ACL: 13. I'm on fire, a real candle attitude. (Patreon)

Chapter 13: I'm on fire, a real candle attitude.

Brockton Bay, NH, USA
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Type: Fire

I made a nice breakfast omelet for myself. A lifetime of traveling alone through the wilderness and half of one in an orphanage taught me the bare basics of cooking. Siebold probably wouldn't even look at it, Kalosi food snob that he was, but tasted alright. I got up to pour myself some orange juice. When I turned around, half of it was gone.

Leah, a fellow orphan and practically my sister, had another forkful raised to her lips. She froze for a second before shrugging at being caught red-handed and downing the bite. Two fingers raised, she sent me an irreverent salute. "Yo, Blake, this ain't half bad."

Sunday found me digging through the fridge at six in the morning. Then my mood sank: there was no yogurt or granola. With my usual choice of breakfast food gone, I decided to hold off on my run and make an actual filling breakfast for myself.

I snagged three eggs, half a bell pepper, and a leftover chunk of Spam. Ten minutes later, I had a decent-ish omelet garnished with some chives from Mrs. Wells' garden.

I reached out for my plate but she tugged it away. She hugged it to her chest and sent me a pouty face. It did absolutely fuck-all. I glared at her. "Good morning to you too, Leah."

"Aww, come on, what's an omelet between friends?"

"That's $12. Plus tax."

"Stingy."

"Slob."

"Ass."

"Bitch."

"Nerd."

"Slut."

"Fucker."

"You wish."

"For you, Blake? Eighty a blow."

The two of us mock-glared at each other before we both bust out laughing. Leah was… a character. She was irreverent of both man and God, hated being cooped up, and didn't understand the concept of property as it applied to anyone that wasn't herself.

But for all her flaws, she could be sweet, especially to the little ones. She was the big sister that explained how tampons worked to the girls or beat up the kids who bullied them for being orphans. She was rough, but she had her moments.

I grumbled but didn't fight for my breakfast. Instead, I fished out some more ingredients and started on a second omelet. "Grab me some berries from outside," I told her, handing her two bowls.

"Fine, you see how good to you I am?"

"Shut up and get me some berries."

"Yeesh, it's like someone stole your breakfast or something," she winked as she skipped out back.

She was back by the time I made my own omelet. The two of us ate in peace until I broke the silence. "So, why're you up this early?"

"What? A gal can't enjoy the sunrise?"

"You declared the sun your mortal enemy when you were eight," I said flatly. "I don't think your relationship's improved since."

"Heh, yeah. Fuck the sun."

"So?"

"So?"

"What're you up to?"

"Since when're you this pushy?"

"Since you being up at six makes me nervous."

She sighed. "Alright, you got me. I wanted to talk to you. We haven't talked in a while, you know? Ever since you started going to Arcadia."

"So like two and a half years. Weren't you the one who said I was too nerdy to hang with?"

"Yeah… sorry…"

I blinked. Leah… didn't apologize. She'd bitch and moan and give you a chocolate bar or something to make it up to you, but she didn't apologize. Ever. "Okay, who are you and what'd you do with my bitchy sister?"

"I'm serious. I guess I wanted to hang out again? You know, go to a pet shop and pretend we're shopping for hamster food while we spend an hour playing with the bunnies?"

"Okay… That… wouldn't be bad… You know, I volunteer at an animal shelter. You can just drop by to play with the puppies if that's what you want. People do."

"I meant just… Fuck, I'm bad at this." She took our plates and tossed them in the sink. "I'm shit with the touchy-feely stuff so I'm not gonna try. I need some money."

I rolled my eyes. "There it is, was wondering where this was going."

"Blake, for real. I need a few hundred."

"And? That sounds like a you problem. What the hell do you need that much money for?"

"I… Okay, swear you won't laugh."

"No promises."

"Blake!"

"Tell me and I might help you."

She shot me a rebellious glare but slammed her head against the table in defeat a moment later. "Fine, you fucker. I crashed a car, okay? I need to fix the bumper and it's going to cost $300."

