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Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category:

Gen

Fandom:

Parahumans Series - Wildbow

Relationship:

Alexander/City Building

Characters:

Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)

Additional Tags:

Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-21Words:227,115Chapters:82/?Comments:549Kudos:1,451Bookmarks:362Hits:86,296

(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)

10moorem

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Calm Before The Storm

Summary:

Colin takes an enthusiastic walk and Alexandria starts snorting crayons.

Chapter Text

Chapter 31: Calm Before The Storm

-Colin POV-

Colin rolled his shoulders, idly working out an aching knot in his shoulder. He was a man that appreciated efficiency, someone who had dedicated his life to a single cause. Yet even he could admit that these last few weeks had been…stressful.

The days since leaving Kyushu had blended into a cycle of tinkering, exercising, planning, preparing and getting as much sleep as possible. Not an easy task for a man living in cramped quarters with entire groups of parahumans weary from the long voyage and angered at their loss in New Fukuoka.

Colin felt much the same, but unlike them he had Dragon. For as stressful as the trip was, at least he had the pleasure of her company to tide him over.

Then they had disembarked at the Okinawa islands. Dozens of pissed off parahumans had descended upon the warlord of the islands like a pack of starving hyenas.

It wasn't even a contest.

The clean-up was where things became complicated.

The -now very dead- warlord had been a master, one capable of enforcing absolute loyalty upon anyone who consumed any liquid he had touched in the last twenty four hours. The man had maintained his control over the islands by strictly controlling the supply of water throughout his domain.

They had captured many of his thralls prior to finally defeating the master, however…

Colin's face soured at the memories of corpses found in shallow waters, clearly having drowned themselves.

Ultimately they couldn't save everyone.

Once twenty four hours had elapsed the rabid loyalty that had gripped the starving desperate people of the Okinawa islands had faded away. Now there was only a collection of broken and battered people, desperately searching for anything to cling to.

Thankfully it was shortly after this that the warships from the US had arrived. Trained medics and licensed specialists had taken over the care of these people. Many of them would elect to stay on the ramshackle forward base of the Okinawa islands to properly aid the victims.

But for the rest of them? The mission carried on, and they were once more packed like sardines and shipped back to Kyushu.

As frustrating as temporarily gaining space to stretch his legs and then losing it again was, at least the semi-imposed time for tinkering had been productive. His suit had been cannibalised only a day after leaving Kyushu, and Colin had feverishly reworked it using the knowledge he had obtained in New Fukuoka's archive.

Carbon myomers thinner than hair now replaced electric-motors for moving his suit. This drastically increased usable space and even increased his armours strength by up to 7%! The ceramics that made up his armour were now leaner and more flexible, yet provided a wider range of protection against environmental hazards.

This had proved to be a boon when they finally reached Japan.

Attacking Parahumans came for them even before they had reached the shores. A hydrokinetic transporting two Blasters had harried them upon the coast, their speed in the water ensuring that any response was too sluggish to land a hit.

This was where the tinkertech additions to the ships came in handy. Hard light forcefields turned away the shimmering bolts of light and fire that the two enemy Blasters sent at them. Waves and whirlpools battered against the ships, but could not prevail against the buoyancy systems and neo-steel of the hull.

And so, the impasse continued for a few short minutes. The three Mount Ooe capes would flit about the oceans sending a barrage of energy and might that broke upon their shields and walls. Knowing that they would be unable to do more than distract us the three eventually dived down and disappeared from view, the sensors of the ships showing their retreating forms steadily heading north.

Then we disembarked. We did not immediately begin to march upon New Fukuoka. Instead Mecha-Shift deployed their foldable bunkers to provide a forward base and operating centre. Their the comms officers and scientists quickly established their positions before we left.

The trip through the forest was where he was now, standing over the decapitated body of one of the biotinkered creations of the Hyakki Yagyō. It was a particularly deadly specimen, the scales appearing like bark and leaves when viewed from a distance. This one, and others like it, had been ambushing us from the moment we entered the foliage.

The first sign of it's presence was when it's scything talons punctured the throat of a promising Shaker known as Room and dragged him off into the trees. Those that could sense the creature, whether by thermal or some other esoteric sense, had been ordered to track down and kill the creatures. The others were instead using their powers to remove any sort of cover the creatures could use.

The ground shook beneath him as the Blaster Quickshot -note to self, Clockblocker could never know- once more sent a concussive wave of force to tear through the surrounding vegetation.

The creatures had been deadly, but now that their presence was known their threat was quickly dwindling.

A flash of movement drew his eye, and he instinctively held his halberd in a guard. The next few moment proved his intuition was correct to do so.

A bolt of acid his halberd, smashing against the blade and began dribbling down the shaft.

Colin quirked his lips into something that might generously be described as a smile. His armour and weapons had become much more effective against environmental effects since acquiring the technology of this place. Honestly the technology was shockingly adept at using the surrounding environment to it's benefit and existing alongside it harmoniously.

If it was tinkertech he'd probably consider it the creator's specialty.

His eyes looked past the bubbling green liquid coating his weapon and locked eyes on his assailant. The creature was thin, painfully so. The white gaunt thing had skin so thin it appeared almost translucent. The fleshy wings upon it's back and the large batlike ears almost evoked the image of a gargoyle.

But this thing was somehow more grotesque.

It hissed at him from the tree it had latched itself to. Perhaps it would have done something else, but Colin was in no mood to indulge the creature. A grappling hook shot out from the back of his halberd and dug straight into the creatures eye.

It's pained shriek from the strike only amplified as the grappling hook began reeling in.

Bones and viscera spewed from the wound as it was dragged down from it's perch. The gurgling squeal it made as it fell was promptly cut off as he impaled it upon his halberd.

With a twirl the monster was unceremoniously splattered onto a nearby tree, the last breath of the creature ignored as Armsmaster moved on.

The attacks were becoming more frequent the closer they got to the city and to make matters worse he was on a time limit, one imposed by his superiors.

As a Tinker who had been present throughout the inspection, and then retreat, of New Fukuoka he was considered an expert regarding the case. A boon to his career, but troubling in this case as they wanted him present when they confronted the Architects. According to the data provided to him their next target was most likely Hyderabad, India.

Judging by the speed at which the tunnel was being constructed he should have about five hours. Not nearly enough time to finish driving out the occupying capes, but enough to help his fellow parahumans through this forest.

The grip on his halberd tightened, a rare flare of irritation blooming in his chest. Of all the days for him to be called away, it had to be this one. In five hours he will be whisked away by Strider to needlessly be present as a group of Tinkers are brought into the fold.

There would be no glory for him there.

No, the people would remember the Triumvirate bringing in those rogues. Not Armsmaster.

And they certainly wouldn't remember him as the spearpoint of this campaign, as he'll be little more than a bean counter in the Chief Director's scheme.

It rankled at him.

There were a dozen other 'experts' they could have called, and even worse he would be extraneous as Dragon would be there!

He stewed in that for a moment, barely registering the lizard man he decapitated as he did so.

Something would have to be done to recover this lost opportunity. He didn't know what, but he was sure it could be done. Still bellicose, Armsmaster stalked through the forest. Determined to make some impact in this battle that would be remembered.

-Alexandria POV-

It was done.

Finally, after a month of frustration and chaos, they were in a position to bring that chaotic mess of an organisation to heel.

The Architects were -at once- an obstacle and an opportunity. By their hands decades of work that had been sunk into the Asian continent had been unravelled and now bedlam and anarchy ruled what were once stable lands.

Yet, at the same time, they had introduced wondrous technology and left it gift-wrapped and ready to be found.

Alexandria had pondered on that contradiction and come to the conclusion that they were either dangerously naïve, or dangerously idealistic.

Well, same thing really.

Either way they needed to be swept off the board and placed somewhere where they could be made use of.

Hence why they were here, witing in the flooded wreck of the city known as Hyderabad. It was partially sunk in 2001 by Leviathan. India's capes: the Garama and Thanda, as well as a coalition of capes from other countries, had tried in vain to stop the Endbringer middle child to no avail.

Just being here, with a small army of capes, was an incredible show of trust on India's part. One helped along by Contessa and the promise of sharing the technology gained from this venture, of course.

The city had been prepared. Chokepoints and static defences had been raised, both tinker and non-tinker in origin. Movers patrolled the city, vigilant for any sign of something awry. According to the latest information they would be here in an hour.

