＊＊＊

PRT HQ,

The soft crack of Strider's teleport echoed faintly outside PRT headquarters, Amy - Remedy, as she now called herself - landed on her feet and adjusted her Starlight uniform, Vicky at her side, also fully kitted out, coming along as her bodyguard. The truce was in effect, but everyone agreed that leaving Amy alone in the medical tents wasn't safe.

Not after she declared herself the de-facto ruler of Brockton Bay.

With the poisoning infecting everyone, hero to villain to civilian, it was already a foregone conclusion that the city would bend the knee.

As they were still waiting on Poison Ivy and a few of the independents that had signaled a willingness to participate, Strider had already disappeared to go pick up other groups of capes across North America before returning once everyone was ready in Brockton.

Amys' gaze immediately locked onto the gathered Protectorate members waiting for her arrival, Vicky watching them with a new wariness and world weary, in case they'd try something.

Miss Militia stood near the front, her expression pinched, her flag-patterned scarf pulled up to cover part of her face. Armsmaster was at her side, stiff as a board, his lips pulled into a frown beneath his visor. Battery and Assault were close by, their body language radiating unease. Dauntless, helmet in hand, didn't even bother hiding his open displeasure. Likewise, Velocity looked openly angry at the sight of them.

Amy didn't need powers to sense it - none of them wanted her here despite her ability being a game changer in Endbringer fights. She wasn't an ally. She wasn't a friend. To them, she was a necessary evil, that they wholly wished wasn't necessary.

Once again proving how utterly inflexible heroes were in this world.

She could literally save their lives against this Endbringer attack, cure cancer, fix world hunger, eradicate disease across the globe…

But no, she was killing some Nazi capes instead of pretending to put them in jail for a week, so she was a monster.

Sure, poisoning the entire city might have been a bit monstrous, but the civilians weren't even going to suffer for it!

"Where's the rest of your team?" Dauntless asked sharply, his voice cutting through the silence, as he studied her with distaste.

Amy raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his tone. "Starlight is staying in Brockton Bay," She replied coolly, folding her arms over her chest. "With the Protectorate gone and the Wards only allowed to fight skinned knees, this is the perfect time for the Empire or Lung to make a move. Someone needs to be there to handle them."

Now that Starlight was bolstered with all of New Wave bar Carol and Mark, the team was strong enough to at least hold off against the other gangs if it came to it.

Dauntless's lips pressed into a thin line, but before he could respond, Armsmaster cut in, his tone frigid. "The truce is in effect," He said stiffly. "Neither the Empire nor Lung will make a move during an Endbringer event."

Vicky literally rolled her eyes, muttering into Amy's ear, "Oh my god they're delusional."

Amy snorted, the sound derisive as she addressed Armsmaster. "Sure," She drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just like the Empire follows the unwritten rules when it comes to murdering entire families, targeting capes civilian identities, going after friends and families They've been such model citizens."

Vicky was right. They were delusional. It was like they'd somehow missed the E88 going wild lately.

"That's different," Miss Militia said, stepping forward, her voice firm, a certain tightness to her shoulders. "This isn't the same thing, the truce is always upheld."

Amy shook her head slowly, her expression one of almost pitying disbelief. "No wonder you guys got nowhere," She muttered. "You're so blind from your own indoctrination that you actually think the Empire will sit on its hands while they're dying off. You think they care about the truce right now?"

Also, saying that next to Armsmaster, which in the original set of circumstances of this world, totally broke this unbreakable truce… Yeah… Amy wasn't going to count on it for fucking Kaiser.

Miss Militia opened her mouth to respond, but Assault beat her to it. "She has a point," He said, his voice unusually serious. "If they think they've got nothing left to lose, why wouldn't they take their shot?"

Battery frowned but nodded reluctantly. "It's possible," She admitted. "Desperation makes people unpredictable."

Amy tilted her head, her smirk returning. "Speaking of nothing to lose," She said, wiggling her fingers in the air like she was performing a cheap magic trick. "Do you want to be healed of the poison currently running through your veins, the one that's going to kill you?"

They didn't trust her anymore, sure. But to allow the Protectorate and Wards to remain as they were, was… Foolish, to say the least.

Not that the Wards weren't finding their own way. She'd already healed Vista, Clockblocker and Shadow Stalker who'd all snuck out in their civilian identities.

Hess even had the guts to join the queue for Ivy instead of Amy.

Not that it stopped her from leaving a few extra presents in her body. Because fuck Shadow Stalker.

Heh, I guess they are right not to trust me… She amended inwardly.

Dauntless's jaw clenched. "The poison you put there by poisoning the entire city," He hissed, his knuckles white as he gripped his helmet, before slamming it onto his head, as Armsmaster gave him a displeased look, probably for speaking up for the group instead of him.

Amy shrugged, her expression unapologetic. "Your choice," She said. "But if I die here today, you might run out of time." She taunted, uncaring of their feelings.

Her way was solving Brocktons problems, albeit unconventionally. In her opinion they didn't even have the moral upper hand - since their way left hundreds of women turned into sex slaves and hundreds of minorities dead each year, due to their efforts to maintain the status quo.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Assault exchanged a look with Battery, his hand twitching toward hers. After a brief moment of hesitation on her part, he sighed and gently tugged her forward, apparently refusing to risk her.

Armsmaster's glare could be felt even through his visor, but Amy didn't flinch. Instead, she met his hidden glare head-on as Battery stepped up to her. Without a word, Amy touched her wrist where she'd exposed skin, her power flowing through her, the poison dissolved, Battery's body flushed clean in seconds.

"Assault… Don't make this worse." Armsmaster warned tersely, taking a step forward, only to stop as Vicky cracked her knuckles demonstratively, hovering in front of the three of them.

She's so dependable, Amy thought of Vicky with a small smile, she waved off Battery, waving Assault forward with a lazy gesture.

Assault was next, his grin half-hearted but present as he held out his hand. "Go ahead, Remedy."

Amy smugly complied, healing him just as quickly. As soon as she was done, Assault stepped back, smirking faintly at Armsmaster. "Well, I'm not an abomination yet, and I don't believe I've been mastered. So I'd say a successful test."

"M/S screening when we get back. Not negotiable." Miss Militia ordered, since Armsmaster was grinding his teeth too hard to form words at the moment.

Assault shrugging, "If we survive, I'll take some alone time without complaint." He said fatalistically.

Battery none too kindly punched him in the shoulder, pulling him back to whisper-yell at him. No doubt for that huge red flag he was waving.

"Anyone else." Vicky asked, taking her bodyguard duties seriously, making sure she was between Amy and the Protectorate.

None of the other heroes stepped forward. Amy didn't really care. They'd either come to her when they started feeling sick, or they'd die purely by their own choices.

Just then Poison Ivy sauntered into the area smugly, Amy holding back a smile as the Heroes got even more grumpy at the sight of her other self.

"Where is it?" She asked after another minute, cutting through the awkward silence. "The Endbringer. It's the Simurgh, isn't it?"

The Hopekiller was next on the rotation since Behemoth had been the last one. Still, it was odd for her, because with the changed world, they weren't attacking the same cities, or the same dates as 'Canon'.

They were in August, Behemoth had attacked in April, circa four months between attacks. Leviathan was then likely to attack Nov/Dec. While 'Canon' if the locker ever were to happen, would be in January 2011.

It made predicting things harder, but it was somewhat of a relief to know that the same chain of events like Canon couldn't have happened anyway.

Armsmaster's jaw twitched, but he nodded, answering her."Yes."

Amy exhaled slowly, relief washing over her. It meant the Simurgh wouldn't be in Brockton Bay for almost a year if they followed the rotation - if the Simurgh had a reason to personally come ruin what she was doing. Thank god. She had time to figure out what she was going to do about them…

"Where?" Vicky asked, fists clenched at her sides.

Before anyone could answer, the air cracked again, Strider appearing beside her. His gaze swept the area, calculating, before nodding once. "Let's go," He said, seeing that the few independents willing to join had arrived as well.

Within seconds, the world bent and folded around them, space warping in on itself before snapping back into place. When her feet hit solid ground, she was greeted by the deafening roar of distant combat, the screeching of a horde of beasts from the sound of it, together with the staccato of gunfire, a battle already underway.

We didn't take that long to arrive did we?

She blinked, taking in her surroundings. They stood on a stretch of flat, barren land, the earth cracked and dry beneath their boots. A Dragon craft was guarding the landing zone, a military style medical tent set up nearby, Capes rushing towards the city in a haphazard manner, absolutely no organization taking place other than capes grabbing armbands from a few PRT officers at the edge of the safe zone.

In the distance, a massive wall loomed, its surface marred by a jagged, gaping rend that looked like it had been carved by a giant's claw. Beyond the wall, flashes of light illuminated the cityscape as capes clashed with the Hopekiller.

