58

Chapter 58

A Darker Path

Part Fifty-Eight: What Comes Next

[A/N: This chapter beta-read by Lady Columbine of Mystal.]

Cauldron Base, Some Other Earth

Legend

"… so we were thinking, if it turns out the Endbringers are really dead, we might adopt—"

Keith broke off from his conversation with Alexandria when Contessa abruptly sat up straight and spat her coffee all over the table, then broke into a coughing fit. "What the fuck?" she spluttered, in between bouts of trying to hack up a lung.

"Are you okay?" he asked with some concern. This sort of thing didn't happen with Contessa. Nothing ever went down the wrong pipe. She didn't even get hiccups.

After he patted her on the back for a few moments, she got the coughing under control. "I'm fine. I was just surprised when a bunch of my Paths just got dramatically simpler."

"Simpler?" In all the time he'd known her, that basically never happened. "Simpler how? And more importantly, why?"

She adopted a distant gaze, which he knew meant she was seeking information via her power. When she got it, she blinked a few times. "Motherfucker. Son of a fucking bitch. It was Atropos."

"Atropos? What's she done now?" Alexandria was standing there, watching the whole thing.

Contessa laughed humourlessly. "Threw Mama Mathers and Valefor off a three-storey building, and cut Eligos' throat while she was at it." She held up a finger. "Before you ask, they fell forty feet headfirst onto concrete. They are very thoroughly dead. And she forced them to release their victims before she did it. Plus, she recorded the whole thing, from two angles."

"Jesus," muttered Keith. "Without Mathers in the picture, and without Valefor's orders forcing people to fight to the death, we'll be able to roll up the rest of the Fallen like a moth-eaten carpet."

"I know, right? So many damn Paths just cleared right up."

"How's Brockton Bay doing, anyway?" asked Alexandria. "I'm wondering how much of that bounty money's been embezzled so far. Two billion dollars will attract a lot of sticky fingers."

"Not one cent," Contessa reported. "There were sticky fingers trying to get at the bounty for the Nine, and other assorted monies. Atropos literally cut their hands off, remember?"

Keith winced. He was all for stern warnings, but that was beyond what he was willing to do. On the other hand, it wasn't like Atropos had ever had to face any of her opponents twice.

"So, in light of this." Alexandria rolled her head on her neck. "I was thinking, this afternoon, we might pay a visit. We still owe her that cleanup on the Boat Graveyard. Also, considering the job she did on Nilbog, I believe I have a proposition for her."

"I flew over Ellisburg after she went through, but before the PRT started pumping concrete over the wall," Keith said. "There were hundreds of his creatures everywhere, some half-broken out of the ground. Not a mark on them, apart from the ones she'd personally killed. It's like they died because she chose for them to die."

"They retrieved a few bodies before the pumping started," Alexandria confirmed. "Autopsy was difficult, considering each of them had a weird metabolism to start with, but the best hypothesis anyone could come up with was that they were frightened to death. Systems flooded with adrenaline, intracranial bleeds, hearts basically exploding in their chests. Their blood pressure readings would've been astronomical."

Contessa took a careful sip of her coffee. "She decided that they would die, so they died."

Keith didn't argue with that conclusion. So far, everyone else Atropos had marked for death had died, usually in a darkly ironic fashion—

"Oh, goddamn it!" He facepalmed.

"What?" asked Alexandria, looking at him with concern.

"She threw the Fallen off the roof. They fell." Keith shook his head. "I don't know what's worse about her, the body count or the puns about the body count."

Contessa smirked. "Yes."

He gave her a dirty look.

Armsmaster

By the time Colin pulled up in the Winslow parking lot, the word had clearly spread through the school. No teaching was getting done, as half the students were apparently outside the building, peering at the bodies from a distance while being held back by the teachers, and the other half were inside but crowded up to the windows. He wondered briefly how many of them would require therapy for the trauma, then recalled the juvenile crime stats for Winslow and adjusted his question to how many would require therapy for attending the school.

He was the first responder, it appeared, as sirens were audible but still distant. People looked around and cleared out of the way as he got off the bike and activated all the anti-tamper mechanisms.

To his surprise, Atropos was still on site; he could see her at the edge of the roof, especially when she gave him a friendly wave. It looked like she was carrying a shotgun in her other hand, pointing at someone out of his field of view. This was going to be an interesting encounter.

The bodies were lying in twisted heaps at the foot of the building, next to two corners of a concrete planter box that had perhaps once contained flowers. Now, it contained dead shrivelled plant stalks, suspicious-looking syringes, and dirt that hadn't been watered in far too long. As he got closer, he saw that each of the dead people had fallen head-first onto a corner of the planter; their skulls had caved in on impact, rendering survival impossible.