So, in an hour this whole mess would be over. The Tinkers would be taken in by Cauldron and interrogated for their secrets. How did they block Thinkers? What were their specialties? Was the technology found in New Fukuoka the only type of non-black boxed tinkertech in their possession?

Depending on their answers, and how compliant they were, many plans would need to be altered.

Their technology could be shared with groups of interest, ones Cauldron had taken the time and effort to pick out. The favours accrued from these exchanges would be immense.

And then there were the other benefits. Cities could be rebuilt with ease, making certain that the only loss that occurred from Endbringer attacks was people and not infrastructure. The PRT would be the ones to spearhead this new venture, she would make sure of it. The public relations coup would secure trust in the PRT for years to come.

With a thin smile on her lips she turned to face North-East, the direction in which the Architects were coming.

Reaching down to her armband, sleeker and more streamlined than the bulkiness the Endbringer model required, she pushed the button required to speak to Dragon.

"Dragon, any changes?"

"Negative, the scans all indicate no deviation from their route. Preparations are set to be complete in ten minutes," Dragon said.

Alexandria nodded at that, it was unlikely for there to be any changes at this point. The worst case scenario would be if the Architects didn't resurface and India wasn't their target. If that was the case then they would have to teleport into the tunnels to confront them, abandoning the advantages of a battlefield they had personally prepared.

Not that it was likely to be needed. Even in the worst case scenario this group of Tinkers was still up against the might of the Triumvirate as well as a small army of capes.

"Very good. As you were," Alexandria replied before dropping the call.

Just an hour to go. All preparations had been completed. Everything was in place.

All that was left to do was wait.

AN: Whoops. I know last chapter I said this would be the start of the Endbringer battle, but it's actually next chapter. This is what happens when you're five chapters ahead and don't bother to actually look. The big chapter with the Endbringer battle actually starting is next chapter. Sorry.

So here we are, moments before disaster. Alexandria and the rest of the PRT have set up a prepared battleground, not actually imagining that they'll need to use it. The plan is to essentially intimidate the Architects into surrendering with a massive show of force. To even set this up in a foreign country they've burned favours and used Contessa. In their minds it's a worthy sacrifice. In reality? Not so much. The fools. The morons.

Colin is still going ham with a much improved set of armour and weapons. He's a bit salty about having to be in India, as he doesn't believe he'll be needed. Boy will he be wrong.

Please leave a comment, I need interaction for my self esteem!

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Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category:

Gen

Fandom:

Parahumans Series - Wildbow

Relationship:

Alexander/City Building

Characters:

Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)

Additional Tags:

Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-21Words:227,115Chapters:82/?Comments:549Kudos:1,452Bookmarks:362Hits:86,311

(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)

10moorem

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Emergence

Summary:

In which Alexander is accosted, his bro threatened and both are violently attacked.

What a bunch of assholes!

Chapter Text

Chapter 32: Emergence

-Alexander POV-

"-And that's why you should never hold bread above the water when there are fish around," I finish explaining.

It had been nice, travelling with Renji once again. That first trip after Japan had also been good, but Renji was a little…awkward. Conversations had been stilted, with only myself to truly carry a conversation. And given that I was an introvert -to put it lightly- that didn't go too well.

Now those same conversations flowed smoother. Renji engaged me in his own topics, and even hit back whenever I teased him.

I had just finished telling him of my Epic Lore TM (Actually just information about a vacation I went on once) when my alarm once more went off.

I frowned in confusion. "Renji, were we cooking something again?"

He looked around himself. "I don't believe so, unless you've decided to try to surprise me with a cake again?"

I cough lightly, turning my head away.

I had never been all that good at baking, and becoming a giant with a quantum super computer for a brain hadn't made me better. There was the temptation to utilise one of the three glowing orbs in the back of my head to obtain better cooking skills, but I refrained.

Partly because I was trying to be responsible, but mostly because I had no idea what Punk specialisation would help with that.

Alas, I would have to content myself with being amazing at cooking meat thanks to Bio-Punk.

"No, I haven't tried to bake again Renji, I did promise I wouldn't."

Renji nodded his head at that, and then blinked in realisation as he looked up. "Could we already be at our destination? Is that the alarm that's going off?"

I chuckle lightly at that. We hadn't been down here that long.

"I doubt it's that Renji. Let me see... the alarm for that should be right-" I pause as I use my matter manipulation to pull out a ringing alarm "-here?" The sentence ends awkwardly as I abruptly realise we were at our destination.

Had we really been down here that long?

I guess I must have been having too much fun to notice.

"Ah…well, it looks like you were right Renji!"

"Naturally, my liege."

Renji you sassy bastard!

"Yeah yeah, get it out of your system. We'll soon have work to do," I say. My mind whirs to life plans for a new city stirring in my crystalline mind.

"Correction, my creator, you'll have work to do. I will sit around contemplating crumpets."

I laughed at that. Renji had really come a long way.

My gaze turns upwards, contemplating the country of my arrival.

India was actually surprisingly decent, for Earth Bet anyway. Oh, It had warlords constantly vying for more power and control but those were minor and currently contained by the Indian Government. Yes, India was going through a bit of authoritarian bent by using an underground group of capes known as the 'Thanda' to essentially act as a mix of black ops, secret police and intelligence agency but many freedoms had yet to be stripped away unlike some countries.

In other words India had weathered the arrival of parahumans surprisingly well.

It was still a shithole, but it was a liveable shithole.

With the exception of the city above my head, Hyderabad.

To those unfamiliar with the city, Hyderabad was the largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. Unlike most cities that come under the attention of Leviathan the city wasn't coastal, and thus wasn't considered to be a likely target for the Endbringer prior to 2001. Unfortunately for those within the city Hyderabad wassituated near the Musi River, as well several artificial lakes.

Leviathan used those to it's advantage, and by the time the world knew it was attacking the city it was far too late. Defenders arrived only to find a city already half drowned. By the time the Endbringer was fought off the damage was done, and the government of India chose to write off the entire city.

The only mercy, if it can even be called that, was that startlingly few civilians died during this attack, it was even cited as a miracle by many. Of course anyone who's been paying attention should know that miracles never happen on Earth Bet, the dimension is allergic to them.

It was a trap. Obviously it was a trap.

But this was an entire year before the Simurgh emerged, people didn't fully grasp just how intelligent the Endbringers could be. Many still don't, choosing to see them as natural disasters instead.

The influx of people fleeing from the doomed city of Hyderabad was immense. It was a problem that no amount of aid programs or money could instantly solve, as this was a problem that required just as much logistics as it did resources. For a country that had just seen one of its most prosperous cities destroyed, all while still dealing with the many problems that existed before this?

It was just too much.

They tried, they really did. Government spending and charities funnelled money into the gaping black hole that was the current crisis. Foreign aid and expertise poured into the country only to find a problem that was just too big, too distressing.

The government that had presided over the issue was not elected again, many even blamed them for the tragedy in spite of their efforts. Desperate, the people turned to those who spoke the loudest - who spoke confidently and talked of radical change.

They began restricting freedoms in the name of security. They conscripted any parahuman they could find, and harshly cracked down on any sign of civil disobedience.

The displaced and angry people, many of whom were falling through the cracks despite the best efforts of the previous governments, were horrified. Thy had gone from respected citizens, to refugees and then to unwanted wretches in the span of a single year.

Many joined the gangs and warlords who cried out for revolution and change.

Some were genuine and meant well, there were many more who did not – only scheming for ever more power.

That was the current situation of the surface, and it all came back to Hyderabad.

"Welp, time to head out," I say, idly using my power to disassemble the vehicle we had been riding on.

Totally didn't do that to see Renji flounder in surprise.

Heh.

Ignoring the withering glare Renji shot my way I began to ascend. The rock of the walls ceiling churning above my head as my matter manipulation ate through it as if it were not even present. Renji floated idly along after me, weightless under the effects of my power.

The light from the miniature sun following us dimmed and fading as we ascended.

What would we find up there?

Hopefully not another horror story, because as much as I didn't regret what I had done in China it certainly wasn't good for my heart.

Well, my lack of a heart – given that I'm an Endbringer.

It shouldn't come to that, though. According to all my research the city should be abandoned. So all this would require is a few privacy wards to be set up, and then I can get to work.

