The Lightbringer — Chapter 13

My cape radar didn’t pick up anything on the way here, but there was still hope. 

The border between Downtown and the Docks seemed like a hot enough spot to see some action even on New Year's Eve, even if it was just regular thugs looking for trouble. Finding nothing but small fry would be disappointing, but I could use some test subjects. 

I needed to see how Holy Fire worked beyond burning empty soda cans. I'd rather field test it on a deserving goon instead of stray dogs. In game, holyfire was exactly what the name implied, a mix of fire and holy damage. But this was real life, so it might do something funky like ignoring fire resistance for all I knew. 

Holy damage was another mystery to solve. I'd tried to Exorcise some poor soda cans, but that didn't do much. I couldn't say if it had no physical effect at all unless I tested it on something alive. If I had to guess, it was probably some spiritual bullshit that sodomized the soul until you begged for mercy, so I had to wait for some acceptable targets. 

God knew the ABB and Empire could use some spiritual cleansing. 

As I kept walking, the sound of heavy footsteps caught my attention. 

My cape radar pinged, that alien voice whispering a single word at the back of my mind. Beastmaster. 

Beast wha— 

Just then, three giant mutant dogs came barreling down the street ahead, muscles bulging under patchy fur and bone spikes jutting at odd angles. They leaped over a tall chain-link fence nearby, and less than a minute later, screams started echoing from inside. 

Gunfire quickly followed. 

I replaced the Cape Radar with Privacy, immediately popping my stealth field and refreshing my buffs. The familiar warmth of Fortitude and Might settled over me as I broke into a jog. 

The screams and gunfire grew louder as I approached. Through gaps in the fence, I could see people dressed in red and black running from the giant dogs, lest they became chew toys. Others were shooting at the beasts, bullets pinging uselessly on thick hide and bone plating. 

Rachel, huh? 

Was this a dog fighting ring? 

I climbed the fence and dropped inside, landing in that classic superhero crouch. The compound was maybe half a football field, with a large warehouse and scattered crates. Some Empire goons were lying on the ground, some of them playing dead, but most of them were out cold. I couldn't spot anything beyond minor injuries and fractures, so I quickly moved on. 

Rachel sat atop one of her mutant dogs, using the massive bone spikes jutting from its shoulders as cover from gunfire. She was hunched forward, posture all aggression, and one hand gripping a spike for balance as she directed her minions with sharp whistles. 

I buffed her with Fortitude, golden light flashing around her for an instant. Rachel's head snapped around, searching for the source. 

She gave up after a few moments, whistling sharply and pointing at some Empire guys hiding behind a car. Her fierce mount charged, flattening the vehicle's roof with one paw. The thugs screamed in panic and scattered like cockroaches. 

I couldn't help a smile. These dogs were pretty cool. Giving them a couple of powers and buffs would turn them into nightmare fuel. That could be fun— 

A sound like jiggling metal suddenly reached my ears, growing louder. 

I looked ahead just in time to see a large metal wolf burst out from the warehouse like a storm of spinning razors and jagged hooks. Hookwolf charged the nearest mutant dog with the same kind of ferocity as Rachel's beasts. 

Two more capes stepped out after a moment. 

A woman with a metal cage over her head and a sharp sickle in each hand, dashed with a twitchy hyperawareness like she'd just snorted a line of coke, making a beeline for Rachel and her mount. 

The other cape, a shirtless man despite the winter cold, with chains wrapped around his limbs and a white tiger mask covering his face, strode out confidently. He extended both hands, and blades of compressed air shot towards one of the dogs, carving deep furrows in its hide. 

The beast didn't even seem to notice, but another sharp whistle quickly had it switching target to Stormtiger. 

Meanwhile, Hookwolf kept darting around like a human blender, but he wasn't doing much damage either. The dogs had too much mass to hurt without some serious firepower. He must’ve realized it too, because he broke off and went after Rachel instead. 

Shrugging, I walked closer to the warehouse, taking stock. I didn't find any other capes inside, though. Just a few stragglers cowering behind crates and a bunch of dogs thrashing inside their cages. My shoulders drooped with a disappointed sigh. One day I'd find that nazi brat, and— 

A sharp whistle drew my attention back to the fight. 

One of the mutant dogs was limping, front leg crippled, trying to catch Stormtiger while the man kept shredding its other feet with compressed air. Hookwolf kept zipping around Rachel's mount in a similar hit-and-run strategy. Cricket kept the last dog busy, her good reflexes enough to avoid getting gored even if her sonic screech did little to bother the beast. 

Maybe these neo-nazi weren't as dumb as I'd thought. 

Rachel didn't look like she was going to give up, though. Crazy bitch. Even with Fortitude turning her into a brickhouse, a direct hit from Stormtiger might still fuck her up. She should be running away while her dogs could still move. 

