He tilts his head. "Whoever I am?"

"You're clearly some kind of cape. I have a guess but I don't fancy saying it out loud. Christ, I'm gonna be late at this rate."

"Late for what?"

"I don't really see any strong reason to answer that."

"Indulging a stranger's curiosity?"

"Any other day, maybe, but I'm trying to deal with my own problems one at a time and I don't want to risk gaining more quite yet."

"Dunno if you have a choice, there."

"Okay, that's a threat, bye."

WHOOMP. She's on a roof now, sprinting for a main street. She pulls out a cheap phone and dials 911.

Well and now he's made of metal and climbing the building pretty fast.

"State your emergency."

"Independent Cape being chased by Hookwolf near-" Street sign, street sign, she says the first pair she sees.

Go go go towards the PRT building!

"We're sending someone."

And there's a man in metal armor with a crown of spikes over there. "Now, Hookwolf, is that the way to treat our new recruit?"

The wolf-shaped creature doesn't respond.

"Kaiser's here too- Shit. I'm a Tinker in leg contraptions, silver mask."

They know she was coming or something? How about a left turn. She doesn't spend any more of her stored energy, she's probably about to really need it.

"Do not engage, these are extremely dangerous parahumans even veteran heroes have trouble with."

Hookwolf is actually really really fast. Kaiser extends a blade from the palm of his armor, not to hurt her, just to reach long enough that he can block her way.

"I don't think I have - oof - much choice!"

Can she get over him? If he touches the wrong part of the legs he'll get an electric shock.

What he has now is effectively a very long crowbar so he uses it to try to pull her towards him.

She lashes out with a mechanically assisted kick towards Kaiser, but with the other leg hooked around that metal bit all it does is make a loud noise and shake them both. Plus hurt her hips from the bad distribution of force. Ow.

And Kaiser is rather kick-resistant. "Why is it that no one wants to talk? Hookwolf, did you do something to spook her?"

Noncommittal sound of metal scraping against mental.

The phone is lying on the street somewhere, now.

"The hell won't anyone just fucking talk without making threats and attacking me! Let me go let me go!"

"—of course he threatened you. Hookwolf, stand down. Yes I just want to talk."

He doesn't let go, though.

Two deep breaths. She peers at the hole his metal spar poked in her left leg-gear and grimaces.

"So?"

"Thank you." He shoots Hookwolf a mild glance then looks at her again. "Do you have a name yet?"

"...Been going by 'Hopper'."

"It's a pleasure, Hopper. I'm Kaiser. I trust you've heard of the Empire?"

"Who hasn't heard of the local Nazis, eh? You're going to try and recruit me or make some sort of deal. It will be a hard sell."

"I think the 'Nazi' image is rather unfair. It's very easy to paint us with the label and let people make their own assumptions."