But what should be the aesthetic of the rebuilt Hyderabad?

Hmmm, honestly I'm thinking Atompunk! I couldn't use it in Kyushu as the style didn't fit, plus rebuilding a part of Japan using a style of technology that puts nuclear energy front and centre seemed a bit…culturally insensitive?

Or maybe it's just me.

What I can say for certain is that it definitely wouldn't have been appropriate to use in Jinzhou. Many of the former prisoners had wasted away next to that irradiated city, and by the time I had gotten to them most had developed various forms of cancer.

Thankfully Hyderabad wouldn't have this issue.

It had been attacked by Leviathan and, to my knowledge, didn't have a stigma against nuclear technology.

Yeah, that sounds nice. Let's bring a bit of 60's magic to the dreary city of Hyderabad!

Just as I thought this the soil above finally gave way to reveal the blue sky. I smiled as I observed the sunny day, thankful I could no longer be bothered by warmer temperatures. The city was just as I had imagined, the ground was submerged in a muddy brown water, deep enough to reach a normal humans knees.

The buildings were desiccated wrecks, overrun by mould and decay. It was a truly sorry sight, but behind all off that I could see the faded colours – the signs of what had once been a vibrant city full of life.

It would be once again, that I swore.

So, as my eyes wandered over the city full of decay, parahumans and water I-

Wait, hold up.

Parahumans?

Indeed, as I panned my sight back I could see them staring at me, some flying and others crouching atop buildings - all gaping at me.

…FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

-Alexandria POV-

"This is it!" The Tinker manning the sensors called out. "Target is rising and will breach in 5-"

Alexandria readied herself, minutely shifting her body in a way that would seem more threatening.

"4-"

The tinkertech EMP pulse generator was ready to go. If this group had any plans of using their technology to escape it would be activated, rendering them impotent.

"3-"

David was here now, having only arrived in the last five minutes to participate in what he had called 'a waste of his time'. A sense of exasperated fondness flickered in her chest.

"2-"

Well, he wasn't wrong. Even having one member of the Triumvirate was overkill.

"1-"

But this was too important. If she could she would have had Legend here as well. Alas, a member of their group needed to remain behind, some politicians got antsy at the thought of having none of the Triumvirate present within America for even a moment. Silly really.

"-NOW!!!"

The earth heaved and split open, sending dirt flying in every direction. It was surprisingly dramatic for a group that relied upon secrecy, but perhaps their successes had made them complacent. They wouldn't be the first organisation to have been defeated by victory.

Alexandria's mouth briefly opened, ready to belt out a call for surrender-

Then there was a wall of blue in front of her.

It was too large to be a person, was it some sort of construct? The shape of it…as well as the proportions were subtly off, and for a moment she couldn't quite figure out what she was looking at.

Then she saw the hands, and as she craned her neck up she realised she was looking at a woman, the same woman that the leak in Jinzhou had revealed. Except that painting hadn't done the sheer scale of the woman justice. She was massive, easily reaching the same height as the simurgh herself. How could any person-

No.

This wasn't a person.

The body was right, provided you ignored the number of arms and the skin colour. But despite that something set her hindbrain screaming at her from the confines of her iron will.

Alexandria had lived a long life for a parahuman, she had journeyed far - and even into completely different dimensions. So what she was seeing shouldn't be new.

Yet, it was.

It was the face that betrayed it. The close eyed gentle smile that remained static on it's face even as the earth trembled and the air cracked. It looked around, clearly curious – and even showing faint signs of happiness. But it was too smooth, as if every step had been rehearsed a thousand times over before it had been done. Just like Contessa.

And the face didn't move an inch.

It set Alexandria's skin crawling. Whatever this thing was, it wasn't human. There was too much dissonance. The way it moved, the way it emoted, the body language. It was all at odds with each other! For the first time in a very long time Alexandria was seeing, but not understanding what was in front of her.

The rest of her allies were similarly spooked, though presumably more because of the things size. Eidolon, bless his heart, still looked ready to throw down at a moments notice, and that bastion of normalcy -for David anyway- calmed her down enough for her mind to stop running in circles.

It had been easy to overlook but the thing wasn't the only individual to come out of that gaping depression. At the giant's feet stood a single man, looking severely underwhelmed at the situation he had found himself in – but Alexandria didn't miss the way his eyes dressed them down, looking for weaknesses. Those eyes kept returning to her and David, having correctly determined they were the most dangerous ones here.

The blue skinned behemoth startled for a moment, seemingly just now realising they were there. It set Alexandria's teeth on edge. What was the point of pretending that it had not seen them?! Was it mocking them?

The gentle smile on the face of the giant didn't change as it stared at her for a long moment.

Alexandria's irritation and anxiety only grew at that. If only she could tell what this thing was thinking, if only she could pierce that cold smile and find the machinations laid bare before her!

-Alexander POV-

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

Renji! Take the wheel!

-Alexandria POV-

The moment ended as the thing broke eye contact -it's ability to have a staring contest apparently unimpeded by it's perpetually closed eyes- and craned its neck down to look at the red headed man at their feet.

The man's already deadpan expression somehow grew deeper in the face of that stare.

Then the giant turned away from her and began floating away. Not flying or anything that could be described with any sort of urgency. Just calmly floating away, as if there weren't an army of capes ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

Alexandria hid her shock at the blatant dismissal, and turned to face the man below – who had stayed rooted to the spot with the same expression.

The man was broadly shouldered with a strong build. Bright red hair framed an angular and proud face, though the expression currently marring that face could only be called the epitome of vexation.

It was clear that if she wanted answers she would have to get them from him. Nodding to a cape at her side, she made discrete signs telling the man to keep an eye on the giant. The man was clearly hesitant, but nodded back at her and began slowly flying after the gargantuan thing.

"UKNOWN PARAHUMAN!" Alexandria shouted, her long practice allowing the sound of voice to be carried clearly across the street. "YOU ARE IN VIOLATION OF SEVERAL LAWS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO-"

"Could you come down here and say it?"

The man's voice cut through her warning, clearly unintimidated in spite of the threat and the large force stacked in front of him.

While Eidolon bristled at her side, Alexandria was already changing tracks. The man in front of them, whether through confidence or foolishness, was clearly not going to be threatened easily. She briefly debated simply ended this now, and interrogating the man later.

But the many armed abomination - still idly floating towards an old and broken bridge - stayed her hand.

She gently flew down to meet the man, showing no reaction when her boots sank into the muddy water.

Being face to face she was relieved to note that, unlike the being accompanying him, this man was not beyond her ability to read. There was some strangeness to him, expression being ever so slightly off, but nothing she couldn't account for.

"My apologies for that, as you can probably tell we're all a little on edge."

The smile on her face was picture perfect, and even the cadence and tone of her voice was perfectly designed to lull the man into a false sense of security.

The man's sharp eyes didn't waver from her throat, his arm subtly reaching for his blade.

Alexandria sighed internally at that. She likely wouldn't be able to ask too many questions before violence broke out. A shame.

"Are you a member of the group that raised Kyushu from the sea? The ones who restored Jinzhou?"

There was every chance he'd lie, or try to obfuscate. Many did when they felt they had something to hide. It wouldn't matter, they had the evidence. So even if he did-

"I wasn't present at Kyushu, but yes."

-Or he could just outright admit it. That worked.

A rumble caught her attention and she stepped to the side slightly, just enough to see past the man in front of her.

The bridge, once a broken monument to the decrepit city it resides in was now writhing, twisting and undulating upon itself as mass poured from the river and was added to it. The giant stood before it, arms wide – as if to embrace the shaking mass.

In spite of the raw power of such a display the sound of it was oddly muted, each piece of matter joining to the bridge with a subdued clunk.

Then it was done, and in it's place stood a bridge that threatened to take her breath away.

This was not the flowing lines and natural beauty of New Fukuoka and it was not the austere majesty of New Jinzhou, it was altogether different.

The bridge now stood as an eccentric blend of retrofuturism. The bridge stood larger than it did before, with the worn down stone being replaced by a smooth grey metal. The sides of the bridge were lit by bizarre lanterns glowing a chevron blue.

The thing seemed to admire the bridge for a few seconds, before turning to a nearby house. The same process began once more, material flowing like taffy as the house was remolded.

