The coordinated operation started with a text at 9 PM on a Thursday.
Spoiler:Got a hot one. Human trafficking situation developing. Warehouse in the industrial district. Multiple victims, 5+ suspects. Too big for me alone. You available?
Marcus was at his apartment, about to start his patrol. He immediately texted back.
Revenant:I'm in. What's the plan?
Spoiler:Meet me at the water tower, northeast corner of the industrial district. 20 minutes. Come ready for a fight.
Marcus grabbed his gear. Better tactical mask. Reinforced hoodie. Medical kit. He texted Sarah and Jackson: Major operation with Spoiler. Human trafficking situation. Will update when clear.
Sarah's response was immediate: Be careful. Human trafficking means organized crime. That's dangerous.
I know. But people need help.
Marcus arrived at the water tower in eighteen minutes, using his enhanced speed and parkour to navigate the rooftops.
Spoiler was already there, studying a tablet with thermal imaging.
"Good, you're early. Look." She showed him the display. "Warehouse two blocks south. I've been tracking this operation for three days. They're moving victims tonight—van arriving in thirty minutes. We hit them during the transfer. Maximum chaos, maximum vulnerability."
"How many victims?"
"Thermal shows twelve people in the holding area. All restrained. Five guards that I can see, probably more." Spoiler zoomed in on the layout. "Standard trafficking operation. Victims get moved every few days to avoid detection."
Marcus felt the violent impulse spike to 6/10. Human traffickers. People who kidnapped and sold other people.
They deserve everything I can give them.
"What's the plan?"
"I go in the front. Create a distraction. You use your speed to hit the back entrance, secure the victims." Spoiler looked at him seriously. "Your priority is getting those people out safely. Mine is taking down the operation. We coordinate but we stay focused on our roles."
"Got it. Victims first."
"Good. We move in twenty-five minutes. Use the time to scout your entry point." She handed him an earpiece. "Basic comms. Not encrypted but functional for tonight. I'll signal when I start the distraction."
Marcus took the earpiece. First time working with actual tactical communications.
This is real coordinated vigilante work. Not just texting about patrol routes.
Twenty-three minutes later, Marcus was positioned at the warehouse's back entrance. His enhanced hearing picked up voices inside—guards talking, someone crying, the sound of chains rattling.
Twelve people in chains. Kids maybe. Adults. Doesn't matter. They're getting out tonight.
Spoiler's voice crackled in his ear. "In position. Starting distraction in three... two... one."
An explosion—smoke grenade, Marcus's cop intuition identified—at the warehouse's front entrance. Shouting. Guards running toward the commotion.
"Go," Spoiler said. "Back entrance is clear."
Marcus moved.
His enhanced speed carried him through the back door before the remaining guard could react. One strike—controlled but effective—and the guard was down.
The holding area was worse than Marcus expected. Twelve people—mix of ages, all terrified, all chained to a wall. Some injured. All desperate.
"I'm here to help," Marcus said, keeping his voice calm despite the violent impulse screaming at 7/10. "I'm getting you out."
His enhanced strength made short work of the chains. Basic lock manipulation from the burglar he'd copied weeks ago helped with the restraints.
"Back door, now," Marcus directed. "Stay together. I'll cover you."
The first victim was moving toward the exit when two guards burst through the side entrance.
"The hell—" One guard reached for his gun.
Marcus's combat training and enhanced speed put him down before the gun cleared its holster. The second guard got a precise strike that left him unconscious but not seriously injured.
Control the impulse. They're down. That's enough.
"Keep moving," Marcus told the victims. "Outside, turn left, three blocks north. There's a police station. Tell them Revenant sent you."
Through his earpiece: "Revenant, I've got four guards down. Two escaped. You clear?"
"Victims are evacuating. Two more guards down on my end."
"Good. I'm setting charges on the trafficking supplies. Get out of there."
Marcus herded the last victims through the exit, made sure they were heading toward safety, then moved back inside.
Spoiler was in the main warehouse area, placing small explosive charges on crates of documents, supplies, everything the trafficking operation needed.
