My World My Justice Ch.27: Dragon Slayer Pt.1

-Dean Stansfield, Gallant-

Dean was on patrol downtown like always. The route was different than usual, but patrol remained patrol—mostly uneventful. Which he was glad, because absolutely didn’t want to encounter a certain villain anymore.

He walked alongside Aegis while Kid Win flew overhead on his hoverboard, occasionally performing lazy loops and barrel rolls. The younger Tinker was having entirely too much fun showing off, and Gallant had to keep one eye on him at all times to ensure he didn't accidentally crash into a building, streetlight, or worse—an unsuspecting pedestrian, because he was flying too low.

The streets were relatively quiet for a Saturday afternoon. A few civilians glanced their way, some offering waves or taking quick photos with their phones. Dean returned the gestures with polite nods, maintaining the professional image expected of a Ward.

There wasn't much conversation this time. Things were always more lively when Vicky was around—her infectious energy and playful banter made even the dullest patrols entertaining. But she'd been called to assist with something in a different area, leaving Dean with the more reserved company of Aegis and the distracted Kid Win.

Carlos tried to fill the silence, asking about things at Arcadia, recent training sessions, how Dean's day had been going, the usual.

Dean engaged as best he could, nodding at appropriate moments and offering brief agreements, but his heart wasn't entirely in it. The conversation felt forced, a way to pass time more than anything. He found it difficult to be perfectly honest about how routine everything felt, but he tried. Carlos seemed content with that much, at least. Dean could sense the satisfaction from his teammate—Aegis appreciated the effort, even if the conversation itself was unremarkable.

Then Dean stopped mid-step.

A shiver ran down his spine for no apparent reason—a cold, instinctive warning that prickled at the back of his neck. Something was wrong. His power hadn't picked up anything unusual from the civilians or his teammates nearby, but the feeling persisted, insistent and impossible to ignore.

"Gallant?" Aegis stopped immediately, his posture shifting. "Something wrong?"

Dean opened his mouth to respond, but it would be strange to explain a gut feeling—

And that’s when explosions erupted in the distance.

Multiple blasts, one after another, deep booming sounds that rolled through the streets like thunder. Not close, but loud enough to echo off the buildings and rattle windows. The inevitable cacophony of car alarms followed soon after, a discordant symphony of panic spreading through the area.

Dean's training kicked in instantly. "Kid Win! Get up high and scout the source!" 

His hand was already moving to his communicator as Kid Win's hoverboard shot upward, the younger hero's playful demeanor vanishing in an instant as he climbed for a better vantage point.

"Console, this is Gallant. Multiple explosions heard in Downtown area, exact location unknown. We're moving to investigate. Requesting backup and emergency services to stand by." Dean kept his voice calm despite the adrenaline beginning to course through his system.

It couldn’t be an accident, so that might be the action of a villain. Even as Ward he still had responsibilities. After all, he was still a hero. And somewhere in that direction, people needed help.

Kid Win's voice crackled through the comm. "I've got visual! Southeast, four blocks! I'm seeing smoke and—oh crap, there's people running—"

Dean was already moving, breaking into a run before Kid Win finished. Aegis followed soon after.

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-Daniel, True Might-

So today is the day. 

According to Futaba, today is the day. 

The day where things are going to blow up—literally—or at least she believes so because she managed to get somebody inside the ABB who knew about the attack. Everyone is in position, or as ready as they could be. Even Panacea was on standby at the nearest hospital to all three fronts where the fighting would break out. 

Preventing civilian casualties is always the priority, after all.

Armsmaster with the Claw Patrol are also in position, ready to spring into action to defuse Coil's bombs the moment the chaos starts. The underground network will be their hunting ground.

Taylor is with the Wards as planned—she'd stay behind at the PRT building where it's safer, providing support with her bugs while the Wards handle the less dangerous parts of the conflict. Nobody wants the teenagers getting injured or killed, and I'm perfectly okay with that arrangement.

Futaba was able to pull some strings to get Jin to temporarily act as a PRT field officer, ready to deploy his clones across multiple locations to control the situation and bolster numbers where needed.

To sum it all up, everyone is waiting for that cursed signal, in whatever shape or form it comes, to kick off what would probably be the biggest gang war Brockton Bay has seen in years. Not since Marquis drove away the Teeth and dealt that crippling blow to the Empire over a decade ago has the city seen violence on this scale.

Meanwhile, I'm walking toward the location Futaba told me to wait at. It's probably the best vantage point for the current situation—stealthy enough to avoid detection but close to the many places where Lung might appear based on her predictions.

And I'm not alone.

Mirko's with me because she wanted to be here. She just happened to be in the area when everything started getting set up, and since she also knew what was about to happen, she wanted to hang out a little before things went to absolute shit.

Which, fair enough, I guess.

She's been trying to make small talk for the past few minutes, which is a little strange.

"So, uh..." Mirko starts, hopping slightly as she walks beside me. "You ready for this whole dragon-slaying thing? Should be one hell of a fight, right?"

"Indeed, my fellow ally of justice!" I respond with my usual enthusiasm. "The forces of justice shall prevail against the tyrannical flames of evil! No villain can withstand the righteous fury we shall unleash!"