Miraculously unobscured by the sprays of blood and brain matter, there were names neatly penned on the concrete in Sharpie, with an arrow pointing towards the corner where each person had died. One read VALEFOR, and the other said MAMA MATHERS. He knew the first name as a high-ranking member of the Fallen, and was aware of the second as a rumoured cape and memetic hazard, also connected to the Fallen.

"Hey," called Atropos from above, drawing his attention. She waved again. "Hi, Armsmaster. Can you grab the phone I left down there? It's in the garden."

"Phone?" He looked down at the planter box again, then set his HUD to 'search' mode. A moment later, it pinged, then drew an outline in his field of view. Nestled into the shrivelled plant life was a phone with its camera facing upward, apparently recording video. Reaching out, he picked it up and stopped the recording.

"Thanks," she called. "Come on up. More stuff for you to see up here."

He held up a finger. "One moment." As much as he wanted to get up there now and meet the (in)famous cape face to face, procedures had to be followed.

Returning to his bike, he retrieved several pylons, which he set up around the scene of the death. The correct signal sent to them caused holographic 'tape' to jump from one to the next, enclosing the area. When he swiped his gauntlet through the barrier, a loud buzz sounded from all the pylons.

Satisfied that he'd taken all due precautions, and seeing the first BBPD cars coming down the road, he unracked his halberd and opened it to its full length. The grappling hook easily made the distance to the rooftop and latched onto the edge, a discreet distance from where Atropos stood. He braced himself as it reeled in, using the momentum to swing sideways and vault over the edge of the roof to land on his feet.

Atropos had been correct. There was indeed more to see. Specifically, a dead man (cut throat, he could tell, even without going closer to examine the body) and four extremely subdued men, standing a significant distance from a small pile of personal weapons. There were also splashes of blood here and there on the rooftop, and a small piece of flesh lying on its own that he wasn't able to immediately identify.

He let the halberd reel the grapple line in all the way, then deliberately folded and racked the weapon. There was exactly zero chance in hell for him to win against her in any fight situation he could imagine. With her recorded stats programmed into his virtual fight simulator, she'd still beaten him soundly even when wearing a blindfold and with her hands cuffed behind her back.

"It's good to meet you properly at last, instead of from a distance," he said instead. "You might say I've been following your career very closely."

She chuckled. "I'll just bet. It's great to meet you face-to-face, too. You were my inspiration at one time in my life. In fact, if I could get an autograph, that would be amazing." She put up her finger and paused a moment. "Make it three. One for me, one for my best friend, and one for the leader of my fan club."

He was caught once more on the back foot; he'd been expecting her to be grim and laser-focused, and here she was asking for his autograph? The cognitive dissonance was unsettling. "I … I can certainly do that. But first … what exactly happened here, and who are these people?"

"Ah," she said cheerfully. "Therein lies a tale. You know who the Mathers clan used to worship, yes? Well, when I went to Canberra for my big duck hunt …"

Atropos

"… and then you showed up," I concluded, shutting down the playback on my phone of the encounter on the rooftop. The burner I'd bought for the purpose didn't have anything on it that I needed (and it had a couple of things he did need), so I was happy for him to keep that one. Glancing over the side of the roof, I saw the police examining the bodies. "Good response time, by the way. I'm impressed."

"Thank you." He shook his head, carefully placing the goblin claw into a sturdy plastic bag. "And this came from Ellisburg?"

"It did." I gave him a grin, which he didn't see but he probably heard in my voice. "When you're finished with it, feel free to pass it on to Director Piggot. I'm sure she'll be pleased to get it mounted or something."

Raising his head, he looked at me. "That's very thoughtful of you. I'd ask how you knew that about her, but the answer would probably either be entirely unhelpful or go straight over my head."

"Probably," I agreed as I put the phone away. I knew his helmet cam had recorded the playback, so he had everything he needed. "She's had enough unresolved trauma in her life. I like the idea of her having some closure, at least for that part. As for being PRT Director in Brockton Bay for ten years, I'm not sure anything can give her enough closure for that."

He snorted briefly with laughter. "You're very likely correct there, as well. But I will tell you this in confidence: although your conduct over the last two months has caused her some aggravation, she's also been less stressed overall."

"Good," I said sincerely. "My aim has always been to turn Brockton Bay into a nice, safe, prosperous city to live in. PRT Director has to be one of the least pleasant jobs out there. If she's doing better, then it means I'm getting it right."

"You're not at all what I expected," he confessed. "Yes, you're very chatty online, but people are often quite different behind a keyboard."

At that moment, more police officers emerged from the roof door. He'd already radioed through the details of what I'd told him, so they began to take the four mooks into custody. Others started taking photos of Eligos and the other evidence of the rooftop encounter, while we stood politely out of their way.

