“Come on, come on! This way! Move quickly, but keep hold of your senses! Don't trample any poor children! You're not animals! Move quickly, but stay calm! Keep it together and everything will be fine! With this many heroes, you have nothing to fear!”

Though somewhat close to shouting himself hoarse, the Margrave wore a triumphant smile. The crowds of civilians occupying the convention center seemed close to depleted, and he now stood above the last stretch of the flow, directing their motion from atop a park bench. He had, of course, worried that in their uncontrolled fear the people would have made a mad dash for safety, running down anyone in their way, and potentially leading to even more casualties than a stray villain might have caused. However, the sight of the populace remaining rational during its escape gladdened his heart. He did wonder why, but for lack of a better explanation, fell upon a single gratifying conclusion: that these people did believe in their heroes. Dozens of capes rallying together for their protection, to cooperate against an evil uprising...it must have inspired the ordinary men and women, making them feel as though as long as those heroes stood tall there was no reason to give into panic. The thought of losing out on the battle's excitement did occur to the Margrave, but now he felt happy with his lot—plus, there wasn't much of a chance of dying to a stray bullet or stone shard out here.

While scanning the crowd for injured or distressed, however, the Margrave perked up, forgetting about the melee inside the building. Something didn't seem right. The flow of people had been disrupted, and though the overseeing Ward couldn't quite identify how, he thought he could tell from the pattern that its cause lay in an individual moving sideways. But why? Surely no scum-sucking troll would try to get his kicks by messing with an evacuation? His mind raced. He could not throw away the possibility of it being linked to the Rockers' emergence; in fact, a less outrageously-dressed (not to mention less outrageously-armed) Rocker could have slipped into the crowd. Such a fellow would be beaten down the moment he tried hurting civilians, of course, so what could he be after? The Margrave scratched his chin. If there was some vagabond in here, and I'm not just overthinking things, how could he do the most damage? Not by attacking civilians, but...he could try to take a hostage or otherwise threaten them into going somewhere else. He snickered. Heh. Not while I'm around. His eyebrows shot up, just as a large figure detached itself from the crowd and sprinted his way. “Oh!”

With a cut-off cry the Margrave took a full-body tackle that bowled him over the bench's back and slammed him into the ground behind. If his chosen pedestal had not been in front of a planter filled with flowers, his career might have ended just there with a head cracked on concrete, but instead his full weight came down on prickly but nonlethal flower-clusters. Still, the hit drove the air from his lungs, and his vision swam. When he started to struggle, he found the man on top of him, pinning him down completely. Hands closed around his neck, and blind terror took hold of his mind. “Guck...ack...khhck!” He pried at the hands, scratching with his uncut fingernails, but his foe appeared to be made of sterner stuff. Blackness began to creep in on the edges of his vision, and it became harder and harder to resist.

“Hey!”

Another shape barreled into his assailant, sending him tumbling. The Margrave could see a fat man with a baseball hat and a beard, someone no more remarkable than your average truck driver. He could see some fear in this man's eyes, but determination too. Nearby, the Rocker got to his feet, but before he could retaliate two more civilians came at him from behind. They grappled him, taking hold of his arms and keeping him in place, until a moment later the trucker slammed a wild punch into his gut. Wheezing, the Rocker collapsed, and a couple more civilians joined in to kick him. As the Margrave watched, the trucker strode over and reached out a hand. “C'mon, bud. Let's get you up.”

The Ward took the offered hand and was hoisted to his feet. After massaging his temples and shaking his head to clear the last of the haze, he clapped a hand on the trucker's shoulder. ”Thank you, sir.” He glanced at the others, standing over the defeated villain wannabe. ”Thank you all. If not for you I might have been dead. Guess that makes you even better heroes than me! ….As supremely effervescent and phantasmagorical as I am. Go ahead evacuate, I'll clean up here.”

Outside, the evacuation effort was well underway and going fine with Captain Morales leading the way and dedicated PRT troopers backing him up. Margrave did his own part as well, though he ran into a bit of trouble against a larger, stronger opponent that got him in a tight spot. Thankfully the people around were feeling especially confident today, a little gift from Captain Morales in a normally panic-inducing situation, and quickly came to the aid of their hero. In no time at all the civilians had been cleared from the area and were herded into a nearby park decorated with tall modern art sculptures. The immediate danger had, thankfully, passed them by.

The senior hero approached Margrave, his decades of trained combat showing in how he carried himself. Yet when he spoke to the young Ward, his voice was soft, and inspiring. "You did well today, adapting to an unexpected event and controlling the crowd. I'll be sure Director Kens and Inkscape are made aware in my report." His words carried weight which served to inflate something within Margrave. Was this effect created by his power? It was impossible to know for sure.

---

Within the concert hall, the situation had been growing quite dim. Ceramix gave pause as Messiah offered to surrender to his terms, and others followed her example. The rock-powered villain was unsure, looking for some kind of trick. Success was not a feeling he had grown accustomed to, as it were, so he expected the setup was a ruse. Right though he was, the reasoning behind his gut feeling was flawed as ever. "How do I know you on the level, bitch?" he shot back, accusatory. As soon as Tiger Lily transformed before his eyes he held the hostages forward in a grand display, further convinced of the heroes' treachery. "Back. The fuck. Up. I don't wanna see no dinos here, and no giant space squid things either. I just want Shatter out of there."

Ceramix began to choke up on his last words, and tears began to drop onto the floor, leaking from the bottom of his mask. The man was visibly crying at the situation his second in command had been put into. What followed was a wailing of pure emotional agony, but it didn't come from Ceramix. It came from within the containment foam. Thanks to being made porous enough to breathe through, it also facilitation communication. From within the white prison Shatterpoint sobbed, his body desperately trying to heave his chest but unable to move enough to accomplish the action.

"He's gonna have a terrible attack! Please, you've got to get him out!"

Meanwhile, multiple heroes took advantage of Ceramix's distraction. CRACKABOOM! The first, most apparent action had been taken by Tulpa's projection, which appeared right in front of Ceramix and unleashing a sonic attack directly upon his senses. "AAAAH!" The Rocker leader nearly jumped out of his own skin, startled and disoriented. By reflex he tensed up, which meant the massive stone hands were about to crush the hapless individuals residing within... Or at least they would have, had it not been for the interference of two more heroes.

Kyoshi blindsided Ceramix, approaching from behind the massive stone arms, a great hindrance in terms of battlefield viewability. Using her powers, she wrested control of one hand from Ceramix, her own variant of earth-manipulation trumping over his direct neural connection. With great difficulty, she broke the hand from the wrist and was able to gently set it down so as not to further disturb the hostages within. As for the second arm, which Kyoshi could not manipulate...

