Forgre

Chapter 6: 5



Chapter 12:

– Silas –

I dropped my tray down onto the lunch table with a quiet clunk, sitting across from Sophia, Emma, and Madison. The three of them were already there, picking at their food and whispering between themselves. The mood was different today—tense. Sophia's jaw was tight, and Emma wasn't even pretending to smile.

I barely had time to process that before Sophia leaned forward, eyes locked on mine. "I heard there's some new Latina cape slut sniffing around you."

I stared at her for a second, not even hiding my irritation. So Taylor had been right after all—they'd caught wind of Rebecca. Probably saw us together in the halls or something. 

And now they were pissed. Great.

Emma chimed in right after. "You don't need to hang out with obvious sluts like that. You've got us, remember?"

I let out a slow breath through my nose, trying not to roll my eyes. I picked up my fork but didn't take a bite. Instead, I looked directly at Emma, then over to Sophia.

"No," I said flatly. "I'm gonna hang out with whoever I want. You don't get to decide who my friends are."

Both Emma and Sophia blinked at me. Emma flinched slightly, her face paling. Her lower lip trembled just a little. "Sorry," she muttered, barely loud enough for me to hear.

Sophia didn't apologize. Of course she didn't. Her eyes narrowed for a second, like she was about to snap something back, but then her expression shifted. The hostility faded and got replaced with something... smug. 

She leaned back in her seat with a thoughtful smirk curling at the corner of her lips. "That's right," she muttered. "A predator can do whatever the fuck they want to do."

That wasn't the point I was trying to make, but sure. Close enough, I guessed. 

At least she wasn't being openly hostile anymore.

Sophia wasn't exactly a saint. But I'd seen something different in her yesterday during my first visit to the Rig. The way she acted around the other Wards? That version of her felt like a real person. Not some angry, cold bitch trying to prove something. 

There was hope, maybe. If I could nudge her in the right direction.

Emma stayed quiet after that. Madison too, though she mostly just picked at her salad and avoided eye contact like always.

The mood eventually settled. The tension didn't vanish, but it thinned out enough that the three of them started talking normally again. Dumb stuff. Classes. Gossip. Weekend plans. I listened quietly, eating while keeping half an eye on the cafeteria doors. Waiting for Rebecca and Taylor to show up. Or maybe they decided to eat somewhere else?

About ten minutes later, things seemed a lot more chill again. Whatever weirdness from before had passed, mostly because Madison and Emma had started babbling about the mall. Emma was busy trying to rope Sophia into joining her on Friday night.

"You have to come, Soph," Emma said with a playful pout. "It's gonna be boring without you. I already know Madison's gonna bail on me early."

Madison gave a weak protest, which Emma waved off with a casual smirk. Then her gaze slid over to me, her pretty green eyes catching mine directly. Slowly, deliberately, she flipped her thick red hair over one shoulder, leaned forward slightly, and fluttered her lashes.

Emma was pretty—I had to admit that much. Pretty enough to rule Winslow with a ruthless grip of popularity and cruelty, and she definitely knew how to wield her looks to her advantage.

"You should come too, Silas," she said softly. "It'd be fun. You know, we could hang out…together."

The obvious innuendo in her voice wasn't lost on me, nor was the quick flicker of irritation that passed through Sophia's eyes. She shot Emma a warning glare but held back whatever biting comment lingered on her tongue.

I thought about it. Honestly, it wasn't like I had any better plans anyway. And it might even be good to spend some time with them outside school, figure out what made them tick.

"Sure," I said with a casual shrug. "Count me in."

Emma beamed at me, her smile lighting up her whole face. Sophia's lips curved up too, though her eyes stayed fixed suspiciously on her friend. Madison looked mildly stunned, clearly trying to figure out what had just happened.

But before I could even finish mentally filing away the plans, my vision flashed with that familiar vivid blue. My system screen materialized directly over the lunch table, the bright text glowing brightly.

[Emergency Mission Started! Survive the attack by the Empire and save the life of Shadow Stalker!]

"What is that?" Madison gasped.

Emma's eyes went wide, staring in fascination. "Whoa, is that your power? That's crazy!"

Sophia, however, went utterly still. Her dark eyes locked onto the floating screen, narrowing sharply at the words. Then her expression twisted sharply into stunned alarm as she processed the message.

"Wait—what the fuck—" she began, but she never got the chance to finish.

A deafening crash tore through the cafeteria. Shattered glass exploded inward, raining sharp shards onto the dirty cafeteria floor. 

Without thinking, I lunged forward, grabbing Sophia by the shoulder with one hand and seizing Emma's wrist and Madison's arm with the other, hauling all three girls down beneath the table as something metallic sliced through the air where our heads had just been.

Hookwolf and Cricket leapt through the broken windows into the middle of the lunchroom, the massive form of Hookwolf's steel, razor-bladed body landing heavily, gouging long gashes into the floor. 

Cricket spun her lethal chained blades casually. It had been one of those weapons that almost took out Sophia just now.

Kids around us were screaming in panic, scrambling desperately toward the exits. Chairs toppled, tables overturned—complete fucking chaos.

"Fuck!" Sophia hissed. "They're after me!"

They were after both of us! I quickly realized.

My adrenaline surged. Mentally reaching out to my system, I willed my Nightingale armor into existence. Instantly, the sleek dark armor materialized around me, replacing my clothes in a heartbeat.

"So fucking cool…" Emma whispered from beside me, eyes wide in awe, before a terrified scream from a nearby student reminded her exactly how bad our situation was.

Sophia cursed again under her breath, gripping her fists in frustration. "Shit, I don't have my crossbow! I can't fight like this!"

I opened my inventory quickly, tapping an icon, and summoned the Nightingale Blade straight into my hand. The sword appeared instantly. 

I shoved the handle into Sophia's grip. "Will a sword work? It's enchanted to drain health and stamina from whoever you cut and feed it back into you."

Sophia's eyes lit up immediately, a fierce grin spreading across her face. "Fucking metal!" She grasped it tightly, testing the weight before snapping her attention to Emma and Madison. "Get the fuck out of here, now!"

The two girls didn't need to be told twice. Emma and Madison scrambled from under the table and bolted for the nearest exit, joining the stream of screaming students fleeing in a panic.

Hookwolf and Cricket…

These assholes had broken one of Brockton Bay's most sacred unwritten rules. Attacking capes in their civilian identities was crossing a very clear fucking line, and Hookwolf and Cricket didn't seem to give a shit.

"Are you fucking insane?!" I shouted. "You think you can just break the unwritten rules like this and get away with it?"

Hookwolf's massive metal body twisted slightly, blades scraping against each other with a shrill noise. His voice was distorted by layers of overlapping steel blades grinding against each other. "Fuck your rules," he snarled back. "We're here to send a message."

Beside him, Cricket twirled her chained blades, the sharp edges gleaming under the fluorescent cafeteria lights. She sneered at me, dark eyes narrowed with hatred. "You fucked with the Empire. Now you both get to die screaming." Then her gaze shifted, landing squarely on Sophia standing next to me. Cricket's expression twisted into something uglier. She smirked venomously at Sophia, lips curling with disdain. "We always knew Shadow Stalker was just some black bitch pretending she belonged."

Sophia let out a low, furious growl beside me, knuckles whitening around the Nightingale Blade's hilt. I saw the muscles in her arms tense as she prepared herself to fight.

Lightning crackled softly between my gloved fingers. Fuck it, then—we were really doing this. 

If the Empire wanted a full-on fight, I wasn't about to disappoint. 

Honestly, I'd always thought Brockton Bay's obsession with rules and cape etiquette was bullshit anyway. Time to give these racist assholes a real taste of consequences.