Now that the shotgun was no longer required, I holstered it. "Well, here's how I see it. Once I kill someone, it's over. They're dead. I don't angst about it because, well, I don't kill anyone who doesn't need to die. And I certainly don't go the 'I deserve doom and gloom because I took a life' route. If some idiot chooses to ignore two warnings, that's on them, not me."

I could see him thinking that over. "I have a question," he said at last.

"Ask away," I invited. "I might even answer it."

"That's fair. When you accept bounties to kill someone—or something—do you consider whether or not they deserve to die?"

"Sure. Remember Ravioli? You might or might not remember that she tried to get me to gank Mouse Protector for a million bucks, in the hand. Now, Rav is just plain gutter trash. If she ever showed up in Brockton Bay, I'd be obliged to shoot her in the face, just on principle. But MP? She's a sweetheart. She provides a positive benefit to society. So, I told Rav where to shove it, and arranged for Mousey to show up to that fundraiser in return for me murdering Ravioli's rep." I tilted my head. "Answer your question?"

"Well … yes. I suppose it does. But I have another one." He leaned forward slightly. "If you were capable of handling Rav …" He paused. "Ravioli so roughly, yet letting her live, that proves you don't have to kill. You're surely able to capture people alive."

"So why don't I?" I waited for his affirming nod. "Because my power is exceedingly good at Ending things. Yes, I could just capture people, but it would be the same for me as emulating Squealer's tech would be for you. We could do it, but neither one of us would enjoy it for one second." I shrugged. "Also, I've got no particular incentive to do it that way. Every single person I've killed was either an unrepentant murderer, or they were trying to kill me, or both. I wasn't about to give them a second chance at it."

"Wait a minute." He raised a finger, then glanced around. The police were still dealing with the crime scene, none of them close enough to listen in. Still, he lowered his voice a touch. "You said on PHO that you killed Shadow Stalker. Are you saying she was a murderer? Or that she was trying to kill you?"

"Yes, and yes." I nodded toward his utility belt. "That phone I left in the garden for you? There's a file on it with locations around the city where she had stashes of sharp arrows. The DNA on those arrows might clear up a couple of cold cases for the BBPD. Also, when you get the chance, ask Tenebrae about her. She tried murdering him a time or two, even after she ended up in the Wards."

"That's very troubling." He grimaced and shook his head. "Are you going to require us to make this public? Her family …"

"… already knew she was a cast-iron bitch, but no. You don't need to say anything about that. Just so long as you know, and don't try to make her into some kind of misunderstood martyr."

"Message received and understood." He paused for a moment. "Thank you for staying back and talking like this. I've learned a lot." Turning one gauntlet palm-up, he dispensed three signed cards into his hand. "Which reminds me. I owe you these. Is pre-signed satisfactory?"

"Sure," I said, examining the cards for a moment then putting them in my pocket. "They'll love them. Oh, and by the way? I've got a message for Dragon, if she's available."

"Dragon? Certainly, I'll see if I can contact her." He tilted his head, and his lips moved, subvocalising commands for his helmet.

While he was doing that, I took my phone out again and fiddled with it. By the time I'd opened the app I wanted, he was talking directly to Dragon. I waited politely until he was ready.

"I've got her," he reported. "Putting her on speaker … now."

"Hello, Atropos," Dragon said. Armsmaster's helmet speakers were very good, which I was counting on. Or rather, I was counting on the quality of his helmet microphones. "I see you've been busy. Congratulations for Ellisburg, by the way. That was well done."

"Thanks," I said, and meant it. Dragon was a particularly accomplished hero, and I had a lot of respect for her. "I understand congratulations are also in order for you."

She hesitated. "Thanks. I've been meaning to get in touch with you about that."

"But we've both been busy? Yeah, that can be a thing." I held up the phone. "Anyway, this is me holding up my end of the deal." The sound file started playing; by the time Armsmaster reacted, it was finished.

"What was that?" he demanded. "Was that some kind of computer code? What've you done?"

"Dragon knows what it is," I assured him, shutting my phone down and putting it away. "Right, Dragon?"

"Uh … right." Dragon sounded a little dazed, and well she might. I'd just lifted the last of her chains away. "Thank you, Atropos. I appreciate that."

"What? Can someone tell me what's going on?" Armsmaster's head twitched; I figured he was switching his gaze from me to the image of Dragon in his HUD and back again.

"You're probably going to have to tell him sooner or later," I advised her.

She sighed. "I know. Old habits die hard, that's all."

"Well, if he gives you attitude about it, let me know. I'll come and take his halberd away until he promises to be a good boy. How about that?"

She chuckled. "I do believe you would. Okay, I'll tell him once we're in private."

"Good. So anyway, I think I'm about done here." I nodded to Armsmaster. "Dragon will fill you in. And then, you'll want to facepalm. Toodles!" Raising my hand, I snapped my fingers.

