Taylor watched in morbid fascination as the combination of corrosive flesh eating supervirus worked alongside one of Vivian’s most terrifying bombs. The same effect that she had used in the rifle round deployed against Heartbreaker. An absolutely horrific fate to be sure, and it was no wonder Jacob had asked her to join the Nine given she could reproduce the effects of the second-scariest member in the group’s history.
The one member Jacob actually lamented putting down.
“Damn, you Gray Boy’d them,” Amy said, watching the live stream of the unfolding chaos. “Riley, remind me to never piss you off.”
“Hey, the bacteria strain was mine, the bomb was Vivian’s,” Riley said.
Vivian chuckled. “Look at the bright side, with this, none of you have to heal a Nazi.”
Amy however, groaned. “They’re still going to call me in to check for potential contagions. Not like I can tell them I helped make sure the bacteria was too short-lived to actually spread.”
“Or that you toned it down from flesh melting zombies to just flesh melting,” Vivian said with a chortle. Amy of course smacked her which only made her laugh harder.
“How many capes does that leave the Empire now?” Jacob asked, attempting to get everyone back on track.
Taylor brought up her internal list, checking off another three with that little ploy. “Kaiser, Fenja, Menja, Hookwolf and technically Cricket at this point, though that last one will never fight again thanks to Vivian.”
“What about Alabaster?” Lisa asked. “I couldn’t find anything on him since before Arcadia.”
Taylor sighed. “Either Coil had him removed to prevent his plan from being disrupted, or he was on a hushed up mission. He hasn’t been seen in almost two months regardless.”
The Empire was crippled, and recovery would take considerable time even if no other actions were taken. Granted, she didn’t expect Lung to actually allow that. As soon as the Nine truce broke down, whatever was left of the villains in Brockton would turn upon the Empire and tear them out. Their best bet would be to revert to civvies and weather the storm and try to recover slowly.
Taylor didn’t intend for them to get that chance. “Alright, Director Calvert should be calling the truce meeting soon. I’ll be attending as Cyber, to confirm for the Director that I survived and rattle him a bit.”
“And you won’t confirm or deny my own survival,” Lisa said, squeezing her hand. “He’s gonna freak out and scramble to try and learn things, he’ll be extra cautious with his safe split too.”
“Which Melissa will exploit,” Jacob said. “The first time he skirts his duty to try something, she will kill him, but only after confirming to him that she’s aware he is Coil.”
“Hell, there’s a good chance she already has,” Lisa added. “He was always slippery, and he never would have imagined that someone would figure out his game. Worse, once he knows he’s being played, he will get complacent.”
“You think he’ll start using those visits to gather information,” Jacob said.
Lisa’s smile widened. “Oh, I’m counting on it. We have a time set, we just have to bide until then.”
Taylor shook her head, already anticipating the headaches to come as people reacted to the Nine’s provocations. Using Vivian’s ordinance would only invite heavy retaliation and requests for reinforcements. Legend would limit those, but not stop them outright, there was only so much he could do to protect his black ops team. A signal came across the PRT broadcast channels, the one they had been waiting for.
“Alright, next stage. Have Melissa ready, we have a truce meeting to attend.”
Taylor stood, already messaging the Undersiders to make ready. The Dockworkers would have to make do for a few hours, but that plan was safe enough. The Nine wouldn’t be hitting them one bit aside from some posturing and gloating if it became clear that the Major had some ties to them and Lung was more or less cooperating for the moment.
Taylor knew she was playing with fire, she wasn’t even sixteen and Jacob was letting her gamble with the lives of his people. Granted, he could overrule her at any point, but he hadn’t. He approved of her ideas, offered advice on refining things. The cleansing of Brockton Bay was being left to her, and she couldn’t deny the heavy burden she could feel hanging on her shoulders.
Lisa moved to her, pulling her into a hug. “Hey, it’s gonna be alright.”
She returned the embrace, holding tight to that lifeline. “I wish I had your optimism.”
“You have all the information this time,” Lisa said softly as a devious smirk grew. “I have faith that you’ll fuck Coil raw.”
Taylor grimaced at the mental image, then swatted her girlfriend’s shoulder. “Don’t even joke about that. I won’t get that mental image out of my head for months, you wench.”
Lisa chuckled. “It’s metaphorical, obviously. Though, I won’t complain if someone manages to employ a cactus to that effect before the finale. Slimy bastard deserves it.”
