Chapter 46: Strain

Stonerguy420 - Oh well.

Barbaric Bob - I like this. I like this alot.

SainthoodSaint14 - I think she's either 12 or 13, I dunno. For TessxDanny, I'm not sure, but who knows. The break thing might be what I do for a bit tho. As for the bluntness, that's just how I am. The threesome thing is ehh to me though since I knew a girl that participated in one, only to feel neglected/used, which led to a whole talk.

MasterDarkElf - While the idea of Amy officially joining the relationship is sort of appealing, I doubt I'll go for it. Sure, I could figure out a narrative way to make it work, but I'd rather not. Maybe I'll set up a poll or something if it's frequently asked for, dunno yet.

[Dragon's POV an hour later]

Sometimes, being a purely digital being was counter intuitive to what I wanted to do. Being on call with Chief Director Costa-Brown, and not being able to wrap my hands around the woman's throat, was one of those things I wanted to do, but couldn't.

Now normally, I wouldn't be as bloodthirsty as I was, but the current topic of discussion was pushing a few too many buttons for my liking. "Would you care to repeat that, Chief Director?" Bless Nat's soul for being able to stay so collected.

Looking at the woman on the repaired TV, I kept track of all her movements, the smallest twitches of her body, even the time she took between breaths. So the minor, microscopic really, upturn of her lips, was something I caught. "Due to the amount of property damage, the thousands of casualties, casualties that can be laid at Anubis' feet, and sheer amount of forestation now present in the city, the funds required to repair said city shall be coming out of the Slaughterhouse 9's bounties."

While that wasn't as much of a surprise as it should've been, the monetary gain wasn't what was upsetting me. It was the clear shot Costa-Brown was taking at my nephew that was getting me ready to act. I knew she would not stop at that, and knew she was using the justifiable excuses to begin going after my charge. Even though the PRT/Protectorate was on VERY thin ice with the public ri...- I paused, processing speed increasing as the thought made me tilt my head in my room. (If it got out that the Protectorate is skimming on The Guild, using OUR well earned funds in this way, then that could be the final nail in their coffin.) Returning to standard processing speed, I went back to watching Narwhal and Costa-Brown speak. While the ploy seemed viable, I would need more information to determine whether or not it could be neutralized.

"I see, I thought that was what you said." Looking over to Narwhal, I could read just how displeased she was, and for good reason. She herself had removed the threat of Shatterbird with a bullet to the Villain's brain, so this also affected her, and by proxy was a direct sleight against The Guild. Tapping the table, Narwhal stared directly into the Chief Director's eye, into Alexandria's eye, and scowled. "Here's my counter point. The Guild will begin expanding into America. We'll begin in Michigan, a show of support that will double as a reminder that today, The Guild broke the Slaughterhouse 9. From there, we will continue to expand, it may take months, perhaps years, but we WILL have more offices and bases in America. Now, this expansion can be done with open arms, something that will benefit you and the Protectorate, or you can try to keep this from happening, which would take political power you. Do. Not. Have... Well, not anymore."

(Oh my, did someone set off a bell?) Aggressive, yes, but it was getting the point across.

And yet she wasn't done. "In the event that you choose the latter, I will have 'No choice', but to set up a press conference and let the good people know that The Protectorate is hindering Guild efforts in setting up more offices in America." And given the fame, as well as the adoration that would come when it was announced that the Slaughterhouse 9 were officially disbanded by us, that was a threat that would fully sink The Protectorate, as well as potentially spark riots in Washington.

Really, the woman was backed into a corner here no matter what she chose. She seemed to recognize that as well given the fact Costa-Brown was staring at Narwhal and I quite intently. Her face and posture betrayed nothing, and her contemplation left silence in its wake.

When she was eventually ready to respond, she slowly nodded, her eye narrowing just the slightest. "And when the casualty report from his actions reaches the masses? When they find out just how many people their 'Hero' killed, what will you do?"

Narwhal and I raised a brow at that, and given the nod towards me, we were borrowing my nephew's phone so I could project myself here, I spoke up. "Well firstly, those reports may just find themselves suddenly and instantaneously deleted when they hit the internet." If it wasn't me, then it would be Erin, most likely moments faster then Melody. They both loved our charges as much, if not even more then I did, and would not tolerate any threats to either of them. "Secondly, and as callous as it is to say, I do believe the masses will understand. You would need to do quite alot of gaslighting in order to convince the wider world that these losses were unacceptable for terminating nearly all of the Slaughterhouse 9. Why, Jack Slash and The Siberian alone would most likely be enough to justify these losses to the masses."

As disturbing as it was to say, that was still a fact. Hell, if it was just Jack Slash who died, then there would STILL be celebrations going on all over the country. The vile man had gone on for too long, hurting far too many people as he led the Slaughterhouse 9... (Hmm... the celebrations that will break out once the news breaks are going to be monumental.) I was looking forward to them, mostly out of some morbid fascination at how far everyone would take it. (They'll probably eclipse the celebrations from The Simurgh raid.) One of my favorite highlights of that celebration was when a group of heavily intoxicated individuals attempted to sing some kind of song from atop the Roman Colosseum.

No one really knew how they managed to get atop the walls.