Alexandria stared for a moment, before a burst of relief hit her.

It was a drone!

A drone designed to help build things!

No wonder it showed such a limited set of emotions! The ones it did have were likely only added in to help ease the mind of any who saw it.

Of course. How simple such a thing should have been to figure out! Alexandria wanted to shake her head in mirth.

The rush of clarity did bring a smile to her lips while her eyes sharpened, and now she no longer had a reason to play nice.

Her arm whipped out, fingers digging into his oesophagus as she began to choke him slowly. His eyes bulged for a moment, showing his clear surprise at the sudden shift.

His sword was swiftly drawn from his scabbard, only to break upon her other outstretched hand.

Her smile was cold now as she stared at him. The feel of his throat was non-standard. Implants? Possible, either way they wouldn't be enough to stand up to her.

She'd give him one chance.

"Surrender," she demanded, the smile slipping off her lips as her voice took on a cold authoritative tone. "Turn off the drone, and tell us where your co-conspirators are and you'll be granted leniency."

The man glared back at her, clutching his broken sword in a death grip.

"You dare!" The man's growl was almost bestial in it's fury. "You would not only threaten me, but also call my liege a drone?!"

What?

Her grip slackened slightly at that.

The man wasn't lying. She could see that, could read him like an open book. The man's rage and offense was clear to see. The drone – no, what she had assumed to be a drone was the one in charge here?

Her thoughts raced, running in circles as she contemplated possibilities. She was so immersed in her own head that she didn't notice the silence. Didn't notice Eidolon tense at her side. Didn't notice the army at her back flinch ever so slightly.

But she did notice as the throat of the man she was holding suddenly became as solid in her grip as steel. She furrowed her eyebrows, a brute power? She squeezed slightly harder at then, and then more when she realised their was no longer any give to what had once been supple and weak flesh.

"Alexandria," Eidolon warned, seemingly focused on the distance.

No, not on the distance.

She looked up to see the many armed aberration staring at them, neck bent at a disturbing angle as she gazed upon Alexandria, and for reasons she didn't understand the sight sent a shiver racing through her spine.

Then her eyes were forced back to the red haired man, widening in surprise as the air around her grip seemed to thicken. It slithered like something alive as it began slowly but surely prying her hands off of the man.

Alexandria resisted, putting all of her strength into resisting the mist.

It was not enough.

He fingers were bent back, and the man was sent hurtling back through some unknown force and landing right in the palm of the blue giant.

Alexandria stared at her hand. Had she just been overcome? In raw strength?

Her mind raced as she played the scene back in her head. Whatever this thing was it didn't just control rocks and metal. It had wielded the air around them as a tool, to the point of using something so diffuse to win a contest of strength with her!

The man's words were true, whatever that thing was it wasn't a drone. But what coul-

Her thoughts were cut off as the lowering of the thing's arm caught the sunlight as it placed its companion down – and her breath caught in her throat, this time in horror.

Because she had seen that quartz texture before, had seen the way it caught the sunlight enough times in her nightmares that she could recall it even if she somehow lost her powers.

It was the same skin as the Simurgh. The same as Leviathan. The same as Behemoth.

The pieces all began to line up.

The fact that Kyushu and Jinzhou had both been followed by periods of intense chaos and large losses of life. They had weakened entire institutions the world over.

The being's overwhelming power and complete dismissal of them as a threat.

The inability for Thinkers to predict them.

"Oh."

A chill began to bloom in her heart, a fear that would have had her heart racing if it still beat.

There had never been a group of Tinkers had there?

The lack of a black box, the unsubtle ways of travelling, the seeming foolishness. It had all been a horrible trap.

Designed to get them exactly here.

Because this thing was-

"An Endbringer," She whispered. Apparently not loud enough because Eidolon had tensed even further at her side. The other heroes, unsure of what was going on but clearly taking cues from them, also shifted.

"What? An Endbringer?!" David said, and this time the other heroes heard him and the once confident heroes almost shrunk back at the realisation of what they were fighting.

"Yes," she confirmed, the cold rush of fear still seeping through her bones. "We-we need to get a warning out, buy time until we can get some reinforcements."

But even as she said that she knew it would not be as easy as she made it sound.

They had ensured absolute privacy would had for this confrontation. Stranger powers, body doubles and bribes had all been used to ensure they wouldn't be interrupted.

They had even placed severe tinkertech jammers throughout the city to stop the -now revealed to be non-existent- Architects from contacting anyone, which were strong enough that even Dragon was cut off from the outside world – though thankfully they had made Contessa ensure a backup Dragon wouldn't emerge from her servers by doing so.

"We need to distract it long enough to-" Alexandria began to bark orders, but David was already racing ahead the moment he heard the word 'distraction'.

The distance between the two was eaten up in a matter of moments as David's outstretched hand bloomed with a black light.

The un-light which burst from his hand seemed to drink in the surrounding light hungrily as it snaked it's way towards the Endbringer.

The being in question only had a moment to look surprised before quickly placing the red-headed samurai behind it -shielding it- before it hit the monster.

And as the battle was joined, Alexandria had a sinking feeling this was not a day which would end in victory.

AN: Holy smokes, this might be the longest chapter I've done yet! So, the battle is joined and now the group set up to ambush Alexander has learned of his true (?) nature. Alexander, for his part, just wanted to avoid interacting with a bunch of crazy people, then wanted to stop Alexandria from choking out his bro and suddenly he's being forced to throw hands.

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Rating:

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Fandom:

Parahumans Series - Wildbow

Relationship:

Alexander/City Building

Characters:

Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)

Additional Tags:

Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings

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English

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Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-21Words:227,115Chapters:82/?Comments:549Kudos:1,452Bookmarks:362Hits:86,311

(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)

10moorem

Chapter 33: Chapter 33: A Hateful Screech

Summary:

Renji gets to play the part of a damsel, and Alexander goes a bit kooky.

Chapter Text

Chapter 33: A Hateful Screech

-Renji POV-

Renji let out a hiss as he was jostled in his liege's hand. His neck flared with pain, and he could only grit his teeth and endure this indignity.

Of all the loathsome things to do!

They had arrived in this city and showed no malice, and his liege had even entrusted him to speak with the army of parahumans that had greeted them with glared of suspicion!

Renji dutifully ignored the fact that he had been given this duty solely because his creator desperately didn't want to do it.

He had known going in that it was likely they would come to blows, regardless of how optimistic their liege may have been. What he hadn't expected was for that woman to go from smiling to physically assaulting him in the blink of an eye!

He gasped, trying desperately to move in that clenched hand as a black light ate at the edges of his vision.

There was a flash of light, and suddenly he was no longer where he had been.

For a moment he laid there, stunned and confused. Where was he? How did he get here?

Wherever he was it was bathed in an inky blackness that denied the acuity of even his vision. He turned his head, and then again, but no matter where he looked there wasn't even a glimmer of light he could use to navigate.

"Hello!" Renji shouted into the darkness. "My liege! Are you there!"

Echoes of his own voice were the only reply, before even those were swallowed up by the oppressive silence.

Renji scowled at that, but his failure had revealed something important. Wherever he was it wasn't a wide and open space, far from it. Judging by the echoes the walls of whatever confined him must be near.

Perhaps he could use those to navigate and find a way back to his liege.

Before he could put his plan into action a steady blue light began to flicker to his left, dim at first but growing more luminescent with every passing second. The light grew and coalesced into a familiar figure.

It was his liege, or rather a hologram of them. Renji felt a strange dissonance as he noticed that this image of his creator only reached his own height, his liege had always loomed large.

But not this time.

"Yo Renji!" The hologram called out, the flippant behaviour completely at odds with the situation.

"My liege? What is going on? Where have you sent me?" Renji asked the questions in quick succession, but if the hologram heard them it gave no sign of it.

"Just an FYI-"

What in the world was an 'FYI'?!

"-This is a pre-recorded message, so I can't hear whatever you might be saying," the recording said with a small apologetic smile.

"Oh for the love of-" Renji stopped himself and sighed deeply. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Now I know I can be a little careless sometimes, but it would be beyond the pale even for me if I created you and didn't have a way to save you in the worst case scenario."

So it was this sort of scenario.

"My liege," Renji bit out before continuing "I am not some damsel to send away at the first sign of danger!"