The second arm, too, failed to crush its single hostage. In fact, as Ceramix stumbled around in a dizzy, disoriented state, the arm refused to move no matter what he did. Ultimately Ceramix hung limp from his own floating stone arm like a rag doll, vomiting up the contents of his stomach. That point blank thunderclap had done wonders to neutralize the Rocker leader as a continued threat. But what stopped the arm from making strawberry jam of the hostage? The answer lie in how the hand had become discolored, now a murky black.

Inkscape held his ground, the two tentacles he used as arms extended dramatically like an old 60s sci-fi movie psychic. "It's a good thing that today is one of my better days," he intoned. With a mighty jerk, the hand split from the rest of the arm and set down gently to the ground. The fingers slowly opened up, revealing the hostage from within to be safe and unharmed, albeit still unconscious. "Noble-"

"I got it, sweetie!" Noble flew nearby and took aim with her containment foam gun, then fired off a capsule. It expanded around the villain, completely enveloping him save a bit of the stone arm still attached. Inkscape wiggled his right tentacle-arm a bit, and broke off the remaining stone, letting it drop harmlessly to the floor, then separated his ink from the rock, drawing it back into his own body.

"Good call distracting him with a fake surrender. I doubt that he'd have accepted it from me or Noble, knowing how hard we are on criminals. Excellent method of neutralizing him as well." The cephalopod-like hero mocked wiping hands together in a "hard work done" gesture. "I think this will be more news than the Rockers have ever gotten in their whole careers, hahaha!"



The tuxedo man nodded in approval as Headhunter showed off his impressive skills as a trained soldier. The method was perhaps a bit slow for the Broker, not quite as expedient as a severe concussion, but it would do just as well. He mocked a golfer's clap as the bartender came around to begin tying up the villain, perhaps a little too comfortable with the situation than he should have been, despite the unease he showed. "Then the payout goes to Headhunter of the Jacks. Capital. Now as for this last vial, it would appear we have a competition between the Rockers and an independent force? Competition breeds the best economy, therefore it shall go to whomever can provide the best offer. And since the Rockers' delegate has already stated she cannot pay immediately for the first, I am quite curious to see where this discussion goes."

Smarm oozed from every pore on the man's face. Sabotage was clearly disgusted by it, but opted not to say anything insulting, instead changing the subject back to the original topic of the meeting. "So now we can all make our own allies, our own backup. That's wonderful, splendid really. But now Xolotl has been taken down. I don't know whether to cheer that the Community's strongest enforcer is out, or hide because Patriarch is going to be absolutely pissed."

"Crass as she is, Miss Sabotage draws a fine point," cut in Purge. "The hornets' nest has officially been kicked, and with a very large stick at that. There is no longer an option to turn down this alliance, in my estimation of the situation, so that raises the next question: Where do we take it from here?"

"I can work on dismantling the Community's drug operations," chimed in Retcon with a giggly voice. "That'll poke the bear some more and probably get the other lieutenants to come out of hiding. Maybe Patriarch himself."

"I've observed a great number of drop points for Community information exchange," Macavity added, speaking for the very first time. Retcon nearly jumped out of their seat, startled. "It won't be difficult to follow the threads and see where they go. I will freely offer you all any intel I locate."

Sabotage sighed. "Well, if we're really doing this, then I know a number of their important hideouts, since you're all so kind as to point out that they regularly hire me. I can steal anything of note, and tear down any important machinery to their operations."

"Excellent. I have already been making a push into their territory, so I need not change my current plans. My mafia will continue to own more Community territory and businesses until they choke for resources." Purge's contribution wasn't surprising for the mafia.

"Capital ideas, each and all. I will serve as a neutral party to facilitate communication and distribution of your intelligence. And now, my esteemed colleagues-" The man selling powers was cut off as his cell phone went off. Not a ring to signify a call, but some manner of alert tone. He paused just long enough to check what had interrupted the meeting, furrowed his brow, then pocketed the mobile device before zeroing in on Creep. "News alert. It would appear that the Rockers attacked the heroes' gala today, in force. Ceramix, Shatterpoint, and numerous Rocker members have been apprehended by the Protectorate."

He bit his lip in obvious frustration, to the point of drawing blood. Veins were visible popping up through his skin all over his face, but after a moment of breathing he returned to a calm and stoic state. "This will certainly prove to be an interesting influence on your career path, miss. Do not worry about paying for the first vial. I can see your organization has fallen to... Rock bottom."

Kyoshi breathed heavily before she lowered Ceramix's hand to the ground, placing it down gently and standing there. She turned her head to the rest of the heroes in the Protectorate and around the Denver area. "I-I think someone else should open this up... I'm fairly sure that if I try I'll break the hostages apart accidental-" Kyoshi suddenly quit talking in the middle of her speech before she looked down at her foot. The position it was in... it wasn't natural, to say the least. The landing must have been a bit hard on her legs, as expected, and it caused her ankle to give into the impact.

Kyoshi dropped to the ground and clutched her foot, speaking to the heroes through clenched teeth. "Ohkeeeeyyy, someone here should probably call for some ambulances for the injured... and I'm fairly sure my ankle is broken, and excuse my language but this shit hurts like hell." Kyoshi looked over at Outsider, and she spoke to him via their G4M3R-Branded-Minutemen Communicators (she was pretty sure they were codecs from Metal Gear Solid).

"Go find G4M3R. I haven't heard them in a while."

Judah received the text from Farce and pondered for a few solid minutes. He hadn't anticipated going inside. Nor did he have the desire to. The thought of being lumped in with a bunch of criminal scum made him angry. Against his better judgment he texted both Healer and Farce,



Judah donned his balaclava and became Mantis. He drove up towards the assigned destination. He parked away from the windows, got out and removed his MP5 with grenades from the trunk. He attached them to his belt and looped the MP5 over his shoulder. "So many villains in one spot, when would we get another chance like this? It's now or never," Mantis thought. He hoped Healer and Farce heeded his message.

He made his way outside the view of the windows until he was walking on the sidewalk. The building was ahead on his immediate right. Pulling a couple of fragmentation grenades from his belt he whispered, "God-speed.." Then he pulled the pins and chucked them through the nearby windows. They broke with a smash. He unslung his submachine gun and pressed against the concrete wall of the building. He didn't have to wait long before there were two audible explosions in rapid succession; BOOM! BOOM!

