I rose before my alarm to stretch in the darkness of my room. My heart was already beating quicker than usual, and why wouldn't it be? Sure, there was an Endbringer about to attack the city, but I had a plan to deal with him. One more cog to get into place, and it would go like clockwork, as long as I didn't get clock...blocked.

He would have laughed.

I got dressed and had a quick bowl of cereal, better to have something. I spent the next ten minutes warming up, then pounded on Mom's door just before six. She shouted something at me, but I was already heading out the door. A brisk jog saw me beat the PRT to the meeting spot once more, though only by thirty seconds or so.

The filed in while I briefly introduced myself with my shitty name that didn't work on the armbands. I waited at the back of the room, like usual. After a few minutes, I spotted Clockblocker among the other Brockton Bay Wards. I made my way towards them as they split apart, zeroing in on the only one I cared about.

“Clockblocker,” I said, loud enough to get his attention. Both he and Vista turned and I offered a small wave. “Hey, can I talk for a second?”

“Uh.” He stared at me. “I gotta...gotta like, plan and stuff.” He sounded unsure. Well, he was sixteen and going up against a kaiju. So was I...

“This is about a plan,” I explained, then lowered my voice. “A plan to possibly kill it.” I heard a sharp intake of breath from both Wards.

“Go on.” I could hear the sarcasm in his tone. “I could use a laugh.”

“I'm serious,” I snapped. “Look, I'll find you when I need you. Just...cooperate? All you have to do is freeze something for me.” He cocked his head.

“You're saying you want me, a Ward, to follow the orders of...who are you?”

“Inominate.” I was getting really sick of that name, but I didn't have an alternative. “And I told you I don't need you to follow my orders. Go play with Armsmaster, whatever, just when I ask you to, freeze the thing I tell you. Got it?”

“Clockblocker, Vista,” an authoritative voice spoke from behind me. “Trouble?”

“No ma'am,” Clockblocker replied quickly as Miss Militia stepped past me and halted beside them.

“And you?” Her gaze was steely. Oh god I hope she wasn't pissed off about the scarf.

“None,” I replied with a shrug. “Besides the Endbringer outside.” She nodded and I got the feeling I wasn't welcome to chat any longer.

With a sigh I headed to the back of the room and continued keeping my eyes peeled. I checked my watch as rain began to drum against the windows. Where the fuck was Taylor? Actually, looking around, I didn't see the rest of the Undersiders either. The Travelers were here though. Trickster lounging on one of the folding chairs, Ballistic tapping his foot incessantly, and poor Sundancer with her head in her hands.

A chill ran down my spine as Legend stepped up to the front and began his speech. They weren't coming. I felt lightheaded, and for a moment the world faded as I slumped back against the wall. Oh fuck, oh fuck. Amy you fucking dumbass, you told the self-absorbed bitch with a predilection for fucking people over that an Endbringer was going to attack her city. Why wouldn't she skip town, and thus the gun to her head?

I was going to kill her. If I survived or...or if I didn't, I was going to kill her. Not that I didn't understand her choice, it was entirely reasonable. But it fucked me over, and that was unforgivable. I could worry about that later though. I took a deep breath, held it, let it out. Another cycle, then another ten until I felt like I could stand up again.

The capes were organizing, and like before I joined the group of mostly Brutes on the front lines. I introduced myself when asked and clipped the useless armband around my wrist. It wouldn't register me so I didn't really see the point, but it helped me fit in. Maybe one of these days I'd figure one out, for now I was just 'no-name'.

Like every time before, the wave came unexpectedly and crashed against the building with tremendous fury. We were teleported outside, where I was instantly soaked by the rain. Capes rallied, and I did with them, standing between Dauntless and a muscular, hunchbacked cape with a round shield and long spear. Well, one of them would live if Leviathan went for us.

The first line of parahumans fought as the Endbringer pounced on them. Several fell, and Dauntless was one of the ones stepping forward to fill the gaps. I hung back this time, mind racing to try and figure out a way to salvage this. It wasn't hopeless, not yet at least. It wasn't like the Undersiders were powerhouses when it came to taking on Endbringers...with one exception, but even she wasn't quite yet.

I had to make it to Leviathan's freezing again. If I could do that, and get Clockblocker convinced, then it would be fine. Dragon swooped down after hammering the Endbringer with a barrage of missiles that left my ears ringing. Alexandria followed and I immediately began looking around for the nearest person to me with a force-field. I knew what was coming.

