think?" Moriarty asked with a smirk.

It's strange, especially when you notice that the Empire and ABB don't have any kind of tinkertech in their possession.

"The Empire and ABB don't seem to have any kind of tinkertech in their possession. Shouldn't they also buy it too, you know, even the odds?" I asked.

"It would be a terrible waste of money if the other two tried to copy what Coil did," Moriarty said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The majority of their members are street thugs, right?" I nodded. "Would you give them such expensive weaponry?" Moriarty asked.

"God no," I said.

"Indeed, such powerful equipment would be wasted in the hands of the common criminals," Moriarty said.

"Coil on the other hand has trained mercenairies," I frowned.

Moriarty nodded, "I must applaud his decision to only hire such competent forces. Idiots that would do anything for some pocket change are everywhere but finding a capable workforce is much harder."

"Since he doesn't have any capes working for him, all of that must be necessary to keep the Empire and ABB away," I rubbed my chin in thought.

"Allegedly doesn't have any capes on his payroll or that he might not be a parahuman. As you have said there's little information about Coil. Although it can be said that the information that is available to the populace is not complete for security reasons, there's a glaring flaw with that logic. Do you know what that would be?" Moriarty asked.

Of course, I know. That's why we're having this conversation.

"Even the PRT has little information on Coil," I grimaced.

"Exactly. He's using the other two gangs as a smoke screen to hide his operation from the heroes," Moriarty said.

It's moments like this that I hate to be right.

"Okay, so everything is pointing out that Coil might be more dangerous than what everyone believes. What I would like to know is what the hell is his endgame?" I asked.

Moriarty shrugs, "There's still key pieces of information missing so I'm not sure. It could be that he wants to conquer the city but the same could be said for the Empire and ABB."

"My next conversation with Dauntless is going to be an interesting one," I rubbed my temples.

"It's better to attain some proof before you talk with him otherwise he will most likely not believe you," Moriarty said.

"It's a good thing that I'm going to attack one of Coil's safehouses later. Anything specific I should look for?" I asked.

"Look for paperwork if possible," Moriarty said.

I rubbed my neck, "Thanks for the help, Moriarty. This was certainly an enlightening discussion."

"It was nothing, master. Do keep me posted on what you find. I'm interested in seeing what Coil has planned," Moriarty said with a smirk.

I let out a sigh as the screen disappeared.

"Hassan, where's the map you showed me?" I asked.

She appeared next to me with the map on her hands.

"Thanks," I grabbed it and put it in my pocket.

I turned to Barghest but before I could say anything she spoke first.

"There isn't any need to ask, master. Of course, I will help you," Barghest said with a smile.

I smiled in return and turned to Cú Chulainn.

"Hey, Cú!" I said.

"Hm?" Cú Chulainn turned his head in my direction.

"Do you wanna come?" I asked.

"To do what?" Cú Chulainn slowly got off the bed.

"Attack more safehouses," I said.

"...sure, why not," Cú Chulainn stretched his back.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and I left the warehouse.

/////////

We traversed the commercial district, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, following the direction that Hassan gave me.

We arrived at our destination swiftly. Looking down, a two-story building greeted us from the other side of the street, and on the first floor, there was a mini market. It was surrounded by residential buildings.

"That's different," Cú Chulainn raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, and that's a problem," I frowned.

We can't let a fight break out here, too many innocents could get hurt.

I wonder if that's one of the reasons Coil chose this place. To make the heroes more hesitant to attack it.

"How many guards?" Barghest asked.

"Give me a moment," I said. "How is it looking?"

"There're nine guards and they're all on the second-floor playing cards," Hassan said.

"And their weapons?" I asked.

"There's some kind of futurist-looking rifles near them. Is that tinkertech?"Hassan asked.

"Yes," I said.

"There're nine guards and all of them are on the second floor. They have tinkertech rifles," this is a good opportunity to acquire some tinkertech, I know Da Vinci would love a chance to study it.

"And how dangerous are those rifles? Also, what's tinkertech?" Barghest asked.

"To put it simply, it's future tech. Like power armor, robots, laser weapons, and so on" I said.

"We dealt with things like that before," Cú Chulainn said.

"Yes, but those were created using magecraft. Parahumans on the other hand don't use mystics," I know Da Vinci will not rest until she knows how that's possible. "I don't know if they can hurt you guys, so let's be careful until we have more information."

I turned to Barghest, "Jump towards the roof and switch to spirit form before landing. Take them out quickly and don't kill anyone."

Barghest nodded and leaped towards the rooftop across the street. Just before her landing, Barghest switched to spirit form and went through the roof.

I raised an eyebrow when one of the windows was broken by a wooden table, it shattered in pieces when it hit the ground. The noise echoed throughout the street.

From the newly formed hole, I could see for a brief moment some flashes of red before everything went quiet.

"You okay?"I asked.

"Yes," Barghest said.

"We're coming over," I said.

Cú Chulainn helped me get down to the street and we walked to the mini market.

Hassan opened the front door and we entered the building. The interior is what you would expect to find in a mini market, there's nothing that would indicate this place is being used to store drugs and weapons.

Walking the stairs to the second floor, I saw the guards sitting on the ground on one side of the room and Barghest watching them like a hawk.

Looking around there wasn't much besides some weapons crates, wooden crates, a small kitchen, and a bathroom.

"They give you any trouble?" I walked next to Barghest.

"Not at all," Barghest said.

I turned to the guards, "I take that none of you're in the mood for a chat."

They just kept looking at me silently.

I shrugged, "All right then. Lancer."

Cú Chulainn walked in front of them and wrote a rune in the air. The guards glowed for a second and lost consciousness.

Runes sure are handy.

"So, What happened?"I looked at the hole.

Barghest blushed a little, "I used too much force to push the table aside."

"I see an-are those scorch marks?" looking closer I could see nickel-sized scorch marks on Barghest's armor.

Cú Chulainn looked closer and whistled, "Now ain't that something."

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

Barghest shakes her head, "It was only my armor that was hit but I'm surprised that these weapons were able to leave a mark."

Now I know if tinker tech is capable of hurting servants.

"Hassan take the rifles to Da Vinci," I said.

One by one the rifles used by the guards disappeared.

"There's more here," Cú Chulainn opened one of the weapons crates.

I walked to Cú Chulainn and looked at the weapons crate.

Inside there were five tinkertech rifles. There are more six weapons crates.

How much did it cost to buy so many?

"Look around the place. I'm going to call the PRT," I grabbed the cell phone and dialed the number.

"PRT, how may I help you?" A woman asked.

"This's Magus. I've just hit one of Coil's safehouses and need transport for nine gang members. There's also drugs and tinkertech here," I said.

The line was quiet for a moment before I heard the sound of typing on the keyboard.

"Your location please," she asked.

"756 Ridge Glen, in the Commercial District," this time I have the answer.

"We had reports of a possible cape fight there," she said.

"We tried to keep things quiet but it didn't work," I said sheepishly.

"Do you or anyone else require medical attention?" she said.

I looked again at the guards and didn't see any injuries besides some bruising. But then again that is on the outside, I wouldn't be surprised if one of them has some internal bleeding.

Being knocked around by Barghest is no joke.

"It's better to send one ambulance. Just to be safe," I said.

"Can you tell me the type of tinkertech?" she asked.

"Laser weapons, rifles to be specific," I said.

"How many?" she asked immediately.

I did some quick math, "Forty-five."

The sound of typing intensified for a moment.

"Assault and Battery will be there in three minutes. Can you stay put?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm not going anywhere," I said ending the call.

I turned to Barghest and Cú Chulainn.

"Find anything?" I asked.

"No," Barghest said.

"Nope. How long until they arrive?"Cú Chulainn asked.

"Three minutes," I said.

Cú Chulainn walked to the stairs.

"Where're you going?" I asked.

"To get some beer," I raised an eyebrow. "What? I'm going to grab something before they close this place."

That's a good point.

"Do you want anything, Saber?" I walked after Cú Chulainn.

"No," Barghest kept watching the guards.

Downstairs I grabbed a bag of chips and started to eat it.

"So, how bad is this going to be?" Cú Chulainn took a sip from the beer.

"Don't know. Got to wait for the heroes to get here," I said while eating.

"Hm, this might be a good chance to see what these heroes are made of," Cú Chulainn said.

"...only if they attack first," I hope it doesn't end in a fight.

"They're here," Hassan said.

"Let's go greet them," I crunched the empty bag and tossed it into a trash can.

I waited for Barghest to come down and then the three of us exited the mini market.

Waiting for us was a man dressed in red armor, with a visor, and a woman dressed withe and grey costume with circuit-like blue lines on it.

"Hey there," Assault said with a carefree smile.

"Hi," I said.

Assault turned to Barghest, "I like this knight look you're going for."

Barghest blinked, "Thank you?"

Battery elbowed Assault.

"Where are the tinker tech and the goons?" Battery asked.

"Second floor. Everything is there," I said.

"Can't believe this is a safe house, seem like such a nice place," Assault said.

"If you want to grab anything to eat now is the time since this place is going to be closed anyway," Cú Chulainn said.

Assault hummed in interest.

"No," Battery said.

"Aw, come on puppy," Assault said.

Battery elbowed Assault harder.

This is not how I expect this to go.

"So...what now?" I asked.

Assault shrugged, "Now we wait for the PRT to arrive to transport the goons and tintker tech."

"And?" I asked.

"Is there anything else?" Assault asked.

"Were you guys not told about us?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course we were," Assault said.

...the hell.

"You're awfully calm," Cú Chulainn raised an eyebrow.

"I like to believe I'm a good judge of character," Assault said.

I started to hear the sound of sirens. Trucks of the PRT were starting to arrive.

"Look's like they are here," Assault turned to Battery. "Puppy, do you mind giving them a hand?"

Battery tensed and glanced at us.

Assault smiled, "It's fine," he reassured her.

Battery glanced at us one last time before she went to help the PRT officers.

"So...why're you so calm?" Battery certainly was tense around us.

"I think that the best way to judge the character of a person is to look at their actions. And so far you guys are alright in my book," Assault said.

Well, this's better than a fight breaking out.

"And I take that you're the only exception and everyone else will be hostile towards me," I said.

"Dauntless won't, he's doesn't believe that you're dangerous," Assault said. "Well, not a dangerous master," he clarified.

I'm going to buy him a coffee next time I see him.

You know what, I'm just going to ask.

"Is there something I could do to ease the tensions with the PRT/Protectorate?" I asked.

Assault hummed in thought, "You could do power testing."

That's not an option, it would just reveal more about us.

"Or?" I asked.

"You could come with us to answer some questions," Assault said.

"What kind of questions?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing personal, I assure you. My boss is just curious about what Chaldea wants to do in Brockton Bay," Assault said.

"We want to help," I said immediately.

Assault smiled at my answer.

"And those the my only options?" I asked.

Assault snorted, "Course not, you can keep beating the gangs, helping people and stuff like that."

I hummed in thought.

"Can we have a moment?" I asked.

"Sure," Assault went to help Battery and the other troopers.

"Well?"I asked.

"I was prepared for worse," Cú Chulainn admitted.

"So was I," I said.

"This could be a chance to talk with their director," Barghest said.

And a chance to show the map that Hassan made.

I rubbed my neck and sighed.

I walked to Assault.

"All right, take me to the PRT," I said.

////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at: pa-tre-on (slash) regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

Shorter chapter this time.

I found this chapter kind weak but we're getting closer to more interesting things.

//////////////

"Wait, what happens when they specialize in large-scale projects, like a vehicle or a building?" I asked.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and I were chatting with Assault and Battery at the moment. We were waiting for the additional transport that Assault requested to take us to the PRT.

The troopers already finished gathering the goons and tinker tech and loading them up in the truck. Now they were passing a fine comb just to make sure that there wasn't anything left.

All of that did made a lot of noise that brought the residents of the building around us to see what was happening.

"There's a standard budget that all tinkers receive monthly that's made to accommodate all of their expenses. But in that case, the budget would suffer the necessary adjustments to meet the tinker necessities," Battery shrugged.

"What happens if they require more resources?" Barghest asked.

"You make a request to Director Piggot and wait for an answer," Battery said. "If you want a more detailed description it would be better to speak with Armsmaster."

"Huh, seem's rough to be a tinker," Cú Chulainn said.

"All powers have downsides to them, you just have to find a way to work around them," Assault said.

Since we're talking about tinkers, I'm going to ask about the rifles.

"How much do you think it cost to buy so many rifles?" I asked.

"A small fortune, that's for sure," Assault said immediately.

"To think that Coil had so many of them," Battery said.

"This's just one of his safe houses," I reminded her.

Battery frowned at the thought that Coil could own even more tinker tech.

"Does this mean that Coil has a tinker working for him?" Barghest asked curiously.

"...I will be right back," Assault said.

Assault walked to the truck that had the weapons crates. He opened one of them and inspected one of the tinkertech rifles. After a moment he closed it and walked back to us.

"Just as I thought, those rifles were bought from Toybox. They're the only ones that can sell tinker tech in large quantities," Assault said.

"Toybox?" Cú Chulainn and Barghest asked.

"A group of tinkers that sell their inventions on the black market," I explained.

I know that Da Vinci will quickly become one of their best customers.

One of their members is capable of creating devices that create pocket dimensions. And they are willing to sell it.

Even by my standards, that's ridiculous.

One of the troopers approached Battery and Assault.

"We finished checking the place and found nothing else," The troopers said.

Assault nodded, "All right, make sure those rifles are sent to Armsmaster."

"It's going to take long for the van to get here?" I asked.

Assault turned to me, "It shouldn't take long for-"

Assault stopped talking when a truck stopped next to us.

The driver lowered the window.

"I'm here to pick up Magus and his familiars," The driver said.

"-And it looks like your ride is here," Assault said.

This was a nice chat.

"It was a pleasure to meet you two and until next time," I said.

"Later," Cú Chulainn said.

"Goodbye," Barghest said.

Assault gave us a thumps up and Battery gave a small nod.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and I entered the truck.

///////

The trip to the PRT was done in silence, I could tell that the driver was tense around us.

I told Hassan to not follow us and stay away from the building as I was certain they had countermeasures against 'Strangers'.

The truck stopped and the door was opened by another trooper who was waiting for us.

We were at an underground parking lot.

The trooper that opened the door wasn't alone as there were three more with him. They quickly got into a formation that encircled us.

"This way," one of the troopers said.

They led us to the elevator that took us to the last floor of the building. Exiting the elevator we walked to the door at the end of the hall.

"Director Piggot is waiting inside," the trooper said.

Entering the room I saw Armsmaster and Miss Militia standing behind a woman that was sitting behind a table.

I have seen her plenty of times on the television.

That's the director of the PRT, Emily Piggot.

There were three chairs in front of the table.

I walked to one of the chairs and sat down. Barghest and Cú Chulainn didn't sit down and were standing behind me.

"Would you two not like to sit?" Miss Militia asked.

"We prefer to stand," Cú Chulainn said.

Director Piggot fixed an intense gaze on me, which I met unwaveringly. We kept staring at each other for a few moments before she spoke.

"Thank you for coming. I'm director Piggot," Piggot said.

"Thank you for having us," I said.

"You seem to have brought someone new," Piggot glanced at Barghest.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Saber," Barghest said respectfully.

Piggot kept looking at us for a few moments before sighing.

"You been making a lot of ruckus," Piggot said.

"It's inevitable when there's a fight between parahumans," I shrugged.

"That's sadly true but I'm more surprised by your targets," Piggot said.

"It's hard to continue a war if you're lacking resources," I said.

"You could reach the same conclusion if all the capes from the gangs were taken care of," Piggot said.

"It would be nice if it was that easy," I said.

Piggot raised an eyebrow, "Oh? And why isn't it?"

"There are two reasons: The first would be that the last cape from any of the gangs would be forced to hide and wait for the chance to break out their comrades. They know that if all the capes are caught then the gang will lose their standing in the city," I said.

"Even with all the capes gone, the gang is still a problem," Miss Militia said.

"That's true but they go from a problem that needs the intervention from the PRT/Protectorate to a problem that the police can handle. After all, you guys are called to deal with the parahumans members of the gang," I explained.

"And the second reason?" Piggot asked.

"The second reason is the critical one: eliminating one of the gangs without the necessary precaution would create a void that could bring other problems," I said grimly.

Director Piggot, Armsmaster, and Miss Militia also grimaced as they knew what I was talking about.

The Boston Games.

Chaldea needs to be more stabilized so that we can prevent something like that from ever happening in Brockton.

"Hm, normally new capes prefer to try to make a name for themselves by attacking the gangs without a care for the consequences of their actions," Piggot commented.

I can see the logic in such a tactic, what better way to take down villains and gain fame at the same time.

Unfortunately, that's also how many new heroes meet their end.

"What's Chaldea planning to do?" Piggot bluntly.

Oh, so now we're going for a more direct way to gather intel.

Honestly, I prefer this way it's so much easier.

"Right now we want to end this gang war," I said.

"And later?" Piggot asked.

Kill the Endbringers, deal with the S-class threats, and fix as much as possible the damage done by the Endbringers.

Those are just the first things that came to my mind. There are other things that I have to discuss with everyone.

"We're still figuring out," I said.

"Are you the only member of Chaldea?" Piggot said.

I couldn't help but frown that she was insinuating that I was the only real member.

"Chaldea consists of a wide variety of members," I said.

"And how many would that be?" Piggot said.

"That's confidential," I said.

"Is there anything that you can tell me?" Piggot asked impatiently.

"With all due respect director Piggot, I'm not here to tell you my secrets," I said seriously.

The room was silent after my declaration.

"What're you expecting to achieve here?" Piggot broke the silence.

"I want to emphasize that we aren't your enemies and reach a middle ground between us. And if that isn't possible then at least some kind of non-aggression agreement," I said.

Piggot pinched her nose and muttered some words I couldn't understand.

"You are not what I expected," Piggot said.

I wonder what she was expecting.

"Do you understand how much the presence of Chaldea will disturb the cape scenery of Brockton?" Piggot asked.

"I know me being a Master has all of you on edge-" Piggot interrupted me.

"It's more than that," Piggot said.

I tilted my head sideways.

"Do you know how many 'Masters' that can control people exist?" Piggot asked.

I thought for a moment, "There's Teacher, Heartbreaker, and...huh" I can't think of anyone else.

"Exactly, Masters like those two are rare to appear. Now I won't say the fact the way your familiars act and their appearance hasn't bothered a few individuals here," Piggot said.

"They prefer to be called servants," I said.

I ignored the looks director Piggot, Armsmaster, and Miss Militia gave me.

"Anyway, one of the things that's puzzling us is how...sentient they appear to be," Piggot said.

"They are completely sentient Director Piggot and I'm not going to tolerate any form of disrespect towards them," I looked Piggot in the eye.

Barghest and Cú Chulainn smiled at my words.

"There's never been a report of something like this happening," Piggot narrowed her eyes.

"There's a first time for everything," I said evenly.

Piggot and I stared at each other for a few seconds before she continued.

"The other fact is how strong your fam-servants are, as shown when Berserker fought Fenja," Piggot said.

"Honestly, I didn't see Berserker fight since I was occupied helping an injured officer," I rubbed my neck.

I hope she's okay.

"According to Lady Photon, when Berserker joined the fight it became a one-side beatdown," Piggot said.

Sounds about right. I can't imagine Morgan having any problem dealing with Fenja.

"And when you, Armsmaster, and Lancer easily defeated Krieg," Piggot said.

I didn't ask Morgan what were her thoughts on Fenja but I can ask Cú Chulainn right now.

I turned to Cú Chulainn, "Was he strong?"

"Nah, when you get past that slowing effect he isn't anything special," Cú Chulainn said.

By the looks of director Piggot, Armsmaster, and Miss Militia, they didn't seem to think the same.

"While it's good that those two are out of the streets, your actions have consequences," Piggot said.

I already had an idea of what Piggot was talking about.

"Could you elaborate?" I asked.

"Krieg is one of the Empire lieutenants and Fenja is one of Kaiser's bodyguards, both of them possess powers that make them irritating opponents to face. While both of them have been defeated before, they never have lost so easily," Piggot stressed the last part.

If they're shocked with something like that then they're going to lose their minds when they see a noble phantasm.

"They want retribution," I said.

"Yes, the Empire has been humiliated and as a result, they're going to remind everyone why they should be feared," Piggot said.

I clenched my fists, "Is there any idea of what they're planning?"

"No," Piggot frowned.

Well her mood it's about to get worse.

"I have some information that you will be very interested in," I said.

"What do you have?" Piggot asked.

I grabbed the map and put it on the table.

"What's this?" Piggot studied the map.

"The location of all the safehouses we found so far. The 'X' mark guns and drugs while the 'O' are dog fighting rings and brothels" I said.

"How did you find so many?" Armsmaster looked intently at the map.

I ignored his question, "That's not all. The ABB is planning to make a move on Empire territory."

Piggot frowned heavily.

"When?" Piggot said.

"We're trying to figure it out," I said.

"We can never catch a break in this damm city," Piggot pinched her nose.

Hugh, I know that feeling.

"I have a proposition," Barghest said suddenly.

Everyone turned to Barghest.

"Joint patrols between Chaldea and the Protectorate," Barghest suggested.

I hummed at that and turned to see what's Piggot reaction was.

She didn't seem too keen on the idea until Miss Milita whispered something to her.

Piggot turned to me and I gave her a 'why are you looking at me' look.

Barghest said that and you give a answer to her not me.

Before Piggot could say anything her phone started to ring.

"Excuse me," Piggot answered the call. "Yes?"

Piggot frowns at what she hears, "I will be there shortly." She ends the call and turns to me.

"I will have to end this meeting now. We will give you an answer to Saber's idea later. Do you possess a way for us to contact you or would you require a disposable phone?" Piggot asked.

"You would give me one?" I asked surprised.

I didn't expect that.

"It's an option that we offer to independent capes," Piggot said.

I grabbed the phone Da Vinci made.

"I got one already," I said.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia stepped forward and exchanged numbers with me.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Director Piggot, I hope that in the future we can work together," I said.

"Likewise," Piggot said.

She certainly doesn't seem to mean those words.

"It was also nice meeting you Miss Militia," even if we didn't exchange words. "Armsmaster," I gave him a nod.

Armsmaster returned the nod.

"It was nice meeting you too, Magus," Miss Milita said.

"Oh, you can also keep the map," I said.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and I were escorted out of the building by the same troopers that greeted us at the parking lot.

////////////

We were resting on top of a building.

"Got the feeling that she doesn't like us," Cú Chulainn said.

"Well, at least she was polite," I shrugged. "What was with that idea of joint patrols?" I asked Barghest.

"Truthfully it's just an excuse so I can gauge better the abilities of these heroes. Do you have a problem with it, master?" Barghest asked.

"No complaints here, this is a good way to earn their trust," I said.

"What's our next step?" Cú Chulainn asked.

I still want to take Othala off the board.

"Any luck finding Othala?" I asked Hassan.

"Not yet," Hassan said.

Where's this woman?

"Let's focus on the Empire. Hassan finds where Crusader and Hookwolf usually hang out," I said.

"I hope that these two will be a better fight than that masked guy, he couldn't even put up a fight," Cú Chulainn said.

"He was weak?" Barghest asked.

"To everyone else, Krieg was very dangerous but to us...he isn't even worth mentioning," I said.

"We're used to much worse," Cú Chulainn said.

Ain't that the truth. We went from mythological creatures, legendary heroes, and gods to bandits with powers.

I let out a yawn.

What time is it anyway?

I grabbed my phone and checked the time. It was almost three in the morning.

"I need to go home, we will go after those two tomorrow night," I said. "Also, please read that document I gave to Da Vinci, it has everything that involves parahumans."

Barghest and Cú Chulainn nodded.

Suddenly Barghest's stomach grumbled loudly.

Cú Chulainn and I turned to see that she was blushing in embarrassment.

"Wanna grab something to eat?" I could grab a bite before going home.

"Yes please," Barghest said quietly.

Let's see what's open at this time.

///////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at: pa-tre-on (slash) regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

///////////

We were able to find a convenience store that was still open at three in the morning. The poor cashier almost had a heart attack when we entered the place, it took about five minutes to convince her that we weren't going to hurt her.

After getting something to eat Barghest and Cú Chulainn accompanied me home and then went back to the warehouse.

I overslept, and by the time I woke up, Mom and Dad had already left for work and Daisy was at school. Mom left my breakfast inside the fridge.

I was eating pasta when Medea arrived to show me possible locations for our next base.

"What about this place?" Medea changed the image to an abandoned hotel.

"Not bad, lots of space but how is the interior?" I rubbed my chin.

"As you would expect, falling apart and full of mold," Medea shrugged.

Nothing that isn't easily fixable.

"Do we know if this property is for sale?" buying the place would save us a lot of headaches.

"I asked Da Vinci to look into it and she told me that the owner sold the place to the city years ago and moved to Boston," Medea said.

Okay, that could be a problem. I'm not sure if the city would be willing to sell the property to us.

"What does everyone else think?" I asked.

"That the hotel is the best option," Medea said.

It's not surprising, considering that the other options wouldn't provide comfort for a large number of people.

While I would prefer a more secluded location, I also know that once the renovations are completed this place will become a nigh-impenetrable fortress.

However, this does raise another problem.

"How are we going to pay for this place?" I thought out loud.

We're broke.

"Steal from the gangs," Medea went to get an apple.

I blinked in surprise at her words and then pinched my nose in frustration.

Goddam it, I should have taken some money from the safehouses. Oh well, I can do that this night when we attack Hookwolf.

I sighed and went to the fridge to get something to drink.

"You want anything?" I opened the fridge.

"Water please," Medea takes a bit of the apple.

I poured myself a glass of orange juice.

"Here you go," I handed her water.

"Thanks," Medea said.

Now that I think about it, I haven't yet inquired about everyone's opinion on Earth Bet. Hopefully, it's not too pessimistic.

"What do you think of Earth Bet so far?" I asked.

"Strange," Medea took a sip.

Not the answer I was expecting.

"In what way?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. There's just something strange about this world that I can't put my finger on," Medea finished eating the apple.

I don't like the sound of that.

"Is it related to mystics?" I asked.

I have been wondering what's Earth Bet history is when it comes to mystics.

Medea nodded, "There's something about the magical energy of this world that is different from back home."

"Isn't that to be expected since, you know, this's another universe?" I asked.

"Initially, I thought that was the reason, but Da Vinci also observed something peculiar about the planet's magical energy," Medea said.

"...should I be worried?" we already have too many problems.

Medea shrugged, "I don't think so. Da Vinci certainly doesn't seem concerned. I will tell you if we find anything."

"Thanks," I hope it's nothing serious.

As I was putting my plate and cup inside the sink I remembered the tinker tech rifles I asked Hassan to deliver.

