CHAPTER 329

The bridge was nothing short of the aftermath of a war. Cars scattered everywhere, groaning survivors calling out from within them. She passed one car with a body lying still inside and frowned. Between the monsters and those people in the vans, so much chaos had already visited the city. She looked up to the sky as it trembled and shook, the dark clouds blocking her view of the clash of titans just above her head. She clenched her fist only for a small hand to wrap around it, and she relaxed. “Thanks,” she said quietly.

The fresh sound of static filled her ears. “Come on, we need to keep moving,” Snow said.

Crusader nodded and pointed at a few more vehicles. “Survivors over there!” she called, and a group of the heroes accompanying her hurried over to free the trapped people. Her ability and one of Hammond’s nymphs handled the worst of the injuries while they set up flares, and one hero created a temporary shelter before they moved on. They couldn’t linger as much as they wanted to. They could only make the people feel safe and assure them that more help was coming. The sirens of ambulances were already echoing throughout the city as the ground shook.

She looked up again, and the upper stories of a building were ripped into the air, hurtling into the sky. More came after, and she set her jaw. I need to get stronger, she thought before turning her attention to the heroes accompanying her. Harbinger and BLF were off leading another team, and the men and women with her were all injured or tired in one way or another. The fighting in the expo center hadn’t been easy on anyone. She’d pushed her own stamina hard as well, and she was wary about using more than she had to. Single golden flames soothing their aching muscles was the best she could do for now.

They reached the midpoint of the bridge and were finally able to get a good look at the fight that Handmaiden was involved in. Her majestic dragon form was curling in the air, diving and weaving around blasts of green light that turned and changed direction with her. They broke apart and surrounded Handmaiden briefly, forcing her to hold still for a heartbeat. That was when she saw it - something black on her pearlescent scales. She’s hurt, Crusader realized. Wait, Handmaiden is hurt? That’s not-

She turned to the others. “We’re joining that fight, now,” she said quickly and pointed towards the distant battle. “Move!”

The others nodded, and they broke into a run as the sky shifted again, a wrongness pervading the air as, for a brief moment, it felt like up became down. It wasn’t enough to throw any of them off their run, but it was enough to unsettle them. The feeling had a flavor to it that she recognized, and she shared a look with a suddenly pale Snow. Snow swallowed and shook her head. “I’m fine. We need to help Miss Handmaiden.”

Crusader nodded. “Right.”

–

Marta strained her wings and shot up into the air, flapping hard and diving into a barrel roll as blasts of green light pitted her scales. There were blotches of pain all over her body, the injuries struggling to heal as the poison and combined regenerative properties of her abilities warred against one another. The result was a stalemate - the mistletoe wouldn’t kill her outright, but it would certainly leave lasting wounds. She banked to the left and turned her head, opening her maw and releasing a streak of sunlight that ripped across the ground. If only the clouds weren’t blocking the sun, damn. 

The woman below darted out of the way, hopping over a car and landing on a panel of green light. She hopped from panel to panel, firing shots off with her open palm while her gun traced Marta across the sky. She’s not shooting constantly, so she must have limited ammunition. If I can just get her to miss… Marta thought and pushed herself into a flip in the air, spreading her wings and releasing a flare of light as the woman fired off another shot, the bullet going wide and cutting across her abdomen. Marta winced and flapped her wings again, diving towards her prey.

The woman leaped backwards, shielding her eyes with one arm while her other traced a circle in the air. Streams of green sparks shot out in all directions, spreading out in a wave before coming back around to find Marta. Marta closed her wings around herself as the bolts pelted her, exploding on contact. The moment she pulled her wings open again, a green palm the size of a truck collided with her, sending her flying backwards. The force of the blow didn’t hurt as much as it moved her.

Marta roared and batted the palm away with her tail before diving between another wave of exploding bolts. Fighting Barry had been like facing a force of nature. This woman feels like a skilled master. Every move I make- She dove to the right as a spike of green flew at her. Pain exploded in her shoulder, and she nearly tumbled out of the sky. Damn it! She threw herself towards the nearest building and landed, catching herself and using the structure to protect herself for a moment as she caught her breath, the glow on her body flickering.

Above, the sky trembled, and she felt Sonya declare, that strange wrongness filling the world for a brief moment as duality became tangible. She’s going all out, Marta thought before turning to look at the woman as she climbed a green set of stairs, gun in hand, eyes hard. Am I giving it my all? she wondered. Or am I still holding back? She planted her feet and roared, the woman barely blinking at the breeze it kicked up. Marta flapped her wings and felt her shoulder pinch as she irritated the wound. I’d be stronger if I just let Sonya merge my powers, but I wanted so badly for it to be perfect. Is that selfish?

