Tammi doesn't really care for the dogfights. Not that she minds dogs, but sports are fun in a well-catered stadium, less so in a grungy warehouse. But Tracy's new boyfriend has the normal male enthusiasm for beer and shouting and blood, and Tammi didn't have anything better planned for tonight, so she let herself to be dragged along.
She is currently reconsidering her life choices.
This may be related to the the three rhino-sized monsters who have crashed the party and are busy mauling random people!
Shit shit shit she's not here in costume!
This has benefits (she is trying to run, like everyone else here) and downsides (the higher-ups might find out she was here and ran). So, she needs to double back later. Bitch can't touch her once she's in the air, but someone might see her when she first uses it to make a flying platform - can she climb out through this window, fuck you other guy who's trying to climb out through this window -
It's only a one-storey drop but the ground is uneven with a thin layer of snow, she slips but she recovers like a fucking ballerina. Her foot inscribes a shape in the snow which could be, generously, called a circle.
And then there is a guy standing there with jeans and a tail and no shirt and bat wings. "- hello! What can I -" Other guy trying to climb out the window, yikes - "is there a fire or -"
Unfamiliar cape - how'd he get there, is he a Mover or a fucking Stranger - who decided to come unmasked to a dogfight? Hookwolf isn't even here today??
(The guy after her in line, too far away to hear, screams "another cape!" and abandons the window to run for the doors after all.)
"It's Bitch and her monsters!" Random civilians don't get briefed about the resident bitches but word gets around so it shouldn't be weird that she recognized them, right? She does not need another cape's attention on her right now. "They're killing people in there! Help them get away or something!" (Screams are coming from inside the building; the main doors are on the opposite side and not visible from here.)
"Fuck. Okay." He will go look in the window; climbing through would take valuable time.
Then she will run away from this clusterfuck!
There being an unfamiliar flying cape rather complicates her plan of riding in on a flying platform to save the day, because like a dumbass she went out without her costume or even a spare mask. Maybe she'll phone it in instead, that way if they order her back and she gets unmasked at least it'll be their responsibility and they'll have to get her a new identity or something. ...once she's safely at a block away, though. Tammi is a good runner.
The building is two stories tall but it's all a single space inside; the window opens on a catwalk going around three sides, with people on it who are now scrambling to get away from Cam's window and to the other side of the room.
There are at least thirty people, a big double door (open), blocked by a giant... animal? It's three meters tall and has horns and weirder, asymmetric things sticking out of it, with what looks like bare muscle exposed in places. It's growling horribly. Several of the men have been mauled to various degrees and are huddled against walls or limping away nursing broken limbs. One man lying on the ground is missing most of his hand and is either unconscious or dead from loss of blood.
On the other side of the building there is a line of cages with dogs in them, and a woman wearing a rottweiler mask is looking at them. Two more of the giant creatures seem to be guarding her from everyone else.
Ah shit. Downed guy gets a hand and more blood! Monsters get opiates and if that doesn't work they get liquid nitrogen! Then he will take the time to climb in.
The people next to the downed guy exclaim but have no idea what just happened.
The monsters do respond to opiates liberally misted through their bodies! One of them sneezes, lies down and falls asleep. The one that was blocking the door also lies down but then starts dragging itself along the floor; the people scramble to get out of its way and out of the building.
The third starts frantically chasing its own tail, quickly going off course and crashing towards the back side of the crowd; that gets it the liquid nitrogen treatment. It crashes to the ground, makes a big dent in the far side wall, and doesn't get up again.
The woman in the dog mask lets out a horrible, choked-sounding scream, and runs towards the dog that's still struggling along.
Some of the people in the crowd have guns and were trying to surreptitiously form into a firing line without her noticing! With the gunproof monsters down it's clearly time to shoot her in the back.
Hey no absolutely not we are trying to avoid people being dead. Guns: cease to gun.
"It's a cape!" shouts one of the men Cam interrupted climbing out of the window, making the people below finally look up.
That sure is an unfamiliar guy climbing into the building (at second storey height), no mask but has a... bat costume?
