The Protagonist System

236 An Angel Calls

My life settled into a normal routine of school, music, and healing, until one particular day. It was a day that was quite full for me. It was the day most guys dreaded the most every year, because of all the expectations placed upon them, and they better not disappoint with their actions or there would be trouble. You all know the day.

Valentines Day.

I spared no expense, of course. I had a few friends to buy for and didn't go overboard. I didn't want them to think I was trying for anything more than what we already had, so the normal gifts were the best chocolate from the Swiss countryside, a bouquet of their favorite flowers, and a card telling them I was thinking of them.

The group of basic gifts also included Flechette and Miss Militia, with appropriate messages on their cards, and the hopes that they could find someone that deserved to have someone as great as them in their lives. As a kind of joke, I made sure to leave a gift for Rebecca Costa-Brown on her desk with the same kind of card and thanked her for not trying to have me unfairly arrested.

As for the significant others I spent time with, it took a little more thought than that, again because I didn't want to disappoint them. Jensen received a diamond encrusted tennis bracelet, a larger box of the world's best chocolate, a massive bouquet of roses, and a card thanking her for being there for me when I needed her.

Paige received almost the same thing, only instead of a diamond bracelet, I gave her a box filled with the lyrics and basic sheet music for a bunch of different songs. It would keep her busy for a very long time, working out what else to add to them to make them hers. I was sure she would have a lot of fun with them.

Carol's extra gifts were a slightly expanded briefcase and a suitcase, so she could carry more things, and a very nice elaborate necklace that was covered in glittering diamonds. I bought it from the best jewellery crafters in the world and hoped she liked wearing over 100,000 dollars worth of gems.

Sarah received a pair of diamond earrings, a room filled with roses, a crate of expensive chocolates, and a promise of a night alone to be spoiled like she deserved. I had a distinct feeling that the last one was the gift she was looking forward to the most.

As for my mother, she received all of those gifts combined, as well as a diamond encrusted tiara, my eternal gratitude for her being who she was, and me spending Valentines Day with her and no one else. It was what she had been worried about, essentially losing me to someone else, and I promised her that would never happen.

What I didn't tell anyone was that day marked the 10 day countdown to what I knew was going to happen. I couldn't let the secret out of the bag, even if it was going to panic a lot of people. If they knew that I knew exactly when the next Endbringer attack was, they would try to lock me up until it was confirmed. That was why I thanked Rebecca for not doing that, actually.

The next ten days was back to the normal routine and I pretended that everything was fine. The only one that knew something was up was my mother. She always could see right through me and I waited until the day before it was going to happen to tell her about it.

Surprisingly, she didn't cry or rant, or told me I was being stupid, or claimed I was insane for thinking I could predict when it would happen. Instead, she sighed and said she knew something was up when I was being the perfect boyfriend for the women I was sleeping with. Even with her, I had been much more attentive and loving, which she adored and thought was suspicious.

I laughed at that and kissed her deeply, made love to her, and cast a sleep spell on her. She needed her rest for the busy day tomorrow and I also didn't want her to worry excessively. There was nothing she could do to alter the event in any way, so her worrying about it wasn't going to do her or anyone else any good.

I did set up a time delayed group text telling everyone in my contacts to not worry and that I would be handling it. I also didn't stop Dragon from seeing that text long before it was going to be sent out to everyone else in the morning and I wasn't surprised when I didn't hear from her.

I had nothing else to prepare and went to sleep myself. I wasn't sure how things would turn out tomorrow, except that things were going to come to a head. Planning for a certain person showing up was the only thing I hoped would happen and I needed to let the scrambling of heroes happen to have access to him.

*

The day started normally for everyone, except for a few capes in the know. Atlas had his mother call his school to say he was indisposed for a work-related event and she went to work at the hospital much earlier than she usually did.

Dragon on the other hand, knew the warning text that Atlas had set up the night before needed a serious response, because she fully believed he knew it was going to happen. She sent a preparatory warning to the Chief Director, her friend Armsmaster, and also to the other PRT directors that regularly let some of their capes participate in Endbringer fights.

She couldn't send a full warning or ring the Endbringer sirens briefly, just in case Atlas was wrong with the timing. Unfortunately, he wasn't. At the appointed time, about 5 minutes before 10 am, his automated text was sent out to everyone in his contact list, herself included. At the stroke of the hour, the visual confirmation the Simurgh was moving from her place in orbit was confirmed.

