The Protagonist System

We wrapped up the meet-and-greet and I walked the three members of New Wave to my front door just as several strong knocks sounded. My Danger Sense was going off slightly, so I did my little farseeing trick and saw Hookwolf and Rune walking away. I patted Sarah's shoulder and she stepped back to give me enough room to open the door.

I gave her a slight nod and opened the door, fully knowing who was there. I also stored their masks into my inventory before I saw a muscular guy slightly shorter than me wearing a muscle shirt and jeans. He had short blond hair and several scars on his arms and face. Beside him was a very short teenage girl with long blonde hair and she was dressed in a slightly armored outfit under a black and red robe with the hood up.

“Ah, fuck. We're too late.” Rune said with a sneer when she saw my cape costume.

“Shit.” Hoookwolf said and looked past me and saw Sarah, Vicky, and Amy. “New Wave? You chose those pathetic losers instead of us in the Empire88? Where's your pride?”

Vicky growled at the insult and jumped forward. My hand darted out and caught her shoulder to stop her from attacking the capes on my front porch. She gave me an odd look for a second, probably because no one had ever caught her so easily before, and she landed on the floor and stepped back.

“Did you just out yourselves as capes to me?” I asked the two people in front of me and they widened their eyes. “Because, you know, coming to my house to recruit me in your cape outfits without masks on, was probably the dumbest thing you could have done.”

Both of them reached up and touched their exposed faces and let out curses. Rune looked the angriest, probably because I could see how young she was. She was my age, maybe a year older, and she didn't have a mask to hide her teenage insecurities behind.

Hookwolf tore off his shirt and ripped it in half, handed a piece to Rune, and they tied the cloth over the bottoms of their faces. “You're going to regret this, Greg Veder.”

I gave him a look that promised him pain. “I don't think so, Brad Meadows.”

Rune, Vicky, and Sarah gasped. Amy let out a soft curse and Hookwolf looked shocked.

“What? I thought we were using our civilian names and not our cape names.” I said and acted innocent. No one believed that act for a second.

“Let's go, Hookwolf. We need to report this.” Rune said.

Hookwolf glared at me and let the teenage girl pull him off of the porch and the two of them walked away.

“Atlas, that was a very dangerous thing you just did.” Sarah said.

“I diffused a battle before it could start, Lady Photon. I wasn't going to fight them with both Amy and my mother right here in the line of fire.” I explained and Vicky looked embarrassed. “It's all right, Glory Girl. I was here to stop them from goading you into throwing the first punch and giving them justification to hurt the non-combatants they were here to target when I rejected their offer.”

Sarah sighed. “They're doing the same thing the PRT did to you by using your family against you.”

I pointed at her and nodded. “If I wouldn't join voluntarily, I'd have to join after they hurt my mom.” I said and did the five minute foresight trick and saw they had Othala in their car with them. That would have given them holding mom's healing over me, too. I'd owe them afterwards because they spared her and saved her life.

Diane came over to me, tears in her eyes, and hugged me. She cried and I held her, petted her hair, and didn't say anything. There was nothing else to be said, because we all knew it was going to happen eventually.

Sarah put a hand on my mother's shoulder and my mom let me go and placed her hand over Sarah's. They had a silent conversation and Sarah nodded. “Vicky can extend her regular patrols over this way for a while as she checks out Amy's new boyfriend.”

My mom smiled and wiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Lady Photon. I appreciate that.”

“We should go as well.” Sarah said and motioned for Vicky and Amy to leave. “We have some family members to talk to about our new member.”

“Just a sec.” Vicky said and took out her cell phone and clicked a picture of me. “Okay, I'm good.”

“Vicky!” Amy gasped and tried to take the phone from her, only for Vicky to hop up into the air and out of reach.

“Geez, Ames! Relax. I'll send it to you.” Vicky said and did a few thumb motions and we heard Amy's phone beep.

Amy took it out and saw the picture she was just sent. Her eyes went to me briefly and she nodded and tucked the phone back inside her robes. “Don't forget to call me tomorrow at lunch.”

I stepped forward and gave her a hug. “I never will. That's what phone buddies are for.”

Vicky giggled and floated back down to land. “Phone buddies?”

“We call each other to get us out of places we desperately want to escape from before we murderize someone.” I joked and Amy smacked my chest. “I mean, we call each other to discuss relevant and important topics that just can't wait until we talk face-to-face.”

Vicky laughed and put her phone away. “I knew it was a little too convenient that he called you right after you bought your lunch today!”

Amy groaned and smacked my chest again for letting the secret out. She was just being playful with the hits, though. I barely felt the slaps and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

“Aww! That's so cute!” Vicky said and hugged her sister. “I can't wait to tell everyone that the grumpy and ornery Panacea finally has a boyfriend!”

Amy groaned again and slumped slightly at giving her gossiping sister the biggest news of the year.

Sarah softly laughed and pushed the both of them towards her car. “Into the backseat, both of you.”