"A bumper's not $300."

"It is when the car belongs to the biggest pimp in the neighborhood," she grumbled. "You know how many times I sucked his dick to get it down to $300?"

I looked at her, really looked. She had bags under her eyes. They were hard to spot against her dusky skin but this whole mess was weighing on her. She'd always been weirdly responsible about money when it mattered too…

"When do you need to pay him back?"

"Ehehehe… In two days?"

"Leah, tell me honestly. Are you going to turn tricks for him? I know you sleep around for weed, you've never been shy about that, but joining the Merchants full time?"

"What? No! I just wanted to have some fun and I fucked up, alright? I don't need a pimp."

"And when they decide they don't want you taking business away from their whores?"

"What they don't know ain't their problem. Come on, Blake."

I thought about it. When I looked at her, I remembered the girl who sold lemonade to save money for nail polish so she could look more "grown up." I looked at her and it was disappointing who she became. "Fine," I said, giving her the money. "But you owe me."

"Thanks, bro. I'll pay you back. You know I'm good for it."

And sadly, she was. She'd probably cut down on her weed, spend a few more hours on her knees, but she'd get me my money. Eventually. The thought disgusted me. I didn't want her money, not like that. I was about to say so, then I got an idea.

"No."

"No? Fuck you, Blake. When have I not paid you back?"

"No, you're not paying me back with cash."

She snorted and pumped her hand over an imaginary dick. "You sure that's worth it? A minute ain't worth $300, bro."

I gagged. "Not like that, Leah. Intel. I want information from you."

"What? You want me to snitch? You think I know anyone important? You think I'd live long if I did?"

"No, not like that. I want you to look for someone who can make fakes."

"Oh ho, you trying to get in somewhere?"

I shook my head. "Don't mind that. Just find me someone who can create convincing fakes. Driver's license is fine. If you can do that, I'll call us even."

"Alright, Blake. I'll ask around, but it's Winslow, you know? Shit's probably not going to be high quality. I might know a guy who knows a guy outside though."

"Fine, I don't care. Later, Leah. Stay out of trouble," I told her as I picked up my gym bag.

"Yeah, you too, Blake. Have a good run."

X

I took a long jog around the city. This time, I decided to head east to the Boardwalk. After half an hour, I spent some time just walking around the Boardwalk, admiring the view. The Rig looked positively radiant in the sunlight.

Once, it was called the jewel of Brockton Bay, the city's very own beacon of hope. It was supposed to be proof that even if maritime industries dried up, the city could rise above it all. It was a reminder of what we could do when we worked together, a reminder that nothing had to be wasted.

All those fancy promises turned out to be empty air when year after year, the Protectorate failed to bring the gangs to heel. Now, all people saw when they looked out at the Rig was just how distant and detached the long arm of the law really was.

"So beautiful," I muttered, "it's a pity that that's all you are…"

I was brought out of my melancholy by my phone buzzing. My burner. Not many had access to it. I worried that it'd be an emergency. I looked around to make sure no one was watching before checking the message. It was a picture.

Emily: Like it? I drew you as that weird blue thing.

Blake: A spheal. But why am I wearing a suit?

Emily: Why not?

Blake: I bow before your impeccable logic.

Emily: So, I was thinking…

Blake: ???

Emily: What if you modeled for me?

Blake: Sure, why not?

Emily: Wait, really?

Blake: Yeah. Let's hang out. You can take a few pictures for inspiration and we can grab lunch before I head to the hospital.

Emily: Sweet! I'll head to the ferry right now.

X

I found Emily all but vibrating in excitement in the ferry station lobby. The hole beneath the storage room was a bit too dark, so we agreed to work out in the yard facing the bay. It was on the other side of the building and away from the parking lot, so we couldn't be spotted from the street.

She set up the cheap, plywood art stand I got her and placed her sketchbook on it.

"Actually, Blake, can I paint you?"

I shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me what you use."

"Well, painting takes a lot longer," she said. "Don't you have to be in the hospital?"

"I have to do nothing. Besides, I said I'd stick around 'til lunch, right? We may as well."

