Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

[jrbless]

Another part of the lower comment count might be the audience on the site. I've noticed that SB will pick everything apart and you'll get 5 pages between chapters. SV is almost as bad and you'll get about 3 pages. Here is not near as busy from what I've seen.

In any case, I've enjoyed the story so far and would like to see more.

 

[Snake/Eater]

here are some character promo's for Amelia.

Humanity's end has a beginning,but one woman will raise the call for war....Amelia
always a brave follower,but will she find the courage in time to lead her people... Lily
He has played the fool to ease his comrade's pain,But is he ready to become a prince to protect his family.....Zach
Mistakes were made,but will humanity forgive her or die...Riley
He's always tried to be noble,but can he learn to accept his father's sins as his own to fight for humanity...Theo

 

[The Shadowmind]

So it looks like the GU during the phase 1 test of the Riley ApprovedTM​ Cauldron power granting seminar was the real one, and not a clone.

Which branch of Pantheon will get the Copy-Power Tinker? the main branch with Taylia, or a side branch like the one with Crystal.

 

[dasstan]

So it looks like the GU during the phase 1 test of the Riley ApprovedTM​ Cauldron power granting seminar was the real one, and not a clone.

Which branch of Pantheon will get the Copy-Power Tinker? the main branch with Taylia, or a side branch like the one with Crystal.

Click to shrink...

I think all the R&D is done on the Taylia side of things. Riley, Emma, Trevor and Rey all work relatively close together, exchanging data, tinkering on joint projects and all that.

 

[Dreadis]

207.

Saint hacked one of Dragon's servers, and made off with info about Scion and Cauldron.

Contessa got to PVT the Dragonslayers with a wrench and a ball of mud.

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Don't forget she opened a door by typing a code into a keypad that was secretly a fingerprint scanner that didn't have a code to open the door....

 

[dasstan]

Don't forget she opened a door by typing a code into a keypad that was secretly a fingerprint scanner that didn't have a code to open the door....

Click to shrink...

Ain't no bullshit like Contessa's Bullshit.

 

[TanaNari]

Oh. That part's easy to figure out.

Spoiler: If you wanna ruin the magic.

She used a biometric scanner to pick up their details when they were shopping, then put on a glove that imitated their finger prints.

The hard question to answer is why she waited to attack them at home, instead of just beating the shit out of them when they were getting groceries or something.

 

[kenhikaru]

Oh. That part's easy to figure out.

Spoiler: If you wanna ruin the magic.

She used a biometric scanner to pick up their details when they were shopping, then put on a glove that imitated their finger prints.

The hard question to answer is why she waited to attack them at home, instead of just beating the shit out of them when they were getting groceries or something.

Click to shrink...

I assumed she waited to move on them until they had all the info.

 

[TanaNari]

Amelia, Ch 312- Victoria


I backflipped away as a surge of ice sprouted under my feet. With an idle thought, I wondered what it felt like for Taylor and Amelia, having chunks of their extended bodies ripped apart like that. Another burst shot up behind me, and I reluctantly hit the shields. A quick glance confirmed my armor was down to less than thirty percent of its maximum reserves. I need to talk to Emma about more battery power in the suit, it just doesn't cut it in a four on one battle like this.


A blade punched through the ice, straight toward me. I evaded only thanks to my danger sense, dropping toward the ground. Ancile was tough, but it wasn't the kind of tough needed to beat Caliburn. At full charge and shields, I could take a couple direct hits. This was nowhere near full charge or full shields. Another ice wall formed to my side. They're trying to hem me in.


I dived down. Yggdrasil was mostly soft plantlife. I set my shields to cutting, which cost me more of what precious power I had left, and the plant mass splashed around me. Then I looked up from my safe position below. Streamer, so named for his Sabah-esque telekinesis that he used to control and reinforce ribbons of cloth, was dumb enough to be on the ground. Rookie mistake, he should know better. I didn't even have to leave my safe place, simply tapping his foot from below and hitting him with a stun-taze. Maybe if he had one of our armors, he'd be okay. Oh well, sucks to be him.