Hookwolf charged suddenly, his massive metallic wolf form tearing chunks from the floor with each thunderous stride. His jagged steel jaws opened wide, roaring toward us. 

Sophia flinched back involuntarily, and that tiny movement—Sophia Hess flinching in fear—snapped something raw and instinctive inside me.

No one fucked with what was mine! These pricks wanted to poke a dragon? Then they were about to find out what happened when they did!

I lifted my chin and felt something primal rise deep within my chest. The words rose almost as natural as I was breathing, burning like fire as I shouted at the top of my lungs!

"FUS ROH DAH!"

My throat burned painfully as the shout left me, but it was nothing compared to the devastation I unleashed. Reality itself seemed to shudder as a wave of pure, tangible force exploded from me, slamming directly into Hookwolf's massive metal body.

The steel wolf was lifted clear off the ground, armor plates buckling and distorting grotesquely under the sheer impact. He flew backward violently, crashing back out through the cafeteria's shattered windows, metal limbs twisting unnaturally. He hit the concrete outside hard enough to shake the building, skidding several yards before finally coming to a twitching halt.

Cricket stood frozen in stunned shock, clearly not expecting me to literally shout her partner through a wall. She recovered just as Sophia's shadow appeared behind her.

Sophia swung the Nightingale Blade straight at Cricket's exposed neck, going directly for the kill. 

At the last possible second, Cricket spun and whipped her chained blades upward, barely deflecting the blow in a desperate clang of metal-on-metal.

Sophia snarled in frustration, teeth bared with a savage ferocity. She followed up immediately, with a kick that sent cricket stumbling backwards.

Cricket's jaw snapped open behind her helmet and the cafeteria filled with that damned sonic screech she was known for. 

It wasn't just loud—it drilled straight into my skull and ripped my balance to shreds. My vision rolled. I staggered two steps to the side, armor boots skidding on noodles and spilled milk.

Sophia fared worse. The shrill whine hit her mid-lunge and she faltered, knees buckling. 

Cricket seized the moment, whipping her chained blades in tight, vicious arcs. Steel rang against enchanted steel as Sophia fought to keep the Nightingale Blade between her and the razor loops, every strike knocking her back a step. Sophia was too disoriented to properly turn into smoke and retreat.

Cricket was going to kill her if I didn't stop that screeching!

"Shut the fuck up!" My own voice came out raw, but the lightning didn't care. I threw both hands forward and snapped my fingers open. White-blue bolts spat from my gloves, arced over overturned tables, and slammed into Cricket's back.

She screamed properly this time—no modulated chirps, just pain—which cut her sonic attacks dead. Her body spasmed and she couldn't move.

Sophia quickly recovered and lunged. She plunged the sword straight through Cricket's gut, right up under the breastplate. The enchantment lit, crimson and green light racing along the blade and into Sophia's arms. 

Cricket gagged, blood splattering the tiles, and dropped to her knees. She was fatally wounded. I doubted anyone short of Panacea could save her.

Twisted metal angrily clanged behind us.

Hookwolf vaulted through the broken window again, landing in a shower of glass and debris. His warped metal body was already knitting back together, edges sharpening as they re-aligned. He saw Cricket slumped on the floor, still skewered, and let out a roar that rattled ceiling tiles. "You fuckers!"

"Come on then," I muttered, raising my hands.

Lightning cracked out slammed into his chest. Sparks danced along every blade, grounding through the floor with a sharp ozone stink. 

Hookwolf howled but kept moving, muscles—or whatever passed for muscles in that form—fighting the current. Step by step, he started to charge at me through the electricity!

"Stubborn fucker." My throat felt like sandpaper, but I drew in breath for another Shout when—

Someone stopped between me and Hookwolf. A woman in a very recognizable costume.

Alexandria.

Hookwolf was so completely enraged that I was pretty sure he didn't even realize who'd just appeared in the cafeteria. 

He threw himself forward with reckless abandon, metal blades whirling and screeching like a fucking blender, dead-set on carving straight through whatever was between us to get to me.

It didn't work out for him…

Alexandria stood her ground effortlessly, not moving even a centimeter. With a casualness that was almost insulting, she extended a single hand and caught Hookwolf's charging snout mid-air. His blades immediately squealed and twisted, warping grotesquely around her gloved fingers. 

Watching him get stopped cold like that—Brockton Bay's infamous murder blender unable to even scratch her armor—was pretty awesome.

Then Alexandria tightened her grip. Alexandria lifted Hookwolf clean off his feet by his distorted snout. Then, in a display of raw, brutal power, she started hammering his massive metal body repeatedly into the tiled cafeteria floor! 

The impacts shook the entire building, each brutal slam splintering tile, denting metal, and spraying chunks of broken steel across the room.

She wasn't fucking around at all!

Students, the ones brave or stupid enough to still be watching from the edges of the exits, stared wide-eyed in disbelief. Cell phones hovered in shaky hands, recording what was probably going to be a viral moment by tonight on PHO…

Probably national news too.

Alexandria's free hand clenched into a fist, plunging straight into Hookwolf's writhing metal frame. Her fingers dug deep, shredding and ripping blades and steel plating away like she was peeling layers off a stubborn piece of fruit. Metal squealed and bent beneath her strength, blades scattering violently in all directions. 

Hookwolf screamed—a weird metallic noise filled with agony, rage, and sudden fear. He was trying to thrash free, to bite, claw, or blend his way loose, but Alexandria was literally tearing him apart with her bare hands.

Sophia jogged closer, still gripping the Nightingale Blade tightly. Her outfit was spattered with Cricket's blood. 

The manic grin on her lips was undeniable right now. "Holy fucking shit!" she practically yelled, barely audible above Hookwolf's tortured howling. "That's Alexandria! Alexandria is absolutely wrecking Hookwolf's shit right now! Fuck, I'm not even mad I got outed! Okay, no, I'm still seriously pissed, but—damn!"

I nodded slowly. 

With a sudden, final wrench of her powerful arms, Alexandria literally tore Hookwolf's armored metal body apart straight down the middle. It split open violently, and a battered, bloodied blond man spilled helplessly onto the shattered cafeteria floor.

Hookwolf—now reduced to his civilian form—looked up at Alexandria with eyes wide and filled with pure terror. He tried scrambling backward desperately, but Alexandria simply stepped forward, cocked her fist back casually, and punched him square in the jaw. The sickening crunch echoed through the now eerily quiet cafeteria as Hookwolf's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed limply onto his back, completely unconscious.

"…Okay," I muttered under my breath. I'd had some pretty skeptical thoughts about Alexandria yesterday, considering her motivations and everything else. Right now, watching her effortlessly demolish one of the Empire's most dangerous capes, I was quickly reconsidering some of those harsh judgments. 

At least temporarily.

Finally, Alexandria straightened fully, towering over the room with authority. She turned slowly, her gaze immediately finding Sophia and me. "Are you two alright?" she asked. "What happened here is completely unacceptable. The Empire violated Brockton Bay's truce in the most severe way possible."

Sophia nodded shakily, her previous bravado muted a little under Alexandria's intense stare. "Yeah, we're fine. Just—fuck, Hookwolf and Cricket really tried to kill us. In school. How fucked is that?"

Alexandria's eyes narrowed beneath her helmet. "Extremely fucked," she agreed bluntly. She glanced briefly toward Cricket's fallen, bloody form, then back to us. "Neither of you will be in any trouble for what happened here. You both did good work…"

The back of the PRT van rattled as it sped toward the Rig. The hum of reinforced tires and the low rumble of the engine filled the silence inside. I sat on one of the benches, still in full Nightingale armor but with my hood and cowl off. My throat still burned a bit but was getting better.