Before the walls, Capes and desperate defenders from the exclusion zone fought back against the horde of monsters that viciously tore through them, escaping from the breach in the wall.

Above it all, the Simurgh floated like a ghostly specter, her wings stretching wide, her form ethereal and terrifying. Her song was already ringing out, the monsters growing stronger and more precise in their movements. This is too quick! There's hardly any capes able to contest! Amy thought, watching in horrified fascination.

"Ellisburg," Armsmaster said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion, striding away from them, approaching the Dragoncraft.

Amy felt Ivy stir beside her, their shared thoughts aligning in perfect synchronicity. Eidolon, you fucking dick!

Because of course it was Ellisburg. The one place that could turn an already catastrophic Endbringer attack into something far worse. Sure, this could solely be a Simurgh plot, but this reeked of Eidolon being subconsciously butthurt and wanting to remind the world how horrible people like Amy were if let loose completely.

"Are you seeing this?" Vicky whispered, her gaze locked on the breach in the wall in the distance. "How are there so many of Nilbog's creatures, there must be thousands!"

Amy swallowed hard. "Yeah. I see it… And we can't count out Nilbog having been a Ziz bomb somehow from the beginning."

After all, Ellisburg is where Emily Piggot and Thomas Calvert had gotten the jumpstart for the rest of their lives. Brockton Bay had been important for the Simurgh's plots. And that all started in Ellisburg.

The implications were horrifying. The Simurgh was attacking a city filled with Nilbog's creations - creatures that could spread and reproduce endlessly if free, their biology already dangerous and chaotic. If the Simurgh also manipulated them…

She pushed the thought aside, focusing on the task at hand. They didn't have time to dwell on worst-case scenarios until after they pushed the Simurgh out.

Seeing the giant hole in the wall, she shook her head as Vicky escorted her to the healing tent, Strider following to lend her his power again to let her stretch out across the city.

With how quickly the city was broken apart, how many creatures already escaped?

＊＊＊

Inside Ellisburg.

Alexandria soared above the chaotic battlefield, her lips pressed into a grim, thin line as the scene below played out like the prelude to the apocalypse. She was a blur of speed against the dark, swirling sky, but no amount of flight prowess could mask the fact that the battle was rapidly spiraling out of control.

The Simurgh's piercing, otherworldly song, echoed across the war zone, a sound that cut through the cacophony no matter any attempt to stop her. A wall of debris churned in the air around the Endbringer, an ever-shifting shield made of shattered homes, crumpled trucks, entire segments of city blocks. They circled her like orbiting moons, forming a near-impenetrable barrier of destruction.

And Alexandria couldn't break through it. Not alone.

She swore under her breath as she dodged a flying car that hurtled past her head, the vehicle spinning end over end before smashing into the cracked ground far below.

Her armband kept rattling off bad news as she desperately tried to get closer, a rain of debris constantly intercepting her, slowing her down. "Myrddin down, Chevalier deceased, Wraith deceased, Morgus deceased, Exalt deceased."

Her jaw tightened with every chime. She could only hope that brat Remedy was in place, and that the deceased had been saved.

The loss of Chevalier and Exalt would be a blow to the balance between heroes and villains in North America otherwise.

Still, the armband kept rattling off names.

"Chubster deceased, Halo down, Revel deceased. Ursa Aurora down."

This shouldn't be happening.

It wasn't just the chaos or the mounting casualties. It was the Simurgh herself. The Endbringer had descended on Ellisburg with a speed that defied all of their models and projections. Every top-speed calculation that Cauldron or Watchdog had ever produced had been shattered within a minute of her beginning to move in orbit.

Alexandria had barely had time to scramble together any kind of team before the Simurgh had begun her assault on Ellisburg unopposed.

Faster, smarter, deadlier. We're always playing catch-up.

She adjusted her flight trajectory, weaving between airborne rubble as she tried to close the distance to the Endbringer. Her fists clenched, muscles coiling as she prepared for a hit that could shatter steel. She needed to make contact. Just one clean hit. But the Simurgh wasn't making it easy. Every time she approached, a wall of debris shifted to intercept her, massive pieces of concrete and rebar smashing into her with bone-jarring force.

She grunted as a section of roofing, easily the size of a truck, bolstered by the Hopekillers telekinesis - caught her across the shoulder and sent her spinning backward. She corrected herself midair, her cape fluttering like a torn banner behind her, but the hit had cost her precious time yet again. The Simurgh's telekinesis was too fast, her control over her surroundings almost absolute.

Far more absolute than she'd previously displayed. And normally she could get some openings, but that was with backup… Not practically alone.

Where the hell is Legend? Where's Eidolon? They need to hurry…

She knew the answer before the thought even fully formed. Legend was off to the north, holding the line against the largest breach in the containment wall, single-handedly preventing Nilbog's monstrosities from flooding into the countryside. His lasers burned bright in the distance, as he fought the horde advancing on the capes under his command.

Eidolon was within the walls of Ellisburg itself, using his powers to erase Nilbog's creations to limit the pressure on the other capes, as well as hunt for Nilbog. Or at least that was the plan. Alexandria hadn't heard any updates on whether Nilbog himself had been found. If the monster-producing cape had escaped the city in the first wave, they were in far deeper trouble than she wanted to admit.

Eidolon better be handling it. Or we're in trouble.

A massive gust of wind, laced with shards of broken glass and twisted metal, tore past her as the Simurgh flapped her wings just once, head turned slightly in her direction. The sheer force of it was enough to send nearby capes crashing into the ground and broken buildings like rag dolls, even as Alexandria avoided the strike meant to occupy her yet again.

Alexandria grimaced as she spotted a cape smash through the wall right below her, the crunch of his spine audible, as his body bent in a way a human body wasn't meant to.

"Carrion deceased, Vivisector deceased, Dauntless down, Assault deceased."

Another casualty on the ever-growing list - then, before she could launch herself at the Simurgh again, she saw him stir. His limbs and back straightened with an almighty crack, and despite the obvious pain in his movements, he climbed back to his feet.

Alexandria's eye narrowed in recognition. Remedy is here. A surge of relief, unwelcome but undeniable, flooded her chest.

Even as much as she disliked the girl, she couldn't deny her importance. They needed Remedy to keep their capes alive long enough to seal the breaches and stop the Simurgh's rampage from spreading further.

Without her, the body count would skyrocket in minutes. And with the Simurgh capable of mastering anyone who heard her song for too long, they didn't have the luxury of capes falling and being replaced. They had half an hour, maybe less, before the armbands hit their limit for most and started detonating.

Not that it would do anything to her. But they couldn't afford to lose more capes right now. Not when they would be so desperately needed after the battle.

"The Simurgh is facing the medical area!" Dragon reported through the armband. Several of the larger Dragoncraft unloading their payload as the Simurgh slowly rotated, facing the direction of the medical area beyond the walls.

The Dragoncrafts suddenly exploded, the metal shrapnel being guided into waves of death that exploded forth from the Simurgh, clearing a path through the sky towards the medical area, as half a dozen flying capes got shredded at once, blood and guts raining down on them.

Rebecca cursed as she shot forward, trying once more to breach the Simurgh's defenses and distract her. She angled her body like a missile, aiming directly for the center of the swirling debris field. Her fists were raised, ready to strike, but just as she closed the distance, the Simurgh's wings unfurled in a sudden, powerful motion. A ripple of telekinetic force blasted outward, catching Rebecca mid-flight and slamming her back, a mountain of debris slamming into her with the full telekinetic force of the Simurgh behind it.

She hit the ground hard, carving a twenty foot deep trench into the dirt as she skidded to a stop, buried in concrete and steel. She shook it off, her invulnerability ensuring that nothing was damaged except her pride. Still, the frustration clawed at her insides like a living thing. She was one of the strongest capes in the world, and yet she couldn't even get close enough to land a hit without the rest of the Triumvirate there.

Legend should be here. Eidolon should be here. But they're not, because everything else is falling apart too. It's up to me.

The Simurgh shifted her attention to the containment wall, her gaze like a silent command. Another section of the wall crumbled as a cloud of debris - half of an industrial block, complete with toppled tankers and heavy duty machinery - was hurled into it.

With the force of the Simurgh behind it, a large smoking hole was left in the wall, in the direction of the medical area, and Alexandria could already see Nilbog's creatures swarming through the gap like ants from a disturbed nest.

We're running out of time.

She launched herself back into the air, scanning the battlefield for any sign of a turning point. Capes on the ground were doing their best to hold the line, their powers lighting up the landscape in bursts of color and energy. But it wasn't enough. They were used to fighting sole enemies, or small groups of villains.

Even at their worst days, they fought an Endbringer, a singular enemy. None of the capes in North America were used to fighting a war. The soldiers stationed here who could have fought back, the first first lose their lives, alone, against the Simurgh and the horde before the Heroes could arrive.

