Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Interlude.

She pressed herself into the shadows, trying not to attract attention, to become invisible, although she knew that it was useless. The damn dog tripped while turning a corner and she fell off it, just when she wanted to say something to Darkness, but she fell and didn't even have time to shout, the team was already far ahead, because she was riding the last dog, and no one saw her falls. At another time, she would have called them, called them on the phone, but not now, when Lung appeared on the stage immediately after the fleeing Undersiders.

Enraged, but in control of himself, he perceives what is happening as a personal challenge, he is very dangerous, if he finds out - he will not stop until he kills in the most painful way, most likely - he will fry him in a metal cage, like in an oven. He wants to make an example out of them, to show everyone what happens when you cross his path, to make others be horrified -

- her strength gently pushes into her temples and she winces, pressing into the shadow formed by the corner of the building and some low bush on the lawn. Me too, Newton's binomial, she thinks to herself, I already know that Lung will stop at nothing, the most important thing here is not to fall into his clutches, then it will all be over.

She tries not to look at Lung, the information coming from him is secondary, she already knows all this - and that he took the casino robbery as a personal insult, as if he was being hit with a wet rag in the face and that he will not calm down for a long time, that all the APP are on their feet already, search groups have been launched around the city, orders to shoot to kill and "two more bullets from above," just to be sure. This information is known to her, uninteresting and unpleasant. Especially now, when she is squatting, squeezing herself into the corner of the building behind a low decorative bush.

Magnolia (Mahonia aquifolia (Pursch) Nutt), flowering period May-June, yellow flowers, erect, branched racemes, the bush is treated with chemicals against aphids, the municipality of Brockton Bay spares no expense on such nonsense… 

She grits her teeth. The situation is extremely dangerous. However, no one has noticed her yet, and Lung himself seems to have decided to hold a short briefing in this place. This is very good, this is where they will start searching and pursuing, no one starts searching immediately from the place of the briefing, inertia of thinking, they will search carefully there, further, but not right here. She has a chance. Wait until they leave and calmly go in the opposite direction, taking off your cape suit. It won't be difficult to get civilian clothes, there's an open window, but there's a tracksuit drying on the ropes...

- the owner is a middle-aged man with sciatica and diabetes, the suit was purchased for sports, the owner is in the hospital? Died? The owner is no longer there, his partner washed it for the last time, sentimental affection and tribute to memory…

She turned her gaze higher to the open window. It's cold outside, why is it open? Yeah, here's the mark on the windowsill. Sneaker imprint. 

- A young man, athletic, the window was opened for him from the inside, he waited until it was opened. This is not the first time he has walked this route; traces of scuff marks are visible on the fire escape. A girl opened the window from the inside. Schoolgirl. Fifteen to sixteen years old, already pregnant, today the guy will have a surprise. Higher up, under the roof, is a wasp's nest. Strange. Atypical behavior. Strange. Someone controls the wasps, and not just the wasps. Insects. They move along a stable route, divide into groups and prepare for an attack. This is Cape! Someone is controlling the insects!

Tattletale looks up and squints. In the light of the lanterns, almost nothing is visible above, but an ominous buzzing makes her understand that there are a lot of insects. A large black ant with shiny wings lands on a bush leaf next to her and she freezes.

- A very poisonous insect. Neurotoskin. Very dangerous. Unknown to science, which means it was bred artificially! Biotech in Brockton Bay?! No, no, this is not manipulation of the flesh, this is selection, just very fast and in unique conditions. The individual is a queen ant, strong, hardy, and poisonous. Brought out by selection. Bred to be poisonous, strong and dangerous. She's not alone. There are... thousands of them?! But the cape that made this individual can breed more. Millions of them. No, not like that, this is an outdated model, it can produce better, much better. Three...no five times more toxic. Faster. Hardier.

She bites her lip. The presence of such a cape in Brockton Bay immediately makes the city a very dangerous place. Insect management eh? She is scared, but at the same time curious, something inside her is straightening out, giving her strength for further analysis. She takes a closer look at the insect.

- Cape will not give away his presence, he hid somewhere nearby, his power allows him to manipulate insects at a distance... what? Two hundred yards? Five hundred? Mile? Unknown. The cape is cautious and hesitant, this can be seen in the behavior of the insects; they do not dare to approach.

Suddenly, something moved next to her, and she covered her mouth with her hand so as not to scream - from the small windows of the basement, from the drain grate, from everywhere - a wave of insects poured out, as if the earth itself was floating, there were so many of them! Screams, no, not even screams, but howls, howls of despair and pain, shots in the air, some kind of fuss in the very place where she had just seen APP militants standing.

