Commercial District West

November 8th, 22:45

---

"Thank you for teaching me," Mary says, giving a short bow and a graceful smile to the troopers in front of her, the gratitude in her voice making them smile behind their helmets.

After Emma got taken away by the ambulance, and they had cleared Mary for being in good health, another pair of transports arrived to take the criminals away, leaving just Mary, Suzu and Hannah waiting for backup.

In their proper costumes too, as Hannah had spares in her car that the pair of Wards quickly put on.

Since then, two trucks full of troopers have arrived, and despite Mary's complaining, Hannah has been adamant that they not move forward until at least one more adult Hero shows up. 

So, to satiate her boredom while waiting, Mary decided to socialise with the troopers. She does have her ambitions after all. So she introduced herself to them, asked for their names even if she then promptly forgot them, and then started asking questions about how the troopers work alongside the Heroes, and how best she can cooperate with them.

Of course, she already knew all the answers to the questions she was asking. She wouldn't ask if she didn't already know, because she's trying to build up an image, which means she needs to control the situation and she can only do that if she knows what both parties are going to say beforehand.

Plus, actually asking about this stuff gives her a reason to know it that isn't that she's been spying on them.

Either way, she made sure to play the part of the eager to help young woman, elevating these troopers' opinions of her, which will naturally cause them to talk with their trooper buddies, causing her reputation among the lower-ranks to grow with relatively minimal effort.

All part of the master plan. Soon. Soon she will be the Protectorate leader, and then Queen of Brockton Bay!

But that's all for the future. For now, she has much more important concerns.

She's bored.

"Militia~," Mary whines, once she's closer to the woman in question, her tone completely different than what it was with the troopers, "can we just go already?"

Miss Militia and Gypsy were both sitting on the hood of her car, a short distance away from the troopers for some privacy, allowing Mary to whine without worry, though she still keeps her expression placid.

Sighing, Hannah looks her in the eyes, hoping to convey just how uninterested she is in starting an 'Are we there yet' kind of interaction. "I told you, they will be here shortly. As this is not an emergency-"

She's cut off by Mary waving her hand in front of her face as if wafting away a bad smell. "-Yeah yeah," she says, "'it's not an emergency, so whoever's coming can't justify ignoring any crimes on the way'." Her voice dips into a low mutter as she leans her back on the car, crossing her arms and scowling. "'Course, in any other city, that wouldn't cause fuckin' thirty minute delays. Stupid gangsters and their stupid time wasting criminality."

"I couldn't have said it better myself." The unexpected response comes from a warm, melodic voice that Mary does not recognise.

More importantly, it came from the sky.

All three of them, as well as the troopers, look up at the same time, seeing a woman flying in the sky.

She is wearing a white bodysuit that clings to her skin and accentuates her mature, feminine features. The bodysuit has a starburst decorating her chest with lines from the star's edges extending around her body, changing colour from indigo to purple as they get further from the centre.

However, what stands out the most in this world of Heroes and Villains, is that she isn't wearing a mask of any kind. She is only wearing a tiara, styled with the same starburst-esque image, t keep her hair out of her face.

And what a face it is, if Mary wasn't in costume, she'd have whistles. The woman's face is heart-shaped, she has full lips, straight blonde hair and perfectly manicured eyebrows. Combined with the mature air about her and her full figure, Mary can only think about a certain acronym.

Belatedly, Mary realises that she is looking at Lady Photon, colloquially known as Photon Mom, a member of the independent Hero team; New Wave. New Wave is a Hero team made up of two families, the Pelham and Dallon families, and they were the heart of a movement advocating for capes to not wear masks so that they can be held accountable for their actions.

Unfortunately, the movement died with Fleur, who was killed in her civilian identity back in '07.

More importantly, she realises that Lady Photon saw her break character.

Luckily it was only a small, salvageable mistake. So Mary quickly uses her power to heat up her cheeks, forcing a blush, and avoids meeting the older woman's eyes, as if embarrassed about being caught complaining.

