Capítulo 42: 42 Fight! 5 It Don't Stop Coming
A/N: Map update, also gib me power stones please :>
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Ethan wasn't used to cheering for villains, which makes sense, considering his now former occupation.
Yes, former. It seems the life of Madcap, jail buster extraordinaire has come to an end.
Not that he ever actually broke anyone out of any prisons, but he did make a living breaking people out of prison transports to the birdcage.
After all, the birdcage is the kind of prison where they truly lock you away and throw away the key.
No one knows where it is, aside from probably being in Canada. No one knows how it works, all we know is that no one has ever escaped.
There are a number of people who don't even believe it's real and that anyone sentenced to the birdcaged just gets shot or something.
Either way, Ethan set out to spare people from that fate, for a fair price of course.
That was until a sexy new Hero decided to stop him and after failing seven times, she actually managed to succeed.
Thankfully for the man formally known as Madcap, the PRT was willing to offer him a deal.
His only condition was that he be partnered with the Hero who caught him, Battery.
Naturally, with her calling herself Battery, Ethan couldn't help himself and called his new Heroic persona Assault.
Ahhh, the glare she wore when she heard it, it still makes him smile thinking about it.
The best part is that they've only been partners for a day, so there is plenty of fun to be had.
With all of this in mind, Ethan is slowly getting used to being a Hero, rather than a villain.
Which is why, Ethan is not used to cheering for the Heroes.
But when he was scrolling through the web, looking for something to do, since he's not allowed out unless it's with a 'fellow' Hero until his probationary status runs out, he came across a livestream by some clown guy calling himself Fool.
At first he thought it'd be something fun, he is dressed like a clown after all, and Ethan loves fun. But alas, he instead ended up watching a cape fight.
Not just that, but quite possibly the largest cape fight he's ever seen. In fact, he's only ever heard of Endbringer fights having so many parahumans.
At first it seemed like it would be a classic case of villains underestimating Heroes as Tiamat seemed to have everything under control, more or less, which is expected of the only cape he recognised of the bunch.
That was until everything started going to hell in a handbasket.
Ethan was gripping the arms of his chair so hard that the only reason it wasn't being crushed under his grip was the active use of his power.
When that black beam shot through the ring, he thought it couldn't get any worse. But apparently dozens of people dying just wasn't enough as Tiamat's golems start tearing the villains to pieces, ending life after life.
Until, she wasn't.
All of a sudden, the army of false life just suddenly 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵.
"Woah~ looks like someone's having performance issues.~" The Clown says, though Ethan hardly pays him any mind.
Instead, he is focused on the single thought that he can manage before the chaos before him redoubles.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬?
The question of why did she stop dies before it can form as one of Cu Chulainn's spears sails through the air in the next instant, making full use of the sudden opening.
With everyone still in a mix of shock and confusion, nobody is able to react in time as the spear pierces straight through Tiamat's chest, the force of the throw dragging her body backwards until she is pinned to the side of one of the remaining PRT trucks.
Ethan can only gape in horror as the villains push their new advantage with renewed vigour.
Maybe becoming a Hero was actually a stroke of fortune, he thinks, if it means being given the chance to stop scenes like this.
...
It wasn't supposed to go like this, is all Sydney can think as she watches her boss' spear pin Tiamat to a truck.
It was supposed to be a simple retrieval. We go in, grab the Clown and leave. That's it. There wasn't supposed to be some big fight.
Yet, so many people have died, friends and enemies alike. All I wanted was to get Sean back, but we've already lost more people than we were hoping to gain and now Tiamat's dead or dying.
I don't know what will come of her death, but one thing I do know is that it won't be good for us.
Frankly, the Red Branch might just be dead.
But that doesn't mean I'm just going to stop. Not now, not here and especially not when the bitch responsible for all of this is sitting around right in front of me.
I just hope Merlin is ok.
However a fight isn't the time to think about such things, so instead of dwelling on my thoughts, I focus on getting the people in front of me out of my way.
Excalibur makes the mistake of launching a beam at Cu, something that he dodges with ease, giving me enough time to close the distance.
Raising my four front paws, I slam them both for Excalibur, planning to get their offence out of the way first by pancaking him.
Predictably, his fellows get in the way, Bungee making a screen of his power that absorbs my attack to no effect and Avalon who just stands in the way, my arm breaking from the force it impacts him.
But that's fine, I was never supposed to succeed in the first place.
As Cu likes to say, people love having a target to focus on, so what's better for grabbing peoples attention than a gigantic monster bob-cat like me?
With both of them holding me in place, Excalibur is free to launch another blast directly on my chest, but once again it does no damage, even if the force sends me stumbling back.
However, as I stumble, Cu charges in, making use of their distraction and Excalibur's cooldown to land a solid right hook that sends the man sprawling to the ground.
In the same movement he spins and strikes the blunt end of his spear into Bungee's forehead, faster than he can react to it, putting him down.
At the same time, Avalon lands a punch on Cu's back, but his Brute rating is enough that he doesn't even react to it, but just the same, Avalon doesn't react to his return punch.