That aside, I went on. "And thirdly, you'd also need to spread the fact that the Medical Fabricators saved half the amount of people Panacea did, which would make it harder to demonize Anubis." Which was also true. By gathering quite alot of scrap metal, which were pretty much a few cars that were destroyed from Shatterbird, my nephew had made a few Fabricators that made dispensers for the 'Fast Acting Healing Serum' he made. I found the creations fascinating, and looked forward to working with Illiyana to make them more effective in the long run.

Costa-Brown let a small frown grace her face, and narrowed her eye even more. "And if we have a press meeting of our own, one where the casualty statistics are released anyway?"

My eyes narrowed, that was dangerous territory she was treading. "While I'll defer to my previous answer, as well as Dragon's analysis, I can humor you though, so I will. If that were to happen, then we'll use the good will that we've earned from not only saving the civilians here, but from dismantling the Slaughterhouse 9, to hammer in the final nail to the Protectorate's coffin. Who knows, perhaps The Guild will be offered to take over when the rioting ends."

There was a silence that permeated the air after that, and we all knew that Narwhal was right. Even with my nephew's body count climbing higher, his actions in killing Crawler, Jack Slash, and subduing Bonesaw, would still have him seen as a Hero.

Adding Khepri's actions in eliminating Manton, and assisting with the capture of Burnscar and Bonesaw.

Melody's in preventing Mannequin from nuking the city.

Panacea's for healing as many civilian's as she could, as well as shooting Burnscar.

Narwhal's for eliminating Shatterbird.

And even my own in holding off Jack Slash, The Siberian, and Bonesaw until reinforcements arrived.

All of us would come out smelling like roses after the news hit. So yes, she was still in a lose-lose situation if she didn't roll over and give us our money. (Granted, it's not really about the money, but the moral of the thing.) The Guild was not an organization Costa-Brown could afford to offend, especially not now considering how close the Protectorate was to being put under new management.

Eventually, the Chief Director nodded, her face betraying nothing. "Very well. The bounties shall be paid in full, and The Protectorate will assist in funding the reconstruction efforts of Michigan."

I blinked, curious about wh...- (Ah, I see. By providing funding for the city, she'll be gaining some goodwill of her own, which would be the start of repairing The Protectorate's image. Simple, but effective.) Waving that thought away, I looked at Narwhal, who seemed to also understand what Costa-Brown was going for.

Giving the woman a nod, my bestfriend brought her hand back and clasped them. "Now, is there anything else we need to speak about?"

After a moment of contemplation, Costa-Brown shook her head. "Nothing that needs to be addressed at this time."

That was not a 'No.' "Very well then. Have a good day Chief Director."

"You as well." And with that, the call ended...

...

...

...

I watched as Narwhal huffed, her shoulders relaxing as she slumped a bit in her seat. "'yOU AS weLl.' God, what I wouldn't give to kick that bitch's ass." And there it was. My bestfriend did not take disrespect well, and would freely air out her grievances when the opportunity made itself known. "Ugh, insufferable woman."

Sighing, she turned to me, and I just grinned. "You done?"

Nat nodded, tilting and cracking her neck as she did. "Yeah..." Turning to her side, she looked out the window, a small frown on her face as she took in the sights. "Still, the fact she's openly starting to antagonize us is a problem." Now I frowned, I knew what she was getting at. "We'll need to keep an eye out on her and the rest of The Protectorate."

I nodded at that. "We can handle whatever comes, though I'll admit I'm somewhat worried as well."

Nat snorted, prompting me to blink. "You're getting quite maternal you know. Those kids are doing you some good."

The mention of my 'Kids' made me smile. Sure, Taylor and Phoenix were both mature, this was sort of debatable when it came to the latter, and didn't exactly need a mother/aunt figure, but neither seemed to be against having said figure/(S) in their lives. Still, I wasn't about to open myself up to even more jabs. "I don't know what you mean."

My bestfriend/leader just loudly scoffed. "And I'm the queen of England."

"Long live the queen then." Nat's laughter was sharp but short, though it had been enough. "Should I fetch you some tea and crumpets my lady?" Rolling her eyes, she let out a small chuckle before closing her eyes and leaning back into her seat, nearly causing the chair to crack considering it wasn't built for a woman of her stature. I took a moment to take in her form, Nat was quite the exotic specimen if I were to say so myself, and had a thought. (Hmm, I wonder how long it'll take to get her own suit made.) It had been something I'd thought about, but looking at the nearly nude form of my bestfriend, I decided to bring it higher in mine, and Illiyana's, to do lists.

The sudden humming coming from her brought me out of my thoughts, focusing back onto the only other person in the room. "Putting that inevitable shit storm aside, what are we going to do about the kid?"

It took me a moment to understand what she meant, but I got it. "That depends on her, and New Wave."

While it hadn't been meant to go like this, that wouldn't matter in the long run. Panacea had not only been seen coming with us, but working with Pantheon to help against the Slaughterhouse 9. People would begin to wonder whether or not she was going to transfer over, and even with the announcement of their alliance to heal to Case 53's, talk about her transferring wouldn't simply die down. It would most likely be inflamed really, and that could become an issue in of itself.

Nat sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I'm not looking forward to the paperwork and hours of meetings I'm going to be going through because of this."

I rolled my eyes at that. "Does anyone?"

"Touche."