That's when I realized the mistake. The ground around me started to freeze before he even began collapsing. I leapt out, burning yet more of Ancile's dwindling reserves. Another slash from Caliburn, this one too close and quick for me to dodge. I instead paried with Harpe. The immovable against the unstoppable, and in this case immovable won the contest. Twenty five percent power remaining. Another wall of ice started forming. Doesn't she know she can't build them as fast as I can get out of the area? It's not even an effective de-.


Oh fuck! The ice exploded into destructive shrapnel as Richter blasted it full on, a wall too thick to avoid. Are they insane? Streamer can't take that kind of punishment! A quick glance let me know he didn't have to. I wasn't sure where he vanished to or how, but I was the only one left in the line of fire.


I evaded most and deflected some with Harpe and Ancile, but it took so much of my focus that I didn't even sense Caliburn until it passed through my ribs. A few chunks of ice hammered the point home, before the rest splintered into what was essentially sleet.


The sword vanished from its position inside me, and I dropped to the ground. I fell, landing on hands and knees. The splash of deep red on the blue green of the Yggdrasil made for freakin' awesome theatrics.


"Vicky!" Chevalier exclaimed, rushing up to me. I smiled. Totes worked. He knelt beside me and put his hands on my shoulders. "I'm sorry, I thought you'd be avoid that and just take some hits from the ice. I didn't think I-"


"Y'know, Chevy," I teased, my voice low and sultry. "If you wanted to stick your sword inside me, you could have asked."


His worry vanished, replaced by a bit of annoyance. "She's fine, guys," he shouted to the others as he stood. He didn't take his hand off my shoulder as he helped me up with the other hand. Ever the gentleman, and one of my favorite things about him. Funny guys like Zach were nice to joke around with and all, but nothing got to me like being treated like a lady.


I leaned up against him a moment after I stood, I could blame it on the injury. Chevalier's annoyance was quickly eroded against relief that I was fine, and a light undercurrent of his attraction.


"You guys got me," I admitted, reluctantly removing myself from contact with the only hetero guy I apparenty couldn't seduce. I looked at Rime, and once again wondered what the story was between her and Chevalier. The way they regarded each other was like they were siblings, but there was no genetic connection between them. That didn't rule out adoption, of course, but I never could figure out that link. If only because Rime did not like me very much.


"We were trying to overwhelm your danger sense," Chevalier informed me. "Keep hitting you with just enough force that you were forced on the defensive, and wear you down slowly. I guess it worked."


"What really got me was using Streamer as bait," I responded, as my helmet folded back so I could speak without the damn suit in the way. It had its perks, but my face was just too pretty to be covered when it didn't need to be. "That was just ruthless. Where'd he go, anyway?"


"His idea," Chevalier replied. "He slaved his shunt drive over to my controls. He'll be sleeping it off somehwere at the bottom of the Delaware. His armor can handle that much, even if it's just a base armor system."


"It's probably cheating," Richter admitted. He was further out than the others, but even the generic suits have really good hearing. "I mean, this was supposed to be a powers on powers fight, not an exploiting the equipment fight."


"Fuck that noise," I smiled. "You saw an advantage, you used that advantage, and you kicked my ass with it. If the positions were reversed, I'd have done the exact same thing and then laughed at you."


"Uh... why didn't you?" Chevalier asked. "You have the same shunt option, only better for the way your armor harnesses your powers."


"I wanted to win," I responded. "If I run, I lose by default. Maybe if we were playing for keeps, but-" the Endbringer alarm beeped. "Well, crapperjacks. Fun and games are over, let's fish Streamer out of the river and see if all our training pays off."


I knew it had for me, and Chevalier. Rime as well. She'd gotten amazingly good at putting together ice traps, and whatever she did to allow her ice to splinter so easily for Richter, instead of just soaking the blast, was a whole new trick I'd never seen before. She was definitely ready. She just looked at me as if to say 'you're not the one giving the orders' for a second, then turned and headed back to the geoanalogue for their PHQ.


"I'll just stay on this side for now," I offered, looking toward Chevalier. I tapped the side of my armor, where his sword had punched right through it. It was already healing, and had already cleaned off the blood, but I wasn't at a hundred percent by any stretch, and my costume certainly wasn't ready. The practice fight had gotten a bit more heated than it was supposed to. Probably my fault, constantly telling them not to worry about hurting me so much.


"Sorry about that," he frowned. "I didn't mean to hurt you."


