I landed on the roof of the building hard enough to make bits of the concrete roof to go flying. I was larger now, I had doubled the growth I had done in the last week. My horn was almost six inches long now and becoming slightly more pointed. It still had the roundness, but to a lesser degree. On top of that, I felt magic humming inside of me, threatening to boil over and shoot out randomly. The sheer power from it was causing my heart to beat heavily against my chest.

Cheshire slid off my back, the first person I have ever carried. I was only able to accomplish it because of my new size. She knelt down near the roof and observed the scene below us.

It was Hookwolf, thrashing wildly as some sort of smoky blackness attempted to cover him, jetting out of the hand of some cape I hadn't seen before. Oni Lee was here too, teleporting back and forth around Hookwolf, grenades in hand in each scenario.

"If you interfere both Oni Lee and the new guy are going to run," Cheshire said. "It'll be just you and Hookwolf."

"I can handle it," I said, taking a step towards the edge of the roof. My horn glowed as I began to shape my magic into something new. It was like telekinesis, but give more direction. It had the kinetic ability that I used to lift objects, but concentrated into a thin beam with a single direction; push.

I shot down the beam from where I was, striking Hookwolf directly in the chest and hurling him into the ground. I continued to focus the beam on him as I lifted in the air with my wings and started to descend. Half way down, I cut off the beam and grabbed Cheshire with my telekinesis. I landed on the ground with my wing spread wide. True to her word, Oni Lee and the other one turned and disappeared the moment I landed. Fine by me.

I looked back at Cheshire as I set her down. She gestured her head in the direction she was going before taking off at a jog, giving me a reassuring grin as she disappeared around the corner.

I turned to look back at Hookwolf again. He was pulling himself to his feet inside of the hole my beam had put him in.

"You," he growled.

"What is happening?" I demanded of him. "Why is there fighting all over the city?"

"New gangs," Hookwolf answered gruffly. "Attacked us. Killed our own. Out for blood." Well, that explained why we were in Worker territory.

I stretched my wings out a little farther and stomped a hoof down in front of me. "You won't get any here." I declared. Instead of an answer, Hookwolf reared up and leaped at me.

Threw up my shield just a moment before he collided with me, throwing me backwards and shattering the shield. I took off and flew above him, grabbing onto five basketball sized rocks and threw them right at Hookwolf's head.

He turned ninety degrees and jumped for the nearest building, throwing me off guard as I failed to see what he was about to do before it was too late. He dug his claws into the face of the building before pushing off and leaping towards me, his claws grazing my flank right across my mark.

I resisted the urge to cry out at the stinging sensation as I flew higher and he fell back down to the Earth. Obviously, small rocks weren't going to help me now.

I grabbed on to the largest piece of debris in the area with my magic, a large piece of asphalt the width of a car, and threw it at Hookwolf. He raised two claws and smashed his way through it. Just in time to get hit with one of my kinetic beams.

As much as I would like to keep using the beam, it was currently the most draining spell I had. Instead, I grabbed on to the largest rock near enough to him and started bashing it against Hookwolf's head.

He stood back up and let out a roar before leaping towards me again, this time I was able to keep out of his reach. I needed something else. My telekinesis wasn't strong enough to put him down and my kinetic beam was too costly to my magic. I thought about picking Hookwolf up and throwing him, but judging by how every step he took made indents in the ground I could only imagine how heavy he would be.

Suddenly, something flashed in my eyes. I turned my head and saw Cheshire standing at the far end of the street with a hand mirror reflecting the sun into my face. She pointed behind her down a far street where a large orange arrow was sprayed on a wall. I got the message just as she disappeared.

Hookwolf was in the middle of scaling a wall to get to me when I turned back to him. A beam was all it took to send him hurtling towards the ground in a rain of rubble and building material he was ripped out of the wall.

I shot downward and nearly clipped his head before soaring past him and flying in the direction of that Cheshire indicated. But Hookwolf was faster than I gave him credit for. He flicked out a claw and I screamed as three blades passed through my wings.

I rolled across the ground for a few feet, my back skidding across the pavement and the gravel Hookwolf had made of the asphalt. I shot to my feet as soon as I was able and took off the direction I meant to on hoof, deliberately ignoring the growing pain in my left wing and flank.