"Yeah, figured you'd say something like that." She scratches the back of her head, her ears twitching slightly. "This whole thing is pretty damn dangerous though. Like, way more dangerous than the usual cape bullshit we deal with every day."

I nod, gesturing broadly to emphasize the point.

"I mean, Lung's no joke from what I’ve heard. Guy goes from scary to nightmare fuel real quick. And with all the chaos happening simultaneously across the city... a lot will be happening, you know?"

She kicks at a loose piece of concrete on the rooftop we're standing on.

"People could get hurt..." She trails off, then shakes her head. "Whatever. Just gotta make sure we all come back in one piece, right? Can't let the villains win."

I give her a firm nod and a thumbs up, trying to project confidence. “True words never spoken before!”

"Tch, of course you're confident about it." She grins, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Must be nice, being that sure about everything. Just march in, punch the bad guys, save the day. Simple."

There's a pause in the conversation. 

"You ever think about..." she starts, then stops herself. "Nah, forget it. Stupid question."

I tilt my head questioningly at her, but she waves it off.

"Just... pre-fight jitters or whatever," she mutters. "Weird, right? I'm usually pumped for this kind of thing. Maybe I'm getting old or something. Losing my edge."

Well, she is a little older than me.

"Fear not, friend Mirko!" I declare, thumping my chest "Even the mightiest warriors feel the weight of responsibility before battle! It is not weakness, but wisdom!"

"Yeah, well, wisdom sucks," she shoots back with a forced laugh. "I prefer just diving in headfirst and figuring it out as I go. That's always worked for me before. Wisdom or whatever is for the eggheads."

She fidgets with her gloves, adjusting them.

"Live every day like it's your last, that's my motto," she says, almost like she's reminding herself. "That way you don't have regrets. You do what you want, say what you want, kick who you want. No holding back."

I nod encouragingly, though I'm not entirely sure where she's going with this.

"But lately I've been thinking..." She pauses, her ears drooping slightly. "Maybe there's a difference between not holding back in a fight and not holding back with... other stuff. You know?"

She glances at me, then quickly looks away when I meet her red eyes.

"Like, hypothetically speaking," she continues, speaking faster now, "if someone wanted to do something but kept putting it off because... I don't know, timing or whatever... would it be better to just go for it? Even if the timing's still shit? Or would that just make things complicated?"

I'm not entirely sure what she's asking about, but I give her what I hope is an encouraging nod.

"Tch, what am I even saying?" She rubs her face with both hands. "This is stupid. I'm being stupid. Must be all this waiting around making me think too much. I'm built for action, not... whatever thinker bullshit this is."

"A noble warrior contemplates many things before the great battle!" I boom supportively. "There is no shame in such reflection!"

"Yeah, maybe." She doesn't sound convinced. "Or maybe I'm just overthinking shit that doesn't matter."

I’m no expert but I can tell she's feeling nervous despite all that bravado she was showing off. Which is incredibly strange for her—she should be practically vibrating with excitement for the oncoming fight. This is the biggest cape free-for-all she's been waiting for, the kind of chaos she usually lives for.

Mirko suddenly groans, pulling her long ears down. "Ugh, I'm not worried or anything, don't get that twisted! I'm just... a little pissed that I won't be able to kick as much ass as I want, you know? Can't be everywhere at once, and that pisses me off."

That doesn't sound entirely convincing, and the way she's avoiding eye contact tells me there's something else going on.

But well, whatever she's thinking, I'm not going to force it.

"Fear not!" I boom, reaching over to give her a rough headpat that thoroughly messes up her perfectly styled hair. "Your valor and strength shall surely find worthy adversaries to challenge! The battlefield awaits your righteous fury, and many villains shall fall before your unstoppable kicks!"

She swats at my hand but doesn't actually stop me, a grin breaking through her expression. "Yeah, yeah, save the whole justice speech for the bad guys, big guy. They're the ones who need the lecture, not me." She pauses, picking her ear. "And don't you dare hog all the fun. I wanna hear all about how you kicked that scaly bastard's ass when this is over. Every single detail, got it?"

Yeah, just like Futaba promised she convinced everyone to not engage Lung and leave it completely to me.

But before I can respond, simultaneous explosions go off across the city.

Multiple blasts echo through the streets, shaking windows and setting off car alarms in a cascading wave of noise and chaos. Smoke plumes rise from at least three different directions.

Another goes off.

And this is it. The dragon hunt begins.

Oracle immediately comes to life in the communicator in my ear. "It's started! Oni Lee came with multiple suicide bomber clones to cause as much confusion as possible across all the city! I'm tracking Lung right now—give me two minutes to pinpoint his exact location!"

And another explosion goes off.

Mirko immediately pumps her fists together with a wild grin, her earlier mood seemingly evaporated. "Hell yeah! Finally! Alright big guy, go kick some ABB ass for me! Show that bastard what real power looks like!"

"INDEED!" I boom eagerly, flexing and striking a heroic pose. "The forces of evil will meet the unstoppable hammer of justice! No flame shall deter this righteous crusade! Their villainous rampage ends today!"