Dragon activated the Endbringer protocols officially and the sirens blared out through all the cities and towns that had them installed. It lasted for only a minute everywhere, except for where her software predicted the Simurgh's flight path was going to end. Right above Canberra, Australia. Those sirens never stopped.

He was right about the location, too. Dragon thought and sent out the call for capes to attend before she initiated the download protocol she had for the custom built Dragon suit she had prepared for the upcoming fight. She left several automated dummy programs running to handle the mundane tasks she usually took care of and she transitioned from her protected servers into her very cramped suit systems.

It wouldn't take Dragon long to reach the spot the teleporting cape named Strider would be picking up the Canadian capes that would be attending. She just hoped Narwhal would show up and face the embarrassment she felt over what happened with Atlas. Everyone makes mistakes, herself included, and being suspended didn't mean anything when the world was at stake.

*

Vicky was both relieved and upset that as a Ward, she was restricted from participating in Endbringer fights until she was certified by Alexandria herself. It wasn't the first time she had argued about her previous status and was again argued down that she now had responsible adults to take care of her.

It was a blatant insult to her family and a reassurance that someone was protecting her.

She tried calling her sister Amy to see if she was also being benched and the call was redirected to an automated answering machine that said all lines of communication were reserved for emergency use only. She hung up and grumbled about it, only to have the other girl in her dorm tell her that she shouldn't worry.

None of the Wards were allowed to put themselves in danger unless they had an immediately useful power. That made Vicky's heart speed up, because as a healer, Amy would probably be right there in the staging area to heal the capes and any civilians hurt during the fighting. It would also mean she would have no choice but to participate, since she was a valuable PRT asset.

None of this is working out how it's supposed to. Vicky thought, sadly.

*

I stepped from my room to the roof of the PRT HQ building downtown. There was only a small group of capes there waiting for pickup and I was surprised to see Taylor there. As a Ward, she should have been excluded automatically, unless she had a power that was useful in fighting a mind-controlling Endbringer... and now it made sense, because an enraged Hebert was quite difficult to influence.

The other capes were Armsmaster, Triumph (with vocal powers), Dauntless (with item empowerment), Assault (kinetic absorption and redirection), his wife Battery (brief self empowerment), and Miss Militia. Both Armsmaster and Miss Militia gave me quite pointed looks, because my warning text had been sent to them.

Almost as soon as I appeared, a cloud of blackness formed by the fire escape and then disappeared to reveal a tall man wearing motorcycle gear and a helmet with a nice skull painted on it. He walked over to me and handed me an earpiece.

“Thanks, Grue.” I said and he nodded. I slipped it into my ear and tapped my finger on it.

“I can't believe you're choosing to go there to face her.” Lisa said right away.

“I can't believe you're sending the most versatile cape for search and rescue.” I responded.

“He knew you were going, so he volunteered.” Lisa said. “His sister is also deeply in love with you and you need to... and I'm quoting here... wreck her virgin pussy right after you pluck the overgrown chicken.”

I laughed. “The Imp does have a way with words, doesn't she?”

“You have no idea.” Lisa said with a sigh. “Are you sure it was a wise decision to save her from her abusive father and drug-addict mother?”

“I did that because even if I hadn't healed her mom, she was going to trigger and get powers anyway. It was better all around that I took care of it first.” I said and a few of the people listening gasped, especially Taylor.

“Well, you have a devoted follower and she's already bought all your merchandise and beat Alec up to steal your album from him.” Lisa told me.

I chuckled. “He totally let her do that.”

“No comment.” Lisa said, amused. “The reason I called...”

“You don't have to warn me about that. I already know.” I said.

“Of course you do.” Lisa said. “What are you going to do about it?”

“The same thing I was always going to do, assuming it happens when I think it will.” I answered.

Lisa let out a sigh. “You're choosing to end it.”

“Like I said, I was always going to. It was just the timing I wasn't sure of until now.”

“Until now? What do you... oh. You're making sure by... okay, I can't convince you not to after seeing that.” Lisa said, sadly.

“Thank you for caring and trying to.” I said and could almost feel her blush.

“You really do like me, even taken out of context like this.” Lisa suddenly said.