"That's not going to actually explode, right?" Marcus asked.
"Thermite. Burns hot enough to destroy evidence but contained enough not to spread." Spoiler finished placing the last charge. "Five-minute timer. We need to move."
They exited together, watching from a nearby rooftop as the charges ignited. Bright white flames consumed the warehouse's interior, destroying everything the traffickers had built.
Police sirens approaching. The victims had made it to the station.
"Clean operation," Spoiler said, slightly out of breath. "Victims safe, operation destroyed, guards in custody."
"Some guards escaped," Marcus pointed out.
"Can't catch everyone. But we crippled the operation. That's a win."
Click.
Marcus felt it—the familiar sensation. He'd copied something from Spoiler.
The ability settled in like warm water: Tactical awareness during chaos. The ability to maintain situational awareness during complex operations, tracking multiple objectives simultaneously, staying focused despite distractions.
That's huge. That's exactly what I needed tonight.
He took a subtle breath, making sure his reaction didn't show. Spoiler couldn't know about his copying ability. That was a secret he needed to keep.
"You okay?" Spoiler asked, noticing his brief pause.
"Yeah. Just... processing. First time doing something this big." Marcus kept his voice steady. "Twelve people. That's a lot of lives."
"You did good. Stayed focused on the victims. That's what matters." Spoiler's tone was approving. "Most people want to chase the bad guys. You prioritized the people who needed help."
"That's the job, right?"
"That's supposed to be the job. Not everyone remembers that." She stood up. "Police are handling the rest. We should clear out."
They moved to a safer rooftop three blocks away.
"Twelve people safe because of tonight," Spoiler said. "That's real impact. Strategic operation, not just reactive response."
"It worked because you planned it. I just executed."
"We both executed. That's what coordination means." She looked at him. "You're getting better at this, Revenant. Less reactive, more tactical. Whatever training you're doing, it's working."
The training I'm doing is copying your abilities, but let's not mention that.
"I have good resources. And working with you helps—seeing how you plan operations, how you think strategically. Learning by example."
"Good student." Spoiler's tone was almost friendly. "Keep it up and you might actually become competent."
"Wow. High praise."
"Don't let it go to your head."
Marcus smiled despite the tension. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Later that night, Marcus logged the operation:
DATE: July 28
TOTAL ABILITIES: 261
MAJOR OPERATION - HUMAN TRAFFICKING TAKEDOWN:
First large-scale coordinated operation with Spoiler. Human trafficking situation—12 victims held in warehouse, 5+ guards, organized crime operation.
OPERATION DETAILS:
Spoiler created front distraction with smoke grenades
I secured back entrance, freed victims, directed them to police
Took down 2 guards (non-lethal, controlled despite violent impulse at 7/10)
Spoiler neutralized 4 guards, destroyed trafficking supplies with thermite charges
All 12 victims rescued safely, most guards in custody
ABILITY COPIED: Tactical awareness during chaos (from Spoiler). MAJOR UPGRADE—ability to track multiple objectives during complex operations, maintain focus despite distractions, coordinate actions with team members instinctively. This is what made tonight work. I could track victim evacuation while monitoring guard positions while coordinating with Spoiler. Expert-level situational awareness.
CRITICAL: Managed to hide the copying reaction from Spoiler. She noticed a brief pause but I covered it as "processing the operation." She can't know about the copying ability—that's too much information, too vulnerable. Need to be more careful about reactions when copying from people I'm working closely with.
COORDINATION EFFECTIVENESS: Perfect synchronization. She planned, I executed, we adapted together. This is what real tactical operations look like. Not random interventions—strategic action with clear objectives. The new tactical awareness ability made coordination seamless—I could anticipate her needs, track both our objectives simultaneously.
VIOLENT IMPULSE: Spiked to 7/10 during operation (human traffickers triggered it hard) but stayed controlled. New tactical awareness ability helped manage it—gave me framework to channel aggression into productive action. Spoiler's coordination also helped—having someone else to sync with kept me focused on objectives instead of just hurting people.