"Oh yeah, what did Da Vinci think of those rifles?" I asked.

"She hasn't stopped working on them since last night. You should have seen how her eyes lit up when Hassan delivered those rifles," Medea giggled.

I chuckled at the mental image. Man, I wish I had seen that.

"What do you think of them?" I asked curiously.

"I took a look at them but I realized that those rifles had nothing to do with mystics, so I couldn't be of any assistance. It was the same with Morgan," Medea finished her water.

I'm going to ask Tesla and Edison to help Da Vinci in analyzing those rifles when they're summoned.

"By the way, I'm going to need you to do some healing tonight," I said.

"Who would I be healing?" Medea asked.

"Dogs we're rescuing from one of Hookwolf fighting rings," I said.

Medea taps her chin, "Any idea of how many dogs?"

I shook my head in response.

"What time would we attack him?" Medea asked.

"Around midnight," I said.

"That's more than enough time to make a mystic code that will ensure that the dogs remain docile," Medea said.

"Do you need me to get you anything?" I asked.

"No need, I already know where to get the materials. Oh, I also found a place that sells models," Medea said.

"You have been exploring the city?" I raised an eyebrow.

Since there have been no sightings of Medea reported, it's evident that she's using magecraft to remain concealed from everyone.

"Had to stretch my legs a bit, being cooped up inside the warehouse the entire day was starting to get on my nerves," Medea said.

That's fair, the warehouse isn't an accommodating place.

"All right then, I will see you tonight. And tell Da Vinci that we're going with the hotel," I said.

"Bye master," Medea switched to spirit form and left the apartment.

I also went out to buy Da Vinci some food as I knew she would be too focused on those rifles to remember to eat.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon doing more homework until Mom, Dad, and Daisy returned home. We stayed talking about how everyone's day went until it was time to go to sleep.

After that, it didn't take long for Hassan to take me to the warehouse.

/////////

Upon entering the warehouse, I quickly noticed the area once occupied by Da Vinci workshop was now enclosed by walls.

Look like she wanted some privacy.

"Huh," I said.

"Hey there master," Cú Chulainn walked next to me.

"Hey Cú Chulainn," I said.

As I glanced around, I noticed Medea constructing a miniature ship, Morgan lounging on a throne sipping tea with Barghest standing nearby.

"Is Da Vinci still inside?" I asked.

"She hasn't been out since last night," Cú Chulainn said.

I walked towards the door and knocked. I waited a few seconds before knocking again and there was still no response.

Did she fall asleep?

As I swung open the door my eyes fell upon Da Vinci, she was at the table examining the dismantled components of one of the rifles. The remaining ones were neatly stacked in a corner of the room. The table was also filled with notes that she made and a laptop.

She was so engrossed in examining the rifles that she didn't notice me entering the room.

"Da Vinci," I called.

"The power source is too small to give out these numbers," Da Vinci muttered while furiously typing on her laptop.

"Da Vinci," I called louder.

"With the level of technology of Earth Bet, creating these materials should be impossible," Da Vinci was revising some of her notes.

"DA VINCI!" I yelled.

Da Vinci let out a startled yelp and turned to me shocked.

"When did you arrive?!" Da Vinci exclaimed.

"Just now," I said.

"Couldn't you have been a little more gentle?" Da Vinci places her hands on her hips.

"I called you two times," I deadpanned.

"...oh," Da Vinci said.

I let out a sigh.

"Have you eaten anything?" I asked.

Da Vinci's stomach decided to answer my questions by grumbling loudly.

"What time is it?" Da Vinci grabs her stomach.

"It's almost midnight," I gave her the bag.

"Huh, so that is why I'm so hungry," Da Vinci grabbed the sandwich and soda. "Couldn't you have brought some coffee?"

"You really should cut back on the coffee, drinking so much of it isn't good for your health," I know she's a servant and all that but still.

Da Vinci shakes her head in disappointment, "Oh Henry, you still don't understand the excellence of coffee. It's coffee that keeps you awake and alive to face the challenges of the world! It's coffee that helps you get through the grind of the everyday! It's without question one of humanity's greatest creations!" she said passionately.

This isn't the first time I've heard this speech. Magus have some obsession with coffee that I just don't get it.

"Maybe it's time for an intervention? Your coffee addictions only seem to get worse," I said.

"Don't you dare take my coffee away, mister. You're the weird one," Da Vinci said.

"Oh for fuck sake, there's nothing weird about not liking coffee. Are you going to tell me that every magus adores coffee?" I huffed.

"Not only do they adore it but also own a significant portion of the industry," Da Vinci finishes the sandwich.

"What?" I asked.

"The coffee industry is heavily backed by numerous prominent magus. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the lords of the Clock Tower own the entire enterprise," Da Vinci said.

"Is that actually true?" I asked.

"Very much so," Da Vinci nodded.

Okay, I'm not going anywhere close to that can of worms.

I looked at the dismantled rifle and Da Vinci noticed it.

"You certainly brought me-"

"You can tell me everything after you get some sleep," I said

Da Vinci stretched her body, "Yeah, I could go for some beauty sleep. Let me just set an alarm to remind me of my next meeting with Dodge," she

Dodge? Hold on, isn't that...

"The same Dodge from Toybox?" I asked.

"That's the one," Da Vinci said.

"How did you get in contact with them so fast?" I asked.

"It was easy to find them in the PHO. I was even able to convince them to give me access to their website" Da Vinci said.

"They have a website?" I blinked in surprise.

Da Vinci pressed a key on the laptop, bringing up the Toybox website.

"Unbelievable," it shouldn't be this easy to buy tinker tech.

"There are already a lot of things I want to buy from them. Especially Dodge tech," Da Vinci said.

I searched his inventions, curious to see how much it is. And blinked in surprise at the price.

"Half a million," I said surprised. "Only that much?" I turned to Da Vinci.

Don't get me wrong, that's still a significant amount of money, but we're talking about acquiring a personal pocket dimension. I was expecting it to cost at least millions.

"I was surprised as well by the price but it makes sense when you think about the difficulties of maintaining tinker tech," Da Vinci said.

"Can you do it?" I raised an eyebrow.

It will be huge if she can maintain tinker tech.

"Did you forget who you're talking to? I'm an unparalleled genius, nothing in this world is beyond my understanding," Da Vinci puffed her chest proudly.

I gave out a chuckle at that. If anyone can fully understand what is tinker tech, it's Da Vinci.

"By the way, can you create an account for me in the PHO? I keep forgetting to do it," I said.

"Sure," Da Vinci said.

"What's your username?" I asked curious.

"Uomo Universale," Da Vinci said with a wide smile.

About what I was expecting.

"Oh, before I forget. I was able to get in contact with the leader of the Guild, Narwhal," Da Vinci said.

"How did it go?" I asked.

"Poorly," Da Vinci said in a sour tone.

"Was it because of the PRT?" I frowned.

"It wasn't because of them," Da Vinci said. "Narwhal learned about Chaldea from Dragon. Apparently, she collaborates frequently with Armsmaster."

"What did Dragon say about us?" I asked.

What the hell did Armsmaster say to Dragon?

"Based on the information I was able to gather from Narwhal, Dragon appears to have a favorable opinion about us," Da Vinci said.

"So what's the problem?" I asked.

"The issue is that Narwhal thinks that Chaldea is a new organization and doubts that rookie heroes can handle the threats typically managed by the Guild," Da Vinci said.

Da Vinci and I stayed in silence for a few moments.

"I know she means well and everything, but I can't help feeling insulted," I said, breaking the silence.

"Same," Da Vinci crosses her arms.

"We need more wins under our belt," she's gonna have to take us more seriously when we get rid of the gangs.

"That's right, so go out there and beat up a lot of villains," Da Vinci was pushing me out of the workshop.

"Wha-knock it off, Da Vinci!" I complained.

"Is there anything else you wanna talk about?" Da Vinci raised an eyebrow.

"Well, to be honest, I came here to give you some food, and to-wait there's something else!"I said, recalling my conversations with Medea. "Medea said that the both of you noticed something strange about the planet's magical energy."

Da Vinci was confused for a second before understanding what I meant.

"Oh, that. I'm almost certain that the strange feeling Medea is having is related to another matter that I want to confirm," Da Vinci locks eyes with me. "It's related to the Counter Force," she said seriously.

"What!? What're you talking about!" I exclaimed alarmed.

Whenever Alaya and Gaia get involved it always gets...messy.

"To be more specific, I want to understand why Alay hasn't taken any action to prevent humanity's decline," Da Vinci said.

My mouth went dry when a question passed my mind.

"Why hasn't Alaya sent counter-guardians to eliminate the Endbringers?" I asked stunned.

Oh god, were counter-guardians unable to kill the Endbringers?

"That's one of the questions that came to my mind when you told us about the Endbringers," Da Vinci said.

A thought sent a shiver down my spine.

"Did Gaia create the Endbringers?" I asked fearfully.

"...there's a non-zero chance that she did," Da Vinci grimaced.

A heavy silence settled in the room.

I pinched my nose in frustration, "God our luck sucks. Why's nothing ever easy with us?"

"The path we've chosen has never been an easy one," Da Vinci smiled tiredly. "But I agree with you, our luck sucks!" she huffed.

Da Vinci and I traded looks and began to chuckle.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"Ah, I still need to complete those scanners before I can start to look into the Counter Force. I could get started on that right-"

"After you get some sleep," I interrupted her.

"Once I've had some sleep, I will complete the scanners and begin testing," Da Vinci said.

I nodded and left her workshop, my mind swirling with numerous questions.

"You okay there, master?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"Yeah, just got a lot on my mind," I rubbed my neck.

You know what? I'm going to put this on the back burner for now.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked loudly.

Medea stopped working on the model and walked over and so did Barghest.

Morgan was by a cauldron, brewing some kind of potion.

"Here you go," Medea gives me a bracelet.

"What is it?" I put it on my left wrist.

"Something to raise your defenses," Medea explained.

"Thanks," I said.

We left the warehouse.

////////////

We were atop a rooftop overlooking a warehouse that Hookwolf used for one of his fighting rings.

We could hear screams and monstrous howls coming from the inside. There is a hole that seems recently made on the side of the warehouse.

The hell is going on?

"Hellhound is attacking the fighting ring," Hassan explained.

I let out a sigh at the news.

"What's the problem, master?" Medea asked.

"Hellhound is attacking the place," I said.

Barghest hummed, "There're reports of her attacking these rings but that's not important right now. Does her interference change our plans?"

"It doesn't, Hookwolf is still our target," I said.

We jumped down and entered through the hole that Hellhound had created when she invaded the warehouse.

The inside of the warehouse was in pure chaos.

Two monstrous dogs were running around the place, violently knocking aside any Empire members that didn't move out of their path quickly enough. Hellhound was riding on one of the dogs.

None of them appeared to be dead yet, but I wasn't sure how long that would last.

A woman wearing a cage for a mask, Cricket, was effortlessly dodging the attacks from a third monstrous dog. She retaliated with her kamas whenever she had the chance. Though her cuts weren't deep, they were slowly stacking.

On an elaveted plataform stood our target, Hookwolf. He gazed boredly at the chaos below and made no effort to join the fight.

Hellhound notices our presence and lets out a loud whistle while pointing in our direction. The dog that had been attacking Cricket immediately stopped and shifted its focus on us. With a furious howl, he charged straight at us.

Barghest stepped forward and backhanded the dog as it approached her, sending it to the other side of the warehouse. It lay motionless on the ground, and I couldn't tell if it was still breathing.

Did it die?

"Judas!" Hellhound screamed.

Hellhound whistled loudly, making the last two dogs focus their attention on us. Before they could charge at us, Medea summoned ethereal chains that tightly wrapped around the dogs and Hellhound.

"That's enough of you," Medea said.

Medea also conjured a protective barrier around Hellhound and the two dogs, ensuring that the Empire couldn't harm them.

Hellhound continued shouting insults until Medea modified the barrier to block any sound from escaping.

"What a rude child," Medea huffed.

Hookwlf laughed, "Well if it isn't the fuckers that Kaiser wants dead! Bringing your head will be so much easier now!"

"So, this's the guy we're here for? He looks like a wimp," Cú Chulainn remarked with a challenging grin.

Blades began to envelop Hookwolf, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," he growled.

Hookwolf leaps down in his wolf form and charges at us. Barghest rushes forward to intercept him.

Hookwolf slashed at Barghest's stomach, aiming to cut her in half. In response, Barghest ignited her blade and severed his arm.

Barghest sidesteps to dodge Hookwolf's tackle and raises her sword to slice him in two. Blades extended from his side in an attempt to impale her, but though they failed to pierce her armor, they assisted Hookwolf in leaping away just as Barghest brought her sword down.

Hookwolf wasn't unscathed; Barghest had managed to leave an ugly gash on his side that was dripping molten metal.

I let out a chuckle at seeing Hookwolf's wound. Barghest flames were more than enough to liquefy all the metal that was coating him.

"You bitch," Hookwolf growled and waited for his arm to regenerate before charging again at Barghest.

Cricket attempted to rally the remaining members, those who weren't too injured from Hellhound rampage, to organize an attack against Cú Chulainn, Medea, and me.

Medea had other ideas.

Medea soared upwards and numerous magical circles materialized in front of her. Beams of light shot toward the Empire members, destroying any chance Cricket had to amass a counterattack.

Cricket was the only one to manage to dodge, though just barely, the onslaught of light from Medea.

Medea conjures dragon tooth warriors, dispatching most to gather the grunts and the remainder to pursue Cricket.

"Don't you want to participate?" I asked.

A dragon tooth warrior managed to sneak up behind Cricket and slash her back. Snarling, Cricket began to attack with renewed ferocity, but no matter how many she destroyed the dragon tooth warriors were gradually encircling her.

"And do what? The only one that seems to be a good fight is the wolf guy and Saber already has that under control," Cú Chulainn shrugged.

Cú Chulainn calmly stepped forward and twirled Gae Bolg, deflecting Hookwolf's melting arm away from us.

"Sorry!" Barghest exclaimed as she launched a wave of fire that blasted Hookwolf against a wall.

"It's fine!" I said.

"He's lasting longer than I expected," Cú Chulainn commented.

"Yeah but he won't last much longer," I thought looking at his state.

Hookwolf was struggling to move as numerous cuts covered his body, each dripping molten metal. The fact that the metal was also overheating only worsened his predicament.

On the other hand, Barghest was completely unharmed; her armor bore a few scratches, but they would vanish later.

A scream of agony snapped my focus back to Cricket; a sword was lodged in her thigh. In swift retaliation, she decapitated the dragon tooth warrior responsible, but another one immediately seized her arm. She screamed again as the warrior tightened his grip, forcing her to release the kama.

I noticed that her other kama was nowhere in sight.

Cricket clenched her teeth and yanked the sword from her thigh; rapidly using it to sever the arm that had gripped her. She dashed as fast as she could towards a door, slashing wildly as she went.

"Is that an exit?" I asked.

"No, it's where they keep their weapons," Hassan said.

Cricket entered the room and slammed the door shut with force.

It doesn't matter what she uses, the result is cle-

BOOM!

An explosion erupted from inside the room Cricket had entered, causing the warehouse to tremble for several seconds.

"What the hell was that!?" I asked shocked.

Medea sent a dragon tooth warrior to enter the room and see what became of Cricket.

Hookwolf briefly glanced towards the explosion to see what had happened. That created an opportunity for Barghest that she didn't waste it. She swiftly closed the distance and sliced Hookwolf in half.

Hookwolf was on the ground, groaning and attempting to move, but Barghest stomped on his head, stopping him.

"Cease or your life is forfeit," Barghest places her sword at his neck.

The upper half of Hookwolf started changing back to his human form, while his lower half remained unchanged.

Before he could utter a single word, Barghest silenced him with a blow to the head.

He was quickly tied up with ethereal chains.

"Thank you," Barghest said.

"It's nothing," Mede came down and walked towards Cú Chulainn and me.

"What happened to Cricket?" I asked.

"She blew up a wall to escape," Medea said.

Cú Chulainn and I traded a glance and walked to the room.

Peering inside, I spotted a tooth warrior stationed before an opening large enough for a person to escape through. The remainder of the room lay in utter ruin.

"She's losing a lot of blood," Cú Chulainn inspected the blood trail that Cricket left.

"Yes, she is," I hummed.

"I will right back," Cú Chulainn said as he moved to capture Cricket.

"Don't. Given her injuries, she will seek healing from Othala, and that will guide us to her," I said.

"All right," Cú Chulainn shrugged in response.

"Hassan, send one of your personas to tail her," I said.

"Already doing," Hassan said.

"Also, grab any money if you find it here," I said.

Let's see: Cricket is gone, Hookwolf is out of commission and the remaining Empire members are being watched by dragon tooth warriors.

"All that's left is her," I thought, turning my attention to Hellhound and blinking in surprise.

She was desperately trying to break free from the chains.

The hell set her off?

I recalled the third dog that Barghest had struck earlier and tuned my gaze toward it.

Two dragon tooth warriors were cutting him open. And Medea was next to them, examining a piece that had been cut from the dog.

Oh yeah, that would definitely enrage Hellhound.

"What do you make of that?" I walked to Medea.

"It's a peculiar mixture of muscle and bone but the strange part is that all the tissue composing this form is effectively dead," Medea handed the piece she was holding to another dragon tooth warrior.

"Does that mean that the dog is dead?" I asked.

Medea shook her head, "He's alive, encased in some sort of sack at the core of this tissue. I'm going to collect the remains of this flesh for further examination."

"What about Hookwolf low-oh you already got it," a group of dragon tooth warriors surrounded were carrying the lower half and waiting for further instruction.

"Yep. Now I just need to get the dog out," Medea said.

"I think Hellhound called him Judas earlier," I rubbed my chin in thought.

A dragon tooth warrior approached us, presenting Judas who was unconscious.

"Is he okay?" I asked.

Medea cast a spell to asses his well-being.

"Except for a few old scars, he seems perfectly fine. He's just unconscious," Medea remarked, peering closer and frowning. "Where did all this muscle mass come from?" she looked at the flesh with a thoughtful expression.

That's a good question.

Hellhound power enables her to transform dogs into the creatures before me. However, it's just not possible for a dog of Judas size to produce that much body mass.

You can't create matter from nothing. That's a universal law.

So, how's this possible?

"Are we going to do something about her?" Cú Chulainn referred to Hellhound.

"I'm on it," Medea said.

Medea lowered the barrier, filling the warehouse with the furious shouts of Hellhound and the angry howls of the dogs.

"Don't you fucking touch him!" Hellhound shouted.

"Quiet," Barghest growled.

Hellhound stiffened, and the dogs began to whimper and tremble in fear.

Medea casts a spell that puts Hellhound and the dogs to sleep.

"Okay, put Judas with them and get the two other dogs out," I ordered the dragon tooth warriors.

The dragon tooth warrior that was holding Judas walked to Hellhound.

"Let's go see the dogs that's being held here," Medea said.

"Door with a padlock, right corner of the warehouse," Hassan said.

Walking to the door, I reinforced my leg and kicked open the door.

I clenched my fist in anger and Medea grimaced at the sight before us.

The dogs were inside cages. Some barked at us while most cowered and shook in fear, likely frightened by the noise of the fight.

Their appearance is what enrages me.

Old scars, fur matted with dried blood, wounds appearing infected, and some missing an ear or a paw.

"You've all been through a lot," Medea walked to the center of the room and retrieved a music box from her cape. "May this soothe your pain, even if only a little."

As Medea opened the music box, a gentle lullaby began to play, and within moments, the dogs started to settle down.

I could feel the tension easing from my shoulders.

Medea handed me the music box and raised her staff, bathing the room in a green light.

I could immediately see the effects as wounds began to close, scars began to fade and the dogs appeared to regain some vitality.

We stayed like that until Medea lowered her staff.

"How are they?" I handed the music box back.

The dogs were now watching us with curiosity, a significant improvement compared to before.

"Physically they're healed," Medea said as she tucked the music box away inside her cape.

I fucking hate how we can't do anything else for them.

Now to call the PRT and-

"Master, Lung is attacking the Empire," Hassan said.

My eyes widen at the news.

"What happened!?" I asked alarmed.

"I'm not sure. He received a phone call and immediately began mobilizing his forces," Hassan said.

"We need to go," I said, seizing Medea's hand and hurrying out of the room with her.

"Hey, master! Something is happening, I can hear explosions in the distance!" Cú Chulainn exclaimed, looking towards the direction of the noises.

I could hear the explosion in the distance.

"It's Oni Lee. He's engaging Empire forces and causing havoc," Hassan said.

"Lung is attacking the Empire!" I said.

Barghest and Cú Chulainn tensed at the news.

I turned to Medea, "Have the dragon tooth warriors deliver Hookwolf and Hellhound to the PRT and the rest to the police. Also, summon more of them to take the dogs to the police."

Medea quickly commanded the dragon tooth warriors and summoned additional reinforcements. She also hides with a illusion the dragon tooth warriors who are returning to the warehouse with the materials she collected.

"Excuse me, master," Barghest grabs me and slings me over her shoulder as though I'm a sack of potatoes. "It will be faster this way."

"Don't worry about it, just go!" I said.

We rushed to our next battle.

///////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

///////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at: pa-tre-on (slash) regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

//////////////////////////////////////////

It was pure chaos.

I couldn't think of another way to describe the scene before me.

Members from both gangs were hiding behind cars and shooting at each other.

The ABB had the advantage since Oni Lee kept leaving his clones with explosives behind Empire lines. I could already see a lot of bodies on their side.

And in the middle of the street there he was.

Lung.

He stood nearly three meters tall and was entirely covered in scales. The Empire members fired at Lung, who continued to walk towards them unperturbed.

The bullets weren't slowing Lung down, nor were they causing him any harm. In fact, they seemed to speed up his transformation.

Lung ignited his hands and began hurling fireballs forward, targeting the vehicles the Empire members were using for cover. Those struck by the fireballs exploded, causing the casualties on the Empire side to rise.

The ABB members, who had been slowly advancing, came to a halt as ghostly soldiers emerged from the ground and attacked them.

Those are Crusader ghost duplicates.

Cars with Empire reinforcement started to arrive, and with them came the rest of the gang's capes.

Menja, Victor, Othala, Crusader, Alabaster.

"I'm not seeing Kaiser," I frowned.

"Look to your left," Medea said.

Oh, there he is.

Kaiser arrived on a floating piece of rubble the size of a bus, with Rune standing behind him.

"Lung! You dare attack us!?" Kaiser shouted.

"You finally decided to show your face! Come down and fight me, Kaiser!" Lung roared.

Kaiserscoffed, "You're always thinking with your fists. But what else could I expect from a savage."

Lung laughed, "You really think you can keep up that smug attitude while a rookie hero is kicking your ass!?"

"They will pay for their crimes and face the wrath of the Empire! After we crush all of you, Chaldea will be next!" Kaiser shouted furiously.

Lung ignited his hands and hurled fireballs at Kaiser. In response, Kaiser leaped down and summoned iron spears from the ground, piercing Lung in multiple places across his body.

Lung roared in anger, grabbing one of the iron Spears impaled in his body and ripping it out. He superheated the spear with his fire and hurled it towards Kaiser.

Kaiser constructed a six-layer barrier of iron spears to block the incoming spear. The spear came to a halt at the fifth layer, having melted the first four. Despite successfully blocking the attack, Kaiser had to quickly dodge to the side as Lung unleashed a wave of fire towards him.

This reignited the brawl, with members from both gangs resuming their clashes.

"Oh, he got some moves," Cú Chulainn was looking at Lung with a bloodthirsty smile.

"The way he fights reminds me of Vlad," Medea commented, seeing Kaiser's fighting style.

This's getting uglier by the minute, we have to stop this.

But first, I'm going to call reinforcements.

"Morgan, come to my side," I used a command spell.

In a brief flash of light, Morgan appeared next to me. She took one look at the chaos and quickly grasped the situation.

Before I could begin issuing orders, Barghest spoke first.

"We gotta company," Barghest looked behind us.

I followed her gaze and saw Dauntless coming towards us rapidly.

"Magus! I'm glad to see you gu-holy shit!" Dauntless finally saw the brawl that was happening on the street.

Yeah, this's a shit show.

"Where's the rest of the Protectorate?" I asked.

"Armsmaster and Miss Militia are expected to arrive in three minutes. Assault and Battery are coming with the troopers, and Velocity is nearby, waiting for me to update him on the situation," Dauntless didn't look away from the brawl.

"What about New Wave?" I asked.

"I don't know when they will arrive," Dauntless said.

"Something is coming fast," Barghest looked up with narrow eyes.

Someone descended from the sky and struck Menja in the stomach with such force that she was lifted off the ground and hurled against a nearby building.

The culprit was no other than Glory Girl.

I gotta say, that's one hell of a way to make an entrance.

The fight came to a halt as everyone turned their attention to Glory Girl.

"Oh, you guys started without me," Glory Girl said with a confident smile.

Wait a second, I'm not seeing the rest of New Wave.

Dauntless cursed, "Damm it, she went off on her own again."

"She's alone!?" I said alarmed.

"Velocity, move in now!" Dauntless flew into the battle.

"Saber, Lancer, Berserker, focus on the capes!" I turned to Medea. "Caster, launch a flashbang into the Empire reinforcements."

"Hassan, be ready to grab Othala," I said.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and Morgan leaped down the street and joined the fight.

Medea collected a sphere of magical energy at the tip of her staff and hurled it at her target. The Empire backlines were momentarily blinded by the intense light.

Hassan appeared behind Othala and struck her neck, rendering her unconscious. Hassan quickly seized Othala and jumped away before the members of the Empire could react.

Victor glanced around as his vision returned to normal, trying to make sense of what had happened, only to realize that Othala was missing.

"Where's Othala!" Victor shouted, looking around trying to find her.

"Get behind the ABB and summon dragon tooth warriors and send them to capture the non-powered members," I said.

Medea took me to the end of the street, behind ABB forces, and summoned an army of dragon tooth warriors. She also created a barrier that covered us both.

Medea dispatched the dragon tooth warriors to apprehend the non-powered members of the ABB.

Hassan dropped off Othala near us and vanished once more. Medea summoned an ethereal chain, using them to bind Othala. She also created a that encompassed all three of us.

"Good work Hassan," I said.

The ABB members noticed the advancing dragon tooth warriors and redirected some of their firepower in an attempt to stop them. Their efforts were in vain as the dragon tooth warriors vastly outnumbered them.

Medea set up a new barrier to contain the captured members of the ABB. After all of them were enclosed within the barrier, she dispelled the majority of the dragon tooth warriors. She sent the remaining to watch the barrier.

It wasn't really necessary; it was just an extra precaution.

Suddenly, my instincts screamed at me of danger coming from my left. I reinforced my right arm and swung a punch toward the threat.