[Taylor's POV]

Sitting on the branch of one of the bigger trees my Other Half inadvertently created, my suit in its standby mode to let myself feel the breeze, I looked over the city. The sun was down already, though even if it wasn't, the shade from the 70+ft tall tree would've been enough to keep me cool.

The evidence of what went down earlier was all over the place, blocks destroyed from the explosive pods from Sylvanus, flowers, grass, and vines growing through the concrete and all over buildings, while patches of the city were being overrun by forests. Even without really using my Power, I could tell the insects were loving this change in environment, hell, it was practically breeding season now.

Feeling the breeze on my skin as I idly swung my legs, and hearing the rustle of the leaves, I put that fact aside and just looked at the city. Even after6 hours, the city was still a mess. The Slaughterhouse 9 had been here for a half hour at the least, and in that amount of time they'd managed to massacre thousands, we didn't have an accurate number on how many people Crawler ate, (And isn't that a depressing thought?) Burnscar had burned a dozen or so blocks on her own, Bonesaw had unleashed her spider bots on the hospitals, cutting the power and depositing some kind of plague that killed anyone that was in the hospitals, aside from Amy since she was immune to sickness.

Even the bugs I sent in succumbed to whatever it was the psychotic Bio-Tinker made, which was a sign that neither I, or my boyfriend were going to go into those death traps. We were still 'Evolving', and I doubted our improved healing factor would keep us from being killed via Bio-Tinker illness. I'll figure something out in the future.

Bonesaw, and that little comment aside, the casualties from Shatterbird were insane to think about, and I could just tell I'd be Enraged and Depressed if I thought about them again. There was Jack Slash, but he hadn't killed anyone, neither had The Siberian or Hatchet Face actually... Taking a second to think about that, I snorted. (Some of their most bloodthirsty, and they didn't kill anyone.) I had no idea why, but at the same time, I didn't want to know why. (Mannequin more then made up for them.) That thought made me scowl.

Mannequin had personally killed 52 troopers, 4 Heroes, and 2 Wards. The latter being a year or two younger then me... Letting out a sigh, I blew the strands of hair in my face away, and shook my head. "We won, but it doesn't feel like it..."

The Bemused snort coming from a bit to my right made me look, and meet the gaze of my Other Half. Like me, he was in his normal outfit, his hood up as he laid on his side against the branch he was on. I knew he was there, the Bond was handy like that, so I wasn't really Surprised that he made himself known. "You know, I'm tempted to send over a clip about what this looks like to me, but then I'd be obligated to show you the anime it comes from, and I don't wanna do that."

I rolled my eyes at that, waving it away. "You know I'll convince you to watch it eventually."

He hummed in a noncommittal way at that, his default amount of Amusement serving as white noise against the background of the city. "Maybe." And that was all he said. That's gonna be a fuckin day for my Future Self.

While I heard that, I didn't bother expanding on it. "You know," His eyes flickered to me, then back to the city. "You're acting like a cat right now, and I don't know how to feel about it."

He snorted. "Meow."

"Smartass."

My boyfriend just smiled at me Amused, which wasn't helping me not see him as a cat. "In alot of ways, I sorta am a cat." Thinking about it, I couldn't help but agree with him. There was a sense of detachment that he had, his general attitude about alot of things, that was very catlike in how it could be perceived. [Watching things fall, especially after knocking them off a table, is fun too.]

I was about to say something about that, when I had a thought. (Are cats sociopaths?) The loud bark of laughter, a funny little description considering the subject at hand, made me turn to him, a brow raised as he laughed. "It wasn't that funny." He just kept laughing, sending an image of an adorable 'Halloween kitten' looking at me one second, and fuck was it adorable, then it being replaced by an image of another cat with a bird in its mouth. "What?"

The Confusion made him stop laughing, eventually letting out a sigh. "Forget about it." I just blinked, not sure what to think about that. "Anywaaay, weren't you having your dramatic loner brooding moment?" My eye twitched, that wasn't wh...- "Taylor, you're like, 50+ft above the ground, sitting on the ledge of a giant fucking tree, overlooking a destroyed city saying shit like 'We won, but it doesn't feel like it.'" Well... When he put it like that... "Can't forget the fact the sun's gone and the sky is full of clouds either... Probably gonna rain soon too."

Looking up, confirming that yes, everything he had said was true, I did my best to look anywhere but him. His Amusement starting to get on my nerves. "Fuck you."

He laughed. "I'd like dinner first Mi Reina." I huffed at that, my lips twitching just a tiny bit.

For a bit, the wind, the ruffling of leaves, and the sound of his laughter was all I heard. Despite what he said, and the Embarrassing fact that he was right. I usually am, he was right. (I'd rather he didn't call it brooding though, I'm justified in not liking what I'm seeing.) He just hummed at that, but it was fine. Letting out a sigh, I went back to looking at the city, taking it in. (If only we were faster...) Even I knew that wasn't our fault, but I couldn't help but think it. (But it's not like we could... Do... Anything...) My mind latched onto that train of thought, delving into it as connections were made.

Interest sparked from my Other Half, and I knew he was following along my train of thought. "I mean, it can be done. We'd need to wait till I can use XLR8 and Jetray again, but that's about it."

That made me nod, turning to him as I did. "Do we have enough markers though? Or the materials to make enough of them?" I wasn't sure how many we had, if we had any left in the first place, so that was important.

