17 Interlude: Multi

"-yeah yeah, just knock when it's time for my patrol, I want a nap."

Closing the door to my room in the wards section of the PRT building, I take four steps forward before collapsing in a boneless heap onto my bed.

I don't know how long I just lied there, my mind blank and my open eyes unseeing, but eventually I got the urge to move, and sat up on the middle of the bed, crossing my legs underneath me.

Cupping my palms in front of me, I focus on that inexplicable 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 that is so much like instinct, but just not quite the same.

The next instant, fire is born in my waiting hands, I know only from the in depth power testing I've been through that it takes exactly 0.0214 for the first spark to turn into the ball of flame I'm holding now.

Apparently the number is significant for research purposes, but I'm not a nerd so I'm not really too sure about that.

I think I spend a few dozen minutes just staring at my fire, lost in thought.

When I first got my power, I was filled with a sense of 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, of 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

My power was 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵.

It cut through all uncertainty and allowed me to punish evil, and protect good.

My flames were the perfect judge. If you burned, then you were evil, how much you burned depended on how evil.

We don't know if there's an upper limit, but the strongest it's ever been was enough to reduce a man to charcoal in 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘴.

Yet, if it was simply hot, like scalding water, then you were innocent, or at least, innocent enough.

I know that no one can be perfect and my power gave me an exacting line for who is good and who is evil.

Many perished under my flames before the PRT brought me into the wards. From the assholes who triggered me in the first place, to murderers and rapists and paedophiles.

Their sins were their own undoing.

Even after joining the wards and learning that just because they are evil, that doesn't mean I should fall to their level, that I should be better, that life is sacred always, and should always be given another chance.

Even then, my powers never failed me, never killed anyone, my perfect, constant companion has never failed me.

Any yet... and yet, here I am.

Everything was going so well too, two more years and I would be able to join the protectorate, and with my total of five years of experience by that point, I would no doubt get an amazing salary.

But more importantly, I would have more freedom to be a hero, to spread the flames of justice.

But then, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 showed up.

A new vigilante shows up and immediately sets out on a killing spree of the cities villains.

When she was first brought up in the weekly meetings, it felt like everyone was staring at me, accusing me as if it's me out there instead.

But that's stupid, I'm obviously not the only one who acts like that when we first get powers.

Telling myself that doesn't make it feel like the stares are going away.

I started seeing myself in the new vigilante.

Projecting.

That's what the shrink called it, she says that it's likely that my guilt is making me push all the parts of myself that I hate onto the new vigilante.

With that in mind, when me and Pop Stop happened to come across her on a regular patrol, I did my best to be unbiased to her. To be fair.

But then she started 𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 and oh. My. 𝘎𝘰𝘥. She is the most aggravating person I have ever had the displeasure to meet.

I will admit, at the start, she seemed pretty fun actually, from her voice to the way she moved her body animatedly to emphasise her words.

She was funny, and I was starting to relax, thinking that maybe she just needs the same guidance that I got, then maybe she could see the light, that we could even be friends.

But then, after nudging Pop Stop in order to get my way too shy senior to give the sales pitch, things changed with Tears response.

"Hum hum", she actually 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 'hum hum'. Who enunciates their humming?

"I'm pretty happy by myself if I'm being honest, plus there's the fact that I'm pretty sure that I won't be allowed to keep doing what I'm doing if I joined you guys."

Like a bucket of ice water being dumped on me, I was reminded of exactly 𝘸𝘩𝘺 I had a problem with her in the first place.

My next words came out almost subconsciously, and in hindsight, I'm not very proud of how emotional I got in the argument, nor by how easily she led me around, something I only noticed after thinking on the conversation later.

Then she asked that stupid question, 'what does it mean to be a Hero'.

I expected her answer to be something stupid or edgy, like 'a hero kills villains' or something that justifies her actions, but I didn't get that.

She went on about how a hero sacrifices, and I hated how much sense she was making, how 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 it all felt.

But then she said it, the words that hit me with all the force of a train.

"Are you such a coward that you would rather spill the blood of innocents, than risk getting even a drop to dirty your own hands?"

Those words, so much like my own back when I started.

They pissed me off.

They pissed me off because of the memories they brought.

They pissed me off because of how much 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 they made.

But most of all, they pissed me off because they showed me that even after all this time with the wards, I still agree with her.

I 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 it.

I 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦 her.

Because she just. Wouldn't. Stop. 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, and the more she spoke the more I felt like the past few years of my life have been a lie, that I 𝘸𝘢𝘴 right at the start.

Then, the explosion came. A perfect excuse for her to stop talking.

But I guess she wasn't done filling me with doubts, as before she left for whatever was happening, she came close to whisper a parting message.

"See, a hero doesn't wait for orders before moving to help people, do they?"

I hate it all so much.