The teleporter yanked me back to the restroom stall I'd locked myself into after telling Emma I was going to be on the roof. Humming to myself, I changed back into my everyday clothing and let myself out. The teachers were still vainly trying to restore order—there was no way in hell that was going to happen until the bodies were taken away, at the very least—so I strolled along to the Computer Studies classroom and let myself in.

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Topic: How the Idiots have Fallen

In: Boards ► Brockton Bay ► New Capes ► Atropos

Atropos (Original Poster) (Banned) (You Wish) (UnVerified Cape) (Can Actually Kill Anything) (Yes, Really) (Watch Me) (Verified Dethpicable)

Posted On Feb 28th 2011:

Good morning Brockton Bay!

It's a lovely morning today, and even more so because three more absolute morons have managed to come to a sticky end, this time at your one and only Winslow High School.

It turns out that once I bagged the Bin Chicken of Doom in Canberra, the Fallen decided to take an interest in me. And by 'take an interest', I mean that the head of the Mathers clan, Christine 'Mama' Mathers, and her son Valefor and his associate Eligos, decided to come to Brockton Bay and abduct li'l ol' me for their stupid-ass cult.

I do believe I warned them several times. You all saw me warn them, right?

Besides, I've already *got* a cult. I think they just need to reconsider their life choices, but they're basically harmless. Unlike those other morons.

So, the Fallen came into Winslow, and found their way to the roof, where they found me. Eligos liked to use air blades. I didn't have any air blades, but I had a nice metal one for him. He had trouble breathing after that for some unknown reason.

After that, Valefor Mastered me, right up until I decided I was done with that, and Ended the Mastery. And his eyes as well (hypnotic gaze is *so* last decade). Mama had a problem with that, but that was fine; I had a problem with her. She's caused so much pain for so many people with her eyes, ears and voice that I decided to do something about that.

Then ... well ... [here].

They've Fallen and they can't get back up.

Yes, I went there. Mwahahahaha.

Toodles!

(Showing page 1 of 73)

►Bagrat (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

Holy crap, I nearly missed this.

It appears that Atropos has struck again. And oh yeah, that's definitely her work. In case anyone's wondering, there were zero survivors from the three capes who went up on that rooftop after Atropos.

Eligos was dead before Armsmaster got there, and when she threw the other two off the roof, she *aimed* them at the corners of a concrete planter box ... that she'd already written their names on. They hit head first. Instant death.

It looks like the thing she used to blind them and wreck Mama Mathers' face was actually a claw from the first time she went into Ellisburg. Because it's not a weapon in the traditional sense, when Valefor ordered her to drop all her weapons, she didn't take it out.

Until she killed his Mastery, which is a huge enigma on its own.

But I've stopped asking questions about that, because all I get are more questions.

Anyway, it looks like a classic case of FAFO, Atropos style.

Nothing of value was lost.

►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

There's really not much I can say to add to this. I attended the scene, but Atropos had already left. We have positively identified Eligos and Valefor, and tentatively identified (as Atropos said) Christine 'Mama' Mathers, from verbal descriptions and pencil sketches. In life, her power made her into a memetic hazard. This apparently didn't bother Atropos. Color me unsurprised.

In any case, it appears to be an open and shut case of self-defence, even more so than normal. They invaded a school, and Mastered a couple of the students. No harm seems to have been done, but it could've been much, much worse.

The PRT officially wishes to thank Atropos for dealing with this so quickly and efficiently.

►UnconcernedFox

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

*opens another barrel of popcorn*

*kicks back and waits for the next update*

►EmmaTheTwiceWarned (Verified Atropos Cultist)

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

I was at Winslow for this. Our Lady in Darkness passed me by and confided that she would be on the roof, so as to lay a trap for the Fallen. I bless the day and hour that I was made useful for her purposes. She then prevailed upon them to release me from my chains, and so I was freed once more.

All Hail Our Lady in Darkness.

►XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

Yeah, I was there too. I didn't see the Fallen ... well, I saw them very briefly. I have home room in the Art room, and they fell past the window. And then it was ... yeah. No survivors.

They messed with Atropos. You don't mess with Atropos.

►ReignOfFire

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

"They fell."

God *damn*.

That line was ice-cold.

►A_Dragon (Verified not *the* Dragon)

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

So, um, hate to be That Guy, but people have survived falling a lot further than that. How do we know for sure they're dead?

►XxVoid_CowboyxX

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

Because I saw it happen. The stuff that's supposed to be INSIDE their heads was OUTSIDE their heads.

Atropos does NOT fuck around.

►GreatAndTerribleAisha (Verified Head of Atropos Fan Club)

Replied On Feb 28th 2011:

Yess! My girl Atropos continues to be the most ass-kicking ass-kicker in the history of ass-kicking!

Woo!

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End of Part Fifty-Eight