Chapter 27:
– Silas –
White-hot electricity surged from my gloved palm, crackling sharply through the air before colliding violently with the fleeing thug's back. The man dropped instantly, sprawling forward onto the grimy pavement with a muffled grunt. That marked the seventh mugging Weaver and I had stopped tonight—definitely an alarming pattern emerging, especially given every assailant we'd encountered belonged to the ABB.
They were really out in force tonight. I guess they were trying to take back their rep after Alexandria whooped Lung's ass. I also thought that was pretty stupid considering she was supposedly still in the city, although I hadn't seen her since coming back to Earth Bet. Maybe she was using Doormaker to get around secretly.
Pressing the mic snugly tucked into my ear, I reported the incident to Console.
On the other end, Vista and Miss Militia were monitoring the night's patrols. "Good work, Dragonborn and Weaver," Miss Militia acknowledged professionally, but still sounding relieved.
There was a brief pause before a distinctly pouty voice cut through—Vista's. "Why does Silas get to patrol with the new Ward after we came back, while I'm stuck here in timeout?" Her frustration was palpable even over the line.
Beside me, Weaver—Taylor—snickered quietly beneath her mask, clearly amused by Vista's outburst.
A long-suffering sigh escaped Miss Militia. "Missy, you're not in timeout. We're simply taking a few days to properly study your new abilities and confirm they're safe before you resume active patrols."
"If you want to study my powers, just watch Star Wars or something! It's literally the Force!" Vista protested, indignantly. "And Silas got new powers too!"
Miss Militia's voice grew patient yet weary. "Yes, but Silas is a Trump. His entire power revolves around granting himself and others new abilities. Yours, however, has changed in a way that's fundamentally different from your prior capabilities. You're a lot more dangerous now and we just want you to be safe."
Wow, "mom Militia" sounded really sincere there, and I could practically hear Vista blushing and grumbling.
"Fine, but you all better hurry up with the dumb tests! I wanna show all the villains what the new and improved Vista can really do!"
There was an awkward silence before Miss Militia suddenly sounded worried. "Wait, has the mic been on this entire time?"
I chuckled, unable to hide the amusement in my voice. "Yep. Heard everything."
"Ah—I'm sorry," Miss Militia mumbled quickly, her embarrassment evident, followed by the distinct click as she hurriedly switched off her microphone.
Lowering my hand from my ear, I turned to Weaver.
The city was now cloaked fully in the darkness of night, especially since this was Brockton Bay and barely any street lights ever got properly replaced when they broke down.
We'd only been patrolling for about two hours, but with the intensity of tonight's encounters, it felt much longer. "Want to keep going, or should we call it here?" I asked her, stretching my shoulders to release some built-up tension. I wasn't necessarily tired, but I felt like we did good work. At the very least we saved 7 people and that wasn't nothing.
Weaver paused, her gaze fixed momentarily towards the distant docks. "I think we should patrol around the docks at least," she said quietly. "My dad works down there, and I just want to make sure everything's safe."
I nodded, understanding her concern completely. She was an outed cape and villains might try to attack her dad to get to her.
Personally, I think it was dumb that Daniel Hebert didn't quit his job at the dockworker's association and join the PRT to be closer to his daughter or something along those lines. The Hebert family sure was stubborn, that was to be sure. "Then let's go check it out." I swung my leg over my motorcycle and Taylor hopped on right behind me.
She had gotten a lot bolder over these past two hours. Now her hands slid confidently around my waist, fingers gripping tightly enough for me to clearly feel their warmth through the fabric of my Nightingale armor costume. Her modest chest pressed firmly against my back, the soft curves of her body molding snugly to mine. I could distinctly feel each breath she took, her heartbeat rapid and tangible, even through the protective gear we both wore.
—
The ghost bike touched down smoothly at the edge of the docks, its near-silent engine barely disturbing the late-evening quiet. Despite approaching 9 pm, numerous dockworkers still bustled about, moving crates, repairing equipment, or finishing paperwork under dimly glowing floodlights. These were the kind of people Brockton Bay seemed built on—gritty, determined individuals doing whatever it took to scrape by, despite the dangerous chaos that often surrounded them in this town. I had a genuine respect for their resilience and grit. These were hardworking, ordinary people just fighting to keep their homes and lives intact.
Weaver hopped off the bike first, tugging off her mask and smoothing her dark hair back into place. Several dockworkers recognized her immediately, their faces lighting up with friendly smiles as they waved warmly in greeting.
"Evenin', Miss Hebert!" a burly older man called out, tipping his worn cap respectfully.
Taylor returned the gesture awkwardly, giving a shy, uncertain wave as we continued to walk forward. She got a couple more greetings as she walked by. Obviously, she was popular as "Danny's daughter."
Or so I heard them all mumbling.
Our destination seemed to be a small managerial building perched closer to the water's edge, faint lights glowing warmly from its windows. Obviously her dad was working late as well…
I glanced sideways at her, noticing the apprehension creeping into her posture. "Do you want to chat with your dad?" I asked quietly, trying to sound casual and supportive without pressuring her.
She hesitated, fingers nervously toying with the hem of her tight black costume. "I guess so," she murmured softly. "He hasn't seen me in my new costume yet. He wanted me to join the Wards after I triggered, but... I don't think he realizes I've started patrolling for real. He's always so caught up with work..."
Gently, I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, offering a warm smile after taking off my mask and cowl. "It'll be fine. He's your dad—he'll understand."
She nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the door. It swung open quietly, showing a small, simple office. The room smelled slightly like salt, old paper, and wood. Right away, I saw a middle-aged man sitting comfortably on an old leather couch. His eyes opened wide with surprise when he saw us walk in. I was pretty sure this was Daniel Hebert, Taylor's dad.
He wasn't alone, though. A woman sat next to him, leaning closely against his side, like they were a couple. She was really pretty, with long blonde hair that went past her shoulders in smooth waves. Her face was beautiful, and she had bright blue eyes that looked right at us calmly. Her clothes looked fancy and expensive, which was strange compared to how old and worn the office looked.
Ok, I guess her dad was not working late… Depending on your definition at least.
Taylor visibly stiffened beside me. "Oh… you're not alone," she said, her voice strained with barely-concealed tension.
The woman smiled gently at Taylor but didn't move away from Daniel's side. "Hi, Taylor," she said calmly, though her voice hinted that things between them were complicated and not entirely friendly. "It's so lovely to see you again..." She pressed herself even closer to Danny as she spoke, practically pushing her breasts into his arm.
He didn't seem to mind at all, looking pretty pleased with the attention. She smiled sweetly at Taylor, like they had already met before, though it was clear they weren't exactly friends.
I could feel the tension coming from Taylor next to me, her body stiff and uncomfortable.
I thought back to my own parents and how awful they had been, so I didn't really care about family drama. But I could understand why Taylor was upset. Losing a parent had to be tough, and seeing your dad move on with someone new, especially someone only about ten years older than you, probably wasn't easy.
From what I remembered in this life, Taylor's mom had passed away when Taylor was around sixteen, so it had only been a couple of years since then....
Danny spoke up, clearly trying to ease the tension in the room. "Taylor, you remember Annette, right?"
"Oh, I remember," Taylor replied sharply, her tone icy and dripping with irritation. "It's pretty hard to forget walking into our living room last week and seeing her bent over our couch."
Danny immediately turned a bright shade of red, coughing awkwardly as he tried to form a response. Beside him, Annette merely giggled lightly, seemingly unfazed by Taylor's blunt remark.
I paused for a moment, processing what I'd just heard. Wait—wasn't Taylor's mom also named "Annette?" Her dad was seeing a younger woman with the same name as his deceased wife? And Taylor had walked in on them fucking right in their living room?
Damn, no wonder Taylor was pissed...
Annette's gaze slid from Taylor to me, taking a moment to clearly check out our costumes. Her eyes lingered on mine, her lips curving into an appreciative smile. "Taylor, it's truly impressive that you've become a real superhero. I'm so proud of you," she purred softly, turning her attention fully towards me. "And you must be Dragonborn, the new Ward everyone's been talking about. I wasn't expecting such a strong and handsome young man. It's so lovely to meet you in person!"
The way she looked at me made my skin prickle uneasily. My instincts did not like this woman no matter how attractive she was. And my dragon instincts liked "Sophia Hess" so that was saying something...
Danny grumbled quietly beside her. "I thought you preferred older men," he muttered.
"Oh, I definitely do," Annette responded, openly rubbing her hand up and down his chest with a teasing gleam in her eyes. "You know I've got quite a few repressed daddy issues that we've been working ontogether..."
God damn—there were things that were acceptable to say in front of your boyfriend's kid and that was not one of them!
"Right..." I said slowly, nudging Taylor lightly with my elbow, hoping to move past this uncomfortable situation quickly.
Taylor seemed to get the message. She clearly wanted to leave as well. "We were just finishing up our patrols and wanted to check in on you, Dad," she explained.
Danny looked really surprised when Taylor mentioned she'd already been out on real, dangerous patrols. He sat up straighter, worry clear on his face. "Wait, you've already started patrolling? I thought the PRT would train you more first," he said, his voice sounding like he couldn't quite believe it.
Taylor shrugged calmly, trying to reassure him. "It's fine, Dad. I handled myself great tonight. We stopped a bunch of ABB guys from attacking people."
Annette seemed suddenly interested, her hand freezing on Danny's chest. "The ABB?" she asked curiously, leaning forward a bit. "Were they causing trouble tonight? They should know their proper place."
I decided to speak up, wanting them both to understand the seriousness of the situation. "Yeah, they've been all over the city, harassing people tonight. You and anyone else should really be careful until they're taken care of for good."
In my head, I couldn't help but think that taking them down permanently would be the best solution. Those rapist-slaving thugs didn't deserve any second chances. Lung—the coward—didn't even participate in Endbringer fights. He was nothing but a drag on this city and the world.
A waste of his awesome powers.
Annette smiled at me and Taylor, her voice sweet but with an edge that felt off. "Thank you both for keeping the good people from those sub-humans," she said, stressing the words in a way that made my skin crawl. "The two of you certainly do your 'communities' proud."
I saw Taylor tense beside me, clearly uncomfortable with the weird emphasis Annette put on her words.
Deciding it was definitely time to leave, I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Right, we're gonna go now..."
"Bye, Dad," Taylor quickly added, grabbing my arm and practically pulling me towards the door. We had almost made it out when Annette's voice floated behind us again, sounding amused and more than a little inappropriate.
"Your daughter is so daring, Danny. Good for her, going after such a handsome young man like that."
Danny immediately coughed loudly, trying to respond. "Wait a minute—What!?" he started to say, sounding shocked, but we had already slipped out the door and shut it firmly behind us.
—
Taylor started pacing angrily back and forth along the wooden docks, her boots loudly thumping against the weathered planks. Her hands waved in frustration as she ranted, her voice rising steadily in anger. "I can't believe that stupid gold-digging whore! How could my dad fall for someone like her? Does he not see how fake she is? She's probably just after his money or the house or something! Ugh! She acts all sweet and innocent but then says gross stuff right in front of me! She's literally disgusting!"
I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say or how to calm her down. A few dockworkers nearby overheard Taylor's rant and started whispering and chuckling among themselves. One older man elbowed his friend and said jokingly, "Hey, was Danny ever a sailor? Because his daughter sure curses like one!" The other dockworkers laughed quietly at the joke, nodding in amused agreement as Taylor continued to angrily pace and mutter insults.
Taylor adjusted her glasses nervously and glanced over at me, probably checking if I thought she was being too harsh. I gave her a playful smirk to show that I understood exactly how she felt. "Wow, you really don't like her, huh?" I teased lightly.
She visibly relaxed, sighing in relief. "I'm glad you don't think I'm weird or anything," she mumbled, looking down at her boots. Her voice grew louder again, filled with frustration. "I seriously fucking hate her. My dad only met her, like, two weeks ago and they're already totally in love and shit. It's so gross. And they don't even try to hide it! They literally FUCK all over the house. Do you know how nasty it is walking into your own house and smelling that all the time? It's disgusting!" she exclaimed.
I didn't actually know, but I could imagine how gross that was, so I took her word for it...
Taylor seemed flustered, her cheeks turning red as she fidgeted in place nervously. Deciding we both needed a distraction, I smiled and suggested, "Hey, maybe we should make a quick stop before heading back to the rig. Want to grab some shakes at Fugly Bob's?"
Taylor's eyes lit up immediately, and a bright grin spread across her face. "That sounds great. Anything to get the image of that bitch "Annette Anders" and my dad together out of my head."
I chuckled, shaking my head slightly as I turned to walk toward my parked ghost bike.
I suddenly paused mid-step, the gears in my head clicking. Something felt off. I spun around quickly to face Taylor again. "Wait," I said, staring directly into her puzzled expression. "What did you say her last name was?"
"Anders," Taylor replied, tilting her head slightly in confusion. "Why?"
I didn't get a chance to reply. A sharp popping sound rang out nearby, snapping my attention towards the source. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw several small, round objects flying swiftly through the air toward my black motorcycle.
My heart skipped a beat when I recognized them—grenades!
Before I could shout a warning, a fiery explosion erupted, engulfing my bike in a blazing inferno! Those weren't regular bombs either! The air felt hot as hell all of a sudden.
What the fuck!?
Instantly, adrenaline surged through my veins, kicking my new electromaster powers into overdrive as well. Electricity crackled inside my muscles, sharpening my reflexes and sending my mind into hyper-awareness. Everything around me seemed to slow down. I could clearly see each flicker of flame, each flying piece of debris suspended in midair.
Taylor and the dockworkers around us were barely even reacting yet, their heads slowly turning toward the fiery blast, confusion and panic gradually spreading across their faces in slow motion.
Then, I suddenly sensed another presence appear next to Taylor—a bio-electrical signature that hadn't been there a split second ago. In the corner of my eye, I saw a man wearing a red Oni mask—strapped with bombs all over his chest. He was also holding a short, sharp tanto knife in his right hand!
Time still seemed slowed down to me, and I saw clearly how he was aiming the blade right at Taylor's exposed throat—her mask was still off and she was unprotected there!
It was Oni Lee! The notorious ABB teleporter had just appeared out of nowhere.
....But teleportation didn't make him faster than my dragonborn and lightning-enhanced reflexes!
My thoughts went into overdrive, I lunged forward so fast that the air seemed to ripple around my gloved hand, gripping the blade of the knife tightly before it could reach Taylor's neck. With my other hand, I swung forward in the same instant, my fist driving at full force straight into Oni Lee's masked face. I felt the satisfying crunch of his mask shattering under the impact, and watched his head snap backward violently.
His neck had been snapped!
...And then to my disappointment his body turned into ash as I realized he already teleported away!
XXX