My fist collided with Oni Lee's stomach, causing him to spit blood in response. Oni Lee responded to my attack by swinging his left arm, which held a switchblade, aiming for my neck. I quickly raised my left arm to block, and the blade stopped when it struck my forearm, unable to pierce through.

I did notice that my forearm had glowed for a moment after being struck by the switchblade.

I'm going to buy whatever model Medea wants later.

"Why you little!" Medea hissed.

Medea conjures ethereal chains, binding Oni Lee tightly. In response, he glances sideways and then erupts into ashes.

I frowned, "Can't you do anything about his teleportation?"

"He shouldn't have been able to teleport inside the barrier, to begin with it," Medea frowned. "Without knowing the method he used, I'm not sure I can stop it."

Fuck, that's not good.

"Excuse me," A voice said to our side.

Medea and I turned to the voice.

Velocity stood there, clutching a couple of weapons in his grasp.

"Can I leave this with you guys?" Velocity asked.

I nodded, and Velocity placed the weapons on the ground before going to grab more.

Medea encased all the guns in ice as soon as Velocity stopped bringing in more.

"Miss Militia and Armsmaster have arrived," Hassan said.

I looked over my shoulder to see them rapidly approaching the scene.

"What're those things?" Armsmaster said, gripping his halberd tightly as he looked at the dragon tooth warriors.

Miss Militia summoned an assault rifle and aimed at the dragon tooth warriors.

"Don't! They're with us!" I exclaimed.

Miss Milita lowered her weapon and Armsmasert rushed to join the battle.

"You can summon skeletons?" Miss Milia walked next to us.

"They're called dragon tooth warriors and it was Caster that summoned them," I explained.

Miss Militia glanced at Caster.

"Hi," Miss Militia said.

"Hey," Medea said, eyeing Miss Militia's weapon with curiosity.

Miss Militia notices the tied Othala.

"You captured Othala," Miss Militia said surprised.

"This way the Empire won't be able to stay long in the fight," I said.

"And they're?" Miss Militia asked, referring to the imprisoned ABB members.

"Those're all the members of the ABB that Lung brought," I said.

Their capture didn't affect the fight at all.

Lung completely transformed into a dragon and, most importantly, continued to grow larger.

I think he is a little above six meters in height.

How much more can this bastard grow?

And I don't think Lung even notices that all his men are captured.

Miss Militia began searching for a vantage point.

"Wanna lift to the rooftop?" I asked.

"Yes," Miss Militia said immediately.

Wind gathered at Miss Militia's feet, propelling her up to a rooftop. Upon landing, she switched her weapon to a sniper rifle and began shooting the Empire backlines.

Lung tackled Menja into a building and began breathing fire at her. Menja crossed her arms over her face to shield it.

Various iron spears had pierced Lung's legs in an attempt to separate him from Menja but the effort was in vain. Lung responded by breathing even more fire at Menja.

Lung only stopped when Dauntless stabbed his left eye with his arclance. Lung threw Menja aside and roared in fury, redirecting his focus to Dauntless.

Kaiser was struggling to impale Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and Morgan. The iron spears weren't capable of penetrating Barghest's armor nor Morgan's barrier and Cú Chulainn effortlessly dodged each attack.

Crusader attempted to trap Morgan using his ghost duplicates to eliminate her. However, he failed to notice the magical circle Morgan had conjured beneath him. His stamina was drained until he lost his conscience, causing all his ghost duplicates to vanish.

"Grab him!" Victor shouted as he exchanged shots with Miss Militia.

Two members of the Empire ran and grabbed Crusader, taking him away from the battle.

Rune was on the defensive, using a piece of rubble the size of a car to keep Glory Girl at bay. However, Glory Girl effortlessly shatters the rubble with her fist and charges directly at Rune.

It turned into a cat-and-mouse game. Rune desperately trying to evade Glory Girl, who was persistent in her pursuit.

I shifted my focus to Armsmaster to check on how he was doing.

Armsmaster was struggling in his battle against Alabaster. It wasn't Alabaster himself causing the difficulty, but rather the relentless iron spears that Armsmaster had to keep dodging.

Alabaster, however, remained unfazed by the spears that did strike every now and then; his wounds healed almost immediately, allowing him to continue attacking Armsmaster relentlessly.

"What a bad match-up," Medea said.

Armsmaster pressed a button on his halberd, electrifying it, and thrust at Alabaster, striking him in the stomach.

The shock appeared to do nothing to Alabaster except irritate him.

"Kaiser interference is certainly not helping," I said.

This brings back many memories of when I faced enemies who were invulnerable or had some form of protection against all types of attacks.

I hated those fights.

"Give him a hand," I said.

Medea summoned a magical circle at Alabaster's feet, encasing them in concrete and effectively pinning him in place.

"The hell!" Alabaster exclaimed, trying to break free.

Armsmaster seized this opportunity, grabbed a foam grenade, and threw it at Alabaster's feet. The grenade exploded, enveloping him in foam up to his neck.

Armsmaster glanced at us with a frown and rushed to help Dauntless.

I raised an eyebrow at his reaction.

Lung was attempting to tear Barghest apart with his claws, but his efforts were futile as Barghest continuously countered by severing his claws.

Dauntless and Armsmaster were also attacking Lung, however, their attacks were ineffective and went unnoticed, as Lung's entire focus was on Barghest.

Lung ignited his entire body, intending to unleash a wave of fire that would engulf everyone around him.

Morgan doesn't let him have his way. She conjures magical circles around him that absorb the flames. Harnessing the flames, she creates a falcon the size of an adult and sends it to attack Lung.

Oni Lee teleported behind Cú Chulainn, attempting to slash his throat with a knife. However, Cú Chulainn moved faster, evading the attack and piercing Oni Lee shouder with his spear.

Before Oni Lee could teleport away, Cú Chulainn spun Gáe Bolg and hurled him against a building wall. As Cú Chulainn prepared for another strike, he had to leap back as iron spears burst from the ground.

Oni Lee couldn't evade the attack and was impaled in the left thigh and stomach by an iron spear. Moments later, he disintegrated into ashes.

Cú Chulainn glared at Kaiser.

Cú Chulainn charged towards Kaiser, shattering every iron spear that attempted to pierce him as he advanced.

Kaiser encased himself in a metal cocoon and unleashed a barrage of iron spears, aiming to overpower Cú Chulainn through sheer volume.

It didn't even come close to working.

In response to the growing number of iron spears, Cú Chulainn accelerated his pace and swiftly destroyed all the spears in his path within seconds, reaching the cocoon shortly after.

Cú Chulainn thrust his spear at the cocoon with such force that it was utterly destroyed, and Kaiser was struck on his left side. Somehow Kaiser got lucky and only sustained a deep cut instead of a new hole.

Cú Chulainn continued his assault by spinning his spear and striking Kaiser squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward several meters. Kaiser bounced off the ground a few times before coming to a stop.

Oh yeah, that broke a few of his ribs.

Menja rejoined the battle, her arms and neck were wrapped in bandages, and thrusts her spear at Cú Chulainn with the intent to kill him.

Cù Chulainn tightened his hold on Gae Bolg and met the attack head-on. A shockwave erupted from the collision of their weapons. He managed to deflect Menja's spear, causing it to drive into the ground. However, Menja was undeterred; she raised her foot, aiming to crush Cú Chulainn beneath it.

Before Menja could bring down her foot, she was suddenly bombarded by lasers.

"Finally," I muttered.

Man, they took a while to get here.

Laserdream and Lady Photon repeatedly blasted Menja with their lasers, forcing her to step away from Cú Chulainn.

They weren't the only ones to arrive; the rest of New Wave, minus Panacea, also showed up, along with Assault, Battery, and the PRT troopers.

"Hey! I got Othala here!" I yelled to Assault.

"Damn, you've been busy," Assault said as he approached me, with Battery beside him and a squad of PRT troopers trailing closely behind.

"Are those skeletons?" Battery asked surprised.

"Dragon tooth warriors and Caster's the one that summoned them," I said.

Medea lowered the barrier and dismissed the ethereal chains wrapped around Othala, allowing the troopers to cuff her hands and transport her to a nearby truck.

"Man, you have no idea how many times we tried to capture her," Assault said.

There are many ways to weaken your enemies. One of them is to eliminate the medic.

"It won't be long now," I thought.

"Retreat!!!" Kaiser shouted.

There it is.

Without Othala, their injuries, and all the heroes present, the Empire can't continue this fight.

"Retreat!" Kaiser was clutching his side, trying to stanch the bleeding.

The normal members of the Empire were rushing towards the vehicles that were still working, eager to escape.

Menja was waving her spear around wildly, trying to keep Laserdream, Lady Photon, and Glory Girl away.

Rune swiftly lowered the piece of rubble she had been using, making room for Kaiser and Victor to climb on it, and for the still-unconscious Crusader to be placed on.

Rune quickly took off once they were all aboard the rubble.

Menja lingered for a few moments, covering the retreat of the other members before leaving once they were all driving away. The ground shook with each of her steps as she didn't shrink down.

Glory Girl was about to go after her but was stopped by Lady Photon.

As good as it would have been to continue the attack on the Empire, we have a bigger problem.

"I...never seen him this big," Battery said, her voice tinged with fear.

"He's at what? Eight meters tall?" I asked.

"Eight and a half," Medea said.

Yeah, that's big. But the good news is that despite his size, Lung still isn't able to turn the fight in his favor.

Lung's body is covered in wounds, his left wing is gone and his right hand is missing its fingers.

All of his wounds were healing but not fast enough.

Assault and Battery rushed to join the other heroes in fighting Lung.

Laserdream and Lady Photon began firing lasers at Lung, Flashbang launched orbs of light that exploded into blinding flashes each time they struck Lung's face.

Lung was moving his head around in an attempt to dodge Flashbang attacks.

Barghest ignited her blade and rushed towards Lung's left leg while he was distracted. With a fierce roar, she swung her blade in a wide arc and severed his limb.

Lung cried out in agony as he collapsed to his knees, bracing himself with his hands on the ground. In an act of defiance, he unleashed a torrent of fire all around him. But it was for naught as Morgan, once again, created magical circles that absorbed the fire.

Glory Girl flies above Lung's head and delivers a powerful double-hammer fist strike to his head. The force of the blow caused his head to snap down violently, and the impact made the ground shake.

Morgan thrust her demonic spear at a small portal that had opened before her. Above Lung, a larger version of Morgan's spear made of light materialized and descended, stabbing him in the back and pinning him down.

Lung was groaning on the ground, struggling to move when Glory Girl descended and delivered a powerful haymaker to his head. The impact shattered the ground under Lung's head, sending pieces of debris flying in all directions.

Lung stopped moving, and everyone observed him closely, waiting to see if he would make another attempt to continue the fight.

The answer became evident as Lung began to transform back into his human form.

I released a sigh of relief that I hadn't realized that I was holding.

God, what a way to end the night.

////////////

"What did you guys think about Lung?" I asked.

"He was strong but doesn't compare to a real dragon," Barghest said.

"That may be true but he still put up a hell of a fight," Cú Chulainn said.

Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and I watched as the PRT troopers rounded up all the members of the ABB and the unconscious Lung.

Armsmaster was keeping a close eye on Lung.

The troopers had a tough time trying to cuff Alabaster, who wouldn't stop struggling until Manpower stepped in to assist them.

It was funny to see Manpower smack the back of Alabaster's head with enough force to make him faceplant on the ground.

After that, the troopers dogpile Alabaster and cuffed him.

Medea was chatting with Miss Militia and Velocity.

Dauntless was talking with Assault and Battery.

Glory Girl and Brandish were in the middle of a heated argument while Lady Photon attempted to mediate.

Shielder, Laserdream, and Flashbang went home.

Morgan went to grab Lung's leg so she could examine it later. She was curious to see how his power affected his body.

"Whose territory are we grabbing?" Cú Chulainn asked.

I sighed, "Why does this feel like we're going to take over the city?"

"The gangs control too much of the city," Barghest frowned.

Ain't that a sad truth.

I'm not a fan of the idea of claiming territory, but if we don't take action, someone else will.

"It's going to be the ABB but before that, I'm going to call for reinforcements," I said.

The ruby should have enough magical energy by now.

Morgan walked back to us.

"Hey, did you grab the leg?" I asked.

Morgan shook her head, "It's pointless; I scanned it and it's just a normal human leg."

I raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"

Morgan nodded.

So, Lung's power didn't turn him into a pseudo-dragon. Could it be just a coincidence that he looks like a dragon when he transforms?

I glanced at Dauntless and saw that he was by himself.

Let's see what he knows about this mess.

"I will be right back," I said.

I walked to Dauntless.

"Hey," Dauntless said tiredly.

"Long night, huh," I said.

"Tell me about it. I'm just glad that it's finally over," Dauntless said.

I hummed in agreement.

The Empire lost too many capes, the ABB lost Lung, and Oni Lee was critically injured.

The gang war was over.

"You doing okay?" I asked.

Dauntless made a so-so gesture.

"I can't wait to go home. What about you guys? Anyone need medical attention?" Dauntless asked.

"Thanks, but we're good," I looked at the destroyed street.

This's going to take a while to fix. May I summon Avicebron next and ask him to use his golems to help with repairing the street.

"It's not fair!" Glory Girl shouted.

Dauntless and I turned our attention to Glory Girl.

The argument she was having with Brandish seems to have taken a turn for the worse.

Dauntless sighed, "They could at least go to a more private place."

"They have many arguments?" I inquired.

"Only when Glory Girl charges recklessly into battles, which happens far too often," Dauntless said.

So, Brandish's probably more scared than angry with Glory Girl's recklessness. In the end, she's just a mother that's worried about her daughter.

...I wonder what Mom and Dad would think about this whole cape business.

You know what, I'm not going down this rabbit hole.

Let's focus on something else.

"Do you know what encouraged Lung to make this attack?" I asked.

Dauntless shrugged, "No idea. We were keeping a closer eye on the ABB but there was nothing pointing that Lung would make his move this soon."

I don't think Lung planned for this. He was emboldened to attack tonight by that phone call.

I need to know more about it.

"I also got a report about what the dragon tooth warriors delivered to the police and the PRT. The troopers stationed at the lobby were quite surprised when Hookwolf was left at the doorstep," Dauntless said.

"What about Hellhound? She was supposed to be delivered together with Hookwolf," I frowned.

"Hold on," Dauntless used his earpiece. "HQ, this's Dauntless. Do you have Hellhound in custody?"

Dauntless paused for a moment before answering me.

"They don't have her," Dauntless said.

How did she escape?

I let out a sigh of frustration.

"What's the matter?" Medea asked as she approached me.

"Hellhound escaped," I said.

Medea raised an eyebrow.

"Dauntless!" Miss Militia called out.

"Looks like I have to go. See you guys later," Dauntless walked to Miss Militia.

"Bye," I said.

It was also time for us to go home.

Medea and I walked back to Barghest, Cú Chulainn and Morgan.

"Let's go home," I said.

///////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

///////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at: pa-tre-on (slash) regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

A peek at what Lisa and the Protectorate.

I feel like I struggle to write this kind of chapter and I don't know why.

//////////////////////////////////////////

Lisa Wilbourn (Tattletale) POV:

God, I feel like shit.

This's what I get for trying to keep my teammate from incurring the wrath of the Empire.

Last night when we realised that Rachel had gone to attack another one of Hookwolf fighting rings, we rushed to stop her as Brian didn't want to attract the attention of the Empire.

It took us some time to find her, and when we finally did, we were unprepared for what we saw.

Rachel and her dogs were being carried by fucking skeletons, and she wasn't alone.

Hookwolf was also present.

Something intriguing that I learned is that those bones weren't from human beings. Neither were they from any animal that I knew about.

We confronted the skeletons to retrieve Rachel and it was a goddamn miracle that none of us died.

There were twelve in total. Eight skeletons were occupied with holding Rachel, her dogs, and Hookwolf, while the remaining four charged at us.

They were determined to keep us away and showed no restraint as they swung their swords wildly at us.

I almost lost my head to one of those swings!

Brian had created several body doubles made of smoke to distract the skeletons that were attacking us.

And it worked a little too well.

He got slashed across his stomach for his troubles.

Alec and I ran to the skeletons that were holding Rachel, and it was a real struggle to free her.

Those things were stronger than they seemed.

Eventually, we managed to get Rachel and her dogs back but as we tried to escape, one of the skeletons grabbed my right forearm and broke it.

Alec was able to rescue me from the skeleton that had grabbed me.

As we made our escape, Brian had covered the entire area around us in smoke so that the skeletons couldn't follow us.

Which wasn't needed as the skeletons did not attempt to chase us.

After we arrived at our base, Brian and I took care of our wounds. Alec, on the other hand, didn't have a single scratch on him.

Lucky bastard.

And now here I am.

Lying in my bed with my right forearm in a cast, staring at the ceiling and searching for any excuses to not get up.

I just wish that the cast would stop itching so much.

"...fuck," I said.

I let out a groan as I got out of bed and walked out of my room.

I walked towards the kitchen and saw that Brian was sitting by the table drinking coffee.

He's exhausted and frustrated. He's in-

I forcefully turned off my power. I don't want to deal with a migraine right now.

The downsides of being a Thinker.

"Morning," Brian said.

"Morning," I walked straight to the counter to get a cup of coffee.

I took of big sip of coffee and sighed in relief.

"How's the arm?" Brian asked.

"Itching. What about you?" I asked.

Brian gently rubbed his stomach, "I'm trying not to move around too much."

Man, Brian really can't catch a break from getting stabbed in the stomach. First, it was Shadow Stalker, and now it was skeletons.

I took another sip of coffee, "Where's Rachel and Alec?"

"Rachel is still in her room and Alec went out to buy more snacks," Brian said.

I let out a hum and took another sip.

"What excuse did you give Aisha for why you won't go home today?" I asked.

"That I will be busy with work the entire day," Brian said.

That's not a bad one.

"And she bought it?" I refilled my cup.

Brian shrugged, "Doesn't matter since Dad's going to take her to the gym." He held out his cup for a refill.

I refilled his cup, "Wasn't his gym vandalized last week?"

"Yes. But it was just some broken windows and graffiti," Brian took a sip of his coffee.

Brian and I stayed quiet for a few minutes, enjoying the coffee.

Brian sighed, "Last night was a mess."

I snorted.

"What're we going to do about Magus?" Brain asked.

"Stay the hell away from him, that's what," I said.

"That's your plan?" Brian asked.

I raised an eyebrow, "You got a better idea? Or do you actually want to try your chance against him? And before you answer, let me remind you what happened to Hookwolf and Krieg."

"Didn't Magus and Lancer help Armsmaster in defeating Krieg?" Brian asked.

I scoffed, "Don't believe that crap, the local news got it wrong. Lancer single-handedly demolished Krieg. Magus and Armsmaster did help him a little but it wasn't necessary."

Coil sent me the footage of the fight to analyze it. He ordered me to prepare a comprehensive report on Magus and Lancer's abilities.

The only thing I got from the footage is that Lancer's freaking scary.

Seriously, you can't even call that a fight.

Naturally, Coil wasn't happy with that report and demanded Magus's identity.

My power did inform me of something very interesting: Coil is furious with Magus.

I took a closer look at Magus's actions and easily figured out why.

Magus attacked one of Coil's safehouses, resulting in the loss of over a million dollars worth of tinker tech that was confiscated, along with the arrest of several of his men.

Best news I got in a while.

But that does make me curious about why he would attack Coil.

No one pays attention to Coil. And he goes through a lot of trouble to keep it that way.

"Why's he being so aggressive?" Brian asked.

"I don't know. What I do know is that Chaldea is here to stay," I said.

Everyone can see the writing on the wall.

The status quo is changing.

The question now is: who is going to lose their territory to Chaldea?

I hope it's Coil.

"We gotta do something," Brian said.

"Like what?" I asked.

"Is there anyone that we can recruit?" Brian asked.

"Nope," I said.

We lost our chance with Emily. And Faultline, that bitch, loves to rub that on my face whenever she got the chance.

Brian looked at his coffee with a thoughtful frown for a few seconds before turning his gaze back to me.

"Get in contact with the boss. He might know someone," Brian said.

I had to stop myself from grimacing at his suggestion.

"I will get in contact with him later," I said.

"...how long do you think we have until Magus comes for us?" Brian asked.

"It's going to be a while before he comes for us. He got bigger fish to worry about than a group of thieves," I said. "That's if we don't do anything to grab his attention," I said with a pointed look at Brian.

"Hey, that's the last thing I want to happen," Brian said.

Every villain in the city is on the chopping block. We're just lucky to be at the bottom of that list.

Alec walked inside the kitchen.

"You guys look like shit," Alec said as he walked to the fridge.

"Fuck off," I don't have the patience right now.

"Buy me dinner first," Alec said.

I raised my middle finger in response.

Brian sighed, "Alec, not right now. We're having an important discussion."

"I caught part of your conversation, and I've got some news that I think you two will want to hear," Alec said.

"What news?" I asked.

"You gotta say the magic word first," Alec said.

"Fuck you!" great, now I'm getting a migraine.

"That's not the one," Alec said.

"I'm going to strangle you!" I said.

"Hm, how kinky. But first, we need a safe word. I suggest pineapple," Alec said deadpanned.

"ALEC!" I growled.

Brian groaned as he got up, grabbing my left arm to prevent me from hurting Alec.

"Knock it off Alec," Brian said seriously.

"You guys can't take a joke," Alec said. "The gang war is over."

Brain and I blinked in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

"Lung, Othala, and Alabaster are in the custody of the PRT. The rest of the Empire capes are in bad shape and Oni Lee might not survive his wounds," Alec said casually.

"What?!" I asked.

What the hell happened?!

"How did that happen?" Brian asked.

"Lung attacked the Empire and every hero in the city joined the fight. In the end, Kaiser ran away with his tail between his legs, and Lung was beaten to a pulp," Alec said.

"At least explain it properly," I said, my eyebrows twitching with irritation.

Alec shrugged, "That's what happened."

You're so lucky my forearm is in a cast.

I started to hear a familiar tune and let out a groan.

It's Coil.

I rolled my eyes at the information.

Gee, thanks power. It's not like I could have figured that out on my own.

"I will be right back," I went to my room.

I answered my cell phone.

"Yeah?" I said.

"Check your email," Coil said.

I turned on my computer, logged in my e-mail, and downloaded the file he sent me.

It's the report of last night's fight between the ABB and Empire.

"I want the report done by the end of the week," Coil ended the call.

Asshole.

"I'm going to need more coffee," I sighed tiredly.

I glanced at the report and hummed thoughtfully.

"This could be my chance," I thought.

Magus already has Coil on his sight.

And maybe all he needs now is an extra push.

////////////////////////

Emily Piggot POV:

I wish I could have a drink right now.

"Thank you all for coming," I started the meeting.

The Protectorate and Dragon, all sat around a massive conference table.

The Wards couldn't attend this meeting since they're all in school right now.

I was seated at the head of the table, with a TV behind me displaying images of all the Chaldea members that we know so far.

"Why's one of the images a sketch?" Assault asked.

"Currently, we don't possess an image of her," Renick said.

Neither did we know about her existence.

"Velocity was the one to inform us about her," I said.

"I got a glimpse of her in last night's fight," Velocity explained.

"As you all know, a new organization has been established in Brockton Bay," I said.

"Can we really call Chaldea an organization? All of their members are projections created by Magus," Battery said.

"That's still under discussion but for now we're considering them an organization," Renick said.

"Which leads to the question: Where did Magus come from?" I asked.

It's impossible for a cape with his powerset to have stayed hidden all this time in a city like Brockton Bay.

"I searched our database and couldn't find any cape that matched Magus," Armsmaster frowned.

"Facial recognition of the servants didn't yield any results. I also looked into capes that are missing and none of them match any of the servants," Dragon said.

It's a relief to confirm that Magus isn't a master that can control other individuals.

"Maybe Magus is a new cape," Velocity said.

"He could be a combat thinker," Miss Militia suggested.

"No, that doesn't feel right. Magus behaves in a way that only comes from experience. Last night's fight showed that he knows what he's doing.," Dauntless said.

Armsmaster nodded in agreement, "He also made the strategic choice of attacking the gang's supply chain. That shows he understands how cutting their resources will weaken them, not just in the gang war, but in the long run as well."

And that's one of the things that makes Magus such a headache.

He's a walking contradiction.

The preliminary psychological analysis of Magus's powers described a young man who had spent a long time isolated from his peers and was desperate for companionship.

That wasn't even close to what I saw when I met him.

But most important was the look he had in his eyes.

Those were the eyes of someone who went through hell.

I should know.

I had the same look after Ellisburg.

"He could have received training from his servants," Dragon suggested.

"But how do they have the skills and knowledge to teach him? That doesn't make sense," Battery said.

"Powers don't make sense. I can summon any weapons that I think about without needing to know how they work," Miss Militia shrugged.

That's a good point. Expecting parahumans powers to follow common sense is a futile endeavor.

"This's going nowhere. We will return to this topic once we gather more information on Magus," I said. "Next topic."

"With Oni Lee out of commission, we believe that Chaldea will take over the ABB territory," Renick said.

"The longstanding status quo in Brockton Bay was being changed by a group that has been active for less than a month," I thought.

"We will increase patrol in the Downtown and the Commercial District," I turned to Armsmaster. "Did you find out what Coil was really doing during the gang war?"

Coil has always been an enigmatic figure. Besides the occasional clash with the Empire, he never caused too much trouble.

Only to find out that he had an alarming amount of tinker tech when Magus attacked one of his safehouses.

How did we miss that?

Now I'm trying to find out what he is up to.

"I still haven't found anything that shows that Coil did anything besides protect his territory," Armsmaster frowned. "He's changing the locations of all his safehouses."

"Keep a close eye on him. I want to know everything that happens in his territory," I said.

"Are we just going to let Chaldea take over the ABB territory?" Velocity asked curiously.

"It's not ideal but I rather take my chances with Chaldea than some villain from out of town," I said.

"Now let's talk about the servants," I said.

"Do we know how many in total he has?" Armsmaster asked.

"Unfortunately no. But Magus made it clear that Chaldea has a wide variety of members," Rednick said.

He was already hiding one of his servants. Who knows how many more he's hiding?

"I think there's a fantasy theme to it," Assault said.

I raised an eyebrow, "Go on."

"Look at their names, appearance, and fight style. Caster is a wizard, Saber is a paladin, Lancer is a barbarian, Berserker is a wizard and the skull-masked woman is a rogue," Assault said.

"You're using DnD classes?" Dauntless asked.

Assault shrugged, "What can I say? They fit the roles perfectly."

I glanced at the pictures once more and hummed thoughtfully.

They do follow some kind of fantasy aesthetics.