It's a good thing she's still technically a Ward, otherwise that mistake could have put a crack in her façade of the perfect Hero. It doesn't even matter that Lady Photon clearly doesn't mind her complaining, all that matters is that she fell short of perfection.

"Ah, Lady Photon," Hannah greets, "it's good that you could make it."

"Of course," is her genial response, a smile quirking at her lips, "I'm sorry I got so delayed, I had to deal with some gangsters wasting my time with their criminality on the way."

Lady Photon gives Mary a teasing smile, who returns the appropriate response for her character, which is to blush lightly and look away.

Hannah watches the exchange with a furrow to her brow, wondering just how much of Mary's actions are genuine.

Whatever the case may be, they are on the clock.

"Well, now that you're here, we can get going," Hannah states, getting a nod from Lady Photon, who decides to join everyone else piling back into their cars, taking the front seat with Hannah.

Hannah leads them away at a slow and steady pace, as the distance isn't truly that far and it gives them a brief moment to talk.

"Have you been briefed on what we're going into, Photon?"

"Only the basics, one cape, unknown potential TGT carriers." Her voice turns serious at the mention of TGT, her and her family having encountered a few men and women carrying the drug so far.

Thankfully, no one in New Wave has experienced any serious injuries, the worst being a broken arm for Manpower thanks to a spot of carelessness. 

"Well, in that case, Falcon will bring you up to speed." Hannah says, wanting this to be an opportunity to see if Mary needs to be taught how to give a debrief.

Lady Photon nods her head and turns slightly to face the backseats, seeing Mary leaning her head against the window, staring blankly at the world passing them by. 

She is just about to speak up, thinking that Mary didn't hear Hannah when she starts talking, her tone light and aloof.

"We're going to be facing Scissors, of Love Triangle. Her power's not too hard to deal with, since she's a Striker, so just keep your distance. Really, she isn't much of a concern with the four of us here. But apparently she has somehow gotten hold of some mercenaries, the non-parahuman kind. So I expect a lot of bullets and military training. Best to assume at least twice our number will use TGT, but I find that highly unlikely."

"Really?" Lady Photon interjects, surprised. "If Scissors is one of the people supplying the dealers of TGT, then surely we should expect more of them to use it than usual?"

Mary doesn't physically respond, beyond turning her gaze to meet Lady Photon's eyes through the reflection in the glass. 

"So far, we've only seen TGT get used by druggies and low-level gangsters. We're about to be dealing with PMCs. Former military. I doubt they will be so willing to inject themselves with Tinker-tech drugs that make them resemble one of the worst Villains the world has ever seen, even if it only lasts an hour."

Lady Photon concedes the point with a nod of her head, and continues on, "in that case, if she doesn't have any Brute power, I should be able to deal with Scissors, if that's alright with you all?"

"Depends," Mary answers before anyone else, "can you deal with her while also using your barriers? We'll probably be facing a lot of bullets, as I said. If your barriers can block them, it'd be better to let Militia handle Scissors. Besides, Striker powers can counter you pretty well anyway."

"Ah, that's a good point. My barriers can take small arms fire without a problem, seven six two or higher might break through if there's enough of them. I've never tested, but I'd imagine fifty cal could get through in a shot or two. Though, I'm not sure what you mean about Striker powers countering me? I can fly and attack from range, surely it should be the other way around?"

Her words are informative and her question out of genuine curiosity, rather than some kind of petty wounded pride.

"You shoot balls of energy and energy beams. They, at best, move as fast as a bullet, but even then they're much larger than bullets. Take Clockblocker for instance. I'm not sure if he can freeze your projectiles or not, but if he can then you wouldn't be able to touch him. But he can't move his hand fast enough to intercept a bullet. So Militia will take Scissors, you'll make their guns useless and Gypsy and I will work with the troopers to bring them all down. 'Kay?"

