บท 33: New Addition
"Motherfucker-fucker-motherfuccker!" I mentally shouted as I limped down the road, my cat form leaving me with three legs available instead of just one. I can't believe I let that piece of shit get the better of me!? And why did no one know how powerful Skidmark's power could be!?
That rat-bag asshole shouldn't be smart enough to hide that info until now, a Thinker should've realised it!...
A low growl leaves my throat as I think it over. The Merchants were seen as a non-threat, which Skidmark took advantage of by letting everyone else draw attention from him... Regardless, I knew what his power could do now, and I knew he couldn't stay away forever.
I'd find where he lives and cut the fucker's throat before he could lay down a single mark. We'll see how long the gang lasts after I leave his head dangling from a lampost.
The thoughts of revenge are some of the only reprieve from the niggling phantom pains of my lost leg, which only got more painful as time progressed. I imagined regrowing the bone, muscle, and tendons would be hellish once the process began... I could only hope it'd grow back in my sleep, that or if my 'doctor' was available.
Contrary to what many might think, New Wave's home was easy to find... You'd think after Fleur was murdered out of costume they'd have got more security. It was a gated community to be fair, but it was hardly enough to ward off any capes powerful enough to threaten the family.
--------------------------------
POV Amy Dallon :
She paid attention to her sister, more than any sister really should, and it was for that reason she'd picked up Vicky's rather shit poker face. Her story about meeting and 'chasing' the new ABB cat cape was an average one for cape standards, but unlike Carol, Amy had picked up on Vicky's ticks and social queues almost instantly.
After following her up to her room and confronting her, Vicky quickly spilt the beans. To hear that 'Guitar Boy', the not-cape she'd become the 'unofficial' doctor for and had been incommunicado for weeks, had become a murdering psycho gangster was a hard pill to swallow.
Sure, Vicky spoke of his reasoning and even leaned towards it in her own way, but she couldn't help but feel the boy was twisting her mind. It might be pedantic, but they were heroes. They put villains and monsters away, saved the day, and didn't bend to awkward situations like what'd been thrust at them.
At least she now knew where the money he'd given Mr Hotaro and his grandaughter had come from... And knew to be disgusted by it, blood money of any origin was to be reviled, after all. She wondered how Mr Hotaro would feel to know the boy had become part of the gang that crippled his family.
There was the factor of his kidnapped mother but, he could've sought help. Even if Vicky thinks his reasoning was correct, it doesn't make it right or just! No one, no matter who they are, is worth hundreds of lives. Even if she could understand that part of the sentiment.
She leans against the window and lets out a sigh as a breeze blows her hair to the side. "Why can't she just understand that things aren't so black and white..." she mutters to herself, "Just because you can sympathise with someone doesn't make them a 'good guy'... That's just naive thinking."
Of course, while she would never admit it, most of her frustration was coming from two other sources... The first being her work at the hospital, and the second... Her burgeoning feelings for her sister, those that she knew would or could never be reciprocated.
"This just gets worse the longer it goes on..." she groans to herself. It was probably just puberty pushing her emotions into hyperdrive but it was still sick. "Uuughh..." she cups her eyes with her hands, "If anyone knew about it they'd call me a freak!"
*Mooouuueow...*
...
She opens her eyes and looks out the window as the motion detection light flashes on, revealing a dirty, crippled white cat limping outside the house, meowing pathetically.
"I don't get a break even when I'm home, huh..." she remarks while climbing out of the window, hopping onto a nearby tree and dropping to the ground as the feline approaches her.
"That's a clean cut... Who would do this to their cat?" she grouses as she inspects it. It's surprisingly calm and allows her to look it over, lifting its leg to check for any more injuries along with its gender... It does let out a strange yelp as she inspects its genitals, but she places that it's instincts. "Maybe things would be different if I were born a guy...?" she wonders aloud as she sits on a tree stump and places a hand on it's head, preparing to give it's leg back.
Though... She doubted even if she were a man Vicky would look at her as anything other than family.
"Hm, you've got a tumour in your brain..." she mutters but shakes her head, "I could..." she trails off, recalling her recent arguments on the matter. "No... Guess you'll be enjoying your new leg for a couple months, before the tumour starts affecting you... Sorry."
Using nearby weeds, she uses their biomass to form a new appendage for the cat, which just sits silently as she works. Once done she lets out a sigh and fixes her patient with a look, "Well, you can go now..."
It doesn't move and she tries to shoo it away. Vicky had brought bad a dozen stray cats when she was younger and Carol always sent them away. She'd rather not suffer her mother's wrath, her punishments were always more severe than her sister's...
Despite her efforts however, the cat stays put and just stares at her, not reacting as she makes awkward hisses and hand movements at it... The slight tilt of its head looked almost mocking to her eyes.
"You're not some creep changer cape are you...?" she ganders, wondering if she'd accidentally healed some villain by mistake.
"You were the one staring at my cock..." she stifles a scream as she stands back away from the suddenly speaking feline.
Still stunned into silence, the cat tentatively flexes its new leg before slinking around, its gate awkward as it gets used to its new centre of balance. Finally, it hops onto the stump she was sitting on and flicks its ear as it stares at her. "Well? Cat got your tongue?"