Is there a deeper meaning to it? Or it's all just a coincidence?

Goddamm parahumans and their nonsensical powers.

"I don't think Saber would be a paladin. She seems more of a knight," Dragon said.

"I know what you mean but knights are a subclass-"

"Let's focus on the meeting," I interrupted Assault.

"I have a report from Narwhal that she was contacted through PHO by Uomo Universale, who claimed to speak on behalf of Chaldea," Dragon said.

"That sounds Italian," Miss Militia raised an eyebrow.

"It's Italian for Universal Man. It refers to an individual whose knowledge spans many different subjects. This term has been used to describe many great scholars throughout history," Armsmaster explained.

"Wow, one of Magus's servants has one hell of an ego," Battery said.

"Magus wants to join the Guild?" Dauntless asked.

"It wasn't a request to join the Guild but to offer Chaldea aid in dealing with S-Class threats," Dragon said seriously.

Everyone turned to Dragon in surprise.

"What?" I asked.

This doesn't add up.

There's no doubt that Magus and his servants are strong, but S-Class threats are an entirely different beast.

You don't go after such monsters without a reason.

What is Chaldea aiming for?

"What was Narwhal's response?" I asked.

"Naturally she refused. As strong as Chaldea is, they aren't ready for S-Class threats," Dragon said.

"Are we certain of that?" I thought.

There's a world of difference between the Empire and the monsters of SlaughterHouse Nine.

But with how effortlessly Chaldea is taking down the gangs and considering that Magus can summon even more servants...dear god, could Chaldea actually handle SlaughterHouse Nine?

I'm getting a headache.

"Director, this meeting isn't getting us anywhere. We have too little information on Chaldea, and all we're doing is raising more questions," Armsmaster said bluntly.

Leave it to Colin to say how it is.

"I'm going to send the information we have of Chaldea to Watchdog," Hopefully they will have more luck. "For now Magus will be classified as a Master/Trump 8."

"And the servants?" Rednick asked.

"We will wait for Magus to summon all of them first," I said.

"What's our next step?" Velocity asked.

"Dauntless, reach out to Magus and organize a patrol together, bring Gallant and Kid Win with you. Dragon, gather as much intel as possible from Uomo Universale. Armsmaster, continue investigating Coil. The rest of you, focus on patrolling the city, we need to demonstrate that the Protectorate/PRT is as strong as ever," I said.

Hopefully, Chaldea's presence will be something positive to the city and not just another source of headaches.

/////////////////////////////////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

/////////////////////////////////////

The news of the end of the gang war spread like a wildfire, and within an hour, the entire city was aware of it.

But still took about three days for things to return to normal or at least as normal as it can get in a city like Brockton Bay.

And in those three days, we were very busy.

Medea and Morgan already finished reforming the hotel and are now setting up all kinds of defensive wards and boundfields to protect the place.

One of the first things I did was to summon more servants.

I summoned Moriarty, Paracelsus, Asclepius, Tesla, Edison, Ushiwakamaru, Frankenstein, Thrúd, Hildr and Ortlinde.

Paracelsus and Asclepius went to the hotel to set up their workshops and give a hand in setting up boundfields. Ushiwakamaru went with them to see the hotel and chose her room.

Edison and Tesla went to help Da Vinci in analyzing the tinker tech rifles.

Thrúd, Hildr, and Ortlind immediately headed to Empire territory to hunt down the reaming capes. It was easy to understand why they were so enraged with the Empire. With Fenja and Menja dressed as valkyries, Rune and Othala being used as names, and the original leader dared to call himself the Allfather.

Thrúd, Hilder, and Ortlind want them dead for disrespecting their culture.

I quickly put Moriarty in charge of planning in how to take over the ABB territory. And I made it very clear to him to keep the body count to a minimum.

The rest of the ABB won't let us take over without putting a fight first.

Moriarty also told me that he already has a plan to amass wealth and win the goodwill of the city and the PRT.

Man, he doesn't waste time.

Moriarty was quick to get in contact with a law firm to hire their services to buy the hotel. In particular, he hired Carol Dallon to be our attorney.

She spoke with the mayor, and he agreed to sell the hotel.

Which is a relief as I wasn't sure the city would sell it to us.

Right now, I was with Moriarty and Fran at a restaurant on the Boardwalk, waiting for Carol.

"He-here is your order, sir," The waitress said nevoursly.

"Thanks," I said.

The waitress placed our orders on the table and quickly walked away.

Turns out that a cup of hot chocolate isn't thirty dollars.

"Unbelievable, twenty dollars for a cup of hot chocolate," I complained.

"I agree. This is an outrageous price for this brand of tea," Moriarty took a sip of his tea.

I pointed at the piece of cake that Fran was eating.

"I can go to any bakery and buy the same piece of cake for seven dollars. They're charging fifteen here," I said.

Fran looked at me then back at her cake and offered me a piece, "Hmm?"

"No thanks," I said.

Fran shrugged and returned to eat the cake with gusto.

"On the way here, I saw a place that sells a cappuccino for twenty-three dollars," Moriarty said.

"Twenty-three dollars for a cappuccino? You gotta be kidding me," I said.

"I'm afraid not," Moriarty said.

"Good god, this really is the cheapest restaurant in Boardwalk," I shake my head in disbelief.

"If you think this is expensive, you should check out the clothes they sell around here. Most of them are knock-offs, but they're still going for thousands of dollars," Moriarty said.

"I can't believe people pay these prices," I said.

"These kind of places are known as 'tourist traps' for a reason," Moriarty said.

"Maybe we should open a bakery or a restaurant," I said jokingly.

"Already working on that," Moriarty said.

I blinked in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Of course, it's a simple way to start making money and we possess many talented chefs," Moriarty said.

"You still haven't told me how we're going to make money," I said.

"We're going to sell healing potion to the Protectorate/PRT and any independent heroes out there," Moriarty said.

"So that's why you asked for Paracelsus and Asclepius," I took a sip of the hot chocolate.

"Indeed. And with Medea's assistance, they can easily develop a system to produce basic healing potions in large quantities, Moriarty said.

"What about NEPEA-5?" I asked.

I don't like that bill.

It not only made it almost impossible for rogues to make money legitimately, but it also helped in creating one of the largest parahuman criminal organizations in America.

The Elite.

I'm still deciding if we should do something about them but one thing I know is that Bastard Son has to go. His cell is just as bad as Slaughterhouse Nine.

"We don't have to worry about NEPEA-5 since the public that we will be aiming for are exclusive parahumans," Moriarty said.

I see where this is going.

"So, we will be the equivalent of 'Toybox', but our focus will be on the heroes," I said.

"Precisely," Moriarty takes a sip of his tea.

"What about hospitals?" those potions could help a lot of people.

"I've already planned to sell it to hospitals, but first, we need to present the healing potion to the PRT. That way, they can't later claim that we sold untested tinker tech," Moriarty said.

"What if they notice that it isn't tinker tech?" that's a can of worms that I never want to open.

"Don't worry about that, master. In today's world, everyone will just assume that the healing potions are tinker tech. After all, it's the creation of a parahuman," Moriarty said with a smirk.

That's a good point.

"I take that the healing potions aren't the only thing you want to sell?" I took a sip of hot chocolate.

"Of course not. I already talked with Edison about the production of body armor," Moriarty said.

"You want to sell weapons?" I asked surprised.

"Armor, not weapons. I expect the PRT will purchase it just to study it, but the main target is the independent heroes," Moriarty said.

"Is that really necessary?" I asked.

"Absolutely. This is to safeguard us. By now, the PRT will be monitoring Chaldea closely. I don't want them to get any ideas once they see the number of servants we have. I plan to expand Chaldea's influence in the parahuman world so that the PRT won't be able to interfere without risking their own destruction," Moriarty said.

"How likely is that to happen?" I frowned.

"Very high once they realize how strong is Chaldea. Remember this master, those in power despise anyone that they can't control," Moriarty said.

I pinched my nose in frustration.

"No offensive mystic codes," I said.

Moriarty smiled in response.

"Hmm?" Fran asked.

"It's nothing," I notice that she finished the cake. "Do you want another?"

Fran nodded in response.

Before I could call for a waitress, Carol arrived at the table.

"I apologize for arriving late. The traffic at this hour can be very annoying," Carol said.

She's late?

I checked the time to see that she was indeed five minutes late. I didn't even notice it.

"Don't worry about it, my dear. Would you like something to eat or drink?" Moriarty asked.

"Black coffee, please," Carol said.

I called over a waitress.

"Another piece of strawberry pie and black coffee please," I said.

The waitress nodded and left to get our order.

"I hope that you didn't have too much trouble at city hall," Moriarty said.

"Not at all. It was easier than I was expecting," Carol smiled politely.

"That's good," Moriarty nodded. "Where're my manners? You already know me but let me present you, Magus and Berserker."

"It's a pleasure to meet you two," Carol said politely.

I smiled in response and Fran looked at Carol boredly.

Carol glanced at Fran with a raised brow.

"I thought Berserker was a different woman," Carol commented.

Well, this was bound to come up at some point.

"Here's the deal: each servant goes by a title, such as Berserker, to keep their true name concealed," I explained.

Carol stared at me for a few moments, her face completely expressionless.

"...I see," Carol said.

I will say this: she knows how to be professional.

I was expecting her to ask all kinds of questions.

I wonder how confusing my power must look to everyone else.

The waitress arrived with our order.

Moriarty coughed, "Let's focus on business. On the phone, you said that some paper needs to be signed."

Carol opens her briefcase and grabs the contract.

"All that's left is your signature. And tomorrow I can give you the deed of the hotel," Carol said.

"Do you mind if I check the contract?" Moriarty asked.

"By all means," Carol gave the contract to Moriarty.

"I'm going to be honest. I wasn't sure that the city would be willing to sell the hotel to us," I said.

"And they weren't expecting you to want to buy it," Carol took a sip of her coffee.

"I take that never happens," I said.

"Capes usually just take over a spot in the city, whether it's a building or a warehouse, and make it their secret Lair. It's pretty rare for a cape to buy property. In fact, I think the last one to do that was Faultline," Carol said with a frown.

Faultline's Crew.

A mercenary group that resides in Brockton Bay.

They're a target of interest since two of their members are Case 53. But how the hell am I supposed to convince Faultline to let us analyze their anatomy?

I also don't want to give them false hope as I don't know if we are going to be able to help them.

"How come the PRT never made a move against Faultline?" I asked curiously.

Moriarty spoke before Carol could.

"With the threat of the Empire and ABB, the PRT couldn't afford to make more enemies when there was no point. Faultline may be a villain but she only operates outside the city. And, most importantly, they're a formidable mercenary group that could push the Protectorate back," Moriarty said without looking away from the contract. "But, of course, that's just a theory of mine."

"You're indeed correct in the reason," Carol said, lightly surprised.

I hide my smile by taking another sip of the hot chocolate.

Yeah, Moriarty's deduction has that effect on people.

"Everything checks out," Moriarty nodded and handed me the contract.

I signed the papers and gave them to Carol.

"Mr Archer, you mentioned over the phone that there's another matter you'd like to discuss," Carol takes a sip of her coffee.

"None of this mister thing. I'm still in the prime of my youth!" Moriarty said.

"Hmm?" Fran tilted her head.

Moriarty gasped in an over-exaggerated way and looked at Fran.

"How could you say that? Of course I-hugh!" Moriarty froze. "My back," Moriarty groaned, his voice strained with pain.

Fran jumped a little in surprise and started to check Moriarty.

Carol let out a giggle at the scene.

Oh, he's good.

"We can talk another time if you want?" Carol offered.

Moriarty waved off the offer, "There's no need for that. Now, what I want to talk about is a product that we wish to sell to the PRT."

"Don't you want to go to somewhere more private?" Carol glanced at the people around us.

Moriarty smirked, "There's no need."

That's my cue.

I created a bound field that covered our table.

"What's this?" Carol asked tensely as she looked at the bound field.

"Something that will give us some privacy," I said.

Moriarty took a bottle from his jacket and set it on the table.

"What's that?" Carol looked intently at the bottle.

"A healing potion," Moriarty said.

Carol looked at Moriarty with a raised eyebrow.

"How potent is it?" Carol asked.

"It can easily heal: broken bones, first and second-degree burns, concussion, bruising, bullet wounds, internal bleeding, and a few more things," Moriarty scratched his chin. "I should have made a list to show you."

And that is a basic healing potion.

Medea can create one that can grant limited immortality.

"Have you tested it?" Carol asked seriously.

Moriarty nodded, "Extensively."

That is not even a lie. Healing potions were one of the most used items during our adventures.

"I'm aware that the PRT will want to conduct their tests first before deciding if they wish to buy it. So, I need you to reach out to them," Moriarty said.

Carol hummed thoughtfully.

"If this potion does what you're claiming then the PRT will be interested in buying it," Carol said.

"The PRT is just the beginning. I want to make it available to every hero out there. Just imagine how many lives this potion could save," Moriarty said.

Carol looked very interested in the idea.

"And if I have the permission, I'd also like to sell healing potions to the hospitals," Moriarty said.

"For this idea to work, you would have to be able to mass produce these healing potions," Carol said.

"We can do that easily," I said.

"What you are claiming is something that no one was able to do before. Even Dragon isn't capable of mass-producing tinker tech," Carol said seriously.

Oh yeah, this's going to be a big deal.

"We have a way that I can't disclose," I said.

"Then please be careful. Chaldea will gain even more attention, both good and bad," Carol warned us.

"Thank you for the warning. I assure you that we will be very careful," Moriarty said.

"Is there anything else you want to talk about?" Carol asked.

Moriarty hummed, "Let's first see what's going to be the PRT's opinion about the healing potions. Oh, and before you leave please take the potion with you."

"I couldn't-" Moriarty interrupted Carol.

"I insist," Moriarty said firmly. "As I mentioned earlier, I want all the heroes to have a potion, and that includes you. If you have any concerns, you can have Panacea test it. I guarantee she will confirm that it's safe."

Having Panacea seal of approval will expedite the whole process.

Carol looked at the potion for a few seconds and put it inside her briefcase.

I dispelled the bound field.

"It was a pleasure to meet all of you. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to city hall," Carol walked away from the table.

"Was Panacea the reason you hired her?" I asked.

"One of the main reasons. The fact that she is also a good attorney is a nice bonus," Moriarty said.

"What're the others?" I asked curiously.

"Honestly, this whole endeavor is just a performance for the PRT. When they learn that we purchased the hotel, they will focus on how we adhered to the law and are collaborating with a respected hero," Moriarty smirked.

The PRT will perceive us as a responsible and law-abiding group, leading them to believe that they don't need to keep a close eye on us.

"What happens if they realize that we manipulated them?" I asked.

"It will matter very little. By the time they realize anything, Chaldea will be one of the most powerful organizations in the world," Moriarty said.

Go big or go home.

"All right, we're done here. I'm going to pay the bill, I meet you guys outside," I got up from the table.

Fran nodded and got up but Moriarty didn't move.

"I'm going to need a minute," Moriarty said.

Why would he-oh, don't tell me.

"You really hurt your back, didn't you?" I asked.

"...yes," Moriarty said.

I let out a sigh as Fran and I help Moriarty to move.

////////////////

We are back at the hotel.

"All I'm saying is that if I'm going to pay for overpriced food then I better get my money's worth," I said.

"I know what you mean. I never liked dining in such restaurants, I only did that to give an image of how powerful I was," Moriarty said.

"What about you Fran?" I asked.

Fran places her finger on her chin and tilts her head.

"Hmm," Fran points at me.

"See. Even Fran agrees," I said.

"I assure you, master, that if we do open a restaurant, it will not be anything like that," Moriarty said.

I know that, otherwise, I would have every version of Artoria demanding an explanation.

I started to chuckle when I thought of her in one of those restaurants.

Moriarty and Fran looked at me curious.

"What's so funny?" Moriarty asked.

"Can you imagine Artoria in one of those places? She would threaten the chef for serving so little food," I chuckled.

Fran giggled at the mental image.

"Hm, I can only see her alter variants do that. But she would still have a few things to say to the chef," Moriarty said with an amused smile.

"That reminds me. We need to quickly set up the Artoria budget," I said.

We had to create an entire budget solely dedicated to feeding all the different versions of Artoria.

I started to hear a lot of grumbling coming from behind.

I turned to see Ortlinde, Hildr, Thrúd walking inside the room.

And they have a bit of blood on their clothes.

"They have been busy," Moriarty raised an eyebrow.

Oh boy.

"I'm going to deal with that," I let out a sigh.

"Good luck. Come along Fran, let's find a spot to plant some flowers," Moriarty said.

Fran's eyes lit up, and she nodded enthusiastically.

"I take that you girls had a successful hunt," I said.

"We couldn't find them," Hildr pouted.

I blinked in surprise, "So whose blood is that?"

"From some grunts that we intimidated," Ortlinde said.

"Are any of them dead?" I asked.

"No. Although, some of them are going to be eating through a straw," Thrúd said.

That's more than fine.

"They are all cowards! Running away from their deserved punishment!" Hildr said.

"You can't kill them," I said.

"Why can't we do that again? The Empire is despised by everyone," Thrúd said.

"Two reasons. First, I'm not entirely certain, but I believe that the PRT is worried about a slippery slope scenario. If we kill the Empire, what is preventing us from doing the same to every other criminal in the city, even minor ones like a purse snatcher?" I said.

"The second is the Endbringer fights. The PRT needs as many people as possible to fight those monsters," I said grimly.

There's a list of every cape that lost their lives fighting the Endbringers.

It's a very long list.

Thrúd hummed thoughtfully.

"Can we still maim them?" Ortlind asked.

I shrugged, "As long as you don't kill them, do whatever the hell you want."

Ortlind, Hildr, and Thrúd shared a grin.

It's so weird to see them being so bloodthirsty.

"Excuse us, master. We're going to take a break before our next patrol tonight," Thrúd said.

"Don't forget to clean the blood from your clothes," I said as they left the room.

Suddenly a tiny furball landed on my shoulder.

"Fou!" Fou rubbed his head against my cheek.

"Hey buddy," I scratched Fou's chin.

It was a surprise when Fou appeared with everyone else.

"What do you think of this place?" I asked.

"Fou," Fou tilted his head.

"Yeah, I know. I still miss the original Chaldea base and the Wandering Sea but soon enough this hotel will feel like home," I said.

"Fou," Fou said.

I let out a chuckle.

My cell phone started to ring.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hey Magus," Dauntless said.

"Oh, hey man. What's up?" I asked.

"I'm calling to see if you want to do a joint patrol?" Dauntless asked.

Huh, Piggot approved Barghest's idea. I'm kind of surprised by that.

"I'm ok with that. What day?" I asked.

"How about tomorrow?" Dauntless asked.

Tomorrow is Saturday, so it's perfect.

"Sure. What time?" I asked.

"How about the evening? I'm going to bring two wards with me and the plan is to patrol the Boardwalk," Dauntless said.

Right, the wards mainly patrol the safer areas of the city.

"Sounds good," I scratched Fou's chin.

"One more thing. I got a report of three unknown capes flying over Empire territory. Are they with guys?" Dauntless asked.

"Yeah, they're with us," I said.

Dauntless sighed in relief, "All right then, I will see you tomorrow."

I ended the call.

Tomorrow is going to be my first official patrol as a hero.

God, this's still so weird.

"Fou?" Fou put his paw on my cheek.

"It's nothing. Hey, let's go find my room," I said.

"Fou!" Fou said.

Fou and I started to look for my room.

//////////////////////

Thrúd POV:

It was night time and we still couldn't find any trace of the remaining capes of the Empire.

So, we decided to patrol another part of the city.

"Where could they be hiding?" Hildr growled.

"Probably in their civilian identities," Ortlinde said.

How infuriating.

"Be patient, Hildr. Once Chaldea takes control of the ABB territory, master turns his focus on the Empire," I said.

And then, they shall face the consequences for dishonoring the Allfather's name.

Ortlind and Hildr nodded.

"Where're we?" Hildr asked, glancing around.

"Above the Trainsyard," I said.

"Look!" Ortlinde exclaimed, pointing towards the street.

Hildr and I turned to where Ortlind was pointing.

A woman was running from a group of men.

We swiftly positioned ourselves between the woman and the group of men.

I easily dealt with them before they had a chance to react.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

The woman was breathing heavily and holding her side.

"I, oh my god, just need to catch my breath," The woman said.

The woman took a few deep breaths before calming down.

"You girls just saved my ass," The woman said, wiping sweat from her head.

"It's nothing. Are you sure you're fine? You're sweating quite a lot," Ortlinde said.

"I'm sure. It has just been a while since my last jog," The woman said.

"When was the last time?" I asked.

"Let me see. Today is friday...about fifteen years, give or take," The woman said.

Ortlinde, Hildr, and I looked at the woman with raised eyebrows.

"What can I say? I don't like to exercise," The woman shrugged. "But that's going to have to change. By the way, I'm Sherrel."

"Lancer," Ortlinde, Hildr, and I said at the same time.

"Doesn't that get confusing?" Sherrel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No," Hildr said.

"All right then. You girl are with the new guy, right? What was his name again?" Sherrel rubs her head in thought.

"Magus," I said.

"That's him," Sherrel nodded.

"Since you're fine, we will be heading out," I said.

"Hold on a minute please," Sherrel said.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Okay, here is the thing. I'm in a bit of a predicament, and I could really use some help," Sherrel said, nervously rubbing her neck.

"What kind of predicament?" I asked with narrowed eyes.

Did she steal from these men?

"Well...you see I'm a-"

Sherrel was interrupted by the arrival of four cars.

A group of men got out of the vehicles, with one of them dressed in a costume.

Is he a cape?

"Get the fuck away from my tinker you bitches!" A masked man shouted.

By the Allfather, he smells worse than a rotting corpse.

"Fuck you, Skidmark! I'm not your anything!" Sherrel flipped him off.

"We will see about that!" Skidmark said laughing. "What the fuck are you idiots waiting for! Kill those whores!"

What a foul mouth.

We positioned ourselves in front of Sherrel and raised our shields as the men began firing at us.

Our shields are absorbing most of the bullets; although a few have hit us, they haven't caused any harm.

"Shit, are you girls okay?" Sherrel asked worried.

"Their weapons can't hurt us," Ortlinde said.

"You fuckers are useless!" Skidmark screamed.

Skidmark waved his hand and created a field that appeared in front of his men.

My eyes widen at the sight of the strange field, and I quickly move to scoop Sherrel up into a bridal carry.

With her safely in my arms, Ortlinde, Hildr, and I shoot up into the sky, dodging a barrage of bullets.

"The field made the bullets faster," Hildr noted.

"Up there, you assholes!" Skidmark pointed at us.

Ortlinde charged forward and positioned herself behind the field. She landed on the ground and struck Skidmark's face with her shield. His head jerked sideways, and several of his teeth flew out. He was hurled against a wall and didn't get up.

She continues her attack by swinging her lance in a wide arc, taking out all the other men in one swift move.

The fight was over in a few seconds.

"Damm," Sherrel said in awe.

"Don't be so surprised. Something like this is easy for her," I said, smiling proudly at Ortlinde.

Suddenly, a massive figure composed of thrash emerged and began attacking Ortlinde.

"Is that a golem made of thrash?!" Hildr exclaimed in surprise.

"That's Mush," Sherrel said.

"What do you know of his powers?" I asked.

Hildr joined Ortlinde in attacking the trash golem.

"He can gather trash or junk and surround himself in it," Sherrel said.

"...are you saying that he is in the center of that thing?" I shuddered in disgust.

"Yes," Sherrel said with a disgusted face.

"There is a person in the center!" I shouted.

Ortlinde and Hildr relentlessly attack Mush, their every strike causing more of his body to crumble with each swing of their lances.

They continued their assault until Mush's real body was revealed. Hildr seized him and tore him out. causing the rest of the garbage body to collapse.

I looked with wide eyes, not believing what I was seeing.

"Why are you naked?!" Hildr exclaimed.

Mush isn't wearing any clothes.

"Oh, that's just wrong," Sherrel whispered in horror.

Ortlinde and I shared Sherrel's sentiment.

I landed and put Sherrel down.

"I need a shower," Hildr complained.

"I could use one too," Ortlinde said.

"Man, you girls can kick some ass," Sherrel said.

"Yes, but that isn't important right now. You're a tinker," I said.

Da Vinci would be interested in meeting her.

"Yep," Sherrel shrugged.

"What did you want to say before?" I asked.

"Look, I'm going to be honest. I'm not really into this fighting stuff. All I want to do is build some kickass cars. If I join the Protectorate, I will end up doing patrol and attending PR stuff. It's just not what I'm interested in," Sherrel said, shaking her head.

So, her specialization has something do to with vehicles.

"And what does this have to do with us?" Ortlinde asked.

"Do you need a tinker?" Sherrel asked, nervously scratching her cheek.

This is perfect.

"Are you certain of that?" just to make sure.

"Well, yeah. You guys are kicking asses and taking names!" Sherrel said.

"Okay," I said.

"...just like that?" Sherrel asked surprised. "Even with what I said?"

"Do you have anything against tinkering with others?" I asked.

"Huh...no?" Sherrel said.

"Then it dosen't matter that you do not wish to fight. The life of a warrior isn't for everyone," I said.

"Cool," Sherrel said.

I pointed at Skidmark and Mush.

"Take them to the PRT. I will take Sherrel to the hotel," I said to Ortlinde and Hildr.

Ortlinde and Hildr nodded.

"You guys have a hotel?" Sherrel asked.

"We bought it today," I said.

I took Sherrel into my arms and flew to the hotel.

////////////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

I'm sorry it took this long for a new chapter.

I went on a trip this month and didn't get much writing done.

/////////////////////////////////////

"Penny for you thought?" Nora asked.

"Huh?" I looked at Mom confused.

"You have been staring into space for the last few minutes. Are you okay?" Nora asked concerned.

"Yeah I'm just thinking about school and how weird it is going to be," I said, rubbing my neck.

Next Monday I go back to school and I'm not looking forward to it.

Could I convince my parents to get a GED?

We're outside an ice cream parlor waiting for Daisy and Dad to return.

We're on our way to the Weymouth Shopping Center.

"I'm sure it's going to be fine. You did finish the homework, didn't you?" Nora asked.

"Yes. I finished all of it. They could have not sent so much of it," I complained.

At least it wasn't too difficult. The only tricky part was the history questions, where I had to be more careful with my answers.

I can't just write that Jean D'arc has a dolphin familiar or that Leonardo Da Vinci is obsessed with coffee.

"I tried to get the school to lower the amount of homework but they wouldn't budge," Nora frowned. "But no harm done since you finished all of it."

Daisy and Dad exited the ice cream parlor and walked to us. Daisy is eating a chocolate ice cream.

"Didn't feel like getting an ice cream, Dad?" I asked.