I shrugged, and then offered a coy smile. "Hey, I'm a big girl. I can take a good impalement, you just gotta give me a few minutes to catch my breath afterward."


He just shook his head and started jogging to catch up to Rime, giving me a good view of his back. Won't be that much longer now, I can smell it. Literally, my sense of smell was really good about figuring things like that out. Speaking of which. I looked over at Richter. "Hey, you need written permission to use that mental image."


"You're God's way of telling me I should have gone to college, aren't you?"


"It's never too late," I remarked back. "If you ask nice, I'll even be your wing chick. Cute girls like guys who are friends with other cute girls. At least until you're their boyfriend, then you won't be allowed to look at anything female and remotely mammalian."


"Good to know," he responded. "I'd better go now."


He's not bad, I decided. Hmm, I wonder if Crystal's thinking about getting back into the dating scene. Ever since the noodle incident with Triumph, she's been pretty dead set on becoming a crazy cat lady in her old age. Yeah, I bet they'd go great together.


....


"Ladies and Gentlemen," Janus announced. "Welcome to Paris. I wish we could be here under better circumstances."


I fought a wave of nausea, not from Eric's power, but from the effects of the Thanda member that ripped reality apart bringing hundreds of Zerg with us. Next to me, Chevalier staggered, and several of the others that I knew had special senses, like Emma and that newbie tinker they picked up out of that weird mass trigger experiment they made me attend. I almost laughed when Lisa tumbled back and had to be caught by Rey. It was subtle, she recovered quickly. Likely only a handful even noticed at all.


Amongst that handful was Alexandria, whose dim emotional responses indicated a protective, almost motherly, reaction. A desire to be the one who was there to catch her. Oh god, I am going to tease them both mercilessly until we all die of old age. No. Better. I am going to tell Taylor and Amelia and Zach. That way I can spend all my efforts on Alexandria. That's what she gets for not letting me bust that jackass Director in Indiana.


I stayed where I was, and we let the groups divide themselves. Lily landed next to me, as did Sveta and Genius Loci. "Long time no see," I said to them. "That's a new look for you, GL. So much better than the Tin Man cosplay."


It really was, too. His 'body' for this was semi humanoid, made up of floating fragments of glowing silver. There were gaps in it that I could see through, dancing along, as if following a pattern- I shook my head. "So it works on you?" he asked. "Hecate and Yum Kaax told me it would have anti-precog abilities. I don't know how that works, but I guess that means they were right."


"Yeah, worked on me," I confirmed. "So you planning to be the next Endslayer?"


"That's the plan," he responded. "Why I'm up here with you pillars of badass."


The Triumvirate had landed nearby, next to Chevalier, while I was distracted by GL's equipment. Rosary and Shaman joined us as well after another minute. GL was right, we did have a special status. We stood in the front position, amongst the swarms of zerg and armor suits. We were the heavy hitters, the Endslayers, and others that could meet these monsters head on and walk away. If not necessarily intact, then at least still breathing. I looked down at Harpe.


"Strategy's straightforward," Alexandria instructed us. "The potential Endslayers hang back for the first couple minutes, let the heavy hitters and the disposable monsters lead the first wave. Minerva will give instructions as to when and how to utilize the Endslayers on the field. Our goals are to force the new Endbringer to reveal its abilities, and then delay it long enough to kill it. Is that understood?"


"I'll take front point," I volunteered. "My senses have... some... value in the frontline fight, and I have an Endslayer grade weapon immediately available if I get the chance."


"Take point, fine," Alexandria agreed. "But that weapon's supposed to be the last resort. Don't use it without permission."


"Gotcha, sis," I responded, smiling at her. Amy's my sister, who's fiancée to Taylor, who's pretty much a sister to Lisa, who we both know you're pedo for. My powers told me the exact moment she figured out what I meant.


She said nothing and turned back toward the point we anticipated the Endbringer appearing.


==================


A/N- Vicky chapters are fun.

 

[dasstan]

The hard question to answer is why she waited to attack them at home, instead of just beating the shit out of them when they were getting groceries or something.

Click to shrink...

That's pretty easy, too. What's a better psychological gut-punch? Getting ambushed while you're out and about, or having someone come into your stronghold, casually disregard your defensive measures, and then beat the shit out of you?
edit: Zombie'd.