Across from me sat Sophia, still gripping the Nightingale Blade like she was daring someone to try and take it from her. Her hair was messy, her hoodie bloodstained, and there was still a flicker of battle-high in her eyes.

Next to me, Taylor Hebert sat stiffly. She hadn't spoken since we loaded her into the van. Her face was pale and streaked with dirt, but her posture didn't scream "victim." 

It was weird. I was wondering what she was doing here with us?

Sophia narrowed her eyes across the space. "Why the fuck is Hebert even here?" she snapped, breaking the silence. "This is a Ward transport!"

I expected Taylor to flinch. Fold. Shrink back like I'd seen her do a hundred times in the halls.

She didn't.

Instead, Taylor turned her head slowly and said, "Why don't you fuck off with your attitude, Hess? I'm real fucking tired of hearing your mouth."

My eyebrows shot up. Sophia blinked like she'd just been slapped.

"What did you just say to me?" Sophia growled, tightening her grip on the sword.

Taylor didn't back down. "I said I'm tired of your bullshit. You don't get to ruin this moment for me with your usual high-and-mighty crap."

Sophia's mouth opened, then closed. She looked like she couldn't decide whether to yell or swing. "I just killed Cricket," she snapped finally, as if that somehow won the argument by default. "I literally just fucking killed a notorious Empire cape. So sit the fuck down and know your place!"

I mean… Taylor was already sitting though…?

Taylor leaned back and crossed her arms like she wasn't impressed. "Oh yeah? That's cute. I just killed Victor. And three other Empire goons. Guess that makes me better than you! Maybe you should learn your place… Shadow Stalker."

I coughed—choked, really—staring at Taylor like she'd grown a second head. "You… what?"

Sophia gawked too. "You killed who?!"

"Victor. He tried to shoot Rebecca. So I killed him…" Taylor admitted to us.

Sophia sat back like she'd been gut-punched. "What the fuck is with today," she muttered, rubbing her forehead. Then, surprisingly, she looked back at Taylor again—this time without the usual sneer. "Alright, Hebert. That's… actually kinda badass."

Begrudging respect. Holy shit. I hadn't expected that in a million years.

I turned toward Taylor quickly. "Wait… victor tried to do what!? Rebecca, is she okay?" I asked.

Taylor blinked at me. Then, for some reason, she started giggling. Just a short, weird laugh under her breath like I'd said something really fucking funny. "Trust me, Silas," she said, smiling faintly, "Rebecca's just fine…"

She said that as if she knew something that I didn't. 

Before I could ask, Sophia scowled. "Why the hell are we even talking about that cape slut right now?"

I sighed heavily. "Sophia…"

Taylor shot her a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "Say that again," she warned quietly. "See what happens."

Sophia didn't respond. But she didn't say it again either…

I sat slumped in an uncomfortable plastic chair inside a bland, sterile waiting room deep in the Rig. My Nightingale armor was finally off, replaced by standard-issue sweats the PRT had given me. 

Sitting here waiting sucked.

Sophia had gone in ahead of me, called by Director Piggot herself. The door was thick steel, soundproof, so I couldn't even guess what was being said. 

Taylor had already finished her turn. She'd walked past me a few minutes ago, looking deep in thought and maybe a bit overwhelmed. She hadn't said anything to me, just given me a quick nod before she disappeared down the hall with an escorting agent.

I rubbed my tired eyes, leaning back and stretching my neck until something popped. 

Was Taylor actually joining the Wards too? Man I had officially fucked this timeline, hadn't I? Although, it's not like it was canon to begin with, so I can't take all the credit.

It made sense after everything that had gone down. Hell, today alone two more capes had been outed at Winslow. Taylor, and Sophia… 

The school was a goddamn disaster for the PRT's PR department.

Or maybe it wasn't? Shit, who knew. Maybe the PRT could spin this mess positively, somehow. That wasn't really my problem though. I'd leave that to the illuminati.

I glanced down at my phone for the third time. It had been vibrating nonstop since I'd arrived, practically blowing up with texts from Vicky and Amy. Scrolling through quickly, I saw they'd both been messaging me.

Amy (4:12 PM):

Silas?? Vicky said the Empire attacked Winslow?! Are you okay?

Vicky (4:13 PM):

Hey!! Holy shit Silas, the news said Hookwolf attacked you and Shadow Stalker? Are you hurt? Plz respond!

I grimaced a little, feeling guilty for worrying them. Damn. It hadn't even occurred to me how fast word would spread. 

Quickly, I typed out a reply, keeping it simple.

Me (4:29 PM):

We're good. Everything's handled. No worries. I'll call later…

The heavy metal door swung open with a hiss, snapping me out of my thoughts. Armsmaster stepped out. Even through his mask, the hero looked tired, shoulders tense and posture stiff with irritation. He glanced down at me, speaking in a clipped, impatient tone. "Silas, Director Piggot will see you now."

"Fun," I muttered sarcastically, hauling myself up from the chair. 

Armsmaster's expressionless mask didn't react, but I thought I caught him giving me a slightly annoyed tilt of his head as he gestured toward the office door.

I sighed quietly, straightening my shoulders and heading toward Piggot's office. Alexandria had personally assured Sophia and me we wouldn't be in trouble for defending ourselves—after all, we'd had Nazis literally trying to murder us in broad daylight—but knowing my strange luck, this conversation with the director wouldn't be quick or painless…

At least the System gave me an awesome reward earlier…

Chapter 13:

– Silas –

Surprisingly, Director Piggot didn't rip me a new one.

I'd braced myself going into her office, fully expecting the worst—a pissed-off Director laying into me about somehow provoking the attack. 

Instead, Piggot just sat there looking worn out, irritated, and generally pissed at everything else besides me. 

I guess even she had to admit the Empire deciding to murder us in broad daylight at Winslow wasn't exactly my fault. Honestly, I had been a bit worried she'd somehow spin it around on me anyway…

Maybe that was just my meta knowledge trying to find problems with the obese woman even though she'd been pretty chill with me so far.

As had Alexandria of course. 

So yeah, Piggot wasn't pissed at me.

She was pissed at the situation—specifically, about Shadow Stalker being publicly outed. 

But again, not much we could have done about that. Hookwolf and Cricket made the call to break the unwritten rules, not us. Sophia was now outed as a cape—and as a black girl who'd just permanently taken down an Empire villain…

I'd checked PHO on my phone briefly, and Sophia had become really fucking popular. People loved the headlines. Shadow Stalker, unmasked as a black girl, skewering a Nazi cape who tried to murder her in the middle of a high school cafeteria. 

Someone had already dubbed her "The Nazi Slayer," and the thread discussing her and the attack had over a thousand pages of comments, and memes. 

It was wild.

I had my own dedicated posts as well, but considering I didn't kill an infamous Nazi cape, I wasn't as famous at the moment. It wasn't just me and Sophia, either. Taylor was slowly growing more famous as well for triggering and killing killing Victor, and then fucking Alexandria showed up and literally tore Hookwolf apart.

I was alone in my room at the Rig. I let out a heavy sigh and sank onto my bed. The clock on the wall ticked past 8 PM, and I stared blankly at the ceiling for a minute. 

Damn, today had definitely been one of the days of all time…

I wondered vaguely if I'd ever have something resembling a normal day again? Probably not, now that I had a system constantly throwing new quests and crazy scenarios at me.

Speaking of my System…

I grinned to myself, sitting up straight and waving my hand through the air. Immediately, a blue screen popped up in front of my face.

[Congratulations on surviving the attack and saving Shadow Stalker's life!]

[Reward Unlocked: The Ghost Bike]

[ Description: A black, ethereal, and completely silent motorcycle that can be summoned and dismissed instantly at will. While riding the Ghost Bike, you gain the ability to turn invisible, pass effortlessly through solid walls, and even fly.]