...most of them are going to run away now the door's unblocked but the guy who organized the firing line and a few of the others are standing their ground. (Most of them are frantically trying to figure out what's wrong with their guns and whether a restart reload cycle can fix it.)
Does Cam look like he's an actively hostile cape? What's the bitch doing?
She's reached the one monster that's still in crawling shape and is coaxing it into standing up.
The other two monsters are beginning to... fall apart? Pieces of bone and muscle are sloughing off their bodies. The liquid-nitrogened one also has thick white vapour coming out of the holes left by this process.
OK, no, if the monsters aren't all properly dead they can't just wait for backup!
"You have to let us stop her before she heals it!" yells the man who's possibly in charge.
Oh, it's one of those 'heroes'. Well, if this ends up with Bitch out of play it'll be a win regardless.
"If you can put down the last monster like you did the others, you can arrest her or whatever. We only need lethal force if she can order those things to kill people!"
(Another man whispers something in his ear.) "...we are grateful for the help. But she's still dangerous."
The one monster does seem to be feeling better! It's standing up properly, at least. The woman in the dog mask is now frantically digging into the corpse of the one that was dosed with liquid nitrogen.
At the words 'put down' she whips her head around and snarls.
"I can knock her over but you cannot then murder her, are we clear? Call the cops on her if you like."
"The men who left will have called them, I'm sure a patrol is already on its way here." Able and willing to kill any of Bitch's monster dogs on sight. "But you need to deal with the last monster before she tries to escape or decides to take some of us down with her."
It doesn't smell like Angelica anymore. And Master knows best. Brutus can tear big chunks away! Brutus can get a mouthful of... still-liquid nitrogen seeping through the brittle frozen tissue?
The pain isn't real, it's not in his real body, but his mouth... doesn't seem to be working properly anymore? ...Master?
The mysterious organs and sacs exposed inside the frozen-solid body cavity shatter as the monster pulls away.
She scrambles onto the half-headless monster's back, using the mismatched bone spurs to pull herself up with surprising strength.
"I don't know why they're reacting differently." Before she climbs up high enough to hurt herself falling she can go to sleep.
The monster stands over her protectively. It's not capable of snarling or having a facial expression at the moment, but it clearly wants to.
"...is she unconscious?" What's this guy's power? Bat theme and he puts things to sleep - maybe he put the guns to 'sleep', that sounds like the right amount of crazy.
"If you can't put it down then I guess we have to wait for the backup. Mike, call it in, ask if there's ETA. I'm Dave, by the way. ...what you did to our guns, is it going to wear off?"
"No, they are out of commission, I might offer to replace them if I knew you better and had reason to believe they are mostly for hunting pheasants and showing off at the range. I'm Cam." Is the number called in three digits?
They're for self defense against insane murderer capes! This isn't a safe neighborhood!!
He has more sense than to argue with a cape, though. Just gotta wait for backup, Hookwolf will come through.
Mike quick-dials by holding down '9' on his Nokia dumbphone!
"Bitch attacked at Ralph and Keystone, did you already - good. Good. Unfamiliar cape took her down, calls himself 'Cam'. Yeah we're still here, so's he, says he wants her arrested, no deaths. Uh huh. Big bat wings, uh, a *tail*? ...no mask. ...like a cam and shaft I think? He took out our *guns*, I dunno how, they look fine they're just not firing... OK. OK. Yeah I'll stay on the line."
He takes the phone away from his ear and grins at the room. "We're in luck, Hookwolf's on the other side of town *but* the patrols are out in force tonight 'cause the asians have all gone nuts and they've sent one our way, it's less than ten minutes out."
"That's what the dispatcher said," Mike confirms. "Something's going on in East End... Seems they don't have the sense to quiet down even with Lung gone."
"Hookwolf's one of our capes," Dave confirms. "...the Empire's, I mean. Are you from out of town?" Everyone's heard of Hookwolf.
Having had a peaceful minute to observe the eight men still around, Cam may notice that they're from a tattoo-heavy culture. Popular motifs include death's heads (one of them canine), looped infinity symbols either paired or joined into chains, roses, crosses (both regular and hooked swastikas), swords and lightning bolts.