Hookwolf was charging after me as I ran for the street Cheshire had indicated. I hoped there was a Glory Girl around that corner or something or I was mincemeat. I floated a healing potion out of my saddlebags and started chugging it down as best I could as I ran, getting most of it on the ground. It would stop the bleeding, but that was about it.

I was vaguely aware of that my hoofs weren't making the same sound they did across pavement. Instead, it was more of a metalic sound, as if I was running across a large piece of metal. Daring to look down, I saw it was painted oddly.

Glancing backwards, I saw Hookwolf almost within arm's reach of me and I started pushing myself harder. And then suddenly, the ground fell away.

The metal was covering a massive hole in the road.

I leapt forward at the last second diving for the edge of the hole as I saw it appear from the falling metal. I managed to get two hoofs on the edge, my chest slamming into the walls of the hole hard enough to make me wince.

Cheshire was suddenly there, grabbing my hoof and pulling me up. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as she pulled me out. Getting stuck in a hole with Hookwolf did not seem like a good idea.

Glancing back in, I saw Hookwolf standing up right, waist deep in what looked like liquid concrete. I was about to asked Cheshire who did this when The Workers came out.

They emerged in numbers I had never seen before, coming out of the surrounding buildings by the dozens. There had to be at least fifty of them, probably more. Each one had something on their back, something looked vaguely like foam sprayers, but different.

One by one they lined up around the hole they had made in the entire street. Cheshire and I had to move back to avoid getting in their way, reminding me of the pain I felt in my wing. I was taking out another healing potion when they pulled the triggers.

Over fifty jets of flame erupted from the nozzles of their tanks, filling the hole with fire from all directions. For a few moments, all I could hear was the roar of fire. The hole was a blaze of orange flame and smoke, the haze of heat radiating off it so intensely I could feel it from where I was several feet away.

And then Hookwolf raised a hand over the edge of the pit, letting out a low groan that resonated with the surrounding buildings.

The Workers moved out of his way, continuing to keep their flame throwers on him and he clawed his way out. His entire body was glowing red hot and dripping melting metal across the ground. He spotted me and attempted to let out a roar, only for a loud moaning sound coming out.

He took a step forward towards Cheshire and me, causing us both to back away. His claws weren't claws anymore, but instead globs of dipping red metal that stuck to the ground. Flames were still roaring on his back and I realized only half of the people were throwing normal fire. The other half was shooting something that stuck to Hookwolf and kept burning. Napalm.

Hookwolf took another step causing me to realize the metal was slow going from orange to a dull red. He was cooling down.

"Oh fuck," Cheshire said quietly.

Hookwolf opened his mouth, strands of liquid metal stretching slowly between the bottom and top of his mouth, and let out a mangled cry. The flame throwers cut out after that, but the napalm on him still burned. Hookwolf wasn't very fast in the first place, but he was getting slower.

I watched him crawl forward as his disfigured metal body cooled and twisted around him. Unable and unwilling to do anything as we slowly watched his own body turn into a prison.

He reached out a claw where the metal had burned so hot that the blades had formed into rounded fingertips, making it more like a hand. He reached out for me and moaned something as his body slowed to a stop. He was still radiating heat, but the metal couldn't move anymore. He was stuck there, one hand out as if asking for help and half of his body in a melted trail behind him.

The Workers hesitantly turned the flame throwers toward me. I threw up a shield in response, challenging them. One of them barked and order and suddenly all The Workers lowered their weapons and started heading for the buildings they came out of.

"Cheshire?" I asked quietly as I dropped the shield around us. "What was that?"

"The Workers." She answered grimly. "They were preparing for this. I should have noticed earlier. They must have had dozens of holes all over the city where no one would notice them, metal bridges designed to collapse the moment Hookwolf was on them."

I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows. "That is a little ridiculous," I stated

"I know," Cheshire said, shaking her head. She stood up and brushed herself off, glancing at the frozen Hookwolf. Metal had formed over where his eyes were, only his gaping mouth stopping him from being completely encased. And even then cooled strans of metal stretched between each jaw like malformed teeth. I briefly wondered if he was still alive in there or if his metal form was more of his body than it should have been. I couldn't decide what was worse, being trapped in your own skin or dying as your body melts around you.

I decided not to think about it.

"We have to go," Cheshire stated. "There is more going on here, and I got a feeling that The Four are at the root of it."