"I'm still full from lunch," Isaac patted his stomach.

"Hey look!" Daisy pointed up.

Mom, Dad, and I looked up in time to see Thrúd, Ortlinde, and Hildr fly by.

"Cool," Daisy said.

"Did something happen?" Isaac frowned.

"I think they're doing a patrol," I shrugged.

And looking for Empire capes. But there's still no luck on that front.

We resumed our walk toward the shopping, giving me a moment to slip back into my thoughts before Mom interrupted.

We gotta a tinker now.

Da Vinci informed me this morning and I still can't believe our luck.

Tinkers are among the most highly sought-after parahumans because they act as powerful force multipliers.

Even if Sherrel chooses not to engage in combat, her invention can still be utilized. Her specialization offers a wide range of possibilities.

I know that Da Vinci, Tesla, and Edison will be very interested in seeing what kind of things Sherrel will make.

And most importantly, we can finally start to look into how parahumans powers work.

Nearing the Weymouth Shopping Center I could see some PRT cars in front of the place.

However, no one seemed to be worried and there were a lot of people going inside the shopping.

"What's going on?" I raised an eyebrow.

Nora shrugged, "Let's get inside."

It took a few minutes to get inside, the place was full of people, and it easily became clear why.

A meet and greet event is currently taking place, it features members of both the Protectorate and the Wards.

Miss Militia, Velocity, Assault, Battery, Vista, Aegis, Triumph, and Clockblocker are present.

"They're giving autographs!" Daisy said excitedly.

So it seems.

Man, that's a long line for an autograph.

"Finish your ice cream first," Nora said.

Daisy began eating her ice cream quickly, but that was a mistake since she ended up with a headache.

"I can take her," I offered.

"Thank you, Henry," Nora said with a grateful smile.

I glanced at the Protectorate and Wards, wondering what my parents might think of them.

"What's your opinion on the Protectorate and Wards?" I asked curious.

I'm still on the fence about telling them.

On the one hand, I don't want to worry my family. On the other hand, this is a very dangerous job and I don't know what the future holds. There're too many unknown variables and I'm not foolish to believe that nothing in Earth Bet can hurt us.

And it would be nice to not need to keep sneaking out anymore.

That's way more annoying than I originally thought.

"I'm grateful for all the work the Protectorate does but the Wards are children. They shouldn't be exposed to dangerous situations," Nora said.

In a perfect world that would be true but we live in a chaotic mess of a world that doesn't give a crap about what we want.

There's even a saying for that.

Man plans, and God laughs.

"I agree with the first part but the Wards are necessary. Children shouldn't be exposed to danger, but the world doesn't care about what we want. They have powers, and that demands a unique approach. The Wards are the best options we have," Isaac says, crossing his arms with a frown.

"Like a necessary evil kinda of thing?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing like that. Powers are inherently volatile and when you add children to the equation...." Isaac trailed off.

It's a recipe for disaster, and there're numerous examples to back that up.

"I can't even begin to imagine what their parents must feel every time they watch their children put their lives on the line," Nora said.

I twitched at that.

"You would be worried all the time?" I asked.

Why am I even asking this?

I already know the answer.

"Of course, I would. Any good parent worries for their children," Nora said, and Isaac nodded in agreement.

I hold back a groan.

Why is nothing ever easy with me?

"Done!" Daisy finished her ice cream.

"I will meet with you two later," I said.

Daisy and I walked to the end of the line. There's a sign next to it that says the waiting time is thirty minutes.

Oh, you got-what's he doing?

A PRT trooper approached the sign and changed the time to forty-five minutes!

"Son of a bitch," I said.

"Excuse me," the mother in front of me said, shooting a glare while shielding her child's ears.

"Sorry," I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.

Daisy giggled at me.

"Master, are you busy?" Tesla asked.

"I'm in a line with my sister to get her autograph," I said.

"Is that a yes?" Tesla asked.

"For the love of god, talk to me. I need a distraction," I said.

"You're going in a patrol today, right?" Tesla asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"I would like to accompany you," Tesla said.

That's a surprise.

"Really? I thought you would be more interested in analyzing the tinker tech rifles or working together with Sherrel," I said.

Tesla laughed, "Oh, I'm still working on those rifles and Da Vinci is the one currently working with Sherrel."

Da Vinci wouldn't lose the chance to see how a Tinker works.

"How is the analysis going?" I asked.

"Still in progress. I must say that after our adventures, I thought that there was nothing else that could surprise me," Tesla said.

"What is so surprising?" I asked.

"Well, while we were analyzing the rifles we concluded that the world doesn't possess the tools or materials necessary to make those rifles. It should have been impossible to make them," Tesla said.

"Then how the hell were they made?" I asked.

"That is the question. Hopefully, with Sherrel we will be able to solve this puzzle," Tesla said.

I resist the urge to pinch my nose in frustration.

"So you got nothing?" I asked.

"On the contrary, we gained valuable insights from the rifles and even attempted to replicate them using magecraft," Tesla said.

"Each of you made a rifle?" I asked.

"It was just me and Edison, and mine is far superior to his! That morinic lion and his nonsense about direct current! Everyone knows that alternating current is the better choice!" Tesla said.

Tesla started to rant about how better alternating current is.

Oh god, why didn't I summon Helena to keep Tesla and Edison in line?

Oh yeah, the ruby is out of juice.

"Let's stay focused, please," I said.

Tesla stopped his rant and coughed.

"Yes, let's," Tesla said.

"How did the magecraft rifles compare to the tinker tech ones?" I asked.

"It was no surprise that the magecraft and tinker tech rifles performed almost identically. What we need is tinker tech with more exotic functions, like that pocket dimension machine Da Vinci has been eyeing," Tesla said.

A thought just crossed my mind.

"If we gave the magecraft rifle to a tinker, do you think they can enhance it?" I asked.

Tesla hummed thoughtfully, "I've been curious about that myself. I'm eager to see what Sherrel does with the magecraft rifle, but given her specialization, I think the most she will be able to do is integrate them into her vehicles."

Shame.

"Anything else?" I asked.

"Well, we came up with a hypothesis for what tinker tech could be," Tesla said.

"And?" I asked.

"Keep in mind, this's only a preliminary analysis, and further testing is needed. However, so far, it suggests that tinker tech could indeed just be highly advanced technology," Tesla said.

"Da Vinci and Edison agree with that?" I asked.

"Da Vinci is the one that came up with the hypothesis," Tesla said.

Holy crap.

"How advanced are we talking?" I asked.

"Hmm, given the state of Earth Bet, I'd say about seven hundred years," Tesla said.

How is that possible?

"What in the world are parahumans powers?" I asked.

"I don't know but we will find out," Tesla said determined.

I know we will.

"You seem to have your hands full. Why do you want to come to the patrol?" I asked.

"I'm curious about these heroes from the Protectorate and I want to take a closer look at their powers," Tesla said.

"I don't think anything is going to happen, we're going to patrol the Boardwalk," I said.

"I still would like to come," Tesla said.

"Okay then," I have nothing against Tesla coming. I was planning to only take Ushiwakamaru.

Before I could say more I realized that Daisy and I reached the front of the line.

"I have to go. I will be at the hotel later," I finished the conversation.

"Hey there," Assault said with a friendly smile.

"Hi," I said.

"And who is this?" Assault knelt to meet Daisy's eyes.

Daisy is shyly hiding behind me.

I placed my hand on her head, "This's my sister, Daisy, and she's a huge fan of you guys."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Daisy," Assault said with a big smile.

"Hi," Daisy mumbled.

Assault and I chuckled in good nature at her shyness.

"So, what can I do for you, Daisy?" Assault asked already knowing the answer.

"I would like an autograph!" Daisy blurted out, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Assault chuckled in good nature and grabbed a piece of paper.

"Here you go," Assault handed the autograph. "Do you want to take a picture together?"

Daisy's eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically.

"Give me a moment," I grabbed my cellphone. "Say cheese."

"Cheese!" Daisy and Assault exclaimed at the same time, grinning widely.

I took the picture.

"Let me see!" Daisy reached for my cell phone.

I handed it to her with a laugh.

I turned to Assault and offered him a handshake, "Thank you for this."

"It's no big deal. It always makes my day to know I have such a positive impact on people," Assault shook my hand.

I'm really liking this guy.

"Hey, let's get everyone else autographs," I said to Daisy.

Daisy nodded rapidly.

We spent the next few minutes grabbing the rest of the Protectorate and Ward's autographs.

Huh, it's just me or does Vista seem a little tense around Daisy?

I mentally shrugged.

Must be nothing.

After getting all the autographs, Daisy and I moved away from the heroes.

Daisy couldn't stop smiling in happiness.

I notice a reporter and a cameraman heading toward the heroes, and none of them seem surprised by their presence.

Oho, looks like the PRT wants to win some brownie points.

"Excuse me, Miss Militia. May I have a moment of your time?" The reporter asked.

"Of course," Miss Militia said.

The reporter turned to the cameraman.

"Good day Brockton Bay, this is Tracy. I'm here today in the Weymouth Shopping Center, where there's currently happening a greet and meet with the heroes of the Protectorate and Wards," Tracy said.

She's from Brockton News if I'm not mistaken.

Whatever, this has nothing to do with me.

"Miss Militia, what's the Protectorate stance when it comes to the new hero group, Chaldea?" Tracy asked.

And now I'm very interested in this.

"It's a great relief that there're new heroes in Brockton Bay, and their timing couldn't have been better as with their help we were finally able to put an end to the gang war," Miss Militia said.

I raised an eyebrow at how she said that.

Really? We helped you?

"We hope to cooperate more with Chaldea and to help them navigate the cape scene of Brockton Bay," Miss Militia said.

Wow, that is such a clinical answer. I don't if is the way that Miss Militia said it or whoever wrote that but where's the charisma?

Also, this whole thing about us being 'new' got old very fast.

"What about the fact that Magus is a 'Master'? Many are concerned given how sentient his servants seem to be," Tracy said.

Yeah, even if I was able to reassure the PRT/Protectorate that I'm not that kind of 'Master', that doesn't mean that everyone else shares the same feeling.

There's a good reason why people are terrified of 'Masters'.

"I can answer that one," Assault walked to Tracy.

Miss Militia glanced at Assault and stepped back.

"So first of all: just because Magus is a 'Master', that doesn't automatically make him evil. We don't choose our powers. If we could, then I believe that everyone would choose the same powerset of the triumvirate," Assault finished with a chuckle.

Some folks around me couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Second: I can confirm that all of his servants are, in fact, projections that he created," Assault said.

"Even with how sentient they seem to be?" Tracy raised an eyebrow.

"There's a first time for everything. I mean, even after all this time, there's still much that's unknown about how parahumans' powers work," Assault shrugged. "I met Magus and his servants the other day, and they seemed like nice people who just want to help Brockton Bay. I got a feeling that Chaldea is going to do some amazing things in the future."

You don't know half of it.

Assault answers seem to satisfy Tracy.

"Will the Protectorate establish a stronger presence in the Empire territory now that they have lost many of their capes?" Tracy asked.

Miss Militia stepped forward to answer but I stopped paying attention to it.

I want to spend more time with my family before I need to meet Dauntless.

I looked around and quickly found my parents.

Daisy and I walked to them.

"Did you get the autographs?" Nora asked.

Daisy nodded happily and showed all of them to Mom.

"Is that Tracy from Brockton News?" Isaac raised an eyebrow.

Looks like I was right.

"Yep. She arrived a little after Daisy and I left the line," I said.

Isaac nodded.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"How about a movie?" Nora asked.

"What are our options?" Isaac asked.

"Is there anything with action or comedy?" I asked.

"I want to see the new Lego movie!" Daisy said.

"Is it even out yet?" Nora asked.

"Let's see if it is," Isaac said.

We walked to the second floor, where the movie theater is located.

///////////////////////

After watching the movie, I stayed with my family until it was time to meet up with Ushiwakamaru and Tesla.

I told my parents that I would walk around the Boardwalk for a while. They told me to be careful and to not arrive back home late.

I found the first empty alley and asked Hassan to take me to the hotel.

"You guys ready?" I adjusted my uniform.

"Yes," Ushiwakamaru.

"Here you go," Tesla gave me a mask.

It looked exactly like the one I was wearing.

"Why're you giving me this?" I ask, looking at the mask.

"Da Vinci asked Morgan and Medea to make a new mystic code for you. It's an upgrade of the mask you currently have," Tesla said.

Oh, that's a good idea. The one I have right now is only a normal mask.

"What can it do?" I switched masks.

"It has night vision, heat vision, you can zoom in, protective wards to guard your identity, and it can't just be taken off your face without your permission," Tesla explained.

Nice.

"Speaking of upgrades. Hassan, take my revolver to Edison and ask him to enchant it," I handed my revolver to Hassan.

Hassan nodded and walked away.

Tesla huffed, "Master, I can do a better job than that moronic lion."

I sighed tiredly, "You know why I sent it to Edison."

Edison's concept improvement skill allows him to upgrade my revolver, elevating its power to rival that of a low-grade noble phantasm.

That may sound amazing but it's not that useful when you're constantly going against foes that have divinity, access to a divine construct, powerful magecraft, or have obscene amount of magical energy.

But it's another story in Earth Bet.

Hmm, now I want to see how far Edison can enhance tinker tech.

"Where in the Boardwalk should we meet up with Dauntless?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

"He didn't set up a place. We just have to walk around, it's going to be hard to miss the only guy wearing Greek armor," I shrugged.

We made our way there via rooftops, which took us a few minutes.

Our arrival certainly wasn't missed as everyone around us took a step back and some of them grabbed their phones to record us.

"Let's go find Dauntless," I said.

Ushiwakamaru, Tesla, and I started to walk around.

I let out a grunt as more people turned their attention to us.

Don't they know that is very rude to point at people?

"So, what're we going to do again?" Tesla asked.

"Walk around, talk to people, and give autographs. You know, pr stuff" I've seen enough of these patrols on TV.

"Dauntless chose a good place to do that," Ushiwakamaru said, looking at all the people on the Boardwalk.

"He chose here because of the Wards," I said.

"Would you have preferred another place?" Tesla asked.

"It's not the place that's the problem. There's something about this that I'm finding so weird, and we've done patrols before," I said.

"All of our previous patrols were done in enemy territory and had high chances of a fight happening. This one, on the other hand, is to increase the morale of Brockton Bay. Something like this is crucial after times of great distress," Ushiwakamaru said.

I hummed in thought.

"Excuse me," A voice said to my left.

I turned to see a trio of teenagers.

"Yes?" I said.

"Can we take a picture?" One of them asked.

I glanced at Ushiwakamaru and Tesla, and both of them shrugged.

"Sure," I said.

That opened the floodgates as more people approached us to get pictures or autographs.

I don't know how many pictures have been taken or how many autographs I signed but I was relieved when Dauntless showed up.

"Need some help?" Dauntless said amused.

"Yes," I said.

Unsurprisingly, many of the people around us went over to Dauntless and the two Wards for autographs and pictures.

I took this chance to see who he brought.

One was wearing red and gold armor with a red visor and was standing atop a hoverboard.

The other one was clad in futuristic armor that reminded me of knights of old.

So, he brought Kid Win and Gallant.

It took about a half hour for the group to disperse. We walked to a more secluded area to talk.

"Is it always like this?" I asked.

"Normally no but sometimes people get excited. So, what did you think about it?" Dauntless asked.

"I will admit, it was nice. But I don't think I could do as often as you do," I said.

"It takes some time to get used to it," Dauntless nodded.

Dauntless looked at Ushiwakamaru and Tesla.

"Who might they be?" Dauntless asked.

"This's Rider," I said.

"Greetings," Ushiwakamaru said.

"And that's Archer," I said.

Tesla was inspecting Gallant armor very closely.

"Archer, give him some space," I said.

Tesla blinked, "Oh, I do apologize. That's an interesting armor you have there, young man."

"Thank you," Gallant said.

"Judging by your suit, I'd say your specialization is power armor-or perhaps body armor," Tesla guessed.

"Something like that," Gallant said.

Now that I think about it, I couldn't find Gallant specialization on the internet.

"Kid Win helped me make this suit but it's not really that amazing. I mean, I lack the mobility that he has," Gallant referred to the hoverboard.

"He's deflecting the question," Ushiwakamaru said.

"Yep," I said.

Gallant must want to keep his specialization a secret.

Tesla also noticed that but he's more interested in the hoverboard.

I spoke before Tesla could start to ask all kinds of questions.

"Let's first end the patrol, then you can ask as many questions as you want," I turned to Kid Win."If that's okay with you."

Kid Win glanced at Dauntless, who shrugged in response.

"I'm okay with that," Kid Win said.

"Okay, good," I turned to Dauntless. "You got anything planned or should we just continue as before?"

"Continue as before. This's just routine patrol," Dauntless said.

"So, there isn't going to be any surprises, like a reporter showing up?" I said with a smirk.

"Yeah, the PRT does that from time to time but not this time," Dauntless said.

This time, huh.

"Well, it's a simple tactic to gain good pr. And I must say that, in particular, Miss Militia's interview was very interesting," I said.

I'm not surprised they did that.

I can't imagine how embarrassing it must be for the PRT/Protectorate to have a 'rookie' hero achieve more in a few weeks than they have in years.

Dauntless let out a sigh, "I'm sorry about that. The PRT provides our responses, and while it's not required to use them, it's highly recommended."

Tesla raised an eyebrow, Ushiwakamaru tilted her head and I blinked at that.

This isn't what I was expecting.

"I don't agree with how it was worded. Chaldea has done a lot of good for Brockton Bay and the PRT shouldn't have downgraded your part in the gang war. I hope that this doesn't stop us from cooperating more in the future," Dauntless said.

I rubbed my neck, "It was just an observation. I'm not really mad about that."

I'm a little annoyed but not that much.

"I still prefer to clear the air between us," Dauntless said.

"I appreciate that," I said. "All right then, I think we spent enough time here. So let's go back to the patrol."

Kid Win and Gallant certainly are happy get away from this awkard situation.

We all returned to the main street and continued the patrol.

It was fun at first, talking to people and taking pictures with them but by the second hour, I was bored out of my mind and wishing that something would happen.

I have to say, this's surprisingly more tiring than I thought.

"How much longer must we do this?" Ushiwakamaru asked.

"God, I hope not much longer," Tesla said.

Good to know that I'm not the only one done with this whole thing.

"Hey there!" A blonde teenager said.

I notice that her right forearm is in a cast.

"Hey," I said with a tired smile.

She raised an eyebrow amused, "You doing okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired," I said. "So, autograph or picture?"

"I would like an autograph from the three of you," She handed me a piece of paper.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Lisa," Lisa said.

I wrote the autograph and then gave it to Ushiwakamaru and Tesla to also sign it.

"What's written here?" Lisa pointed atライダー.

"That's kanji for Rider," Ushiwakamaru said.

"The calligraphy is perfect," Lisa noted.

I notice Lisa scratching her cast.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, it gets itch sometimes. I got this stupid thing from a work accident," Lisa complained.

I wonder what her job is.

"Do you mind if I ask a question about them?" Lisa asked.

I turned to Ushiwakamaru and Tesla, and they both shrugged.

"Go ahead," I said.

"I don't get their names. I mean, a Rider without a mount or an Archer without a bow, it's kinda weird," Lisa said.

I can see her point.

Ushiwakamaru only calls for Tayuuguro for me to use him as she's faster without him. And Tesla uses lighting to fight.

"Do you guys feel like doing a demonstration?" I asked.

"Sure," Ushiwakamaru said.

"I'm fine with that," Tesla said.

"Hey, Dauntless!" I said.

"Yeah?" Dauntless tuned to me, pausing the autograph he was signing.

"How about we give them a little show?" I asked with a smile.

"What do you gotta in mind?" Dauntless asked curious.

"I'm going to ask for everyone to take a step back please," I said to the people around us.

A wide circle was formed around me, Uwhiwakamaru, Tesla, Dauntless, Gallant, and Kid Win.

Ushiwakamaru whistles loudly and a white horse, Tayuuguro, appears next to her.

I turned to Lisa, "To answer your first question: this's Rider's mount."

People started to take pictures of Ushiwakamaru petting Tayuuguro.

"Does he have a name?" someone in the crowd asked.

"His name's Tayuuguro and he's my trusted steed," Ushiwakamaru said.

I raised an eyebrow at Ushiwakamaru revealing her horse name but it's her choice.

"May I?" Gallant asked.

Ushiwakamaru nodded and Gallant started to pet Tayuuguro.

The crowd loved that as they started to take so many pictures.

"He's beautiful. Although, you might have a hard time navigating the traffic of Brockton Bay," Dauntless commented.

"Oh, I rarely use him nowadays. I mostly summon him for master to use him," Ushiwakamaru said.

"She's faster without him," I said.

"What?" Gallant and Kid Win asked.

"In a moment. As for your second question Lisa: you're right, Archer doesn't use a bow," I said.

Tesla let out a hearty laugh, raising his hands, sending a burst of lightning into the sky, erupting like fireworks. But he wasn't finished. With a flick of his wrist, he began shaping the lightning into intricate form, mesmerizing the crowd, who cheered with every dazzling display.

"This's safe right?" Dauntless whispered to me.

"Yes, he has complete control over his lightning," I whispered back.

This continued for a few more minutes, and then I stepped forward and clapped my hands to grab the attention of everyone.

"Let's give Rider some room to stretch her legs," I said.

Tesla created a straight runway, about a hundred meters in length, above all of us with his lightning.

Ushiwakamaru de summoned Tayuuguro and jumped on the runway.

"How long do you think it will take Rider to run to the other side and back?" I asked the crowd.

Everyone started to give out guesses.

I let out a laugh at their guesses, "You hear that Rider! They think it will take a few minutes!?"

Ushiwakamaru smirked in response.

They're in for a surprise.

"Ready!" I said.

Ushiwakamaru tensed her legs.

"Go!" I shouted.

Ushiwakamaru vanished from view, leaving behind a powerful gust of wind that washed over everyone. Showing how fast she's going.

In the blink of an eye, she appeared on the other side of the runway, turned around, and disappeared once more.

Ushiwakamaru appeared once again before everyone's eyes.

All of this only lasted a few seconds.

The crowd was staring at Ushiwakamaru with wide eyes before they erupted in cheers.

Tesla dispelled the runway as Ushiwakamaru walked back to my side.

I gave her a thumbs up and Ushiwakamaru smiled in response.

"Did that answer your questions?" I asked Lisa with a big smile.

"Yes, it did. Man, they're amazing!" Lisa said with a forced laugh.

I tilted my head at her laugh. She sounds...nervous.

I couldn't put any more thought into that as the rest of the crowd approached me, Ushiwakamru, and Tesla for autographs or to ask more questions.

Here we go again.

Dauntless stepped in front of us and raised his voice.

"People! Let's give them some space! I'm sure after this demonstration they're tired and need to take a break!" Dauntless shouted.

I let out a sigh of relief when the crowd listened to Dauntless.

"Let's grab something to eat. I will show you the bakery I told you the other day," Dauntless said.

"You forgot to give the address," I said.

Dauntless chuckled, "Sorry."

We all followed Dauntless to the bakery.

////////////

"You're right. This is a really good chocolate cake," I took a bite of the cake.

"I told you," Dauntless took a sip from his coffee.

Ushiwakamaru was eating a brownie.

We're at the top of a building, overlooking the Boardwalk.

Dauntless, Ushiwakamaru, and I are on one side while Tesla, Kid Win, and Gallant are on the other.

Tesla and Kid Win are discussing what each has invented and exchanging ideas about future projects. Gallant stays on the side and only speaks when spoken to.

Is he feeling uncomfortable or something?

"Now that we have some time, there's something that I want to talk with you. Well, two things actually," Dauntless said.

Ushiwakamaru and I turn to him.

"What?" I took a bite of the cake.

"We busted one of Coil's safe houses. The bastard was using a pet shop as a safehouse" Dauntless said.

"I didn't hear about that in the news," I said.

The PRT loves to announce their victories on the news.

"Given what we found, Director Piggot decided to keep on the down-low but I'm not sure how long that's going to last," Dauntless said.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Documents that had information on the Empire and ABB. Their patrols, safehouses, where they scout new members," Dauntless said.

"He got people on the inside," I said.

"Yeah. Thankfully we don't have to worry about the ABB anymore," Dauntless said.

That might be true but now I'm wondering if Coil got people inside the PRT. That might explain why they're incapable of keeping their prisoners.

"Did any of his men talk?" I asked.

"No, they didn't even ask for a lawyer and aren't interested in any deal we offer them," Dauntless shrugged. "All we can do now is prepare them to be transported to prison."

Shame.

"He's changing the location of all his safehouses," Dauntless said.

Hassan informed me about that.

"What tipped you off about Coil?" Dauntless asked suddenly.

I blinked at the question.

"The director wanted me to ask you about that," Dauntless explained.

I have a great deal of experience when it comes to this kinda of thing but I can't say that without a lot of questions.

"It was a gut feeling," I said.

Dauntless stared at me for a few seconds.

"Right. Anyway, the other thing is that the Empire is calling for reinforcements," Dauntless said.

Ushiwakamaru frowned and I tensed at the news.

"How many? When? Who're they? How strong are they? How much time do we have to prepare?" Ushiwakamaru asked quickly.

Dauntless leaned back in surprise, not expecting so many questions at the same time.

"Huh, I don't know how many or who they're. We know is that they're going to be members of Gesellschaft and they will most likely appear around the time we will transport the Empire capes to prison," Dauntless said.

Gesellschaft, a neo-nazi organization from Europe.

There are all kinds of nasty rumors about them on the internet.

I already marked them to be destroyed and this could be a good excuse to send some servants to deal with them.

"Why them?" there're easier options than contacting an organization from Europe.

"Krieg has connections with them," Dauntless said.

Of course, he does.

"I fucking hate the Empire," I said.

"Who doesn't," Dauntless snorted.

I checked the time.

Better get home before my parents start to worry.

"I gotta go," I finished the cake.

"All right. I will see you next time," Dauntless said.

"Thanks for the warning. And I'm up for patroling together again but next time let's do a normal one please," I said.

Dauntless chuckled.

"Archer! We're going," I called Tesla.

"Think of my offer, young man," Tesla said to Kid Win.

Offer?

"Bye," I said to Galland and Kid Win.

"Bye," Gallant said and Kid Win gave me a nod.

Ushiwakamaru, Tesla accompanied me to my home and then left for the hotel.

/////////////////

I forgot to say this before.

Ushiwakamaru, Moriarty, Frankenstein, Hassan of the Hundred Faces, Medea, and Edison are in their second ascension forms.

Originally I thought about describing their clothes but without the wiki helping I can't do it. And sometimes the wiki is useless.

Ushiwakamaru's appearance section is literally: a young girl clad in samurai armor.