Suddenly, the dog chasing Stormtiger collapsed, front legs giving way under its own weight. Stormtiger immediately switched targets, hands extending toward Rachel and firing compressed air. 

Shit, this was getting worse. 

I pointed a hand at Stormtiger, Light already gathering in my palm. I should step in. Just take this guy down and— 

Something impacted Stormtiger's exposed back. 

The man jerked around in confusion, took a few swaying steps, and then collapsed face first on the ground like a jobber, a sleek crossbow bolt stuck between his shoulder blades. 

My eyes widened, the Light fizzing out in my hand. 

No way... 

Sophia? 

A thrill shot up my spine. I scanned the rooftop but found nothing. Frowning, I glanced around in confusion before my gaze landed on Stormtiger again. As I blinked, the sleepy nazi vanished, like someone had suddenly cut him out of reality. 

My eyebrows shot up. Ah, of course. 

Smile pulling at my lips, I replaced the Skin power with my cape radar. 

Shadow. 

A flicker of excitement washed over me, spreading warmth through my chest. 

She was here. And she was abusing her new Stranger power so beautifully. 

This had to be my lucky day. 

When Stormtiger popped back into view, he was zip-tied like a Thanksgiving turkey, the bolt missing from his back. Sophia was still nowhere to be seen, but I could vaguely pinpoint her location with the cape radar. She was heading towards Cricket. 

The woman had noticed the lack of ranged support and disengaged, putting distance between herself and the mutant dog. She ran back towards the warehouse entrance, baiting the beast to chase. As the beast charged, she moved at the last moment, an impressive display of inhuman reflexes and acrobatics. She dodged underneath the giant dog, sliding between its legs as the creature crashed headfirst into the warehouse door, metal groaning and bending at the impact. Cricket spun around, grabbing the bones jutting from the dog's left hind leg and began scaling it. 

She only managed a few steps before a crossbow bolt hit her in the back, and she collapsed in an undignified heap. 

I couldn't hold back a snort. Sophia made these guys look like jobbers. 

While the mutant dog freed its head from the gap in the door, Cricket disappeared just like Stormtiger. She reappeared moments later, her arms and legs zip-tied, and the tranq bolt gone. 

An impressed whistle escaped me. 

I could see why people were so terrified of Strangers. Sophia was making a measly Tier 0 power look downright nasty to deal with. Taking out two Empire capes in under two minutes without breaking a sweat. 

Smiling, I dropped my stealth field, walking in the shadow of the warehouse wall while looking around expectantly. 

Soon enough, there was a rustle of wind. As I blinked, a black-clad figure appeared from thin air on my left, her hockey mask angled towards me and eyes alight with recognition. 

Shadow Stalker in all her edgy glory. 

My stomach fluttered and my heart picked up. 

"Fancy seeing you here," I greeted with a friendly smile and a wave, golden light unfolding in my palm. 

The Light washed over her, and she stiffened, her hand twitching around her crossbow before she lowered it. 

"The fuck was that?" She hissed, her eyes narrowed behind her mask. 

"Temporary Brute rating. You're bulletproof, and you can bench-press a telephone pole. Should last a couple hours." 

Her posture relaxed slightly. She glanced at the ongoing fight before fixing me with another glare. 

"Been stalking me again?" Her smoky voice was honey to my ears. 

"Nah, just came back from a party. Saw the mutant dogs and heard the screams. Got me curious." I shrugged, flashing her a smile. "I see you've been busy." 

"That dumb bitch..." Sophia pushed out an annoyed breath. "I was scouting this place, and she just barged in like a wrecking ball. Almost fucked up my whole thing." 

I gestured for her to step closer. "Come here. I'll cover you with my stealth field." 

She hesitated for maybe a second before moving into range. I wrapped the Privacy veil around us without any fanfare, propping my back lazily against the warehouse wall. 

"Nice work dealing with those super nazis." I gestured with my chin at the tied-up Stormtiger and Cricket, the corner of my lips curling wryly. "That Stranger power is really coming in handy, isn't it?" 

"You don't know half of it." Amusement colored her voice. "I could've dropped them anyway, but when I'm like this?" She swept her free hand in a lazy arc. "They can't even see it coming. Stormtiger's airflow bullshit is useless. Cricket ain't much better either. She might notice a gap if she used her sonar but can't dodge anyway when I'm phasing the bolts." 

"Too bad your power doesn't make you invisible when you phase. I could've given you a Brute power instead of the stealth field." 

"Yeah..." 

She went quiet, shifting in place as she gave me a strange look. 

"Thanks for the powers," she said after a while, sounding a bit like she was pulling teeth. 

The gratitude in her voice was enough for me, though. 