Mantis turned the corner and saw a mess of bodies and destroyed furniture. For what was left he unloaded his weapon at the villains who remained standing or in one piece. His MP5 rang out with a loud Ratatatatatatatatatat! Potential enemies fell, one by one. Time seemed to slow to a crawl.

What seemed like hours passed and Mantis walked through the front door, weapon at the ready. His boots crushing the shattered glass underfoot. He had to make sure his team was alive, and that no villains were left...

---

---

Snapping out of it Mantis could only shake his head as he slammed the trunk of his car, leaving his weapons inside. He deleted the text before he sent it and chuckled to himself, "You're starting to lose it man.."

Taking a deep breath Mantis calmly made his way to the front entrance of the Cruise Room. Then he walked inside making his way over to Farce without as much as glancing at anybody else except Healer. Mantis nodded to her in acknowledgment and turned toward Farce asking, "What's going on? What do you need me for?"

Gabriel replied to The Broker, "I have all the funds required for a vial. I will pay double what the emissary from The Rockers can," He smirked under his mask and his tone revealed his giddiness. Getting back at them was a little revenge so sweet. He saw Mantis stroll in and sit at the table of Lethal Force, but paid him little mind.

Broker then revealed the apparent demise of the organization in reference. The Rockers had been taken down. At first, Swarm didn't know whether to be angry or happy. They didn't get a chance to beat their leadership down after their humiliating defeat at the warehouse. But they were beaten, maybe they weren't worth their time after all.

Gabriel turned once more to Creep and stared. There was no way she would be acquiring the second vial under her current circumstances. He grinned under his mask and addressed her directly, "My deepest condolences. To think that your capable leadership fell to a gathering of Denver's greatest heroes is truly mind boggling," despite his remarks, he sounded genuine. Though his intentions were simply to turn the knife rather then comfort Creep. Being practiced at public speaking helped form his technique.

Continuing he stated, "I would be willing to help you get your organization reformed and back in operation. We need all the teamwork we can get after all."

Perhaps her desperation would lead to an alliance of sorts? Gabriel no longer held any animosity toward the girl. The main leadership was down. What could she do?

It was a crazy situation, Shatterpoint had been captured and Ceramix had taken some hostages. This was a delicate situation and unfortunately Silvia wasn't the best with delicate thing. She could blast Ceramix and try to knock him out, but if she messed that up she could kill both him and all the hostages. Silvia remained hovering in the air watching everything unfold, she wasn't fast or quiet enough to swoop in and save someone from one of the massive stone gauntlets, god she was useless! If only she coul-. Wait what was that? A faint rumbling? Silvia took a moment to look up at the ceiling it being awfully close to her. But before she could even try to think of what the rumbling could be KRAKOOOM! A massive clap of thunder assaulted her ears. She was startled so badly she almost fell from the sky. What in the world!?

Silvia quickly looked back down at Ceramix, some thing had suddenly appeared in front of him, presumably this thing was the source of the thunderclap. The distraction had spurred some heroes into taking action taking advantage of Ceramix's discombobulation. One hero seemingly taking control of one of the massive stone hands, prying it off the arm entirely and saving the hostages. The other hand was being grappled buy a torrent of ink, letting the hostage get rescued from that hand as well. It'd all happened so quickly she'd hardly had time to react. So this was the kind of thing a good cape needed to be able to do. Sylph had a lot to learn obviously.

Sylph slowly lowered to the ground, landing with a audible clang. She was still a little shaken from the thunderclap, standing there rubbing her forehead lightly. The giant squid creature person! Ummm Outsider! that was it! She was going to check up on him, he had seemed to recover from the punch well, as he had shattered the remains of the golem just as Ceramix launched himself from it. But it was the only thought really running through her head so she'd go with that. Silvia got herself to move towards Outsider, a look of concern creeping over her face. "A-are you alright? Taking a hit like you did, you should probably check for a concussion."

---

Healer returned. Three of the Jacks were now surrounding Xolotl. The sensible one wanted him to reveal spies, Sheila doubted that would work, but still.

The man who had attacked the Rockers previously made a claim for the second vial, but of course he did. And he also claimed to not be part of any team, bullshit. You called a vial for Reflections. An anger and a fright went through Sheila. Him, absolutely not him, should be allowed to grant others powers. Him alone, except perhaps the mafia, Sheila knew for certain that amongst those present should not be allowed to get a vial. It occurred to Sheila she might be the only one who could prevent the vial from falling into his hands. He looked at her, Sheila saw him through her power. That was intentional. He still felt animosity towards them for what had happened. Meaning if he gained enough power, there was no way he wouldn’t take the Rockers apart at the seams. Sheila felt personally threatened. The Broker said the one to give the best deal would win it. Damn, that wasn’t good. Double what the Rockers could offer? How much money could this guy possibly have? He didn’t even have a team a little while ago!

The conversation went on in other directions. Someone mentioned that Xolotl was the Community’s strongest enforcer.

‘I remind that Patriarch has Sonika under his thumb. We’d do well to prepare for battle with her,’ Creep said, naturally out of personal worry. That’s how she spoke best, when she worried about something.

They were each speaking of things that each faction could do. Sheila felt she had to stick something into it, to say what the Rockers could do… but that wasn’t a worry. She was worried she couldn’t say anything, and that wasn’t something she could say. Hence she ended up quiet, thinking of ways to say that they had some brute force. She ended up quiet too long, and Broker picked up the conversation again. Okay, it seemed like he had something new to say… at least he did until his phone gave an alert. He looked at it, and then looked at… her?

Then he went and said that.

Ceramix and Shatterpoint has been apprehended by the Protectorate, in an attack she wasn’t aware of.

Sheila’s eyes widened in stunned silence, sitting absolutely still while having turned her head to look at the Broker. Fortunately, her blindfold and mask prevented anyone from seeing her stunned expression, which was the intention behind the mask.

She always knew they’d likely not last long, but… This was… unexpectedly devastating to her. She needed them for her in on the villain community. Without them, she’d simply go back to being a common thief again that occasionally chased bad guys. Without them… she was nothing?

The Broker’s pun was not appreciated, and caused Creep to breathe out a bit in annoyance. At least it seemed she’d be getting the vial for free, which was a slight comfort, she supposed.

But… what was she even going to do now?