 

[dasstan]

I almost laughed when Lisa tumbled back and had to be caught by Ray caught her.

Click to shrink...

Double caught.

But, what the hell is Lisa even doing on the front lines? Unless they're on Avalon's geoanalogue for Paris and that's just unclear in the writing?

Amelia, Ch 312- Victoria

Click to shrink...

The fight at the beginning is a bit difficult to follow, mostly from the lack of screen time most of these people have had, but that's a you-ism.

"Gotcha, sis," I responded, smiling at her. Amy's my sister, who's fiancée to Taylor, who's pretty much a sister to Lisa, who we both know you're pedo for. My powers told me the exact moment she figured out what I meant.


She said nothing and turned back toward the point we anticipated the Endbringer appearing.

Click to shrink...

Trollnado. That's what she is.

 

[Faraway-R]

Did they try a variant on Riley's pregnancy trick?

Click to shrink...

I do not think it's necessary. Black cowls and grey cowls are likely the most powerful parahumans they could find to bear witness.

Do remember that Riley had to resort to "pregnancy trick" to fake presence of most of Pantheon, because she could not use the originals. This new method actually can use the originals - and also those consumed by GU.

A/N- Vicky chapters are fun.

Click to shrink...

Ain't that the truth. She gets all the best lines.

 

[cosoco]

"Hey, you need written permission to use that mental image."

Click to shrink...

Victoria goes after someone for crimethink.

Ray

Click to shrink...

Rey

The Triumvirate had landed nearby, next to Chevalier, while I was distracted by GL's equipment.

Click to shrink...

Giggity.

 

[jaelin910]

Next to me, Chevalier staggered, and several of the others that I had special senses, like Emma and that newbie tinker

Click to shrink...

'that had' or perhaps 'that I knew had'

 

[dasstan]

Rey

Click to shrink...

Huh. I never caught on that that was a typo. I just thought it was used interchangeably.

 

[Beyogi]

well, yet another endbringer attack.

Um Tanari, do the endbringers still attack every quarter or have they stepped up their cycle?

 

[TanaNari]

Um Tanari, do the endbringers still attack every quarter or have they stepped up their cycle?

Click to shrink...

*Raises eyebrow*

Are you joking?

First page has a timeline.


Also, it's been referenced in, like, a couple dozen chapters.

 

[tordg]

I could take a couple hits direct.

Click to shrink...

This reads awkwardly. Perhaps "take a couple of hits directly" or "take a couple of direct hits"?

Ever since the noodle incident with Triumph,

Click to shrink...

The question "what is the most infuriating possible way to phrase this?" was at the forefront of your mind, wasn't it?

Oh god, I am going to tease them both mercilessly until we all die of old age. No. Better. I am going to tell Taylor and Amelia and Zach. That way I can spend all my efforts on Alexandria. That's what she gets for not letting me bust that jackass Director in Indiana.

Click to shrink...

Oh shit. Oh shihihiHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

My powers told me the exact moment she figured out what I meant.

Click to shrink...

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Do remember that Riley had to resort to "pregnancy trick" to fake presence of most of Pantheon, because she could not use the originals. This new method actually can use the originals - and also those consumed by GU.

Click to shrink...

Yes but they can't use the originals of that super secret army of thousands of Case 53s in the basement, being as it's super secret. It occurs that they wouldn't in the name of controlling variables in an experiment, but now that they've got their proof they can introduce it in round two with a plausible cover story. They could also add in samples from all of the Protectorate and other groups that don't have appropriate clearance/would need to be on patrol/otherwise couldn't attend (which could be part of the above cover story).

 

[Beyogi]

*Raises eyebrow*

Are you joking?

First page has a timeline.


Also, it's been referenced in, like, a couple dozen chapters.

Click to shrink...

Actually no, I'm not joking.
How often do you check out the frontpage of threads that you have bookmarked? But I guess that means they're now attacking every month.

Eh... I must have missed it.
Probably focussed on something else. Like teen drama...

 

[Peanuckle]

Oh god, I am going to tease them both mercilessly until we all die of old age. No. Better. I am going to tell Taylor and Amelia and Zach. That way I can spend all my efforts on Alexandria. That's what she gets for not letting me bust that jackass Director in Indiana.