"Don't sweat it. Seeing you fold villains like that is a reward all by itself." 

She turned her head away, crossing her arms with a huff. "Weirdo." 

A flicker of amusement twitched on my lips. She was really warming up to me, wasn't she? Didn't even need that Super Therapy for this. 

Hm. Maybe I should slot it in just in case? 

We lapsed into silence, watching Rachel and her two remaining dogs as they tried playing whack-a-mole with Hookwolf. Not the best matchup. The man was too durable in his bladed form. The dogs would get their limbs shredded before they put a dent in that murder blender. 

"We doing anything about that guy?" 

Her mask tilted as she gave a brief shrug. "Can't do jack shit to him when he's like that. That bitch better run while she's still ahead." 

Unfortunate. 

But... 

A smile pulled at my lips. 

Time for that long-awaited field test. 

I pointed a hand at Hookwolf and reached for the Light. Sparks crackled between my fingers like fierce tongues of flames. Not the gentle warmth of healing or its shielding embrace. This was purifying fire that burned deeper than the flesh. 

Holy Fire erupted around Hookwolf in a golden pillar. 

The two giant dogs leaped back, startled, and Rachel's head swiveled around, searching for the source. A bloodcurdling, metallic screech filled the yard as Hookwolf ran, metal sloughing off his form like melting wax. 

"You can set shit on fire too?" Sophia's voice carried a hint of disbelief. "Your power's such bullshit." 

I aimed my hand again at the fleeing Hookwolf, my smirk turning predatory. 

"Watch this." 

Light flickered anew in my palm. A purifying warmth that ignored flesh and scorched something deeper. 

A bright flash illuminated the night. 

Hookwolf stumbled, lighting up like a golden beacon, and then fell to the ground with a metallic screech. Light poured out of his eyes and mouth, as if his soul was being scorched from the inside. 

"Holy shit." A quiet whisper came from my left. 

Indeed. 

I slipped my hand in my pocket, turning to Sophia with a cheeky grin. "In case you missed the fireworks tonight." 

That got a quiet, slightly muffled snort out of her. She shook her head. "Your jokes suck." 

My smile turned softer despite the jibe. 

"Happy New Year, Shadow Stalker." 

Her eyes widened behind her mask. She didn't answer immediately, a beat of silence hanging between us, and then— 

"Happy New Year, dumbass," she grumbled out, looking away. 

Her gaze settled back on Hookwolf, and she let out a low, appreciative whistle. 

The man was hugging the asphalt, those half-melted metal hooks slowly receding to reveal his human body. He didn't look injured, just lying there unmoving, motes of light still radiated from his face. 

I couldn't help an impressed whistle of my own. Exorcism was hardcore. 

"What the fuck did you do to him?" 

"Made him see Jesus." 

Sophia's mask snapped towards me. "Shit, you killed him?" 

"Nah." I shook my head. "He's slated for the Birdcage. It would be a shame to skip that." 

The girl barked out a sharp laugh, her head tilting back a fraction. I couldn't see her face, but I'd bet she had a vicious little smirk on her lips. 

"I knew you had it in you." 

There was a hint of respect in her tone. 

A warm, fuzzy feeling settled in my chest. I caught myself smiling like an idiot, but thankfully, her attention was back on Hookwolf, her hand reaching inside one of her belt pouches. 

"Don't worry about tying him up," I said. "He's not waking up anytime soon." I’d be surprised if he did. 

Her hand dropped back to her side with a grumble, and she fell quiet. 

Rachel and her giant minions had gathered around the injured dog. She was doing something, either trying to heal it or retrieve her animal from the meatsuit. Not that I cared what she did now. The show was over. 

I looked around, wondering how long we had until the PRT showed up. 

We should probably get moving soon— 

"So, why the fuck haven’t you answered my message?" 

Sophia's prickly voice bit my ear, pulling me from my musings. 

Huh? 

I met her glare, brow furrowing. "What message?" 

“On PHO. The thread about your light show. Have you even checked it?” 

My stomach sank. 

What the fuck. I missed her message?! 

"Yeah, but I stopped reading after that PRT post." I should have checked it again. "It was just people posting shit and trolling." 

Sophia exhaled loudly, something half-angry and half-tired. "Figures..." 

"I'll give you my PHO handle." 

"Later." She gestured sharply at the unconscious capes. Rachel had vanished at some point inside the warehouse, if the screams coming from inside were anything to go by. "We gotta scram before the PRT shows up." 

Good point. 

"Not taking the credit?" I asked, curious. She'd just dropped two Empire capes like it was nothing. She'd have bragging rights until she graduated from the Wards. 

"And get a one-hour lecture from Mom Militia and Piggy?" She scoffed. "No thanks. I know I'm good." And so very humble. "I don't need the PRT to tell me that." 

