Five minutes ago Myles learned that the town's residents would soon be safe if somewhat inconvenienced. Three minutes ago the logical sequence of events unfolded exactly as Myles did not want when the purple sky rippled. One minute ago a giant scaled green hand was reaching for Myles through a hole in the sky.
This would have been a huge problem for the Endeavour residence if Myles had not started hauling his arse away from his house, his dressing gown flapping in the breeze. It was not close enough to force the transformation, yet it still looked colossal in size. This time however Myles had a plan… it was rough and barely formed, but that was more than he had been able to put together in a dog’s age. Myles knew what he had to do would only escalate things between him, the Whistlers and Mother. But that was a problem for future Myles. The Myles of Today needed to live… and protect the evacuation.
“HARMLESS LITTLE BUNNY LEAPS FOR THE STARS, THAT'S NO ORDINARY RABBIT!”
The dressing gown and paisley unmentionables were replaced with rabbit-styled armour, red lightning… and a mother-fucking jetpack. Picking up speed, Myles ran, outpacing any living human before making one small leap onto the bonnet of a parked Volvo and springing off the bonnet into the sky, jetpack roaring to life.
“I feel like a bit of a dick now” Said Rusty through a mouthful of toast and jam.”
“Anyone who eats three jars of jam in one sitting deserves to feel like a dick.” Said Zara.
Four Sentinels and one preternaturally enhanced dumpster cat stood outside Casa Endeavour and watched a Volvo get written off before covering their eyes as dust blasted down the street.
“I thought the Johns were joking about the jetpack.” Said Rusty
“You all have to admit… it does look pretty cool. “Said Zara “I’ll also ruin all of your lives if you tell him I said that”
There was a pause as everyone watched Myles fly toward a giant green scaly hand in the sky.
“I should probably go and help.” Said Zara
Zara raised her transformation device but Debs placed a gentle hand over it and shook her head.
“Even ignoring the orders not to get involved, you know what the politics are like. If we step in to help it slaps a big kick me sign on our backs. Not to mention how it looks for Mr Endeavour.
“What do you mean?” Asked Zara
“Every new Trigger user gets sanctioned at some point to drive home their place in the pecking order. An excuse is always found and playing lawn bowls with Cáit gave the higher-ups an early start.” Said Debs
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“…And if he needs us to step in he looks weak and earns his own kick me sign for the next time an example needs to be made.” Finished Zara
“Is that raspberry?” Asked Dr Singh
Rusty handed over a slice of jam-loaded toast.
“The kid has good taste in jam” said Dr Singh through a mouthful of breakfast food.
“Kid? He’s 30 years old… you know, never mind.” Said Zara.
“I thought you would be more worried about him Maya?” said Debs “The big green hand won’t be the only thing coming through.”
“It’s fine. Barrington will be back in ten or twenty minutes, His daughter snuck into camp earlier and John Marquis and his big bag of shillings are guarding the weak point at the Sweetbright facility.”
The group stared.
“It was also arranged for a few of the Legacy users in good standing to play guard dogs at the base camp and around town, The point was to sanction Myles, not the towns population.
“Maya, are you tracking people again? We’ve hard words about… Maya are you tracking me?” Said Debs
“You got any holidays abroad or MRI scans coming up?”
“No?”
“Then I’m not tracking you”
High above the town, Myles was struggling with buyer’s remorse. His jetpack was cool. But his jetpack also ate resources like an uninvited fat kid eating his birthday cake. Myles would have to find Nobby and thank him for that specific example one day. A high resource cost was anticipated for this ‘Friday night at the pub' level stratagem. But while both jetpack and plan were not viable for regular usage or long-term battle tactics respectively, Myles was flush thanks to a constant stream of invading eldritch nuisances.
The Hand of Mother loomed in the sky, reality was brittle and strained around the edges where it pushed through. It was bigger than before. Unfortunately, it was too much to ask that the extra mass slowed it down as it reached for Myles with unnerving speed. Myles sped up but a blind swipe caused him to crash into a knuckle, bouncing off in the exact way his plan did not want, He had hoped to cause some damage before the big finale but it looked like he would need to skip right to the main event… Spinning in mid-air the Trigger user righted himself and sped back towards the grasping eldritch dragon. Myles needed one more thing and he hoped like hell it was compatible with the jetpack. Just to be sure he accelerated towards the outstretched hand in the sky.
1.2.3. Boom.
Golden armour wrapped around the arms of the rabbit suit. Above his head a floating crown materialised. This would need to be timed perfectly. Myles readied a glowing ball of light in his hand and began overcharging it. The giant hand reached closer as the glowing sphere grew in size. This would be close… extremely close as his jetpack had indeed disengaged. The Now giant sphere of light was gripped by the intruding eldritch abomination. Myles let go and began to fall.
Myles disengaged his augment. He would need the power of the jetpack to get out of the probably huge blast radius. The jetpack roared to life… then a stutter… then nothing. Myles could have sworn he had resources to spare. He had miscalculated and put too much into his little present to Mother. A present that was now glowing brighter than a midday sun.
“Bollocks.” Said Myles
The group of Sentinels outside of Myles’ house did not miss the wave of Whistlers rushing them. Their furry pink forms were looking increasingly washed out in the bright light. The Sentinels made no move to transform.
“Wait for it…” Said Dr Singh quietly. “I’ve timed this just right”
The horde grew closer, spindly limbs reaching out… They seemed angrier than Fae normally considered Zara. They were acting like…
Sparks of red lightning were covering Charlie Murderpaws as his own armour manifested and he shot off towards the Whistlers throwing up pavement debris in his wake.
… They do when we have a Trigger User finished Zara’s brain helpfully.
“I forgot to account for that” Said Dr Singh. Brushing off tiny flecks of asphalt.
“Everyone get ready to transform” Said Debs striking a pose.
“No… just a bit more, this might be even better.” Said Dr Singh, still relaxed.
A man in black armour, trimmed with hot pink, landed in a crouching pose, back facing the onlooking Sentinels. rising to his feet an Egyptian sword materialised in one hand, a deadly gun in the other.
“I make being the hero look easy.’ Said John Barrington, the black armoured hero.
He was promptly bowled over by the huge armoured cat that ran right over him, paws stomping on his helmet and launching towards the Fae.
“Charlie put some weight on John” Shouted Rusty between bites of toast.
Razor-sharp claws tore into Fae flesh. The bloody work gave time for John Barrington to regain some dignity and join the fight. Under increasingly bright light the pack of Whistlers assigned to harrow the Endeavour household were re-educated on their place in the food chain. But one of the Sentinel onlookers was not watching John and Charlie act as a meat grinder to the walking pink chuck steaks. Zara was looking up at what the giant hand of Mother was grasping. It was one of Myles’ light grenades and it was fucking enormous.
“We should probably duck or something.” Said Zara
“HA! the council are going to shit their knickers when this gets back to them.” Said Dr Singh looking up to see what Zara was talking about.
The sky lit up white.