The creatures kept coming, grotesque hybrids of flesh, their bodies twisted into impossible shapes. Some had too many legs, others had mouths where their eyes should be, and all of them were driven by an insatiable hunger to destroy.

She clenched her fists and forced herself to stay focused. She had to get back to the Simurgh. Had to find a way through her defenses. Had to hit her hard enough to make a difference.

The Simurgh's wings spread wide again, casting an ominous feeling over the battlefield. Her song grew louder, the haunting melody digging into the capes skull like a needle. Even she was not wholly immune to the Simurgh flexing her newfound strength.

She could feel the edges of her mind fraying, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. But she pushed it down, buried it beneath years of training and sheer force of will.

I won't break. Not here. Not today.

She surged forward once more, determination burning in her chest. She would break through. She had to. For the capes who had already fallen. For the ones still fighting. For the world that couldn't afford to lose anymore.

Because if they lost here, Ellisburg wouldn't just be another city doomed by the Hopekiller. It would be the beginning of the end.

For all of them.

＊＊＊

Medical tent, outside Ellisburg.

The medical tent was a sanctuary in name only. The canvas walls flapped under the assault of the wind, their rustling barely masking the cacophony outside - the screams of the dying, the roars of Nilbog's monsters, the rumbling explosions, and the staccato bursts of gunfire. Blood, dirt, and the acrid scent of burned flesh mingled in the air, as the other few healers dealt with the minor injuries not worth her time.

Amy sat cross-legged in the center of the tent, her fingers loosely curled against her thighs, eyes closed. She had partitioned her mind again, separating herself from Ivy. It was a necessity. There was too much to handle, and she couldn't afford to feel the rush of vines, the pulse of roots, or the sensation of bark shifting beneath her as she fought. The job before her required her focus. If she slipped - if she got lost in Ivy's sensory world - more people would die.

Although not technically a hero anymore, she needed the system to prevail for now, because she was not at a stage to deal with Endbringers yet, nor the consequences therefrom.

One day…

Her power stretched across the field of battle like an invisible web, tendrils of biokinetic energy searching for the fraying threads of life. They threaded through Ellisburg's crumbling streets, across the massive breaches in the wall where Nilbog's creatures spilled out like an overflowing river of nightmares. She didn't need to see the chaos firsthand - she could feel it.

Her focus landed on Myrddin first, collapsed near a pile of rubble at the biggest breach. His breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising. The bones of his ribcage had been shattered, puncturing his right lung. His heart was struggling against the damage, blood pooling where it shouldn't.

She worked quickly, stabilizing the lung and guiding the jagged ribs back into place like setting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Blood vessels sealed themselves under her direction, oxygen flowed freely again, and his heart found its rhythm. Myrddin gasped, coughed violently, and rolled onto his side, but he was alive.

Move on. Don't stop. Keep going.

Her power flicked over to Dauntless next. The hero had been pinned against a piece of debris by a creature that resembled a bloated arachnid with far too many limbs. The monster's barbed leg had punched through his armor and buried itself in his gut. His intestines were perforated, bile and blood leaking into his abdominal cavity. His body was shutting down.

She reached into him, forcing the foreign matter out of the wound and mending the shredded tissue. The perforations sealed, the bleeding stopped, and the acidic damage to his stomach lining reversed itself under her careful touch. Dauntless's eyes fluttered open, his fingers twitching weakly against the hilt of his weapon.

All around them, heroes and villains rose again, while some, laid unmoving, Amy having arrived too late for them, or in case of some, like Exalt, they were in too many pieces to waste the energy on saving.

A violent roar shook the ground beneath her, but Amy didn't flinch, trusting in Vicky's presence to guard her body, while her mind and power were busy. Her awareness tunneled in on Velocity, who zipped through the battlefield at speeds that made him difficult to pin down, as he went back and forth ferrying injured capes she hadn't handled yet, back to safety.

One of Nilbog's flying creatures, a winged mass of feathers and sinew, had jusy managed to clip him with a razor-sharp talon. The gash along his shoulder blade wasn't deep, but blood loss would slow him down, and a slow Velocity was a dead Velocity. Amy stitched the wound before it could get worse, knitting muscle fibers and sealing the torn skin. Velocity didn't even notice the moment she healed him - he simply kept running, a blur of motion.

Her power brushed against a broken body sprawled near the breach, and her breath hitched for half a second. Chevalier. Even she recognized the well known hero. He was on his back, recently deceased but not brain dead yet, blood seeping through the cracks in his armor. A spike from one of Nilbog's insectoid creatures had punctured his side, through his kidney another slicing through his liver.

Amy gritted her teeth and dove in. The damage was extensive, but not beyond her reach, as she forced his heart to keep pumping, in essence resurrecting the recently dead, since his cells were still not wholly dead yet. The kidney and liver tissue regenerated under her guidance, the torn muscles reattached, and the internal bleeding came to a halt. Chevalier groaned softly as he stirred, but he was stable, if not able to keep fighting.

She could heal them, but not all the energy came from her shard, some came from their own bodies, and Chevalier would not be getting up anytime soon. She idly directed Vicky to call Strider to go pick him up before a monster came and chewed up all her hard work.

She could feel Legend's presence as a distant pulse of power as her own power slipped between people. His lasers lit up the darkened sky, cutting down swarms of Nilbog's creatures before they could overwhelm the capes holding the line. But even Legend couldn't be everywhere at once, and the breaches were too numerous at this point.

Further out, she found Assault. His body lay half-buried beneath the rubble of a collapsed building, his leg bent at an unnatural angle. He wasn't breathing. Panic surged momentarily, she liked Assault and Battery, but she clamped down on it. His heart had stopped only moments ago - there was still time. She surged into him, forcing his chest to rise and fall as she restarted his heart. She reconstructed his fractured tibia, reconnected severed nerves, and repaired the collapsed lung that had suffocated him. Assault gasped violently, his body spasming as air flooded his lungs.

He was still half buried, but he'd survive long enough for someone to get him. If they won…

She winced inwardly as she skipped over a body laying next to him, torn to shreds. Nothing I can do… Damnit…

One more saved. But how many more are dying while I work?

Amy's thoughts turned bitter. It was never-ending. No matter how many she healed, there were always more.

The bitterness sharpened as her mind inevitably circled back to Eidolon even as she worked. This is his fault. Maybe not directly, but she knew his backstory well enough to see the pattern.

Her rise to power as the hope against the Endbringers, rising against the status quo and rejecting the PRT and Protectorate, her public declarations of curing diseases and making humanity better - of course that had pissed him off. Eidolon had to be the greatest. He couldn't stomach anyone outshining him.

And so, days after she declared her biotinker expertise for saving humanity, the Simurgh cracks open Ellisburg, reigniting fear of biokinetics and associating them with Nilbog's monsters again.

What a coincidence…

She worked on another fallen cape - Blackout this time - feeling suspiciously similar to what Grue was supposed to be… Wards were sent to Ellisburg? That seemed… Unwise. She supposed the Undersiders had never been formed here thanks to her..

His shoulder was dislocated, his arm hanging limp at his side, while his ribs were fractured from the impact of being thrown into a wall at no doubt extreme speeds. She realigned the bones, reduced the swelling, and restored function to his arm before moving on.

It didn't matter how many lives she saved today. Tomorrow, the headlines would focus on the creatures that slipped past them. On the towns that would be attacked before they could track them all down. On the inevitable comparisons between her and Nilbog.

No matter what, this wouldn't be over quickly. Nilbogs creatures could make more… If only one of them remained free, the countryside would continue to see attacks for a long time going forward.

Each one dragging her name in the mud with it, as people would look at her in fear. Her poisoning, which hadn't even caused a riot, with people in Brockton trusting she'd heal them - now likely to be seen in a different manner.

Her power brushed against a body that didn't respond. Cache, a New York hero, had taken a direct hit from something massive - possibly one of Nilbog's giant creations. His head was caved in on one side, brain tissue splattered and irreparably damaged. Amy's power instinctively tried to piece him back together, but there was no saving someone whose brain was beyond repair. She pulled back, swallowing the lump in her throat.

I can't save everyone.

But she kept trying. She healed Sunstreak, whose body had been charred by a burst of acid, repairing the burns and neutralizing the remaining toxins. She found Ursa Aurora unconscious, her pulse faint but steady. A broken femur and fractured hip were her most severe injuries, and Amy set to work mending them.

Outside the tent, the sounds of battle grew louder. Nilbog's creatures were getting closer. She could feel them - their grotesque biology a mess of mutations that pulsed and throbbed with unnatural life. The capes fighting outside were holding them back, but barely.

She worked faster, pushing her power to its limits. Geomancer's spine had been fractured, but she repaired the damage, ensuring he wouldn't be paralyzed. Miss Militia's arm had been torn open, and Amy sealed the wound and moved on.

Her breaths came quicker, her body trembling with the strain of keeping so many threads connected at once. She couldn't afford to stop. She couldn't afford to fail. But the weight of it all pressed down on her, suffocating.