But already knowing how his power works, Cu is ready.
The moment Avalon freezes, Cu stabs a pair of spears into the ground around him, then he does so again, until he has no more spears left and Avalon is trapped in a newly created cage, unable to move.
That's when I join him and as much as I want to go and rip the bitch in front of me to pieces, I still wait for Cu to direct me.
"Go help out Merlin. I'll have a nice chat with the clown." He says, his eyes not leaving the woman who is still sitting in the centre of the chaos looking incredibly relaxed for someone sitting in the eye of the metaphorical storm.
Still, I don't need to be told twice and quickly start running towards the fire slinger that's giving Merlin a tough time.
It only takes me a couple of bounds to reach her, to which she twists around and throws a ring of fire at my face that burns nothing.
Not in the mood to bother with giving her a chance to speak, I simply bat her to the side, sending her flying into one of the relatively untouched trucks.
With that done, Merlin and Dovah make their way over, both sweating rather heavily.
"Hey Cat, thanks for the assist." He says with a smile that I cannot match in this form.
All of our heads snap to the same direction as we hear a scream, one that did not belong to Tear as I expected it would, instead being the Argonauts who are being beset upon by a pack of spectral wolves and an angry silver man.
"It's about fucking time he did something", Merlin says before turning to Dovah, "why is he only now helping huh?"
Dovah suddenly starts looking nervous, glancing between Merlin and I before sighing, understanding the position he is in and answering honestly.
"He was supposed to grab the bitch while everyone was distracted. Obviously we didn't think things would end up like this." He says and although I want to be mad at him, I just can't.
The grief in his voice is just too real and too relatable right now. After all, at least one of his friends is now dead and his leader might be joining the fallen, if he hasn't already.
With that in mind, I just let out a huff and turn to join Cu, who is crouched down in front of Tear, just staring at her in silence while she shakes.
Dovah meanwhile, sees that his teammates have the Argonauts under control and runs over to Eraser, hoping beyond hope that he is still alive.
Cu briefly tilts his head to acknowledge our presence before focusing back on Tear, who is still shaking, almost violently.
At first I thought it was out of fear, something that Merlin clearly thinks as well, going by what he asks Cu.
"What did you say to her to get her shaking so much Boss?" He says, trying to sound conversational but failing to hide the way his eyes drift towards Hermes' still form, littered with holes.
But that is when Tear starts laughing.
𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.
As if this is something to laugh about!
I feel my rage growing at her 𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 laughter and right as I am about to lash out, Cu stops me, resting one of his arms on my front right paw.
After a moment, during which the only sound of the now still battlefield is that of her mad laughter, she eventually manages to collect herself enough for Cu to attempt conversation.
"You think this funny? Dozens of my men have died today, hundreds of men overall, and you 𝘓𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩? Tell me, what is so funny."
As much as he sounds casual, there is a steel to his voice that anyone could notice, a rage hidden behind his words.
Apparently, this woman is either oblivious or stupid, as she elects to ignore that steel.
"Hahaha- you said- hah- you said it yourself no? So much destruction, so much death~ hahaha! Can't you see!~ Haha isn't it just such a laugh!? Hahaha" She says, her voice filled with laughter and madness.
Filled with shock, I tilt my head so I can look her directly in the eyes, and what I see somehow manages to scare me.
Don't get it mistaken, the woman herself doesn't scare me in the slightest.
But those eyes, those pulsing crimson orbs are something else.
Filled with malice and malice and insanity and blood and 𝘦𝘤𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺.
It's then that I realise, she isn't just happy about this, she 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 for this, this madness.
She is truly, insane.
The two with me seem to come to the same conclusions if their visible discomfort is anything to go by, and Cu decides to just get to the point.
"Equaliser. You are going to tell me where he is." Cu demands, only to receive more laughter in response.
"Hehehe- why should I tell you? Haha, you're going to kill me anyway~, so why should I?~ Hahahehehe" She laughs, falling to her side as her laughter becomes too much, not helped by the chains binding her.
"You will tell me, or I will make you tell me." Cu demands again, however this time his words seem to suddenly sober her up as her laughter cuts off without warning, leaving her smiling eyes staring directly at Cu in silence.
"Oh~~ and how to you plan on doing that exactly, hmm?~ Torture?~ I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that.~" Her voice comes out with it's own chilliness, a strange mix between jovial and dangerous.
"It doesn't have to be you. I lost loyal friends today, perhaps I should return the favour and take from you?" Cu says, his anger colouring his tone more than before.
However, Tear remains unphased, drooping her head to the ground as she answers in a strange tone.
"Will you now?~ Well, I won't mind if you do. But you might find it a difficult task. After all," Here she pauses momentarily, just long enough to look back up at us, her closed eyes somehow conveying her smile through her mask.
"𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺.~"
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A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!
Gotta get a Kakashi reference in there.
This fight scene has been kicking my ass and it's finally coming to an end.. hopefully.
(5+)Advanced chapters with the links below!
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