Sure, I'm okay with that plan," Lady Photon answers with a smile, happy to see a promising young Hero sticking to her guns. 

She really doesn't mind that she's getting told what to do by a teenager, the plan is reasonable anyway, and she finds it kind of cute seeing Falcon acting like some kind of commander. It amuses her greatly that the younger girl is treating her like she's the junior.

She should try and set up some kind of event, or gathering, to introduce the new Wards properly to her family. They'll likely end up working together soon enough after all, best they get to know each other beforehand.

Plus, maybe the kids will find friends in each other.

With a motherly smile still on her face, she turns back to the road, sharing a look with Hannah, both of them letting out an amused breath.

It doesn't take long from then for them to arrive at the location they were given, that being an old mall that was decommissioned directly after the Slaughterhouse Nine visited the city in the late '90s.

The building looks a mess, with rusted and torn walls and boarded up windows, further covered by a black fabric behind the boards. The big front doors have been replaced by what seems to just be a large plane of wood, and the sign denoting the building's name has most of it's characters missing.

Assuming their approach has already been noticed, none of them waste any time getting out of their respective vehicles.

"Would you like to do the honours?" Hannah asks Lady Photon, who smiles and raises to the air, her hands erupting into light, glowing stronger before she thrusts them forward. 

Two balls of concussive hard-light shoot forward, impacting the wooden barricade and blasting it open without issue, revealing the inside of the building.

Being professional, all of them, minus Suzuya, analyse the interior as they charge inside.

On either side of the room are various crates, standing out from the rest of the building just by sheer virtue of not looking decrepit. Walking about the room and sitting on or around these crates is near two dozen men and women, most of them wearing military gear, though only a few have their rifles at hand.

Lastly, in the centre of the room is a pair of still escalators that lead to the upper floor, and at the very top is one girl, looking down at the intruders with the same shock as all the rest of the room.

She is wearing simple loose dark clothes, as well as a mask, depicting an open pair of scissors, with her eyes being where the holes would be.

Everyone immediately bursts into action, the mercenaries reaching for their weapons and not hesitating to open fire, Lady Photon springing up barriers to counter them, and Miss Militia taking a knee and bringing her power to bear, aiming a sniper rifle loaded with non-lethal rounds right at Scissors' head.

But Scissors manages to duck below the solid railing in time to avoid the shot, causing Miss Militia to click her tongue.

In a fit of true teenage rebellion, Scissors quickly rises back out from cover exclusively to flip Miss Militia the bird. But Lady Photon, having had kids of her own, is quick to react, sending a ball of light hurtling towards the teen Villain, who 'eeps', but manages to swing her hand in front of the ball, which splits cleanly in half and flies by either side of her.

She quickly ducks down again and stays there this time, causing Lady Photon to click her tongue.

Most of the mercenaries only have their pistols at hand, and those with machine guns only have small rounds, so Lady Photon's barriers hold. With their front covered, the troopers line up and bring forward their foam sprayers, shooting streams of containment foam over the barrier and into the midst of the opposing gunmen.

It's only when the battle turns into a shoot out, both sides hiding and peaking from cover, but only one side shooting lethal, that Miss Militia realises that Falcon and Gypsy disappeared. She lets out a curse and returns her attention to the battle, just in time to see Gypsy jump down into the fray, somehow having flanked them already.

He moves with speed and grace, his small form seeming impossible to hit with any bullets as his flowing cloaks spread out around him, providing plenty of cover to hide in.

Miss Militia winces slightly when she starts seeing splatters of blood arching, knowing that Gypsy has taken out his knives and started disabling people, hopefully not permanently.

Meanwhile, higher up in the room, Scissors can be seen with her back to the railing, frantically pulling out her phone as every gunshot causes her to wince. She's only fifteen! She never wanted to be a part of all this stuff in the first place! She was perfectly happy just stealing with her friends, and now she's sitting ten feet above a freakin' shootout with the police!