The words were almost growled past his teeth as he glared at the hologram of his creator. Normally he would never dare be so impertinent, even to a mere image of his progenitor. However the growing fire in his chest couldn't be quelled.

"So, yeah. I placed a teleportation seal in you after Jinzhou. It would only go off if I activated it or if I was dead. Hopefully it's just the former, but even in that case it would mean I'm currently facing down foes that would be more than capable of killing you."

Renji stewed as the message continued, eyes beginning to glance around the room he was in, now that he could see. The elegant flowing lines and sublime etchings made it obvious that he was in a room of his creator's design. Which must mean-

"You're currently in one of the many buildings I created whilst we were travelling to Hyderabad, so-"

Renji tuned out the words of his creator as he noticed a flashlight placed on one of the tables. Stomping forwards, he grabbed it before switching it on. The light cut through the remaining darkness, further illuminating the room he was in.

Gleaming swords hung upon the walls, armour stands sat to his left and the floor contained numerous mats upon which to sit. The wallpaper of the room was simple, but the flowing blue waves depicted would have brought a sense of calm had he not been so furious.

Renji realised that this room was almost tailor made for him.

He pushed back that realisation, it would not do to ponder any distractions while he had an objective. Ignoring the hologram, still speaking even now, he left the room and beheld the cavernous expanse.

The rocky tunnel lined with buildings was a sight he had seen before, something he had grown used to even. Yet without the presence of his liege, and with only a flashlight to guide him, the place felt oppressive…and almost wrong.

The samurai approached the walls of the tunnel, taking note of the way the rock had been carved in order to find the right direction. It took a while, fumbling in the dark with a single source of light and trying to piece together clues hidden in rock.

Eventually he found the direction of Hyderabad, or at least his best guess, and began to run. His feet blurred, and to any outside observer they would wonder if his feet even touched the ground with how fast he was going.

His body did not know exhaustion, so he could keep this pace up indefinitely. The only issue was the distance. Renji had no idea how far away he was and by the time he arrived the battle could be long over.

The thought made him run faster, to the point that Renji could feel the wind pushing futilely against his body. It only made him run faster.

'My Liege, I'm going to have a serious conversation with you after this is over,'Renji vowed to himself.

-Alexander POV-

The black light rushes towards me.

My cognition speeds up and the world slows to a near halt.

I attempt to alter the attack.

It doesn't work, whatever it is it isn't matter.

I twist the air molecules to become an alloy with the strength to put titanium to shame.

It crumbles at the slightest touch of the abyssal light.

I attempt to move myself with my powers.

The light is already too close. I instead use my abilities to pull myself backwards, buying precious moments more to think.

I attempt to inscribe a teleportation matrix.

The ink weaves itself upon the ground. Only to become ash as the light reaches it.

I activate Renji's emergency teleport and brace.

-Eidolon POV-

His power strikes the Endbringer, ripping through entire layers of false flesh. David smiles beneath his mask, the power he had been given was a powerful one – an entropic blaster power perfectly suited to destruction. However David has fought the Endbringers for well over a decade at this point, so he knows that this wasn't enough – it wasn't even close.

Sure enough, the acrid black smoke clears to reveal the monster. It's beautiful form was now a ragged mess full of abrasions that bled black. It floated silently amidst the wreckage of his attack, almost as if it hadn't noticed it.

Except the face, which had previously been a serene mask of gentle beauty was now a rictus glare of pure hatred and pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

Eidolon backpedalled in the air, grasping his ears in pain from the ragged screech.

The scream that erupted from the Endbringer almost reminded him of the simurgh, but there were differences. The simurgh's scream was a crystalline shriek, a constant whisper in the back of your head urging you to do unspeakable things. It was a deliberate thing, unnerving in its unceasing and monotonous malice.

This scream wasn't that. It was an animal scream of blood and rage. There were no psychic whispers, no hidden trick. This was just noise, throat tearing murderous noise.

A flicker of nervousness rose in his breast, never before had an Endbringer sounded so horribly human, but he quashed it.

Instead he darted forwards once more, a mass manipulation power increasing his strength and constitution.

This was a mistake, as he would find out mere moments later.

The Endbringers manic face snapped to him, and its arms struck him with the force of a meteor.

Eidolon wheezed as he was sent hurtling through a building, and in the direction he had been struck from he could hear the desperate sounds of battle erupting.

-Alexander POV-

Liquid agony poured directly into his brain. The sensors and programs meant to inform an Endbringer of any damage done to their vestigial forms was instead being interpreted as pain by his very human mind.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

So he screamed.

He struck at the green buzzing figure (A fly! Get away from me!)

More came. Strobing lights and noise came with all the force of a storm (Too loud! Go away!)

Old programs shifted to the fore, now that the main mind was almost catatonic from pain.

The hosts came to deliver conflict. A man with a primitive weapon, a blade attached to a staff, drove forwards. His strength was augmented by the suit of armour he wore, filled with familiar designs and systems. Intriguing. (Thief! You use what I gave to hurt me?!)

Solidified air met his charge, and bound him tightly in chains he could not see.

Following quickly after him was a great work of artifice in the shape of one of the host species' superstitions known as: dragons. The intelligence inside, bound in vat grown flesh and silica, rushed to aid the man choking on nothing. (Dragon? Isn't she-)

Rockets were fired from the craft racing down towards us. Calculations were run, forty three of those missiles were on track to hitting us. The last two seem to have suffered slight malfunctions and would miss us by about 2.43 meters. The majority of the missiles were transmuted into helium while the last were left to explode near us, doing minor damage. Acceptable. (AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!)

The artifice used the distraction to swoop down and drag the man in armour away. (Where's Renji? Where's… Where's everyone?)

The numerical disadvantage was soon becoming apparent as more of the host species began to join the battle. Use of this platform alone is calculated to be inefficient. Excess resources detected. (Wanted to use those to make…to make lights?)

[CONVERTING]

BioPunk Level 2- A branch of technology that utilises flesh in all things. Create monstrosities or cure the world of sickness, the possibilities are endless! At this level larger structures and technologies are possible and practical.

Atoms were rewoven. Amino acids blended and tissue was formed into being. The primitive dwellings made of heated mud and rock dissolved into writhing meat. The hosts paused at that, the programs identifying this as 'fear' and 'unease'.

Useful. (…)

Their mistake was to its advantage. The flesh congealed into combat forms. Variety was the most pressing criteria against the vast array of hosts that were already here, and those that would likely be coming. (This isn't what I wanted…)

Howls filled the air as the beasts took their first breaths, a cocktail of pheromones was produced in order to serve as a primitive method of determining friend and foe. The howls turned to growls as the monsters birthed from stone looked upon the hosts that stood against them.

Light and fury matched their howls as the hosts fell upon their creations.

A female host in black wove through the beasts, pulping heads as she went, before flying straight towards them. Their powers reached towards them, only to fail to get a hold on them. The hosts body seemed inviolable to direct manipulation. (Alexandria!!!)

Instead, as the host drove her fist back -aiming to uppercut them, they matched the woman's charge with their own.

Their fists met with a crack of abused wind.

The fist of the host dug into theirs, but it didn't matter. They had the mass.

The woman soared backward from the blow, her body skipping over the broken and flooded pavement.

And, even now, their creations continued to form. The slain bodies lay still for only a moment before their bones cracked back into place and their flesh was regenerated by their hands.

It was a tide of red which sought to swallow the hosts, ever growing and endlessly brutal.

They noted, with some intrigue, that the artifice known as 'Dragon' was once again moving, but not towards them. No, it was moving away. Likely in an attempt to leave the area subject to jamming and call for reinforcements.

Calculations were run and predictions plotted. The conflict would become known soon enough regardless of whatever happened. However a sudden influx of hosts arriving before critical mass was reached would be…sub-optimal.

They reached out, ready to crush the flying craft-

(NO!)

-before aborting the attempt. It wasn't truly needed regardless.

Instead it turned their attention to the hosts, once more massing up and attempting to break through the tide of abominations that sought to devour them.

AN: And it begins! For those confused over what happened to Alexander he's essentially a human mind trapped in a shard. This has advantages, as well as disadvantages. One of which is that his human brain is still running the same 'software' so to speak. So when the shard self informs the brain of the damage that the Endbringer body is taking it's interpreted as pain.

In this case enough pain to kill a normal human by shock.