That's not helpful!!!!

If I don't say anything then assume that all servants are in their first ascension.

///////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

/////////////////////////////////////

Sunday was another slow day, so I stayed home and rested.

I asked Tesla what was his offer to Kid Win and he said that he proposed to Kid Win a collaboration between them.

I joked that he was trying to poach Kid Win and Tesla said that if it's possible he will do it.

Well, I hope that the PRT/Protectorate won't get too mad if we end up poaching some of their capes.

Moriarty informed me that Carol reached out to the PRT regarding the healing potions and they requested a meeting with us as soon as possible.

I told him to schedule the meeting for Monday night.

I asked Moriarty for an update on the ABB situation and he said that with Hassan's help, he's quickly gathering all the valuable individuals who know how Lung ran his territory and want the ABB gone.

They all hated Lung as he didn't tolerate anyone talking back to him and made gruesome examples of those who did.

He also captured Oni Lee.

It wasn't difficult, Hassan found him bedridden and disoriented from the morphine that was used to help him deal with the pain. From what she could see, Oni Lee wasn't going to survive his injuries.

When Morgan learned of that, she proposed to use this as an opportunity to learn more about the biology of parahumans.

Medea and Asclepius supported the idea.

I instructed them not to leave any traceable evidence and to avoid dissecting Oni Lee.

Moriarty also asked me to pass by the hotel before going to the meeting with the PRT as he found out more information on what emboldened Lung to attack the Empire so soon.

I went to school, Clarendon, when Monday arrived and I can say that it was discombobulating, to say the least. Which is strange because nothing out of the ordinary happened.

It was all just so...I don't even know what word I'm looking for.

Anyway, Chaldea was the hot topic in school.

Everyone was talking about us.

There were all kinds of discussions, like how many servants I have, what powers each might have, how my power works, and what might be our next move.

There are even threads on PHO.

I gotta check that out later.

One conversation that stood out to me mentioned how nothing will change because the villains always escape PRT custody, and Chaldea won't last once they come seeking revenge against us.

That's a sobering reminder of how bleak things have been on Brockton Bay all these years.

Barely anyone believes that the PRT/Protectorate can keep the villains behind bars.

It's strange because when I checked other cities with the PRT/Protectorate, like Chicago, they don't seem to have the same issues we do. Sure, some villains manage to escape from prison, but it's nowhere near the scale of what happens here. Everywhere else, the PRT/Protectorate is competent.

Why is it so different on Brockton Bay?

After school, I asked Hassan to take me to the hotel.

I have some time before I have to go home.

Let's see what Moriarty found.

////////////

Arriving at the hotel, I found Moriarty at the cafeteria drinking tea.

"Hey Moriarty," I said, sitting at his table.

"Good afternoon Henry. Would you like something to eat?" Moriarty asked.

"I'm good. Who's working in the kitchen?" I asked.

"Barghest has been cooking the meals in her free time," Moriarty said, taking a sip of tea. "I must say, she knows how to make a delicious cup of tea."

Yeah, she's an excellent cook.

"What did you find?" I asked.

Moriarty handed me a cell phone.

"That's Lung's personal phone. Look at the time of the last call," Moriarty said.

That last call was from an unknown number at 1:47 in the morning.

"Okay, what am I looking at?" I asked.

"That's five minutes after you defeated Hookwolf," Moriarty said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Let me guess: burner phone," I said.

"Precisely but I already know who made that call," Moriarty took a sip of his tea.

After a brief moment of silence, it dawned on me what Moriarty was doing.

"Can you not do these dramatic pauses and just tell me," Holmes always does this and it's so annoying.

Why are geniuses like this?

Moriarty coughed, "There's nothing wrong with a little showmanship. Anyway, it was Coil that called Lung."

I hummed in thought.

Coil has moles in the gangs, and Cricket was the only one that escaped that night.

"Is Cricket the mole?" I asked.

"No, she isn't. According to Hassan, Cricket came across a group of Empire grunts who took her to an apartment. She spent the rest of the day there, tending her wounds," Moriarty said.

"It could have been someone in that group or Coil was keeping tabs on Hookwolf," I rubbed my chin.

"Both answers are equally possible," Moriarty nods.

"Coil didn't waste a chance to weaken both the Empire and ABB," I commented.

"It was more than that. It was also a trap for you," Moriarty said.

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow.

"With Hookwolf out of the picture, Coil saw an opportunity to expedite Lung's attack. He knew that you would rush to stop the fight and he must have thought that you were tired from fighting Hookwolf and Cricket," Moriarty said.

He wanted me to fight both gangs while I was 'exhausted'.

"He was hoping that I would die," I said.

"Or that you would lose some of your servants," Moriarty said.

I let out a chuckle.

"I will give it to him, it was not a bad plan," I crack my knuckles. "I'm going to pay his territory a visit today and pay him back tenfold."

"Could you put a pin on that plan?" Moriarty asked.

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Hassan is still exploring his territory, and I discovered some information that you're going to want to know," Moriarty said.

"What?" I asked.

"I found out Kaiser's identity," Moriarty said.

Well, it was only a matter of time before Moriarty figured that out.

"Who's it?" I asked.

"Max Anders," Moriarty takes a sip of tea.

I blinked rapidly at that.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked thought gritted teeth.

"Afraid not," Moriarty said.

I took a deep breath to calm down.

"That son of a bitch makes monthly donations to help the victims of the Empire. And even does charity events to help Brockton Bay," I rub my temple.

"All to create the illusion of a kind man," Moriarty said.

"For fuck's sake. Medhall is the largest employer in Brockton Bay," I pause for a moment. "He uses it for laundering money, doesn't he?"

"Yes but it's also a legitimate business," Moriarty said.

I glanced around the room to see if we were alone.

"Did you tell the Valkyries?" I whispered.

"Definitely not. They'd storm Medhall right away and kill him, sparking all kinds of troubles," Moriarty whispered in return.

"Good. Keep a lid on that for now," I nodded.

"There's more. Kaiser's ex-wife is Purity and she did leave the Empire," Moriarty said.

"So the rumors are true," I rubbed my chin.

About a year ago, Purity claimed to have left the Empire but nobody believed her since she only attacked the ABB.

"Yes, one of the most feared capes of the city is now a single mother of two-"

"Moriarty," I warned him.

Moriarty shook his head, "That's not what I'm getting at. Kaiser is trying to pull Purity back by threatening that if she doesn't return, she will lose custody of her daughter."

Ah, that's not good.

"What about the other one?" I asked.

"The other isn't her child, he's from Kaiser's first marriage. Although, he does appear to spend an awful lot of time with Purity," Moriarty said.

"All right, what's the plan?" I asked.

"We need to strip Kaiser of his power. Put more pressure on the Empire, and eventually, Kaiser will be forced to show himself. I will look into acquiring Medhall for ourselves. That company would be better in our hands," Moriarty said with a smirk.

"Good. Take everything from that bastard," I said.

Now that we're talking about identities.

"Who else did you figure it out?" I asked.

"All the members of the Empire, and some of the heroes," Moriarty said.

Nobody can know about this.

The PRT/Protectorate would attack us immediately.

"What about Coil?" I asked.

"I'm still working on that," Moriarty said.

"Oh right. Dauntless warned me that the Empire is getting reinforcements-"

"From Gesellschaft, yes. Ushiwakamaru told me, which is why it's a good idea to further weaken the Empire before they arrive," Moriarty said.

"Anyone we should be wary of?" I asked.

Moriarty hums thoughtfully.

"There's one that I'm certain that they are going to send. He goes by Hydra, and he can duplicate himself or others that he comes in contact with," Moriarty said.

Oh, I see the theme.

Cut one down and others take its place.

Like the Hydra from Greek Mythology.

"How many clones can he make?" I asked.

"It's unknown what his limit is but he can easily create an army of clones that he uses to overwhelm his enemies. The downside, thankfully, is that the more clones he makes the weaker they are. That goes double for the clones of parahumans," Moriarty said.

"How strong would the parahuman clones be?" I asked.

"Unfortunately information about his power is scarce, no doubt the work of Gesellschaft, but from the footage that I have seen, the clones have a tenth of the original strength," Moriarty said.

Small mercies, I will take what I can get.

"Why do villains always have the best powers?" I pinch my nose in frustration.

"To make the hero's journeys more engaging," Moriarty said unblinkingly.

I sent a glare to Moriarty but he ignored it.

"By the way, the hotel's being watched," Moriarty said casually.

I hummed, "How many?"

That was bound to happen.

"Two teams from the PRT, some members of the Empire, and some of Coil mercenaries. It's better from now on you don't come here in your civilian clothes," Moriarty said.

This was supposed to be a quick stop, so I didn't bother changing clothes and just put on my mask.

"Gotcha. Kee-"

Suddenly the cafeteria shook for a few seconds.

Moriarty and I stood up in alarm.

Are we under attack!?

"Da Vinci gather everyone!" I said.

Moriarty and I dashed out of the cafeteria, heading towards the front entrance.

"Why?" Da Vinci asked.

"We're under attack!" I said,

"What're yo-Oh! You're in the hotel! Don't worry that was us," Da Vinci said.

I stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor. Moriarty stopped a few meters in front of me.

"What!" I said.

"We're working on Sherrel's next project and things got a little out of hand," Da Vinci explained.

A little!?

"Sorry, gotta go!" Da Vinci cut off the mental link.

"Da Vinci!" I said but didn't receive any answer.

I let out a groan.

I turned to Moriarty, who was watching me with a tense expression.

"Da Vinci," I said deadpanned.

Moriarty's shoulders sag with relief and he pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Garage," Moriarty said as he walked back to the cafeteria.

I said this once and I will say it again: geniuses are exhausting.

I barged into the garage and found all of them screaming at each other.

"You idiotic lion! I told you that was too much garbage!" Tesla screamed.

"And I told you that we need a substantial amount to see if the conversion rates are what we expect!"Edison screamed back.

"Da Vinci, stop messing with my wiring!" Sherrel said with a glare.

"I'm fixing it! They are all over the place, you dumbass!" Da Vinci glared back.

"I was going to do that later, you cunt!" Sherrel snapped back.

Swear to god, they are all children.

"HEY!" I shouted.

Everyone turned to me.

"The fuck is going on!?" I shouted.

"Hello, master. When did you arrive?" Edison asked.

"Don't ignore my question!" I said.

"Henry, I told you not to worry," Da Vinci said, placing her hands on her hips.

"You made the hotel shake! Of course, I'm going to worry!" I said.

"Sorry about that boss-man. We gotta a little too excited," Sherrel said, rubbing her head in embarrassment.

These idiots are going to give me a heart attack.

I took this chance to look around the place.

Sherrel clearly turned the place into her workshop.

Her tools are scattered all over the place.

In a corner there's a car that has signs of being worked on recently, her first project most likely.

On the opposite side, there's a garbage truck they are all working on.

They must have got that from the junkyard, it's still covered in rust.

They are doing something with the container part of the truck.

"Please, someone explain what happened?" I asked tiredly.

I'm going to take a nap before tonight's meeting.

"Like I said, we're working on Sherrel's new project-" Da Vinci is interrupted by Sherrel.

"Before that, boss-man check it out," Sherrel said.

Sherrel walked to the car.

I walked to take a closer look.

I shrugged, "That's a nice car," I peered closer. "Is that a sedan?"

Sherrel huffed, "It's not just nice- it's amazing! And yes, it's a sedan."

I kept looking at it, trying to discern what made this car tinker tech.

I gave up after a moment.

"You're going to have to show me," I said.

Sherrel eagerly gets into the car.

My eyes widen when the car disappears.

I cautiously reached forward and made contact with it.

I laughed, "Camaflouge."

The car appears again when Sherrel exits it.

"And that's not all. It can go from zero to six hundred km/h in seconds, reinforced to the point that you can safely drive through a building and-" Sherrel pressed a button on the inside and two laser weapons extended from the front fenders.

"They showed you the rifles," I inspected the weapons.

"Oh yeah, I got some ideas now," Sherrel rubs her hands in excitement.

"And what's that?" I pointed to the garbage truck.

"This is something that is going to be very useful. This is a recycler," Edison said.

I blinked in surprise and turned to Sherrel.

"I get that vehicles is a broad term but I can't believe you can build this," I said.

Sherrel shrugged, "As long you can drive, it's fair game."

That's....wow.

"What went wrong?" I asked.

"As I said before, this moronic li-" I sent a warning glare to Tesla. "-Edison had put too much trash in the recycler and it couldn't handle the amount," Tesla explained.

"It also didn't help that the power source was cranked up to the maximum," Da Vinci commented.

"With all of that combined, you get this," Edison walked to the back of the truck.

I walked next to Edison to see what is it.

There's a hole, about two meters deep, behind the garbage truck.

Looking down, I see a pile of molten slag that's still cooling off.

"Oh boy," I said.

"Yeah, this bad boy got some serious power," Sherrel said cheerfully, petting the side of the truck.

I can feel a headache coming.

Da Vinci claps her hands, "Let's take a break. I could go for some coffee."

Edison rubs his chin, "That's not a bad idea. I believe that Saber has left some food inside the fridge."

"Nice! Her food is so good," Sherrel wipes her drool. "You're coming Da Vinci?"

"I will go later," Da Vinci said.

Sherrel, Tesla, and Edison head to the cafeteria.

Once alone I turned to Da Vinci.

"I want a raise," I said.

"You don't have a salary," Da Vinci said immediately.

"I demand a salary rather than a raise," I said.

Da Vinci shrugged, "I will see what I can do."

"Good, no-wait a second, you told her your name," I just realized that.

"So did Tesla and Edison," Da Vinci said.

"And?" I asked.

"She didn't know who we were," Da Vinci crossed her arm with a huff.

"Seriously?" I raised an eyebrow.

"History is not her forte. She also knows your name," Da Vinci said.

Well, she's part of Chaldea and it would be weird if no one told their name to her.

"How did it go?" Da Vinci asked.

"What?" I asked confused.

"School, you returned today," Da Vinci places her hands on her hips. "You did return, right?"

I rolled my eyes, "I did go to school and it was....fine."

"What happened?" Da Vinci said.

"Nothing," I said.

"Try again mister," Da Vinci pressed for an answer.

"I'm serious! Nothing happened! It was all just so..." I trailed off.

What's the word I'm looking for?

Da Vinci tilts her head, initially confused, but then her eyes widen as she grasps what I'm saying.

"Mundane? Is that what you want to say?" Da Vinci asked, her voice tinged with worry.

"Yes! That's it! The entire thing was completely mundane," I nodded satisfied.

I notice Da Vinci looking at me worriedly.

What's wi-

Oh.

"I don't know what's normal anymore, do I?" I asked.

"...our normal is different," Da Vinci said awkwardly.

I covered my face with my hands and let out a groan.

Of course, my sense of normality is all screwed up.

Da Vinci patted my back, trying to comfort me.

"I'm fucking mess," I said.

"You're not a mess. You have been through a lot," Da Vinci reassured me.

We all have.

"It's not that bad, right? I mean, no one notices anything different about me," I said, trying to alleviate the situation.

Wait, should I be happy about that?

"What about your parents?" Da Vinci

I recalled my conversation with Dad while I was at the warehouse the other day.

"They might have realized something but....fuck I don't know," I said nervously.

Da Vinci rubs her chin in thought.

"Do you plan to tell them?" Da Vinci asked.

"I'm still debating that. I want them to be part of Chaldea, you guys are also my family," Da Vinci smiled at my words. "But I don't think they can handle it."

We're going to hunt down the monster of this world.

That isn't for everyone.

"Tell them," Da Vinci said suddenly.

Da Vinci didn't give me a chance to talk.

"We're going to save the world, Henry. That's a monumental task that will consume all of your free time down the line. If you don't do anything you will never be able to truly reconnect with your family," Da Vinci said bluntly.

"I-I'm spending time with them," I said weakly.

"But it's not the same as before right?" Da Vinci asked.

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Don't let this chance slip through your fingers," Da Vinci said gently.

She's right.

"You should also keep going to school. It's good for you to have some normalite in your life. Even if it's just for a few hours, you can be a normal teenager," Da Vinci said.

A normal teenager.

I haven't been that for a long time now.

"When should I tell them?" that's going to be one hell of a conversation.

"All soon as possible, and don't try to wait for the 'perfect opportunity' or you will be waiting forever," Da Vinci said.

I groaned, "That's going to be awful."

"Oh yeah, expect a lot of screaming, tears, and accusations. The whole shebang," Da Vinci said.

"You're not helping," I said annoyed.

"I beg to differ," Da Vinci huffed.

We exchanged a look and chuckled.

"Seriously, don't hesitate to call me or anyone else," Da Vinci said.

"Thanks. I'm going home and rest a little," I said.

I stopped at the door of the garage and turned to Da Vinci.

"Please don't blow up the hotel," I said.

"Oh come on, that was under control," Da Vinci waved off my concerns.

Great, now I'm afraid of leaving these four unsupervised.

////////////////////

I was able to get some sleep but not much.

I honestly don't know how to explain Chaldea to them.

I can't just go to them and say:

Hey Mom and Dad, I have powers but I'm not a parahuman.

How do I have powers if I'm not a parahuman?

Oh, that's simple.

A magician from another dimension summoned me to save his world.

There I was able to summon legendary figures from history and with their help, I was able to save the world before coming back.

They're going to send me to a psych ward.

Fuck you, Zelretch.

I was so lost in my thoughts that if Hassan hadn't warned me, I wouldn't have gone to the meeting.

The PRT is using the Brockton General Hospital as the meeting place.

Panacea makes regular rounds there.

Arriving at the hospital I quickly spotted Paracelsus and Asclepius.

There's also a homunculus behind them, carrying a large wooden box.

People nearby are casting strange glances at the homunculus, which isn't surprising considering his humanoid shape, grey skin, and three red eyes.

"Hey," I greeted both of them.

"Hi," Asclepius said.

"Greetings master," Paracelsus said.

I glanced at the homunculus.

"If anyone asks..."

"He's my summon," Paracelsus smiled.

We're going to paint them as being the same as the dragon tooth warriors.

I don't want anyone making comparisons between Paracelsus and Nilbog.

"How long will this take?" Asclepius asked.

I shrugged, "An hour, maybe two."

Asclepius grunted and walked inside the hospital.

Oh yeah, he can't wait to study Oni Lee.

I made my way to the reception, where four nurses were stationed.

"Hi. I got a meeting with the PRT," I said.

"Ah, yes, we have been expecting you. Just a moment, please," the nurse said as she picked up the phone to make a call.

The other nurse glanced at us for a few seconds and then returned to work.

It didn't take long for Armsmaster to come pick us up.

"Magus," Armsmaster greeted me. "Who would you two be? And what's that?" he looked at the homunculus.

"I'm Asclepius," Asclepius said.

"I'm Paracelsus and this is my summon," Paracelsus said.

Okay, they are just going to say their names like that.

I glanced at Armsmaster to gauge his reaction.

Armsmaster grunted, "Follow me."

Yep, that's about right.

I actually thought that he would freak out for a moment.

We walked to the ICU section of the hospital, on the third floor. There we entered the second door to our right.

Glancing around, I noticed two empty beds. One of them was surrounded by various tinker tech scanners. Armsmaster headed straight to that bed and began organizing the scanners.

Oh hey, look.

Shielder and Laserdream are also here.

"Hey there," I approached them.

"Huh? Oh hey man, how's it going?" Shielder said with a smile.

"Could be better," I shrugged. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Laserdream."

Laserdream giggled, "Don't need to be so formal. You can call me Crystal if you want."

I rubbed my neck, "Oh, huh, okay then. I thought that you would prefer your cape name since we're working right now."

"Honestly, I don't really care. I mean, I don't even know why I bother with cape name since the entire city already knows my name," Laserdream leaned closer. "Just don't let Auntie Carol know about this. She always goes about how we represent New Wave, that we have to always be on our best behavior, and all that," Laserdream rubs her temples.

Shielder nodded wearily in agreement.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I swear it's like she thinks that I fly around naked or something," Laserdream complained.

"What about that party," Shielder asked.

Laserdream rolled her eyes, "Everyone was drinking."

"Sure, but it wasn't everyone that decided that it was a good idea to use powers to cut a watermelon," Shielder said with a shit-eating grin.

Laserdream narrowed her eyes, "You little shit."

I couldn't help but laugh at their antics.

They both returned their attention to me, unbothered that I saw this exchange.

"So yeah, I don't care what name you use," Laserdream said nonchalantly.

"Same for me," Shielder shrugged.

"I'm going to stick to your cape's name," I said.

Both shrugged in response.

"I wasn't expecting you two to be here," I said.

"Normally it's Vicky that stays with Ames in these kinds of things but she's grounded," Laserdream explained.

"Where's Panacea?" I asked.

"She went to the bathroom. It shouldn't take long for-" Shielder is interrupted by two people entering the room.

One is a doctor in his early to mid-sixties, with both his hair and beard fully white.

The other is a brunette wearing a scarf and a robe that covers her entire body.

So that's Panacea.

Huh, she looks tired.

"Ah, Magus! A pleasure to meet you. I'm Adrian Abraham, the medical director," Adrian said, shaking my hand with enthusiasm.

"Hi," I said.

"So you're the one that made that potion," Panacea raised an eyebrow.

"It was actually them," I pointed at Asclepius and Paracelsus.

Panacea immediately turned her attention to them.

"What the hell is that thing?" Panacea said, looking at the homunculus

"He's my summon. I'm Paracelsus, it's a pleasure to meet you," Paracelsus smiled.

"Asclepius," Asclepius said.

Adrian shakes both Asclepius's and Paracelsus's hands.

"Pleasure. I must say, those're some interesting names," Adrian commented.

Asclepius leans in, his gaze fixed intently on Panacea's face, studying her closely.

"What ar-" Asclepius interrupts Panacea.

"You're exhausted," Asclepius said simply.

"What?" Panacea asked.

"How long has she been working?" Asclepius asked Adrian.

"That's none of-"

"She's been working nonstop since she arrived from school," Adrian said.

Panacea stared at Adrian, her expression filled with shock.

Asclepius clicks his tongue, "Oi master. Aren't there laws that prohibit this kind of thing?"

"What I do with my time is none of your business!" Panacea snapped at Asclepius.

"If you're going to help with these tests then your health is my business now. I don't want to look after another idiot who doesn't know when to take a break, " Asclepius points at me. "One is already enough."

"Oi! I'm not that bad!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, you're," Asclepius and Paracelsus said at the same time.

Screw you two!

"Yo-you!" Panacea fumed.

"How about a compromise? Amy helps with the testing then she goes home," Adrian proposed.

"Wha-I can still work!" Panacea protest.

"And I'm grateful for your work but you also need to take care of yourself," Adrian said.

"You can keep whatever is left of the potions," I doubt that we're going to use everything.

Adrian sent me a grateful nod.

"We got it covered Amy. Besides you gotta leave us some work. I may be old but I still got it," Adrian said humorously.

Panacea shot a venomous glare at Asclepius, who merely raised a disinterested eyebrow in return.

Well, at least she isn't glaring at me.

Oh wait, I spoke to soon.

Now she's glaring at me.

One of the best healers in the world is mad at us.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

"We're ready to begin," Armsmaster said.

Did he ignore everything that just happened?

Panacea walked to the bed, muttering angrily to herself.

Asclepius and Paracelsus also walked to the bed.

The homunculus placed the wooden box next to the bed and opened it.

"You can start bringing in the patients," Armsmaster said, uncaring to the fact that Panacea was still glaring at Asclepius and me.

Read the room man!

Adrian coughed, "Yes, let's begin." He walked out of the room.

"How's this going to work?" I asked.

"The hospital has gathered several volunteers. We will start with simpler cases then gradually move to more serious ones," Armsmaster explained.

Adrian came back with a couple of PRT troopers who were assisting some patients with their relocation.

The first patient is placed on the bed.

"Dislocated shoulder," Asclepius diagnosed effortlessly with a quick glance.

"You're correct," Adrian said, surprised by the quick diagnostic.

"Here you go," Paracelsus handed a healing potion to the patient.

The patient quickly drinks the health potion, and the effect appears immediately as he moves his arm without a problem.

"How's he?" Armsmaster asked, checking the data from his scans.

"His arm is back to normal," Panacea grunted, she's holding the patient hand.

Armsmaster nods.

"Could I ask a question?" Paracelsus asked.

"What?" Panacea said annoyed.

"You're able to manipulate anyone's biology with a touch, right?" Panacea nodded. "Can you only restore the body to its normal state, or can you make further modifications?"

Panacea leaned back in surprise, Amrsmaster and Adrian turned to Paracelsus.

"I can only heal," Panacea said quickly.

Paracelsus blinked at the quick arnswer.

"Why do you want to know that?" Armsmaster asked, looking intensively at Paracelsus.

"I'm curious about different methods of healing and wanted to possibly exchange ideas with her," Paracelsus said.

Armsmaster kept looking at Paracelsus for a few more seconds before he relaxed.

"Both of you are healers," Armsmaster stated.

Paracelsus nodded and Asclepiues shrugged in response.

"What brought this question?" Adrian asked.

"One of the first lessons I learned about healing is the fragility of the human body. While there are treatments that can strengthen it, there comes a point where pushing too far can harm rather than help," Paracelsus explained.

Unless you're okay with radical changes to your biology.

Countless magus have modified their bodies in all kinds of crazy ways.

"Indeed, the human body is a complex but fragile machine," Adrian rubs his chin thoughtfully.

"I was wondering just how far Panacea's powers allow her to manipulate the biology of those she touches," Paracelsus said.

Panacea stared at Paracelsus, her expression one of shock as if she couldn't believe the question he had just asked.

"I can only heal," Panacea insisted.

Paracelsus and Asclepius exchanged a brief look.

"I see. I apologize if my question has made you feel uncomfortable. That was not my intention," Paracelsus said sincerely.

"It's fine," Panacea mumbled.

"Let's continue," Armsmaster said.

Adrian nods and brings the next patient to be placed on the bed.

Laserdream pokes me in the shoulder.

"I'm sorry about that. Normally Amy isn't so snappy," Laserdream whispered to me.

"What was that?" I whispered.

"She just hates when someone disrupts her time at the hospital," Shielder whispered.

"At least we won't have a hard time taking Amy home this time," Laserdream whispered, feeling relieved.

"I don't know how Vicky has an easier time convincing Amy," Shielder whispered.

Laserdream shrugged.

"She refuses to leave the hospital?" I whispered.

Laserdream and Shielder glanced at each other.

"Amy...she just wants to help as many people as possible," Shielder whispered after a moment of hesitation.

Help as many people as possible.

I looked blankly at Panacea.

I'm going to keep an eye on her.

I know what that mindset does to a person.

The testing continued for another two hours and so far the only patients that the potions couldn't fully heal are those that have lost a limb.