"I'd pay money to see them try to figure this out." I gestured at the unconscious villains with a hand, mouth quirking with a smirk. "They'd probably link Hookwolf to me if anyone saw that light, but the other two? Guess there's another Stranger in the Bay. Have fun." 

"What?" She bit back, a note of amusement in her tone. "You don't have some power that lets you spy on them?" 

"I wish." 

A quiet snort escaped her. 

As we lapsed into silence, Sophia pushed herself off the wall and we quickly made our way across the yard. Sophia just phased through the metal fence, watching me smugly from the other side as I quickly scaled it and jumped to the other side. Sophia stiffened as the distant sound of sirens broke through the eerie quiet of the night. 

"Let's go." 

I spared the sleeping nazis one last look, only to pause at a sudden thought. 

Shit. She used her PRT-issued tranquilizers on those two... 

If the PRT did a blood test, they'd figure out it was her. 

Unacceptable. 

I pointed a hand at the two capes, bathing Stormtiger and Cricket in a cleansing flash of Light. 

"The hell was that?" Sophia hissed from next to me as the glow died down. 

"You tranq'd them with your PRT stuff. They'd know it was you if they did a blood test, so I burned the sedative." 

A look of disbelief replaced her glare. "Wouldn't that wake them up, you idiot." 

"Nah." I shook my head. "I didn't cleanse everything. It should last another couple minutes until the PRT shows up." 

"Whatever. Let's go already," she hissed again, elbowing me in the ribs. 

I took the cue, and we both broke into a run down the street. She only slowed down when we got a couple blocks away. 

As we passed by a streetlamp, I noticed Sophia giving me a sizing look. 

A wave of excitement fluttered through my stomach. 

No way. Was she checking me out? 

"Lost some weight, huh?" 

I smirked. "Super metabolism." 

Sophia gave a scoff. "Cheater." 

"What, you don't want the power of super gains?" 

"And replace what?" Her mask tilted slightly. "You said you have a five-power limit." 

"Still do." 

"Then no." 

My smile widened. "But what if I told you I found a way around that?" 

A scoff escaped her. “You're kidding.” 

"Nuh-uh." 

"Bullshit." 

“So,” I said with a smug drawl. “You know Dauntless, right?” 

She paused mid-step, giving me a long look. A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes as it finally clicked. 

“Bullshit.” 

"Mm-hmm. I can put powers in objects too." 

She kept staring, a beat of silence stretching between us. Shame I couldn't see her face. 

"What can’t you do?" 

I shrugged. "Beat Scion in one vee one?" Probably? It'd take one hell of a prep time. Probably a super Enchanted item and a couple years of work. 

An unladylike snort came from beneath Sophia's mask. 

"So, Eidolon and Dauntless. Is that how you got your new makeover?" Her gaze lingered on my face. "What's the deal with your age, anyway? You looked well in your twenties and now you look like a college freshman." 

"It's how I normally look." Technically true. 

She paused again, her stern mask pinning me with a blank stare. 

"Are you retarded?" 

A snort escaped me. Even without seeing her face, her voice carried that sour, prickly mood like magic. "I was just taking a stroll on my way home. Didn't expect to stumble across cape shenanigans." 

Another beat of silence. I could tell she was judging me. If it were anyone else, it'd probably piss me off, but this was Sophia. I couldn't get mad at her for something like this. 

"Wow." Was all she said, an utterly flat tone mixed with disbelief that made it hard to keep the smile off my face. 

"What?" 

"You're a Changer and you still go out with your real face?" 

Huh. 

When she put it like that, it kinda made me sound retarded. But... why should I bother when I was going to use a different face for my hero stuff? 

"Why not? I won't look the same in my hero identity." 

A quiet breath left her mask, shoulders lowering in what looked like resignation. 

"I know how you look like, dumbass." 

"And?" I shrugged. Why did she make it sound like such a big deal? "I trust you." 

She kept staring at me. 

"Oh my god, you're fucking serious." 

So dramatic. 

"Yeah. I don't mind if you know." 

The words hung in the air as she kept staring at me. Then, her head turned back to the street with a huff as she pretended to ignore me. 

"Whatever," she said after another moment, and I couldn't help another smile. 

She was cute like a cactus. 

We walked in silence for a while. The sirens still blared in the distance. We'd gotten out of there just in time. 

I had confidence in the stealth field, but Chadmaster probably had some super sensors in his Iron Main suit that might pick up something. I'd rather not risk it when I was with Soph— 

"You wanna hunt more thugs?" Sophia spoke up, her gaze still fixated ahead. 

My smile widened, showing a bit of teeth. 

"You bet." 

This was the kind of New Year's celebration I could get behind.