---

I landed in front of the PRT building with Cheshire on my back again. This time, a small army of PRT officers were there to greet us. One walked out to meet with us, flanked by two more with foam sprayers on their back.

"This way Nova," he said. "Who is your tag along?" I glanced at Cheshire, who answered for me.

"A previously anonymous partner. Cheshire, you can call me." The man nodded and turned away to lead us inside.

Getting in was much the same, although now I noticed I was as tall as most people's shoulders. Yet, despite that no one was looking me in the eye.

We were lead to the Tinker elevator and stepped silently inside with the three PRT officers that had greeted us. Nothing was said. Silence filled the small compartment as not even Cheshire thought of something to point out.

The doors open and we were led down a hallway I had not yet encountered. They brought us to a conference room and we let ourselves inside to see every hero in the city gathered.

All of New Wave was here minus Panacea who was probably out healing people, independents that have been doing some off and on work the last couple of months, the Wards, and at least half of the Protectorate. I assumed the rest were out running damage control.

"Nova, glad you finally made it." The voice belonged to Director Piggot, who was standing at the head of the table, addressing the rest of the room. I scowled but didn't say anything, just nodded. A lot of people were staring at me and Cheshire, but I didn't care. I still couldn't shake the feeling something had happened and I needed to know.

"Is there anyone else?" Piggot asked Armsmaster, who was standing by her side.

"Only some obscure independents that might not have gotten the message. We are ready to begin."

"Good," Piggot said with a curt nod. She glanced at everyone around the room sourly and started to speak.

"Three hours ago Hookwolf was broken out of his cell by Empire Eighty-Eight capes. They were making their escape near twenty minutes later when the group know as Industry appeared out of nowhere and killed Kreig via sniper shot to the head before he could use his power to defend himself. Since then Industry, The Doctors, The Workers, and The Pedites have been working tirelessly to fight the E88 all over the city.

"It wasn't long until Lung took action, currently he is fighting Fog and Night at The Docks with various support. Coil's mercenaries and in an all out firefight with The Worker's all over The Boardwalk. Kaiser along with Cricket, Othala, and Crusader are all engaged Downtown near Arcadia High. So far, Purity has been a no show."

"And what about the other members?" The man who asked the question was clearly new to the scene. He wore a motorcycle helmet to mask his identity and riding leathers as he general costume. I recognized him as the darkness generator from just before I engaged Hookwolf.

"All dead," Piggot said seriously. A silence hung in the air for a long moment. Armsmaster spoke up next.

"The four newest gangs have set up traps specific for each Empire member. They took out Kreig in such a way his power wouldn't protect him, they melted Hookwolf's metal body, they-"

"Sir," A PRT officer interrupted, shoving his way into the room. "There is a video message going out to the entire city. It is a man claiming to lead The Four."

"Understood," Armsmaster answered curtly. He pressed a button on his armour and suddenly a panel in the ceiling pulled back and a large television descended. We all watched it silently as Armsmaster searched for the message on public channels.

The screen turned on to show a group of eight men and women sitting at a half circle table, each one facing the camera recording it. They were all wearing robes, but none of them wore masks.

"By now," the man at the very centre of the table spoke. "The proper authorities should have tuned into to our message to you. We may begin." The man was young, cleanly shaven and had his black hair combed in a professional fashion. He was the spitting image of a businessman all except for the red and gold robes he wore.

"This is a message to all those who make Brockton Bay their home," he began, lacing his hands together on the table he sat at.

"Less than four hours ago Hookwolf burst free of his cell during a planned escape with his fellow Empire members. The reason this was able to happen was because Hookwolf was placed in a substandard cell for a parahuman of his caliber. Even more substandard when history proves that the parahumans in his gang would come and try to free him.

"So the question becomes why? Why would the PRT put Hookwolf in a cell they knew would not be able to hold him? The answer is simple really, because Hookwolf hasn't made his third strike yet.

"By now, many of you will have noticed that parahumans tend to break out of prison a lot. And when they are in prison they aren't unmasked and are instead allowed to still have secret identities like our heroes have. Why is it like this? Why are they allowed to have so many second chances and rights after the fact of their crimes?

"The truth is we don't rightfully know. But after a time it makes one think that this is just one sick game of cops and robbers for the parahumans. A game where the villains are allowed to go back and forth and it's the normal people like us that suffer for it. Like we are just a soccer ball that gets kicked around in their game! Because in the end, we don't matter to them!