“On that you won’t get any disagreement from me,” Taylor said. “Alright, time to put on another show.”
Vivian helped Amy up at that moment, since she needed to be present at the meeting and would accompany the Undersiders. It would serve as another clue that she was consorting with villains to try and provoke a response from Brandish. The Major was just getting out of Brandish’s car at the PRT building, and would ride with them to the meeting site. At least she finally unmuted her ears. Lisa would go over the rant later for anything they could use to help Amy get away from her.
That Calvert set Somer’s Rock as the location was a bit ironic given Jack had crashed that last meeting a decade prior, provoking Marauder into starting a fight and thus shattering the truce. They would expect a repeat, and that was taken into account.
“I’m not looking forward to this,” Amy grumbled as Taylor entered the coordinates and activated the portal. “Carol is going to throw a shit fit.”
“Well, you are a nominee of the Nine,” Taylor mused. “May as well play that up.”
A chuckle escaped Amy, self-deprecating and almost manic. “How fucked is it that the goddamn Butcher is a better parent than Carol?”
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
“Not to speak ill of the dead, but she’s doing a better job than Dad ever did,” Taylor whispered. “No matter how terrible it sounds, it doesn’t stop it from being the truth.”
Amy sighed. “The Wards would often joke that Miss Militia was the team mom. It’s kinda hilarious that she’s now helping the Nine and the Butcher is the team mom.”
“At least we know Melissa actually cares,” Taylor said softly as she pulled Amy into a hug.
Amy smiled, a soft and fragile thing as she returned it. “Yeah, we do.”
With that said, Taylor stepped through the rift in space and emerged into a room at the DWU where Grue, Imp, Regent and Bitch were waiting. She took a look around as Amy joined them, the portal closing behind her.
“Alright, who’s ready to attend the coming shit show?” Imp asked. “Because I sure as hell am!”
Grue moved to smack her, only to pause as if unsure. Imp chuckled, but stopped halfway at Taylor’s glare. She waved Taylor off, settling back in her seat as the others seemed to remember she was there. An annoying power, but one that she would be putting to great use in the coming days.
“A truce meeting has been called,” Taylor said, more for the benefit of those no doubt listening in. “The Nine are apparently in town and hit the Empire hard.”
“No loss there,” Grue said. “When and where?”
“Somer’s Rock, in an hour,” she answered.
----------------------------------------
Motoko stepped inside the rundown bar, the floors stained with age and rot. The walls bore scars from past meetings, including one long cut that Jacob was rather fond of. He had fought one of the Teeth’s greatest that day, an unpowered man that had earned his respect. Riley ended up healing the scar from that battle, it was too distinctive for him to continue risking discovery and makeup only went so far.
Kaiser was already present, forced to sit at the center table across from Thomas Calvert. If either were irritated at that, neither was showing it. Armsmaster was seated beside Calvert, representing the Protectorate. Assault and Dauntless were in a booth, much as everyone else was doing with their additions. Fenja and Menja were there for Kaiser, his keeping Hookwolf a secret would soon bite him in the ass. There was also a girl with a fiery red mohawk and multiple tattoos practically lounging by herself in a booth, sipping on a soda as she watched the unfolding drama.
Lady Photon was also at the table, while Manpower and Laserdream were seated in a booth. Carol broke off, sneering at Motoko as she took a seat beside the rest of New Wave, Glory Girl joining her after a moment. Motoko sighed and took a seat at the main table.
That seemed to get a reaction out of those in attendance.
“You have no business at this table, outsider,” Kaiser said smoothly.
The Major snorted. “Still pissy that Krieg took that bullet for you? A little birdie told me that the Butcher nominated you, not that I can claim better there, Jack himself nominated me and as I understand it, nominees should have a seat at the table.”
“They should,” Cyber agreed.
Everyone turned, regarding the Undersiders as they entered. Rachel would remain outside with her dogs in the event someone unplanned broke the truce, but the others were there with her, not that anyone without a cyber brain would notice Imp, she was to stay under the effects of her power as a trump card. Grue moved to the table as the leader of the group while Cyber took Regent and Imp to a booth.
“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Kaiser asked.