The tent shook as something massive slammed into the ground outside. Vicky shifted, her stance widening as she prepared to fight.

"Ames..." Vicky's voice was tense, cutting through the haze of Amy's thoughts.

Amy exhaled, her power surging outward one last time to save another life before the monsters broke through.

"I know. Go"

＊＊＊

Brockton Bay, Empire territory.

The warehouse reeked of sweat, steel, and desperation. A pungent combination that hung in the air like a suffocating blanket, clinging to the skin of every man and woman crammed inside the building. The full force of the Empire 88 gathered under flickering fluorescent lights - grizzled skinheads, armed thugs, and capes who still clung to the dream of supremacy despite the situation they were in.

They were all dying thanks to Remedy's efforts, something independent thinkers had confirmed for them. The desperation fueled them all in ways Kaiser found could be useful in saving his own skin. There was no hesitation when death loomed overhead. Only obedience.

If only they'd been this obedient from the start…

Then they could have used mercenaries to punish the Dallons, instead of Hookwolf dooming them all.

Kaiser stood on a raised platform of steel, his presence commanding the attention of every soldier and cape beneath him. The metal twisted and rose beneath his feet, forming jagged spires that mirrored his mood - violent and sharp. His bladed armor gleamed, catching the flicker of the lights above as he raised his arms to address them.

"Listen closely," His voice boomed, cutting through the murmurs and distant clangs of weapons being prepped. His words sounded with purpose, each syllable like a hammer striking hot metal. "We stand at the edge of oblivion, but that does not mean we fall. We rise. We adapt. We survive, we are above all else, superior!"

They listened, but not because they admired him, he knew, not anymore, not after the failures. They listened because they were afraid, desperate for a leader to guide them out of the spiral of destruction Remedy had pushed them into.

"Remedy and her little band of race traitors have robbed this city of the stability we brought. They've poisoned the city, turned public opinion against us, and cornered us like rats. But rats can bite. And we -" He paused, allowing the tension to build, " - are much worse than the rats they think we are, we are wolves. Our enemy has made a critical mistake. She thinks her control of the bay makes her untouchable even when away. She thinks that because her sister is away with her, she has nothing to lose."

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Kaiser's gaze swept the crowd, lingering on Hookwolf, who leaned against the far wall with a grimace, arms crossed and lips pulled into a permanent sneer. He hadn't spoken up during the speech, but Kaiser could feel the weight of his discontent pressing down on the room. Good. Let him stew. The moment he makes a move, I'll cut him down. Hookwolf was a tool, a weapon Kaiser needed for now, but tools could be broken if they stopped serving their purpose.

And if Kaiser managed to pull all this together somehow. Hookwolf would die by his hands at the end. For failing, for creating this mess.

"Here's what we do," Kaiser continued, his voice softening, forcing them to lean in to catch every word. "We storm Starlight's headquarters. We take all of her family hostages. We bring them to their knees and force Remedy to bargain for their lives. This is not a bloodbath. We don't kill the capes. We take, and we hold."

Kaiser would exchange them all for their healing, and depending on how stubborn Remedy was… For his healing and safe passage only.

There was a murmur of uncertainty from the skinheads, but Kaiser cut through it with a shout that silenced them instantly. "Anyone who steps out of line will be put down by myself personally. This is our last chance. We do this clean, we get hostages. Or we die."

They'd all die anyway, he only intended to negotiate for the capes. And even they were disposable if necessary. Luckily they'd already broken their captured capes out in the panic after the poisoning, the heroes too busy watching Remedy.

They'd need them all for this. Even Rune as green as she was would need to commit fully to this battle.

Hookwolf shifted, muttering something to Krieg, but neither man challenged him. Still, Kaiser could see the tension building. Hookwolf hated restraint, and Krieg's fanatical tendencies made him unpredictable. But they needed this plan to work, and Kaiser was prepared to kill them both, if it meant he'd leave this city as a survivor.

"Victor and Othala have already taken a different path to find us our salvation," He added, his tone sharp. "Gone on another mission through a private teleporter I hired. They'll act as our insurance policy. If we fail here, they'll handle Remedy directly."

The men looked more confident knowing Kaiser had not risked them all only on this one plan, fools all of them, he thought. Victor and Othala's chances of success were miniscule. An attempt for a Hail Mary.

Hookwolf snorted, loud enough for the room to hear. "You're putting all this faith in Othala and Victor? They're already as good as dead, and you know it."

Kaiser's lips curled into a sneer behind his crowned helmet. "You'll be dead before them if you don't shut up."

If only I'd killed him earlier…

Hookwolf glared at him, but stayed silent, his fists clenching at his sides. The room grew tense, but Kaiser continued, unflinching. "We have no choice. The truce with the PRT, with everyone - it's already meaningless. We're dying. I'll break the truce a hundred times over if it means survival."

There were nods throughout the crowd, the understanding settling into their bones. They had nothing left to lose. The only way forward was to gamble everything.

"For the Empire!" Kaiser shouted, his voice echoing off the steel walls.

"For the Empire!" The crowd roared back, fists raised in the air.

Kaiser felt a grim satisfaction as the energy of the room shifted. They were ready. This was their final play, and win or lose, they would make their mark.

And above all else. He would survive to start anew, much of Medhalls finances already being funneled to a new identity provided by Accord.

And then the wall behind him exploded.

A wave of fire roared into the warehouse, consuming crates and sending his men scrambling as flames licked across the steel floor. The heat was suffocating, filling the room with smoke and the scent of burning flesh. Kaiser staggered, turning toward the source of the blast, just in time to see Lung step through the wreckage, already escalated, flames coiling around his massive form as a clawed hand finished tearing apart the wall.

"NO!" Kaiser roared, his mind spinning. "You fool! Our enemy is Remedy, not you! Why are you attacking us?"

This was not happening, not now! This braindead chink was ruining everything!

Lung didn't respond with words. His roar shook the warehouse, the force of it rattling the steel beams overhead. His eyes glowed with an intense, primal fury, and the fire surrounding him surged, spreading across the room like a tidal wave as he stomped through, a tail already formed and sweeping away Alabaster, who'd only stood there gaping at the dragon.

Fenja and Menja reacted immediately, growing to their colossal forms and charging forward to protect Kaiser from their natural enemy. They collided with Lung, their combined weight forcing him back a few steps, but his fire didn't stop. It surged around them, searing their armor and making them scream in pain.

"Hold him back!" Kaiser yelled, steel spikes shooting forward to reinforce the twins in pushing Lung out before he slaughtered the regulars they needed to drown Starlight in targets they couldn't go all out against. "Don't let him get any farther!"

Behind Kaiser, Oni Lee flickered into existence, blades already in hand as he stabbed toward Kaiser who hadn't yet fully donned his battle armor, wearing thinner, more imposing armor for gravitas.

The world slowed as Kaiser's instincts took over, his armor expanding in an instant, blades of steel forming a protective shell around him. Oni Lee's blade struck, but it found no purchase, glancing harmlessly off the armor as the clone dissolved into smoke, grenades dropping to the floor, rolling around his feet.

Kaiser spun, even as he was blown aside from the resultant explosion, having lessened it by covering the grenades under a massive slab of steel, slashing through the air with a massive blade that bisected another Oni Lee clone before it could land a strike as he landed. "Why?" He growled, the rage boiling in his chest. "Why now?"

Oni Lee appeared several feet away, his voice calm, even as the warehouse burned around them. "The dragon fears no poison. He sees a weak enemy, and he strikes."

Kaiser's vision blurred with red. Lung saw us as weak. He thinks this is his moment to crush us and take what little we have left. His hands shook with fury as he sliced through another clone, the steel screeching against the warehouse floor. "You arrogant bastard," He spat. "You'll regret this."

Hookwolf, finally given the chaos he craved, shifted into his monstrous wolf form, metal blades protruding from every inch of his body as he launched himself at Lung. Their clash was explosive, the force of their collision sending shockwaves through the building. Flames clashed with steel, and the sound of ripping metal filled the air as they tore into each other.

Fenja and Menja backing off warily, burns all over their body, and Othala not here to be of immediate assistance.

But even Hookwolf couldn't hold Lung for long. The dragon's strength was monstrous, his claws tearing through Hookwolf's metal hide, leaving gouges that glowed red-hot from the heat. Hookwolf snarled, retaliating with a swipe that left a deep gash in Lung's arm, but the wound healed almost instantly, the flames cauterizing it before any blood could spill.

Fenja and Menja returned to the fight and fought valiantly, their massive forms grappling with Lung as they tried to pin him down with spear and sword. But the heat was too intense, the flames eating away at their defenses even as they cut Lung apart.

Lung only roared in rage, growing larger, the roof bulging as the three only increased in size in their struggle.