Vicky pretty much picked a reluctant Amy up and carried her over to the car and stuffed her into the backseat.

“I'll call you tomorrow about coming over on the weekend to set up joint patrols and things with Glory Girl and Laserdream.” Sarah said and shook my hand. Before she let it go, she leaned in and whispered. “How did you know Hookwolf's civilian identity?”

I leaned in and whispered in her ear. “I'm a cape geek. I know everyone's civilian identity.”

Sarah caught her breath and she turned her head to stare at me with her mouth slightly open.

I honestly couldn't resist the temptation and puckered my lips to briefly touch them to hers. I pulled back before she could react and gave her my best smile. “I'm sorry, I couldn't resist stealing one. That was just too damn hard to ignore.”

Sarah looked surprised and then blushed slightly. “Greg... don't do that again.”

“I really shouldn't promise the impossible; but, we all do the impossible every day.” I said with a grin and she huffed which made me chuckle. “All right, I solemnly promise to not take advantage of any other opportunities you might present to me in the future.”

Sarah leaned back and looked into my eyes. “I suppose that's good enough for now.”

“Trust me.” I said and wagged my eyebrows.

Sarah huffed again and let my hand go. “I need to warn my daughter Crystal about you, too.”

“She looks just like you, doesn't she?” I asked and she sighed in defeat.

“Goodbye, Greg.” Sarah said and started walking away. “Don't you dare stare at my ass.”

Of course, that warning forced me to do the exact opposite and good lord, Sarah had a great ass. Her costume was off-white as well and it made her movements stand out that much more. The purple accents highlighted exactly how fit she was and she turned back to me just before she reached the car.

I had been so easily caught and I lifted my eyes from below her waist to look at her face and gauge how angry she would be. Instead, I had to hold in my laugh at the smug smile she had. Sarah climbed into the car and drove away as Vicky and Amy waved to me. I waved back and closed the front door, only to see my mother frowning at me.

“I love you.” I said and scooped her up in my arms and peppered her cheek with little butterfly kisses. My mother squirmed in my arms and barely tried to stop me, so I carried her into the living room and sat with her on the couch. “Thank you for allowing me to do this. I know how much you worry about me.”

Diane sighed and hugged me tightly. “No, you're right. You're going to get involved, even if you didn't want to be.” She said and rested her head against my shoulder. “I just didn't expect them all to just show up at the house the very next day.”

“Some people just don't understand that patience is a virtue.” I said and petted her hair.

Diane cuddled into my side and sighed again. “Your father should be home soon.”

I nodded and checked the time, then used my farseeing trick and concentrated on him. I didn't see his car in the driveway, so I watched television with my mother and every five minutes I used the same trick again. I also increased her durability to as high as possible without her knowing about it or feeling the difference.

I started to get a bad feeling about my dad when it was five minutes before he should be walking through the front door and he still wasn't showing up in my vision. “I'll be right back. I need to use the bathroom.”

My mother let me go and I stood up, then I practically ran up the stairs to the bathroom, making her laugh.

I passed by the bathroom and used a portal to my dad's work and landed on the building across the street. The entire office building was on fire and I used a telescoping vision power and looked at the fifth floor and into dad's office. There was too much smoke clouding the room for me to see anything and I hopped off of the building and landed next to the fireman wearing the chief's hat.

“What's the sitrep?” I asked and the man looked up at me, his eyes widening at my unmasked face.

“The fire was set deliberately by...” The fire chief started to say when a great roar cut through the air and the front of the building smashed outwards and a ten foot tall Lung landed on the street. He was partially covered in scales and was already ramping up to become a real problem.

I immediately flew at him and smashed my fist into his slightly extended face that was forming into a muzzle and crushed it. He stumbled back, clearly surprised by the devastating blow, then he tried to roar again and it came out as a gurgle because his mouth was currently inside his face.

Instead of waiting for him to regenerate, I darted forward and around him, grabbed him by his quickly growing tail, and flew straight up into the air. When I was up high enough, I turned around in a circle a few times and threw him as hard as I could and aimed for the bay. That was going to buy me a few minutes and I flew down and landed beside the fire chief again.

“Do you need a hand putting the fire out?” I asked him and he shook his head. “Are there any deaths among the victims of this attack?”

The man's face fell and I knew someone was dead. I just had to find out if what I suspected was going to be true. He pointed to where the office workers were being treated and I walked over to the tent they had set up.

“Panacea's on her way.” One of the medics said and everyone sighed with relief.

I ignored them and went over to the stretchers off to the side of the tent and started lifting blankets. There were six of them and under the fourth one, I found the remains of my father. He was charred almost down to the bone and one of his arms was missing, so he looked like he was hit by one of Lungs breath attacks almost dead on.

The sheet dropped back down when I let it go and the paramedic gave me an understanding look. I nodded back and walked out of the tent and heard Lung's roar. He must have healed already and he sounded pissed. Good, because so was I. My father might have been a bastard sometimes; but, he was still my father. I hadn't had the chance to give him any powers and now he was dead.