"Holy shit!" I shouted out loud, excitement jolting through me. 

I pumped my fist in the air, unable to hold back my enthusiasm. It was like I'd just been handed the keys to some Danny Phantom shit—on a fucking motorcycle! I had literal invisibility, flight, and phasing powers now, as long as I was riding my new bike. Which looked absolutely sick from the icon and definitely matched my Nightingale Armor. 

Immediately, I wanted to take it out for a spin, test it out, maybe fly across the city a few times just for the hell of it. I glanced quickly at the clock again. It was barely past eight, and I still had way too much adrenaline pumping through me from earlier. 

Going to sleep wasn't going to happen anytime soon. I felt too wired.

I knew leaving the Rig right now probably wasn't the best idea. Technically, I was probably supposed to stay put for debriefings and PR damage control tomorrow morning or whatever else the Director wanted. 

But then again, how the hell was anyone supposed to stop me now?

I smirked again, imagining Armsmaster trying to catch a ghostly invisible motorcycle speeding straight through walls. 

Yeah, good luck with that.

Decision made, I stood up from my bed, stretched, and cracked my knuckles. A quick test drive wouldn't hurt anyone. 

It was time to ride.

– Amy –

Amy stood quietly at the edge of the Brockton Bay hospital rooftop, the cool night breeze ruffling through her reddish brown curls. 

She took a slow drag from the cigarette between her fingers, staring down at the brightly lit streets below. She wasn't exactly a regular smoker—usually only on particularly stressful days. 

But today had definitely qualified.

After classes ended, she'd come straight here to heal patients, the way she always did. Hours passed in a blur of fixing broken bones, repairing damaged organs, and dealing with all the weird shit the people of Brockton Bay managed to get themselves into…

She downright refused to heal any deviants who got "weird things" stuck up their asses anymore…

But today her mind hadn't really been in it. Instead, her thoughts had been entirely consumed by worry about Silas. 

She'd been constantly checking PHO updates between patients, reading the frantic threads describing the Empire attack on Winslow, how Hookwolf and Cricket had tried to kill Silas and Shadow Stalker in the middle of Winslow's goddamned cafeteria.

And yet, Silas hadn't even called her! 

He'd just sent her and Vicky a vague text hours after the fact—"Yeah, everything's fine"—like it was no big deal that literal Nazis had tried to murder him!

Amy exhaled sharply, irritation bubbling in her chest. He'd traveled to another fucking dimension with her, faced dragons and magic and insane fantasy shit. You'd think a Nazi attack would merit more than just a casual fucking text!

She flicked the half-smoked cigarette away, watching as it spiraled down toward the pavement below.

Healing at the hospital used to make her feel fulfilled, back when it felt like enough. Now though, after seeing another world and fighting monsters–making a difference–this just didn't feel the same anymore. 

It felt dull. Routine. Safe.

Amy was beginning to crave excitement. Something more thrilling, more vibrant than just endlessly fixing broken bodies in a sterile hospital room.

She took a deep breath, starting to turn back toward the stairwell—

"Hey there, Amy!"

The voice—familiar and annoyingly casual—came out of absolutely nowhere, shattering her thoughts. 

Amy jumped and whirled around, instinctively summoning flames to her fingertips in alarm. She stared wide-eyed at the sudden intruder on the rooftop with her.

And it was Silas of course…

Silas was sitting calmly astride a sleek, pitch-black motorcycle. The machine purred silently beneath him. Amy narrowed her eyes suspiciously. How the fuck had he gotten a motorcycle onto the roof without making a single sound? Had he been invisible? And why?

"Whoa!" Silas said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't burn me! It's just me, PanPan!"

Amy scowled, but relaxed her stance, the flames dissipating from her hand. Her heart was still pounding. "Jesus Christ, Silas! Don't fucking sneak up on me like that. How the hell did you get up here?"

He slid smoothly off the motorcycle and approached her, his expression softening into a sheepish look. "Sorry," he said genuinely. "I probably should have called instead of just texting earlier. I know you and Vicky were worried. Shit just got… crazy."

"Yeah. It's not like Nazis tried to murder you or anything serious, right? Definitely not worth picking up a phone to reassure us with your own voice…" she snarked at him.

Silas winced slightly. "Okay, I deserved that one." He gestured behind him toward the strange motorcycle, obviously eager to change the topic. "But hey, check it out. This is the Ghost Bike. I got it as a reward from my System for surviving the Empire's bullshit today and helping Shadow Stalker deal with Cricket."

He pointed at the edgy black machine.

She raised an eyebrow at him, not ready to let him off the hook yet. "And what's so special about it?"

Silas's eyes lit up with excitement as he stepped back to rest a hand fondly on the motorcycle's smooth black frame. "Well, it's totally silent, as you probably noticed since I snuck up on you. Plus, it can turn me invisible whenever I ride it, phase straight through walls, and it even flies!"

Amy felt her eyes widen despite herself. Flying, invisibility, and passing through solid objects? She was immediately jealous. If she had something like that, she wouldn't have to wait around every night for Vicky to pick her up and carry her home.

Although… even if she had a magical ghost motorcycle, she'd probably still want Victoria to pick her up. After all, riding in Vicky's strong arms, feeling the warmth of her sister's body holding her tight against the night air, was the absolute best part of her day…

"Amy?" Silas's voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her abruptly back to reality. She blinked, realizing she'd probably just been staring at the bike in silence like a complete idiot.

"What?" she said defensively with her cheeks warming slightly.

Silas smiled gently. "I asked if you wanted to come for a ride with me?"

Amy hesitated only briefly, glancing toward the stairwell and knowing exactly how boring and predictable her night would be if she said no.

Fuck predictability.

A slow grin spread across her lips. "Alright, Silas. Let's go for a ride…"

– Silas –

The Ghost Bike flew smoothly through the night sky above Brockton Bay, slicing silently through the cool air. I felt totally at ease as I steered the bike, rising and dipping between the taller buildings.

Amy clung tightly to me from behind, her slender body pressed warmly against my back, her arms wrapped securely around my chest. 

It felt good—damn good, actually. I couldn't stop the small grin from forming on my lips as I glanced down at her pale fingers locked together in front of me. The wind whipped through our hair as I sped up a bit.

We'd been up here a while now, just soaring around without any real destination, enjoying the quiet freedom and the city spread out beneath us. 

Then Amy's voice cut through the comfortable silence, her mouth close enough to my ear to be heard clearly over the rush of air.

"So…" she began, her voice hesitant but curious. "Is this… like a date?"

Her question caught me totally off-guard, and my shoulders tensed slightly. We'd never really talked about that. Not explicitly, at least—not since Skyrim. It had been easy to avoid labels when we'd been lost in another reality, but here, back in Brockton Bay, things felt way more complicated.

After a moment, I decided honesty was probably the best route. "It can be, if you want it to be," I answered simply, turning my head slightly to glance back at her.

She met my gaze, a faint, amused smile on her lips as her eyes sparkled in the darkness. "I wouldn't mind," she admitted softly, ducking her head just a little. "This… this is actually really nice."

Relief washed through me, and I smiled, relaxing again. "Yeah, it is," I agreed quietly. "Glad you think so."

We flew in silence for a little longer, following the line of the Boardwalk below, the gentle sounds of waves reaching us even from this height. A sudden thought popped into my head, and I figured—why not?

"Hey," I called back to her over my shoulder, "You wanna try flying this thing yourself?"

Amy perked up immediately. "Are you serious? Hell yeah I do!" 

Grinning, I steadied my grip and suddenly reached back with one arm, grabbing Amy by the waist and spinning her around my body, settling her smoothly into my lap. 