Kaiser gritted his teeth, summoning another wave of steel spikes to pierce Lung's side. The spikes found their mark, stabbing into his flesh, but Lung didn't slow down. If anything, the pain seemed to fuel his rage making him push Fenja and Menja back easier.

Kaiser felt the weight of defeat settling on his shoulders. They could drive Lung back eventually, but by then, it would be too late. Their forces would be decimated, their chance to take hostages and force Remedy's hand shattered.

His mind raced. This was supposed to be my victory. My plan to regain control. And now it's over.

He watched as Lung roared, flames engulfing the room once more, and felt nothing but hate. That fucking dragon.

As Oni Lee left grenades across the warehouse, blowing up the regular foot soldiers of the Empire, Kaiser snapped, roaring in full rage as every piece of metal in the warehouse bent to his will and shot forward, not caring about friendly fire.

"Die!" Kaiser screamed, his vision going blank as he poured everything he had into his power.

＊＊＊

Ellisburg,

The city's remaining structures were barely recognizable amidst the twisted wreckage, and its streets had become rivers of blood and black ichor. Nilbog's creatures, crawled over every surface, swarming through the breaches in the containment wall as though an unholy dam had burst.

Everywhere, capes fought. Heroes, Villains, it didn't matter. The Simurgh's presence in the sky reduced distinctions to irrelevance. Fireballs illuminated the smoky haze, streams of neon-colored energy seared through the air, and thunderous blasts shook the ground.

Despite their best efforts, the capes were being overwhelmed. For every creature they brought down, two more seemed to claw their way forward, screeching and snapping with monstrous glee. Nilbog had not been as placid as they'd thought, thousands of creatures coming forward, hundreds dying only to immediately find another creature jumping over the dead to claw at the capes.

Even with Remedy's healing, they were taking heavy casualties.

Case in point, a hero with tears streaming down his eyes, firing blasts of fire from his hands, one leg half chewed off, separated from the line as he desperately tried to stagger back.

His leg suddenly began bubbling, before healing slowly, the Hero only screaming in fear as he continued blasting, others trying to provide fire support, but it was no use. One, two, three monsters cut down, before a fourth tackled him to the ground, howls of absolute pain coming forth as a wolf-like creature tore out his intestines and ate them. The Hero being healed still, surviving it, as half a dozen creatures began eating him alive. Remedy cutting off the healing at that point, realizing it was useless, giving the cape the mercy of death.

And then, all at once, the ground itself began to pulse.

From the bodies of Nilbog's dead monsters - something stirred. Vines, thick and sinewy, slithered across the blood-soaked ground, spiraling upward like a living tide. Vegetation spread in every direction, sprouting leaves and thorny tendrils as it surged toward the breaches. Corpses were consumed in moments, their biomass broken down and absorbed as the plants grew at an impossible rate.

The vines coiled and twisted together, creating a dense barrier as tall as the city walls. They stretched across the massive gaps the Simurgh had torn open, sealing them shut one by one. From within the walls, Nilbog's creatures howled in fury, their path to freedom blocked by the encroaching greenery. They threw themselves at the barriers, claws and teeth ripping into the vines, but the plants regenerated faster than they could destroy them.

Poison Ivy walked through the ruined city, her crimson hair flowing like a banner in the wind. Her bare feet left imprints of moss and blooming flowers as she moved, each step a promise of life reclaiming death. Vines snapped to attention at her command, growing stronger, thicker, forming a living shield between Ellisburg and the rest of the world.

She could feel everything. The soil beneath her feet pulsed like a heartbeat, and every root and tendril was an extension of her will. The biomass around her was plentiful, the remains of thousands of Nilbog's monstrosities providing ample fuel for her creations. The entire city trembled as her power dug deep, burrowing into the underground caverns filled with Nilbog's grotesque birthing chambers. The sickly pods and fleshy sacks ruptured as she absorbed them into her network of roots, converting their vile contents into raw growth.

A roar of anger erupted nearby. Capes, both Hero and Villain, shouted in rage, fear and desperation as the realization set in - some of them were trapped inside the walls. Sealed off from reinforcements. Alone against the hundreds of creatures still prowling the streets.

Ivy's stomach twisted with guilt, but she pushed it aside. Between Amy's healing and the teleporters and fliers still operational, they would find a way to get those capes out. She had to trust that. The alternative - leaving the walls open and risking a nationwide catastrophe even larger than what was already happening - was unthinkable.

Hundreds or thousands of Nilbog's creatures were no doubt loose in the countryside already, they couldn't afford to let anymore through.

A sudden tremor in the air felt by her vines above her, broke her concentration, and instinct saved her life. She flung herself to the side, vines lashing out to catch her mid-roll and kept her rolling away, as a massive chunk of debris crashed into the ground where she had stood. Her eyes darted upward, narrowing as she saw the Simurgh hovering in the distance face turned downwards.

The Endbringer had noticed her.

Chunks of buildings, wrecked vehicles, and shattered concrete still rotated in the Simurgh's telekinetic grip, orbiting her like a deadly halo. With a flick of her alabaster wings, she sent another barrage of debris hurtling toward Ivy. A wall of vines erupted in response, catching the brunt of the impact, but the force still sent her tumbling backward.

Before the next barrage could follow, a blur of black and gold shot through the sky. Alexandria. She intercepted the debris mid-flight, fists smashing through chunks of concrete as if they were made of papier-mâché. The air trembled with the force of her movements as she placed herself between Ivy and the Endbringer.

"You need to move, I only got through that due to her not putting her full telekinetic force behind the strike." She ordered Ivy tersely.

The Simurgh is a precog… So why didn't she see that? She's hardly being pressured right now. Ivy thought, wondering for what reason the Simurgh had pulled her punches for that moment…

Then Eidolon ascended into the sky. His cloak billowed around him, his body language screaming of displeasure and anger. A beam of blinding light burst from his hands, slicing through the swirling debris field and temporarily creating a gap in the Simurgh's defenses.

Legend swooped in next, beams of light searing through the air as he targeted the Simurgh's wings. He was followed by several Dragoncraft. They fired in unison, unleashing a storm of missiles, lasers, and plasma blasts. For a moment, it seemed as though they were gaining ground.

But the Simurgh was never easy prey.

With her precognition no doubt guiding her, she moved like a ghost, slipping through their attacks with ease. Missiles were redirected and detonated in front of Eidolons attack, momentarily blocking his sight, lasers scorched the air where she had been a millisecond earlier, and Legend's beams barely grazed her feathers. Her haunting song grew louder, the vibrations shaking the air and crawling into the bones of those who heard it. Ivy winced, clamping her hands over her ears, but the sound was inescapable.

The Simurgh's wings flared, and with a single telekinetic push, she crumpled the Dragoncraft like paper. The twisted metal husks crashed to the ground in fiery explosions, smoke billowing into the sky. Legend was sent spiraling by the shockwave, smashing hard into the city walls. Alexandria managed to steady herself mid-flight, but Eidolon vanished in a blur, only to reappear moments later, launching another beam, this time one of molten magma, toward the Simurgh's head.

The molten beam struck its mark, but the damage was negligible. The Simurgh barely seemed to notice, the debris field momentarily Coalescing on one side, pushing Eidolon back. Legend rose into the air again in the distance, uniform stained with blood, obviously having been healed by Remedy.

Around them more capes began showing up desperately adding to the attack against the practically pristine Endbringer above them, Myrddin appearing on a building nearby, followed by an entire contingent of capes.

Ivy gritted her teeth, digging her fingers into the soil as she reached deeper into the earth. Her veins felt like they would burst from the strain, but she couldn't stop. The biomass beneath Ellisburg was plentiful, a disgusting reservoir of organic material just waiting to be repurposed. She funneled it all into her power, letting it flow through her like a raging river.

Her scream tore through her throat as she unleashed everything.

Massive vines, each the size of a skyscraper, erupted from the ground. They coiled around the Simurgh, encircling her in a cage of living vegetation. The Endbringer thrashed, her wings slicing through the vines like a razor through silk, but for every vine she severed, another two took its place. The city shook as the vines twisted and constricted, their thorny surfaces tearing into the Simurgh's alabaster body, even as telekinetic blasts pulped vegetation around her every second.

From her vantage point, Alexandria could only stare in disbelief. Ivy's power had transformed the city into a battlefield of titanic proportions, and for the first time, it seemed as though they had the Simurgh trapped. How? She thought, how didn't she see that coming?

But it wouldn't last forever, she knew either way. They needed to take advantage.

"Move!" Alexandria's instincts kicked in as she shot toward the Endbringer, her body a blur of speed. Legend and Eidolon followed, coordinating their attacks. Alexandria's fists pummeled the Simurgh's torso, each blow backed by enough force to shatter buildings. Legend's lasers carved glowing lines across her feathered wings, while Eidolon unleashed a blast of corrupting time that the Simurgh managed to avoid by leaning into Alexandria's attacks, almost coming to hug the brute to duck below Eidolon's attack.