Mirko barks out a laugh. She turns around, ready to leap away toward a nearby building to join the fray.

But she doesn't.

She pauses mid-step, her ears standing straight up. Then she turns back around wearing a different expression.

"Oi, big guy."

I tilt my head.

But she remains silent before she takes a breath "Screw it. No regrets, right?"

Before I can process what she means, she walks up to me. Without warning, she makes a quick jump, grabs my shoulder for leverage, and plants a firm kiss on my cheek.

"For good luck," she says, landing back on her feet with a wink, flashing a cocky grin. "Don't go dying on me before I get another shot at finally beating your ass, got it?"

That was... sudden. But absolutely welcomed and appreciated. Very much appreciated, actually.

"I accept your blessings, valiant rabbit of justice!" I declare, my voice booming even louder than usual with enthusiasm. "This courageous act shall fuel the fires of righteousness within my soul! None shall stand before the combined spirit of our heroic resolve!"

She laughs again, loud and unrestrained. "Yeah, I figured you'd say something like that. Now get going before Lung burns down half the city! And you better come back in one piece, you hear me? I'm not done kicking your ass yet!"

And with that, she launches herself into the air with those powerful legs, catching a window ledge and propelling herself even higher before disappearing over the rooftops toward the chaos.

Meanwhile, I'm left standing there for a moment, one hand unconsciously touching where she kissed my cheek.

Yeah, not lying that it was a nice motivation.

Focus, Daniel. Dragon to fight. Justice to dispense. 

"Friend Oracle!" I talk to the communicator. "Evil awaits its reckoning! Justice shall not be delayed! Point me toward the dragon, and I shall deliver righteous fury upon his wicked head!"

"Dammit, nothing yet! Give me another minute!" Futaba's voice crackles back, sounding stressed. "Just—stay ready, okay? The second I have him, you're going in."

I take a deep breath and keep waiting.

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

-Rumi Usagiyama, Mirko-

Meanwhile…..

WHY DID SHE GIVE A KISS TO THE BIG GUY?!

GOOD LUCK?

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!

A kiss. On the cheek. 

For good luck.

What kind of sappy bullshit was that? That wasn't her style at all! She didn't do cutesy good luck kisses like some blushing schoolgirl! She was Mirko—the hero who kicked ass first and asked questions never!

Although... she didn't mind it.

NO. Nope. Not going there.

She shook her head violently, her ears flopping with the motion as she landed on another building.

Ass-kicking now. Bullshit thoughts later.

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

-Victoria Dallon, Glory Girl-

The city exploded—both metaphorically and literally.

This was exactly why Oracle had pulled strings to get her and Amy a week off from Arcadia. Victoria had been on constant patrol for the last week, doing endless rounds near ABB territory.

That girl could have just told her instead of being all cryptic with her messages. Would've helped Victoria prepare a hell of a lot more mentally for this chaos.

'Damn Thinkers and their need for dramatic reveals,' Victoria thought bitterly as she banked hard through smoke-filled sky, her passenger screaming the whole way.

"Let me go, Glory Hole!" the Asian cape dangling from her grip screeched, still trying to land punches that wouldn't have fazed her even without her force field. Just another Brute—strong, durable, and stupid enough to keep fighting when he was already caught and dangling a hundred feet in the air.

Despite being built like a linebacker, he whined like a toddler. An idea formed in Victoria's head, petty but satisfying.

"Okay," Victoria said sweetly, her smile all teeth, and released him.

"NONONO WAAAAAAIIITT—!" His bravado evaporated instantly as gravity remembered he existed.

Obviously she wasn't going to let him become a stain on the pavement but he'd been an asshole, and a little scare never hurt anyone. Well, not permanently. She counted to three, then dove after him, catching him by the ankle seconds before impact.

"You bi—" he started, voice shaking.

One look—just one glare with her aura flaring—and his mouth snapped shut so fast Victoria heard his teeth click.

With her cargo finally cooperative, Victoria accelerated toward the PRT-designated drop zone. Down below, Mom and Aunt Sarah were still in the thick of it, trading blows with capes Victoria hadn't even known existed until today. It was insane how many capes the ABB had been hiding. They'd been stockpiling capes like other gangs stockpiled guns.

'At least they're mostly weak,' Victoria thought. Street-level threats at best, but there were just so many of them.

Uncle Neil and Eric had been redirected to Empire territory half an hour ago. Of course the ABB would use this opportunity to hit the Nazis, and of course Kaiser's people would retaliate with their typical disregard for civilian casualties. The whole city was turning into a war zone.

Skidmark's death—shocking mainly because he hadn't overdosed years ago—had left a massive power vacuum in the Docks and Trainyard. Naturally, Lung had decided this was the perfect time to expand his territory.

'This must be what the old New Wave felt like during Marquis's gang war,' Victoria realized, a chill running through her despite the heat from the fires below.

The drop zone came into view: a cluster of armored prison transport trucks, PRT officers in full tactical gear, and industrial containment foam dispensers mounted on tripods. Standing among the organized chaos was Eraserhead.