“Coil made a good attempt at it, but he miscalculated,” Cyber said with a cheeky grin. Taylor wore no mask, and that seemed to unnerve those present even more, especially Thomas Calvert who had gone stiff as a board. That implied he wasn’t aware of her survival until just then, a good sign for the later stages of the plan. “Pity it cost him both his body doubles, and his entire front organization. I imagine that it will sting when he catches wind that I’m alive.”
Cyber was very careful to not look at the PRT director when she said that, instead opting to take a seat with the Undersiders instead. Motoko was having to manually suppress her facial expressions to avoid showing her mirth.
That left the person standing in the doorway to deal with. Amy looked across the room before she stepped up to the table and took a seat beside Lady Photon. More than a few heads turned at the obvious admission given the words spoken moments earlier. The Major leaned forward, a single eyebrow raised to invite her to speak.
“Bonesaw,” Amy said. “She thinks my power and hers would play well together.”
“Well, that’s terrifying,” Assault muttered.
He wasn’t the only one that whispered words of fear, the very thought of Panacea being turned to the Nine likely would be the subject of a few nightmares of those not in the know. That suited them just fine, fear was a tool and they were in the position to use it.
A moment later, Shadow Stalker stepped in. “Where do the lucky few who pissed off the psychos get to sit?”
Amy didn’t miss a beat, pulling the chair beside her out and patting it for the fallen heroine. Sophia huffed and accepted the offered seat.
“Who picked you?” Motoko asked, putting a touch of sorrow to the words spoken.
“Harbinger,” she answered. “He liked what I did to Cyber, thinks I could help him plan some inventive scenarios for future candidates.”
Cyber chuckled darkly, her eyes boring into Armsmaster’s helmet. “Still gonna hold justice hostage in an attempt to recruit me, Armsbastard?”
“You would have been moved to another city had you accepted,” Armsmaster said smoothly. “Your father would still be alive had you not been a petulant child about things.”
Motoko whistled, more than a bit impressed at the coldness of the statement. “Damn, how is it you aren’t one of the nominees if that’s your outlook?”
“That’s enough of that,” Thomas Calvert said. “Will Lung be joining us, or has he elected to withdraw from our united front against the monsters at our gates?”
“He’s on his way,” Cyber said. “I have eyes on his car, less than five minutes out.”
“Nice change of subject,” Amy said. “No wonder Taylor didn’t trust you fuckers.”
“Amy!” Carol exclaimed. “How dare—”
The girl ignored her, placing an order with the deaf waitress instead. Manpower had rather forcefully returned her to the booth seat and the pair were staring each other down, a contest to see who would blink first.
It lasted until Lung’s arrival. The man strolled in with all the confidence in the world as he sat down, none offering a challenge to his position. Kaiser even gave him a nod of acknowledgement bordering on respect. You could say whatever you wanted about Lung, but you were forced to acknowledge him all the same.
“That should be everyone,” Kaiser said. “Now, we have much to discuss about the threat at hand. I trust we can put differences aside and work together to protect against the encroaching evil?”
“Agreed,” Thomas Calvert said. “Let us begin with the current known roster. Jack Slash, Harbinger, Bonesaw and the Butcher hardly need introduction, but a rundown of the basics would be prudent. They appear to have obtained explosives from a rogue Tinker—”
“Bakuda,” Lung said, cutting off the Director. “The Nine have recruited the bomb Tinker, instead of merely obtaining her ordinance from Toybox.”
“That certainly complicates things,” the Director said with a grimace. “Cyber, could you shed some light on how that came to be?”
“She didn’t exactly leave a forwarding address,” Taylor said. “She sold us a large sample of her tech and then went dark. The Major was one of the few to buy her stuff before we pulled the catalog.”
“Interesting statement,” Armsmaster said. “You are obfuscating your statement enough that my lie detector is unable to reach a conclusion.”
“Get better tech,” Taylor said with a smirk, her smugness practically bleeding over into Motoko.
“Despite the name,” Calvert interjected, attempting to get things back on track. “The Slaughterhouse rarely has nine members, often fielding only four to six due to casualties; they lost two members in their last appearance, and have only gained one since. Despite the turnover, Jack Slash and Harbinger have been around since the founding of the group and despite their weak at first glance powers, are to be treated with the same respect as an Endbringer.”
If Jacob could have heard that, he would have laughed. At least the meeting seemed to be off to an entertaining start, and the fireworks hadn’t even begun.