My Other Half tilted his head a bit, his face blanking as he thought about it. "No, also no... Well technically yes, though those mats are for the duel disks/runner upgrades to our suits and bikes, and also Anti Endbringer shit... Granted, I could probably rob," I raised a brow at that, but he ignored it. "A nearby hardware store, maybe just yoink a few of the whole-ish cars that aren't as fucked from Shatterbird, and turn the scrap into beacons." Focusing back into the now, my Other Half looked out to the city, eyes roaming the destroyed streets. "The car idea would work the best..." He hummed, then brought his free hand forward, his Builder appearing in it. As the display appeared, I watched him go through it, Contemplation bubbling from him. "Yeah, I'd need a few cars, maybe 4 or something like that, but we'd have enough."

I gave him another nod at the confirmation, then focused on my Power. (Search for optimal scraps.) All around us, my Swarm buzzed as they went to work, a inky black cloud flowing from the trees and forest around us as they them gather like this felt different now, now that I was actually looking from afar and with the knowledge I had now. (I don't think I've had the time to process it either.) Sure, I'd thought about it, and the others had talked about it, but I hadn't really assimilated the fact that my Power was MINE now.

His Impressed whistle caught my attention, and I saw the way his eyes roamed my Swarm. "As terrifying as that is, I don't think I'll ever get bored of you summoning a fucktonillion bugs at the drop of a hat." I smiled at that, not even bothering to comment about the 'Fucktonillion' bit. After that we returned to silence, the comfort of each other's presence helping me think. We had a solution that could be implemented so...- "Wait, quick question." Turning back to him, I motioned for him to go on. "We doing just America, or adding Canada too?"

Blinking, I thought about that for a moment, wondering whether we should add Canada or not. As I thought about it, my phone chimed. Bringing it out of my pocket, we watched as Melody appeared, her full sized self materializing by my side. "# I'll unfortunately have to remind you both that despite current circumstances, you're both affiliated with The Guild. You won't be able to just pop into any state and deal with their issues without stepping on the PRT'S toes. #"

We both paused, a frown forming on my face, while my boyfriend got a look of Contemplation on his. [We're missing something here.] On that I Agreed with him. "What about Brockton Bay?"

The purple haired woman shook her hand in a 'So-so' way at the question. "# Since it was where Taylor debuted, and is the city you two have put the most hours into patrolling, you're free to continue operating there. #"

That made sense, but the unsaid portion of that made me narrow my eyes. (Is there an issue with us going to other states?) Melody didn't seem capable of reading my mind, so that went unanswered...

From her. [Wouldn't put it past the PRT. We just shit on the Slaughterhouse 9, they're bound to do something about that. Especially since Cauldron rules em from behind the scenes.] When he had it laid out like that, it helped me put it together. With Alexandria at the helm of The Protectorate, she wouldn't take The Guild/Pantheon cleaning up nearly all of the 9 sitting down. [Mhm. We'll need to clear it up back home, but something might be going on.]

Mentally nodding at that, I focused onto Melody. "So, what happens now?"

My pseudo... Mother, Surprised Curiosity spiked from him but I set it aside, hummed. "# Well, given the fact you both have been here for 6, nearly 7 hours, assisting the rescue efforts, I doubt anyone would hold it against either of you for returning home. #" Tilting her head a bit, she kept humming. "# It'd probably be good if you three went home. Amelia seems close to running herself ragged, despite the fact the Medical Fabricators are doing god's work, and I doubt any of us would want her to exhaust herself, especially after today. #"

Sharing a look with my Other Half, we nodded, then turned back to Melody, who watched the little byplay with a small smile on her face. [Guess we're doing this now.] I rolled my eyes at that, knowing that he wasn't actually averse to this.

Putting my phone away, and after watching my pseudo mother flicker away, I stood straight and called for my suit, the fibers surging out as Taylor switched out for Khepri. [Dramatic bitch.]

Snorting, I flipped him off, jumping off the massive tree as I did. As I dropped, I felt the spike in Amused Exasperation from my Other Half, and smiled. (Things'll be fine. We'll make sure of it.) I sensed his Agreement, my smile growing as I shot out a tether.

Everything else could come later, now, now we had a bullheaded friend to talk some sense into. [Hello pot.]

I ignored that and swung.

His laughter rang through the air, making me roll my eyes. (Annoying bastard.)

[Amy's POV a few minutes later]

Taking another deep drag from my cigarette, I let my eyes roam the city, taking in the sights as I did. I had no idea how this specific city looked before the 9 strolled in and started raising hell, but I doubted the massive trees were going to be taken down before they were seen as a fixture in the city. Maybe some kind of monument. (It'd be hilarious if they carved initials into the goddamn sky scrapper tree.) The thought of some brats trying to do that cliche bullshit made my lips twitch. It was an amusing thought, ad I was kinda curious if it would happen.

Thoughts of brats aside, I let out a breath full of smoke, and just shook my head. (Hard to think this is the shit on my mind after a Slaughterhouse visit.) It hadn't really sunk in yet, I let myself get dragged into work since people needed me, but now that I had a minute to myself, it was starting too. (... I shot Burnscar.) Crazy thought to fixate on, but considering the weight of the sniper, the Sentinel, was still on my back, a cold reassurance that I could do something, I thought it made sense to focus on it.