Click to shrink...

I'm envisioning all of Pantheon spying on one of Lisa and Rebecca's "dates," but all that happens is a normal meeting where they discuss business. And an odd twitch here or there. Lisa is all kinds of upbeat, but everyone else is confused as hell.

"Gotcha, sis," I responded, smiling at her.

Click to shrink...

Subtlety, your name is not Victoria.

--

One thing I've noticed about the fic is that it's mostly become: "Endbringer attack, literal worldbuilding, power shenanigans, Endbringer, repeat."

I'd like to see some more variety. Someone goes out to stop the first criminal act on Avalon (that guy is going to get shamed so hard), a bit of political drama as some politician lobbies for the extradition of villains that fled to Avalon, some exploration into that other world Pantheon got, maybe an interlude about the various colonies and how nations are dealing with the population shift and resource boost.

Maybe a beach episode? Though Amelia makes the best Yggdrasil castles.

 

[GiftofLove]

"Gotcha, sis," I responded, smiling at her. Amy's my sister, who's fiancée to Taylor, who's pretty much a sister to Lisa, who we both know you're pedo for.

Click to shrink...

Alexandria has been 16 for a long time.

Better watch where you throw your stones Vicky, considering your family is like 2 for 3 on sisterlove.

 

[Daunmi]

The hard question to answer is why she waited to attack them at home, instead of just beating the shit out of them when they were getting groceries or something.

Click to shrink...

"Path to taking out Saint? ... Hmm, whilst shopping? That's a little too easy. Path to taking out Saint whilst he's got access to his equipment? ... Nope, not good enough... Path to taking out Saint whilst somehow bypassing any security devices he has without letting him know how I'm doing it? Oooh, this one looks suitably bullshit enough!"

Because she could have just doored right into the base. And why should Pantheon have all the fun?

No. Better. I am going to tell Taylor and Amelia and Zach. That way I can spend all my efforts on Alexandria.

Click to shrink...

I thought they already knew?

Alexandria has been 16 for a long time.

Click to shrink...

Vicky may not be aware of that. It's a bit hard to keep track of which bullshit thinker knows what about which bullshit thinker in which bullshit organization sometimes.

Someone goes out to stop the first criminal act on Avalon (that guy is going to get shamed so hard)

Click to shrink...

I'm torn between wanting to agree with you, because this would be great to see like a trainwreck, and disagreeing with you because part of me still holds out that no one could be that god damned stupid.

 

[doomlord9]

I'm torn between wanting to agree with you, because this would be great to see like a trainwreck, and disagreeing with you because part of me still holds out that no one could be that god damned stupid.

Click to shrink...

I envy your boundless naive optimism.

 

[Coruscant Knave]

I thought they already knew?

Click to shrink...

Specifically, she's going to tell them that Becky saw Lisa stumble and her immediate reaction was "aww, I wanted to be there to catch her when she falls".

 

[Peanuckle]

Pantheon and Cauldron hold a teambuilding exercise; they do the "catch me when I fall" thing.

Alexandria keeps elbowing people out of the way when Minerva falls. Minerva whispers unsettling things into people's ears to make them back off.

 

[Zarohk]

Amelia, Ch 311- Lisa

Is apologetic for the mess. Unhappy that I had to find out about it this way, instead of a more honest conversation. Wishes it didn't have to be like this, hates all the secrecy. Wishes that it was possible to have actual trust.

"I'll take what you can give," I told her. She knew what I meant.

================

A/N- I both love and hate Alexandria/Lisa chapters. They're a pain in the ass. Kinda like PHO chapters. Difference is, chapters like this are worth the effort.

Click to shrink...

I have to say that Alexandria/Lisa chapters are some of the best. They are by far the most immersive chapters, where I really feel like I'm seeing from the perspective of the viewpoint character, and find myself barely reading the actual dialogue partway through the chapter, just as I image the two of them are only partly paying attention to the actual words spoken. Without a doubt one of my favorite character POVs is definitely Lisa talking to Alexandria. Now, from the actual conversation itself: I really hope Contessa shows up briefly, if only off-screen, to give Dinah lessons on how to look good as a Thinker in a suit. Because I have no doubt that the suit figures into the PtV somehow.

