14

Let her go." Armsmaster said quietly, as always was never one to waste words.

To those unfamiliar to him he was talking to naught but air.

Perhaps even some of those who did know him.

But he knew better, he knew that his opponent was listening. It had long been suspected that it was one of the ways Lung had avoided capture.

Such suspicions were answered when a rumbling voice, loud, but not booming replied.

"Certainly," Came the rumbling voice from both Vista's headgear but also from the rooftop of the school. "What do you offer?"

The sheer audacity of the man wasn't what made Armsmaster hold his tongue on his biting reply, nor was it the life of the young girl literally held in his adversary's hand, it was caution.

As Lung had said, he was far smarter than he appeared. The man couldn't be taken lightly, his reattached arm was evidence of that. Rather than a Brute with aspirations of greatness due to the luck of the draw with his Powers, he had to be treated like a Thinker, one who was holding many cards.

It couldn't be just first-names that he knew.

"I cannot say I am upset at where this has gotten to today, I must admit, were I in your place, I would have done the same," Lung boomed, turning to face the man himself rather than the girl. "I suspect my appearance here at this school rushed matters beyond what you had planned for me. And let us be quite frank, we both know what would have happened if you had placed a Kill Order on me."

He chuckled, metal in his throat scraping slightly as Armsmaster scowled and shifted his grip on his weapon.

"And you'd never know just what I know."

---===---​

While I chuckled and traded posturing with the man below me, my mind was busy.

I'd lived small bits and pieces of Taylor's life, more when we were mashed together. Names, places, events, I felt like I had been there, that it was me who had suffered through the decisions and the battles feeling everything. Years and years remained, all of it equal, all of it sculpting her in large and small ways.

But if I had been there, it wouldn't have been like that. I would have done things quite differently. And that was what let me separate what was Kenta from what was Hebert.

I would have puzzled over things she ignored, crushed things she would have agonized over, and, like her, protected what was mine. Only differently. Less bugs and striking of testicles definitely.

One of the things I would have puzzled over, both as a man and when I was bigger, was something she had accepted as just something that had happened beyond her power. My ego alone would have driven me to either deduce the answer or pull the answer out of someone who knew.

How did Coil know all those identities he revealed?

Oh, I know how Taylor had thought it was done, with what she knew after the fact, but it made no sense. Yes, Coil could have, one by one, isolated and tortured people until the information was his, and then whoosh, it wouldn't have happened, no one the wiser. But there were several snags with that idea.

First, his power was also his defense. He couldn't be killed by any one situation as he was in two very different places at the same time, A and B. Since no one knew how his powers worked or who his two identities were, He could extend A, try and succeed, or fail and it wouldn't happen as he picked B. Thus he kept on winning and was steadily consolidating his power base under everyone's noses. Save scumming was the term I'd heard by some of my more electronically minded minions with certain games they played.

Not that I could, though I had tried once, the flimsy plastic controllers didn't last but seconds in my hands. Pity.

But, to use his power to rapidly pull information out of someone without any lasting traces, and more importantly, with any sort of confidence of that information, meant repetition, crosschecking, and time. And the last was most important.

To repeatedly kidnap and re-kidnap, day after day, all to get consistent data that one could be confident in, would be a pain in both effort and time, and also dangerous to himself, as he would have to commit one line to destruction at the end, meaning that the other had to be kept safe, lest he be forced to live with his decision. Commit B to long term gathering and A becomes vulnerable. Thus A has to be kept extremely safe and make little progress.

And as one who owned several casinos, both legal and not, I know that all luck will eventually sour, even doubled. Guards become bored, money appears wasted, even if knowledge is gained.

While he could rapidly pull information out of someone by repeatedly splitting, closing, and using a mix of drugs and torture, that would commit him to one dedicated path and likely disposal of his target. And again with luck, eventually one person taken would be missed, and word would creep out as it always does.

The house always wins in the end.

And in all honestly, why bother?

After all, he was a consultant for the PRT and he knew the current Director personally, thus, there was the entire PRT-ENE for him to exploit. He could pick a day, any day, torture the Director, a secretary, anyone with access to sensitive data, get a password, close, open another, pillage the computer, close, then make it never happen.

The maximum payout for minimum effort, risk, and time. One lunch hour traded for dozens of lengthy torture sessions. Even if the PRT cafeteria food was terrible it was worth the price.

Which meant the PRT had the data.

Which meant...

---===---​

"Or how I got it."

Armsmaster grit his teeth, took a breath, and then relaxed. Rushing into this without care was what caused his defeat the first time.

"And?" He said, making the demand sound vaguely like a question.