However, right when she get her phone in her hands and is about to call for help, a blur bursts right past her face, ripping her phone out of her hand and bruising her palms.

Her eyes track the blur after the fact, seeing a small 'T' shaped piece of metal land further along on the walkway, her phone lying broken besides it. 

The piece of metal starts to move, and she notices that it's connected to a chain. Jumping to her feet, but staying crouched, she follows the chain back up to its source, where stands a woman in splendour.

Wearing red and blue with accents of gold, a short skirt, tall boots, the symbol of weighing scales emblazoned on her chest, and long luscious snow-white hair cascading down her back. Scissors recognises the woman to be Falcon. 

She's relatively new to Brockton, but she's also credited with taking down Lung. In other words, she's not someone Scissors wants to fight.

"Hello," Falcon greets, her smile kind and perfect and just. So. Synthetic. It sends shivers down her spine, like Lady Justice herself is glaring down at her, ready to deliver penance for her crimes.

With a soft, metallic clink that can somehow be heard over the constant sound of gunfire, her cane-whip returns to it's resting position as a simple cane in her hand. "Please call for the men below to cease fire, and then surrender. Someone might get hurt."

Her final words cause another shiver to run down Scissors' back, even if she can't put her finger on why those words caused her such fear.

She wants to agree, to throw herself to the ground and surrender. She really doesn't want to fight.

But...

Her eyes drift to slightly behind Falcon, spotting a slight figure, mostly hidden behind one of the old storefront doors, their pale-white, makeup covered face and colourful clothing somehow having not yet been noticed.

She can't just surrender, not when that psycho bitch is there, watching. She doesn't know what Circus will do to her friends if she gives up. They may have had an argument, but they're still friends! She refuses to just leave them out to dry like that.

And as much as she'd love to try and convince the Heroes to team up with her against the psycho bitch, she's seen what they're capable of and doesn't hold any faith that they'd be able to catch her. Him. Scissors doesn't know. Circus rarely speaks.

They were only here to deliver more of that insane drug, and Scissors is pretty sure that the only reason the psycho bitch hasn't already left is that she intends to pick said drugs back up with her hammerspace first.

And so, with gritted teeth, Scissors reluctantly raises herself into a low, agile stance, both for her power and to avoid getting shot.

The men Circus brought in should be able to hold the Heroes back once they organise themselves. She saw some very big guns with them, not that she could name any.

"I'm sorry," she says, meaning it, "but I can't just give up."

She expected a few possible responses. Maybe Falcon would get angry, or at least a little annoyed, maybe she would berate her, maybe shake her head in disapproval.

What she didn't expect, was for Falcon's perfectly kind smile to simply grow a shade softer.

"That's okay, child," she says, and Scissors can't help but feel a foreign sense of acceptance, only for the feeling to be crushed under a tense, repressed fear as Falcon's cane abruptly erupts with fire, the light casting ominous shadows over her unfalteringly kind expression.

"We all have things we simply must do."

The head of her cane drops to the floor, still aflame, with another clink of metal, and after only a brief pause, it blurs forward, extending to spear out at Scissors, who barely manages to dodge to the side.

With the burning chain mere inches from her face, she brings one her her hands swinging up, her fore and middle fingers pointed out together, with the rest of her fingers in a fist. But before she can make contact, Falcon twitches her cane, causing the whip to bend out of reach.

Cursing, Scissors charges for Falcon, who reels her whip back in, deciding not to bother risk getting it destroyed. Again.

Scissors reaches Falcon right after her weapon finishes reeling in, and goes for a lunge aimed at the Hero's shoulder. Unfortunately, Scissors is still young, and is both inexperienced and at a reach disadvantage.

Which is why Falcon is able to simply spartan kick her in the ribs before her lunge can reach.

Scissors is launched away, getting some air before tumbling across the walkway, scoring scrapes and cuts all over her body, her clothes gaining numerous small tears.