"I am from out of town. ...in this town, what should I assume about the meaning of your symbolic ink there?"
"That we're proud members of the Empire," Dave says firmly.
"And that we've got good taste," insists one of the others, "a word's enough for a symbol, this is art."
"The Empire Eighty-Eight," Dave explains, "is an organization which maintains law and order when the government fails to do it. A citizen militia which brings peace and prosperity to its neighbourhoods and does not tolerate crime. The last guardians of American civilization - I guess that sounds pretentious when I'm kinda saying it about myself but, uh, have you seen the rest of the city? Murderer-on-the-run capes roaming the streets and worse." Dave sends an unfriendly look at the unconscious masked woman. "You know the saying, a woman with a purse of gold could walk across the city unafraid? Out there it's not the purse of gold she'd need to worry about."
"A hookwolf is a kind of trap," one of the other men explains, "'s called a wolf's angel in German."
"I have not seen the rest of the city. Are you claiming that the place has descended in to outright anarchism and that if I call 911 nobody will answer, or that you are displeased with their performance?"
"Call 911 outside our territory and a few other safe zones and say you're being threatened with a gun, the cops might show up eventually. Not if you're on ABB turf - that's the big Asian gang, down in East End and the docks. Call 911 and say you're being threatened by a cape, they'll say it's not their jurisdiction and pass you to the PRT. Shouldn't play at calling themselves police if they declare capes above the fucking law or say a square foot of American soil is outside their jurisdiction."
"Now the PRT will want to know if it's a cape they can take without casualties, because heaven forfend the government capes risk themselves to protect the public. If it's safe enough, and they think they'll look good in front of the bloody cameras, they'll do it. But if it's a big threat like Lung, well, can't expect the government to stop capes wreaking bloody havoc in American cities, right, he's scawy."
"Well they did finally get Lung."
"Yeah, after how many bloody years? And I sure don't see them going in to clean up what's left of the ABB. Those shits have opium dens and a bloody slave trade but the government doesn't care 'cause it's not white men doing it, see."
"Uh-huh." He is going to copy the guy's phone, blanked but hopefully still with emergency call capacity, and call 911 anyhow.
"Hey, I seem to have broken up some gang warfare? Things are calm right now but somebody called for Empire backup. I have the intersection as Ralph and Keystone."
"Sir, are you in danger? Who's the Empire fighting? - what exactly do you mean when you say you broke it up?"
A masked man in a Wehrmacht uniform with an Iron Cross floats down into view of the door, slowing down just before setting foot on the ground. (If Cam happens to be a military historian he may notice the uniform is not very period-accurate.)
"Ze backup and ze varfare, zey are here," he declares. "I do hope ve can avoid ze fighting."
The men scramble to a sort of attention. Some of them salute, palm outwards.
"I mean there's neo-Nazis - more of them now, this one can fly! - and also a kid with dog-themed monsters? I am not in personal danger but I don't remember how to perform a citizen's arrest and I'm also not totally clear on how illegal any of this is exactly and if they start trying to kill other people I am only mostly sure of my reaction time."
The PRT hotline gets a recording of what the caller said to 911 before being transferred. (They didn't always, but Armsmaster threatened to show them 'the meaning of efficiency' when he found out.) However, it still takes them a few seconds to listen to it before they pick up.
"Sir! You're back! Uh, the cape - Cam - knocked Bitch and her monsters, except that one. Did something to all our guns so they don't work. Said he's from out of town, wanted to know about the Empire."
The remaining monster is still guarding the unconscious woman but it's not looking very well; its skin is beginning to sag on its body.
Krieg waves a negligent hand and the monster collapses into a heap of bloody pieces.
"Very good. I have your report to ze dispatch. Dismissed." Which is to say, clear off in case there's a cape fight after all.
"...sir," Dave says hesitantly, "do we have time to take our dogs? And some of them belong to men who - left earlier, can I call them back?"
"I vill not forbid it." Translation: if Hookwolf's men want to risk their necks over some dogs, it's no skin off his nose.
Some of the men scramble to get leashes and unlock their respective dogs' cages; some head for the exit at a definitely-not-running speed.