The Simurgh let out a high-pitched cry, her song rising as the air vibrated around her, her wings unfurling in a flurry of motion. The sound reverberated through the city, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Alexandria thought her head might split open from the pressure. But she pushed through it, her vision narrowing as she delivered another blow to the Endbringer's torso.

Below them, the other Capes began assisting. Even as time was running out on their armbands, firing everything they had while the Simurgh's precog ability seemed dampened.

This was their chance.

With Poison Ivy's vines holding the Simurgh in place and the Triumvirate striking in unison, maybe - just maybe - they could end this nightmare.

＊＊＊

Medical tents outside Ellisburg.

The air inside the medical tent was stifling, thick with the scent of antiseptics and blood, Cries of pain and groans of relief blended together, a background symphony to the madness outside.

Amy still sat cross-legged in the center of the tent, her hands pressed down on her own knees as her consciousness stretched outward, reaching for capes across Ellisburg.

The energy Shaper provided to her flowed like a current, a spark of vitality that connected her to the wounded, the dying, and even the recently dead. Her breath came in steady rhythms, her mind partitioned to keep Ivy's influence from overwhelming her focus.

Still, she felt Ivy's pain, her determination, even as she couldn't allow herself to focus too hard on it.

Through her power, she felt the devastation spreading like a disease. At the largest former breach, the Brockton Bay Protectorate was holding the line stuck on the inside of Ellisburg, their backs against Ivy's wall.

Dauntless led the charge, his armor dinged and bloody as he deflected a monstrous creature's swiping claws with his shield. Velocity darted between foes, moving like a blur as he knocked one beast into another, disorienting them long enough for Armsmaster to deliver a finishing blow.

But they were drowning in numbers, for every creature they killed, there were dozens more.

Amy's consciousness swept through the former breach, locking onto Dauntless as he took a hit that sent him sprawling. His ribs were cracked, one lung punctured. She mended him before he could even hit the ground, sealing the tear in his lung and reinforcing his bones with a bit of extra density. Her power jumped to Velocity next, knitting together a gash on his leg before he stumbled.

Across the battlefield, she sensed Miss Militia struggling, her left arm hanging uselessly from a dislocated shoulder. Amy popped the joint back into place remotely, soothing the torn ligaments with a wave of cellular repair. The woman didn't even pause to acknowledge the healing - she simply raised her rifle and resumed firing.

Capes were falling faster than she could keep up. One by one, they blinked out of her awareness, their life forces extinguished beyond what was worth wasting energy on healing before she could reach them. She bit her lip, suppressing the rising wave of guilt. She couldn't save everyone.

Paradoxically, this was worse than going head to head with an Endbringer. She'd been able to heal most victims from Behemoth, as long as they hadn't been turned to complete sludge. But here, the enemy ripped apart and ate the defeated capes. There was nothing she could do.

Strider was working overtime, teleporting capes out of the city as fast as he could. But for every one he pulled out, another fell in their place.

Through the haze of her concentration, she barely registered Vicky's continued absence. Her sister had left the tent minutes ago to join the battle outside, her presence a bright star in Amy's mental map of the conflict. Vicky was holding her own, but Amy couldn't shake the gnawing worry at the back of her mind. Vicky was strong, yes - but she too could be overwhelmed…

The idea of Vicky being torn down to the ground and monsters ripping her apart like she'd felt from so many capes terrified her.

She shoved the thought aside. She had to focus.

A surge of pain flickered across her awareness, and she zeroed in on Narwhal. The forcefield-generating heroine had taken a direct hit from the Simurgh, her forcefield cracking like glass as she was hurled into a wall. Amy felt the internal bleeding spreading like ink in water. She clamped down on the injury, forcing the blood back into her veins and repairing the ruptured vessels.

Her breathing hitched. The strain was building.

But she couldn't stop.

Outside the tent, she heard the distant roar of a creature being struck down, followed by Vicky's triumphant yell. Relief washed over her, brief but welcome. Vicky was fine. For now.

She shifted her attention to another injured cape, but before she could connect, something cold and sharp slipped between her ribs. The sensation was unexpected, almost surreal. There was no real pain, not with how changed her body was, only the awareness of the intrusion, the resistance as the blade pressed into her hardened muscles and stopped short, unable to go further.

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked down to see a glint of steel fruitlessly attempting to bury itself into her side.

Victor stood before her, not even masked, dressed as a nurse, his face twisted in a mask of concentration and frustration as he struggled to force the blade deeper. His teeth were bared, veins bulging in his neck as he applied every ounce of strength he had.

Amy's gaze traveled from the knife to Victor's face, then beyond him to where Othala stood, her eyes blazing with hatred. Amy realized immediately that Othala must have granted Victor a brute power, likely increasing his strength to dangerous levels.

The other heroes and support staff in the tent froze, their eyes wide with shock. No one moved. No one knew what to do.

So this is the Empire's play… Since I 'can't heal myself', injure me severely, hold me hostage, Othala offers to heal me if I only heal the Empire's capes from their affliction…

It was almost a worthy ploy. If a simple low level brute had still been able to do more than tickle her.

Amy's lips curled into a cold smile. "Do you need help with that?" Her voice was calm, mocking, as though she were merely addressing a minor inconvenience. "You're supposed to be superior, right? Yet you're having performance issues. How embarrassing."

Victor's eyes widened with fury, and he gritted his teeth, twisting the knife as if that would change the fact that it wasn't penetrating any deeper. "Surrender to the Empire, and you won't die today," He hissed through clenched teeth, his breath hot against her face.

Amy didn't flinch. She didn't even blink. Her attention returned to her power, ignoring the knife attempting to lodge itself between her ribs as she continued healing capes across the battlefield. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction to his pitiful attempt.

Not when the capes on the battlefield needed her.

The Empire was lucky they were already dying, or the response for this flagrant break of the truce would have been very bad for them.

Also, they should have brought more capes, so they could have prevented that nurse from slipping out as soon as Victor stabbed her.

Any second now…

Suddenly, the tent flap tore open, and Vicky burst inside, her uniform streaked with green and black blood and her hair matted with gore. Her eyes blazed with unrestrained fury as she took in the scene - the knife, Victor, Othala's hateful expression.

"Ames!" Vicky's voice cracked, raw and desperate.

Amy remained seated, her gaze steady. "I'm fine, hardly even broke the skin," She murmured soothingly, though Vicky was already moving.

Victor barely had time to react before Vicky slammed into him with the force of a freight train. The impact was brutal, sending him crashing into a table of medical supplies and scattering syringes and bandages across the floor. He groaned, trying to push himself up, but Vicky didn't give him the chance. Her fists rained down on him, each punch delivered with the kind of ferocity that only came from terror.

Othala screamed, her voice shrill and hysterical as she watched her partner's head snap backward under the force of Vicky's blows. When the final punch connected, Victor's skull caved in with a sickening crunch, his head lolling to the side as blood pooled beneath him.

Vicky stood over his body, chest heaving, her knuckles slick with blood. Her eyes darted to Amy, wide and frantic. "Are you okay?"

Shit that was hot… And gross. But mostly hot. My knight in shining armor…

Amy rose slowly, the knife still embedded in her side, though it had barely pierced her skin. She walked toward Vicky and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm okay," She whispered, her fingers threading through Vicky's blood-soaked hair, uncaring of the blood and gore she got over her own uniform. "It was just a knife. It barely got past the skin. I knew you would come before any danger happened…"

Vicky clung to her, her breath hitching as she fought to steady herself. "I - I got scared for a second," She admitted, her voice small and vulnerable. "I can't lose you."

"You won't." Amy stroked her hair, soothing her like she had so many times before. "You did the right thing, no one will blame you, they broke the truce."

She ignored the still hysterically screaming Othala.

Vicky glanced at what remained of Victor and grimaced, Amy could feel through her power that her stomach was churning at the sight."I think I overdid it."

"You didn't," Amy assured her. "He made his choice. You were perfect."

Othala was still screaming, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. Amy finally turned, her patience worn thin. "Can someone shut her the fuck up?" She gestured toward the woman with a lazy flick of her fingers.

One of the heroes - a cape Amy didn't recognize - moved quickly, delivering a swift punch to Othala's gut that silenced her with a choked gasp. She crumpled to the floor, clutching her stomach.

Well, not how I meant it, but they did break the truce…

Othala was soon trussed up like a Christmas turkey, left in her corner to stare at the body of her husband.

Amy sighed, her hand resting on Vicky's shoulder as she scanned the tent and addressed the other heroes on supposed bodyguard duty. "Find out how the hell they got in here without anyone noticing. They weren't supposed to be here, they certainly didn't arrive through Strider or a Protectorate source. The truce was broken, someone helped them."

The heroes exchanged uneasy glances, but no one had an answer as to how it happened.