I was a healer for... 'A while' didn't seem to do the time I spent as a healer justice, but it was what I would go for at the moment. I'd been at it for a while, and while I joked about being a doctor, I'd never taken the oath. Sure, I had a pendant/necklace thing that nodded to the Rod of Asclepius, and I wore white and red, but I'd never taken the Hippocratic Oath. So while there wasn't anything inherently bad with me shooting Burnscar with a fucking gun, the fact that I did it was still a big thing.

Firing the pistol, the Hawkmoon, a little bit later after nearly being trampled to death, (That's going to be a thing that'll give me nightmares.) Shaking that off, I recognized that firing the Hawkmoon was probably some kind of added assurance that I actually could do something. Taking another drag, I looked down to my hip, the holstered pistol still there, its weight as reassuring as the Sentinel's.

Using a gun, especially in this kind of scenario, was kind of an eye opener. I knew I could fuck people up in the worst ways with my Power, just a touch and I could restructure someones body to make their tongue taste the inner lining of their own asshole, but it didn't have to be just my Power that I used to fight... And I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

On the one hand, actually helping in this kind of situation felt cathartic. I wasn't some damsel in distress that needed the valiant princess to save her. I put Burnscar on the ground, and had the bitch screaming. Sure, Khepri paralyzed her and probably gave her an intense phobia of all things insectoid, but I was the one that put her on her ass.

Not Carol, Not Crystal... Not Vicky, ME! And that was so... Empowering, that I couldn't help but want to do it again.

But then there was the other side of that coin.

I had no idea what the fuck I was doing with guns. I only managed to hit the shot because Khepri had told me to calm down and guided me through it. Without her, I would've probably missed, spooked the psycho, and ended up getting everyone in the shelter turned into Beyond Burnt Human Meat. So while I would've liked to think I did that on my own, I didn't.

There was also the fact that me threatening to shoot my patients would most likely end up on PHO at some point, if it wasn't already, I didn't know since my phone was on Do Not Disturb and I hadn't checked it yet, and that was going to be a thing that was tacked onto me going to an active Slaughterhouse zone without telling anyone. That thought made me blink, that snort. "And I told her nothing would happen." Yeah, I was 100% in for it when I went back home.

My inevitable scolding aside, there was also the fact that I wasn't a part of The Guild, or Pantheon... (But people are gonna talk... Hell, they're already talking.) And they were. I was being asked if I was going to be joining either organization/team, and while I replied that no, I wasn't, I doubted people were going to buy it. (Would it be bad if I did though?) I took another drag of my cigarette at that.

I wasn't...

I wasn't against it.

I hadn't known Phoenix and Taylor long, just a week or something like that, but I was already seeing them as better friends then most, if not all, of the ones back in Brockton Bay. Sure, the Wards were... Okay, but there was always... It was hard to describe, but a wall between me and them. The closest one to me was Missy, mainly because we were both girls, and bitched about things together... (God, is the bar that low?) Aside from her, I liked the other guys, but they were all... I bit my lip a bit at the thought I had, but went through with it anyway.

They were all Vicky's friends really.

I loved my sister. As fucked up as that sounded, I really did love her.

But I couldn't... I didn't...

I didn't really have anything that made me stand out compared to her.

My whole thing as Panacea aside, what did I have? A 'Mom' that made it clear she tolerated me at best, and was critical of me at worst. A 'Dad' that wasn't really there most of the time... And while I could fix him, that would be the start of a slippery slope that I wasn't sure I could safely come back from. (Like shooting someone?) I ignored that, it was easy to justify since it was both Burnscar, and with a weapon that had two different modes for non lethal take downs. (But that's where it st...-)

Looking down, I noticed the nails from my free hand almost digging into my palm, and let out a breath, letting out the smoke I forgot about from my earlier drag.

Getting back onto the earlier train of thought, my 'Family' was already crumbling, and while Aunt Sarah and Uncle Neil were sort of there, Crystal and Eric were closer to Vicky then they were to me... Though I could admit that I had some blame there too when I figured out the skeleton in the closet. It was easy considering the both of them had wanted me to deal with their monthly's, tits and ass adjustments, and to make sure Crystal wasn't pregnant after a night out with friends. (Blessing and a curse.) That was the best way to describe my Power, it fit, almost too well really.

But still, I didn't really have much of a life back in Brockton.

Not until a certain green haired and eyed asshole had decided to just insert himself into my life with some kind of personal theme song announcing his arrival. That'd been it really, someone coming to talk to ME, not Vicky, even though he extorted her lunch money, ME.

Then there was the whole ride on the form he called Wildmutt, finding out I was an Adrenaline Junkie was a surprise, but one I accepted eventually. The whole thing was basically a shot of concentrated excitement that washed away the monotony of my days in the Bay, and I had no idea how much I needed it.

The talk after it was nice, and I enjoyed the fact that for once, someone wanted to get to know me for me, and not anything else. Phoenix hadn't asked me for anything, and basically declared himself my friend because I annoyed him a little bit.

And then there was Taylor. We'd talked sporadically over PHO, but those talks were another thing I was looking forward too, and after meeting her in person, I couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe, I'd have another person that wanted Amy instead of Panacea. That hope kept growing after she willingly Unmasked herself to me, and started to find fertile ground when she helped me through shooting Burnscar.