She yelped loudly, clinging to me tightly as she found herself suddenly facing forward instead of behind. "You asshole!" she protested breathlessly, turning her head just enough to shoot me a halfhearted glare. The pout on her lips was entirely unconvincing, though.

"Relax," I chuckled. "You're fine."

"Warn me next time, dickhead," she muttered, clearly not that angry as her hands eagerly settled onto the Ghost Bike's handlebars in front of her. This new position put me holding her snugly from behind, my arms around her waist, my chest pressed firmly against her back. It felt even better this way, to be perfectly honest.

Amy leaned forward slightly, testing the controls and quickly getting the hang of them. I could hear her laugh quietly in delight as the bike responded instantly, banking gently at her direction.

Amy kept the Ghost Bike steady as we soared above Brockton Bay. 

My arms held snugly around her waist, her slender body fitting perfectly against mine. As far as superhero dates went, I figured this was going pretty well…

Without any warning, Amy suddenly gunned the throttle hard! The bike surged forward, accelerating sharply into the sky, and instinctively I tightened my grip around her, holding on tight to keep myself from tumbling backward off the flying motorcycle hundreds of feet above the city streets.

A split second later, I realized exactly where my hands had ended up—both of them firmly cupping Amy's soft and perky breasts over her costume.

For a heartbeat, Amy stiffened in surprise. The motorcycle slowed slightly, settling into a smoother glide, and I paused, unsure of how she'd react. She didn't immediately yell at me or tell me to remove my hands. 

Ok then…

I felt like that was a silent permission to test my luck just a bit further…

Gently, I squeezed her breasts, cautiously at first, enjoying the feel of her curves beneath my palms. 

Amy's body shivered visibly against mine, and the small moan that escaped her lips told me I was definitely doing something right. Still, she didn't say anything to stop me, didn't tell me to remove my hands, didn't even pull away. 

If anything, she relaxed slightly into my touch, leaning further back against my chest.

Encouraged, I grew bolder, massaging her breasts with more confidence, feeling the way she responded to my touch—her breathing picking up, her chest rising and falling in rhythm beneath my hands. 

Small, quiet moans slipped from her lips, only barely audible over the rush of wind past our ears.

'Fuck it,' I thought. Why not try just a little more?

Keeping one hand gently kneading her breasts over her costume, I let my other hand trail slowly downward, tracing the smooth curve of her waist and stomach, heading lower still. 

Amy shivered visibly as my hand traveled downward, but once again she made no attempt to stop me.

Carefully, almost hesitantly, I slipped my hand beneath the waistband of her costume pants. My heart raced, excitement coursing through me. My fingers dipped beneath the fabric of her panties, exploring cautiously until they brushed something hot and incredibly wet.

"Oh fuck," Amy gasped aloud, her voice quivering slightly.

I paused instantly, my fingers just barely touching the slick heat between her thighs. My heart hammered in my chest. "Amy," I murmured into her ear, "Do you want me to stop?"

"Don't you fucking dare," Amy hissed immediately, her voice breathless but unmistakably eager. She steadied the bike beneath us, making it clear exactly what she wanted.

I didn't need any more encouragement. Despite my lack of sexual experience with women overall, instinct guided my movements as my fingers gently explored between her thighs. My thumb grazed her clit lightly, causing her body to tense against mine. 

"That feels good…" Amy moaned openly, hips shifting restlessly, clearly needing more.

I teased her gently, carefully exploring her lower lips, feeling just how hot and wet she was. Slowly, I slipped a finger just barely inside her, testing her reaction. Her response was immediate—a sharp, pleading whimper. She shifted on the seat, squirming slightly, the bike swerving beneath us.

"Careful," I chuckled quietly in her ear, holding her a bit more securely to make sure she didn't lose control and cause us to crash into a building.

Amy shuddered slightly in my arms, but a soft, playful laugh slipped from her lips. "Sorry," she mumbled breathlessly, "I'll keep flying, but don't stop." She pressed herself back more firmly against me, clearly eager for me to continue. And I was more than happy to oblige.

"Just keep her steady." I chuckled and continued.

I began moving my finger carefully in and out of her, slowly at first, gradually picking up speed as I learned exactly what made her moan louder, what made her body quiver. 

My thumb continued teasing her clit, circling gently.

Amy's breathing became rapid, shallow gasps, her hands gripping tightly on the bike's handlebars. She managed to keep our flight path steady, but just barely. Every so often, the motorcycle would jerk slightly, reflecting just how much my touch was affecting her.

"This okay?" I asked quietly in her ear, just to be sure.

"God yes," Amy groaned without hesitation, arching back into my touch. "Don't you dare stop, Silas! I'm so close, and I need this so bad!"

Hearing the desperation and need in her voice made my heart race even faster. I loved seeing her like this, loved knowing it was me making her feel this way. I increased my pace, pumping my finger a tiny bit deeper into her slick pussy, my thumb stroking her clit steadily. 

Amy writhed, her hips bucking slightly against my hand, desperate for more. I added another finger carefully, gently stretching her as I continued, and Amy moaned loudly, clearly approaching her limit.

"Silas—fuck," she gasped raggedly, hips grinding urgently against my hand, clearly chasing the release she desperately needed. "I'm—I'm gonna—!"

"It's okay," I murmured soothingly against her neck. "Cum for me, Amy…"

Amy cried out softly, body trembling violently against mine, gripping the handlebars tightly as pleasure swept through her. She lost control of the bike for just a brief second, causing us to swerve slightly, but quickly regained composure. I held onto her securely, keeping her steady as she rode out her climax, panting heavily against me.

Finally, Amy slumped back fully against my chest, boneless and clearly satisfied, still breathing hard. I carefully withdrew my hand, gently pulling it from her pants, and wrapped both arms securely around her waist again, holding her close. 

"That was pretty good, huh?" I asked Amy, leaning slightly forward and trying not to grin too obviously.

Amy opened her mouth to respond, but before any words came out, another voice interrupted from beside us.

"I'll say it was! God, I'm so jealous!"

Amy let out a startled squeak at the unexpected intrusion, and I snapped my head around to find Glory Girl—Vicky—flying smoothly alongside the Ghost Bike. Her face was flushed red, but her eyes glittered mischievously as she winked at the both of us and broke into a fit of giggles.

My mind froze for a moment. Shit, how long had she been flying there? Exactly how much had she seen?

"Vicky!?" Amy practically shouted, face instantly darkening several shades. "What the fuck are you doing here!?"

Vicky shrugged casually in midair, her blonde hair fluttering in the breeze. "I came by the hospital to pick you up, Ames, but you weren't there. I got worried and went looking for you. And then I saw a random flying motorcycle cruising over Brockton Bay." She tilted her head to the side. "So I totally flew closer to take a peek, and see what was what. And then I saw you two having your little moment. It looked like you were having a great time, so I thought I'd better wait until after Amy got to cum before interrupting."

Amy groaned deeply, hiding her face behind her hands. 

Vicky laughed again, clearly enjoying the moment as she shot me an approving thumbs-up. "Good job, by the way, Silas! Amy really needed to de-stress. She's been so uptight lately. And now she looks so much happier. An orgasm a day keeps the stress away, you know…"

I coughed slightly, trying and failing to fight the grin forming on my face. That was not a line I'd ever heard before. "Uh, thanks, Vicky. Glad to help…"

She floated closer to us, still wearing that playful grin. "Speaking of which, do you think I can get a ride next? Because seriously, after today, I really need some stress relief too!"

"Someone fucking kill me now," Amy muttered under her breath, leaning back against me with another embarrassed groan.

Chapter 14:

– Silas –

Fugly Bob's was pretty packed for being nearly midnight. The smell of greasy burgers and slightly stale fries filled the air inside. Across from me, Amy sat with her head practically buried in her hands, red-faced and absolutely mortified. 