She sighed and stalked to the right as the woman raised her weapon again. Marta narrowed her eyes and flapped her wings, darting away with a grunt of pain. She shot into the sky and flapped her wings again and again, avoiding the shots that followed her as she wracked her brain. Strategy was useless, every angle she came at was deflected. Brute force was countered with quick feet and careful use of those green constructs. Her blitz attacks were tossed out the window. The sky shook yet again as the battle above intensified, and her heart creaked. I want to help her, I need to help her. What more can I do? I need more strength!

She crested her ascent and darted back down, opening her maw and strafing the woman with rays of concentrated sunlight. Am I really that deficient in my understanding of my ability? Have I just been leaning on the strength it already gave me? She clicked her tongue and spun away from another pair of shots that flashed past her, only for a third shot to clip her wing. Her eyes went wide as her body rocketed towards a warehouse, slamming into it with all the force she’d built up. She crashed through the ceiling, and her whole world went dark for a moment. Sonya, she knows my weakness. What do I do? What would you do?

“That’s easy, get off your ass and fight.”

But… how?

“Was Baldur really all about forgiveness and kumbaya? C’mon lady, really? You’re a fucking dragon! Stop playing nice! You’re flying around like a jet! You’re a beast! Act like one!”

A beast?

“A beast, and what does a beast do when its lair’s been invaded? What does it do when its young are in danger? Dragons hoard treasure. What are you hoarding, Marta?”

You, and the others.

“Then you better eat that fuckin’ knight, yeah? Get mad, Momma Bear.”

She planted her claws on the rubble and pulled herself free, shaking her head and tossing the concrete and metal aside. Baldur was a guardian of light. He was forgiving, merciful, but he was still a warrior. She gripped the rubble and dragged herself up the side, even as everything hurt. Fighting Barry hadn’t truly been life or death. Fighting thugs and grunts was nothing to her. She thought back to her fight against An Set, how she felt, what she remembered, and what she knew about how hard those around her were fighting.

She pulled herself to the top of the ruined building and flapped her wings, glaring down at the woman, who scowled up at her with beads of green light orbiting her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something approaching them at a clipped pace. Her draconic eyes made it out easily. Lillian? Snow? Heroes… They look so tired. Why are they coming here?

The woman looked back as well, tilting her head, and Marta smelled bloodlust coming from her. She pointed her hand towards the heroes and pointed her gun up at Marta. Marta’s nostrils flared. “You little worm…” she growled and flapped her wings. The woman looked up at her with a vicious scowl. She smirked, and the bolts flew. Before Marta even knew what she was doing, she was in the air, a streak, a comet once again. The speed she’d experienced thanks to Euclidia, something she’d been chasing ever since. She was just there, wings folded as she planted herself between the explosive attack and the heroes.

“Handmaiden!” Crusader shouted.

Another bullet hit Marta, and she planted her feet, enduring the pain. It was just pain. She’d been nearly destroyed before. Even if this pain lasted longer, she would just walk it off. She leveled her eyes on the woman and snarled. “How dare you!” she roared. “HOW DARE YOU!” She slammed her tail into the ground, and the heroes behind her retreated. “HOW DARE YOU! THIS IS OUR FIGHT! HOW DARE YOU BRING THEM INTO THIS?” she roared and slammed her tail again. I will protect them and everyone else with everything I have. I will give them strength. I will be their strength. I will be her strength. I will be EVERYONE’S strength. Just like the sun, just like an angry dragon, just like Baldur!

Marta shot forward.

A bullet hit her, then another, but she was already moving. She was already crossing that line and she refused, refused, to be stopped. Walls of green smashed in front of her as she opened her maw, and light began to collect. She didn’t feel her body change, she didn’t see what was happening from the outside, she just attacked. The blast of sunlight ripped across the ground, melting the asphalt and streaking out towards the ocean. The woman had already moved out of the way, but Marta was on top of her, clawed hand falling and slamming down on a protective shield. Marta pushed down and swiped with her tail, catching her on the side and sending her into the nearest building.

Marta turned and prowled towards her, tail flicking left and right. 

—

The Major coughed, blood leaking from her nose and brow. She knew that she couldn’t keep it up for long. There were only so many mistletoe bullets, and she was up against a peak Mythic. Every bone in her body creaked as she pulled herself painfully from the pile of bricks that had fallen on her, her head swimming. She staggered out of the hole and looked up into the massive face of the dragon standing over her. That flickering white aura that it had was solid now. Its entire body had grown even larger, longer, with a glistening barbed fin formed at the tip of the tail. Its spiked neck now had a mane that fluttered in the air behind it. 

What… just happened? Her ability changed? What did-

“You!” a voice called out from the side, and she turned to see those heroes she’d shot at earlier. They were marching towards her with ferocity in their eyes. She watched, as in real time, the injuries on their bodies - the exhaustion, the weariness - faded into that same white illumination that wreathed around Handmaiden. The lead hero, a girl with a sword in her hand, Crusader if she wasn’t mistaken, pointed her weapon at The Major. “You’re done.”

