Thursday— April 21st, 2011.
CALM WITHIN THE STORM.
7:00 AM
The fortnight had been hell for Taylor: ambushed by the Travelers, exposed civilian identities, dead dad, bombs, more bombs, attack on ABB, Lung, Bakuda, bombs again, ABB conscripts, rescue operations, failed searching for Oni Lee, more rescue efforts, skirmish with ABB forces again, plus more never-ending operations.
With the status quo rapidly crumbling, the Empire 88 and the Archer’s Bridge Merchants took the opportunity to expand. On more than one occasion, the other gangs and villains alike would engage in their own raiding efforts to weaken ABB.
Coil hadn’t appeared or shown signs of participation which was within expectations. According to Tattletale, Coil most likely ran away before her and Peter’s civilian identities were publicized. The crime of exposing a Cape’s civilian identity had damning consequences, so the supervillain running away was a highly likely outcome.
Tattletale’s power to infer data with minimal effort was reliable, and it had proven itself time and time again for the past week.
Currently, Taylor, Peter, and the Undersiders were staying in the Spider Lair as their hideout. It was a warehouse with a small basement. The basement was enough for Peter to use as his temporary residence and extra space for a workshop. Still, they had to repurpose parts of the warehouse for the Undersiders.
Taylor woke up, surprisingly comfortable. She was lying in a single bed. It was Peter’s. He must have carried her here, since the last time she slept, she recalled sleeping on the couch.
“Peter?” asked Taylor.
No response. Taylor looked around, straining her eyes as she switched the light on. According to Peter, he had illegally tapped on the electric grid, thus explaining the electricity. She climbed the stairs and was met by the surface level of the warehouse.
The warehouse, despite its state of abandonment, stood sturdy and strong. Its walls, made of weathered brick, bore the marks of time but remained intact. Though dusty and grimy, the windows allowed streaks of morning light to filter through, casting shadows that danced across the floor. Inside, the space had been transformed with care and resourcefulness.
Taylor looked through the refurbished area for Peter, taking in the sight of makeshift partitions that divided the space into different sections… One corner served as a living area, with a few worn but comfortable sofas arranged around a low table. Another corner housed a small kitchenette, complete with a makeshift stove and a collection of mismatched dishes.
Near the back of the warehouse, Peter had claimed a section for his use. Tools hung neatly on the walls, and a workbench stood in the center, cluttered with half-finished projects and scraps of metal. The more important stuff was in the basement, and it also helped to have more space for him.
Taylor wandered over to where Alec sat, raising a mug of coffee in greeting. "Looking awake, Miss Hebert," he remarked with a smirk, taking a sip from his cup. Taylor didn’t return the smile too busy with her inner world thinking about what to do from now on since tragedy after tragedy piled up before her.
Checking the time on a wall clock, Taylor realized she had missed the 6 AM news.
"Peter's on a patrol with Grue and Bitch," informed Lisa, who was busy frying some bacon and eggs. "Breakfast?" Taylor nodded absentmindedly, her mind still reeling from the events of the past fortnight. She took a seat at the table, grateful for the distraction provided by the smell of food filling the air.
Meanwhile, Alec brought his mug of coffee and some chips to the sofa and watched the TV, finding some cartoons to amuse him. Despite their situation, Alec remained unperturbed and at ease.
As Lisa plated up breakfast, Taylor found herself lost in thought, contemplating their next move. Surely, the Triumvirate should be appearing any time now. With Bakuda caught, it would only take more time before the rest of the ABB was dealt in full.
Lisa joined her at the table, setting down her coffee mug before digging into her meal with gusto. "So, any plans for today?" she asked between mouthfuls of food.
It was rare for Lisa to ask since her powers were all about knowing and rubbing it in other people’s faces. It was true they did build a positive rapport for the past week despite Taylor’s aggressive takeover of the Undersiders. She could guess that Lisa had an agenda amidst all this. It wasn’t wrong to have an agenda but whether it would be for the good of the group or the harm of Taylor and Peter, Taylor wouldn’t know.
Taylor sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know, Lisa. Everything just feels... overwhelming right now."
"How do you get electricity here?" asked Alec, plugging his stick's socket into an electrical outlet wired to an extension wire. According to Alec, the stick, or 'scepter' as he called it, had a hidden Taser in it.
Lisa paused mid-bite, raising an eyebrow at Alec's question. "Peter tapped into the electric grid," she answered, her tone casual as she resumed eating. "It's not exactly legal, but it gets the job done."
Before even Taylor answered, Lisa already was speaking, continuing to provide more informative details. “Most likely tinker-tech had been used… This will suck for the electric bill… This place isn’t Peter’s, right? No. It isn’t Peter’s. We are… basically playing squatters here.” The way she answered her own question was very Tattletale-like.
Alec nodded with a mischievous glint in his eyes as he played with the remote and changed channels. "Cool," he commented with a smirk, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Was there any kill order issued on the ABB capes?" asked Taylor, her voice tinged with weariness as she stared down at her half-eaten breakfast.
Lisa paused, her fork hovering mid-air as she considered Taylor's inquiry. "Not yet," she replied with a thoughtful hum. "But tensions are running high. With everything that's happened, it wouldn't surprise me if someone decided to take matters into their own hands."
Taylor nodded, digesting the information along with her food. The thought of further violence only added to the weight on her shoulders, but she knew they couldn't afford to stand idly by. The city was a powder keg waiting to explode, and they were standing right in the middle of it.