In those cases, Asclepius, Paracelsus, or Panacea would heal them to full health.

Armsmaster mentioned that he collected sufficient data and that the PRT will reach out to us later to discuss the purchase of healing potions.

Adrian gave me his personal phone and said that the hospital was also interested in purchasing healing potions.

I'm going to talk with Moriarty and ask him to lower the prices for the hospital.

He can charge as much as he wants from the PRT.

Panacea glanced at Paracelsus before departing with Laserdream and Shielder.

The first part of my night is over.

Now let's go bully the Empire.

//////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

/////////////////////////////////////

After everything was over, Asclepius and Paracelsus returned to the hotel. I told Moriarty how the tests went and that the PRT would enter into contact soon.

Outside the hospital, I meet with Ushiwakamraru, Barghest, Morgan, and Cú Chulainn.

Cú Chulainn returned my revolver to me. He said that Edison had finished working on it but forgot to hand it back, so he passed it to Cú Chulainn to deliver it to me.

Nice to have it back.

I'm going to make the Empire bleed tonight.

The obvious choice would be to target more safehouses, but I want to do something that would tarnish Kaiser's image. Something he couldn't afford to overlook.

Ushiwakamaru came up with the answer.

////////////////

"Good evening ma'am!" I said jovially.

The woman stared at me with wide eyes and quickly walked away.

I let out a chuckle at her reaction.

And it's not just her avoiding us, everyone around us is also keeping their distance.

"You're in a good mood," Cú Chulainn said with a grin.

"Why wouldn't I be? It's such a beautiful night to go for a stroll," I said cheerfully.

Yep, we're taking a stroll.

Right in the center of Empire territory.

Ushiwakamaru idea is quite simple.

What better way to insult your enemy than to casually stroll through their territory, acting as if you own the place.

This is the kind of disrespect that Kaiser can't ignore if he doesn't want to lose his standing with his subordinates.

An important part of Ushiwakamaru's plan is that we don't attack anyone.

We're just here for a pleasant stroll and couldn't care less that this's Empire territory.

Honestly, this's all just a giant middle finger to Kaiser.

"I hate to admit but Kaiser knows how to keep his territory orderly," Ushiwakamaru said, looking around the street.

I also hate to admit that.

The streets are clean, buildings are in pristine condition, and all around doesn't seem a bad place to live.

Except for the fact that nazis control this place.

Well, it doesn't matter.

It's only a matter of time before we take over.

"From my understanding, Kaiser rules over his territory like a king. It would make sense that he'd want his territory to thrive," Barghest said.

Cú Chulainn snorts, "Are you serious?"

"You should see the image he tries to project in PHO. He makes himself out to be some kind of protector of the people and all that," I said.

"Please tell me that nobody buys that crap," Cú Chulainn said.

"I wish I could no," I said.

Cú Chulainn shakes his head in dissapointement.

"Humanity's foolishness never ceases to amaze me," Morgan said.

Yeah, people can be really stupid sometimes.

I put my hand on my stomach when it growled.

I could go for a burger right now.

"There's a pizza place two blocks from here," Cú Chulainn said, pointing at the place.

Pizza also works.

"You guys okay with that?" I turned to Morgan, Barghest, and Ushiwakamaru.

"I will pass," Morgan said.

"I'm okay with that," Ushiwakamaru said.

Barghest shrugged in response.

It took a few minutes to get there and when we entered the place, everyone stopped talking.

They were all looking at us with surprise looks, some even grabbed their phones and started to record us.

Oh, this's perfect.

I approached the register, where a blonde-haired man in his early thirties stood. His back is turned to me and he's talking with someone on the phone.

"Hey there," I said.

"I will be with you in a minute," The man said.

"Take your time," I'm not in a hurry.

"All right, that's three chicken pizzas and two sodas. It will take forty-five minutes. Yes, we are also open on Sundays. Okay, have a good night," The man ends the call.

"Busy night?" I asked.

"Not really. We have been getting more orders to go. I had to hire another deliverer man," The man said.

"Oh? Is there something going on around here?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Haven't you been watching the news? With all that happened in the last few days, everyone is on edge," The man said.

I hummed thoughtfully.

We've completely shifted the balance of power in Brockton Bay. And it's clear to everyone that we're far from finished.

Now they are all waiting for the fight that is going to engulf the entire city.

"I see," I said.

"Give a few more days and things are going to go back to normal. You know, like it always does," The man said.

You mean go back to the status quo.

Yeah, that isn't going to happen.

Things are going to change in Brockton.

One way or another.

"So what ca-" The man stopped talking when he saw us.

"Hi," I said with a friendly smile.

He's looking at me with wide eyes, not believing that I was in front of him.

"What do you guys want?" I asked.

"I'm fine with whatever you choose," Barghest said.

"I would like some anchovy," Ushiwakamaru said.

"They got any booze?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"You guys sell beer, right?" I asked.

The man nodded dumbly.

"Okay, so I want a large pizza, half pepperoni, half anchovy, four beers, and a bottle of water please," I said.

The man kept looking at us for a few more seconds before he swallowed heavily.

"Co-coming right up," The man said.

"Thank you," I said.

I turned my attention to the rest of the customers.

There's only a handful left of people.

I waved at them with a smile.

"Did I give you permission to record me?" Morgan asked coldly, flaring a little of her power.

They all flinched at Morgan's power and quickly put away their phones.

Oh, they got lucky.

Morgan usually isn't so forgiving at anything that annoys her, especially if involves humans.

"Ex-excuse me sir," A woman said, raising her hand nervously.

I raised an eyebrow, "You don't have to call me 'sir' or raise your hand. You can just ask the question."

"What're you doing here?" the woman asked after a moment of hesitation.

"I was hungry and felt like eating some pizza," I shrugged.

"But why here? Here's...you know," the woman said.

Oh, I do know.

"I was curious about this part of the town as I never have been here before," I said.

The woman glanced around the place anxiously, fearing that a fight might erupt at any moment.

Great, now I feel like a dick.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be just fine," I said, trying to reassure her.

She didn't listen to me and left the place.

Everyone else followed suit.

I don't blame them.

Kaiser might hesitate to launch an attack here because it's within his own territory. However, if it were located elsewhere, he wouldn't hesitate to wipe out the place.

It took another ten minutes before our order was ready.

"I'm sorry about your customers," I said, handing him the money.

The man let out a grunt.

We exited the pizza place and headed to the rooftop of a nearby building.

"You sure you don't want a piece?" I asked, looking at Morgan.

"I'm sure," Morgan said.

Maybe there's a place around here that sells tea.

"This is not a bad pizza," Barghest said, taking a bite.

"It's a shame that they didn't have anything stronger," Cú Chulainn said, taking a sip of his beer.

"Why don't you use reinforcement?" I asked taking a bit of the pizza.

Interesting fact: reinforcement can also be used on booze to make it stronger.

Cú Chulainn froze for a second before he reinforced the beer.

We kept eating in silence for the next few minutes, enjoying a moment of peace before the Empire showed up.

"Who do you guys think is coming?" I asked.

Since Kaiser is the leader, he must make an appearance and pass judgment on us for our 'transgressions', or he risks a significant blow to his reputation.

He also knows that he can't intimidate us, and a fight is inevitable.

"Crusader will handle the heavy lifting with his ghosts, while Kaiser, Rune, and Victor will support with long-range attacks. Fenja and Cricket will likely stay hidden, only reveal themselves if they need to retreat or if a chance arises to take one of us out," Ushiwakamaru explained.

Brute force isn't going to work against us, so Crusaders' ghosts are their best bet in hurting us.

"The problem is going to be if Purity, Night, and Fog makes an appearance," Ushiwakamaru said.

Night and Fog left around the same time Purity did. Nobody knows where they are or why they left in the first place.

"You think they are still in town?" I asked.

"I don't know but if Kaiser is trying to bring back Purity then he would also try to do the same with them," Ushiwakamaru frowns.

They could be a problem.

"There's also Gesellschaft. What's the plan regarding them?" Morgan asked.

"I'm thinking of sending a team of servants to Europe to deal with them. Now that we have more servants, we can finally start to look into dealing with the S-Class threats," I said.

"Who would be first?" Barghest asked, taking a bit of the pizza.

"Slaughterhouse Nine is our first target. With what we have planned, it's only a matter of time before they come for us," I said immediately.

They always go after anyone who might make the world a better place, and we fit that bill perfectly.

"Who're you going to send?" Cú Chulainn asked.

"For the Nine, I was thinking of Saber(Siegfried), Assassin(Hassan of Serenity), Lancer(Melusine), Berserker(Herakles), and Archer(Emiya)," I said.

Barghest frowns, "I can do a better job than Lancer(Melusine)."

I hold back a sigh.

Barghest has a rivalry with Melusine and takes any chance to prove that she's stronger.

"If you want to be part of the group, that's fine. This is-" I was interrupted by Cú Chulainn.

"We got company," Cú Chulainn said, looking at the streets.

About time.

I looked at the streets to see who was coming.

Kaiser is calmly walking down the street with his hands behind his back. He's coming in our direction.

Fenja is the only one that he brought along.

I looked at them with narrowed eyes.

Something is not right.

"It's a trap," Ushiwakamaru said what we're all thinking.

Yes, it is.

"Well, let's not keep them waiting," I said.

We got down to the street to meet them.

"Ah, Magus. I wasn't expecting to see you tonight," Kaiser said.

"I decided to go for a stroll," I said.

Kaiser nods, "You couldn't have chosen a better place for a stroll. Unlike the rest of the city, people can walk around without fear. Of course, we have to keep the-"

"What do you want Kaiser?" I said.

"You tell me, Magus. You clearly want my attention since you entered my territory without permission," Kaiser shakes his head. "Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

"My parents taught me to stand up to people like you. My father, in particular, always said to aim where it hurts," I replied with a toothy grin.

"How uncivilized, this's why the youth of today doesn't show their better respect anymore," Kaiser said.

I laughed, "You? My better? You're more delusional than I thought."

Kaiser extends his arm in front of Fenja, stopping her from taking a step forward.

"Are you done with your childish insults?" Kaiser asked.

"What? I thought we were having a good time. You know, like before when we were kicking your asses," I said.

"Yes, good times," Kaiser said dryly. "Anyway, I didn't come here looking for a fight but to make a proposal."

"What?" I asked.

"We both wish to better Brockton Bay and-"

"Shut the hell up!" I snarled. "Don't you dare group us! What we want is completely different!"

"Is it? You want to make Brockton Bay a better place but from what I hear you have your hands occupied with the ABB territory. Or should I say your territory," Kaiser said.

I narrowed my eyes, "Don't you d-"

"Please no petty threats. I'm just trying to have a civilized conversation. You're capable of those, aren't you?" Kaiser asked in a mocking tone.

I flipped him off in response.

"As I was saying, you're already dealing with a lot right now and don't need any more distractions. So, I suggested we call a temporary truce," Kaiser said.

I can't believe that he just said that.

I have only one answer to that.

"Go to hell," I said.

"I advise you to think this through," Kaiser said.

"What's there to think? We're winning, you lost half of your capes. You're just trying to buy time," I said.

"You have indeed caught us off guard, a mistake that won't happen again, but we have something that you're dearly missing," Kaiser said.

What's he talking about?

"And that would be?" I asked.

"Connections. Strength isn't just about physical might; we have many allies we can reach out to for support," Kaiser said.

"Like Gesellschaft," I said.

Kaiser nods, "Exactly. They're just one of the many we can call on for support. But that's not all, I have eyes and ears all over the city, and I've come across some interesting information regarding a product that you wish to sell to the PRT. And if I'm not mistaken, the PRT conducted a test earlier this evening."

God, this guy likes to brag.

"Let me guess: you're going to interfere in the distribution of the healing potions if we don't back off," I said in a bored tone.

What he said is an issue, but I've faced much worse.

"It would be such a shame if something were to happen to those potions. Think how many li-"

"My answer is still no," I said.

Kaiser paused for a few seconds.

"May I know why?" Kaiser asked.

"Agreeing to your demands is a return to the status quo. And that is never going to happen," I said determined.

"What's that you want? You want Brockton Bay?" Kaiser asked curiously.

"I don't want the city," I said with a frown.

"But you want something and you're willing to go hell and back for it," Kaiser commented.

"It's none of your business," I said.

"Oh well," Kaiser shrugged.

He's way too rela-

Cú Chulainn yanks me to the side tightly.

I was confused for a second until I saw the ghostly spear that would have pierced my heart.

Crusader is around here.

Ushiwakamaru lunged toward Kaiser, her blade slicing through the air, aimed at his stomach. But the moment her weapon made contact, Kaiser burst like a balloon, vanishing in an instant!

What!

Ushiwakamaru quickly turned her focus to Fenja as she began to grow. With a swift motion, Ushiwakamaru sliced through Fenja's neck but she also burst like a balloon.

Ushiwakamaru quickly returned to our side, gripping tightly her sword and looking around the street.

We didn't have the time to reflect on that, as we had to leap away- more Crusader ghosts were emerging from the ground.

In a few seconds, there's an army of Crusader's ghosts in front of us.

What's going on?

I don't think he was capable of creating this many.

Morgan swiftly creates a large, glowing magical circle above the ghost, covering them all. The circle begins to radiate light, and the ghosts flicker before vanishing one by one. In just a few moments, they were all gone.

That will buy us some time.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

I glanced behind to see what the noise was and blinked in surprise at what I was seeing.

Fenja is coming toward us, and there are ten of her.

"Are they an illusion?" I asked.

"No, they're all real but their life force is too weak," Morgan frowned.

I recall my talk with Moriarty and my eyes widen.

"They're clones," I said.

Gesellschaft is here.

Barghest ignites her sword, unleashing a wave of fire above us, engulfing a dozen Cricket's that were plummeting towards us.

"They're weak," Barghest said.

Cú Chulainn hurls Gae Bolg at the approaching Fenja's, striking down seven of them. However, this has little effect as even more begin to emerge.

"That may be true but there's a lot of them," Cú Chulainn said, recalling Gae Bolg.

I turn to Morgan.

"Can you find-"

Morgan quickly raised a barrier around us, just in time to block a red beam that was headed straight for me.

The beam made the barrier tremble fiercely, resulting in small cracks forming all over its surface.

What was that!?

Morgan glances at the cracks, her face showing clear annoyance. She repairs the barrier and pours more magical energy, strengthening it.

A second red beam strikes the barrier, but this time it holds strong.

That certainly wasn't Purity. Her beams are white.

It gotta be Victor and he's using tinker tech.

"You got eyes on him?" I asked.

I reinforced my eyes and look the direction the beam had come from, but I couldn't find him.

Morgan fires a beam of light towards a distant building, striking one of the upper floors. Upon impact, an explosion erupted, destroying the entire floor.

I'm not exactly relieved, since I still don't know if that was the original or a clone.

Another red beam hits the barrier and it comes from a different direction.

That answers my question.

I survey my surroundings to assess the situation.

We're surrounded by an army of clones, and I highly doubt that the originals are going to be anywhere near us.

The only threats to us are Crusader ghosts and possibly the tinker tech that Victor is using.

And without knowing where Hydra is, there isn't much point in staying here and fight.

"Henry, why's there an army of Empire capes attacking the hotel?" Da Vinci asked.

"Gesellschaft is in town," I said.

"Ah, I see," Da Vinci said calmly.

"You need help?" I asked.

"Nah, we got it under control. Medea summoned dragon tooth warriors to deal with them. Tesla takes care of anyone who passes the Dragon Tooth warriors. And there's also the protective wards to protect us," Da Vinci said.

That's good.

"Does the ruby have enough magical energy for a summon?"I asked.

I'm going to summon Avicebron.

"Give me a moment," Da Vinci said.

"Who the hell is that?" Cú Chulainn asked.

I raised an eyebrow seeing the countless World War Two soldiers coming our direction.

Is that what Hydra looks like?

"Yeah, you're good to go," Da Vinci said.

"Thanks," I said.

Morgan conjures spikes that erupt from the ground, eliminating a significant number of Hydra's clones. However, they show no sign of stopping and continue to advance towards us.

Okay, this's getting stupid.

"We're retreating," I said with a frown.

Ushiwakamaru, Cú Chulainn and Barghest step back inside the barrier. The surroundings distort as Morgan teleports us away from the battle.

I pinch my nose in frustration.

My luck really sucks sometimes.

"We have a problem," Moriarty said.

"There's an army of Empire capes attacking you, isn't there?" I asked.

"Yes, but I've it under control. The issue is that the PRT is under attack," Moriarty said.

They are trying to break out the others.

"You three, go to the PRT!" I said.

Cú Chulainn, Ushiwakamaru and Barghest ran to the PRT.

"What about the rest of the city?" I asked.

"Smaller groups of clones are causing trouble throughout the city, but New Wave is handling it for now. However that will change once we repel their attack on the PRT," Moriarty said grimly.

They are going to cause trouble until we're all exhausted.

Well, the PRT heroes are going to be.

We don't have to worry about that.

"Alright, once things calm down go back to the hotel," I said.

"Be careful, we don't know if Hydra is the only cape Gesellschaft has sent," Moriarty said.

Yeah, they wouldn't have only sent one cape.

"Hassan, focus on finding Hydra," I said.

"Understood," Hassan said.

I turned to Morgan.

"Let's go to the warehouse," I said.

Morgan nods and we rush to the warehouse.

/////////

I barged inside the place and went straight to the ruby.

I briefly noticed that Da Vinci had finished building the scanners around the ruby.

A screen came to life, revealing Goredolf's image.

"Oh, Henry. How's it-"

"I need Avicebron!" I said hurriedly.

Goredolf blinked in surprise and swiftly looked to the side.

"Get Avicebron ready for summoning!"Goredolf ordered. "What's going on?"

"Gesellschaft is in Brockton Bay and they got a cape that can create an army of clones," I explained.

"What's the situation with the hotel and the area Moriarty is taking over? I assume they will target both to keep you occupied," Goredolf said.

"Both are under attack but Da Vinci and Moriarty got it under control. So far everything is under control but it won't be long before the entire city becomes a battlefield," I said.

Goredolf grimaced at what I said.

"Isn't it better to summon more servants?" Goredolf asked.

"Not yet, I don't know if Hydra is the only cape that was sent. So I'm going to wait and see who else is here," I said.

The ruby glows and after a moment Avicebron is standing in front of me.

"Hello master," Avicebron greeted me.

"I need you to make an army of golems as quickly as possible. There are abandoned ships nearby the warehouse, use as much as you need," I quickly ordered. "And hello to you too."

Avicebron nods and leaves the warehouse.

BOMM.BOOM

I start to hear an explosion in the distance.

Things are getting heated.

"I got to go, bye!" I said.

"Be careful!" Goredolf said before I left the warehouse with Morgan.

It took a few minutes to reach the PRT. Unsurprisingly, we found an army of clones launching an attack, along with a massive humanoid figure made of metal wreaking havoc at the location.

Now I know that Hydra isn't the only one.

The giant stands around nine meters tall, built like a tank. His movements are slow and heavy, likely burdened by his overwhelming weight.

Glancing around, I notice the PRT has established a perimeter in front of the building. Armsmaster, Dauntless, Assault, and Battery are working together to take down as many clones as they can, while the troopers back them up by shooting any that manage to slip past them.

Ushiwakamaru darts across the battlefield, swiftly cutting down every clone she encounters.

Barghest is unleashing wave after wave of fire at the clones, and cutting down any that get close to her.

At the rate they are going, it won't be long before all the clones are gone.

Miss Militia is using an anti-material rifle, shooting continuously the giant, trying to hold him back from the PRT building. However, her efforts seem futile as the giant ignores the damage inflicted by the rifle and steadily advances toward the building.

Velocity tosses a handful of foam grenades at the giant's feet. They explode, briefly halting his advance before he resumes marching forward.

Cú Chulainn hurls Gae Bolg at the giant, effortlessly piercing through him and creating a gaping human-size hole in his stomach.

The giant strikes a building to his left, and the hole in his stomach starts to close.

He's absorbing the building.

Cú Chulainn interrupts the giant's actions by severing the arm that was inside the building. He continues his assault with a barrage of attacks at the giant, who attempts to crush Cú Chulainn in response, but fails, as Cú Chulainn is too swift for him.

"They are real," Morgan said, looking at the giant.

"Is someone controlling it, or is there someone inside?" I asked.

"There's someone inside the giant, their life force is spread all over it," Morgan said.

They are fused with the giant.

"Cú Chulainn, get away from them," I said.

Cú Chulainn immediately jumps away from the giant.

"Force them out," I said.

Morgan traps the giant within a shimmering barrier and summons a glowing magical circle beneath it. Just as the giant raises its fist to strike, an intense fire erupts, engulfing them. The flames are so blindingly bright that I have to avert my gaze.

This lasted for a few seconds before Morgan dispelled the barrier.

The giant was reduced to a pile of molten slag.

Suddenly a man comes out of the slag, screaming in pain. Looking closer I could see why.

His body is severely burned, with second and third-degree burns covering much of his skin, and parts of his costume have melted and fused into his flesh.

I'm shocked that he survived that.

Cú Chulainn grabs the man and takes him to Miss Militia.

Now all that is left are the clones.

"Hey," Cú Chulainn said, landing next to me.

"How is it?" I asked.

"If we didn't show up they would have lost by now," Cú Chulainn said.

"Without the giant, this battle just became much easier," I asked.

"He goes by Atlas, by the way," Cú Chulainn said.

"We need to find how ma-hold on, what did you just say?" I asked.

"Miss Militia told me that our giant friend calls himself 'Atlas'," Cú Chulainn said.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at that.

"Let's end this," I said.

Morgan, Cú Chulainn, and I joined the fight.

It took thirty minutes to deal with the remaining clones.

The PRT headquarters remains intact, but the area surrounding it has suffered some heavy damage.

I pity whoever has to clean this mess.

Assault, Battery, and Dauntless are catching their breaths.

Armsmaster enters the PRT headquarters.

"Get him to the infirmary and make sure he stays sedated," Miss Militia said.

The troopers nodded and took Atlas away.

Velocity accompanies the troopers.

"Miss Militia," I said, approaching her.

"Magus, it's good to see you," Miss Militia wipers sweat from her forehead.

She's drenched in sweat, struggling to steady her breathing.

"Is anyone dead?" I asked.

Miss Militia shakes her head, "Thankfully no. Some of the troopers are injured but nothing life-threatening."

"Besides Hydra and Atlas, who else is here?" I asked.

"I have no idea. We didn't even know they were already in Brockton," Miss Militia.

Before I could ask another question, Miss Militia raised her hand.

"Hold on," Miss Militia uses her earpiece. "Can you repeat that?"

Miss Militia grimaces and turns to me.

"There are attacks happening all over the city," I said, taking a guess.

The sounds of explosions in the distance are all the confirmation that I need.

This is going to be a long night.

//////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

/////////////////////////////////////

Well, it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

I mean, it was still a shit show in the beginning.

They were causing as much destruction as possible to keep us occupied.

We had no trouble keeping up with the attacks, but the PRT and New Wave nearly ran themselves ragged trying to keep the city from going up in flames.

No doubt that was what the Empire wanted.

We're going to have to pick up the slack.

The situation changed in our favor once Avicebron's golems appeared all over Brockton.

They are leagues above Hydra's clones.

Hassan also assisted the golems in handling the clones. Some of her personas briefly revealed themselves to protect people throughout the city.

It won't take long before everyone realizes that Hassan is connected to Chaldea.

At first, everyone, especially the PRT, was uneasy about the fact that we could summon an army of golems at any moment.

I wonder how long it's going to take before someone wonders if Medea can't do the same with the dragon tooth warriors.

They relaxed once they saw that the golems were handling Hydra's clone, allowing them to finally take a break.

I was planning to go home, to get some sleep but the PRT called an emergency meeting and invited everyone.

//////////

Looking around the conference room I could see that everyone was here.

Even the Wards are here.

Morgan and Medea are the only ones with me right now.

I sent Barghest, Cú Chulainn, and Ushiwakamaru to help Moriarty.

I also asked Paracelsus and Asclepius to land a hand at the hospital

Now I'm just waiting for Piggot and Renick to arrive.

Where the hell are they?

"Here you go," Medea said, giving me a potion.

"Thanks," I said.

I swiftly drink the entire potion and exhale in relief.

"The director of the PRT better have a good reason to keep us waiting," Morgan said with a frown.

"She must be requesting backup or something like that," I said.

For her sake, I hope that she does have a good reason.

Morgan is not in a good mood.

"What you got there?" Shielder asked tiredly, walking to us.

"Something to keep me awake for a little longer," I said.

Shielder hummed, "Can I have one?"

"Sure," Medea shrugged, giving a potion.

Shielder drinks the potion in one big gulp, and I can already see his posture shift, becoming more attentive.

"Whoa. This works fast," Shielder said in amazement.

"Oh yeah. The stamina potion will erase your tiredness-guaranteed, or you can have your money back," I said with a small grin.

Shielder chuckled a little.

"How are you holding it up?" I asked.

"I'm going to sleep the rest of the week. What about you guys?" Shielder asked.

"I'm so damn hungry right now, after I get some sleep I'm going to stuff my face," I said.

"After all of this is over I'm going to ask Saber(Barghest) to make a banquet," Morgan said.

That sounds amazing.

"It would be nice if Archer(Emiya) was here. His food is delicious," Medea said.

I need to stop thinking about food.

I'm getting even more hungry.

I notice that everyone else is now looking at us.

Medea rolled her eyes and put enough potions for everyone on the table.

In a few seconds, they were all gone.

"You're a lifesaver," Assault said.

"I take that this is a stamina potion?" Lady Photon asked.

"You're correct," Medea said.

"How long does the effects last?" Armsmaster asked.

"You got about four to five hours before you feel tired again," I said.

Armsmaster hums thoughtfully, gazing at the empty potion bottle in his hand.

"If you guys also sold this potion, it would be a big success, right alongside the healing potion," Velocity remarked.

"That isn't a good idea," I said.

"Why is that?" Manpower asked.

"This potion will restore your stamina for a few hours, but the drawback is that it forces your body to work past its limits," Medea explained.

"What if someone were to drink the potion for a long period?" Brandish asked.

"You wouldn't need to sleep," Medea said.

"And what happens if you stop drinking it?" Battery asked.

"Your body crashes down hard," Medea said.

"It would be like coming down from the worst sugar rush of your life," Laserdream said.

"That's not a bad comparison," I said amused.

"What if you don't need to sleep?" Miss Militia asked.

Don't need to sleep?

Oh right, Miss Militia is a noctis cape.

Medea raised an eyebrow, "In that case, the drawbacks wouldn't be so severe but I still don't recommend consuming the potion for long periods."

Miss Militia hums, "Could I place an order for the stamina potions?"

