Ch. 24: Focus

J7 is driving us around in loose circles, avoiding any pattern of movement. The chatter from the car's speaker is all the other teams. Engagement on west side. Spotted in center of town. Explosion in south near park, no casualties. The sound of gunfire is omnipresent, the streets deserted barring volunteer watchdogs and police.

Barkbite's voice comes over the comms. "Team two status?"

Ethan's raspy voice comes clearly over the sound. "No casualties, keeping them back. One cape, one who keeps releasing these black clouds at us, no idea what they do."

"Team three?"

"All in position, K3 nicked but doesn't need medical. Secure in there not being bombs.

"Four?"

J7 answers for me. "Available."

"Good. Transferring."

There's a short click, and a new voice comes alive. It takes a minute to place, but it's Ed from EDR. He sounds calm, like he's in his element. "Assist at central mall. Zola has injured and is getting overwhelmed. Tech store called Ten Minute Tweaks has wounded."

J7 immediately turns, heading for the mall. I try to focus, to keep my head on straight, but I can't. Emily keeps distracting me. An infinite swarm of what-ifs.

Damn it. I need to change my headspace. Right now, I need to embrace the madness.

"Pod five."

The needle sinks its tooth into the base of my skull. I feel my worry start to fade, the carefully designed stimulant melting away my fears. Time to work.

We pull up along the west end of the mall. The building looks like it was teleported straight from World War Two's London. Its covered in scorch marks, large holes in the walls from some kind of explosive, and a concerning amount of water. There's complete chaos from the moment we step inside. Zola had taken a huge chunk of his forces here, it seems, I estimate it to be around thirty just in view. They look harried, constantly backing up and yielding ground, as the sound of gunfire and shouting echoes through the confined spaces. The entire building is clogged with wispy white and gray smoke.

Vivian was here last week, I think. And now Beaker's here.

"Volume to maximum."

With a low electronic whine, and my mask echoing my breathing, I make an announcement into the building.

"I shan't identify my good self as of yet, nor reveal my abilities. However, I am certain you fine people can put the pieces together." I change the volume back to normal, to the sound of occasional rallying cheers as I advance forward. Solvent stands directly behind me, my coat facing forward like an apron to shield me from any gunshots that make their way to me. J7 is returning fire with an automatic rifle of some variety, though its hard to see through the smoke.

"A less than lethal sidearm, Solvent?" I hold out my hand as we walk, switching to my thermal vision. As soon as the weapon is in my hand, I hold it steady, and squeeze off a couple rounds at every heat source I can see through the smoke. There's only four that I can see, one of which is sent reeling to the ground by the two shots out of ten that actually hit. Once the gun is emptied, I return it to Solvent and methodically step into the tech store.

There's eight Bleeding Heart people here, six of them are here with long and deep abrasions, like they had a chunk of their body scooped out. Fortunately, I have been hoarding my general healing potions. Half of my coat's 40 pockets are devoted solely to them. Every abrasion gets the needle. I can deal with the scarring and muscular damage at another time. Right now, they need to get back in the fight.

The other two are worse off. One has his chest almost caved in from some kind of incredibly strong hit. Another is bleeding from an empty eye socket.

multiple fractured ribs, milk + any melon + acetaminophen + liquid soap + crux

advanced internal bleeding, iron + mercury + any wine + glass

missing e- Skip.

heavy bleeding orbital socket, cotton + any bone + any wood

It didn't go to the imminent death option, that's good.

"J7, fetch me a melon of some variety from the superstore behind us."

Without complaint, he starts running.

My emotions are dulled from the serum I injected. My focus is sharp, my hands precise. I am instrument of perfect fit.

I mix together the internal bleeding treatment and the eye bleeding one, packing the eye wound with gauze after injecting him. Within a couple minutes, J7 is back, handing me a cantaloupe. With practiced ease, I slice it open with my scalpel, readying the treatment for the broken bones and injecting both into the man with the crushed chest.

And now, eight people with at least partial capacity for combat are inside the tech store, all armed. Two flee, but the remaining six look to me as if I'm the one in charge. Perfect.

"You." I point to the one-eyed guy. "Explain."

"Four capes. One can shoot highly pressurized water, that's what got most of these guys. One is slow but made of rock and has insane strength. A third girl got me, has a bunch of knives floating around her, scary shit. Fourth one has been trailing behind them, not sure what she does."

Damn. I'm only suited for the rock guy.

"Very well. I shall defeat the metamorphic menace. The others I rely upon your forces. Have we any capes of our own?"

"Champion is on his way. He's tough, but I think the rock guy is gonna be tougher."

"Indeed? So be it."

My thermal vision still has them outlined as they continue their approach, though the smoke is starting to clear.

I can see the knife girl and rock guy, the other two conspicuously absent. I focus on the knife girl first, trying to get a read on her.

short term memory loss dispower,

"We shall split them up, then. They are advancing towards the center, an ideal space for flanking. Allow me to divert the rock one. The knife-bearing woman's dispower is forgetfulness. Abuse this by frequently moving from point to point. She'll undoubtedly forget where you all are stationed, making her an easy flanking target. Solvent, aid these fine folk for the time being."

I sprint diagonally, cape held up, and feel it catch a knife and pound into my coat. It barely hurt beneath all these layers of armor. Once I find my way to a large department store, I set my speaker volume to maximum.

"Attention, wretches! Your sunset hangs low! I, plague incarnate, have arrived whilst carrying death in glass vials! Yield, lest you be parted with your skin, have your bones rot from within, or yet worse things I may inflict! So say I, Beaker of the Apothecary, chemist and lesser evil!"

It was a carefully thought over speech, designed to keep the three I can't handle away. Naturally, they send the member of their team without skin over to me. The rock guy starts to move away from the others, and towards me.

With a clear view, I can see he's made of some kind of metamorphic stone, being entirely gray and striped with different glittering layers. The stone is fluid, moving along with his body, unlike Amblys... maybe I can read him.

slow reactions dispower,

Excellent. I can abuse that. I wait for him to come into the department store, analyzing his eyes.

I throw one of my several empty vials away from me, creating a shattering noise that can barely be heard over the gunfire nearby. Still, it makes him turn his head, and lets me hide amongst a few clothing racks.

About a full second to react. That is slow, almost four times the average speed. Interesting.

Wait a moment. Amblys. My power didn't work on him, but it did on rock guy. The implication is there's something biologic beneath all the stone...

I hear a man scream outside. Better not play around here. What do I have to deal with this... I don't want to kill him if I can help it. This is the exact same problem as with Taxus.

The only difference now is experience.

I select a uniquely strong acid from my coat, along with a few more empty vials. This'll be fun.

I chuck an empty vial at his head, but it falls short. No problem. I throw another, followed by the acid as it splatters in a wide arc, and then more empties. Ideally, if I keep him on his toes, he won't notice the floor melting beneath him until it's too late. Once it melts his feet a little, I can neutralize it with a base I have, and he'll be functionally merged with the ground. Or, he just loses his feet. Both of them accomplish the same thing.

He picks up a jewelry display case, and hurls it at me. Right, have to stay moving. It misses my head by a foot and a half, but I doubt he'll miss next time.

Not that there is a next time. The floor doesn't take long to completely crumble out beneath him. Apparently there's a basement floor...

I look down the hole, and see my acid is still working, and the rock guy's directly on top of it. I drop the base down on top of him. He's not moving, so I can only hope for the best here.

A woman lets out a yelp. I peer outside, and see the girl with the knives floating around her clutching her shoulder.

short term-

If her dispower is still the worst condition she has, then the bullet must have been one of the less than lethal rounds Solvent is using. I watch as one of the knives points towards me, despite her not yet seeing me. Actually, this explains how she hit a guy through all the smoke. It's automatic, isn't it?

That works out perfectly for me.

I push one of the clothing racks outside of the department store, and try to pick up some speed to cover my return to the tech store, my head positioned directly behind the metal bar of the rack. The first knife flies outward, getting caught in the clothes as anticipated. Cloth is an excellent way to stop projectiles slower than a bullet, which I'm banking on these knives being. Even if they aren't, my cape and coat should still protect me.

I chance a peek around the rack. There's at least fifty of the knives circling her, though, dancing in a sphere that seals her inside.

Interestingly, the knives don't home in on the clothing rack itself. It seems they only target living creatures...

A shame Overseer isn't here.

I take cover behind a makeshift barrier fashioned from overturned display shelves, which already proved its capability by the knives that stick out from it. Knife girl looks around, confused. Must have forgotten that the rock guy left her.

I start tending to another guy who caught a knife to the arm, relaying information to the one-eyed Bleeding Heart guy. "Knives are only targeting people, it's automatic. Keep a distance, and she can't reach. Tell your guys to back up as far as they can before they unload."

He takes my advice, and I watch as the knife girl is soon filled with bullet holes, dropping into a bloody pile. Of course Bleeding Heart wouldn't be using the less than lethal rounds... Wait, am I responsible for that? Did I kill her?

No, no time for that now. Have to focus. There's still two more capes active, apparently...

I'm useless against the water guy, so I very intentionally avoid where he's been spotted at. I'm taking fire from behind their line, still, so I stick to cover as best as I can. A few glancing hits slam into my cape or coat, and they hurt like hell, but I'm still going.

I make it back behind where Bleeding Heart has been advancing from, and take a moment to catch my breath. I'm a little out of shape, it seems. The best thing I can do from here is play medic.

There's still the unsolved Emily problem. If Calhoun took hostages, then in what scenario would he be willing to release them? If he loses, I suppose, and needs a bargaining chip?

The only thing I can do is trust that the sanctioned heroes and EDR put a good plan together...