- The dark mass covering everything is insects. Millions of insects! Centipedes, cockroaches, house flies, crickets, woodlice, common ants - everything that can be found nearby. They pose a danger. Unnatural behavior - they get into the ears, nostrils, mouth, block the airways, block vision. Without special equipment it is impossible to resist this cape. The number of insects... and yes, he controls each of them individually! This is not just a swarm command, this cape is simply a multitasking genius! Each insect knows its own maneuver, what exactly to do and how to do it in a unit of time. But the most dangerous are newly hatched queen ants with a neurotoxin. Cape has overdone the lethality of the poison, even one bite can lead to paralysis and subsequent death, these people are doomed. But Lung's regeneration is still coping with toxins and...

The flames hit in all directions, burning everything around; she barely had time to turn away and still felt a wave of suffocating heat hit her face. Hot! She fell face down, covering her face and eyes with her hands, saving herself from the fire. The heat is coming in all directions, I only got echoes, Lung himself burned everyone who stood nearby, destroyed all the insects. Everyone? The remaining poison queens and wasps flew from the rooftops, swooping down on Lung like little bombers. 

- Lung is growing. Regeneration works, but not enough. Not enough for such a toxin. The number of insects in the next attack is more than two hundred. The number of surviving queen ants with neurotoxin is more than fifty. Cape panicked, he did not expect that Lung would be able to destroy so many of his insects at once and would now strike without holding back. The concentration of the neurotoxin, the speed of Lung's regeneration, the coefficient for the absence of an enemy in line of sight... Lung can no longer be saved… 

She shudders at the thought. Lung can no longer be saved?! But he... he is practically the most terrible and powerful cape of Brockton Bay, no one in the whole world could fight on par with Leviathan one on one for so long! Lung is a symbol of Brockton Bay, much like the Ship's Graveyard or the Gunsmith on his motorcycle. Lung is the invulnerable Asian Dragon! The longer he is involved in the conflict, the bigger and stronger he becomes! But... she licked her lips and again glanced at where the invulnerable Azite Dragon was writhing on the ground, spewing out clouds of smoke and flames.

- Agony. Regeneration has stopped. The neurotoxin came into conflict with the regeneration mechanism and blocked it. Asphyxia, Lung cannot breathe, his lungs are filled with insects that do not allow him to take in air, they are tightly packed into the alveoli, tiny fruit flies fill the entire volume. Ears, eyes, groin. They get inside through any openings. Lung did not lose consciousness until the last moment, he lived and felt how he was being eaten from the inside, while unable to move, paralyzed by the toxin.

She almost vomited. A terrible death. From suffocation and poisoning immediately. A cape of monstrous power appeared in the city, which easily removed Lung from the board. Click your finger on the dragon figure and it is already flying, tumbling... how many more figures will this ruthless killer eliminate? No, no, no, definitely the Undersiders need to flee the city! Despite everything! And she has such a chance. She looks ahead, to where no one is moving in the square, where there is a disgusting smell of burnt meat. He takes off and runs, dialing a number as he goes.

- Tattletale! - the voice on the phone.

- I'm behind! Pick me up at the corner... - she stops and looks at the signs and then her attention is attracted by the unusual behavior of the insects around. 

- They are worried. Unusually alarmed, the cape tries not to attract attention, but his insects flinch. Why? He's nearby! He hid and conducts reconnaissance and observes. He's very close! Judging by the accumulation of insects on the roofs, it's in that alley. Insects are clearly divided by gender. Closer to the unknown cape are females. Of course! Uterus! Cape is female. Age... unknown. But this is her first time on the street, this is her first time out as a cape.

Tattletale sighs. On her first outing she killed Lung? The girl will be in serious trouble, she has just caused all the possible problems in this city on her own head. The balance of power, very fragile and barely standing, is disrupted. Broken and thrown into a landfill. The APP will have to become twice as tough in order to at least defend its territory. Empire 88 will launch a full-scale offensive, the Hucksters will not stand aside, and a full-fledged gang war will begin. And... in a good way, you need to stay away from all this, but something is itching inside her, something says that this will be a useful acquaintance, and if a girl is on the street for the first time, this means that she can be manipulate. Besides, challenging Lung on the first night isn't that a sign of suicidal tendencies? Primary triggers are not the most pleasant thing, and if she caught the trigger and went to kill Lung, then her life is not the most fun. And she, Gossip Girl, can become her best friend, her very first friend and comrade, a person with whom she can share everything and, of course, protect her from anything. Even from Vyvert. Her mouth was dry. It might work, she thinks, it might. 

- Tattletale! Where are you?! – the voice cracks on the phone.

- On the corner... - she gives the address. There is only one phrase spinning in my head - this is your chance, this is your chance, don't even think about wasting it. She glances around the corner, a dark alley in front of her. There is practically nowhere to hide, just over there, behind the container. So she's there. The buzzing gets a little louder. 

What am I doing, she thinks, while her power provides information that there are now enough insects on the roofs of buildings around to not only destroy her and her entire team along with Suki's monstrous dogs, but also devour them whole, dragging the bones to a secluded place. And in a day there will be no bones left. She swallows, her throat is dry, there is no saliva at all.