"...this is the PRT. We heard your report, you don't need to repeat it. Can you identify or describe the capes present? Are you willing to identify yourself?"
"My name is Cam but you won't have heard of me. Flying Nazi has a period-inaccurate costume, dog kid has a plastic dog mask, does that narrow it down enough?"
"...the Empire has a cape called Rune, a girl or young woman wearing robes who can fly on top of platforms she empowers and fling other objects at targets. The girl in a dog mask is Hellhound. We are sending a response team to your location" (the phone signal matches the address given, at least) "but it may be some time before it arrives. We ask that you do not antagonize the Empire's capes except in defense of civilian lives, they can be very dangerous. If the fighting is over, please consider leaving the area for your own safety."
As long as Cam ignored him he was willing to ignore him right back - it is below his dignity to wait on another - but he can't overlook deliberate taunting in front of Empire members. Still, his takedown of Bitch has earned him some goodwill.
"I vuld say it iz very appropriate for ze period of time zat we live in," he observes. Is Cam going to focus on him now or does he have to escalate?
"Noted," Cam tells the phone rather than protesting his personal safety. "That might be, I'm not a fashion historian, I just watch movies made by people who hire them," he says to Krieg.
Good enough. Krieg inclines his head. "I am called Krieg. On behalf ov ze Empire Eighty-Eight, I sank you for your help. Do you have - preferences, about her?" Slight gesture at the unconscious girl.
"You can give her to ze Protectorate. Ze fairness of ze trial is up to zem." Killing Bitch is very far down the list of his priorities.
"You are owed goodwill and zat naturally includes not answering any questions. But if you do not mind saying, what bringz you to our city?"
"I am tempted to say something cryptic and dramatic but honestly I'm more surprised to be here than you are to see me."
"Vell, if you stay, do be careful. Ze timez, zey are not quiet ones." No, actually, he shouldn't be cryptic and dramatic either. "Lung's capture waz very velcome but left a vacuum, and now someone seemz to be making a move. Of course," he smiles, "az long az you stay in Empire territory we will protect your safety az we would any good citizen... but you will be asked to join ze militia."
"One haz a duty to ze community and ze nation," Krieg says disapprovingly, "and ze strong to defend ze veak. But az you are a guest and have helped us, ve may speak no more of it."
"Would you be more comfortable having this conversation in German?" Cam inquires in German.
Krieg really hates being caught out in front of the men. "I am - competent to, but prefer not to," he responds in stilted German, this time with an English accent. "I encourage my accent so people may not recognize my voice, out of uniform. But give a fingertip to the cape - persona, and it will take the whole hand." Hopefully nobody else in here actually speaks German - oh, the Nickleson boy was slow getting his dog, this might be a lost cause.
At least it's an opportunity to see if Cam responds graciously. Much more of an opportunity than he intended to give him, but he can't exactly complain that some people can speak German (and with an enviable accent to boot).
"Oh, I see," replies Cam in English again. "Lacking experience with this etiquette I'll play that your way for the time being."
"Very good. Have you more questionz for me, zen? I fear I cannot stay much longer."
"Lots of questions but I don't know that I need you in particular to answer any of them."
If he doesn't want to use this rare and priceless chance to talk to the Empire's newly reinstated second-in-command, that's his business.
"Az you vish. Nickleson, I am leaving in five minutes, ve are needed on ze patrol line. Let ze people who have not come for zeir dogz know, zey will be on zeir own. Ze Protectorate vill pick up Bitch." Translation: anyone who comes back later risks meeting a 'hero' annoyed at not getting to do any heroing and looking for someone to take it out on.
Phone calls are made accordingly!
Is Cam going to stay here with the unconscious girl and the three decomposing piles of weird flesh (and a few dogs in cages) and wait for the Protectorate?
Then after a few minutes Krieg will depart with a nod. He raises his arm and a chunk of concrete descends from the sky; he steps on it and is lifted skyward.
For the next ten minutes or so Cam is alone, if you don't count the dogs.
Do the dogs have, like, water? He'll water the dogs. Dogfighting is less bad than gridiron football but he's not pro animal cruelty.