"Originally," Lung began. "I intended to disable those two and leave." He gestured at Assault and Battery, Assault limping with an arm slung over Battery's shoulder. "Which, in hindsight was foolish. Velocity would have quietly tailed me, and I'd have to abandon the location shortly thereafter from whatever retaliatory strike you made."

"Wasteful." Lung shook his head sternly. "I'm not made of abandoned warehouses you know."

"But." His free hand held up an index finger. "Fortune gives and takes. I was unlucky with their arrival, but lucky in how it turned out." He looked at the frozen Velocity. "Should he survive, ask him whether it was Battery's equipment going off-line when she struck me, or Assault's screams that drove him to face me. Regardless, the battle reminded me why I hate fighting Speedsters. Speaking of which..."

Lung hesitated in his diatribe and turned his head slightly to the left. "...you'll need to hit him again, I can hear him breathing."

When no one moved, the newly regrown eyebrows furrowed. "Dennis, pay attention. Freeze him again."

---===---​

I felt Vista lurch in surprise in my grip. Naturally, the Wards, almost to a T - a W technically- turned practically as one to Clockblocker, still sitting next to the fallen Hero.

If I had been guessing on the name they just handily confirmed it.

Ah, youth, there's a reason why the Hero's pose like they do, it's not only heroic, but it also helps conceal physical tells. Not that it would help them against me, I could hear their hearts flutter in surprise.

Clockblocker had already moved to compensate the distance from Vista's absence during the brief struggle with Lee, and without looking away from me he reached down, tapped Velocity, and put to the air the question on many minds.

"How the hell do you know that?"

I couldn't answer, nothing I could say that would trigger to Armsmaster as "Truth" would be plausible, remotely believable, or even sound sane.

So I didn't bother.

Lung does not need to bother, let them wonder.

"Oni Lee." I didn't turn to face him, instead keeping my eyes on the sullenly staring Clockblocker, I didn't need to, he knew his role in all this. "In my haste, I nearly gave you incorrect instructions to follow. Do not leave and follow the Orange book."

He waited, seemingly poised to move in a hundred different directions, and teleport in still others. I admired that about him, he was able to convey so much while moving so little. A pity he could do nothing now but the Kuroko's role, what a star he could have been.

"Instead, you will go into the school and bring some of my children out to watch. You will hide amongst them, wary of snipers. And you shall observe, but not interfere, with what is to come."

He didn't leave, even as little left as he was, he knew I hadn't finished.

"Should Armsmaster fail to act properly, like the Hero he is supposed to be, you will leave. Leave and fetch my little black book."

I turned my head slightly to fully face the man in question, letting the fire ignite in my eyes behind my scaled glasses.

"And you will kill every person in that book."

I could hear Oni Lee nod silently, so close we were.

"Go."

As my friend became ash I studied the man in the much larger power armor, the blue paint job the only sign that it was Armsmaster's design.

And at the one Dragon was deploying from the large metal crate she had carried all the way here.

With that one, there was no sacrifice for appearance, this was his Anti-Endbringer Armor. Made to survive brief exposure with Behemoth's kill-aura, absorb immense impact, immense energy, and possibly, possibly survive a single direct hit from the Endbringer. Cushioned inside his thicker power armor, he would be seven feet tall. That, placed inside the now slowly standing war-frame, twenty-feet easily.

I remembered it well, in India. Years from now.

I should really go there at some point.

Before it's gone.

---===---​

"Now that everything is being arranged, let me answer you, Armsmaster." It wasn't mocking his tone, but the way the name was stressed, it put pressure on people's hearts.

The stage was Lung's as he sighed and briefly looked to the heavens from his place on the rooftop. "What I want is simple; To leave, and not be followed or attacked. I know you cannot offer that, not with those I know are lurking behind you. And so, we are at an impasse."

ArmYouLying

Truth

With all sense of control and order in the school gone, it hadn't taken long for Lee to come out with a dozen teenagers, ABB gang colors on full display. One girl lurked by the glass of the door, still in the school, and watched briefly, before vanishing with the mass of teenagers inside the school.

"If I truly unleashed what I have within me, you could not stop me, none of you could. Nor all of you at once."

ArmYouLying

Truth

That was pinging TRUTH, so he obviously believed it.

"But, I need all of you alive right now, preferably unhurt. The PRT's power must remain, at least until May. After that, well..." He trailed off, then shrugged, scales clattering. "Then it won't matter."

ArmYouLying

Truth

Why did that also ping as TRUTH? What would happen in May?

"So what I demand instead is a duel. You against me, You receiving no help from any of the Heroes or Wards, and I without any assistance from Oni Lee or my children. In exchange, I'll let Vista go, and I won't use any fire during our battle. Should I win, I will leave unmolested, and if you win well..." Lung hesitated, clearly trying to envision such an impossibility, before smiling. "Then you will have your glory at last."