A minute later, I ran towards Narwhal. I was the first to reach her, despite not being that close at all. Thank god for my projection, making light work of the water. I took a moment to breathe as the wave crashed down on top of her force-fields, ignoring the others gathered around. What was next, what was next...building, right.

The water around us began to turn to mist as Narwhal dropped her shields. I stepped past the wizard and the other guy...was that Eidolon? I joined the fray as Leviathan followed up on the wave's strike. A tail sweep that could have gone through five stopped after two, because I stepped in. That got a nod from Armsmaster, to my left, as a ball of condensed mist flew overhead and sent Leviathan into a nearby building.

I fanned out with the other capes as the structure warped. Force-fields penned the monster in while we moved, heading towards the back of the building. We were ready for him to come out, no matter where he did. But suddenly, even over the driving rain, I heard the groaning of support beams. A shouted warning that the building was coming down.

“Do it!” A cape beside me shouted as Leviathan burst from the side of the building, striking another series of force-fields. “Fucking do it!” The ground rumbled and my eyes widened as Leviathan turned towards us. The building began slowly leaning and-- oh fuck!

There was no time to move, not fast enough. I simply held still and closed my eyes as the Endbringer and structure collapsed on top of me and the other cape. The noise was deafening, and I barely kept myself from flinching as it struck me. My power stayed true though and, though all my clothes but my leotard were torn off, my projection didn't break.

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I stayed still, the ground was still rumbling, the rubble settling around me. I heard an awful noise, the tearing of steel and the crash of shattered concrete. Leviathan was out. It was just me down here, and the bodies of course. I didn't move for a minute, letting things fall still. I wanted to get out of here, not bury myself deeper.

I let out a shuddering breath and slowly began to move. I had punched a me-sized hole through much of the debris, but I didn't have a clear path out through the settling rubble. I climbed a slab of concrete that had fallen at a steep angle. When I reached the top, I found a cracked slab resting on top of it. I crouched and moved up further, until I had to squat and my back scraped the roof. I slipped my hands into the narrow crack and let out a huff of breath. Time to try something a little stupid.

I grunted and, slowly and carefully, began to rise. I pushed my projection ever so slightly ahead of me, but kept it close enough to not expose anything but the soles of my feet. The crack widened and lengthened as my projection forced its way up. With a noise like thunder, the ceiling came crashing down on top of me. I froze exactly where I was as chunks of concrete battered my projection, smashing themselves apart or bouncing off, but leaving me unharmed.

It stopped after a moment and I spared a look up. Good news was that I had water dripping on my head now. Bad news was that it looked like a long fucking climb out. I clambered back down the makeshift ramp to the 'floor' of the wrecked street. I began jogging through the piles of rubble, trying to avoid disturbing anything too much. I could probably find a way out down here...god I hoped.

I came across a manhole cover and began to pry it up, then stopped when I realized the sewers would be absolutely flooded. No go. Holes from above let water cascade down in waterfalls, as well as the only light to see by. Navigating was a bitch, there was just so much debris everywhere. I ducked under a fallen support beam and blinked.

Oh, well that was where Leviathan got out. Holy shit, if only my projection could do something like this... I realized, clambering out of the building, my headscarf had been torn off and I was unmasked. I shook my head, no time to worry about that right now. In the distance I could still hear the sounds of battle, and see smoke rising from explosions.

I ran towards the fighting, always the right choice. It took me a few minutes to navigate the clogged, broken streets of the city, but I managed to find the place a couple minutes after Clockblocker froze the Endbringer. I heaved a sigh of relief and paused. Okay, okay there was still a chance. Leviathan was frozen, I could grab something and set it up for Clockblocker to freeze. The tail would be a good place to start, but first I had to find the Ward himself.

“Hey,” I said loudly, running up Aegis. He and Gallant both turned to me. “Where's Clockblocker?” Aegis blinked, then they looked at each other. Oh shit. “Teleporter!” I screamed, running around to Leviathan's front. I cast my eyes around desperately and there.

“What's up?” Trickster asked, pausing beside me. I pointed.

“Get him out now,” I barked. Trickster squinted, but nodded and placed his hand on a fallen cape. He murmured some benediction and suddenly they vanished, replaced by Clockblocker.

I shoved Trickster aside and rolled the Ward onto his back. A quick check revealed he wasn't breathing and I started CPR right away. Another cape, the bone witch, crouched and fed air into his lungs. She gave up after a minute. I didn't. This was our one chance, and a fucking slim one with Skitter's absence. Fuck her. Fuck Tattletale. I could do it myself.

“Wake up!” I shouted at the unconscious hero. I started compressions again, trying to force whatever was blocking his lungs out. “Come on fucker, wake up and make fun of my shitty name!” Please, please.