I hate that I can't get her insidious thoughts out of my head.

I hate that I feel like I'm being mastered even though I 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 that I'm not.

God knows we have enough Master/Stranger photocalls in place that it would have been noticed.

But more than any of that, I hated that she was 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, that immediately after she left, we had to wait for console to give us permission to investigate.

That by the time we actually got there, Tear had already taken down one of the villains and held herself against the others.

But even with everything about her pissing me off, the only thing I'm not mad at her for is, ironically enough, when she downed me with a single punch.

Because even then, I 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥.

We let them get away.

No. 𝘐 let them get away.

I just...

I just don't know what to think anymore.

Everyone here, from my shrink to my fellow Heroes, even the troopers if I ever talk with them, they all agree that life is sacred and should be spared.

That villains should be punished according to the laws, that you can't make those decisions yourself.

But is that really true?

How many people would Matchstick have killed, how many buildings burned, if he had been spared?

How many lives were inadvertently saved?

The answer, is that we cannot know.

Honestly, that just pisses me off even more.

𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘤𝘬

Extinguishing my flames, I turn to face the door as it is opened and a head pokes in, Grace's.

"Hey! Your patrol is in five minutes!" Is all she says before her head disappears as she goes back to doing whatever she does these days.

She doesn't even close the door behind her, making me sigh to myself.

"Ditsy girl will be ditsy I guess."

Still, hopefully this patrol will be able to clear my doubts somewhat.

A girl can dream.

...

It's not often that Sean, or as he's better known, Equaliser, of Red Branch, thinks about 'home'.

After all, Sean hates his family.

You see, Sean's family is a part of the Fallen, meaning Sean was bred to be a Fallen parahuman.

The Fallen themselves, are a decentralised group of cultists and fanatics that worship the city destroying monsters known as the Endbringers.

The Yamori family was a minor family and was a mix between whites and Asians, but Sean was born white enough that he could join a gang like Red Branch without anyone suspecting his ancestry.

Especially after taking up the name Sean.

The Yamori branch is also just as specialised as all the other families, however unlike the others that focus on a specific Endbringers main powers like the McVeays who mostly had dynakinetic powers, emulating Behemoth.

Or the Crowleys who generally had non-self targeted duplication powers, just as their 'god' Leviathan has his Water-Echo, or the worst of them all, the Mathers who worship Simurgh, the Hopekiller and generally have Master powers.

The Yamori branch focuses on the actual 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 of the Endbringers, meaning most of their members have strength and regenerative powers, but not only that, they also tend to have anti-power Trump abilities, to represent how the Endbringers remain unaffected no matter what power is thrown their way.

This means that it was pretty easy for Sean to join Red Branch, as he inherited a Trump power that lets him turn off the powers of anyone he touches.

The best part is how the effect sustains itself after he lets go of them, even if it's not for long, it's enough to mean that a single touch means victory.

However, one does not simply 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 the fallen.

It's never that easy.

But, Sean's uncle, the current head of the Yamori clan, Jason, made Sean a deal.

He won't be hunted by the family, in exchange, he needs to help the family fill up the gap his absence made.

In other words, he has to kidnap a cape to send back every now and then.

He's just glad that they only accept people with Trump or regenerative based powers, so he rarely has to actually deliver on that promise.

However, there is a new cape in town, a vigilante. One that has already caused Red Branch some problems, even killing one of our members.

At first it was nothing of note, just an annoyance that will either join someone or be eliminated soon enough.

However, that was until the video of her fight against Dynamite came out.

When he say how well she regenerated, better than anyone in the Yamori clan, a sudden thought came to Sean's head.

Who doesn't love hitting two birds with one stone?

Unfortunately that meant he had to call his uncle, not to mention the planning that will be needed.

But it's worth it, making for one less player against Red Branch and getting Jason off his back for a while.

All it will cost is the life and future of one unfortunate girl, a price Sean is more than willing to pay.

...

Meanwhile, that same girl is having problems of her own.

"Goddamnit! How the fuck does this work!!" I yell out my pent up frustration at the screen in front of me.

Naturally, it doesn't respond, instead mercilessly continuing to show the slight of hand video I have been trying and failing to copy for the past TWO HOURS!!

But sacrifices must be made so that I can be a better clown, after all, a good clown knows at least a few magic tricks, and even if I've belatedly realised that I can't really use a deck of cards in a fight, slight of hand can still be a helpful thing to know.

Sighing, I rewind the video.

Haaah, it's going to be a long night.

I hope something interesting happens soon.

-----------------------------

A/N: He~llo! Dear readers!

Advanced chapters with the links below!

pat/reon.com/user?u=41732867 (get rid of the first slash)

or

https://ko-fi.com/bored_works

Also, join the discord!

https://discord.gg/Pj3Dttwses