He spotted her immediately and gestured to a clear landing area where officers were waiting.

"Special delivery, guys!" Victoria called out, releasing the Brute from her grip.

He hit the ground hard but rolled to his feet. "FUCK YOU BASTARDS! You think you can—"

The idiot actually tried to run.

"Seriously?" Victoria muttered, already preparing to crash into him.

But Eraserhead moved faster than thought itself. His bandages shot out like a snake, wrapping around the Brute's legs and torso. One sharp yank and the cape was on his back, struggling uselessly against them.

PRT officers swarmed him immediately. A metal collar snapped around his neck with a sharp click, followed by a generous coating of containment foam until he resembled the world's angriest marshmallow.

"Thank you, Glory Girl," Eraserhead said. He rubbed the back of his neck tiredly—the man looked like he hadn't slept in days. Although he always looks tired. "That makes three today."

Yeah, she was a little busy.

"No problem. One bad guy delivered, receipt not required." Victoria was already rising back into the air, her eyes scanning the district. Smoke pillars marked at least a dozen different hotspots across the city. "Now I gotta get back out there."

"Glory Girl," Eraserhead called up, making her pause mid-flight. "Be careful. The situation's deteriorating fast. Our intel suggests they're not planning to stop—this is an all-out push for territory. Don't do anything reckless."

"Pfft, yeah, I know. I'll be careful," Victoria shot back with more confidence than she felt. She was Glory Girl, New Wave's golden child, the mini-Alexandria—invincible, untouchable, unstoppable.

She could handle this.

But almost on cue, as if the universe wanted to prove her wrong, another explosion thundered across the city. This one was closer to the Boardwalk—civilian territory. Orange and red flames licked at the sky like the city was bleeding fire, and even from this distance, Victoria could hear the screams.

Her stomach dropped.

"Damn it." Victoria's jaw clenched, her hands curling into fists. 

Things really were going to get worse before they got better.

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

-Ethan, Assault-

He was on the frontline, having just finished delivering an uppercut to a cape who had really sharp teeth and had tried to bite his face off moments earlier.

He wasn't alone; Snipe and Miss Militia were doing excellent work taking out the thugs with containment foam and rubber bullets. There were lots of them, seemingly endless no matter how many they took down. Always a new truck arrived to drop off another group, or the ones they'd taken down got back up and attacked again.

Something was driving them forward instead of making them flee as soon as things didn't go overwhelmingly their way.

Velocity was evacuating as many civilians as his speed allowed, and Ethan was fairly certain that at least sixty percent of the people in the area had been cleared out by now. Battery was in another area, also fighting to keep everything at bay, and since there were no distress calls, she seemed to be doing just fine with her squad.

Although it was strange that they separated the two.

It really sucked that the gangs had decided to start a full-blown turf war, but obviously he'd needed to suit up and defend the city until reinforcements arrived to help them contain the situation.

He ducked as a ball of fire flew past his head, the heat singeing the air where he'd been standing moments before. His eyes narrowed as he focused on the pyrokinetic cape responsible for that particular party favor.

It was going to be a very long day.

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

-Carol Dallon, Brandish-

Carol finished restraining the last thug in the street, zip-tying his wrists before dropping him unceremoniously against the wall. Nearby, Sarah subdued a cape, gagging her securely. The woman's power - banshee screams - could rupture eardrums or leave victims disoriented and vulnerable. The gag was a necessary precaution.

Victoria would arrive shortly to transport the cape to PRT containment. It was the safest method Carol and Sarah had devised for keeping Victoria away from the immediate danger while still utilizing her strength. The situation in the Bay had deteriorated into open gang warfare, and Carol refused to take unnecessary risks with her daughter's safety. At least Crystal was out of the city - one less worry for Sarah.

The groan of tortured metal shattered the moment. Carol spun, light blazing into her hand as a weapon while a massive figure hoisted a car overhead. He hurled it toward them without hesitation.

Both women separated instantly. Carol rolled clear as the vehicle crashed between them, glass exploding across the pavement in a shower of glittering shrapnel.

Carol snapped her attention to the new arrival. He was built like a living fortress - muscle layered upon muscle, with glowing tubes connected to his chest and arms. His physique rivaled True Might's impressive frame, and Carol had only seen one other cape with that particular build: Muscular, one of the ABB's enforcers.

He wasn't alone. Two capes flanked him - one with metallic arms, the other sporting a battery pack strapped to his chest and gauntlets that crackled with visible electricity.

Carol's jaw tightened. More unknown capes emerging from ABB territory. The pattern was deeply concerning, especially since she'd personally helped capture a couple of their capes a little over a month ago. Where were they all coming from?

"So... New Wave," Muscular said, his voice carrying an unexpected calm as he rolled his neck. Joints cracked audibly in the tense silence. "Not the company I was expecting."

Carol shifted her stance, light weapon ready and positioned defensively. Sarah mirrored her without needing communication. They'd fought together long enough to operate as a single unit. Muscular was dangerous, his strength rating alone made him a significant threat but they had considerable experience handling powerful brutes.

The man raised one hand in a casual gesture. Behind him, more vehicles screeched to a halt, disgorging masked thugs who immediately leveled weapons at them.