“Hey.” A hand on my shoulder made me pause. I looked up and saw a somber Assault shake his head slowly. I grit my teeth together. God dammit.

A flurry of shouting and explosions made me whirl about. Leviathan had sprang back into motion and was tearing into the assembled heroes and villains. I charged in, reckless, there was no time to lose. Leviathan was still injured and we had rallied. I followed the battle, absorbing the occasional blow from the Endbringer, but soon I was left behind.

I lifted the armband and, for the first time, tried to use it. Pressing the buttons yielded...nothing. Shit. I guess that meant Armsmaster was fighting him...or that I had never fucking registered myself. Dumbass. I paused and tried to listen over the sound of hammering rain around me but...nothing. I tried instead to follow the path torn through the debris that littered the streets.

It was easier said than done, Leviathan's tidal wave had made a real fucking mess. But so had he, with cars knocked aside showing clear damage from his passing. Eventually I could hear him, but faintly. The noises grew louder before suddenly stopping. I started running towards where I last heard the fighting and froze when I came across the sight of Armsmaster, or Armmaster now...

I hurried over, but was clearly too late. He wasn't breathing and there was no way I could strip his armour to do CPR. Blood slowly leaked from the wreckage of his shoulder and I cast my gaze around for his arm. I spotted it, half-submerged and still clinging to his halberd. I ran over and grabbed it, ignoring the way my stomach rebelled.

“Armsmaster dead, CC-7,” I spoke into his armband, pressing the buttons. “This is Inominate, I...don't know where the fighting is, my armband isn't working.” I let the buttons go and rested the arm on my lap, slowly working the halberd free of his deathgrip. If I could use it...

“Hey.” A young girl's voice and a splash of water. I looked over my shoulder. “Need a hand?”

“Got one, thanks,” I replied numbly, then blinked. Oh, that was Laserdream, and behind her must have been Lady Photon. Neither of them looked pleased with my joke. “I uh, could use a pick up though?” They shared a glance, and Lady Photon nodded before taking off again. Laserdream sighed and grimaced, looking at the arm.

“Do you have to bring that?” I glanced down at it and shrugged.

“I mean, my armband isn't working,” I replied, then dumped the limb in the water and retrieved the halberd. Maybe...maybe it would work. “But I guess this is the important part.” She nodded and held out her arms. I clambered in, a little awkwardly, and we slowly rose into the sky.

Flying, sadly, wasn't as fun as I thought it would be. Maybe it was the fact that I wasn't the one steering, maybe it was the sight of the ruined city below, maybe it was just Laserdream's morning breath. I wasn't sure and didn't really care to find out. She seemed to be able to track the Endbringer, somehow, or at least wasn't telling if she was flying around aimlessly.

She wasn't. There, in the distance, I spotted the arc of water from a lash of his tail at some probably flyer overhead. I pointed and Laserdream nodded, swooping towards the fighting. She dropped me off at the periphery, then joined the other airborne capes laying into the Endbringer with lasers and other projectiles.

I waded forward as Hookwolf retreated. I noticed what looked like half of him laying on the ground not too far away. That brought a bit of a smile to my face. I hefted the polearm I'd borrowed and marched forward to face down Leviathan. He turned right away and punched me, doing nothing but spraying the street behind me with water. In return, I jabbed the dusty blade of the halberd at his hand when he pulled back.

He jerked away as if stung, then lashed out with his tail, wrapping it around me. I was brought high up into the air, then smashed to the street below. It didn't hurt, but I gripped the halberd tight enough that the haft snapped like a dry twig. Uh oh. I twisted my head to the side so I didn't drown like last time and saw long needle suddenly jut from the back of Leviathan's head. Slowly, he toppled over. Dead? Surely not, that was far too easy.

The ground began quaking around me. Another wave? I called for help as capes began scrambling away. I looked around, but couldn't see if that was indeed what was happening. Then I realized it was far worse. The ground began sinking, taking me and Leviathan with it. I struggled against his coiled tail, pushing as hard as I could to try and slip out.

Suddenly I was underwater, unable to breathe. I pressed my hands to his tail as we sank further, then clutched as hard as I possibly could. His tail loosened it's grip as something tore and I began desperately following the trail of bubbles that trickled from my mouth. A blow from behind sent me tumbling, and I swallowed a mouthful of water fighting to right myself. I fought desperately against the current dragging me down as my lungs burned and my vision faded. Then I felt something grip my leg and I was pulled deep into the darkness below. There was nothing to see after that, only the feeling of slowly drowning once more.