Great. He hangs out near the unconscious kid. Conjures today's Times.
Today's New York Times has a man in a blue-and-silver bodytight suit on the front cover! The headline is "Legend breaks Teeth".
Friday, April 15th, 2011.
It appears that 'Legend', leader of the 'Protectorate', led a successful strike on members of the criminal gang called 'The Teeth', arrested most of them and drove the rest out of Brooklyn with minimal (carefully not detailed) losses to life and regrettable (garishly described) losses to property. There are many references and terms that the reader is clearly expected to recognize, such as 'containment foam' and 'Spree clones'. The Teeth seem to have made their presence in Brooklyn known only a week or two prior.
Standing on a big, uneven chunk of concrete, surrounded by air on all sides. Krieg is standing next to her; they appear to be talking.
The summoner is now wearing red-and-black hooded robes and a mask.
A few minutes later two vans with the letters P R T emblazoned roll up -
there is a brief flash of red color in the room -
the vans' doors open and eight men with rifles and body armor get out, three of them carrying large backpacks with tubing attached. The men are wearing face-concealing helmets with a black mirrored fininsh. Some of them spread around to maintain a perimeter.
The next woman who gets out is wearing military fatigues but no body armor and has a scarf with a print of the US flag around the lower half of her face. She has a holstered pistol that seems to be vibrating slightly.
She leads three of the troopers into the building.
"Hello. I am Miss Militia of the Brockton Bay Protectorate, leading this PRT team. Are you Cam?" She takes in the scene with the practice of someone who has long since grown used to suddenly encountering gruesome giant piles of flesh.
"That's me, yeah. I let the flying Nazi leave, it's not obviously illegal to be a flying Nazi."
"It isn't," she confirms. "Although Rune is wanted for other crimes. As is Hellhound, and we're grateful that you helped capture her. What exactly happened to her, does she need medical assistance?" She gestures at the still-unconscious girl on the floor.
"The flying Nazi called himself Krieg. I drugged her, she’ll have a headache maybe but is not apparently allergic. I can wake her up if you don’t want to wait for her to wake up."
They didn't know Krieg could fly! Why did he reveal this power to Cam?
(Console is listening to this conversation, of course, thanks to Armsmaster's tech in the troopers' helmets, so she doesn't need to report it right away.)
"Before waking her up we should bring her outside, away from those dogs." Two of the troopers will carefully carry her out. She's not listed as a Brute, so ordinary handcuffs will hopefully be enough without wasting foam.
"Can you tell me what drugs you used and the dosage, and what counter-drugs you would administer? The medical team at the PRT headquarters should make the call, since we're taking her into custody."
(If they're lucky, he actually 'administered' 'drugs' with a 'dosage' rather than using an untested parahuman power.)
"I gave her two milligrams of - actually do you want the chemical formulas, it’s not on the market at this time?"
"Yes, please." She'll take what she can get, and thank her lucky stars it's not her job to figure out what the brand new drug does. (She really hopes he isn't a drug tinker, one of those is already far too many.)
Slip of paper. "First is what she's on, second's the agonist, third is what I'd do for allergies to either but she seems fine. She'll probably wake up in an hour or two."
She will dutifully pass the notes to one of the troopers so their helmet camera can transmit it. "Thank you. Are you willing to provide a statement at this time?"
"I would like to ask about what happened here in more detail. You don't have to answer but it would help us prosecute any crimes that were committed here by Hellhound or by the Empire, and possibly to defend the city against the Empire's capes. We're arresting Hellhound regardless of your statement because she's wanted for past crimes."
"Hm, go ahead and ask but if you get personal that's not going to work."
"When did you arrive here and what was the situation at the time?"
"I arrived just moments after Hellhound showed up when people were scrambling out of the building, and I looked in the window there and saw her with three monsters attacking people. And some guys with guns. I tried to put the monsters under but they didn't all react the same to opiates, I'm a doctor, not a monster vet, so - well, I think they're all dead now since Krieg showed up so doesn't matter. I disabled the guns, I put a guy's hand back, Hellhound wasn't getting while the getting was good or standing down so I dosed her."