Next to her, Vicky was leaning back against the booth cushion with a delighted smirk, obviously enjoying the whole situation.

Since we'd come straight here after flying, we were all still in costume. Obviously, Glory Girl, Panacea, and myself grabbing a late-night snack attracted a shitload of attention. Kids had run up to our table for autographs three separate times already, and several groups of guys in booths across the restaurant had loudly whistled at Vicky, making obnoxious comments about how sexy she looked in her costume, but she'd look even sexier out of it... 

They all stopped though when she threatened to break the next guy's legs who said that out loud. 

Luckily, after that initial excitement died down, people seemed to get the hint and mostly left us alone to eat our fries and shakes in peace.

At least, mostly in peace.

Vicky nudged Amy's shoulder lightly, grinning mischievously as she continued her relentless teasing. "Seriously, Ames, I still can't believe you let Silas finger you on a flying motorcycle. I mean—above the Boardwalk! Literally anyone could've pointed their phone camera up and recorded your 'happy face'!"

Amy's face turned even redder—something I honestly hadn't thought possible at this point. She shot Vicky an irritated glare from behind her hands, muttering defensively, "Oh my God, shut up, Vicky. Please, please stop talking!"

I shifted awkwardly in my seat, heat crawling up the back of my neck. Yeah, okay, I was definitely embarrassed too, but shit, Amy looked like she was ready to melt into the booth seat out of sheer humiliation.

The worst part? Vicky wasn't wrong. I had absolutely forgotten to tell Amy about the Ghost Bike's invisibility function when she took over flying. 

So, yeah, we'd basically given anyone who happened to look up at the wrong (or right?) moment a free show. 

At least it had been dark, and we were pretty high up…? I hoped…

Fuck me, why hadn't I thought about the invisibility feature sooner?

Vicky took a sip of her chocolate shake, her bright blue eyes sparkling with barely restrained laughter. Then she leaned in closer to Amy, her voice lowering just enough that nearby tables couldn't overhear—but still loud enough for me to hear clearly across the booth. 

"Come on, Ames, spill. How good was he? Because judging by those lewd noises you made, Silas must've really known what he was doing down there. You sounded like you were having the best night of your life… And those moans were really hot…"

Amy choked loudly, her blush spreading down her neck as she glared murderously at her sister. "Please fucking kill me now," she groaned softly, her voice strained and mortified.

Vicky laughed out loud this time, clearly amused by Amy's embarrassment. "Relax! I'm not gonna tell anyone. I promise. I'm honestly just glad you're finally being a little daring for once. It's about time my uptight sister broke a few rules!"

Amy just let out another small, defeated whimper, dropping her forehead onto the table surface with an audible thump. 

She looked completely done.

Vicky's gaze swung toward me next, her lips twisting into an exaggerated pout as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Honestly though, Silas, I'm kinda jealous. You decided to swing by and take Amy out on this cute late-night motorcycle date instead of me? Really?" She sighed dramatically, placing a hand over her naturally well endowed chest. "I see how it is."

I blinked, caught slightly off guard. Honestly, it was impossible to tell if Vicky was being serious or just fucking with me. But considering she'd recently sent me some incredibly hot nudes…

My gaze flickered briefly over to Amy, wondering if she'd say something about Vicky blatantly flirting with me? 

Then it hit me. Of course Amy wasn't going to stop Vicky. She was definitely still nursing her obvious crush on her adopted sister, since they weren't actually blood-related. 

Maybe she even hoped something would eventually come from all this teasing and tension. 

The thought of what exactly Amy might be hoping for crossed my mind—a hot threesome with both Dallon girls moaning under me…

Instead, I cleared my throat awkwardly and forced myself to meet Vicky's playful gaze. "Sorry, Vicky. Amy was just… closer. At the hospital. I didn't even know where you were tonight."

Vicky narrowed her eyes at me slightly, but the playful gleam never left her expression. She leaned further forward, her voice low and sultry. "Well, next time, maybe you should check where I am first. You know, give me a chance to JOIN in. I could have used some late-night stress relief too." She winked.

Jesus Christ. I stared at her, my brain stuttering briefly.

…The three of us eventually finished our shakes and fries, and stepped out into Fugly Bob's parking lot. Still, even outside we couldn't quite shake the attention we'd drawn. A small cluster of kids stood lingering by the sidewalk.

Two little girls rushed over immediately, clutching Glory Girl posters and Panacea photos. Vicky laughed cheerfully, kneeling down gracefully in her golden costume to autograph their things. Amy, still red-faced but managing a small smile, quietly signed for the other kids as well.

I paused, watching them interact with the children, briefly wondering why kids this young weren't in bed yet. But then again, this was Brockton Bay. It wasn't exactly known for parents enforcing strict curfews. 

Maybe kids around here just learned early to fend for themselves.

Just as the girls finished up, a young boy, probably around nine or ten, approached me shyly, gripping a piece of notebook paper and a pen.

"Um… Could you sign this, please?" the kid asked, looking up at me with big, earnest eyes. "You're the new Ward guy, right? What's your cape name?"

Fuck. I hadn't really thought about choosing a proper cape name yet. But this kid was looking up at me expectantly, so I had to come up with something.

"You can call me Dragonborn," I told him, trying not to sound awkward about it as I scribbled it quickly on his paper. It might have seemed cheesy from my own perspective, but hell, I couldn't think of anything better, and honestly—it fit me. Literally.

The kid beamed at me excitedly. "That's so cool! Thanks, Dragonborn!"

As the kid ran off to excitedly show his friends, I glanced over to see Amy giving me a funny, raised-eyebrow look. I shrugged at her defensively. "What? It fits, doesn't it?"

"If you want to copy Hildra, then sure…" Amy rolled her eyes lightly but didn't argue further, instead returning to finish signing something for another fangirl.

Finally, when all the autographs and polite waves were done, Vicky suddenly scooped a startled Amy up into her arms like a princess. 

Amy squeaked in protest, her face going pink again. "Hey! Vicky, put me down! People are still watching!"

"Relax, Ames. I'll have us up and away before they can get their phones out," Vicky teased playfully. Then she glanced at me and winked. "You think you can follow, Dragonboy?"

I laughed and nodded, crouching slightly before leaping upward in one smooth movement, enhanced strength easily carrying me up to land on the rooftop across from Fugly Bob's. Behind me, I heard a few surprised gasps from the lingering bystanders.

A second later, Glory Girl landed lightly beside me, still cradling Amy effortlessly. 

Amy scrambled quickly to her feet once Vicky set her down, glaring weakly at her sister, though she didn't really seem angry. "Really, Vicky? You had to do the princess carry thing right in front of everyone?" Amy muttered.

"Of course I did. You love it," Vicky retorted cheerfully.

Amy just sighed and shook her head, hiding a small smile despite her embarrassment. I chuckled softly, watching the sisters banter lightly before stepping closer to Amy. She looked up at me, a little shy but clearly more relaxed now that we had some privacy again. 

"I had a really good time tonight," I admitted quietly, giving Amy a genuine smile. "You know, despite the unexpected audience earlier." My gaze flickered briefly to Vicky, who simply raised her eyebrows innocently in return.

Amy blushed, smiling faintly back at me. "Yeah, me too. You should come see me at the hospital whenever you're free. I'd... like that."

"I'll definitely do that," I said softly. 

She hesitated just a second, then leaned up quickly and pressed a soft, brief kiss to my lips. Her face went bright red immediately afterward, but she gave me a shy smile anyway.

Amy being openly affectionate was honestly adorable as hell. I couldn't help but grin back at her like a lovestruck idiot.

Vicky, of course, immediately broke the moment with a theatrical sigh. "Oh, come on, Ames, that was barely a goodbye kiss! Let me show you how it's done properly."