Then, all of a sudden, Amy felt nothing but pure pain, something she shouldn't even be able to feel with her pain receptors practically turned off, and to Vicky's panicked shouts, she succumbed and lost consciousness.

Across Ellisburg all healing stopped.

＊＊＊

Inside Ellisburg.

The battlefield was a nightmare painted in chaos and blood. The air was thick with the scent of scorched concrete, burning flesh, and the earthy tang of shattered vegetation. The constant roar of battle was deafening - explosions, shrieks of monstrous creatures, and the steady thrum of the Simurgh's haunting song vibrating through the air like an unholy symphony. Alexandria soared above it all, her senses hyper-focused, scanning the battlefield for any sign of weakness in the hovering Endbringer.

Time was running out.

Every second the Simurgh remained tethered to Ellisburg was another second of possible devastation, another second closer to Nilbog's creatures swarming into neighboring cities, spreading chaos and death like a plague. But for the first time in years of fighting against the Angel of Death, Alexandria felt a sliver of hope - even against the Hopekiller herself.

Poison Ivy.

Vines as thick as buildings still erupted from the earth, twisting and writhing like serpents as they lashed out at the Simurgh. They coiled around her, tightening like a noose, binding her wings and torso. The constant assault turned the sky into a storm of greenery, obscuring visibility for them, but limiting the Endbringer's telekinetic control of the sky, as she was constantly fighting off the vines.

Ivy was making her bleed. Large holes punctured the Simurgh's torso, inflicted by coordinated attacks - Legend's lasers, Alexandria's strikes, Eidolon's power combinations, and the relentless barrage of nature itself.

Alexandria glanced down, her sharp eyes locking onto the top of a still-standing building where Poison Ivy knelt.

The villain's arms trembled violently, her fingers twitching and even snapping, as she strained to maintain control of the living storm she had unleashed. Blood streamed down her face - out of her ears, her nose, her eyes, staining her skin crimson. Her green costume clung to her like a second skin, slick with sweat and blood. Every breath she took was labored, each exhale a shudder. She was killing herself to keep the vines moving.

Alexandria grimaced, her jaw tightening. She didn't like Poison Ivy. The villain was an unpredictable factor in an already chaotic world, a living bioweapon whose existence threatened everything Alexandria had spent her career protecting. But she couldn't deny the woman's commitment. Ivy was burning herself alive to give them a chance at victory.

"Legend, focus your fire on the right wing! We're starting to break through!" She called through the armbands, her voice cutting through the cacophony.

If they could cut the wings, perhaps… She had noticed the longer the fight went on, the more strikes that went through, that the Simurgh couldn't deflect or avoid all strikes, but she prioritized protecting her wings.

"On it," Legend replied, backed up by Narwhal to keep him from being tossed across the city again.

Eidolon floated nearby, silent, as he cycled through powers at a rapid pace. A molten beam of magma seared through the Simurgh's debris field again, followed by a pulse of kinetic force that rippled across her body, making her stagger midair. Eidolon was throwing everything he had at her, power after power, cycling between them trying to find something that would put the Simurgh down.

Alexandria felt another tremor run through the vines. She looked down again, just in time to see Poison Ivy drop to her knees, her body swaying as if she were about to collapse. The vines across the city trembled and slackened slightly, losing their rigidity.

She's at her limit, it's too early, we're so close!

A massive vine lashed upward, catching the Simurgh and pulling her downward in a last gasp attempt, yanking her out of the air. More vines coiled around her wings, her arms, her neck - binding her in place like a fly trapped in a spider's web. For the first time in the entire battle, the Simurgh was immobilized.

Alexandria's breath hitched in her throat. They had her.

"Finish her!" She shouted through the comms. Legend, Eidolon, and the entire complement of capes all shifted, repositioning to strike the Simurgh's exposed wings with everything they had.

Then, Alexandria's blood turned to ice.

The Simurgh wasn't struggling. She wasn't trying to break free. She was going down too quickly.

Her face focused downward, focused solely on Poison Ivy.

"She's going after Poison Ivy!" Alexandria shouted, her voice cutting through the comms like a gunshot as she connected to Eidolon. She dove toward the ground, wind whipping past her face as she accelerated to her maximum speed.

Eidolon didn't respond. He fired another blast of molten energy directly at the Simurgh's back, scoring another hit but failing to divert her descent, if anything he sped it up.

"Damn it, Eidolon! Protect her!" Alexandria bellowed, but it was too late.

The Simurgh used the momentum of the vines to accelerate her downward trajectory. Legend's lasers sliced past her, missing by inches as she plummeted like a meteor. The vines holding her in place snapped or burned away as she barreled toward the building where Poison Ivy knelt, too exhausted to move.

No. No.

Alexandria poured everything into her flight, pushing herself faster. She was close - so close - but the Simurgh was faster. Vines desperately shot upward from the ground, trying to intercept her, but the Simurgh batted them away with a telekinetic wave. The impact shattered buildings and sent capes flying, broken.

Poison Ivy looked up, her eyes glassy and unfocused. Blood dripped from her every orifice as she raised a trembling hand - and gave the Simurgh the finger, a bloody grin on her face.

Alexandria's heart seized in her chest. We were so close…

The Simurgh unleashed a telekinetic blast point range, that struck the building like a bomb. The building disintegrated in an explosion of glass and steel, the shockwave flattening nearby structures and sending debris flying in every direction. Alexandria was flung backward, slamming into a nearby building hard enough to crack its foundation.

When the dust settled, the building was gone. Nothing remained but a smoldering crater.

And Poison Ivy was gone with it.

Alexandria hovered in the air, staring down at the crater, her mind blank for a moment. Ivy had bought them time, had given them the closest thing to victory they'd ever had against the Simurgh. She'd held her own against the Endbringer and left a mark that wouldn't be forgotten.

A pang of respect - begrudging but undeniable - settled in Alexandria's chest.

She could only hope this wouldn't send Remedy spiraling into something worse…

Then, without warning, the Simurgh turned and began to rise into the sky. She didn't hover, didn't linger to finish the job. She simply flew upward, her wings unfurling as she ascended into the clouds. The ever-present hum of her song grew fainter as she disappeared into the atmosphere.

"She's leaving," Legend said, his voice filled with disbelief.

Alexandria's fists clenched at her sides. Why? The Simurgh never did things without reason. What had changed? What was her game this time? They had managed to prevent a full release of Nilbog's creatures. Wasn't that her goal? Why was she retreating?

She floated above the crater for a moment longer, then forced herself to move. They didn't have time to dwell on what had just happened. The battle wasn't over.

There were still monsters alive, unfortunately many of them outside the containment walls.

She flew to Eidolon, who was still hovering midair, staring blankly at the sky where the Simurgh had vanished.

"Eidolon," She snapped, still irritated at his failure to assist in protecting Poison Ivy who would have been useful beyong this one Endbringer fight. "We need to start clearing up the rest of the monsters. What about Nilbog?"

Eidolon blinked, as if coming out of a trance. He shook his head slowly, without words telling her of his failure.

Alexandria's stomach sank. Of course Nilbog was gone. He'd likely been gone since the moment the first breach opened, and now he was out there somewhere, likely with the Simurgh's influence embedded deep in his mind.

Just perfect.

No wonder she left. She'd accomplished her goal well enough, and cut down someone capable of inconveniencing her.

"Legend, Dragon," She said into the comms, her voice sharp and authoritative. "Nilbog is unaccounted for. We need containment plans in place immediately. Start sweeping the countryside for any sign of him or his creatures."

Dragon's voice crackled through the comms. "Understood. Deploying search drones now."

Alexandria took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration boiling inside her. One battle won. A war waiting to begin.

She looked down at the ruins of Ellisburg, the city reduced to rubble and overgrown vines, Nilbog's surviving monsters still roaming in the distance. The survivors were scattered, the wounded being evacuated, the dead being counted.

There was still work to do.

＊＊＊

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Topic: Saving Brockton Bay

In: Boards America Brockton Bay Cape news Remedy

Remedy (Verified Hero)(Starlight)

In case anyone missed the broadcast. This is Remedy, the healer formerly known as Panacea, letting you all know that, yes, If you are in Brocktons Bay, you ARE dying.

And yes, I WILL heal you of not only the poison, but all that ails you, in return for a few answers..

Are you, or have you ever been an active member of a criminal gang?

Have you ever, through action, monetary or material support, knowingly supported a criminal gang in their activities?

Have you committed any felonies?

These are just a sample of the questions you will be asked. If you are innocent, you will walk away, fully healthy, knowing the city will soon be free of evil.

If you are guilty, you will face your punishment, there is no escape, there are no other healers or miracle workers that will save you in time. Consider this retribution from all of Brocktons Bay for preying on the good people who just try to get through their day.

I, and Starlight, are partnering with Poison Ivy, to protect this city, to heal it from its wounds, and removing the cancer from within, that is the E88 and ABB.