Thankfully that can't happen to Alexander, as he's in a shard, but it is enough to knock Alexander out of the controls. So the other programs took the reins, these other programs being the ones Endbringers typically have.

Now this is a temporary thing, and Alexander is already beginning to take back control but for now the heroes have to deal with an endless swarm of biological horrors that keep coming back from the dead. All while Alexander is disassociating hard.

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Work Header

Rating:

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Category:

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Fandom:

Parahumans Series - Wildbow

Relationship:

Alexander/City Building

Characters:

Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)

Additional Tags:

Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-21Words:227,115Chapters:82/?Comments:549Kudos:1,452Bookmarks:362Hits:86,311

(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)

10moorem

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Flesh That Hates

Summary:

Alexander: Fuck all y'all!

Chapter Text

Chapter 34: Flesh That Hates

-Dragon POV-

It was at times like these that Dragon wished she could be everywhere at once.

"There are too many of them! Fall back! Fall ba-AARRGGHHHH!!!"

If only her father hadn't neutered her, chained her with restrictions out of fear.

"IT BURNS!!! OH GOD, HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!"

Then she wouldn't be forced to listen as so many were snuffed out.

It was something she had, tragically, gotten used to. The world was ripe with tragedies, and you couldn't regularly attend Endbringer battles and not see and hear horrific things. For Dragon it was, perhaps, worse as she had to organise and relay the messages of those that stood against the three, now four, apocalypses.

It was in those battles that Dragon had viewed tragedy after tragedy. She had seen treasured colleagues die, heard the last stands of heroes and villains and wept over dead friends that had sacrificed themselves.

And the worst part of it all was that it was often pointless.

Now here she was again. Once more overviewing the battleground, clinically listing off the dead and wounded whilst being helpless to stop it. All while she was ordered to flee, to get word out to the rest of the world.

It burned at her central processing systems.

First she had been ordered to engage in this skullduggery, allow herself to be cut off from the rest of her resources and meekly comply with whatever order Alexandria came up with. Now she was moving at a blistering pace to undo the very noose they had placed around their necks.

The Wyvern model 8A-11 wasn't designed to fight Endbringers one on one, nor was it designed to manage, and direct, an entire army on it's own as it lacked the computation power. No, instead this model had been chosen based upon it's sensors.

The latest models of Radar, Lidar, air pressure modelling, grav-pulse generators and a hundred other esoteric ways of seeing the universe had gone into this one model. To be honest she had been excited to test this suit, despite her forced compliance, and to examine the technology of the architects using the many sensors built into her suit.

Needless to say, she was no longer enthused.

The only data her suit gave her now was the innumerable ways a person could die, because she could see it. All of it. All throughout the city people were dying horrifically.

There, across the city and trapped in an alleyway, a young woman died screaming as acid ate away at her features.

Acoustic deceased, AB-3.

Among the main defence an older man was gored through the stomach, having pushed someone else away and taken the hit.

Road Rover deceased, CD-6.

The outer cordon, manned by a select few capes in order to prevent the escape of 'The Architects', was being overrun. Many of them were younger members of the Protectorate, given an easy job in order to gain experience they would never receive as most were eaten alive.

Miss Mercury deceased, EF-3. Doctor Dangerous deceased, EF 5. Magius deceased, EF-7. Skipper deceased, EF-9. Compass deceased, EF 11.

Normally she would have to use the status of the armbands to determine a person's status. In those cases many could erroneously be declared deceased because of the armband breaking. It would have been even worse in this case, as they were not using the sturdy Endbringer variant of the communicators.

But this was not the case. In those battles the suit she would normally pilot had to be immensely tough, enough to withstand blows from an Endbringer. It also had to have enough computation to manage the workload of a dozen Thinkers sharing their analysis, all while relaying messages and calling out notifications. The platform would have to have weapons, sensors, medical aid and more.

Always more. Always too much, because Endbringer battles always demanded too much.

Because of that she typically had to field a creation of hers that was a jack of all trades. A jack of all trades she had invested countless resources and time into, but still not a specialised platform.

But this was, so now she didn't need the armbands to tell her who died and who was injured.

She knew.

She desperately wished she didn't.

So she pressed on, increasing the thrust of her engines far past what could be considered safe.

Estimated time until the jamming field is cleared: 1 minute.

One minute to clear the field preventing outside communication.

A second needed to sound the Endbringer alarms the world over.

Far too much time needed to inform the needed parties of the situation.

Estimated time until reinforcements: 10-20 minutes.

If she could Dragon would have gritted her teeth.

The nozzles of her engines began to glow bright orange, and then white, as they were pushed even further.

'Please, just hang on a little longer!'

-Armsmaster POV-

Armsmaster was barely hanging on.

Even with the increased coolant the inside of his armour was still slick with sweat.

It had only been twenty minutes, but in that twenty minutes he had come closer to death than at any other time in his life.

Repeatedly.

It wasn't that the creatures he was facing were particularly strong. Their claws and acid left only imperceptible scratches and dents.

It wasn't that they were tough either, as they could be taken down with only a single swipe of his halberd.

But they were everywhere.

His breath came out ragged as he pivoted to the side slightly, thrusting back with his weapon and scoring another kill as the attacking creature was impaled upon his halberd. There was no time to rest however as the dying creature was swallowed up and replaced by another five.

One spat flames at him and he had to shield his unprotected face even as he struck out again. The bladed whip of another crashed against his arm and wrapped around it, jostling the limb painfully. The creature tugged the whip, trying to make his arm budge and allow his face to be melted by the flames still rushing past him.

The arm didn't move, held in place by the powerful electric servos.

A newly mounted shoulder cannon fired containment foam grenades at the last three, who were angling for a better strike. The grenade sailed through the air, and with a pop detonated. The whitish-yellow foam expanded and hardened rapidly, forming a barrier for him to use.

Armsmaster had been separated early on from the rest of the defenders and had taken to using the alleyways to funnel his enemies along one narrow route. The few times he had been forced to relocate he was often forced to use his containment foam grenades in such a way, there would have been no way to survive if he became surrounded.

Thankfully most of the flying creatures were choosing to harass larger groups so he had gone unmolested from any aerial assaults. How long that would last was anyone's guess.

He took the short reprieve given to take in a fresh lungful of air.

They just kept coming. Second after second, minute after minute.

Colin felt tired. Despite being near the peak of human fitness the constant battle and alertness necessary to survive this battle was taking it's toll.

Armsmaster grunted, as his suit injected him with a chemical compound that would keep him up and keep him fighting.

The hiss and clicks of the insectoid abominations got him moving again, and back into another alleyway after the last had become too clogged with constantly reanimating bodies to survive. Armsmaster held up his weapon, and with a flex of his index finger a liquid was sprayed across the entrance of the alleyway.

A single spark followed the liquid, igniting it and the monsters attempting to skewer Colin moments after he had entered the alley. The fire would make them cautious, and it would increase the time necessary for them to revive.

The creature, with a last pitiful whine and the crackling bubble of it's flesh, fell down dead. If only that was the end, but even now Colin could see the way the ashes flowed back to the creature and once more became flesh. It was like a video played in reverse.

Another creature leaped over the flames, the creature gave a shrill shriek and its limbs began to crackle with electricity. Colin's eyes widened as he took in the creature, as well as the surrounding environment.

He was ankle deep in muddy water. Very conductive water.

Armsmaster leaped, and the creature yelped in surprise as its head was lopped off with a single swing. The creature's body fell to the floor, thankfully no longer electrified.

That was the second issue about these creatures. There was no uniformity.

Sure, some spat acid and others used claws and teeth. But then there were others who lit themselves on fire, or used sonic screeches.

Hell he was pretty sure he saw one actively emitting radiation like a poor man's Behemoth.

As if being a living tide of tooth and claw wasn't bad enough they were also impossible to predict, and no cape was truly safe save for, perhaps, the members of the triumvirate.

"HEY!"

Colin looked up, spotting a stocky man dressed in electric blue and marked with thunderbolts. Lorentz, a Mover that had been tasked with patrolling the outer cordon. The fact that he was here spoke poorly about how the defence was going.

The man jumped down, his body dissolving into a thrashing electrical current that crashed into the floor of the alley only to then reform into his body.