Carol's jaw tightened further. This was bad. Too many capes seemed to forget that most heroes weren't bulletproof. But she and Sarah had contingencies for situations exactly like this. All they needed was the signal to spring into action, and her sister force fields would make short work of—

Muscular tilted his head slightly, raising his hand. Carol tensed, ready to dodge, but he showed no hostile intent. Instead, he merely pressed something behind his ear, beneath his mask. His demeanor remained unchanged, but his next actions spoke volumes.

His massive hands shot out with surprising speed, seizing both villain capes by their throats. He lifted them effortlessly off the ground. They struggled desperately, limbs flailing frantically as they choked.

Victoria arrived in that moment of chaos, but rather than immediately attacking, she hesitated, clearly trying to process the scene. "What's—"

Muscular released his grip. Both capes collapsed like puppets with severed strings. Unconscious or too dazed to fight - either way, they were out of commission.

"What is the meaning of this?" Sarah demanded, though her voice carried undeniable bewilderment.

"Finally getting rid of filth," Muscular replied, his tone matter-of-fact as he rolled his right shoulder. He made another deliberate gesture with his left hand, and the thugs behind him immediately lowered their weapons. "Now I require your help."

"Uh, what?" Victoria's question captured everyone's confusion perfectly.

Carol kept her weapon manifested, her mind racing through possibilities. Nothing about this situation made much sense. An infamous ABB enforcer attacks them, then immediately turns on his own gang members? Her instincts screamed trap, but the execution felt wrong for a setup. 

"Explain yourself," Carol demanded.. She refused to lower her guard, but she recognized they needed information before acting. "Now."

“You can help us to dismantle the ABB for good, or you can waste time questioning my motives while children remain in cages."

“Us?”

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

-Futaba Sakura, Oracle-

Coil wasn't lying, at least not entirely. The Teeth had attempted to enter former Merchant territory to establish a foothold, but Coil’s mercenaries had swiftly dispatched them. As in, brutally killed every single one. That's what Mirko had reported before being forced to retreat when those same mercs started shooting at her too, which was pretty damn rude considering she wasn't even interfering.

But the Teeth weren't the only group making moves. There were other parties actively trying to gain a foothold in the city, and that was deeply worrisome. Because after this they would have to look out for any stragglers which that man would also hunt…

She absolutely did not want to feel even remotely thankful for Coil's "cleanup" efforts.

Futaba leaned forward, studying the map spread across her new screen. She'd even bought two new monitors specifically for this event—a 32-inch display now dedicated entirely to camera feeds and another for the city map. She'd procured some decent surveillance equipment, and Mouse Protector had set them up in strategic locations before everything went kaboom.

Sadly, bad luck struck when one of her fifteen cameras got destroyed by Oni Lee's initial bomb run. At least she'd gotten some decent footage before it went down.

Just as predicted, the ABB was attacking on all fronts. What made her stomach churn was the sheer number of unnamed capes in their forces. Not hundreds, thankfully, but many dozens at minimum. Most seemed relatively weak, which made sense why they would flock to Lung, but numbers had a quality all their own.

The PRT had acted really fast and were able to set up a defensive line that was holding remarkably well, keeping the ABB from breaking through to more residential areas. That was good news, at least. The former Merchants had largely folded under the ABB's assault, while others tried to flock to the new players trying to force their way in. The only exceptions were Trainwreck and Mush, who were somehow defending a single city block together. 

Mirko had tried to “”””””assist””””” them, infinite quotation marks, but couldn't accomplish much by herself. Well, she kicked a lot of butts but that doesn’t translate too much in the grand scale of things.

But what she truly feared was happening in Empire territory.

Kaiser, despite his support base being crippled after the "unprovoked" attack by True Might and the subsequent arrests, had easily rallied his forces. The threat of the ABB taking over their neighborhoods had brought every racist piece of shit out of the woodwork, swelling the Empire's ranks for this fight.

The skinheads were throwing themselves at the ABB forces with fanatic zeal, and the Empire still fielded some seriously powerful capes. But unlike the heroes trying to minimize casualties, the Empire was outright maiming and killing ABB members without hesitation. She could see it clearly through her camera feeds—the corpses littering the streets, the wounded writhing in agony.

Cricket and Stormtiger were the most vicious, tearing through ABB capes and unpowered members alike with brutal efficiency. Although, Fog was a close second because his gaseous form, left them vomiting their guts out—literally in some cases. It was a little disturbing to say the least.

On the other hand, New Wave and Mouse Protector, with PRT support, were actively working to mitigate the violence and prevent the Empire's "call to war" from spiraling completely out of control, as they were fighting both Empire and ABB forces alike. 

Things would be more complicated after this day. Nothing brought people together quite like conflict, and Kaiser knew exactly how to exploit that tribal instinct.

The police force was deployed in full strength, SWAT units included, trying to contain the violence and protect civilians. Ambulances screamed through the streets on continuous rotation. The hospitals were warned so hopefully they won’t be overwhelmed.

It really did feel like a war zone out there. Like something from news footage of failed states, not an American city.