PERSONAL IMPACT: This felt different from stopping muggings or burglaries. We saved 12 lives tonight. Actual lives. People who were being trafficked, sold, destroyed. They're safe now because we worked together. That's... that's what this is supposed to be.
SPOILER ASSESSMENT: She's not just a coordinator. She's a genuine partner. Trusts me with major operations. Said I'm "getting better at tactical thinking." Working with her is making me significantly more effective. She doesn't need to know about the copying—just that the partnership works.
NEXT STEPS: Continue coordination. Keep learning. More operations like this—strategic, planned, coordinated. This is more effective than reactive patrols. This is actually making a difference.
OPSEC NOTE: Be more careful about copying reactions around Spoiler. She's observant. Can't let her figure out the ability. That stays secret.
He sent the log to Sarah and Jackson.
Sarah called immediately. "You copied from Spoiler?"
"Yeah. Tactical awareness during chaos. It's incredible—lets me track multiple things at once, coordinate with team members instinctively."
"And you hid the reaction from her?"
"Barely. She noticed something but I covered it. Said I was processing the operation." Marcus leaned back. "Close call though. Need to be more careful."
"Agreed. The copying ability is your biggest secret. If other vigilantes found out, it could cause problems—people wouldn't want to work with you if they knew you'd copy their skills." Sarah paused. "But Marcus? This partnership is becoming significant. That's good but also risky. You're relying on her."
"She's relying on me too. That's how partnerships work."
"Just be aware of it. If something happens to separate you two, you'll need to operate independently again."
"I know. But for now, this is working. We saved twelve people tonight, Sarah. Twelve lives."
"I know. You did good." Sarah's tone softened. "Both of you did. Just stay careful. About operations and about keeping your secrets."
"Always."
The next evening, Marcus met Spoiler for their weekly tactical session.
"That was good work last night," she said without preamble. "You handled the victim extraction perfectly. No panic, clear directions, got everyone out safe."
"Thanks. Your distraction gave me the time I needed."
"That's coordination. Both parts working together." Spoiler pulled out her tablet. "But there's room for improvement. Let's talk about what we could have done better."
They spent an hour analyzing the operation. What worked. What didn't. How to improve for next time.
Marcus absorbed everything, his new tactical awareness ability helping him understand the nuances she was explaining. He could see the patterns now—how different elements of an operation interconnected, how timing affected outcomes, how small adjustments could create better results.
"You're getting this faster than I expected," Spoiler commented. "Last week you were still thinking reactively. Now you're seeing the strategic elements."
"Good teacher," Marcus said simply. And I copied your tactical awareness, but you don't need to know that.
"Or good student. Maybe both." She closed her tablet. "Next week, we're doing surveillance training. How to track targets without being detected. That's fundamental investigation skill."
"Sounds useful."
"It is. Most vigilantes skip it because it's boring. But it's how you build actual cases instead of just stopping random crimes." Spoiler stood up. "Same time next week?"
"I'll be here."
"Good. And Revenant?" She paused. "Thanks for trusting me with that operation. I know trafficking situations are intense. You handled it well."
"We handled it well. Together."
"Yeah. We did." For the first time, Spoiler sounded genuinely pleased. "See you next week, partner."
She grappled away, leaving Marcus alone on the rooftop.
Partner. She called me partner.
That's... significant.
Marcus made his way home, processing the night's events.
He'd copied a major ability from Spoiler without her knowing. That was good—the tactical awareness was already proving invaluable.
But it also meant he couldn't copy from her again. One ability per person. Whatever other skills she had, he'd never get them.
Worth it though. Tactical awareness during chaos is exactly what I needed.
He logged one final note before sleeping:
PERSONAL REFLECTION: Partnership with Spoiler is real now. Not just coordination—actual teamwork. She trusts me, I trust her (mostly). We work well together. Tonight proved that.
But I'm keeping the copying ability secret. That's mine. My advantage. My vulnerability. She doesn't need to know, and telling her could complicate things.
For now, we're partners. That's enough.
We saved twelve lives tonight.
That's what matters.
Everything else is details.
Marcus closed his eyes.
Outside, Gotham's chaos continued.