Before I had a chance to process what she meant, Glory Girl stepped forward, grabbing the front of my Nightingale armor costume with surprising speed and strength, pulling me firmly against her body. My eyes widened just before her soft, full lips pressed against mine. Instantly her tongue was pushing insistently into my mouth, her kiss was hot and heavy.

My brain froze completely as her tongue tangled briefly with mine, the world narrowing to just the sensation of her mouth moving sensually against mine. After what felt like forever—realistically probably twenty seconds or so—she pulled back just enough to flash me a teasing, sultry grin.

"That," Vicky declared smugly, glancing over at her completely speechless sister, "is how you give a proper goodbye kiss. Always leave your partner hot and bothered!"

Amy was gaping openly, her mouth opening and closing as if she couldn't figure out what to say. I could only stare dumbly, myself, more than a little turned on by Vicky's unexpected kiss.

Vicky laughed at our stunned expressions, scooping Amy effortlessly back up into another princess carry. "Come on, Ames, let's get you home. Say goodbye to Silas!"

Amy managed a faint, embarrassed wave at me as Vicky flew them upward, laughing again before disappearing into the night sky above the rooftops.

I stood there dumbfounded, blinking slowly for several seconds before finally shaking myself back to reality. "Holy shit," I muttered aloud, running a hand over my face. Tonight had certainly been... something.

After a moment, I snapped my fingers, summoning the sleek black Ghost Bike onto the rooftop beside me. I probably needed to get back to the Rig soon. Odds were high they'd already realized I'd snuck out—but what the hell. Nothing could possibly ruin my mood tonight after how my evening had turned out.

I climbed onto my bike, took a deep breath, and felt a satisfied smile spread across my face.

Definitely not a boring night…

As I flew back toward the Rig on the Ghost Bike, the excitement and rush of the night started fading away, replaced with the slow, creeping realization that I was probably about to get chewed out. 

It wasn't a huge surprise when I saw them waiting down there, standing stiffly in full costume outside one of the Rig's entrances.

Armsmaster and Miss Militia were both standing there, illuminated by the bright security lights glaring down from the top of the facility. Armsmaster had his typical serious posture, arms folded across his armored chest, his expression hidden behind that familiar visor. Miss Militia stood a little behind him, a hand resting casually on her holstered pistol. She looked calmer than Armsmaster, but there was definitely some tension visible in her posture.

I briefly considered turning invisible and phasing straight through the walls right back into my room. 

It would've been easy, and hilarious to leave them standing out here. But that was probably just going to piss them off even more than they already were. 

I decided to bite the bullet and just land the damn bike right in front of them.

The motorcycle touched down silently on the concrete right in front of the pair. I dismounted slowly, dismissing my costume back into my inventory, already bracing myself for the lecture I knew was coming.

Miss Militia stepped forward first, giving me a look I'd quickly come to recognize as her trademark Disappointed 'Mom' expression. "Silas," she began with a heavy sigh, "What exactly do you think you were doing tonight, sneaking out alone right after Nazi villains literally just tried to murder you at school today?"

I winced internally. She definitely had a point. Heading out into Brockton Bay, alone, at night, immediately after narrowly surviving a cape attack, was… probably not my smartest move. 

But shit, I'd just needed some air after everything that went down today. 

"I just needed to clear my head a bit," I explained sheepishly. "It's been kind of a day, y'know? Besides, I had my new bike, so I figured I'd be fine."

Speaking of the Ghost Bike, Armsmaster had already moved forward, all but ignoring the actual conversation. He circled the bike, leaning in closely and running an armored finger along the sleek black surface, muttering quietly to himself. He seemed totally engrossed with it.

"How exactly does this machine function?" Armsmaster asked abruptly, turning sharply to face me. "It seems silent. Completely silent. Where exactly did you acquire it? We picked you up leaving the Rig—our security is top-notch. How were you flying? And more importantly, how did you phase through our supposedly secure walls?" Armsmaster fired off questions rapidly, barely pausing to breathe. His eagerness was actually kind of hilarious to watch, especially coming from a guy who normally had the emotional range of a brick wall.

"Um," I began, trying to keep up with his barrage of questions. "I… honestly don't know how it works. My powers are kinda bullshit, remember? The bike was a reward from my System for surviving today's attack. I can summon and dismiss it at will, it can fly, turn invisible, and yeah, apparently it phases through solid stuff. I think it might regenerate if damaged, but I haven't tested that yet…" I tried my best to explain everything.

Armsmaster made a frustrated noise, clearly unsatisfied by my answer, though I saw him making rapid mental notes. "Would you allow me to study it tonight? I need to get readings on this."

I shrugged. "Sure, knock yourself out. Just, y'know, try not to break it or anything? Or maybe do, so we can see how long it takes to fix itself…?"

"Fantastic." Armsmaster immediately knelt down again, popping open some kind of toolkit from his armor and starting to scan the bike with intense concentration.

Miss Militia just sighed loudly, shaking her head. "Great. We've officially lost Armsmaster for the night. He's going to nerd out over that bike until sunrise." She turned back to me, beckoning for me to follow her away from the distracted hero. "Walk with me for a minute, Silas." I fell in step beside her, both of us strolling toward the edge of the Rig platform overlooking the dark ocean. She turned to me, her expression softening slightly under her bandana. "Silas," she began quietly, looking genuinely concerned now. "You have to understand—I'm responsible for the Wards, for all of you. When something like this happens—when you go off alone right after a serious incident—I feel like I've failed you. Like I've let you down because you don't trust me. I would have gone out with you, if you had asked for permission. We could have even raced or something."

I felt guilty for not thinking about how my actions would reflect on her.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, honestly meaning it. "I didn't mean to stress you out or make you worry. And I wasn't trying to get you in trouble or anything. I really just needed to clear my head tonight after everything."

Miss Militia looked slightly mollified at my apology, but still shook her head slightly. "I understand. I was young once too, you know. But still—right after a major attack? At least tell someone next time."

"Fair enough," I admitted sheepishly. "And, uh, I also kind of wanted to see a girl tonight, so…"

Her face shifted to one of mild annoyance. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, crossing her arms again. "Of course. A boy gets a shiny new toy, and the first thing he does is show it off to pretty girls. Typical."

I chuckled lightly, unable to deny the accuracy of that statement. "Well, you're definitely not wrong there. But hey—you're welcome to take it for a spin yourself sometime, if that makes it up to you?"

She snorted softly, giving me an amused, skeptical look. "Nice try. I'm not falling for that one. And no, offering me joyrides on your fancy new bike isn't getting you out of punishment."

"Punishment?" I asked warily, raising an eyebrow at her. "Come on, please don't say—"

"Oh yes," she said firmly, cutting me off with a smirk. "You're on Console duty for the rest of the night as well as tomorrow afternoon after school!"

"Shit," I groaned in annoyance. Then something clicked in my mind, and I blinked sharply, staring at her in disbelief. "Wait—I'm still going to school tomorrow? After what happened? Seriously!?"

She gave me a deadpan look as if I'd just asked something ridiculously obvious. "Of course you're going to school. Just because Nazis tried to kill you in the cafeteria doesn't mean classes get cancelled. This is Brockton Bay. If we cancelled school every time something like that happened, nobody would ever graduate in this town."

I groaned loudly. "Fucking Brockton Bay…"

"Language, Silas!" she huffed at me. "Now, did anything else happen tonight?" she asked.

"I picked out my Cape name," I told her.

She seemed happy to hear that. "Oh? What is it?"

– Alexandria –

Rebecca sat quietly on the worn, faded armchair in Taylor's room, feeling awkwardly out of place in the mundane setting. It was cluttered with textbooks, clothes, and posters of various heroes—including herself as Alexandria. In fact, there were multiple posters of herself.