ArmYouLying

Truth

So many questions he needed answered. So many gaps in what he knew had to be filled.

Perhaps...

"I accept."

---===---​

I knew he would accept, the only things he wanted more than recognition and glory were knowledge and understanding. Thinkers and Tinkers always felt that itch.

"Then let us begin, there is much still to be done today, one way or another." I stepped towards the edge and hesitated.

I could easily land the thirty-foot drop, but with Vista in my hands, she would bruise badly, I might even break a bone, even if I carried her bridal style.

My hands were not soft.

"Vista, to spare you discomfort, connect the rooftop's space to the ground." My voice was quieter than with Armsmaster, but still nothing anyone would call quiet.

"Alright." Her tone was so innocent that I almost believed her.

Space distorted, I could tell, and it did touch the ground all right, but...

"Outside of Clockblocker's reach, over by the van instead." I heard her heart rate spike briefly. Still aiming to beat me, no matter the risk to herself. Clearly, she hadn't mastered what was driving within her, like her group's leader Carlos -Aegis- had managed.

I turned to her and went to one knee, which still had my frame tower over her, but she wouldn't hurt herself craning her head up to look at me. "No tricks little Missy, you don't want Armsmaster to lose the duel before it even begins." My voice was as quiet as I could, which wasn't very, but the children below shouldn't have heard her.

Oh, how her heart raced at her name, Dragon was definitely an outlier. Perhaps she hadn't grown accustomed to it yet?

A very scared little girl nodded at me, terrified, and bent space neatly towards the van. We stepped off the roof and seamlessly onto the broken concrete.

"Thank you." I said and meant it. Hurting children may have to be done, especially with Powers, but it wasn't something to enjoy. Particularly with people part of you likes and respects.

"I think I know why he wants to kill you now." She murmured, looking up at me. "How much do you know?"

My smile wasn't a smirk, not to her, I remembered how much I liked her, or how Taylor did, so I did.

"Nothing I can confirm in the recording your Tinker gear will collect but..." What would it hurt, that one little thing? "How about a taste of things to come, a glimpse into the depths 天龍 possesses, would you like that?"

"Tien-Lung?" She mangled the Chinese I had spoken so adorably that I wanted to pinch her cheek, but knew I would tear a chunk out if I did.

Thank goodness Armsmaster doesn't know I have some weaknesses, even wrapped in scale and flame.

"My full title. Something for you to research later, you have the internet after all. Now for your glimpse... you might want to turn off your recording for it."

"I can take whatever you can say." Even in the midst of a hostage trade, she was trying to be strong, desperately so. To not be the team baby.

---===---​

"Very well." Lung said, and once again went down to one knee to meet her gaze . "When Panacea comes, and heals both the injuries that have occurred and will occur, get her to remove your scars, particularly the one on your chest." The rumble and force of his voice, despite his efforts, meant it was heard by more than just her.

They watched as she shivered, despite the heat he generated idly, but was otherwise dreadfully still. "H-how-"

"Wounds are often kept secret from others because embedded within them is the lie." Lung's face was barely still human in shape, so slow and subtle his growth, but it managed to look sad somehow. "The lie you tell to yourself, the same lie we all tell ourselves."

"B-but-" Finally, her brave front cracked, and the scared little girl began to leak out. "How?"

"Now," He said firmly, smile reduced to a small slight thing, but still there. "Now you know why he wants me dead."

He straightened. "And why he dearly wants to keep me alive."

---===---​

In front of the witnesses gathered, the Wards, the Heroes who were conscious, and one girl staring hard from behind the glass of the school's upstairs window, Lung let Vista go.

Aww...

Her steps distorted space, each one moving her large chunks away from the Villain.

Her fourth step crossed the parking lot and had her by Armsmaster.

"Vista," He said, not looking at her, focused on the man wrapped in scale across the lot. "Head over to Clockblocker and when Velocity leaves stasis, stretch space and drag him away from the parking lot." Away from the battleground once more.

Silently, timidly, Vista nodded and made her way over to her friend.

Aegis and Gallant were ready to help, Kid Win was looking at what weaponry he had brought, all the stuff that was allowed to be shown in the magazine.

"Sorry, I got nothing on me that can help, unless you need some power cells?" He sounded dejected. Armsmaster, despite the dire situation he was in, felt compelled to say something.

ARM-Record

Pause

"Thank you, but you aren't coming from headquarters in End-Class gear, which I know you are working on without permission. Ah," He held up a very large armored finger to stop the panicked denials from the teen. "Let me finish. I would have been equally useless if I was coming from my own magazine shoot from last week."