Then her phone chimed, and she snatched it up immediately. Show that she received a message.

"We made contact."

Futaba's face split into a grin as she stretched her arms above her head, feeling some of the tension drain from her shoulders. 

Finally, some good news.

Her ABB insider—a relatively new and incredibly valuable asset. What made this connection special was that the woman had reached out to her first, not the other way around. And the real surprise? 

The insider was none other than Lady Nagant, although not really her actual cape name since she introduced herself with her real name and her actual cape name was "Nightline". Although it was still shocking to see that woman “working” under someone like Lung.

Obviously she had to double check everything because one couldn’t be too trusting.

Everyone knew about Oni Lee as Lung's pet assassin. But Nightline was the one nobody knew about—the secret weapon kept in reserve. She'd apparently replaced Bakuda, the bomb Tinker who'd originally been part of Lung's crew in the original timeline. Nightline was also the sniper who'd tried to assassinate the capes Mirko and Daniel had captured a little over a month ago, though she'd failed on purpose and the one she killed was actually a psychopath with many serious crimes under his belt.

It was thanks to the woman that Futaba had learned Bane, or Muscular, was planning to jump ship with his crew given the opportunity. And this chaos was the perfect chance for him to make his move. More importantly, Nightline knew the locations of critical ABB infrastructure, their hidden safe houses, their supply networks, the laundering fronts, bank accounts, everything.

Now that Bane had made contact with New Wave as arranged, they could systematically hit all those important targets and destroy the foundation of Lung's criminal empire.

And save hundreds of people in the process, the victims trapped in ABB human farms or brothels if they wanted to be less crude about it.

Futaba's fingers flew across her keyboard, pulling up the target list. So all she needed to do was to send it back to her ally and wait for the results.

Once she finished sending the target list, her eyes scanned the multiple camera feeds, looking for any opportunities or emerging threats so she could make the respective calls to the closest independents in the field. Then something caught her attention, one of the feeds covering ABB territory. She frowned and zoomed in on the specific camera.

The street was empty, eerily quiet compared to the chaos elsewhere. But there was a building belching thick smoke from multiple windows. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, checking her incident logs. No bomb had detonated in that location according to her records, and it was deep inside ABB-controlled territory where fighting hadn't really occurred.

"Did somebody seriously leave the stove on?" she muttered, pushing up her glasses.

That would be spectacularly unlucky timing. There wouldn't be any firefighters responding until things calmed down across the city—emergency services were already stretched impossibly thin, and nobody wanted first responders getting caught in the crossfire. She should probably send the Undersiders to check it out and extinguish the fire before it spread to neighboring buildings. They weren't participating in the gang war anyway, since their powers weren't suited for that kind of open combat, and Futaba wasn't going to force them into a meat grinder just to prove something.

She was a good shadowy boss after all! She took care of her people.

But then the building suddenly exploded.

"What the—!"

Debris erupted outward in a massive blast, chunks of concrete and twisted metal flying in every direction. The shockwave was visible even through the camera feed. A massive plume of smoke billowed into the sky, obscuring everything in a dark cloud.

She leaned forward instinctively, nose almost touching the screen, holding her breath as she waited for everything to dissipate. Her heart was racing now.

When visibility finally cleared, her eyes widened behind her glasses as she gasped audibly.

Lung stood in the crater where the building used to be.

But this wasn't the normal Lung she'd seen in footage or that the city was accustomed to dealing with. He towered at least eight feet tall based on the surrounding buildings for scale, his body covered in metallic scales that gleamed with an almost silver sheen in the firelight. His massive shoulders and hands were wreathed in actual flames that burned with intense heat—she could see the air shimmering around him even through the camera. His eyes glowed a menacing orange-red that seemed to pierce through the screen itself, radiating pure hatred.

The gang leader launched into a sprint with terrifying speed for something his size, heading straight toward the PRT defensive line with single-minded determination.

A moment later, Oni Lee emerged from the smoke-filled debris, following in Lung's trail like a loyal dog.

Futaba's mind raced, putting the pieces together as things made sense. 

Lung had been deliberately preparing to enter the fight—that's why he hadn't appeared at the forefront of the initial attack. He'd been using Oni Lee in that building, deliberately triggering his power's escalation. Building up power, growing stronger, letting his transformation progress before entering the actual battlefield.

And soon he would start transforming into his full dragon form once he passed the nine-foot height threshold. Then ten feet. Then twelve. Growing exponentially more dangerous with every passing minute of combat. And that meant massive collateral damage everywhere.

The Protectorate capes stationed at that defensive line were competent, experienced heroes, but they wouldn't be equipped to handle Lung at this level of escalation and further. Not without Armsmaster, and he was currently occupied deep underground looking for Coil’s bombs. She still hadn't received a status report on from Mandalay yet.

Hopefully Dragon would deploy her suits to intercept and slow Lung down, buy them precious time. But Futaba was acutely aware that Lung's flames soon enough could melt steel, and Dragon's suits—while impressive—weren't invincible.

But this was also the moment she'd been waiting for.

