I woke up to the sound of screaming. My heart hammered in my ears and sweat soaked the sheets under me. The haze of terror and panic that wrapped its clammy hands around my throat didn't let me realize it was me screaming until my throat was raw enough that even my heaving breaths scraped it like razor wire.

I wrapped myself in the blankets, drawing my knees to my chest and ducking my head. Tears poured down my cheeks and sobs wracked my chest as over and over the memory of swimming down and down until consciousness slipped away played in front of my eyes. I squeezed myself so tightly my muscles began cramping, so I squeezed harder.

The pain gradually grounded me, or my violent panic began to subside. Either way, I was able to calm down, slowing my breathing first to take the edge off the sharp pain in my arms and legs. I concentrated on how much breathing hurt generally, that took me further down to earth. My sobs became occasional choked cries, before quieting entirely, the only evidence of their passing left in the tear stains on my pillow.

I was never leaving my fucking bed again.

That was unrealistic, of course. I wasn't sure when I was, but this wasn't my bed at home. If it had been, I'd have Rex in my arms and everything would be better. No, this was the less familiar bed in the PRT headquarters. The sheets were just a little scratchy, the duvet not quite right. Oddly enough, that helped take me the rest of the way down.

Holy fuck I was a stupid fucking dumbass. I swiped a sleeve angrily at my eyes. I'd run around like a dipshit and paid the ultimate price, I'd risked losing nearly a fucking month because I thought I'd be lucky enough to be useful. Instead of finding the only girl that mattered, I'd run into the sole person stupider than me, who joined the Slaughterhouse Nine to get away from daddy. Well, she'd killed me, which I guess made me the dumber of us.

I took a long, slow breath, then let it out in a trembling sigh. It took a terrible amount of strength to shove the blankets off me, but I managed. My reward was the cool air of my room and a shiver of goosebumps that ran across my skin. The green digits of my clock told me it was four-forty-five in the afternoon. I frowned, that was weird. When had I...

Oh, I knew when I was. I took my watch from the bedside table, a blocky Casio, and checked the corner. Fourth of June, the day I'd been sworn into the Wards, two hours before my first patrol. I had lost four days this time, an extra. Lucky me...

That meant tomorrow morning, the Undersiders would attack the headquarters here, while I was out on patrol with Battery. I should warn them, especially now that I knew exactly when it would happen. Or roughly, at least. Somewhere just past four, twelve hours from now. If we were ready, we could stop it before it started.

If they listened to me. And there was no guarantee that listening meant actually doing anything, as the good Victoria so happily proved four days from now. While the Protectorate heroes were probably more willing to listen, they weren't going to act on unfounded bullshit. Maybe, maybe, there'd be more officers on high alert or something, but that would be it. With a heavy sigh that scraped my throat painfully, I forced myself out of the bed. I rubbed my shoulders and felt a familiar pressure settle there.

“Good morning to you too,” I said to the mute, alien parasite fueling my projection. “Couldn't have installed a tin-foil hat app on there, huh?”

Swearing into the silence that followed, I headed to the kitchen and began making my afternoon breakfast. Bunch of stupid crap. The thing in my head, and all the ones like it, didn't talk back. Hell, they didn't seem to do anything besides giving parahumans the means and lust for beating the shit out of each other. Whatever, I'd just have to make do. I still let its weight sit there.

I quickly ate my meal and drank my coffee, then headed back to my bedroom area to get properly dressed. I had a debut to make after all, and a dog to get chewed on by.

----------------------------------------

“Are you alright Amaranth?” Battery asked, stopping and turning to me with crossed arms. I stopped suddenly as she leaned against the wall, frowning and glancing up the road, towards the PRT headquarters.

“Fine,” I replied, flexing my hands. The patrol had been a pretty dull one with only one arrest, this time of some dumbass trying to break into an overturned cop car. “Just...tired, I guess.” Battery nodded and didn't continue walking. I shifted uncomfortably in place.

“You're sure that's all?” I bit my lip. She sounded genuinely concerned, maybe she would actually...

“I have a...feeling.” When Battery didn't reply, I continued nervously. “I um, I think the headquarters might get attacked.” She cocked her head.

“What would make you think that?”

“Kid Win to Battery,” the Ward's voice interrupted. “Getting called away by Weld, I'll still have ears on if you really need me.” Battery acknowledged him, then returned her attention to me as my stomach began churning.

“We're spread thin,” I argued. “Vulnerable. Anyone could take advantage of that.”

“You have quite a definition of vulnerable, and anyone,” she replied dryly. “After all, you're talking about assaulting the Ward headquarters.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“More than one team of villains has beaten them,” I countered acerbically. “Look, I get that it's dumb, but...whatever, forget it.” I huffed and crossed my arms. A failure, as expected.

“Amaranth,” Battery began gently after a moment of silence. “There's nothing wrong with worrying about your friends.” I clicked my tongue.

“I'm not worried and--”

“Break, break, break!” I was interrupted so suddenly I nearly bit my tongue. “A villain team is attacking the PRT headquarters. All teams nearby, respond!”

“Come on!” Battery snapped, charging up the broken road.

I dogged her heels, pushing myself to run as fast as I could. Dammit, I had tried my best to keep us closer, trying to nudge Battery when she asked my rare opinion on where to go next. We still had far too many blocks to cover. I wasn't going to give up just because of that though, not when I knew how things had gone and how they would go.