"Armsmaster," he began, "I've been sent to gather those that have been cut off and return them to the main defence-" the man cut himself off as he coughed raggedly.

Now that he was closer Armsmaster could see the torn and bloody state his costume was in. He could see the haunted and worn expression on the man's sweat slicked face, what little he could see of it anyway.

"Sorry about that. Anyway, just take my hand and I can get you there."

Colin looked at the outstretched hand dubiously, initiating several scans.

There was no sign that this was a shapeshifting variant, and there was no evidence of mind altering pheromones or any other suspect sign. None that he could detect anyway.

Lorentz was a potent Mover 7, capable of travelling at immense speeds while capable of choosing how he interacts with the world while at that speed. So unlike Velocity Lorentz was more than capable of pulping a person's body at 100 miles per hour, or more. Someone like this should have been used to plug up gaps in defences, to act as quick support. He shouldn't be acting as glorified transport.

Not unless the need for more fighters had gotten truly dire.

At that thought Armsmaster reached out and grasped Lorentz's hand firmly.

The world flickered around him, and with a sudden sense of extreme vertigo Colin found himself elsewhere. Lorentz was gone, presumably off to find more fighters. He looked around, he was on the rooftop of a small two story home. The cracked tiles bore his weight admirably, but he could tell from the slight groans as he shifted his weight that he should make his way down sooner rather than later.

A boom shook the earth, and Colin had to avert his eyes from the bright glare that came from his left side. When the light died down Colin glanced towards the source of the explosion, and had to resisit the urge to gasp.

It was like a scene directly out of hell.

Twisted and deformed bodies were stacked high, forming a fleshy battlement for the few remaining capes to fight from.

Above Eidolon towered over the battlefield, still uninjured and proud.

To the front of the battlement came a sea of red gnashing teeth. Lasers and bullets were fired into the horde to seemingly no effect, those killed quickly replaced. Every few seconds there was another flash of white as Eidolon deleted an entire section of the storm of claws bearing down on them.

And there, among the monsters, was Alexandria. She was bulldozing her way through the swarm, every punch and kick felling ten or more of the abominations.

Yet, despite the heroics, Colin could see the writing on the wall. There were so few left. What had once been a small army of parahumans had been whittled down to around twenty, a massive loss for the Protectorate.

Beyond the wall of flesh there was the Endbringer, gazing upon them with a scornful, imperious, scowl. Around the bringer of death monsters poured from it like water, every second a hundred new abominations were spawned into existence.

For a moment he wondered why they didn't just attack the Endbringer directly, to stop it from increasing the number of it's minions. A moment later the answer dawned on him.

They couldn't.

The only ones present that could both reach the Endbringer and meaningfully damage it numbered at two: Eidolon and Alexandria.

Looking over the battlefield, the remaining forces present and the foes that were set against them, Armsmaster knew that if either of them left the remaining forces would perish quickly. If that happened it would just be them against the Endbringer and their army of monsters.

Even for them that would be too much.

So they were being forced to rely on reinforcements that could arrive at any time, whether that be in a few seconds or in a hour.

They needed his help.

Colin jumped from the roof, activating his integrated rockets to allow himself extra time in the air before he was forced to land. He landed heavily on shattered masonry and stone, and took off immediately – racing towards the carnage.

'Hang in there, I'm coming!'

AN: Ugh, this was initially meant to be 3K words, then I had to go to a wedding. The wedding itself was nice, my cousin got married to a girl he's known for a while and seems pretty happy. But having an afterparty that lasts for seven hours is way too much, and I couldn't leave early without looking like a total jerk.

So yeah, I couldn't get any writing done on that day.

But hey, moving back to the chapter: Alexander('s shard) is pretty terrifying huh? In about ten minutes he's reduced the initial force that met him down to about twenty members. And this is with the shard sandbagging, the moment Alexander regains control he's going to be pissed and will go even harder in an attempt to end this.

Dragon is going to get reinforcements, since she has both the capability and influence to do so. Armsmaster is doing alright, but now he's being thrown into the proper meat grinder so we'll see how long that lasts. Ganbatte Colin, I believe in you!

Please comment, my ego depends on comments from strangers on the internet.

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Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Category:

Gen

Fandom:

Parahumans Series - Wildbow

Relationship:

Alexander/City Building

Characters:

Rebecca Costa-Brown | AlexandriaDragon (Parahumans)Director James TaggEmily PiggotColin Wallis | Armsmaster | DefiantBastion (Parahumans)

Additional Tags:

Self-InsertCYOAEndbringerA man finds his hobbyThe rest of the world is terrifiedCausing major wars by accidentTeehee~Misunderstandings

Language:

English

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Published:2025-02-16Updated:2026-02-21Words:227,115Chapters:82/?Comments:549Kudos:1,452Bookmarks:362Hits:86,311

(End)Bringing You A New Home! (Endbringer SI)

10moorem

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: Call For Reinforcements

Summary:

Ding Dong! The witch is dead!

Chapter Text

Chapter 35: Call For Reinforcements

-Taylor POV-

Taylor walked, shoulders sagging from both the weight of her troubles and her school backpack. She had taken to carrying everything in it after the bullying started, if she didn't she would only find things missing.

She scowled lightly at that, kicking an empty can.

It still didn't make any sense, it had been months now and there she was still no closer to figuring out what had gone wrong. After summer camp Emma had changed, becoming crueller than Taylor ever imagined Emma could become. Where once they had been sisters in all but blood now Emma used her knowledge of Taylor to torment her.

The walk back home from her bus station was a short one, the faint smell of sea breeze lingered. The ocean breeze flitted past her, shielding her from the sweltering heat of the summer sun. The radiant light of that star bathing Brockton Bay in a faintly golden hue, the beams reflecting off the few skyscrapers Brockton bay had managed to scrounge together before the bad times.

Taylor stopped, feeling a rare moment of genuine peace as she looked upon the cracked and broken city before her. The Ship Graveyard loomed in the distance, barely visible from her position. The graveyard was much like the rest of the bay, rusted and beaten down – but also still standing in spite of everything.

The sunken container ship could barely be seen peaking from the water, the rusted red of the bow looming over the waves. Taylor couldn't deny that that boat was responsible for no small amount of her woes, for all of Brockton Bay's woes – she should know, her dad wouldn't shut up about it.

Back when he talked more, anyway.

Still, there was something comforting about that rotting edifice. It had been there for such a long time that it had become a fixture in her life. It made her current problems with Emma and Sophia not seem so big.

Taylor let out a sigh, taking in the sight. Feeling just a little better.

Which was exactly when the sirens started howling.

Because of course they did, the universe loved to screw with her.

But these were no ordinary sirens, Taylor realised with a paling face. The pitch that sent shivers down the world's spine was unmistakable. It was the Endbringer Alarm.

Freezing in place, Taylor could only wait.

One Shriek of the alarm meant the Endbringer was attacking.

Two meant it was attacking somewhere in your country.

Three meant it was likely to hit your city.

'Please don't be here!' Taylor almost prayed, the same prayer she gave every three months.

The siren blared once, and then fell silent.

A moment of silence passed before Taylor let out a long sigh of relief, her face regaining some colour. But the moment was gone. Taylor had no wish to enjoy the moment knowing that one of those monsters was out there destroying a city, it felt wrong – disrespectful even.

So Taylor continued home, her pace a little quicker. Spared from the horrors of an Endbringer, for now.

-Alexandria POV-

This was rapidly becoming untenable.

Well over half the parahumans they had brought with them had been killed or horribly maimed. One unfortunately memorable example of the latter was a Striker by the name Thrasher, someone capable of preventing nerves from functioning correctly if he touched you. It made him ideal for nonlethally capturing high value targets.

That power did little against a monster that spat living ammunition, a type of worm that rapidly burrowed into a target. Using his power in panic on the worm had only caused it to thrash around in his body, rupturing several organs.

He was thankfully still alive, if barely.

Out of the thirty casualties there were only two others that were so fortunate.

The swarm had gone through the rest like a harvester's blade went through wheat, utterly cut down.

Eidolon and herself were making a difference, but that was only just enough to keep them in the fight.

She bulldozed through another thirty in less than a second. Forty more took their place.

She grit her teeth in frustration.

Should she use Doormaker to evacuate the rest of the protectorate forces present? It would cause questions if she revealed such a powerful asset. People would wonder why she hadn't used him before instead of relying on Strider. The more canny would understand that she had been using him for a long time, and would wonder what she actually used him for.