Her hand had already grabbed her phone before she consciously made the decision, muscle memory taking over as she pulled up Daniel's contact. Her thumb hovered over the call button for only a fraction of a second, adrenaline sharpening her focus.

This was his moment. 

She pressed call, bringing the phone to her ear as it rang once, twice—

"It's showtime."

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

-Daniel, True Might-

Oracle found Lung, but has grown, and soon he'll start becoming a dragon. I guess it's slightly convenient because it means less time pretending to fight on equal grounds, but the bigger he gets, the more difficult it will be to drag him where I need him. Either way, I'm already in position.

I had to make a few jumps across buildings from where I'd been waiting, and now I'm at the intersection, ready for the fake dragon. According to Futaba, he's charging at full speed toward the PRT and Protectorate defensive line.

I'm crouched low, ready to break into a full sprint the moment I get the signal. The plan is simple: intercept the growing bastard and take him outside the city as fast as possible, where we'll fight without danger of collateral damage. I'll drag things out just enough to keep up appearances that Lung actually has a chance against me—at least until he reaches Leviathan size. Then I'll crush him entirely.

Simple but solid. Almost similar to the original plan Oracle had at the beginning, just with some refinements.

That's when my phone buzzes, which makes me frown. I pull it out to check the notification.

New Mission Alert!

There can only be ONE dragon... for now

It would be too easy and boring if you became a dragon and beat the fake at his full size. And revealing your hand too early? Where's the entertainment in that? Make it interesting.

Main Objective: Defeat Leviathan-sized Lung WITHOUT using any of your dragon transformation

Rewards: 

-Based on performance 

-5 Lootboxes

Okay, that was already within my plans anyway—to beat Leviathan-sized Lung without using my dragon form. It's good field training for when the actual Leviathan arrives at Brockton Bay, and my dragon transformation is a trump card I want to keep secret as long as possible. Earth-bet cannot know this yet.

Still, I guess it's appreciated that a new mission finally popped up. Been a while since I got one of these.

Then the comm crackles to life.

"Ten seconds! Get ready!" Futaba's voice comes through, tense with anticipation.

I take a deep breath, hyping myself up. For this moment, I "borrow" a certain motto from All Might himself.

"PLUS ULTRA: JUSTICE RUSH!"

And I spring-launch into a full sprint, my feet cracking the road with each thunderous step as I accelerate to speeds that I didn;t think I could reach before. The asphalt buckles and shatters under the force of my momentum.

Sorry.

And just in time, the giant form of Lung appears right in my field of view, crossing the intersection. He's probably nine feet tall now, covered in thick silver-gray scales. Fire is enveloping his arms and across his torso.

He barely has time to turn his head toward me before I make the leap, cocking my fist back and putting everything into it.

"JUSTICE PUNCH!"

My right fist lands perfectly on his jaw with a thunderous impact that echoes through the street like a gunshot. The blow breaks his momentum completely and knocks him off his feet. Lung crashes into the pavement hard, cratering the road beneath him with the force of the impact.

Not wasting a single second as I land back on the ground, I rush forward and grab Lung by the head with both hands. His metallic skull is hot to the touch—not burning me, but definitely hot enough to burn anyone else who tried this. With a grunt of effort, I leap high into the air with him and immediately start bunny-hopping across buildings, dragging the fake dragon with me toward the outskirts of the city.

Regrettably, I'm damaging buildings as I go, but they're just surface cracks caused by the combined weight of Lung and me on each landing. Nothing that can't be repaired. Better some property damage on empty rooftops than letting this fight happen in the middle of the city where people could die.

However, Lung recovers fast and he starts thrashing violently in my grip with an inhuman roar that probably was heard by the entire city.

"YOU!"

His hands have transformed into vicious claws, and he's actively trying to tear into my arms, raking them with increasing desperation but doesn’t even tear my outfit. Then fire erupts from his body in waves, engulfing both of us in flames as he attempts to burn me alive.

Obviously, my body resists the heat without any problems. It's like standing near a particularly warm campfire—noticeable, but hardly uncomfortable.

"Justice is my armor, villain!" I laugh, maintaining my grip and continuing to jump across rooftops. "Your flames cannot pierce the shield of righteousness! Surrender now and face judgment with dignity!"

It’s just lip service. I want that fight.

He merely roars again, wordless and feral, and starts hitting me everywhere with increasing strength. His claws scrape uselessly against my skin, leaving no marks. His flames wash over me harmlessly.

But he keeps growing as expected. Since he started at nine feet, he's continuously losing his human form and taking on the dragon’s shape. His neck is elongating, his face becoming more alien with each passing second. Wing-nubs are starting to protrude from his shoulders.

Wait…

Isn’t that growth… a LITTLE TOO FAST?!

I’m forced to apply more strength to keep him from breaking free by accident. Can't let him slip away now that I can see the mountains in the distance. 

Almost there.

"Struggle all you wish, villain!" I boom, tightening my grip on his increasingly inhuman head. "Your flames shall not deter my glorious Justice, not even if they come from the depths of the darkness of villainy! Your evil reign of terror ends today beneath the mountains!"

"I W-ILL KILL YOU!" Lung snarls, his voice already starting to distort as his face reshapes itself. "I-I WILL NEV-ER LOSE! NEVER!"