I glowed slightly gold and rose up into the air, letting everyone see me, and I turned towards the direction Lung was raging and flew. There was another cape standing near him that wore a black outfit and an Oni mask, his knife out and a grenade ready in his hand.

“Die, you cock-sucking motherfucker!” A man's voice shouted and several miniature missiles flew towards the 15 foot tall dragon-like figure that Lung had become. “No one crashes into my hidden boat stash and lives!”

Oops. I thought and hovered there with a notice-me-not charm on myself. I couldn't dive in there with so many capes fighting without a plan.

Oni Lee disappeared and he reappeared on top of the armored garbage truck Skidmark was hanging off of. He pulled the pin and dropped the grenade, appeared a second later and did it again, then disappeared completely.

“FUUUUCK!” Skidmark yelled and jumped off of the garbage truck as both grenades went off and ruined the missile launcher.

Lung roared in triumph and started stalking towards the smoking vehicle as another grenade took out the back wheels.

“Skiddy! The door's stuck!” Squealer shouted. “Get me out of here!”

“You're on your own, bitch! It was nice fucking ya!” Skidmark said and ran away. He had no idea Oni Lee was following him.

“You fucking bastard! If I live through this, I'm going to drive my next vehicle up your cowardly ass, YOU FUCKING PRICK!” Squealer yelled.

Lung roared again as his wings started to grow and he lifted his large clawed foot to stomp on the cab of the garbage truck to crush it and Squealer, whom was trapped inside.

Now's my chance. I thought as I darted forward and dropped the notice-me-not spell.

I slammed both fists into Lung's chest and kept flying to push him away. He roared uselessly as he was flung backwards into, and through, an abandoned warehouse. We landed on the pavement of a parking lot and he tried to swat me away and missed. He was getting bigger and his movements more powerful, but unfortunately for him, it was at the cost of his speed.

I easily dodged his wild swings and he grew larger and more frustrated. A second set of wings started to grow from his back and he reached 20 feet tall. The next blast of fire he tried to shoot at me to make me back off was blocked by me as I floating right in front of his open mouth.

When the fire stopped, Lung looked shocked that I was completely unharmed and my costume was still in pristine shape, which gave me just enough time to form a black sword of disintegration energy and I slid it right through his armored chest and into his oversized heart. I turned it several times and let it go, then I gave him a double-handed uppercut.

My fists pulped his dragon-like snout and he was thrown up and off of his feet from the force of the blow. He landed on his back with a loud crash and crushed his wings and the pavement, making him howl with pain.

I landed on his chest with a dropkick and he cried out as some fire and spittle poured out of his ruined mouth. It wasn't healing, either. I looked at the large hole in his chest and saw his heart was desperately trying to regrow and fight off the disintegration energy.

Well, I can't let him adapt to that. I thought and formed another sword of disintegration energy and stabbed it through his forehead and into his brain.

With a twist to scramble his grey matter, I let the sword go and his entire body stilled. The connection to his shard had been severed and I dismissed the popup telling me I had gained his abilities and what his soul sold for.

I did notice there were several soul fragments from the shard, probably from the previous users, and they sold for a nice amount of points that were immediately lost because of Lung's and the shard's negative Karma. I felt grateful that I couldn't go into the negatives anymore, even if it was a pain in the ass to keep accepting the negative Karma from the people I killed.

I hopped off of the beast's chest that wasn't shrinking down. I guessed that without the connection, the extra mass given to Lung to let him transform, couldn't be returned to whatever dimension the shard had taken it from. I stood there as the body started dissolving faster, because he had also lost his extremely high regeneration factor.

The sounds of sirens let me know someone was coming and I thought about flying away. Before I did, I cast a discreet detection spell and there were seven recording devices focused on me. That made my decision for me and I turned around when a normal PRT vehicle and a motorcycle came to a stop on the other side of the wrecked warehouse.

It was not Armsmaster like I thought it was going to be, either. A very handsome woman, with olive skin and long dark hair with an American flag wrapped around her lower face, hopped off of the tinkertech motorcycle and she put her hand on the Beretta handgun at her hip. Her eyes darted around and took in the entire scene and she pointed to two PRT officers and pointed to the garbage truck.

Since I didn't want to start off on the wrong foot with one of the most honest capes in Brockton Bay, I didn't object to her having Squealer secured and I put on my best smile as I picked up the dissolving remains of Lung and floated through the wrecked warehouse. I landed five feet away from her to not crowd her and dropped the body.

“Miss Militia, it's a pleasure to meet you.” I said and didn't offer to shake hands. This situation did not call for that and she wouldn't have shaken it anyway. I was a murder suspect because I had killed a fellow cape and the proof was right there at my feet. “I just finished fulfilling the Kill Order on Lung and wondered how much the bounty payout is?”

Miss Militia stared at me and looked like she didn't know what to say to that, which was exactly why I said it. It would give her time to process things, too.