"For the last twenty going on thirty years it has always been, 'Humans, Lung is here! Run and hide.' 'Humans, The Empire is here! Run and hide.' 'Humans, the Slaughterhouse Nine is here! Run and hide.' 'Humans, the Endbringers are here! Run and hide.' 'Humans, the Nilbog is here! RUN AND HIDE!' Well? We. Are. Tired. Of. Hiding. From. Your. Monsters."

"Today, we humans killed Hookwolf. We killed Alabaster. We killed Rune. We killed Stormtiger, Krieg, Viktor, Fenja, Menja, all dead! We just killed Oni Lee of the ABB! And we killed them all without the assistance of the so called heroes, without the PRT. And given time, we will kill more. Already we have done more to rid this city of its filth than the Protectorate ever has!

"So if you are a normal human that is tired of getting punted around by parahuman big shots, if you are tired of your homes and businesses getting wrecked because of villains that keep going free, if you are sick of getting forgotten by parahumans that are too important to consider you, then rise up! We are The Sentient, and we are human! We wear no masks, we play no games, and we won't suffer any longer.

"... And this is a message for Brockton Bay's PRT Director Piggot. You know as well as we do that united your parahumans stand a threat, but uniting parahumans is a task in and of itself. You know that a single seed of doubt is enough to tear any bonds parahumans make apart. So if you send the so called 'guardians' of Brockton Bay to stop us, know they will fail. That everything you built we be torn down. We will divide you, and you will never be able to recover. That is our warning to you Director Piggot. Do not take it lightly."

The screen showed photos of the dead parahumans they listed, the eight people fading into the background so the photos were all we could see. Some I expected, like Hookwolf, others were a surprise. Like Oni Lee, who was a charred corpse that was barely recognizable save for the cracked demon mask.

And then Rune's picture came. A single bullet, right in the middle of her forehead, shattering the visor on her mask as it went through. The photo was paired with another that showed her with her mask taken off. Her mouth was open and her blue eyes were staring blankly at the camera.

When the footage shut off I was the first one to speak, slamming a hoof on the table to get everyone's attention.

"What happened?" I demanded. Piggot looked at me coldly.

"I assume you're talking about Rune." She asked. I nodded harshly. Piggot's scowl deepened. "At some point an hour ago, all our camera feeds cut out and when they came back on several arrested gang members were free and Rune had been shot."

"So you don't know who killed her," I said angrily. I felt magic welling up behind my horn, threatening to loose itself.

"I think we can safely assume it is this new group emerging," Armsmaster said. I glared at him.

"It was your job to protect her." I started, putting my hoof down on the floor angrily.

"It was our job to arrest her," Piggot countered. "When you cons-"

"No!" I shouted at her, causing everyone to take a step back as my voice took an odd inflection that made it sound more powerful. "She wanted to become a Ward! She wanted to be one of you!" I pointed a hoof at all the hero lined up. "But she was in the prison cell because you couldn't give her a chance, because it would hurt your precious PR too much. Her death is just as much your fault as it is theirs!"

I hadn't thought half of the things I said until I said them, but once I had, I knew I was right. Rune had been locked away for two weeks with the hope that these people would make her a hero, and now she was dead because of it. Because they took one look at her and said 'Nazi'.

I turned around started walking out the door. Cheshire who had been unusually quiet, walking right behind me.

"Nova!" I heard a familiar voice calling. I turned and saw Assault stifling forward, he normal cheery demeanor gone. "Where are you going? Believe me, I'm just as sad about Rune as you are, but we all need to work together. The entire city is devolving into chaos!"

"Then make your plans," I said sourly. "There is a city out there with plenty of good people getting caught in the crossfire. They need at least one hero that can still do their job." I turned around and kept walking. There were people to save and villains to stop, and it wasn't going to happen in this conference room.

---

A/N: Sorry if there are more spelling mistakes than usual that I didn't catch when editing. I make more mistakes the more excited I am to write something. Also, before anyone asks, there is more to the pit. I was going to explain it later, but just so no one complains the 'liqued concrete' Taylor sees is a extermly viscous fuel source meant to slow Hookwolf and increase the temparure of the already hot flawthowers and napalm, which should already be able to melt metal when you combine fifty of them and point them into enclosed hole.