Thinking about it all, I couldn't help but scoff, a small smile on my lips as I looked at the city. "Looks like he's not the only one with attachment issues."

Of course, the moment I said that, the sound of a familiar voice cheering reached my ears. (Speak of the devil.) Turning to where I was sure the sound was coming from, I saw the full armored forms of my friends swinging through the air, the aforementioned green haired/eyed asshole rolling through the air like he was Sonic or some shit, while Khepri gracefully flipped as they both shot out tethers that latched onto a building/tree nearby. (That... I wanna try that.) I knew that was the Adrenaline Junkie in me speaking, but I didn't care, that looked fun.

My new tendencies aside, I took another drag, nearly the last one really, and watched as the boyfriend/girlfriend duo dove towards the building I was on. I wasn't worried, they seemed to know what they were doing, so I just let the show play out.

The first one to land was Khepri, who landed via a one handed handstand, then immediately pushed herself off the roof, flipping in the air for a moment before landing on her feet. (Impressive.) I knew skill and Power assisted actions, Circus and UB3R had been in the Bay long enough to learn the difference, and that was skill. (Which is kind of crazy considering she Triggered like, 3 months ago.) It wasn't hard to piece together who Taylor was, I just didn't say anything about because that'd be fucked up.

Those thoughts aside, I looked at the other flying Human, and watched as he hit the roof, rolling and coming to a stop by... Was he fucking break dancing? Before I could even verbally question it, he pushed himself off the roof like Khepri did, flipping right onto his feet as he stood up and posed like this was the Olympics. "6/10, too theatrical for my liking."

That brought me out of my thoughts, right in time to see Anubis snap towards Khepri, his mask keeping me from seeing his face. "Oh fuck off. We both know it's practical."

"How the hell is break dancing practical?" It took me a moment to recognize that I was the one that said that, but it was too late to take it back.

The duo turned to me, though I was pretty sure Anubis was looking at my cigarette for a second longer then he was me, then shook his head. "I'll introduce you to Fire Force and maybe Fairy Tail later... Definitely Avatar though."

I stared at him for a second, then turned to Khepri, who was just standing there. "What the hell is he talking about?" If anyone would know, it'd be his girlfriend. (Granted, with how random he is she might not.)

Humming a bit, she answered. "It'll be a surprise." Welp, there went that opportunity. "By the way," When Khepri turned to look at my cigarette, I realized it was still lit, and nodded. Dropping it on the ground, I put it out, not caring about littering, because really, who was gonna arrest me? "Thanks."

Nodding back, I was about to respond, when someone else did it first. "You didn't have to do that you know."

Turning to him, Khepri stared, then shook her head. "Just because you can tolerate it doesn't mean you should." That said, she turned back to me, her suit retracting, leaving Taylor standing in front of me with the outfit she had on earlier, and a golden choker/necklace of a scarab beetle in a desert. Her glasses materialized, and after putting them on, she looked at the cigarette I put out, then back to me. "I don't mind you smoking, it's just something else."

Mentally frowning at that, I looked at the cigarette, then over to Anubis, whose own suit disappeared as Phoenix's nose twitched a bit, then sneezed. Seeing the both of us looking, the green Changer blinked, then shrugged. "I don't mind either...-"

"Yes you do, you just don't bother bringing it up since you're used to it." It didn't take a genius to understand that that seemed to annoy her. From what I knew about her, and that whole diary of evidence that was submitted that started the PRT shit show, I could guess why.

Tilting his head at her, and making me question what exactly she meant by that, he stared at Taylor. "Hmm..." He shrugged. "I guess."

Looking between the two of them, I couldn't help it and just asked. "Gonna share with the class ooor?"

The way they shared a look was kind of weird, like they could just talk through their eyes or telepathically or something along those lines. When they were done, the green haired Changer hummed. "Cigarettes remind me of my mom." I blinked. The way he said that, a nonchalant way that didn't seem to mean much but told me more then it should've, as well as the statement itself, gave me a few ideas of how that could be taken.

Shelving those ideas though, I looked at him, then Taylor. "So, no smoking when you two are around?"

Phoenix shrugged while Taylor nodded. "I don't like the smell, and while he doesn't care, I'd rather he not tolerate it because he couldn't be asked to tell you off about it."

I snorted, while the lazy ass himself just rolled his eyes. "It's like I'm a child instead of a badass that can raze the continent on a whim."

"Those two aren't mutually exclusive. They should be, but they aren't." His response was to stick his tongue out at her. "Case in point." The look on his face got me to snicker, fully getting their attention onto me.

With it, I noticed how Phoenix stared at me, kind of like he was dissecting me. The look caught me off guard, but before I could say anything about he, he hummed. "As your friend, I'm obligated to tell you that yes, I do care about you, even though you're a caustic bitch." On the one hand, that made me feel happy. Sure, I was thinking about it earlier, but having it confirmed that they were MY friends made it that much better.

On the other hand, my eye was twitching, and I glared at him. "Fuck you too." He grinned. "Don't!" It grew. (This motherfucker.)