Fuck, Shadow Stalker was being puppeteered right now wasn't she? I felt nauseous as I recalled her, finally. How the fuck had Taylor ever been on-board with something like that? I gritted my teeth as my feet pounded at the pavement. Cherish had been right, nominating her brother. He was a perfect candidate for the Nine.

I was going to kill him. The thought was sharp and cold and stuck in my head like an icepick. I was going to crush that little monster's throat for this. With her body, Regent was going to take everything away from Shadow Stalker, even her life. Before he could do that, before he could kill her, I'd do him first.

My legs and lungs burned as I briefly passed Battery. She seemed to have a mild look of surprise when she matched my pace, but kept running. A thunderous crack echoed overhead as Dragon's mech plummeted to the earth, weapons ready to try and fail capturing the Undersiders. Whatever, as long as she slowed them down enough for me to get there.

Sweat stuck my costume uncomfortably to my skin. My breath panted loudly in my ears, but even its volume was almost drowned out by the pounding of my heart. A war drum. My body felt hot, a physical expression of how furious I was. I clenched my teeth so hard I heard them creak, and my jaw began to cramp. I ignored it all and charged on.

Finally, we rounded the corner onto the right street. I saw and heard Triumph tangling with Bitch's dogs, but ignored it. He could handle it himself, I knew. Instead I poured on the gas as Weld came into view. Not because of Weld, I couldn't care less about the metal-skinned Ward, but Shadow Stalker was currently going all out to take him down.

I somehow left Battery in my wake as I ran headlong towards the mind-controlled Ward and her opponent. I was vaguely aware of Grue's cloud of darkness to my left, and the droning buzz of bugs as they tried to sting and bite, but I only had eyes for one person on this battlefield. One person, in two bodies.

“Shadow Stalker!” I screamed as I drew my pepper spray from my belt.

She leaped back from Weld and turned, just in time for me to get in range. I didn't hesitate, bringing the spray up and squeezing the trigger. A stream blasted Shadow Stalker in the face, earning a cry of pain followed by a blood-curdling shriek of agony as she tried to enter her Breaker state and collapsed to the ground.

I ignored her, she was safely incapacitated until Amy got here to fix my mess. Probably. I knew Weld could handle her anyway, so cast my gaze about until it landed on a surprised-looking, fruity little shitheel dressed in a white, frilly shirt, currently backing away from Assault. He began running a split-second before I did.

Regent had almost half a block of a head start, with how spread out the fighting had become. Fortunately for him, I was tired, and my body resisted me as I forced it back into an all out sprint. Unfortunately for him, I was pissed off enough for it to work. The world went black and I stumbled, then swiped at my eyes, clearing the bugs for half a second before my face was covered again.

I shouted furiously and stood still for a moment, rapidly bouncing my projection all around my body. The swarm dogging me was briefly cleared, some of its more delicate members even pulped, and I began running again. More bugs set on me, but each time they tried to blind or bind me I would just move my projection around again to disrupt them. It wasn't perfect, more than one lucky sting made me flinch, inviting more, but I was slowly gaining on my target.

A sudden impact struck the back of my head, making me flinch and earning another insect assault. The crack of a gunshot rang out less than a second later, Tattletale had shot me twice now. I didn't falter though. I was going to put a stop to this little Master freak before he could get his claws into some other poor girl.

A guttural snarl came from behind me, along with the thunderous pounding of paws on pavement. I let out a frustrated growl and tried to make up the last few feet that separated me and Regent. I was this close to--

I was suddenly airborne, and just as suddenly stopped as I hit a wrecked car. I heard a feral shout that could have been Bitch, then raised my arms just in time for one of her dogs to pounce. Between my projection and the car frame, it couldn't get a grip. That didn't stop it from trying, slobber spattering on my projection as its rancid breath gagged me.

I flinched as it bit down, crying out as dagger-like teeth pierced my skin for a second before being forced out. I clenched my jaw and shut my eyes, focusing on nothing but staying still and fighting down the panic that rose like bile. It felt like an eternity, the dog trying to turn me into a chew toy, but eventually a shrill whistle pierced my ears and like that I was alone.

Fuck, fuck! I'd been about to take down the most dangerous human Master in the city! I rose on unsteady legs, turned, and gave the car that had broken my fall a swift kick. I wobbled and fell on my ass, my exertion suddenly catching up with me as adrenaline faded. I blinked rapidly and felt the world swaying around me. Oooooh fuuuck...

“Amaranth!” I lethargically turned my head, blinking at Assault as he ran up the road towards me. Miss Militia was behind him, toting an AKM.

“Oh, hey,” I greet them, my voice hollow. I turned away and looked down the road the Undersiders had escaped down. “Um, sorry. They got away.”

“Are you alright?” Miss Militia demanded, the rifle shifting into a pistol on her hip. Her eyes widened as she knelt next to me. “Oh, Amaranth...Assault, get over here and give me a hand.” I weakly pushed her arms as she slipped them under my knees.

“I can walk,” I protested, trying to sit up. My back was in agony, as were my legs, but I could--

“On three,” she said as Assault's arms looped under mine.

On 'go', they lifted me up. The sudden motion made me retch, but fortunately there was nothing in my stomach to be thrown up. I let my body go limp as they carried me, too tired to resist any more than I had already. I was in more pain than I had been after Leviathan, it felt like at least. The bouncy way I was being transported didn't help with that. I turned my head as we entered the PRT headquarters; Shadow Stalker was being led down to containment, but not in handcuffs.

I had failed to kill Regent...but maybe I hadn't failed.