“I would have made a play for you long ago if I thought you were open to it.” I admitted and she sputtered. “I've prepared a few delayed texts and things, too.”

“I know. I just...” Lisa paused for a moment. “You didn't give me anything for Valentines.”

“I did.” I said and smiled. “I gave you space.”

Lisa barked a laugh. “Touche, Atlas. Touche.”

I reached up to tap the earpiece and stopped. “You know what I'm going to say.”

“Yes, and I will.” Lisa said. “I'll keep an eye on your mother for you, too.”

“Thanks. You're already an excellent godmother. Keep it up.” I said. “Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.” Lisa said. “Godspeed, Atlas.”

I touched the off button and handed the earpiece back to Grue. He put it into a pocket and backed off only a short way and stood in a ready position, as if to fight at a second's notice.

No other capes had shown up while I was talking, so Miss Militia sent a signal. A light flash happened in the middle of the roof and there stood a very tall man wearing a snazzy business suit.

“Is this everyone?” Strider asked and we all nodded. “Then gather around. It's easier for me if you're closer.”

We gathered around him and he nodded, then there was a flash and we were standing on the ground next to a huge medical tent. I was behind him, so I bent slightly and scooped up a handful of gravel in my left hand and then stood up straight to put my right hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks for the lift.” I said and copied his power. It expanded my own transport power's limits and I was no longer limited by touch or what I could send or carry with me. It now had an area of effect if I wanted it to.

“No problem, Atlas.” Strider said as he turned to me, which slyly removed my hand from his shoulder. “Good luck and try not to die.”

I smiled and held my left hand up that now had a handful of gold chunks in it. He didn't hesitate to take them and tucked them into his pocket. He saluted and disappeared.

“How did you do that?” Taylor asked me and her eyes went to my empty left hand.

“It's a basic alchemical reaction. Shifting a few electrons around changes the base material along the periodic table to the one I need.” I said and scooped up another handful of gravel and let her watch as the gravel chunks changed and shifted in color from their normal look to become shiny gold.

Taylor's mouth dropped open and I took her hand and dumped the gold rocks into it. I also enchanted her cape outfit to remain formfitting and added self-repair, just for the heck of it.

“Atlas, I... I can't. They're not real.” Taylor whispered.

“They are as real as everything else in this world full of capes and weird powers.” I said and smiled at her. “If you need me to help you get angry, I'll be right over there in the medical tent talking to Panacea.”

Taylor nodded and held the gold gravel like it was going to bite her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

I chuckled and pretended to take a small sack out of my sleeve and handed it to her. “The string is long enough to tie around your wrist, no matter how big you are.”

Taylor nodded and watched me walk over to the tent.

“Hey, Panacea! Is your life working out the way you thought it would?” I asked as soon as I stepped into the medical tent.

“Fuck you!” Amy spat and glared at me. “Do you know what I have to do all day every day?”

“Yes, the same thing you did as volunteer work, only now you're a PRT asset and none of Carol's restrictions are protecting you.” I responded and she looked surprised. “She really did do everything she could to stop you from having your powers be abused and possibly going out of control.”

Amy sighed. “It sure didn't feel like it at the time.”

“No, because it was her responsibility to worry over that, not you.” I said and she didn't say anything. “Have you heard from Vicky?”

“Only once. She's as busy as I am with all the training she has to do to get up to PRT standards.” Amy said. “Even after talking with the other Wards, we didn't know how different it was being a Ward from being an independent cape.”

“It's like night an day, which is why I never wanted to join. It's too restrictive.” I said and heard the announcement to gather together to grab the armbands to stay in communications range of Dragon, now that she was here. “I better go. It's almost time.”

“Almost time for what?” Amy asked.

“The end of the broken cycle.” I said cryptically and left the tent. I heard someone ask her what I meant and she said she didn't know. You'll know soon enough. You all will. I thought and took one of the armbands from the offered box. I pretended to put it on and stored it instead, placing an illusion around my arm to fake it. I didn't need anything distracting me when I had a specific task to do.

I just had to wait and see if a certain cape was going to show up. If he did, then this would become a lot easier than I hoped it was going to be.

“Here she comes.” Dragon said and pointed up into the sky with one of her metallic wings.

Everyone turned and looked up, becoming the perfect distraction for a white door to appear and three capes stepped out. Alexandria, Legend, and the cape I had been waiting for.

Eidolon.