The Major glanced towards the sea, the scar in the earth left by Handmaiden’s roar, and the steam rising into the air. Handmaiden let out a low, popping growl and bared her teeth. The predatory hunger that washed off of her was almost solid. She was fully prepared to kill.

The Major sighed and tossed her weapon to the ground before dropping to her knees and putting her hands behind her head. Plan B it is, she thought. This better work, Mimir.

–

The drone crumpled beneath the webbing, crushed like a soda can. It hit the ground with a heavy thud, and Jay stared at it with a queasy feeling in his gut. He turned to his ‘savior’ and swallowed hard. The guy wore a mask of webbing around his face that made him look like a mummy; he couldn’t even see the guy’s eyes. He wore a simple hoodie with the hood pulled up and black denim jeans over thick-heeled boots. The guy didn’t so much as look at him as he kept walking through the damaged stretch of cityscape. “Don’t slow down, we don’t have time,” the guy said.

“R-right,” Jay said and hurried after him. “Thanks for the save, by the way.”

“It was necessary,” was all the guy said as he kept moving, stepping over debris and rubble before tilting his head up to look ahead. Jay followed his gaze. Who the heck is this guy? Why’d he save me anyway? Necessary? What does that even mean? He turned and gestured for Jay to crouch, and the pair of them dipped, webs rising up from the ground around them to form a dome-like cocoon. The guy looked up. “Technocrat’s drones are everywhere.”

“You could have destroyed that one,” Jay pointed out.

The guy shook his head. “One loss is a random happenstance, two in a short time in the same area is someone avoiding attention.”

Jay frowned but nodded. “Alright, that makes sense.”

The man let out a breath, and the webs vanished. He pulled himself to his feet and hopped over a pile of rubble. “Come, we have things to do. I have a few more people to pick up while I’m here.” He whipped his head to the right and muttered something under his breath that Jay barely caught. “...I know, shut up, old man.”

Oh great, he’s crazy, Jay thought blandly and glanced warily around. Where are we even going?

“Mister Cash, now isn’t the time to hesitate,” the man said sharply. “Hurry.”

Jay frowned and shook his head. This is insane, what am I doing? He sighed and hurried after him anyway. The guy would just wrap him up in webs again. They came to a stop next to what looked like a damaged van. Jay frowned, and then his eyes widened with surprise when he saw a man crawl out of it, coughing. His clothes were burned, but Jay could see the Vigilante mark on his neck. Those were our people shooting up the city? Is Mimir crazy? People died!

The man knelt next to the fallen vigilante and placed a finger on his throat. “Barely alive,” he shook his head. “At least he can be saved.” He peered inside and pulled his head out with a sad look on his face. “One survivor. I was afraid of that.”

“Who is he?” Jay asked.

“His name is Garth Fayhew. His ability has sonic elements, but its primary use is healing through song. He can treat various illnesses, from the physical to the mental,” the man said. “He’ll be a big help in the future.”

Jay stared at him. “How do you know that?”

“I am the head of Pandora’s Intelligence Division,” the man said flatly, and held out his hand to wrap the man up in webs.

Jay gaped. “You’re WHAT?!” he demanded and took a quick step back. “Are you nuts? No way I’m coming with-”

“Mister Cash,” the man said with a sigh. “You can leave if you want.”

Jay hesitated, and he frowned. “I’m hearing a ‘but,’” Jay pressed.

The man didn’t look up from the vigilante as he finished bundling him up. “You have choices. You can return to the life you were living, fighting for a man so blinded by his own ideology he has come to accept his blindness,” he gestured around himself. “You aren’t blind to it anymore.”

Jay clenched his fists but didn’t argue the point. The man nodded and continued. “Alternatively, you can hide for the rest of your life, running from your enemies and old allies. You saw things today you shouldn’t have, not just what I’m doing,” the man explained before standing up and turning to face him. 

“Or, you can learn the truth about what’s really happening in this world, see through the surface you unknowingly scratched today, and help fight the real war from the shadows.” He exhaled. “There needs to be someone to document the truth, or there will not be a happy ending.”

“And you know these secrets?” Jay asked, dubious.

The man reached up and pulled the webbing from his face and revealed a pair of glowing purple eyes and white, purple-streaked hair that darkened into a more natural color after a moment. Jay knew that face. It was the enigmatic hero who’d fled from Greece with no explanation. Webster gave him a grave nod. “Yes, more than you can possibly imagine.”

Jay swallowed hard. He couldn’t see his own metaphorical path - that wasn’t how his ability worked - yet every instinct told him that he should accept. He set aside hesitation and nodded as well. “I’m in. Where to next?”

Webster turned to the path as the bundle of webs skittered away of its own accord. He pointed to a spot in the distance. “There, to save someone who’s earned it.”