Okay, she thinks, okay, this new girl can kill us all, but she's not a psychopath, I'll just talk, I'll just thank her for everything, because Lung went over our heads, and she killed him, so we're already allies. No one will kill an ally right away; they need a reason, a conflict, and that doesn't exist yet. Judging by the actions of the insects, she is able to control herself, just keep your sharp tongue behind your teeth, don't provoke her and everything will be fine.

- Tattletale! – and here are Bitch's dogs with members of her team sitting on them. She silently makes a sign for everyone to dismount. Gloom shakes his head, but slides down, he knows that if she makes such a face, it's serious. The Bitch and the Regent dismount after him. The latter grumbles something to himself, but she does not listen to him. Silently raises his hand and points into the alley. She needs to distribute responsibility; indeed, killing four at once is a little more difficult than killing one. And then - she needs to show that they can be useful to her as a team. This is a psychological trick – there are several of us, and you are alone. Another reason she didn't venture into the dark alley herself was social approval. 

If they do manage to talk, if she doesn't set her poisonous monsters on them right away, then during the negotiations a certain society will be formed, albeit small, albeit temporary, but still. And within this society, Gossip Girl has an advantage. It's just wonderful that there are four of them and an equal number of boys and girls. Sexual motives are another argument in this favor. Of course, no one will say out loud, no one will ever admit it, but guys like girls and vice versa. Gossip Girl knew that Gloom looked quite masculine in his suit, developed muscles and confident movements... the dream of any average housewife.

Don't like muscular guys? We have a Regent, a thin and arrogant bastard with an exaggerated sense of humor... we have a society, a closed community, we will not betray, we will not betray, we will become your assistants, and she - Gossip Girl - will be your best friend. Because right now she had little choice, either flee from the city without looking back, ignoring the threats of Twist and constantly looking over her shoulder in anticipation of his mercenaries, or make friends with the new cape. Controlling insects. Hm. Lady Bug. She makes a "follow me" gesture and steps into the alley.

-Are you sure this is where we should go? – the Regent whines after him. He doesn't like it. He doesn't like anything. My power reports that in fact he is very afraid of Lung and his behavior - leisurely speech and gait with such laziness - is simply bravado. Darkness trusts me and silently walks next to me. Bitch - trusts Darkness. Only the Regent continues to whine.

- Sure. Here in this alley, right here. - says Tattletale, walking carefully, but with a straight back and without pressing her head into her shoulders. You can't show your fear, you can't shrink, negotiations need to start from at least an equal position. But you can't get into a fighting stance, and under no circumstances should you do anything that will cause aggression. If they provoke the new girl, then they are dead. And death will be very painful. After all, this new girl did not hesitate for a second, directing her insects at Lung and his fighters. Okay Lung, everything is clear with him, but the rest! When Lung breathed flame across the area, most of his people were already dead, it is clear that he finally finished them off, but still, it was she who killed them. Considering that she controls insects through direct communication, it is impossible that she does not know this. The first way out is a lot of death bodies. So it's not far from the Murder Warrant. The path to heroes, in the PRT, has already been ordered for her, maximum the status of a independent cape. But most likely - the vigilante. Practical, cold-blooded and with terrifying strength. She exhales, calming down. You can't show your fear, otherwise we...

- There's no one here, - says the Regent: - What have we forgotten here? Lung is looking for us, let's go home already.

- Lung is no longer looking for us. He has no time for us,- Tattletale answers, stopping and raising her hands so that it can be seen that she is unarmed: - like all his henchmen. And the reason for this is that he sits behind that garbage container and listens carefully to our conversation. – throwing such a bomb, she shuddered a little. The Darkness shuddered and tensed behind him, the Regent frowned, the Bitch approached and her dogs grumbled. Insects flew from the eaves, targeting them.

- Hey, hey, calm down! - Gossip Girl threw her hands even higher, feeling her heart jumping out of her chest: - Calm down. You can call off your legions, Lady Bug. I'm not threatening you and I'm not going to interfere in your affairs. I know you can easily handle us all if you want... I just want to talk. To express gratitude. Well... girls need to chat sometimes, don't they? If... you don't want to, we'll just leave. Let's leave fifty thousand dollars in a box here and leave. Your share. Do what you want. - she looks around and sees how several wasps flew together right in front of her and formed something like a cross or the letter "X".

- Okay, whatever you say, Ladybug. We are leaving. - she opens the bag and, despite the silent protest of Darkness and the sigh of the Regent, she puts aside several packs of bills and wraps them in a plastic bag, slips a card with her number into it.

- We are Undersiders! - she says, putting a bag of money against the wall: - my name is Gossip Girl. If you need help, I'm always ready to help. And thanks again for killing Lung. – she was pleased to see how the wasps flinched right in the air.