Kid Win relaxed slightly. "Yeah, you're probably right."

"Remember, we aren't Brutes or Blasters, we have to pick the right tool for the job. But we can pick, and thus with proper preparation, we always can have the advantage. We can beat them all."

Kid Win was smiling now. "Right."

"Though, now that I officially know about your cannon, I'm obligated to help you finish it. After..."

It was a painfully leading question, one that Kid Win knew the answer to, but still, he stepped up to the plate. "After?"

The reply was almost lost in the whine of the generators of the larger armor powering up.

"After I win of course."

ARM-Record

Resume

---===---​

Armsmaster was a dick, but he was also kept in charge of the pack of hormonal, unruly, and altogether undisciplined parahumans for a reason.

He was a good leader when his mind was in the right place, rare that it was. Piggot came from and was used to the military, and wanted disciplined troops -parahuman or no- and these children, they certainly were not that. Their powers were varied, but they had no discipline and inner control of them.

They were normal parahumans.

Their Powers tugged them into the wind.

And they could still be inspired by heroes.

As Armsmaster readied himself, so did I, in my own way.

The habit of anticipation, of rehearsing my lines, my role.

The moment on the stage.

Looking at the armor, at the strength it had and would have in the years to come, I knew just the scene for us.

In fact, in hindsight, I'd been going through it the moment Assault and Battery arrived.

Old habits.

Shibaraku. Not a full play in itself, but one connecting two, my performance last night, and one that would come. As a scene of roughly 50 minutes, it was a short drama inserted during interludes or in between full plays to provide variety and maintain a certain level of energy and interest on the part of the audience.

It had been nearly an hour, so we were reaching the finale.

Today is played mostly on special occasions, such as to celebrate an actor's name changing ceremony. Rather it used to be before Leviathan broke the back -and pride- of Japan.

And I had been so close to being named the next "Ichikawa Danjūrō", despite my mixed blood and parahuman status roughing up my voice. I had cut a deal with a local Tinker for a voice modulator that would allow me to sing and orate, but then the waters began to rise...

I resisted the urge to shake my head to clear the memories, a good performer didn't do that, it ruined the makeup, wrinkled the costume.

But, back to Shibaraku. I'm not sure if Taylor can hear this while she's providing me Vista's powers, but just in case, I wasn't planning on educating just one Hebert.

<I can hear you, I just feel weird after that happens. I'll get used to it.>

Ah, good. Now, Shibaraku changed as the ages passed, with places and heroes and villains changing to suit the times, and today I'd adapt it a touch further.

The story was set in front of the Tsuruoka Hachimangu shrine, but it could be a high school called Winslow.

An evil aristocrat could be a Tinker in large power armor. Though, to be fair, both of us were taking bits and pieces of the role.

While I haven't usurped the power, technically I did take several prisoners. They weren't Imperial royals, including the Prince Kamo Yoshitsuna and the Princess Katsura, but others would do for the audience present...

In any event, one of his henchmen -Dragon filling in- tried to persuade him to not execute the prisoners in front of the shrine -the school, else he will enrage the gods.

Though we were both guilty of the swing of that blade today, we both couldn't be the hero of the play.

The role I'd give to Armsmaster, but I would steal the climactic line.

But if I was to be the villain in this performance, I'd need a Shakujo, the ornate staff...pah, something that can wait for later.

<I have some ideas. But what do want me to tell it?>

What do I want to tell it?

Well...

---===---​

The immense armor powered up with the low whine of turbines, a sound that signified equally immense force within it. Jet engines had that sound, as did terribly expensive cars. At nearly twenty-feet tall, speed wasn't exactly what it was made for, but it could be quite spry when it needed to. Just because it could take a building falling on it meant that it should.

It was down on one knee, back ramrod straight like the knights of old, and tiny spots for his armored boots to find purchase appeared when his foot stepped on it and vanished when his foot left.

Armsmaster climbed his armor as regally as a man could in bulky power armor. Once sitting in the open cockpit, halberds were placed into open slots like cylinders in a gun. The seat swiveled and allowed him to face his enemy before retracting into the armor, where a man's heart would be. Plates covered it, and plates covered those plates. Lines on the outside of the armor began to glow, as did the large eyes in the head of the armor.

It stood, towering over the dragon-man, who barely came up to his waist.

"Are you ready?" Came the quiet voice from the massive armor.

---===---​

Sing, dance, skill,

That's what I am.

To the powers within me,

it's time to perform.

Lung enters the stage.

---===---​

"Just a moment!"

If only I had a curtain to hide behind when I said that.