She feels like her head is swimming, and for a moment she thinks she is going to die as she realises that she can't breathe. She tries to breathe, but nothing happens, she just can't get any air through her throat, only managing to silently gag on nothing.

She was going to die, she knew it. Her lungs were broken or something, she can't think, she can't breathe.

Her wide and desperately frantic eyes lock onto the figure of Falcon, who hasn't moved a step, hasn't even changed expression or stance. Still like a statue.

She reaches a desperate hand forward.

Help! She screams in her mind, help me!

Please! She begs, more frantic every second, yet Falcon remains a statue. Please! I-I-I'm sorry! I won't fight anymore! Please...

Through darkening vision, she sees Falcon finally move, slowly walking up to her choking prone form.

Please...

She feels tears freely leaving her eyes, and can do nothing to stem the flow.

...I'll be a good girl...

Her lungs feel like they're on fire.

I won't...I won't steal again....

The world starts to go dark, her sight turning black from the edges.

...Save me...

...

A sudden gasp! and blessed air fills her lungs, and the world returns to colour.

Everything is a blur as she rolls onto her front, hacking and coughing violently, only interrupted by her own desperate gasps of air, breathing in lungfuls of much needed oxygen.

She takes a minute to gather herself, distantly hearing a staccato of bangs but failing to really understand what they mean.

Eventually, her sight returns to her properly, letting her make out the details of the cracked and dusty floor below her. It takes her groggy mind a moment to realise what it is. Where she is. 

It's only after she recognises the walkway she is on, that she notices the soothing feeling of circles being rubbed on her back.

She startles at the realisation some is touching her, but she just doesn't have the energy to scramble away. Instead, she just stops holding herself up with her arms and falls forward, tilting her head to look behind her.

She is caught before she hits her face on the floor by a soft but firm arm. She sees a few strands of pure white hair dangle into her periphery, and she follows them back until she is face to face with Falcon once more, their noses mere inches apart.

She still looks the same, her smile, the same. 

"Be not afraid, child, for you are saved."

With Falcon's words, everything catches up with her and is just too much for her, causing her to finally slump down into Falcon's arms.

Looking down at the unconscious girl in her arms, Mary gets a complicated expression and lets out a sigh.

"Maybe using the angel line was too much?" She gives the girl a good look. "Definitely too much. I should dial back a bit."

As she starts to rise to her feet, girl in arms, Mary abruptly freezes, a thought coming to mind.

She totally fucking forgot about the Simurgh. Using angel quotes definitely wasn't the best idea.

Oh well, you live and learn, as they say.

---

Outside

---

Staring at the building as the sounds of gunfire fall to silence, Circus allows herself to smirk.

She didn't foresee the Heroes showing up, at least not today, but she also isn't surprised. They were bound to come eventually. She also isn't surprised Scissors lost. Especially with her reluctance to even hold any TGT needles. That girl has been the one to push back the most out of her little trio.

She might have expected it, but it's still rather annoying. After all, she still has no idea what TGT will do to a cape, and isn't really willing to try herself.

It's not too big of a deal though. Scissors was a liability, and easily the weakest link of her hired trio.

Ah well, there's always next time.

Bringing her thumb over her forefinger, she pushes, and pushes, until she hears that ever so satisfying Crack!

Feeling shoots up through her body, causing her to let out a shuddering breath.

All in good time.

---

A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

The first boss fight is always easy. It's just a tutorial after all.

Also, be honest, did you think I was just gonna straight up kill of Scissors? Would have been funny. Speaking of, I found her defeat funny, There's something amusing about someone charging valiantly at their foe, giving it their all, only to just be smacked aside with literally no effort at all xD

Also, Circus is canonically genderfluid, so know thet their pronouns don't answer the question of what they have in their pants.

Chapter is late cuz my train got delayed by flooding causing me to miss the last bus which forced me to get a taxi which cost 45 fucking pounds.