Amy can't help but snort at that, "Another role-playing cape? Did Uber and Leet reject you?"
"I never sent a resume so I doubt it. Still waiting on the Slaughterhouse's reply though." the cat shrugs, the action looking mightily unnatural. Had she fallen into Wonderland or something?
"... Give me one good reason I shouldn't shout for my family, right now." she threatens.
"Because I'll tell everyone you want a sex change...? Or, y'know, the sexual harassment thing. Imagine the headline, 'Panacea sexually assaults cat!'"
She furrows her brows, but not because of what he said... "Your voice. I know it."
If a cat could look smug, this was it. It stands from its seat and turns to leave, but not before leaving her with some parting words. "I'd say this makes us about even. You should keep this quiet too, I doubt people would be happy to hear of you healing a villain, or about your bio-tinkering." he nods his head at the dead weeds used to create the new leg. "See you around, Amy."
With that he's gone, disappearing into the underbrush surrounding the suburban house, and leaving the thoroughly confused and irritated Panacea in his wake.
"Cat cape... Wait, Kieu!?"
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POV Kieu days later :
I was on my eighth set of katas in the ABB dojo when the doors were suddenly thrown open, drawing everyone's attention as Master Akiba and Mr Nishihara walked in with another, surprising addition to their entourage.
"Greetings everyone, please halt your activities for a moment as we introduce a new, exciting member to our number!" Akiba announces, stepping to the side to reveal a tall woman. She wore the same metal mask that every ABB cape wore, except this one depicted a demonic fanged woman, with crazy eyes and a long dangling tongue.
Her outfit was also quite odd, consisting of black robe-like clothes with armoured plates attached to some parts, like the shoulders, legs, and back. The only weapon she seemed to be equipped with was a short tanto on her hip, which she seemed rather uncomfortable to wear.
"This, is Gozen, and she is the fourth cape to join us. Please do not question her powers or anything personal, we would rather keep these things quiet until the right time." Nishihara glances at her, "Well then, Miss Gozen, you're here for a reason. Please don't take too much of our men's time." he says before exiting, leaving Akiba to watch things.
Almost immediately as the boss leaves Gozen jumps on her heel and quickly approaches me, and I could almost hear her smile... "Thank you for saving me, Kaibyo. You have no idea how bad a situation I was in, I'm so sorry for leaving!" she grips my free hand that wasn't holding a blade, "I'm in your debt."
...
The Tinker, this fucking idiot!
I grab her hand and glance at Akiba, nodding at him before speed walking to one of the free rooms. 'Gozen' is surprised by my sudden action, and even starts to protest saying I was 'too young for that sort of thing'.
Slamming the door behind us, I push her mask up to reveal her face and glower at her like a rabid animal. "Are you retarded? Why the fuck did you join the ABB!?"
"W-what do you mean? I wanted to help you, and they don't seem as bad as the Merchants..."
"Lady, these people are monsters! The only reason I'm still here is because they're holding someone close to me hostage! And you, a Tinker just jumped into their arms!?"
Her mouth forms an O as the consequences of her actions hit her, "B-but... I didn't have anywhere else to go... Would you rather I join the nazis...?"
I shake my head, "I'd rather you join no one!"
"Not even the PRT?" she questions unsurely.
"They're better than the gangs but not by much. And now you're stuck in the same shit situation as me!..." I rub the bridge of my nose, "What did you tell them about your powers...?"
"That I'm a Tinker. I built a suped-up toy car for them during my testing but I said I wouldn't do any more until I saw you..." she sheepishly admits.
"Toy car?"
"Well, it did have guns attached to it, and a bomb, a guess?"
Astounded at how casually she admitted to creating a remote-controlled mobile bomb, I looked at her blankly and asked, "What's your speciality?"
"Er, vehicles...?"
My eyes bulge at that. Every Tinker had a speciality that their creations leaned towards. Some were hyper-fixated on hard things like guns, and other were more esoteric, like 'mind control' or something.
I don't think she realises just how stupid powerful a 'vehicle' specialization was. It was essentially a 'grab-bag' version of Tinkers. It could apply both to hypersonic bikes and time machines. A full fucking Gundam to a Death Star.
As far as I understood, there was no limitation to what she could build as long as whatever it is could be piloted. Hell, it might even include fucking POWER ARMOUR! Thank god she hadn't revealed her specialization to Nishiara or Lung, otherwise the ABB might be shitting out Spartans or Space Marines within the year!
"Listen, tell NO ONE your specialisation, do you understand!?" I urge as seriously as I could project.
"B-but, what do I tell them when they ask?"
"Tell them you don't know your specialisation yet. That should hold 'em off until we find a way to leave." I say, inwardly wondering if she'd manage to keep her mouth shut until then... After all, I still had barely any leads on Tieu's location.
"Okay... If that's what you think." she mutters, as if she hadn't been ordered to do all this by a thirteen-year-old.
"Good, keep your head down until I'm ready to make a move... A single fuck up and we're all dead. Understand?"
She nods and I exit, heading straight back to the mat to continue my kata. No point in raising suspicions so soon after all.
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