"I will think about it," Medea said.

I didn't even think of selling the stamina potion.

There shouldn't be any problems if we sell small quantities and be very clear about the drawbacks of the stamina potion.

And if you still abuse the stamina potions, that's on you.

"Thank you Cas-"

"My name is Medea. This way it's easier for us to talk," Medea said.

"I see. Thank you, Medea," Miss Militia said.

"You sure about this?" I asked.

"It's fine. Even if they do recognize my name, no one's going to think I'm the 'Medea'," Medea said.

Yeah, that's true.

Hiding their names was a must in our adventures but is there really any point doing that here?

Some of the servants are going to be hesitant to reveal their names, as the legends surrounding them often hint at their weakness. But only a handful of them have to worry about that.

In the end, it's up to the servants if they want to reveal their names or not.

"Besides, when everyone else shows up, the heroes will have to call some of us things like 'the blonde-haired Saber' or 'the dark-haired Lancer' to tell us apart. I don't want to be part of that," Medea said.

Oh, I can see that, and I already hate it.

I glanced at Morgan but she made no move to reveal her name.

Piggot and Renick enter the room.

"I'm sorry for being late. I had a meeting with the Chief Director," Piggot said, taking a seat at the head of the table.

Renick takes a sit to her right.

The Chief Director?

"As you all know Gesellschaft is in Brockton Bay and causing all kinds of havoc. This is unacceptable and Chief Director Costa-Brown thinks the same," Piggot said.

Everyone glanced at each other.

"What does that mean, director?" Velocity asked.

"For helping a foreign criminal organization invade American soil, the Empire is now considered a terrorist group and must be dealt with immediately. Lethal force is authorized," Piggot said.

That caught everyone by surprise.

It makes sense when you think about it.

The PRT needs to make an example of the Empire; otherwise, they risk appearing dangerously incompetent, which could lead to a significant loss of public confidence.

Sure, they were never able to deal with the Empire before but they were a local problem.

Now that Gesellschaft is here, this is an entirely different picture.

This will also serve as a warning to deter other foreigners power from doing the same that Gesellschaft is doing.

"Oh? So the kid's gloves are coming off. Interesting," Medea said.

Morgan scoffs, "They let this problem fester for years, and now they finally decide to deal with it. Their incompetence is unbelievable."

The PRT certainly didn't appreciate Morgan's comment.

"You seem to have forgotten that all of this is your fault. I told you to lay low and let us handle the Empire, but you didn't listen, and look where we're now," Armsmaster said.

"Let you handle them? If we did do that, you would have failed as you always do," Morgan said.

Armsmaster grits his teeth in anger.

"And we're already doing a better job than you. I mean, it didn't even take a month for us to deal with the ABB. Now, it's only a matter of time before their territory is ours," Medea said with a smirk.

Wow, I can see Armsmaster's blood pressure rising.

"That doesn't change the fact that your recklessness led to thousands being injured, or worse, and it will cost millions to the city to fix all the damaged infrastructure!" Armsmaster said with a growl.

"Okay. Let's all take a step back and breathe," Assault said, trying to mediate the situation. "We're all tired and stressed. I know things loo-"

"He's right," I said.

The PRT and New Wave looked at me in surprise.

Armsmaster nods pleased, "Good, you understand your mistake."

"Our attacks against the Empire weren't a mistake. I said that you're right about this entire situation being my mess. And I'm going to clean it," I said determined.

I turned to Piggot.

"Can we also use lethal force?" I asked.

"Until the Empire and Gesellschaft are dealt with, Chaldea is also permitted to use lethal force," Piggot said with a frown.

That just made things a lot easier.

Now we don't have to worry about the PRT annoying us.

"Director, I'm against giving Chaldea such permission," Armsmaster said.

"Your complaint is noted but my decision is final," Piggot said.

Armsmaster frowns heavily but doesn't say anything else.

"Does anyone else have any questions?" Piggot asked.

"Are we going to get backup?" Dauntless asked.

"Yes, we are. Myrddin, Chevalier, and Rime are confirmed to be coming here. Dragon will also be sending some of her suits to help," Piggot said.

Some big names are coming.

"When are they arriving?" Battery asked.

"Strider's been hired to transport them. They will be here within the hour," Piggot said.

"When are you planning to attack?" Medea asked.

"It depends on how many of Hydra's clones are still out there," Piggot turns to me. "Those things-"

"Golems," I said.

"....those golems, how many do you have?" Piggot asked.

"As many as I need," I said.

Piggot looks at me with an unreadable expression for a few seconds.

Oh yeah, she didn't like what I said.

Renick coughs, "I take that the one that is controlling the golems isn't here."

"You would be correct, he is somewhere else. If you want we can talk to him right now," I said.

"That would be a good idea," Renick said.

"Medea, if you would," I said.

Medea snaps her finger and a magical circle appears on the middle of the table. Avicebron images appeared after a second.

"Yes?" Avicebron asked.

"How is it looking?" I asked.

"I dealt with the clones that were causing havoc throughout the city. Now they are all contained in the Empire territory," Avicebron said.

"How much of the city was damaged?" Piggot asked.

"While much of the city suffered damage, none of the critical infrastructure was affected," Avicebron said.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Avicebron spoke first.

"I'm already working on cleaning the streets of debris and repairing the damaged buildings," Avicebron said, anticipating my thoughts.

I gave him a thumbs up.

"What about the hospital?" Glory Girl asked, with a worried face.

Many in the room tensed at Glory Girl's question, turning their attention to Avicebron.

"They attempted an attack, but Paracelsus and Asclepius took care of them. I also placed a few of my golems there for added protection," Avicebron said.

Glory Girl lets out a sigh of relief, and leans head on Gallant shoulder.

"Did any more of Gesellschaft capes appear?" I asked.

"Yes, three more capes have appeared. Let me show you," Avicebron said.

The image switches to the street where a fight is currently happening.

A man is fighting the golems singlehanded, and destroying a few of the golems.

He's dressed like a Greek soldier, and his upper body muscles are grotesquely huge.

It's as if someone inflated only half his body.

And yet, he moves with a grace that should be impossible for such a disproportionate body.

There are clones helping him in stopping the golems from advancing but it will be only a matter of time before he's overwhelmed.

Another image appears.

A group of golems relentlessly strike against an energy shield conjured by a young woman clad in full-body armor. Besides her, another woman is locked in combat with the golems, battling fiercely to keep them at bay.

Unlike her partner, she's in a grey sleeveless combat suit, and brown boots, draped with a dark cloak, and wears a mask obscuring the lower part of her face. She is wielding a sword that is slicing through the golems effortlessly as if they're made of paper.

The golems are unable to harm her; whenever they come near, her body contorts itself, almost as if it were made of water, allowing her to evade their attacks before striking back.

"Who're they?" Miss Militia asked.

"The man is known as 'Spartan', a Brute capable of enhancing his physical strength," Armsmaster said while reviewing the PRT database. "...but I can't find any information on the other two," he added with a frown.

"They're giving any trouble?" I asked Avicebron.

"Besides being annoyances, they're only a temporary setback," Avicebron said.

Avicebron looks to his side and shakes his head.

"What?" I asked.

"It's just another wave of clones that are trying to attack me," Avicebron said casually.

I let out a hum, "Is that so."

"With the numbers of clones they have, it can't be helped that some of them slip past my golems," Avicebron shrugs.

There doesn't seem to be a limit to how many clones Hydra can create.

Well, sooner or later he has to go to sleep.

I can feel everyone's eyes on me, filled with disbelief.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"Aren't you two acting a little too calm!?" Clockblocker and Vista exclaimed at the same time.

Am I?

I mean, if there was any problem Avicebron would have said something.

"Tell us where you are, so we can send backup!" Brandish said.

"There's n-" Avicebron is interrupted by Kid Win.

"He's the boat graveyard," Kid Win said, looking at his phone.

"Oh? Someone already posted on PHO, huh," Medea commented.

"Facebook, actually," Kid Win said.

Ah, good old social media.

"Anyways, we got it under control. So you don't have to worry about anything," I said.

But no one seemed to have heard me, too caught up in deciding who would go to the boat graveyard to help Avicebron secure the area.

"New Wave can get there quicker and secure the area," Battery said.

"We're running on fumes. I don't know how much of a help we would be," Lady Photon frowned.

"Hey," I said louder.

"Can we send any of the troopers with New Wave?" Miss Militia asked.

"All of the troopers are occupied," Piggot said.

I let out a tired sigh.

"Morgan," I said.

Morgan gently taps her demonic spear on the ground, and instantly, silence falls over the room. Every sound vanishes, leaving everyone startled. They glance around, wide-eyed, trying to understand what just happened.

Their attention shifts to us as I let out a chuckle.

"While I do appreciate the help all of you are offering it isn't necessary," I said.

Oh, I didn't realize that this room had some echo.

Assault waves to grab my attention and point at his mouth.

Morgan taps her demonic spear on the ground once again, and the room is filled with sound once more.

"What was that?" Assault asked.

The magecraft equivalent of the 'mute button'.

"Something to grab everyone's attention," I said.

"Don't do that again," Piggot said with a glare.

I'm never going to be on her good side, am I?

"Are you certain that he doesn't need help?" Manpower asked, glancing at Avicebron.

"I don't need help. The clones aren't getting anywhere close to me. They might have more numbers but they're all weak," Avicebron said.

"There you have it," I said.

They still didn't seem convinced, but they didn't say anything more about it.

"So, about the time of the attack?" Medea asked.

"We still need to plan our attack, but considering how tired everyone is, it will likely take place later this evening. We will reach out to everyone later with more details. In the meantime, I strongly recommend that you all get as much rest as possible," Piggot said.

Murmurs of relief spread across the room.

Piggot turns to me.

"Can I assume that Chaldea will wait until tonight and join us in our attack against the Empire and Gesellschaft?" Piggot asked.

"Huh, well, I was thinking-" Morgan interrupts me.

"Your terms are acceptable. We will meet with you tonight," Morgan said.

Hold on, what?

"I know that look, master and it can wait until tonight. Right now, you're going to get some sleep," Medea said.

Medea puts her hands on my shoulders and starts to push me to the door.

As I was being pushed, something caught my attention in the corner of my eyes, prompting me to turn and see what it was.

"Is that the sun?" I asked with wide eyes.

"It appears so," Morgan said, looking at the sun that is emerging on the horizon.

Oh fuck.

//////////////////////

I enter my room through the window.

"They better cancel school today," I muttered.

I let out a tired sigh and took off my mask.

Suddenly the lights in my room turned on and someone gasped behind me.

I quickly turned around and came to face my parents looking at me with wide eyes.

We stared at each other in silence for a few moments.

"I can explain," I said, breaking the silence.

///////////

Short chapter this time.

I have been wanting to start another story but I'm still working on it.

So next update will either be the next chapter of Throne of Bet or a new story.

//////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

I tried to finish this before Christmas but it is what it is.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone!

I will see you all back in January.

/////////////////////////////////////

Well, I was going to have this talk sooner or later.

I wish that it wasn't when I was exhausted.

I can't catch a break, can I?

"Henry, what is that?" Nora asked, looking at the mystic code that I was wearing.

How do I explain this?

"It's my cape costume," I said.

Let's start small.

Mom blinks rapidly at my answer.

"Where did-no, that isn't important right now. How long?" Isaac asked.

"How long I have been a cape or have powers?" I asked.

The second one is harder to explain.

Mom and Dad glanced at each other confused.

"Isn't that the same thing?" Isaac asked.

"Not in my case," I said, rubbing my neck.

"Wha-what does that even mean?" Nora asked, slightly agitated.

"It's hard to explain," I said.

"Then start from the beginning," Isaac said.

That doesn't help.

"Okay, so the whole cape thing started the day that I came out of the coma. I waited first for everyone to fall asleep before I sneaked out. Then I looked for a quiet place so I could summon a friend. And, well, you know about the fight I had with the Empire," I said, explaining my first night as a cape.

"You shouldn't have fought them. That was incredibly irresponsible," Isaac said with a frown.

"I had to do something, the fight was only going to get worse and Morgan was more than enough to deal with the Empire capes," I argued back.

"Morgan?" Isaac asked.

Crap.

"You mean that woman with white hair?" Nora asked.

"Isn't she a projection?" Isaac asked.

"Yes and no," I said.

"What does that mean?" Nora asked.

"Wait a second. What do you mean: you had to summon her?" Isaac asked.

Oh boy.

"Here the thing about my 'power', I can summon legendary heroes to help me in battle," I said.

Oversimplified, but it's enough for now.

"When you say 'summon', is that just something you say to add a bit of flair to your power, or do you actually mean it? Because if it's the latter, then they must be coming from somewhere," Isaac said with a grim frown.

I pressed my lips in a thin line.

Mom let out a gasp at my silence.

"Henry....did you kidnap them?" Nora asked hesitantly.

"No!" I nearly shouted, making my parents lean back in surprise. "That isn't even close to what's happening. Yes, they are coming from somewhere but there is no kidnapping or mastering involved in this whatsoever."

My parents seemed relieved at that.

"What even made you ask that question?" I asked.

Isaac shrugs, "I keep hearing how sentient your projections are, now you say she has a name and this whole summoning thing. I couldn't help but think that it's like those stories of a mage summoning heroes from distant lands," Isaac said.

Holy crap Dad, you have no idea how right you are.

"You know, like those cheese novels that your mom likes to read," Isaac said.

"And what's wrong with them?" Nora asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Honey, those novels are so packed with cliches that I could hardly bring myself to finish one of them," Isaac said drily.

Damn.

Mom lightly slaps Dad's shoulder with a huff.

I let out a small laugh at this.

"Young man, you aren't off the hook yet," Nora said sternly. "So, where're they coming from?" she crossed her arms.

"....from another world," I said rubbing my neck.

"Explain," Isaac raised an eyebrow.

I let out a sigh, "They come from a Chaldea that exists in another world. And we're in the process of transferring the entire organization to here."

"Why would they do that? They would be abandoning their homes," Nora said.

No, they wouldn't since their home is Chaldea.

"Okay, I'm going to need-" I'm interrupted by Daisy walking into the room

"What's going on?" Daisy asked, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

She suddenly stops when she sees me, her eyes going wide in surprise.

"YOU AR-" I quickly got close to her and covered her mouth.

"For the love of god don't scream that," I said, creating a bound field that covers my room.

I should have done that earlier.

I remove my hand from Daisy's mouth.

"You're Magus," Daisy said with an excited grin.

"Yes I'm," I said with a tired smile.

"Awesome," Daisy whispered.

A thought crosses my mind.

"Hey, give me a hand here, and later I can introduce you to everyone at Chaldea," I whispered to Daisy.

Her eyes light up and nods her head quickly.

"We can hear you," Isaac deadpanned.

Oh well.

I shrug my shoulders in response and Daisy laughs nervously.

I frowned as Daisy tensed at the distant sound of explosions.

I gently place a hand on her head, guiding her gaze to mine. "Everything is going to be okay," I said softly, offering her reassurance.

Daisy grabs my hand firmly and nods.

I glance at my parents and see that they are also tense.

That is it, we aren't staying here.

"We're going to the hotel," I said.

"Hotel?" Nora asked.

"We needed space since Chaldea has a lot of members," I explained.

"Where did you get the money?" Isaac asked.

"We robbed the gangs," I said with a shrug.

Dad raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything.

More explosions echoed in the distance.

"We can finish this talk when we're there. Now go change clothes," I said.

Isaac frowns, "We can't just-"

"This isn't up for discussion, the hotel is the safest place in the city and we're going there," I said with a tone of finality.

Mom and Dad and Daisy exchange glances.

"What are you guys waiting for? Go change," I said, pushing them out of my room.

God, what a headache.

"Da Vinci, I'm bringing my family to the hotel. My parents found out," I said.

"Oh boy. How did that happen?" Da Vinci asked.

"They walked on me a little after I entered my room," I said. "I think they were waiting for me," I rubbed my chin in thought.

The timing was too perfect.

"I'm not surprised. With all the commotion happening, they must have gone to check on you and your sister-"

"And they didn't find me," I said, pinching my nose in frustration.

Yeah, they were waiting for me.

"So, how did the talk go?" Da Vinci asked.

"Still going. I only told them a little about what I had been doing as a cape but Daisy interrupted me when I was going to talk about my 'power'. I'm going to need help to explain that," I said.

"I'm at your disposal," Da Vinci said immediately.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. "Seriously, how the hell do I explain everything to them?"

"I have an idea," Da Vinci said.

"What's it?" I asked.

"We show them your memories," Da Vinci said.

I froze at her suggestion.

My....memories?

"I can't," I whispered.

"Henry," Da Vinci said.

"They will see everything that I have done. I killed so many," I said.

They will think I'm a monster.

They will be scared of me.

I can't go through that.

"HENRY!" Da Vinci exclaimed.

I let out a gasp and shook my head to clear my mind.

Remember Xuanzang's meditation lessons.

"Clear your mind and focus only on your breathing. Breath in....breath out," Xuanzang lesson echoed in my mind.

Breathe in.....breath out.

Breathe in.....breath out.

Taking one more deep breath I was finally able to calm down.

Opening my eyes, I notice Hassan beside me, her hand gently resting on my back. Trying to help me calm down.

"Thanks," I said tired smile.

Hassan nods, she doesn't move from my side.

"You okay?" Da Vinci asked concerned.

"Not really," I said.

".....we don't have to do this, you know. I know that you don't want to hear but we could make them for- "

"No. That is never going to be an option with my family," I said firmly. "Besides, if I start now when would the lies end? They will just keep piling up until whatever chance I had to reconnect is completely gone."

I clench my fist in determination.

"We're doing this," I said.

"Okay. Whatever happens, we're with you. I'm going to get things ready for your arrival," Da Vinci said.

I have a weary sigh, running my hand through my hair in frustration.

"Another long day of work," I comment.

"Indeed. Would you like to eat or drink something?" Hassan asked.

"Got no appetite right now," I said, shaking my head.

We still have to exterminate the Empire later.

Man, I'm not going to get much sleep today.

"Oh yeah, do you got eyes on the Empire capes?" I asked.

"Yes. They have retreated to Medhall to catch their breath. Kaiser is arguing with Victor on what do to about Avicebron's golems. They are scared," Hassan said.

Well, they won't be scared for long.

"What about Hydra?" I asked.

"He's also at Medhall creating more clones. He's an odd one," Hassan said.

I raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"I've been watching him for the past two hours. Other than creating clones, all he does is stare into space," Hassan said.

That is odd.

"Is there anything else worth noticing?" I asked.

Hassan nods, "There's a tunnel that leads to outside of the city."

An escape route?

We can't have that.

"Cape made?" I asked.

"Yes. The walls have no sign of being made using machines or tools. There are also two unknown capes waiting at the end of the tunnel," Hassan said.

One of them must have created the tunnel.

"Take Ushiwakamaru and Cú Chulainn to deal with them and anyone that comes out of it. No prisoners," I said seriously.

My parents and Daisy step inside my room, only to freeze in shock at Hassan standing next to me.

"It's okay, she's with me," I reassured them.

Looks like they are ready.

"Master, the hotel is still being watched," Hassan reminded me.

Oh right.

"We need to cover your faces before we leave," I said.

"I'm sorry, who's watching the hotel?" Nora asked concerned.

"People that want me under their thumbs," I said casually.

Maybe I could use the masks from Daisy's old Halloween costume, I think she might have kept a few of them.

"Master," Hassan said, holding three spares of her mask.

Oh, that's much better.

////////////////////

The trip to the hotel was made in silence, my family is still coming in terms of me being a cape.

Daisy informed me that I was already considered the most powerful cape in the city.

Not much of an achievement when the bar is low around here. At least in Brockton Bay, the S-call threats and Endbringers are another story.

Upon entering the hotel, we found Da Vinci already waiting for us in the lobby.

"Hey," Da Vinci said with a tired smile.

"Hey. Is everything ready?" I asked.

"Not yet. Morgan and Medea need a few more minutes to finish the spell," Da Vinci said.

"Spell?" Daisy asked, taking off her mask.

I let out a sigh, "It will all be explained. Just be patient for now."

"So this is your family. Hey there, I'm Da Vinci," Da Vinci introduces herself to my family.

"You're so young," Isaac said with a frown.

Da Vinci shakes her head, "I only look young. Trust me, I'm actually older than you," she said with a wink.

Dad glances at me confused and I shrug in response.

"Da Vinci? Isn't that the same name from that movie from 2006?" Daisy asked, scratching her head.

Da Vinci's smile turned stiff, and I quickly covered my mouth to stifle a laugh.

Oh god, this is amazing.

She is one of the greatest minds in history and Daisy remembers her from a movie about some over complicated conspiracy about the holy grail or something like that.

"Anyway, let's go to the meeting room. I'm sure you all have many questions," Da Vinci said.

I walk next to her, my family quickly following us.

"You had anything to eat yet?" Da Vinci asked.

"Nope. And don't bother asking Barghest to make something, I got no appetite right now," I said.

Da Vinci glances at me with a concerned frown.

"Don't give me that look. Besides, it's not like this is the first that I'm working nonstop," I said.

"After this is over you're going to eat something and sleep for eight hours," Da Vinci said, leaving no room for argument.

"All right," I said.

"....you know, I was hoping things were going to be different here," Da Vinci let out a sigh.

Yeah, different world, same problems.

Well, on a smaller scale this time.

"We just have to deal with the S-class threats and the Endbringers. After that the heroes can handle the rest," I said.

"Already planning your retirement?" Da Vinci asked amused.

"Oh yeah. I'm thinking about traveling around the world," I said.

"Hm, that does sound good," Da Vinci said.

We reached our destination and entered the meeting room.

It's a simple room featuring a rectangular table surrounded by chairs.

I sit at the table with Da Vinci on one side, while my family sits opposite us.

"Get comfortable, we got some time before the preparations are ready," I said, leaning back on my chair.

"What're we waiting for?" Nora asked.

"And what was that about a 'spell'?" Daisy asked.

Oh, fuck it.

"We're waiting for a spell that is going to show my memories to all of you," I said.

One, two, three...

"What're you talking about?" Mom, Dad, and Daisy said at the same time.

"I know that sounds weird but Henry is speaking the truth. Just wait a few minutes," Da Vinci said.

"You mean, wait for this so-called 'spell'," Isaac said annoyed.

"Honey," Nora said with a frown.

"No. We aren't going along with whatever is happening. Henry, what the hell is going on!?" Isaac said impatiently.

"It's complicated," I said.

"So simplify," Isaac demanded.

"I can't do that," I said with slightly gritted teeth.

"Why not?" Isaac pressed.

"Because you will never believe me!" I exclaimed in anger, slamming my hands on the table.

Dad blinks in surprise at my outburst.

Mom and Daisy look at me with concern.

"The truth is far too ridiculous for any of you to believe without proof. Hell, there are still parts of it I can't believe myself that it happened, and I was there!" I said.

The Clock Tower didn't believe us when we told them about the singularities. They thought that such things were too fantastic to be true.

Too fantastic.

A freaking secret society of mages didn't believe us.

"Let's all calm down first. The last few hours have been stressful for everyone," Da Vinci said, mediating the situation.

Mom sends a grateful nod to Da Vinci and turns her attention to me. Her expression was a mix of confusion and concern.

"We want to understand but you aren't making any sense. I mean, what memories do you even want to show us?" Nora asked.

"I'm going to need all of you to keep an open mind. And I do mean open," I said, staring intensely at my family.

Mom, Dad, and Daisy nod their heads after a moment of hesitation.

"I'm going to show memories of how I became the last master of humanity and everything I did to restore proper human history," I said seriously.

My family stays silent for a minute.

"I'm calling the PRT," Dad breaks the silence and grabs his phone.

I let out a groan.

"Please don't. That isn't going to help," I said, pinching my nose.

"Mr. Karn, I understand your skepticism but I assure you that Henry is speaking the truth," Da Vinci said, trying to help me.

"I can't get a signal," Isaac said, ignoring Da Vinci.

"Dad, please put the phone away. The PRT isn't going to help, all they are going to do is put a leash on me," I said.

"Why would they do that?" Nora asked.

"To control Chaldea. By now they must have realized that they can't defeat us, so their only choice would be to control Henry," Da Vinci explained.

"You guys are that strong?" Daisy asked curiously.

"Yes," Da Vinci said.

Dad kept messing with his phone.

"Dad put the phone away!" I said angrily.

"No!" Isaac exclaimed just as angrily.

We stared each other down until Mom rested her hand on Dad's shoulder. She turned to me and, after a brief pause, began to speak.

"Sweetie, something isn't right with you," Nora said.

I lean back in surprise.

"At first I thought it was because you're a cape but now....I don't even know what to say," Nora shakes her head.

It's going to be worse after they see my memories.

"Maybe it's his powers," Daisy said.

She began fidgeting nervously as all eyes shifted towards her.

"What do you mean?" Da Vinci raised an eyebrow.

"I read how some powers affect the parahuman's minds. Making them act different from how they were before," Daisy said uncomfortably.

Damn it Daisy. I know that you're trying to help but you're making it worse!

"Ah, that," Da Vinci said with a grimace. "It's more common with 'Thinkers' as their powers are related to their minds, so it's expected for them to see the world in a different light. But that has nothing to do with this conversation."

Da Vinci fixes an intense gaze on my Dad, silencing him before he can launch another rant.

Da Vinci sighed, "I didn't want to resort to this."

I don't like the sound of that.

Da Vinci looks me in the eyes and then at my chest.

It takes a second before I understand what she wants.

Yep, I was right.

I take off my shirt and my family gasped at the state of my body.

The contrast between how I looked before and after the coma is undeniable. I certainly didn't have such well-defined muscles and, most strikingly, wasn't covered in scars before.

Old scars.

Most of them are faded by now, thanks to Nightingale, but you can easily that I didn't get any of them recently.

My family kept looking at me in horror, too stunned to say anything.

I need a drink.

The door swings open as Medea and Morgan step into the room. They halt abruptly, their eyes scanning the space, instantly aware of the palpated tension gripping everyone present.

"Should we come back later?" Medea raised an eyebrow.

"Won't make a difference," I put back my shirt. "Let's get this over with."

Medea and Morgan quickly move to my side. Morgan places her hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me.

I took her hand and offered a grateful smile.

A magical circle appears under me.

"Before we go through with this, I need to warm all of you," I said, locking eyes with my family. "This is going to be awful. At first, it isn't so bad but later it is when things get, honestly, downright cruel."

They exchanged a glance, their eyes reflecting a mix of fear and uncertainty. After a brief pause, they nodded to each other and then turned toward me.

"We want to know," Isaac said determined.

Mom and Daisy also nod in determination.

"Begin," I said.

Medea and Morgan start the spell.

Down the memory lane, we go.

//////////

Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.

//////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader