Chapter 28:
– Iron Rain –
Annette Anders, known secretly as Iron Rain to a very select circle—primarily her brother and a few select Gesellschaft members back in Germany—was curled comfortably into Danny Hebert's side, gently running her slender fingers along his chest. She had worked hard to earn his trust, carefully using her practiced charm to wrap him around her finger.
Danny was visibly upset after watching his daughter Taylor walk out of the office with Silas Thorn, the city's latest rising star in the hero scene. Annette saw an opportunity and teasingly mentioned the possibility that Taylor and Silas might already be sleeping together.
Of course, she didn't actually believe that. In the short two weeks she had known Taylor, it had become painfully obvious how shy and socially awkward the girl was. Annette doubted Taylor had a single real friend aside from some irritating Latina girl whose name she couldn't even bother remembering.
Hell, Annette would have basically ignored the girl if she hadn't ended up recently triggering and ended up killing Victor. He was the Empire's top assassin and his death should have made Annette mad as the new "Empress," but in reality having her brother's most efficient cape die on him just made it easier for him to seize control.
Besides, if he really died to a fresh trigger girl that could barely understand her powers, then he deserved it. Even if Othala's constant bitching and whining was getting annoying fast.
But back to the present...
Danny looked at Annette, clearly worried, and asked softly, "Do you really think Taylor is sleeping with that Silas guy already? She barely knows him."
Annette smiled gently and pressed herself even closer against Danny, her voice soothing and reassuring. "Oh Danny, your daughter is an adult now. She's not a little girl anymore. Maybe it's time you trusted her more and gave her some space." Her fingers lightly traced circles on his chest as she spoke, her blue eyes filled with fake warmth and understanding.
"I suppose you're right," Danny sighed, still uncertain.
Annette leaned in closer, placing a soft kiss on his cheek before whispering into his ear, "And you deserve a little more freedom yourself, Danny... In fact, why don't we get a little more free together in this office. We haven't done it in here yet."
Danny turned bright red at that comment.
Annette knew exactly what she was doing. She gently leaned into Danny, soothing him with soft whispers and reassuring touches, carefully manipulating his emotions to deepen his dependency on her. It was so easy...
This man would soon become the perfect tool to hand control of the Dockworkers' Union directly to the Empire—directly to her.
But his daughter Taylor presented a different challenge. The girl was stubborn, determined, and annoyingly resistant.
However, Annette was confident she could change that with Danny's influence. If Taylor remained defiant, Annette had other methods at her disposal. A few discrete calls to Germany, and she could arrange for a Master to visit Brockton Bay to subtly and thoroughly reshape Taylor's mind. Make the stubborn new parahuman girl more compliant to the righteous cause!
Perhaps they'd even give Silas Thorn the same treatment while they were at it...
Annette's gaze flickered momentarily to the door the pair had just exited through. She couldn't suppress a wicked smile, licking her lips slowly as she thought about Silas. Now there was a true Aryan specimen, young and strong.
She wasn't lying when she teased Danny about preferring older men—her own daddy issues were very real. Yet, the thrill of indulging in younger, virile men was irresistible from time to time.
Danny would never need to know—or perhaps she'd ensure he didn't mind? Maybe a little brainwashing for him too. He was a good man and a decent lover. She could do worse for an official husband for her future political career. After all, once she takes over Brockton Bay as Iron Rain, she was always planning on becoming mayor as Annette Anders as well.
Everything was falling into place exactly as planned.
Soon enough, she'd be reigning Empress of Brockton Bay, and why shouldn't she indulge herself along the way? A reverse harem, beginning with Danny and Silas, sounded like the perfect reward for her meticulous planning and ruthless ambition...
Yes, everything was going perfectly...until a sudden, deafening explosion shook the walls and rattled the windows of the office. Annette jumped in shock, letting out an involuntary yelp.
"What the fuck was that?" she hissed to herself, heart pounding in sudden panic. Danny was already on his feet, his face pale and tense. Without even noticing Annette, he practically shoved her aside in his haste, causing her to let out another startled cry as she nearly fell off the couch. "Danny!" she shouted indignantly, regaining her balance just in time to see him rushing to the front door.
But he was already out the door, more concerned about his daughter's safety than "her."
Annette gritted her teeth, her jaw tightening with barely contained fury. She clenched her fists so hard that her perfectly manicured nails dug painfully into her palms. The only reason she wasn't already outside slaughtering whichever brainless fool had dared interrupt her carefully laid plans was the fact that her costume was nowhere nearby. How had she overlooked something so important?
More explosions echoed loudly, the blasts shaking the walls and making her flinch in annoyance. Outside, the panicked voices of dockworkers grew louder, shouting urgently, "It's Oni Lee! The ABB is attacking the union! They're burning everything down!"
Annette froze for a moment, her mind racing to adjust her strategy. Oni Lee attacking now could ruin everything she'd worked so hard to achieve. She bit down on her lower lip, frustration surging through her veins.
"Well, fuck..." she muttered under her breath, her voice shaking slightly with rage and disbelief.
– Silas –
I clenched my fists, electricity sparking between my fingertips. "What the fuck was that?" Taylor asked, her voice shaking slightly as the realization of her near-death encounter finally hit her.
"Put your mask back on," I snapped urgently, eyes scanning our surroundings. "Oni Lee will be back—soon. And he's not messing around. This asshole won't stop until either he's dead or we are."
Taylor blinked, clearly startled by the intensity in my voice, but she quickly slipped her mask back over her face. "Sorry," she murmured softly, regaining her composure.
I felt a twinge of guilt for being harsh, but I knew we didn't have time for hesitation. Taylor's power would be crucial to tracking Oni Lee. At the same time, I could already sense more bioelectrical signals rapidly approaching the docks—definitely not friendly ones.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice and shouted towards the dockworkers, urgency lacing every word. "Drop everything and take cover in the warehouses now! Shit's about to hit the fan!"
I summoned a blue screen with a swift wave, plunging my hand inside to yank out my own mask. Slipping it firmly over my head, at least I felt a bit more protected myself.
Fortunately, the dockworkers listened immediately. They dropped their tools, ropes, and crates without a second thought, scrambling and shouting urgently to one another. "Move! Move! Get inside!" a burly foreman bellowed, waving his arms wildly to hurry everyone along. Men ducked low, covering their heads as they dashed into nearby warehouses and storage buildings. The loud banging of doors slamming shut echoed across the docks.
I felt relieved, knowing they'd gotten to safety just in time.
Just then, I turned sharply and spotted a large group of about twenty ABB gang members charging toward us from the shadows. Their footsteps echoed loudly off the concrete, mixing with their shouts and laughter.
A few gang members waved guns high in the air, while most gripped baseball bats covered in rusty nails or Japanese katanas.
Their faces twisted in excited cruelty, eager to inflict pain and cause chaos. "Time to fuck these heroes up!" one thug shouted, his voice harsh and mocking. "ABB for life!" another called out, laughing darkly.
I heard a sharp pop behind us and instantly felt Oni Lee next to us again!
I spun around, heart thudding wildly, just in time to see the insane gang member in the blood-red mask sprinting straight toward me. His wild eyes blazed with a terrifying mixture of rage and desperation, his mouth twisted into a furious snarl as he screamed in Japanese, "Die, filthy gaijin! You'll all burn!"
My eyes under my mask widened in panic as my gaze dropped to his chest—every single grenade strapped to his vest had its pins yanked free.
Instinct took over again, and I thrust both hands forward, electricity surging from my fingertips. A torrent of bright lightning erupted from my palms, crackling loudly as it slammed into the Oni Lee bomber clone. He flew backward, tumbling through the air before exploding violently just a heartbeat later.
The powerful blast ripped through the air with a deafening boom, sending sharp pieces of shattered concrete and twisted metal screaming toward us.
I felt the hard impacts bounce off my nightingale armor. Luckily for me, being a dragonborn beneath made me tougher than most—I barely even noticed the hits.
Taylor wasn't as lucky, though. She staggered back, stumbling slightly as chunks of concrete and sharp bits of metal hit her suit. Each piece of debris seemed to find every vulnerable spot, causing her to cry out in pain with every strike.
"Ah! Goddammit!" she hissed through clenched teeth, hunched over and gripping her arm tightly. "Shit, Silas, that fucking hurts!"
My stomach twisted with worry at the pain in her voice. "Taylor! You okay?" I yelled urgently, already moving closer, my heart racing with concern. Even though she wore protective gear, I knew it wasn't as tough as mine. Seeing her hurt filled me with protective rage.
She forced herself upright, grimacing beneath her mask as she tried to shake off the pain. "I'm fine," she managed, sounding shaky but determined. "Just...just caught me off guard."
I clenched my fists tighter, fury boiling inside me. I was glad I'd insisted she put her mask back on, but now I was beyond pissed. That terrorist bastard had tried to kill my partner twice now, and there was no way in hell I'd let him have another shot!
I barely had time to focus on Oni Lee, because the ABB gang members were already closing in fast. The ones carrying guns immediately stopped, dropping to one knee and aiming right at us.
I had no idea how bulletproof Taylor's suit actually was. Without thinking, I reached out and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her tight against my chest.
"Silas—wait!" she gasped in surprise.
"Hang on!" I shouted, spinning us quickly so my back faced the incoming bullets. Weaver let out a startled squeak as she clung tightly to me, gripping the fabric of my suit with both hands.
Gunfire exploded behind us, the loud cracks echoing sharply through the air. Bullets slammed into my back, each hit feeling like a sharp poke, more annoying than painful. The impacts bounced harmlessly off my dark armor.
Still, the sheer noise of the gunshots was overwhelming, filling my ears and drowning out nearly everything else.
"Shit, are you okay?" Weaver asked urgently, her voice muffled against my chest.
I grunted through gritted teeth, holding her even tighter as the bullets continued to strike. "Yeah, don't worry. I've got you. These fuckers can't hurt me that easily."
The guns of all the thugs clicked empty, the sudden silence almost deafening after the chaos. Taylor slowly raised her head, tilting her masked face up toward mine. I couldn't see her eyes, but I could almost feel her gaze.
"Wow... no guy's ever taken a bullet for me before," she mumbled softly, almost too quietly to hear. Her voice trembled slightly with surprise, maybe even awe.
I gave her a reassuring smile beneath my mask. "I'd take one for you anytime, Weaver," I said quietly, firmly, meaning every word.
Taylor's body jolted a little, her voice dissolving into a sudden burst of embarrassed stammering. "Awa—wha—I mean, uh... Silas, you can't just—gah, don't say things like that out loud!" She squirmed slightly in my grip, clearly flustered by my words.
Then suddenly, she froze completely, her entire body going stiff in my arms. It was like flipping a switch—her embarrassment disappeared instantly.
Wait, had she just shifted her emotions into her swarm?
Her posture straightened, becoming sharper and more controlled. Even her voice changed, now colder and deadly serious as she spoke with icy determination.
"I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt Silas," she declared flatly.
My skin under my tight armor prickled slightly at the shift in her tone, and I started to hear a loud, aggressive buzzing growing steadily closer around us.
The already dark sky suddenly turned completely pitch black as Taylor summoned every bug in the area. It felt as though someone had thrown a thick blanket over the entire sky, blotting out the stars and plunging us into eerie darkness. The buzzing noise grew louder and louder, a constant, angry hum that filled the air like a storm about to break. I could barely see a thing, just shapes and shadows in the dark, but I could clearly hear the rising panic in the gang members' voices around us.
"What the fuck is happening?" one thug shouted nervously, gripping his bat tightly.
"It's her bugs! They're everywhere!" another cried out in a shaky voice, looking around frantically as the buzzing grew even louder.
A few of them started yelling desperately in Japanese, their voices filled with fear and confusion. Then one gang member stepped forward, forcing confidence into his voice as he yelled clearly above the rising drone of insects. "Hey, listen up! If we kill the bug bitch, the swarm will go away before it can sting us!"
His words spread quickly through their ranks, stirring up the gang members' courage.
They shouted in agreement, their fear turning into desperate determination as they gripped their weapons tighter, preparing to charge us despite the swarm closing in.
Electricity crackled and sparked around my body, blue arcs snapping through the air as I felt my power build up. The energy surged through my muscles, buzzing pleasantly beneath my skin. My teeth clenched into a fierce grin behind my mask as adrenaline flooded my veins. These idiots seriously thought they could challenge us with bats and rusty swords?
After literally seeing bullets did nothing to me!
"You fuckers just made the worst mistake of your worthless lives," I growled, raising my hands as bolts of lightning danced between my fingers. I could already picture their bodies hitting the ground, twitching from the shock. "Time to show you what happens when you mess with a dragon—"
"Silas, wait," Weaver cut in firmly, placing a gentle hand on my arm. "Leave these guys to me. They obviously didn't get the message earlier when we busted them over and over tonight," she continued coldly. "I need to make sure every ABB gang member in this city understands exactly why they should fear me."
I paused.
Damn... she sounded hardcore when she didn't have her emotions. I glanced at her, slightly impressed, as she stepped forward, insects swirling protectively around her in a fierce tornado of chittering.
Weaver turned her head slightly toward me, her voice crisp and clear, almost robotic as she spoke. "I've got Oni Lee cornered on that rooftop," she pointed briefly toward a nearby warehouse. "My swarm is blinding him. He can't teleport if he can't see."
A dark, satisfied smirk stretched across my face beneath my mask. That bastard was going to pay dearly for blowing up my ghost bike!
Sure, it could fix itself eventually, but it was the principle of the thing! You didn't mess with another guy's sick-ass ride and expect to get away with it!
"Good work," I said with a fierce grin.
Without waiting another second, I broke into a sprint toward the warehouse. The pounding of my footsteps echoed off the pavement as I gathered momentum, muscles tensing before I launched myself high into the air—easily clearing twenty feet in a single leap. The swirling cloud of bugs parted smoothly around me, the buzzing filling my ears as if cheering me on.
My boots slammed loudly onto the metal rooftop with a satisfying clang.
Oni Lee was only a few feet away, furiously clawing at his mask with desperate, angry shouts in Japanese and English.
"Damn insects! Get off me!" He staggered clumsily around, nearly tripping as he stumbled blindly, the relentless swarm refusing to give him even a second of relief.
Not until I stepped closer at least.
The bugs finally flew off of his face. But that didn't mean he'd be able to teleport away. No, a huge swarm of insects surrounded us on all sides and above in about a 20 foot radius. It was impossible to see or hear outside of all the buzzing.
There was nowhere for Oni Lee to escape and I think he knew that. He took a martial arts stance, pulling out the same knife he almost killed Taylor with earlier.
I cracked my knuckles and walked towards him. I didn't need a weapon for this…
– Alexandria –
'Well, this was a fucking bust,' Alexandria thought bitterly to herself, teeth clenched tightly in frustration.
She hovered silently above the chaos below, her cape billowing dramatically behind her—not that anyone could see her all the way up here.
Her high-tech mask struggled to cut through Weaver's dense swarm of frankly terrifying insects so she could see what was going on below. And she did NOT want to fly closer.
Even Alexandria, known around the world as the invincible superwoman, felt her skin crawl at the sight of countless bugs swirling furiously below.
A faint shudder ran down her spine as Contessa's words echoed in her mind. Words about what could have happened to her had she not befriended Taylor...
"Still, this was a fucking bust," she muttered under her breath again, shaking her head slightly. She did her best to stir up the ABB even more tonight, just so Lung would come out to fight Silas. To give Silas another chance to grow stronger.
But instead of facing the dragon himself, Silas and Taylor had to deal with just a handful of low-level gang members and Oni Lee—barely a warm-up.
Was Lung seriously too scared to come out of hiding with her back in the city. What was all that bullshit his gang members were spewing earlier about him being fully healed and out for blood and revenge!?
Annoyed, Alexandria folded her arms across her chest as she floated there in the sky, scowling at her ruined plans. She considered, just for a second, flying straight to Lung's hideout, dragging the stubborn lizard out by his throat, and tossing him straight at Silas!
But she dismissed that idea quickly—it would be suspicious, too obvious. She sighed heavily, irritated with herself for underestimating Lung's cowardice.
Now, her carefully laid plans of dramatically swooping down at just the right moment to be "the hero Silas could rely on" had been completely shattered.
She needed him to trust her, to rely on her, as Alexandria the legendary hero, and not just as Rebecca Brown, the innocent and charming schoolgirl persona.
And then, abruptly, the dense swarm below Alexandria dispersed, scattering in every direction like someone called off the biblical plague. Her eyes narrowed sharply behind her visor, taking in the grim scene below.
The gang members left with Taylor lay sprawled across the ground, their skin covered in countless angry red welts and swollen sting marks. Some were barely recognizable beneath the damage.
Then she turned her gaze further to Silas. As expected, he won his fight and his armor didn't even look scratched or scuffed.
Oni Lee's battered form hung limp over Silas's shoulder as he casually hopped down from the rooftop. The man's limbs dangled grotesquely, bent at unnatural angles, his clothing charred black and smoldering from Silas's electricity.
Alexandria raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. Surprisingly, Oni Lee was still alive.
Silas dropped Oni Lee carelessly among the other defeated gang members, some of whom were clearly dead because Taylor had no idea how to hold back.
"Fantastic," she sighed sarcastically, shaking her head in mild frustration. "As if I didn't have enough bodies to cover up already. The things I do for my friends," she grumbled, already mentally preparing to do it anyway.
Silas and Taylor were standing close together down below, exchanging quiet words when Alexandria spotted Taylor's father sprinting frantically toward them. Danny's face was etched with worry, eyes wide as he called out urgently, "Taylor! Taylor, are you alright? Were you hurt in the explosions?" He quickly placed his hands on her shoulders, carefully checking her for injuries.
Taylor tugged off her mask, revealing flushed cheeks and a shy, embarrassed smile as she tried to reassure him. "Dad, I'm okay. Really. Silas had my back," she said softly, glancing over at Silas.
At that moment, Alexandria noticed Silas visibly tense, his body language shifting abruptly as his gaze snapped sharply to something behind Danny.
…Curious, Alexandria followed his line of sight and saw another woman approaching—a young blonde who emerged gracefully from the nearby office building. Alexandria had only encountered the woman once before, and frankly, she hadn't thought much of her. She vaguely recalled overhearing Taylor bitterly complain about her father's "new young lover" more than a few times at school.
Rebecca had simply dismissed the blonde as a gold-digging distraction not worth her attention.
But the look of fierce anger and recognition on Silas's face made her reconsider. What was going on there? Had she missed something?
"Mr Hebert... are you aware that you've been sleeping with Iron Rain of the Empire...?"
'Iron Rain!?' How the fuck had Rebecca missed that!?
"..."
The answer was obvious! Contessa clearly had a hand in whatever was going on here!
Wait!? Wasn't this a great opportunity? Lung didn't show up but the leader of the Empire was just as good wasn't she?
The Nazi bitch immediately stiffened, her carefully crafted sweet smile twisting violently into a furious, hateful snarl. Her eyes burned with venom as she glared at Silas, her voice rising into an almost hysterical shriek. "How dare you, you fucking bastard! You've ruined everything! To think I was going to give you the honor of being my sex slave!"
"What...?" Silas paused at that.
"What!?" Danny gasped in shock.
"WHAT!?" Taylor yelled hatefully.
"Nobody who knows my true identity gets to live!" the bitch spat, voice shaking with rage and panic.
Alexandria could clearly see iron spears shimmering into existence around Iron Rain. Alexandria launched herself downward. From the corner of her eye, she saw Silas already moving as well, but Alexandria allowed herself a small smirk beneath her visor. She was still faster—for now.
She crashed into Iron Rain with bone-rattling force, driving the Nazi cape into the cracked pavement. The impact sent a shockwave of dust and debris flying outward, the iron spears shattering into pieces upon contact.
Iron Rain let out a sharp, agonized grunt of pain, her breath knocked violently from her lungs as Alexandria pinned her firmly to the ground.
"You're under arrest, Nazi bitch!" Alexandria declared.
…Silas skidded to a dramatic stop right in front of her, his boots grinding into the cracked pavement, leaving deep, smoking grooves behind him from the friction.
Alexandria tilted her head up slightly, flashing him a playful smirk beneath her visor. She briefly nodded toward Taylor for a second before Alexandria turned her attention fully back to Silas.
"We meet again, Silas Thorn—I mean Dragonborn..."
XXX