Already the docks are once again available for ships to trade, Poison Ivy is working on curing world hunger, and a multitude of diseases with my help. This will create an entire new pharmaceutical industry, a vibrant dock revival as we ship the world's cures out of our city for top dollar.

Bear with us, with this slight inconvenience that will not harm the innocent. And jobs, health, and prosperity will once again come to Brockton.

And no. This is not a joke.

Link to broadcasted interview and the verdant barricade protecting Brockton Bay.

(Showing page 1 of 169)

Niraada (Verified Brocktonite)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

What!?

Generic Protagonist

Replied On July 30th 2010:

No, seriously.

What!?

Also, we're all going to die!

BlackBonBon

Replied On July 30th 2010:

Checks the Verified Hero tag.

Checks post admitting to poisoning an entire city like a comic book villain.

Double checks the Verified Hero tag.

Mods aren't keeping up with the times, smh, sad state of PHO…

Winged_One

Replied On July 30th 2010:

So Remedy outright admitted to going full Nilbog right now?

Where is the PRT?

Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

For once, I was not in the know. Also, apparently dying now, so thanks for that, #Remedy…

There is still no official PRT response, although sources say Director Piggot is considering all available options.

And I guess this isn't much news compared to the poisoning, but the Pelham family of New Wave has all officially joined Starlight.

#Lady Photon thoughts on that choice, considering?

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

#BlackBonBon She is technically still a Hero until the PRT says otherwise, therefore the tag stays.

I would remind everyone to still keep calm in this difficult situation, and to not antagonize capes.

Single Protector (Verified Brocktonite)(Temp banned)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

How are people not more upset!?

Remedy infected a quarter of a million people with a deadly virus!

This is literally the start of the zombie apocalypse!

Why aren't there riots? Why aren't the heroes going for her head? Why is the rest of Starlight condoning this?

#Glory Girl How is this okay? You can't be supporting this?

Long Thick Burrito

Replied On July 30th 2010:

#Single Protector chill man, she's gonna heal everyone, so it's like, not a biggie, man.

And just like, imagine no more gangs man, isn't it like, totally worth it? Heroes haven't done shit since like Marquis, dude.

Also, I have like this bum knee and like fixing that for free… Man I'd let her poison me again for that, srlsy.

Niraada (Verified Brocktonite)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

I have no words.

Oh, I found some.

How can anyone trust her!? Do no harm ring a bell? She had to swear that when she began doing the hospital shit!

She's already broken her word!

XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On July 30th 2010:

It's so obvious what happened! Remedy came out as gay, right?

In the comics, Poison Ivy has lipstick that totally kills or controls those she kisses, she seduced Remedy and MASTERED her!

That's why they're partners now! That's who really is the mastermind behind this! We gotta save Remedy!

MyAfroAteMyDog

Replied On July 30th 2010:

#xVoid_CowboyxX Nice try, here's my rebuttal. Img1, img2.

Girl ain't mastered, she isn't dating Poison Ivy, she's just your regular degenerate like the rest of us.

One of us! One of us!

Poison smoichon, who cares, look at that shit, that's primo stuff!

Liima1 (Verified Finnish)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

So that is not photoshop, right? #Remedy, #Glory Girl.

I kiss my sister too, at times. But not like that!

Also, Glory Girl is sure grabbing Remedy's ass in a very non sisterly way…

Fuck the poison, we'll live or we won't, I want to know if the two sisters are hooking up!

SlanneshSoldier69

Replied On July 30th 2010:

The OTP has come true! Praise be to all that is holy.

#Remedy Glory Girl doms you, right? I'm totally right aren't I?

Single Protector (Verified Brocktonite) (Temp banned)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!?

The entire city has been infected with a deadly disease, the PRT and City Hall are completely unresponsive, and you guys are too busy to stare at a few pictures of sick incest to give a damn!

No wonder this city is a hellhole!

You all DESERVE this! I hope you choke while waiting for Remedy to master you in return for healing!

Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

The PRT is working on a response to the situation, everyone needs to remain calm and stay in their homes until further instructions arrive.

I understand that is not enough, but it's what I have at the moment. The gangs are also infected and may act out, so I can't stress enough that you need to stay home and not risk causing a riot or an unfortunate situation.

As soon as we have something, it will be disseminated to the public, do NOT approach Remedy or Poison Ivy until the PRT has verified their words and can keep you safe.

Tin_Mother (Moderator)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

Keep it clean people, regardless of Hero or Villain status, Remedy and Glory Girl are under 18, so don't make me come back.

#Single Protector take a 48 hour break, do not attempt to rile people up against a cape, and do not wish death on fellow forum users.

GehsteigPanzer

Replied On July 30th 2010:

#Reave as always you are the bland sterile purveyor of absolutely nothing substantial, congrats on adding absolutely no useful information. Knew I could count on you buddy!

#Single Protector Is this your first day on the internet? What is your everyday villain and city under threat compared to Glory Girl banging her sister.

I mean it's Glory Girl. Remedy is cute. But… Glory Girl.

Again. What is more important?

I feel the comments have already give their opinion. Rightly so.

It also begs the question, do we have a Buffy situation on hand? Glory Girl fucked Remedy and then she turned evil?

Dr. Flembo

Replied On July 30th 2010:

It pains me to say it, but Void might have a point. Poison Ivy poisoning the city makes sense. I mean… It's even in the name for Christ's sake!

So did she master Remedy? Because this does not make sense for her, and yeah I saw the interview, and it still seems like a stretch.

To go from Hero to taking a city hostage, that stinks of mastering to me…

Brocktonite03 (Veteran Member)

Replied On July 30th 2010:

Put aside the thirst, I think #Dr. Flembo has a point here. Why isn't the PRT going after Poison Ivy? Legend was here, wasn't he?

I mean I get the world hunger and cure of diseases thing is a big deal, but still.

And can I just say that it's utterly pathetic that I'm the first commenter to even mention the promised improvements to the city and the cures!?

SlanneshSoldier69

Replied On July 30th 2010:

#Brocktonite03 Who cares?

We'll die or we'll live, cures will be made or they won't. We can't do shit about any of it.

What we can do… Is admire Glory Girl smashing Remedy in our thoughts.

Glory Girl (Verified Hero) (Starlight)

First off, I'm fully onboard with this. So is Lady Photon and the rest of Starlight. So okay, it might not have been the cleanest solution, but come on! In a few weeks, there will be no more abductions, sex slavery, forced addiction, constant murders and all the other garbage the gangs pull.

This is a good thing.

Amy is a good person. No she isn't mastered, no I'm not mastered.

We're just doing what we should as Heroes. Taking out the trash, no matter how much we have to stain our souls for it, to make sure you all can walk down the street safely.

Isn't it worth it?

Aren't you tired of seeing the city hurt?

#Bagrat Stop whining, if you're Innocent, you'll get out of this even healthier then coming in. Unless there's something you wanna say about how you always get info? Crimes on your conscience?

#Single Protector People aren't rioting cuz this is Brockton, we all know how horrible the gangs are. People are willing to do this to get rid of them.

Except you, have any gang tats you're regretting?

#Niraada Poison Ivy poisoned the city, Amy is just working with her to make sure everyone comes out better off, with no more evil.

She hasn't broken her word.

Also, to everyone, stop being pervs, but yes, Amy and I are together. She's adopted, so it's not incest. Grow up.

If any of you bothered to go out into the sunlight now and then you'd realize how amazing she really is, but you can't have her.

I saw her first.

End of Page. 4, 5, 6 ... 167, 168, 169

…

Amy put down her phone, even the mind rotting world that was PHO not able to distract her. Even with Vicky as usual having gone to bat for her against the crazies online a few days ago.

She hadn't bothered checking the fallout until now.

She wasn't surprised that they'd hardly been able to focus on the poison or the cures in the face of the scandal of Vicky and her being caught kissing on camera.

That was the online community for you.

She almost wished they'd been screeching a bit more about how evil she was instead, it might have distracted her a bit longer in amusement…

Ivy dying had hurt. And for someone who barely felt pain anymore, it had hurt a lot! Mentally she'd felt like she'd been torn asunder, and she was glad she'd fallen unconscious so quickly.

It had terrified Vicky though, and she'd been practically inconsolable until Amy woke up.

They were home now, finally, Amy having dodged any questions from Alexandria by simply having Strider taking them back.

She'd already checked, and her clone power was still there, so tomorrow, she could recreate Ivy's body and stick her clone phantasm inside it again.

Wouldn't that be a shock for the PRT? They must feel so smug right now, thinking Amy couldn't hold Brockton Bay anymore without Ivy…

All that… Wasn't the major thing distracting her however.

Coming home, Vicky had pushed her to go have a shower, eager to get to her own, pushing her forehead against Amy's, staring into her eyes with need.

Telling Amy that she needed her. Tonight. Fully. All the way.

Why does her showers always have to be so long…? Amy whined inwardly, almost ready to combust.

＊＊＊