It felt surreal.

Across from her, Taylor Hebert practically vibrated with excitement, bouncing gently on her bed. Her dark curls framed her eager face, eyes wide behind her thick glasses, and a massive grin plastered across her lips. 

"So let me get this straight," Taylor gasped. "You're—you're Alexandria. The Alexandria, the actual fucking Alexandria—and you've been disguised as Rebecca Brown at Winslow today!?"

Rebecca shifted slightly, keeping her voice calm and composed. "Keep your voice down, Taylor," she reminded her gently. "We don't want to wake your dad up. And please refer to me as Rebecca from now on…"

"Oh! Right. Sorry," Taylor said sheepishly, ducking her head a bit. She leaned in closer across the small distance between them, dropping her voice to an excited, frantic whisper. "But holy shit, Rebecca—you're literally my favorite hero! This is so insane! Are you undercover or something? Is Winslow secretly infested with villains? How long are you going to be there?"

Rebecca took a breath, watching Taylor's unbridled joy with a complicated mixture of amusement and guilt. "Not exactly undercover in the traditional sense," she admitted, choosing her words carefully. "It's more... complicated than that. Let's just say I have personal reasons for enrolling. I'm not sure yet how long I'll stay. Today was actually my first day."

Taylor's grin stretched wider, clearly still starstruck. "You being Alexandria is literally the coolest thing ever," she whispered eagerly, then paused suddenly. "Wait, but you're, like, nineteen. Why do you look exactly my age?"

Rebecca hesitated, her lips pressing together briefly as she considered how best to explain. It was personal, but she decided to answer anyway. "When I got my powers, they froze my aging completely at nineteen. Physically, I haven't changed at all since."

Taylor blinked in disbelief, then her expression shifted into envy. "Are you kidding me? You get to stay beautiful forever! God, I'm so jealous."

Rebecca paused at the sincerity in Taylor's voice, slightly caught off guard. 

It had honestly been a long time since anyone referred to her—her true self—as beautiful. 

…Of course, there were countless internet memes and online forums filled with crude jokes about Alexandria crushing people between her thick thighs , but those were fantasies about her cape persona–not Rebecca herself. 

Thinking about it made her feel odd. And it brought her thoughts unexpectedly to Silas. Even though she'd only spent a single day at Winslow so far, Silas had clearly been giving her subtle yet unmistakably appreciative glances during class. While normally she'd dismiss such attention outright, today she hadn't exactly found his gaze… unwelcome. 

…If anything, she'd caught herself feeling something close to enjoyment from it, which surprised her far more than she'd ever admit out loud!

Taylor must have noticed her distracted expression. "Rebecca? Um...?" she asked softly, leaning forward with concern. "You alright?"

Rebecca quickly cleared her throat, forcing the unhelpful thoughts aside. "Yes, sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind tonight, that's all."

Taylor smiled sympathetically. "I bet. Today was crazy. First, Empire assholes attacked Silas and Shadow Stalker. Then I triggered powers and killed Victor. And now you are hanging out in my bedroom, casually talking to me. Like, what the actual fuck is even happening in my life right now!?"

"It is a rather... unusual situation," she admitted.

Taylor looked thoughtful for a moment, then brightened visibly. "So... wait, does this mean we're still friends? Like, actual friends—even though you're Alexandria? You don't have to pretend, right?"

Rebecca hesitated only a second before nodding sincerely. "Yes. I'd like to stay friends, Taylor, if you're comfortable with it." She didn't add that she practically had to remain close to Taylor anyway, to avoid dying for some reason…

Taylor grinned! "Are you kidding? Of course I want to be friends! School just got about a million times more bearable knowing that Alexandria has my back. And now that I've got powers too, and I'm joining the Wards with you and Silas, it's even better," she added, before pausing. "The only downside is Sophia fucking Hess is going to be there too…."

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "You really don't like Shadow Stalker, do you?"

Taylor scowled. "She's been a total bitch to me at school! Always has been. But now I have powers, and I'm gonna get back at her by being a way better hero. And also—" Taylor suddenly got a determined look. "Also, I'm totally going to steal Silas Thorn from her! I'm gonna sleep with him first and rub it right in Sophia's smug fucking face!"

Rebecca nearly choked on air, spluttering in shock at Taylor's sudden blunt declaration. "You—you're going to do what?"

Taylor looked completely unbothered, nodding confidently. "Yep. You heard me. Silas is hot, nice, and honestly kinda amazing. Plus, Sophia clearly has a thing for him, and nothing would piss her off more than me getting with him first. Perfect revenge!"

Rebecca stared at Taylor for several seconds, temporarily at a loss for words. What exactly is it about Silas that's drawing all these female capes to him?

– Silas –

I walked into the Wards' common room, yawning a bit. Clockblocker was sprawled out on the couch, totally passed out with a controller dangling loosely from his hand. Some game was running AFK on the big screen, looping over and over. 

I shrugged it off and kept moving, heading into the console room.

Inside, Vista was sitting alone, her small figure practically hidden by the massive swivel chair. She was staring blankly at the dozens of camera feeds from hidden surveillance points all around Brockton Bay.

It was pretty late, so I paused for a second. Why the hell was she sitting here alone at this hour?

"Hey Vista, everything okay?" I asked, trying to keep my voice casual.

She looked up at me, startled, and instantly turned bright red. Crap. She clearly still had a massive crush on me. Obviously, I planned to ignore that. No way was I encouraging that kind of thing.

"Oh, hey Silas," she muttered, avoiding my eyes. "I just, uh… didn't want to stay home tonight. My parents aren't exactly... great. Sometimes they yell at each other all night. I usually just teleport myself here when it gets bad."

I frowned. I knew she'd triggered because her parents had a shitty, dysfunctional marriage with constant yelling. That wasn't something any kid should have to deal with. Hell, I knew exactly how fucked up parents could be.

Without really thinking about it, I stepped closer and gave the poor kid a gentle hug. "Yeah, parents can seriously suck sometimes. Trust me, I get it."

She sputtered in embarrassment, stiffening slightly at the unexpected hug, but seemed to relax a little afterward.

I stepped back and cleared my throat. "Anyway, how's everything looking tonight? Console duty treating you okay?"

Vista shrugged and sighed, clearly glad for the distraction. "Honestly, it's super boring. The entire city is probably hiding right now because Alexandria is around. She took down Lung and Hookwolf back to back. Nobody wants to piss her off."

I chuckled at that. "Damn right she did."

It made me wonder briefly where Alexandria was now since she obviously wasn't hanging out on the Rig. Probably off doing some secret Illuminati bullshit.

"So, anything I can help with?" I asked.

She looked relieved just to have someone to talk to. "It's just nice having company. Console duty gets pretty lonely."

She started pointing at different buttons and screens, explaining how the console worked. I nodded along, doing my best to follow her instructions, even though some of the more complicated controls flew right over my head.

We spent around half an hour chatting comfortably when suddenly my system screen flashed brightly into existence right in front of me.

[Congratulations! You have been granted another heroic mission in the multiverse! A human planet is under attack by evil invaders! The people are calling out desperately for a hero. Will you go!? You have 10 seconds to respond.]

"What the fuck?" I muttered, squinting at the sudden glowing screen.

Vista leaned in and read it too. Her eyes widened instantly. "Silas, we have to go! Innocent people are getting hurt!"

Before I could even answer, another message popped up.

[The System will take that as a yes. Your partner for this mission will be the young hero, Vista! You will both be transported in 5 seconds!]

"Wait, what!?" Vista squeaked out in panic. 

"Oh, shit—" was all I managed to say before bright white light swallowed both of us whole.


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