His claw finally gets a proper grip on my head, trying to tear off my face with desperate strength. But my perfect and indestructible body easily resists the attempt—his claws slide off my skin like he's trying to scratch diamond.

He roars in frustration, growing another foot taller even as we sail through the air. 

"YOUR STRENGTH MEANS NOTHING AGAINST MY JUSTICE!" I declare, adjusting my grip as his head continues to grow and reshape.

Another leap, another building. We're nearly at the city's edge now. Just a little more and we'll be in the mountains where he can grow as large as he wants endangering no one.

Lung thrashes harder, his transformation speeding up, making me glance down. He's probably twelve feet tall now. He is growing another layer of scales, and the fire emanating from him is getting hotter—still not enough to tickle me, but definitely reaching temperatures that would instantly incinerate a normal person.

"LET. GO!" he roars, his voice becoming less human with each word as his claws keep bouncing off me. "I WILL CRUSH YOU! I WILL—"

"SOON FIEND!" I interrupt with a booming laugh.

I land on the final tall building at the city's edge, and instantly I begin to spin—faster and faster, building momentum. Lung's increased weight actually helps, giving me more force to work with as I rotate in a controlled circle on my heels.

One. Two. Three.

"SPINNING HAMMER OF JUSTICE!"

And I release.

The Asian cape lets out a roar as he's hurled away helplessly, sailing through the air in a perfect arc away from the city. His growing wing nubs flap uselessly, unable to correct his fall.

Just as planned.

And all thanks to Futaba—the path I took was the best one to get him out as fast as possible with minimal collateral damage to the city.

The fake dragon of Brockton Bay crashes against the empty mountainous ground with tremendous force, the impact echoing across the valley like thunder. Dust and debris explode outward from the crater he creates, forming a massive cloud that obscures everything.

I bend my knees and make the jump to catch up with him, sailing through the air as well.

I land in front of the crater with a ground-shaking thud and raise my fists in a fighting stance as the cloud of dirt and dust begins to slowly dissipate. 

Now it's time to put on a show.

For a moment, there's only silence. Just the settling debris and the wind whistling through the mountain pass.

Then movement.

A flaming claw emerges first from the dust cloud, each finger tipped with a blade-like talon that digs into the rocky ground.

Then a second claw appears, equally massive and wreathed in fire.

‘Huh, cool reveal incoming.’

Then a third claw punches through the dust cloud.

Wait, what?

A fourth claw slams into the ground, the impact sending tremors through the earth.

I narrow my eyes.

The dust swirls as something massive begins to rise. Bat-like wings start to unfurl. The flesh stretched between the skeletal fingers  it's blackened, almost charred-looking, with veins of fire running through the membrane like a spider's web of molten lava.

Wait, wait, wait—something's wrong here!

The silhouette within the dissipating cloud is way bigger than it was moments ago. Way, way bigger.

An elongated neck rises from the crater like a serpent emerging from the depths. The head that follows is no longer remotely human, a deformed dragon's skull with an X-shaped maw bristling with teeth pointing in every direction.

The creature opens its jaws and releases a deafening roar directly into the sky. Fire erupts from its throat in a massive column, and when it disperses, flaming meteors rain down from above in a cascading shower that pounds the mountainside all around us.

And that's when the cloud finally clears completely.

"TRUE MIGHT!" The thing that was Lung bellows in a voice that sounds like metal scraping against metal. 

I stare up at him.

He's enormous. Easily twenty-five feet tall already if he isn’t already 30 ft. Four muscular arms, each corded with unnatural strength and tipped with foot-long blade-like claws that look sharp enough to cut steel. The legs are digitigrade now, more beast than man, ending in taloned feet that dig furrows in the stone. Four massive wings spread wide behind him, each one large enough to block out the sun, casting his form in silhouette against the sky.

Layers upon layers of scales cover his entire body. Not the metallic gleam or silver colored. Instead almost black in places with an oily sheen. Between the scales, I can see veins of molten lava flowing across his body, pulsing with heat and light. 

And steam rises from his form in waves.

This isn't right. Wasn't he supposed to take way more time to grow to Leviathan size?! He should still be maybe fifteen feet tall, still working his way up!

"I. WILL. NEVER. LOSE!" he bellows, each word punctuated by gouts of flame spraying from his deformed maw. His neck bends in an impossible 'U' shape as he looks down at me with pure, undiluted hatred. "NEVER DIE! NEVER DEFEATED!"

The ground beneath his feet cracks and melts from the sheer heat radiating off his body.

Well... I guess there's a change of plans.

"KILL YOU!" Lung roars. “KILL!KILL!KILL!KILL!KILL!KILL!KILL!”

He whips his long tail; the appendage cracking against the rocky ground. The stone shatters where it hits, sending chunks of debris flying in all directions.

But you know what? That's fine.

I pump my fists together with a grin. 

"FOR JUSTICE!"

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AN: Yeah, I know lots of pov changes in this chapter but was the best way to come up to present the situation overall instead of just Daniel sitting duck waiting for things to finally kick in.