 

[Ack]

I'm torn between wanting to agree with you, because this would be great to see like a trainwreck, and disagreeing with you because part of me still holds out that no one could be that god damned stupid.

Click to shrink...

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." - Robert A Heinlein

Also, seriously? Vicky isn't even flirting with Chevalier any more. She's using double entendres like other people use sledgehammers.

"Y'know, Chevy," I teased, my voice low and sultry. "If you wanted to stick your sword inside me, you could have asked."

Click to shrink...

I shrugged, and then offered a coy smile. "Hey, I'm a big girl. I can take a good impalement, you just gotta give me a few minutes to catch my breath afterward."

Click to shrink...

Though it looks like she's wearing him down.

He just shook his head and started jogging to catch up to Rime, giving me a good view of his back. Won't be that much longer now, I can smell it. Literally, my sense of smell was really good about figuring things like that out.

Click to shrink...

 

[Peanuckle]

I thought that Vicky was flirting with Chevalier because he wouldn't cave in? He was safe, in that regard.

But now it seems that she's actually going for it. Or will she about-face once he makes a move?

 

[VaporDeagle]

"Never underestimate the power of human stupidity." - Robert A Heinlein

Also, seriously? Vicky isn't even flirting with Chevalier any more. She's using double entendres like other people use sledgehammers.

Though it looks like she's wearing him down.

Click to shrink...

I'm utterly terrified if someone can precisely know how 'in-the-heat' I was.

 

[TanaNari]

Amelia, Ch 313- Lily


"It's time," Chevalier spoke over the coms. "You know your jobs, take your positions and may God be with you."


I wonder if he believes that stuff. At least it wasn't one of those long winded speeches. Everyone here was either a top tier fighter that had done this before, or was going to hold back for specific instruction. I'd been to a handful of Endbringer fights before Pantheon, and in retrospect they were shameful. There was no discipline, there was no order, and there was no plan. Just a bunch of people thrown into a meat grinder and told to try not to die. It was nothing short of a miracle that anyone ever survived one.


Now we fought like an army. Disciplined, regimented, and following orders. Less than fifty capes were here. Of those, less than half would be out there fighting. The others were intel and planning, or sometimes merely emotional support. Entire teams had come here solely to watch those of us who could make a difference in this fight do so, and then be there for search and rescue or medical.


We shunted over within seconds of each other. On the front lines, Victoria, Alexandria, Sveta and Zach. The blasters, myself included, took to the air. I was alongside Legend, Eidolon, Crystal, a couple other members of Crystal's team I didn't know. I couldn't help but take a glance at Sabah. I still loved her, despite doing everything I could to come to terms with the idea that we just weren't healthy for each other. I hoped it wasn't just my imagination that she looked my way.


Further back were the others. Shaman and Rosary, that GL guy who was supposed to be another possible Endslayer. Chevalier stood in that group, coordinating the local capes who didn't have the benefit of our training and preparedness. Mostly he would just be telling them to fall back unless they were top tier capes, and sorting the blasters in with us. A dozen or so local capes ended up flying around with us.


The Endbringer materialized out of nowhere, and it easily ranked at the top of the 'hideous' meter. A tarantula-like thing that stood about ten feet tall, but its limbs extended out far further than that. It was hairless composed of a reddish brown material that even from here looked somehow sticky. As it scuttled along, it left behind pools of the red liquid oozing across the pavement. Okay, if the Endbringers all rely on someone's symbolic mindset, what the fuck were they smoking when they came up with this atrocity?


"I can sense this one," Vicky spoke over the Pantheon issued coms, instead of Dragon's offered armbands. "That's... blood. That thing is literally made out of human blood. Either it's got some really weird stranger power, or it's just really weird."


"Might be some kind of biokinetic," Lisa responded. "Blasters only. Only let the Gargants get close."


"Disposable minions," Zach spoke over the com. "If they don't solve your problem, you aren't using enough of them."


Three gargants shunted over more or less on top of the blood monster, splashing into it. That's not a misnomer, they slammed into the thing and it exploded into a shower of gore that painted itself across the walls of the nearby buildings.


"Not dead!" Vicky informed as it started to pull itself together. "Maybe it's like Wendigo and decentralized?" She flew above the mess and started firing down. A torrent of superheated laser light. Legend put his support into the mix, and soon the other blasters had joined in, except for Sabah and I. We waited and watched. Our particular attacks were more reliant on having a good, solid, target to tear into. Decentralized stuff didn't work for us.