She was helpless, without any guidance, with no power backing her, most of the Rockers didn’t even know she existed. How could she possibly-

"My deepest condolences. To think that your capable leadership fell to a gathering of Denver's greatest heroes is truly mind boggling,"

HE spoke to her. Oh, god, why did HE speak to her right now? Don’t think she didn’t detect the sarcasm, despite his tone she was sure he was positively quivering in joy within. She was busy trying to get back from utter panic, she didn’t need him talking as if trying to help-

"I would be willing to help you get your organization reformed and back in operation. We need all the teamwork we can get after all."

Creep’s head threw around at a speed unseen this evening until now to stare at Swarm, fortunately her expression masked because she would have been completely unable to hide her current emotions.

DON’T YOU DARE TRY IT!

I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

I KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!

POWER-STARVING SWINE!

YOU’RE TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE!

TO FOLD US INTO YOUR NEW TEAM!

IT’S ALL A PLOY FOR YOUR TAKEOVER!

WRETCH! CROOK! LIKE HELL I AM LETTING YOU-!?

‘Bold words, Mr. Swarm, coming from the one who invaded our base and threatened to kill us if we didn’t submit to your dominance,’ Creep said, tranquil fury in her voice.

‘Still, I suppose I could use your help getting our base back in order…’ she said, her tone whimsical, leaning back a little.

‘… Seeing how you did such an excellent job decorating our floor.’

She turned her head towards the Broker, and stood up to match his height.

‘The gesture is appreciated. Now I offer you, as the currently highest ranking free parahuman of the Rockers, to-’ Creep hesitated for just a moment. ‘- cooperate with your organization, share information and partake in jobs suggested for at least a month ahead, longer if we find it to be a profitable venture. You can borrow our manpower and parahumans, expecting little in return. You can pay us what you want, as long as my men are happy. I think that’ll make itself profitable in the end. After all, unlike what Mr. Swarm seems to think…’ Creep did not look at Swarm. ‘… Money is not really something you really have use of in such meager amounts, is it?’ So she declared, looking directly to the Broker. That… was her appeal.

To use an organization she didn’t care much for anymore, to get closer to a greater threat.

The greater threat being, of course, the man who has the power to create more villains.

Her premise kind of leaned on that the Broker was interested in her services if she got two more parahumans. That said, if she got the vials, there was no chance in hell the people receiving the vials would be members of the Rockers.

Booooooooooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg.

Sofia was really doing her best to pay attention, but realistically, none of this really concerned her. All she was here for was to look pretty. Anything that was important would be told to her when they got their next mission. Vials were going around and people were getting paid. Sofia leaned back in her seat and looked up at the ceiling, wishing she had been able to bring her ipod to listen to music. But since it was a 'mission' they had to keep their ears free for communications in case something happened.

"Ahahaha~," Mastar laughed to herself. "Well, I'm certainly surprised I worked with the fantastic Protectorate heroes today! What an exciting day it has been, indeed..." Mastar jumped up into the air before falling down and crossing her legs, a bit of her tarry body stretching down underneath her and forming a small chairlike form to keep her up. Putting her arms behind her head, Mastar kicked back and relaxed before speaking once again.

"Y'know, I wish I could join you kids. You all are a fun lot to hang around, and an even better lot to fight alongside." Mastar snapped a set of fingers before her hand completely morphed into a tentacle, the other hand doing the same. "Ahh, that would be the dream. Unfortunately, it may never happen."

---

"I-I just need you to be here and take over for management. These are our new... unconventional allies. I'll explain everything later..." Farce put her head in her hands as she returned to yelling at her twin in her mind. She momentarily stopped and remembered the final vial existed"If you want to try and buy that vial of powers, you can. It's 10,000. I'm already getting one for us."

"Mantis is here. Explain to me what's the issue."

Don't you think it's weird that I transform with you? Don't you think that I somehow have a bit of a shard of your powers? Think about it Gaia, if I can switch with you, then I have powers too. We're both a slice of the same cake here. I have powers. If I drink that vial, then it will do jack shit.

"I-I can't... but we could be so much..."

We're already great on our own, we've done tons to further our goal on our own without any of Lethal Force. We don't need the vial... are you crying?

"NO THERE'S JUST WATER ON MY FACE."

---

Jason waited to ensure that Xolotl was handled by the retreating back to his seat warily. That had been.... Interesting. He could only imagine what the Broker had planned for the villain. Nothing pleasant, he was sure.

Several good points were brought up before the bidding for the final vial sprung up, bringing another bout of unease. Given the predicament the Rockers had just landed themselves in....

Clearing his throat he interrupted them. "To interject.... While the arrests of the current Rocker leadership is.... Unsavory, to say the least given the circumstances all around....I feel it oddly fitting to pass along the remaining vial to their new leader. Given that no other member is present, I believe that falls to you." These last words were directed at Creep, a hint of amusement carried in them. "I am willing to pay in cash from my personal funds to supplement the deal, Broker, for irony is the sweetest development. For years the Rockers have been a joke....I would like to see if that changes Ceramix removed and fresh blood added to the pool."

He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head, as he shrugged easily. "Though, of course, that's merely my opinion."

---

---

Lillian growled lightly at Ceramix before a rumble and a bang made her instinctively transform back, falling to her knees beside Messiah and clamping her hands over her ears.

"Uhnnnnnnnng....." she groaned, feeling like a spike had been impaled into her ears. She felt like she might throw up as her vision swam before her eyes. What the hell was that....? she thought to herself.

A ringing settled into her ears as she thought she heard talking faintly. Looking up she saw another glob of Confoam and the unconscious goons safe as she stumbled at her first attempt at standing. They'd...won? But how?

She noticed Inkscape... Was he basically rubbing his hands? That's what it looked like, anyways. And Mastar had popped up on a makeshift chair?

She looked up at Messiah in confusion, still feeling uneasy.

"Better," she said, louder than she had intended before she cleared her throat embarrassment. "Uhm, can you help me? I don't feel very steady."

That... that was it, then. The plan worked, assisted by Lillian and by Lyn’s risky, but ultimately successful (and very loud, leaving her ears ringing a fair bit), thunderclap, not to mention Kyoshi and Inkscape taking control of a hand each, and ultimately Noble’s containment of Ceramix within another glob of containment foam. They’d done it - they’d saved everyone!

Which left a couple of problems. Notably, Shatterpoint was in a state of panic at being contained so, to the point of howling and sobbing wildly, at least as far as the foam allowed him. He was a villain, he ought to have seen that coming... but then, why did Alessa feel so horrible about the thought of keeping him in there? That was obvious, though: it was the same empathy she had for most people.