Before I could lay into him, Taylor spoke up, idly smacking her boyfriend's shoulder with her hand. "What he means to say is that we're here. If you need us, need help or just want to talk, we're here." Phoenix nodded, his grin dying down until his default smile was on his face, a smile that was somewhat mirrored on Taylor's face.

Looking at the two of them, their words echoing in my head, I couldn't help but feel my lips curl up. "Thanks." I wanted to say more, but that was all I could get out at the moment. I'd probably get more out in the future, so long as our relationship didn't crash and burn, but for now that would do.

After that, we spent the rest of our time talking. We didn't really talk about the whole thing with the Slaughterhouse 9, we practically just ignored them and talked about random shit about each other.

It was nice. Better then nice in my opinion since I had time to be Amy instead of Panacea. It was even better since I was actually getting to know Phoenix and Taylor better, learning about them as people instead of The Changer and The Master.

Though we also talked a bit about Cape business, mainly the guns. "You're really letting me keep them?" Palming the Hawkmoon, my fingers traced the grip, the sound of a reassuring hum going off in my mind. I knew it wasn't really active at the moment, but the sound was comforting. (It's a weird day when I find the hum of a Tinker Tech gun to be comforting.)

Expectedly, Phoenix nodded. The guy was just casually sitting on the floor, his legs crossed and back against the railings. The first time I saw him pull it off, I had to stare, because he was more flexible then I was, and it was bullshit, but I stopped minding at some point during the conversation. "I don't use em, so I don't care. Taylor doesn't need em, and we've got spares, so I doubt she cares...-"

"I don't."

"So yeah, you can keep them."

Looking between the two of them, then down to the Hawkmoon. Black and white weren't my colors, but I liked how the thing looked, and from the time I shot it, it didn't feel all that bad... But... "What about maintenance?" If I was going to keep it, I would need to know when I'd need to ask them to make sure it didn't kill me.

Surprisingly though, the answer came from Taylor. "Unless they get damaged, especially around the chamber/cylinder, then you'll never need maintenance. Maybe you'll want upgrades in the future, but barring that, you won't need to bring them to us for anything."

"Aside from learning how to not shoot yourself in the tit or something." Taylor and I gave him a blank look at that, which earned us a raised brow. "Fuck are ye looking at me like that for? I'm right." Taylor and I shared a look, and after a bit of silent communication, we decided not to acknowledge the fact that yes, he was right. Letting out a huff, The Changer flipped us off, earning himself a pair of middle fingers from Taylor and I respectively.

From there we went back to talking about other stuff.

We rescheduled the work with the Case 53's for the day after tomorrow, mainly because we all wanted a day off after spending hours healing and in Search & Rescue. If it wasn't for those Medical Fabricators, I'd probably still be out there putting people back together. The tech and formula that made up and came out of those things was impressive, but the recovery serum itself was what fascinated me the most.

The serum somehow changed any liquid into this blood red looking mixture that not only supercharged someone's healing factor, but carried with it it's own reservoir of nutrients that fueled said healing factor instead of using the patients, making it so that the serum didn't drain them dry to fix them. Sure, it couldn't do something like regrow a lost limb or something like that, but it fixed everything else.

Including brains... Which was fascinating since I saw how it worked against concussions and other head injuries, repairing them like they never happened. I didn't think it would work on psychological illnesses, but certain issues that came about from some inherent issues with how the brain worked were remedied, not completely, but still enough to be noticed.

Though at the same time, it was a little worrying. I knew it was made to help people, but the idea that it could affect the brain was something I wasn't fully comfortable with.

Maybe I'd get over it in the future, when it helped save lives during the next Endbringer fight, maybe the one after, but I didn't know.

Eventually, I had no idea how long we talked for, we stopped talking. The reason was that Taylor's phone chimed, and we turned to her to find out why. The answer came quickly when the woman that claimed to be one of Dragon's sisters appeared, a projection of her appearing. After a moment of looking at the three of us, Taylor and I were on Phoenix's right and left respectively and leaning against the railing, while the guy going through the worst of puberty was on the ground between us, she smiled and looked at us all. "# As loath as I am to break the three of you up, I have to inform you all that it's late. Amelia should get back to her family, while you two should probably head back home and get whatever sleep you can. #"

I blinked. "... Uh... What time is it?" Probably not the best question, but the answer was important. The area in front of the purple haired woman flickered, then a holographic image appeared... "Well shit." It was 11:28PM, which was bad. I still hadn't taken my phone off of Do Not Disturb, and now that I knew it was almost midnight, I kind of didn't want too out of fear of what was there.

By my side, Phoenix snorted, getting up and dusting his pants off as he did. "You'll be fine you short...-"

"3 inches." It was automatic at this point, which said something about how much he brought it up to annoy me.

"Bitch." And of course he went on like I hadn't said anything.

(Annoying bastard.)

Unknowing of my thoughts, the aforementioned annoying bastard turned to me, his default smile on his face. "Want us to drop you off?"

I hummed at that, looking over to Taylor, who nodded. With her agreement, and his offer, I didn't see a reason to say no, so I decided not too. "Alright."

My friends gave me a smile at that, one I reciprocated. "# Good. #" Looking over to the other woman with us, we all saw the... Maternal, was the right word, look on her face as she gazed at us. "# Should I inform your family that you'll be home soon, or will you do it yourself? #"

That was a good question... "Think you could do it?" I wasn't ready to see how many messages I'd missed, so putting it aside for someone else to do sounded like a good idea.