"We... killed it?" Vicky asked. "I'm not sensing any more blood. There's no way this is it. There has to be more."


"The Endbringer signature is still active," Dragon announced over the coms. "I am not detecting any active interference."


A moment later, another monster appeared. This one a large fishlike creature that manifested above the blasters that had moved to attack the blood spider. It exhaled a stream of energy that resembled the Frost Lance weapon down upon the defenders. Several shunted automatically, saved by the emergency protocols built into the armor.


I briefly looked away, but I couldn't block the memory of those that didn't have the suits. The home defenders who weren't ready, shattered into fragments of ice by the Endbringer's power. I opened fire, shredding the thing. It managed to engulf one of the more durable capes with one of its mouths, and I stopped shooting it, for fear of hitting the still living victim.


Alexandria charged in, grabbing the monster's side and pulling, enlarging one of the wounds I'd created. She fought her way inside the creature, likely trying to rescue the consumed cape.


On the ground, another monster appeared. This one strongly resembled a human skeleton made of liquid flame, and the pavement melted beneath its feet. One of the gargants collided with it and slammed it to the ground. The creature was hot enough to burn the gargant. Eidolon targeted that one, and the fires cooled to nothing. The Gargant was also destroyed in the attack.


Zach and his special suicide raptor flew past me and collided with something off to my side. A third monster that resembled a mythological harpy. He activated his suicide device, and the area blossomed with a low range nanothorn cloud. I was already flying back, but was too close. I channeled my power through my armor, granting myself immunity to damage.


"Detecting multiple dimensional rifts across the city," Dragon announced. "Theorizing the Endbringer itself is accessing the city from a separate dimension, and sending these monsters through to fight by proxy. Methods believed to be acquired from Pantheon combat strategy. Classifying them as Brute eight, with potential Striker, mover and blaster subclassifications."


They outrank the zerg, I realized. As bizarre as they were, made from materials that just shouldn't behave the way it did, these things were still stronger than the zerg that our Tinkers spent so much of their effort building. And this one's following the tactic we've been following. If we can't find its actual body, there's nothing we can do to kill the fucker.


A massive crocodilian creature covered in hedgehog spines manifested below us. It fired several quills at us with speeds that easily broke the speed of sound. I dived downward, spreading Azrael's wings and shielding the sky from the thing's fire. I didn't know who above needed the protection, but it certainly wasn't me. I managed to land on the monster feet first, disintegrating it not unlike what I did to leviathan.


My suit alerted me to movement as a kind of deformed tree monster rushed toward me, heedless of the occasional blast of energy that struck it. I didn't move, simply reinforcing my armor with my power and hovering just above the corpse of the crocodile. It collided with me and destroyed itself.


"They're not smart," I spoke into the com. "These things aren't being directly guided by an outside intelligence. Endbringers are scary clever. but these monsters are just mindless berserkers We can beat them if we use our heads and work together."


As if to punctuate my point, Chevalier's blade lanced out, impaling the face of some bizarre giant ant-human hybrid. Despite its condition, it kept moving forward, trying to get to one of the wounded. I carefully aimed low and shot off the creature's legs. They fell, twitching, to the ground. And the bug creature slid back down the blade. A series of muscled shirtless men with piglike faces charged forward wielding axes and swords, and began chopping the thing to pieces while screaming like frat boys.


What cape got that power? Looks pretty sweet.


"She's right," Lisa agreed. "New strategy. Everyone that's not confident they can fight a Brute Eight, fall back to the Gargants. Use them as shields and form defensive rings. The Endbringer creations will seek you out, just make sure to guard your flanks."


A series of missiles streamed overhead, Dragon's weapons removing a few of the monsters from the air. They fell in pieces, destroyed by whatever insanity the Tinker to End All Tinkers had devised this time.


There's more to it, I thought. There has to be. Throwaway monsters and fighting us with these swarm tactics doesn't work. It's not destructive enough, it's not frightening enough. How is the Endbringer planning to do use these things to do the kind of real damage that they love? It has to have a way to really hurt us. Oh. Oh fuck.


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A/N- can you spot the references?