And there was not a damn thing she could do about it. Not on her own, and certainly not without risking more lives. What she could help with was how Lillian had been affected - that was, badly, to the point of being dropped to her knees and out of her dinosaur form. Kneeling down gently, Alessa pulled the girl up cautiously, supporting her with an arm around her shoulders, murmuring to her ‘Hey, babe, I’m here, I’ve got you, it’s gonna be okay,’ and lightly planting a kiss on one cheek, whilst glancing round to see that everyone else was equally alright.

They weren’t. Kyoshi’s leg was apparently broken badly, and Outsider was being checked over for some sort of concussion by Sylph. Shit. Damn it, damn it... did this count as another...? No. No, it wasn’t like the warehouse. Nobody was dead. Everyone lived, everyone was alive, they were okay! They’d won outright!

Well, Mastar, at least, seemed to think they’d won outright. She was chatting up how fun working with the Protectorate had been - and indeed, what a shame it’d be to not have that option in the future. And, well... overly-sexual actions aside, why wouldn’t she be able to work with them? Her power seemed pretty damn useful, after all...

‘Let’s get you some help, Lily,’ Alessa prompted kindly, guiding her over toward the octopus-like leader of the Denver Protectorate as quickly as she dared, grabbing the hero’s attention with the slightest glint of light, easily mistaken for coincidental, to direct his gaze in her direction before she began speaking.

‘I think Tiger Lily’s suffered more than the rest of us from Tulpa’s attack against Ceramix,’ she suggested matter-of-factly. ‘We may need to get a medic or something in here for her, I’m not sure... and, say, whilst I’m over here,’ she continued a bit more slowly, glancing toward Mastar before concluding her query, ‘I feel like Mastar really pulled her weight today. I’m no expert, but... do you think maybe she’d be a good candidate for the Protectorate?’

The feedback from Captain Morales made the Margrave want to swell with pride, but he kept his impulses in check and merely gave a “Hm!” with accompanying smirk. “As if anyone should have expected anything less from one such as I,” he assured the the senior cape as he adjusted his scarf. He proceeded to say nothing else, and neither did Morales, leading to a seconds-long pause. The silent seconds passed with only a sniff on the Ward's part, whose unaware, unflinching eye contact persisted throughout.

Recognizing after a moment the situation's lack of sustainability, the Margrave executed a dramatic turn that sent the tail of his overcoat billowing while he placed a knuckle against his chin to engage absolute thought. “Hmm,” he postulated, wondering where to go from here. After another few seconds, these engaged in astute reflection, he found sudden cause to snap his fingers. “Right, that golem.” He cast a self-sure smile Morale's way before marching back toward the convention center, telling nobody in particular, “Let's see whether or not the so-called heroes have managed to make a mark in that melodramatic, muh...uh, motherf...megalithic monstrosity...” The articulate antihero trailed off as he sped up, approaching the entrance by which he'd previously exited at a brisk jog. An incredibly loud noise out of nowhere made him jump, but both it and its infinite potential implications failed to impede his progress for longer than ten consecutive seconds, and the Margrave went inside.

A decided lack of action convinced him at a glance that the situation was under control. The stony colossus, no longer in motion, looked to be in several pieces, and while the damage caused to the structure was by no means insignificant, the Margrave could detect no red smears or wailing do-gooders to signify any casualties. “It would appear,” pronounced he, “That we rocked them. Must have been some real losers to be trounced this fast...a pity, I'd have liked to see the looks on some faces after completely negating the golem situation with my phantasmagorical powers. If only any of my alleged 'teammates' weren't too busy going goo-goo to cover me as I got close.” Speaking of—he spotted Alessa, Lillian, and some goopy weirdo a couple hundred feet away.

Hands in his pockets, he waltzed over. “Another battle, another beatdown,” he remarked breezily as he arrived. “You'd think some two-bit nobodies would know better than to throw themselves at a whole convention of Capes, but hey, everyone's got to learn somehow.” He clapped his hands together. ”Alright, who missed me?”

---

Quite pleased with how things had turned out, though he kept an ear to the conversation, Chatterbox finished his approach to Axolotl, then crouched down and looked him over. When he was sufficiently sure that the man was a non-threat, he rose to his feet and glanced at Headhunter.

"Mind giving me a hand getting him outside?" He asked, seeming not to mind the other villains present. He heard their words, but made no effort to comment or respond. 'Broker' had things well in hand.

---

---

A small smile quirked her lips as things went over smoothly. When her attack ended she took her hands off of her ears and mentally recalled her tulpa. Once the others acted, saving the hostages from any other damage, Evelyn dismissed her projection, and it vanished in a brief flash of electrical energy. A shimmering shadow was left in the air, but it swiftly vanished into the ground. While things seemed well in hand, she still counted in her head, waiting till her power would be properly useable again.

"That went well," she said, sounding not just relieved, but very pleased. Though, when she looked and saw Lillian clearly in pain, she frowned. Her own ears were ringing too, but nearly so bad as she'd covered them before hand. She wished she could ahve warned the others.

Instead she walked towards Lillian to help Messiah comfort her. "Is there anything I can do," she said, a tendril of regret slithering its way into her heart. She bit her lip.

---

---

Covering his ears as a sharp pain went through his head, Jake backed up several steps, startled and faintly disoriented. Things had happened so swiftly that he was barely sure what exactly had occured. Though as he registered that it was his ears that hurt, he found that he was happy not to have been in his Second Vessel when that attack had gone off. It would have been so much worse.

Shaking himself, one hand to an ear, he began to cross the distance between himself and the disabled villain. However, before he got to Ceramix, one of the other heroes caught his attention. He met the woman's eyes as she spoke. Even despite the circumstances, her words brought a small smile to his face as amusement blossomed in his chest. It was glorious. He offered her a slight smile, "Thank you for your concern, but I'm quite alright," he responded, eyes shifting to those who were surely in worse condition than him. He leaned in slightly and dropped his volume so hopefully only she would hear. "The body that got hit isn't the same as this one is," he offered as explanation, unwilling to go into the full details with a stranger. Besides this gave things an air of mystery.

Drawing away with a reassuring smile, he patted her shoulder companionably and then made his way to Ceramix, checking his status. The man was unconscious and more than taken care of. No surprises now...he hoped. As he turned away to see where he was needed, Kyoshi spoke. Nodding, with a slight smile, he took a few steps back from Ceramix and the others before shifting forms.