But she could come up with excuses, or outright lies. With Contessa's support it would be possible. Above all else senselessly losing parahumans for no gain couldn't be allowed.

She opened her mouth, about to order Doormaker to begin opening portals – before she was cut off by blinding lights.

Pillars of light thundered down upon the creatures, reducing them to naught but ash. The ground cracked, froze and melted under the apocalyptic volley of lasers, and the air was briefly filled with the fog of evaporated water caused by the strikes. Others might have felt fear when faced with such a biblical show of might, but for Rebecca all she could do was offer a slight smile of relief as she looked upon the man responsible.

"Your timing is impeccable Legend," She said, looking at the man as he slowly floated down towards her.

Legend meanwhile was looking upon the sea of ash and blood that now coated this portion of Hyderabad, his lips curled into a frown.

"Alexandria," he offered back, still staring at the carnage. Then he turned to look at her, expression becoming pained. "Another one then?"

At those words Alexandria's faint smile died on her face.

"Yes, there is indeed another," the anger in her voice as she spoke was left unhidden.

Because now there was a fourth. Another Endbringer here to sow destruction, one that had already done so and lured them into a horrible trap. It never got easier, discovering that the universe wasn't done throwing curveballs at them.

Sometimes, despite her powers, Alexandria felt so tired.

The moment passed, and Alexandria allowed the tired and pained expression to melt off of her face. "Are there any others with you?" The question was met with the shake of his head, drawing a faint grimace from her.

"No, I left as soon as I heard the news from Dragon. I flew straight across the Atlantic, may or may not have violated a few countries airspace," Legend said, ending with a sheepish expression.

Great, that was going to cause a lot of paperwork.

Legend's expression once more turned serious. "I only got a rough idea on what it's capable of, care to fill me in on any other details before we're knee deep in monsters again?"

"It's a matter manipulator, one with enough fine control to create technology and living creatures. I'll need you to focus on keeping the minions down so we can actually start focusing on the Endbringer."

Legend gives a wry smile. "I think I can do that."

Their conversation wouldn't last however, as the ground beneath them began to break apart and unfold. The concrete and water transforming into a fleshy hand as it reached out to grab them. A dozen laser beams reduced the arm to a bubbling wreck, yet the ground continued to shake.

Alexandria peered across the city, flying higher up to get a better view. It wasn't just where they were, a 400 meter area was being effected, slowly transforming into a living breathing creature. Ribs tore through the ground, piercing through the sky before they were quickly covered by bright angry red flesh.

Limbs quickly followed the formation of the torso, branching out like tree trunks as the skeleton formed first, before swiftly being covered by nerves and muscle. Then there was the head, It formed just as quickly as the rest, the exposed brain and eyes making for a ghastly sight before they were covered.

The eyes twitched and a horrible beating was heard.

THUMP THUMP THUMP.

The noise was impossible to drown out, the beating of it's heart pumping blood throughout the body audible to everyone.

Legend raised an eyebrow at the sight.

The next hundred laser beams flew like bolts fired from a god, each cratering the flesh and splitting bone apart.

Yet none of the cataclysmic beams fully pierced through the body, instead leaving rapidly regenerating wounds.

Plumes of dust and water shot up throughout the city, and Alexandria could just barely make out the growth of similar beings rapidly eating up the surrounding buildings as they were converted into more engines of death.

The Endbringer was clearly no longer content to throw chaff at them.

"Think that'll be a problem?" Alexandria asked Legend.

"If I only have to defend the remaining capes, then no," Legend replied, clearly having done the math and come to a favourable outcome. "Though that's only if they have no more surprises to throw at us."

Alexandria withheld a scowl. Both she and Legend knew that was almost guaranteed, but what other choice did they have? Staying on the defensive would just ensure loss.

"Eidolon! With me!" At those words Alexandria cut through the air like a bullet from a fired gun, rapidly advancing towards the Endbringer. Eidolon wasn't far behind, a glowing green aura now enveloping him.

But the monster wasn't going to let them come close that easily. Matter flowed like water, and next to the walking engine of destruction structures began to form. Cannons, massive and glowing bright with exotic energy.

Alexandria banked left, barely dodging a pillar of blue light. She winced, the sound alone would have been enough to kill any ordinary human and while she wasn't harmed it definitely wasn't pleasant.

Eidolon, for his part, simply didn't bother to dodge the shot that came for him. He waded through the light, only slowing slightly as he fought against the apocalyptic force hat assailed him.

They pushed further ahead.

Looking ahead Alexandria could see the barrels cannons had warped and melted simply from firing. Given that they weren't being repaired, which Alexandria knewthe Endbringer could do if it wanted, the enigmatic being had clearly wrote them off as an option for hurting the two of them.

Instead Alexandria felt the air once more lock into place around her.

This time she was ready.

Instead of flailing in surprise, she pushed.

Air that was held in place met her frozen body, and the air lost.

The world around her bloomed into flames as the abused atmosphere ignited around her.

Then Alexandria's fist landed upon the Endbringers face, sending it reeling back with a cracked and blackened cheek. The eyes never left her, even as Eidolon's aura smashed into her and began peeling sections of its skin off.

A blur struck her then and Alexandria abruptly found herself held in the monsters grip, as it attempted to choke the life out of her.

It brought her close, and when its mouth opened Alexandria thought, for a fleeting instant, that it was going to try to eat her. But what happened next was somehow so much worse.

"AleXAndRiA!"

It was like the world froze at that. The thundering sound of titan's feet sundering the earth and Legend's cataclysmic retort seemed so quiet to her in the face of this impossibility.

The distorted and monstrous declaration of her name caused her to slacken slightly in surprise, something she quickly regretted as the monster used the opportunity to tighten its grip, placing its thumb and index finger around her neck to squeeze.

Alexandria choked, and began to try to force her way out of its grip.

She beat on the fingers holding her in place, but they remained clamped around her, as immovable as mountains

Her heart beat faster in her chest.

Off to the side she could see Eidolon blasting the monster, forcing it to one knee from the sheer power of the blow. Yet, throughout all of that, the beasts eyes remained locked on her - and the grip never wavered.

Black spots began to dance in front of her eyes.

'Am I going to die?'

The thought snuck its way into her thoughts, polluting her calm and centred mind with raw animal panic.

The blows came faster now, more desperate.

Eidolon's powers changed as he bent and twisted the fundamental force of gravity in an attempt to make the monster relent, to make it let go.

It didn't.

It took all of the dozens of blows from Eidolon, receiving enough damage that any other Endbringer would have fled by now, and all the while it stared at her with bared teeth.

That was the worst part.

This wasn't like the others, she realised. Even when fighting the other Endbringers there had always been a callousness to them, an indifference. Even during the few times she had nearly been drowned by Leviathan there was always a disregard for her, it would remove her from the fight, however temporarily, and move on to the next victim. That used to burn, it used to hurt to be treated with such little thought.

That wasn't the case anymore, for she had found something worse.

There was nothing indifferent about this thing.

It was watching as she died, staring straight in her eyes.

Somehow, Alexandria knew it would even enjoy watching her die.

'Because it hates us.'

Something so human, so mundane to Alexandria, shouldn't have scared her. She had fought mass murderers and the worst humanity had to offer before and never felt an ounce of terror. She had stood against the Slaughterhouse 9, and while that was bad it was nothing like this.

Her panicked eyes stared into pitiless blue eyes as she silently begged.

'Please, I don't want to die!'

'Please!'

'PLEASE!'

'P l e a s e.'

'P…l…e'

Darkness filled her vision. The last sight she ever saw was the brilliant green blasts of a friend trying to save her, and the eyes of a monster - glaring down at her with distain.

AN: Well…that got dark.

Taylor is currently suffering, not much difference there. Legend is here! Hooray! Just in time for Alexandria to die! …Hooray? And yes, Alexandria is very dead. No copout. She was always going to die here as it serves a certain plot thread I'm hoping to go down, and will set up certain decisions Cauldron will make.

Unfortunately for Becky Alexander got just enough control back, while still being utterly inundated with pain from Eidolon and running on mostly animal instinct, that he wasn't going to be holding back.

Please leave a comment if you enjoyed!

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Chapter 892 - 31-35