Medusa nodded. "# Done. #" Of course it was. "# Now then. #" Looking over to Phoenix and Taylor, her eyes narrowed a bit, and if I hadn't known she seemed more then an 'Aunt' to them before, I would now given her posture. "# You two are going to go home, yes? #" It was a question, but not really.

The boyfriend/girlfriend duo looked over me, I idly thought about investing in some pumps because this was bullshit, then back to Medusa. "I mean, yeah? Only reason we're still here is cause Amy is." That had no right to make me as happy as it did.

"To be fair, we can talk to her tomorrow if she's not too busy?" Knowing it was aimed at me, I thought about it.

I was probably going to be scolded by Carol and the rest of the adults of New Wave, Vicky too after they were done, but even if they grounded me and took my phone, I'd still have PHO since I could use Vicky's PC if it came to it... "Yeah, I should be good." They both smiled at that, making me return it... And making me notice I'd smiled so much that my cheeks were starting to hurt. (When was the last time that happened?) I didn't know, but it didn't matter.

"Bet. I'll see how much I can bother you tomorrow." Turning to the asshole, I did my best to give him a deadpanned stare. Unfortunately for me, he just rolled his eyes, not bothered by it in the slightest. "I can literally see a hint of blush you tsundere bitch." My eye twitched. I had a small bit of experience with anime, Akira was a strange but amazing experience, one that got me into the medium, so I knew what he just called me... So, huffing, I stomped on his foot... Well I tried too, but he moved his foot away, raising a brow at me as he did. I wasn't helping myself when I turned away from him, another huff coming from me. "You're not beating the tsundere allegations with that, Amy."

I flipped him off, getting a duo of snorts from him and Taylor, and a small laugh from Medusa. "I hate all of you."

"Tsundereee!~" He didn't avoid my kick this time.

[A few minutes later]

As soon as Khepri stopped, I unwrapped my arms from her waist, moving back as I started to get off. It was criminal how easily we went from Michigan to Brockton Bay, but this was a crime I was fine with.

As soon as I got off, I was about to start making my way across the street, only to stop when Phoenix cleared his throat, standing on the sidewalk by his bike with his arms spread out in an obvious pose. Knowing what he wanted, I rolled my eyes, but still took a step forward. "God, you're such a big baby." He just hummed at me, that stupidly annoying grin on his face. (I'm going to punch him. When he least expects it, I'm socking him in the dick.) I wouldn't forget about the promise, but I would wait till enough time passed that he did.

Still, when I got in range, we hugged. It was a short one, I couldn't ever let him catch onto the fact that I actually liked hugs, but it still made me just a tad bit happier.

Taking a step away from him, I tu...- I met the amused jade of Taylor's eyes, and instantly knew that she knew. I stared at her, hiding my embarrass...- "Do I not get one ooor?" My eye twitched, she definitely knew. It didn't help that she was purposefully mimicking her boyfriend either.

Withholding the sigh I wanted to let out, I reached out and wrapped my arms around her. Like with Phoenix, it was a short one, the smug bitch would get way too much of a kick out of it if it went on for longer, and we eventually broke it off.

That done, the three of us shared a smile, and after saying our goodbyes, started going our separate ways. They went home via teleporting, something I remembered I could technically do now too considering my pendant was keyed to their base/home... Which made me feel even better, because they basically gave me a key to their house. If that wasn't friendship shit then I didn't know what was.

So, for the first time in a long time, I made home with a smile on my face. Sure, I might not have expected things to turn out how they did, but at the end of the day, things turned out better then before. I partnered up with Pantheon, found out the green fucker was somehow related to Dragon, even if it wasn't by blood, they still seemed to treat each other as family, and got a key to their place with a nifty shield added onto it.

The Slaughterhouse 9 were a thing, and so were the hours of saving/healing people, but it was all worth it.

I was still thinking about how the day went when I opened my front door, walked right on into my house, and closed said door. I idly noticed the lights were still on, and that I wasn't alone, but it was whatever. I was ready to go and drop into my bed, so I just let it be.

But that changed when I noticed Carol coming over. Her face was blank, but I could tell she was pissed. (To be fair, she has a right to be since this was supposed to be a normal meeting.) I knew that, but considering how tired I was, and was in an actual good mood, I didn't want to deal with her right now. "Can we do this tom...-" Before I could finish, her hand raised and blurred towards me, smacking against my cheek hard enough to turn my head all the way.

Thanks to the shield, I wasn't hurt... But it was the fact she sl...- Another slap cracked against my cheek, but the shield took it again, making it a dull sting instead of the probable bruise that it was supposed to come from it.

Though because of that, I was brought out of my stupor, turning to meet the eyes of Carol, who was glaring at me with genuine hate in her eyes... I didn't like the look, and just knew I was going to hate what was about to happen.

I wanted to do 5 chapters, which is my self imposed 'Usual' for this story now, but this was the perfect end, and it's practically 2 chapters in 1, so this works. Anyway, the mini-arc with the 9 is done, and now starts Amy's own little arc. You should all know where this is going to go, the only question is how bad it's going to be.

That said, back to waiting ye go. I have no idea when the next chs will be coming out, I barely even started the next one, so it'll probably be a while. Oh well.