There was a brief emptiness, nausea, and then he settled into his Second Vessel. The pain of his physical body was gone, replaced by the strength and solidity of his other form. Quickly, though carefully, he snaked through the air and took hold of the huge stone limb. Tendrils and hands wrapped themselves around the fingers of rock. Tiny directed pulses weakened the structure and then he pried the stone back till it broke. He used pulses to keep any of the shards from hitting the hostages within, some spare tendrils catching them before they could fall and hit the ground. Once he set them down, and made sure they were properly looked after, he took note of Kyoshi's other words.

"Gotcha, you get taken care of. I hope there's no permanent damage," his hollow voice said, more emotion in it than she would have seen from him in almost any other situation. There was worry for her wellbeing, as well as a sliver of happiness that she wasn't injured, there was the caring of a friend and teammate, and numerous other slivers of emotion.

He didn't seem to notice the difference as his leviathan form turned in the air and took to seeking out G4M3R by the shape of his body and gear. After a moment he found him, at which point he shifted back to his human form—nausea disabling him for a few seconds—and then headed over to their leader. What he found brought a scowl to his face, fear to his eyes, and anger to his heart.

The man was grievously injured. He bent down and checked if he was breathing.

He hoped so....

Psh. Patriarch was no threat to them. Not with the Broker present - the real Broker, not the clone feigning Brokerism, though he could certainly come across as another potential parahuman, depending on what other traits the Broker considered useful in him. That said, it was seemingly quite an issue to hear that both of the Rockers’ leaders were now defeated and captured - Ceramix could be disregarded entirely in favour of his immediate underling, but to hear he was down for the count too was mildly disconcerting. It went to show how potent the Protectorate could be in full force.

Though with that said, and considering the notion as he reclaimed his weapon, Raymond couldn’t care less that the Rockers were seemingly leaderless, even given how that’d affect the Broker’s plan to defeat the Community. They were second-rate at best, and if the organisation was entirely collapsed and reformed from scratch under new management, he imagined it’d still be better than what came before it. For his part, he simply shrugged, allowing others to make their statements to the downtrodden Rocker as she first received Swarm’s insincere guidance, then offered her assistance to the Broker outright, and was then offered Jason’s support... hold on, what now? Why would-

Well, he had just supposed there could be merit in seeing the Rockers reformed. Perhaps Creep would be the woman to do so. Regardless, it seemed Chatterbox was willing and able to check that Xolotl was no longer a threat once he was trussed up, and then to ask for Raymond’s help in getting him outside. As if the assassin wasn’t already planning on doing so. Though, the support might be useful nonetheless.

‘You take the legs,’ he instructed quietly, grabbing the bulky man around the torso and beginning to pull him toward the exit indicated. Even if Chatterbox was built like a twig, every little helped when it came to shifting a body.

This was it. Everything was over. The civilians had been evacuated without a single casualty. Without so much as a single injury, even. All of the Rockers had been detained from the lowliest thug, to both commanders. The heroes had suffered some injuries amongst themselves, but all in all it was a pretty great turnaround for the situation. The worst of the injuries had been suffered by G4M3R, who while very much alive, likely would never be able to perform field work again. His bones would no doubt take a couple months to heal to the point of casual use again. That said, he was lucky to have only been so injured by Shatterpoint. Had the villain willed it, G4M3R would have been killed several times over.

Speaking of Shatterpoint, he continued to scream and shriek from within the confines of his foam prison, his voice growing hoarse, his throat turning raw. Nobody could mistake the sounds of sobbing mixed in. For such a dangerous badass capable of such destruction and personal damage, he turned out to be completely incapable of handling his current situation. Ceramix fared better, concerned only for his compatriot rather than his own captivity.

"Please!" he shouted, regaining his senses and orientation. "The anxiety might kill him! He can't stay in there! Play my music! Someone play my music, please! It'll help calm him down!"

Nearby, Protean had just finished making sure that Overlook was alright. The shapeshifter approached, skin bubbling and changing back into that of a normal human appearance, taking on another brand new face. He held up his communicator, and pressed a couple buttons on the holo-display. "I set it on speaker. Go for it, Decoy." What followed was, quite possibly, the worst composition of rock-core-hip-hop anybody present had ever allowed to penetrate their skulls. The Protectorate and the Wards knew what to expect. After all, it was basic intelligence gathering of a known criminal in the city to listen to the music that Ceramix had placed on the online marketplace. One could argue the anticipation of such god forsaken music only served to make it worse. The rest may or may not have already been aware of Ceramix's unique musical stylizing, but the consensus could only ever be unanimous: this was painful to hear.

Painful to everyone, that is, save for Shatterpoint. Just as Ceramix had said, the "melodies" and "rhythms" calmed Shatterpoint. He had not reached a point remotely close to content or calm, but it certainly reduced his anxious shrieking to a somber weeping, and that was something at least.

"I suppose I'll be working overtime in the office over this. Ay ye ye ye." Inkscape shook his large, bulbous head from side to side in a swaying motion that could have matched ocean waves. "The events will need to be canceled, of course, and rescheduled. I imagine news crews are about to swarm in at any moment. Heroes, be on your best behavior for the vulturous media." He wandered off in order to address each of the Wards individually. All five received warm accolades from the octo-man, though Tulpa had also been given a stern warning to be on better behavior in the future, and not to disregard orders for rash judgments of her own. Disregarding such a small blurb amidst the rest of the congratulations, everything went swimmingly.

After it all, Inkscape congratulated each of the other heroes unaffiliated with the PRT. Angel, Furnace, the Minutemen, and everyone else received a short and curt, yet sincere thanks for their efforts and contributions. However, once he approached Mastar, the Protectorate hero had something else to add on. "It's a shame that your parents declined to let you into the Wards. I think you would do very well in the Protectorate, with the right guidance. If she ever changes her mind, you've always got an open invitation."

With that, it was time to vacate the property. The local authorities and the PRT officials needed to investigate the center for damages. All the captured criminals were carted out to transport vehicles, just as the heroes met with swarms of reporters outside, each one chomping at the bit for an interview, for a private story, or even for just a small bit they could run with, sprinkling their own embellishments into the story. The rest of the day looked to be quite busy indeed...

---

---

The Broker immediately craned his neck at the sound of the door opening up, checking to see the newcomer of this meeting. Seeing the individual in question to be Mantis, he offered a courtesy nod to the vigilante, which was not returned. He seemed to care little, paying more attention to the discussion unfolding before everyone regarding the Rockers, and Swarm. Exaggerating his expressions very much purposefully, he nodded with approval and surprise as Creep verbally tore into Swarm. Though her attitude was impressive, this was still a business exchange and the telekinetic villain's offer was far more enticin-

And then Thunderbolt cut in, offering to back Creep for the unclaimed vial. Well, wasn't this interesting? Seeing the opportunity come up, Purge raised a single finger for attention. "As the debate rages forward, I would express claim over this vial as well. I am capable of paying twice what either Swarm or Thunderbolt can offer."

Sabotage cut in. "You already got a freebie with your lackey there. I'll take the vial, and I can pay in dangerous technology I took from the Minutemen."

The Broker finally spoke up. "I'm sure everyone would like it, even if just to take the piss out of someone else here. However I only offered it between the representative of the Rockers... And Swarm." He raised a hand as if directing everyone to quiet down. "And with our most fascinating development, I am inclined to provide it toward... The Rockers. Consider it an investment in a new startup company. I had better see a valuable profit return, lass."

With the decisions made, Broker began to distribute the vials exactly as previously determined: one for the mafia, one for Sabotage, two for the Rockers, one for Lethal Force, and one for Reflections. During the process, he also provided everyone with the number of a mobile phone, instructing them all to relay any and all information via that number. He would act as the communication nexus in this alliance to annihilate the Community. Meanwhile Headhunter and Chatterbox were moving the unconscious, bound body of Xolotl. The Community's most dangerous, most lethal fighter and enforcer, right there in their hands. He had been so easily dispatched, so easily ruined. On any other day he had power enough to back up his boast: he very well could have killed everyone in that room. Yet in the presence of the Broker... Well, the two of them knew more of the man's capabilities than the rest of the city's underworld.

---

Sheila’s offer had been spurned from anger at Swarm for his suggestion, and now her anger was slowly placating. A slight terror for what the consequences of what she had suggested might be ran through her, but this was no time for regrets. Her focus was on the Broker, slightly aware of the discussion going on between the Lethal Force members over there albeit she couldn’t hear what they said, waiting for the conclusion.

The giant man from the Jacks spoke, the one who had started this meeting. She inspected him. He was huge, intimidating, black armour and skull-like helmet, but the words he had contributed with so far had sounded reasonable. Of course, he was scary as heck and Sheila’d never want to fight him… but he spoke out for her, and even offered his personal money to assist her.

Huh? What? Creep turned to look at him, even though she didn’t need to, in order to show that she was acknowledging him. But beyond that… What? Why? Sheila felt confused. Why would he offer his own personal money to help fund her second vial? Was he just that bored? No. More likely, he was seeking to make her owe him. He’d show up later and possibly ask for compensation. If Creep was a new leader, she was likely impressionable, and as such easy to sway.

She couldn’t truly deny it. He did seem reasonable, she could imagine that she had just been swayed into thinking of him in a positive light, albeit he was also giant and scary. She had no idea what kind of actions were acceptable at this point, so Creep simply gave a slow nod towards him. She hoped it would be translated to “I appreciate it”, but she didn’t want to say that in case it was perceived as weakness.

… Then Purge cut in, and a chill went down Sheila’s spine. Not him. She couldn’t compete with him. Sabotage, too? Well, rather her than him, but… But then the Broker cut short, saying the offer was between her and Swarm only. Sheila didn’t understand entirely why, but she wasn’t about to complain. And then the verdict came… and it was to her. Damn, a tiny part of her that hoped to escape that pressure cursed for her.

Creep grimly nodded to the Broker’s statement, mildly panicked within, unable to reply. She didn’t trust herself to say anything intelligent. The offer had been made in the heat of the moment, because Swarm had angered her. The anger was now gone, and she was starting to consider the scope of what she just got herself into. Not only had she just promised her efforts to the Broker with the slim hope she could make a move to help the world somehow, but she had made herself a target by owning two vials. She felt… so exposed.

With her power, she saw Swarm’s reaction, how he angrily glared at her. The Broker handed her the vials, and the pressure became real. Creep inspected the liquid in her hands, while her power looked at where everyone else in the room was looking. She knew for a fact that Swarm, Purge and Sabotage all wanted those vials, and probably the rest as well. It was a unique opportunity, and all that stood between them was the pathetic and now leaderless Rockers as well as this thin weak-looking girl in a blindfold. It occurred to her that even the man that was now paying for her vial might have done so because he considered her an easy target to steal the vials from after the meeting, since he couldn’t buy them himself as a member of the Jacks. … She could be attacked in this weakened state at any time. She needed back-up.

Options. With these two vials, the option existed to cut her losses and run. The Broker would be mad, but what could he do about it? Except, then she’d be giving up all that she had here, an in on the villains. However, if she stayed, he’d expect her to use the vials. There was no way she’d use them on Rockers. Despite that, these vials presented her with the rare opportunity to get allies of her own, who were aware of what she was doing and potentially supported it. But who in the world trusted her enough for that, that she also trusted in return? There was no such person after she triggered, certainly. Not to mention, they’d have to be an insignificant civilian, or else there was a chance Patriarch had already got his hands on them.

So she’d have to find an insignificant civilian-

Under the blindfold, Sheila’s eyes widened a little in realization.

-that she trusted from before triggering-

Sheila closed her eyes for a moment.

-that also felt an attachment to her in turn.

… There… there were a couple such individuals, wasn’t there? Her friends. Her former friends, from before she triggered. Could she do that? Could she drag them into this hell, all because she felt she needed backup?

... Sheila reckoned she had to think about it. Of course, if she did it, she had to give it as an option that they could deny, and she didn’t even know if the offer would appeal to any of them. Before all that, she had to get the Rockers under her control if at all possible, before thinking about trying to add people to it. First off, she needed to hide the vials.

Coming to this conclusion, Creep started slowly deposited the vials and the note into a pocket on the right side inside of her coat. As she did that, she also attempted to make an illusion with light which would be displayed to others where she reversed so it looked like she was putting the vials in a different pocket on the left side. She figured that maybe she wasn’t trying to affect others, she was simply affecting the light that then affected the others. Worst thing that could happen was simply that it didn’t work. Best case scenario, however, someone who would attempt to pickpocket her would do so on the left side, where there were no vials. Creep then made sure that her illusion (if existent) and her real self got back to the exact same casual stance so she could stop without issue. At the end, she didn’t even know if it had worked or not.

Whenever the meeting ended, she’d have to vanish fast when she came out, that’s for sure. Then deposit the vials somewhere safe, however impossible somewhere like that was to find, before going to try to get the Rockers back in order. Hopefully Visage wouldn’t be troublesome. Ooouugh, what was she getting herself into…?

For now, Creep sat back down where she’d been sitting, keeping part of her eyes on everyone, using her powers. Anyone looking too intently at her, with too much purpose…

---

Jason watched impassively while the decisions were made before he stood back up while the meeting was concluding.

Stopping more than an arms distance away from Creep, he nodded once before leaning down closer to the villain. "I know what you're probably thinking," he said quietly. "No debt. Get yourself people you trust and put out word for me if you need advice. This game can be...." he glanced back at Broker and then the bartender before continuing. ".... Trying. Be smarter than Ceramix was. We need the Rockers working right to stop Patriarch, and you've proven capable tonight. Let me know if I can help."

He nodded again before straightening up, giving Creep a chance to reply before going back to sit next to Whimsy.

---

---

Lillian blushed as the soft, warm lips met her cheek, a shudder running up her spine. Together they walked towards Inkscape, Lillian's steadiness returning somewhat as she stood warily in waiting. But Ink seemed in a fine mood, he'd even commended them!

She could hear the conversation Mastar going on, and she raised an eyebrow in surprise. The girl had been offered a spot before? Why would her parents block her from joining?

"It's crazy what happens when your senses go funny," Lillian murmured. "I don't think I need anything though. It's clearing up already." she trailed off as she leaned against Messiah. She vaguely remembered reading something about ears and balance, but she couldn't recall what that had been about. Maybe in a first aid class? Or maybe it was just power overload. It wasn't like she could turn her senses off....

....poor Sonar. If this was even a fraction of what he was going through....

She resolved to pay him a visit in the coming days. He might not have been her leader, but he was still a Ward.

And Margrave. Her eyes rested on him momentarily as she realized how alone he always was. Just because boys were icky didn't mean she should be ignoring a teammate.

"There's a couple people I need go see after this."

She remained quiet during the rush of reporters, sticking a smile on her face and directing all questions to Inkscape.

Mantis questioned Farce, "10,000 a vial? What's in the via-" he was cut off by the debate for said vials and gradually began to understand what was going on. The vials were very valuable if the villains of Denver were willing to pay 10,000 for each. Even then it was cheap. If they could get a hold of no.2.. Ah, but that wouldn't happen, as the man dealing awarded it to the Rockers gang. Mantis had looked into some of their dealings, but they were considered a joke by both law enforcement and villains. Did something happen?

Then he realized, Mantis hadn't felt anything on the way here from anybody. Even now, where his powers would be most potent, nothing. He mentally tried to send a thought to Farce but was unable to. Something was blocking his powers. He began typing something up on his phone and sent it to Farce and Healer, "What's going on with the powers?"

Afterward, he leaned forward at their table and waited. There wasn't much to do until Broker began handing out vials. Farce had asked him to take over as the team leader. Mantis intended to make the most of a undesirable situation. Even without his powers he was very good at reading people. Perhaps exchanging a few words with this Broker would give him some insight into his character and motivations. It wasn't every day you would hear about a villain willingly giving up power to work together for a common goal.

Mantis walked forward, his boots thudding against the ground. When he reached this Broker he calmly spoke, "Mantis from Lethal Force." He extended a gloved hand and retrieved their vial. His balaclava concealed his identity as he continued, "What do you get out of handing these over? It is awfully generous for a man of your, reputation." He spoke without disdain, but with genuine curiosity. He was practiced in interrogation and many didn't even realize what he was doing before they had already spilled the information Mantis wanted.

As the Broker replied to his inquiries, his thoughts then wandered to who, if anyone, they would work together with here. It's not like they had a good reputation for working together with villains. They did have a good one for taking down members of The Community however.. They could use that to their advantage. Mantis leaned in closer and asked in a quiet voice, "Who would you recommend we work with in a group like this? We don't exactly have a stellar reputation. But we are good at what we do. Bringing The Community down."

After the Broker's reply, Mantis would get the number designated for communications. He nodded and sat back down next to his teammates. He looked at Healer's hand stating, "What happened there?" There was a hint of concern in his voice. Afterward, he typed up another message to his allies, "I have some valuable information regarding the whereabouts of one of Patriarch's lieutenants."

Genevieve looked up at Judah, glad to have another trusted, familiar face present. She had ordered another drink to pass the time as the others talked about the vials, but that would be her last drink for the evening. Offers and deals were being discussed and although they didn't really concern her, she had to have a limit.

A few moments later, she heard an all too familiar notification tone go off. Genevieve reached for her phone which was in one of the pockets in her jacket and saw she had a message from Judah. She eyed him monetarily, a small smile forming before she texted a quick reply explaining what had occurred, how their abilities were temporarily disabled. As she sent him the message, she wondered what his reaction would be like, or whether he'd react at all. She suddenly pictured him going all out, throwing chairs, attacking the Broker, etc. In all truthfulness, the idea wasn't far-fetched. It's not like they had voluntarily given up their powers.

Once she was done, Genevieve put the phone down. She would watch as eventually, Judah would go over to Broker and start talking to him. She looked back for a moment but made it a point not to stare. Although the conversation didn't last long, and soon enough Judah made is way back and rejoined them at their table.

"This is what happens when you don't want to believe your powers are gone," she replied, leaning forward on the table as to not raise her voice. She looked over at her phone that was sitting adjacent the half-empty glass after it went off again and read the message from the notification preview. Genevieve nodded slightly, a bit antsy to get out of there by that point.

Gabriel listened to Creep's scathing reply and chuckled to himself thinking, "Despite her brave front, she won't be getting that vial under The Rockers' current circumstances." To his shock, one of the Jacks spoke up in support for the girl! Did she have more allies then at first believed? Or were they simply taking pity on her? Swarm mused over this to himself.

Some other villains jumped on the chance for an extra vial, but were turned down. It was between Creep and Swarm. He leaned forward in anticipation when...Creep was awarded it.. The odds were stacked against her, but in a few short minutes the tables were turned in her favor. Swarm simply stared ahead in disbelief for some time as the Broker explained his choice. Apparently, seeing it as a down payment for their support and rebuilding efforts.

Swarm glared at Creep through his mask. He began to noticibly shake, enraged by the turn of events. Swarm was even more furious about the recipient of the vial; one of the Rockers. They had gone from annoying rivals to deliberate antagonists in Swarm's mind. Reflections had the one vial which left Swarm with none. This thought tormented them.

As the charming one, Gabriel shook in anger, the aggressive violent one took over. Damien pulled out another cigarette and flicked his lighter on. He inhaled and exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air. Their shaking stopped as the nicotine did its job. She would pay. Their whole organization would. Swarm no longer cared if they headed it, just that it was brought to ground zero.