It was weird how blasé she had become. One moment, she was so ready to kill Bakuda, and if she was given a second chance, she feared she might actually do it. Even Lung was the same… She already tried once to kill Lung, but instead, he most likely second triggered instead.
She recalled Peter’s words when he last was with Armsmaster and someone called ‘Contessa’ remarking about the possibility of a second trigger. Taylor considered herself well-studied, but there were still gaps in her knowledge.
From the context though, she understood she might have played a role as to how Lung had a second trigger.
“Bakuda would have been struck with the kill order if we didn’t apprehend her first,” added Lisa. “Lung and Oni Lee would have it coming too, but the paperwork had been slow within the chain of commands which is weird… I was having a hard time intuiting the situation, not to mention deduce what was happening. My range is limited, and investigatory work would only get me so far. It is safe to say that Brockton Bay will only get worse.”
"Any signs of the Triumvirate?" asked Taylor, her voice carrying a hint of anticipation mixed with apprehension. She knew that their presence could drastically alter the dynamics of the city, bringing both hope and uncertainty.
The Triumvirate had been the strongest Heroes of America heck possibly strongest in the whole world, and even if only one of them came, they would surely be a big help in their situation.
Lisa shook her head with a troubled expression. "Not yet," she replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "But they'll show up eventually. It's only a matter of time before they feel the need to intervene."
“The problem is…” Lisa dragged her words, showing difficulty in how to approach the subject matter. She provided somberly, “Lung made an official statement. Any sign of the Triumvirate, they’d blow up a civilian with their implanted bombs… If it was a bluff, the PRT called it and they failed. Legend had been confirmed inside Brockton Bay four hours ago…. 6 AM news covered it exclusively, and the ABB was getting more creative.”
Taylor took the tablet Lisa slid over to her, her brows furrowing as she absorbed the compiled data of what had transpired while she was asleep. The ABB was escalating its threats, challenging both the government and the heroes with the specter of mass slaughter. It seemed that Lung's official statement regarding killing civilians was not merely a bluff.
In front of Taylor, the tablet displayed reports of bombing attempts in other cities across New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, and beyond. The ABB's influence was spreading like a malignant tumor, instigating chaos and fear wherever it struck.
ABB was targeting government-affiliated facilities in a show of power.
Brockton Bay itself was now being cordoned off from neighboring cities, a precautionary measure to contain the escalating crisis. Raids against ABB bases from the Protectorate, New Wave, and the Wards had already stopped.
The New Wave had it worst as ABB capitalized on their weakness with their civilian identities being public. The ABB’s attacks on their residence were especially problematic. Peter and Taylor had it easier, especially with Karen’s countermeasures in place to hide their digital footprint. The Protectorate wasn’t doing any better with their weakened numbers. The Wards were barely effective as they were stuck with rescue work.
The only capes able to actively counterattack were the villains. Empire 88 was doing counter-raids, expanding their territory rapidly. The Merchants were similarly increasing their activities, sending their capes to destroy ABB’s businesses. Even small-time villains like Uber and Leet were capitalizing on the chaos and hitting banks one after another. Sightings of Circus stealing could also be confirmed.
“What the hell? We already took down Bakuda, their bomb maker… How many bombs did they even have?” Taylor was annoyed beyond measure… She felt regret over not killing Bakuda when she had the chance.
The ABB was clearly posturing, but they were making use of the resources they had left as much as possible. The possibility of ABB trying to break Bakuda out was high and they wouldn’t be subtle about it like what they did with Lung.
Lung’s escape had been devastating, but it still could not be compared with the trap Lung had set up, taking down many of the Protectorate and New Wave Capes out of the board. If Lung were to appear again, it would be one with maximized damage.
“How about Panacea? Any news of her?” asked Taylor.
"Last time I heard, New Wave was still trying to search for her," Lisa answered, and her expression was grim. "There are no claims from the ABB side that they have dealt with her. There were sightings of Oni Lee, suggesting he must be searching for Panacea too. There is a high possibility that an unaccounted force kidnapped Panacea in the confusion."
Taylor's heart sank at the news. Panacea was a valuable asset, not just to New Wave, but to the entire city. Her healing abilities could mean the difference between life and death in situations like these.
"We need to do something," Taylor said and added inwardly that it had to be something the ABB wouldn’t be able to counter. "We can't just sit back and watch as the city falls apart around us. We have to take the fight to the ABB before it's too late. We have to remove Lung’s fallbacks."
Lisa nodded in agreement, her expression mirroring Taylor's resolve. "Agreed," she said. "But we need a plan. We can't afford to rush in blindly, not with the stakes so high."
They would need to gather intelligence, reassess the ABB's strengths and weaknesses, and formulate a strategy that would give them the best chance of success. Lung was hell-bent on taking over Brockton Bay, and his fear-mongering strategy had been working.
"We'll need to reach out to the other villains," Taylor said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "Empire 88, the Merchants, anyone who's willing to stand against the ABB. We'll be stronger together."
Lisa nodded with a sly glint in her eyes. "I'll start making calls," she said. "But be prepared, Taylor. This won't be easy. If it was Coil, he could do this with little effort."
“I am not Coil, but if they knew better, then they would cooperate,” she was half-guessing herself, but she knew this was the best strategy available to them.
From the background, however, Alec wasn’t as enthused. “Ugh… Not even consulting Spidey? No wonder there is trouble in paradise…”