"Awesome, so what's your theme for today?"

"Fire."

"Really? Fire? We talked about my power yesterday and your theme is fire today?"

"Yup, trust me, I know. Arceus has a sense of humor."

"Who's Arceus?"

"He is Arceus, He of the Thousand Hands, Origin of All, Maker of the Jewel of Life," I spoke reverently, hands clasped in prayer. "He is the Great Llama who spat in the eye of nonexistence and willed all Creation to being. May he spit forever."

"Blake, what the fuck?"

"Heh, sorry, inside joke. So yeah, fire."

"You're so weird sometimes."

"Psh, only sometimes? I'm not trying hard enough."

"Please stop trying," she deadpanned.

"Fine, I see how it is," I said with an exaggerated pout. She wasn't buying it though, so I instead draped an arm over her shoulder. "Okay, so what kind of painting were you thinking of?"

"I don't know… Something that'll sell well… Maybe something cute?"

I rolled my eyes with affectionate exasperation. It figured she'd go for something cute. There was a stereotype about that in the pokemon world, about how girls all wanted cute starters and all the boys wanted "fierce" dragons. It amused me to see that some things were constant.

Still, what to give her?

"Something cute, huh?"

"What? You only get to be lava monsters when you're themed fire?" she snarked.

"Well…"

"Blake… Do you have an actual lava monster somewhere?"

"I wouldn't call a magcargo a lava monster… maybe a lava-snail…?"

"Blake."

"Oh, but I guess magmortar is a literal lava monster. So yes, Emily. Yes, I can turn into a lava monster. Wanna see?"

The amount of sheer done-with-this on her face soothed my soul. "No. Just… no. I'm going to pretend you didn't just tell me you can flood this pier with lava and you're going to turn into something fluffy."

"There are a lot of choi-"

"Fluffy. Now."

"Alright, well…" Off the cuff, there was only one that came to mind. Man's best friend since the Stone Age. "Shift, growlithe!"

I shrank, turning roughly 2 feet tall and falling on all fours. Orange, cream, and black fur sprouted along my body until I was staring up at Emily with big, soulful eyes aimed straight at melting her heart.

The mental transition into a growlithe was by far one of the most manageable shifts to date. Growlithe were pack pokemon and spent their entire lives defending themselves and others from outsiders. In the wild, that meant territorial behavior. With a team though, they tended to adopt humans as funny-looking growlithe.

"How's this for cute?"

"Oh. My. God. You're Adorable!"

I had a second before an ear-piercing squeal cut through my senses. Then, my world shrank to Emily's arms as I was bodily picked up and held flush against her body. Her scent flooded my nose. Every one of my instincts were leaping with joy because my packmate was here. Sure, the paints smelled pretty bad, but she was here. And safe. No one needed to be on fire today.

"Didn't you say you wanted to paint me?"

"Later," she shushed. Then, her hand came up to my head and began to scratch.

It did things for me. There was a primal, instinctive need that her fingers fulfilled right now. Generations upon generations of companionship had tied the physical gesture with an emotional validation that I refused to live without. It was better than the scritches I'd received as a riolu, even better than Amy's.

Something about being a growlithe made me uniquely sensitive to the motion. Emily's fingers were firm yet gentle, combing my fur with her nails while catching just the right place to make me wriggle with delight.

My tail began to thump against her thigh as I let out an audible sigh. I was really starting to become a connoisseur of scritches.

"Oh yesss… A little to the left…"

"Aww, are you a good boy, Blake?"

"I'm the goodest boy."

"Yes you are, Blake. Yes you are."

My tail wagged faster, drumming out an audible beat against her leg. We lost ourselves, her in the simple pleasure of having a growlithe to snuggle with and me in the instincts of companionship and social validation that came with the scritches.

We stayed that way until I turned back. One moment, she was seated cross-legged on the ground, puppy in arms, and the next, she was forced to lie down as my newly restored weight pressed down on her.

Our eyes met. Hers widened with shock as she remembered just what we were doing. We stayed like that for a solid thirty seconds, eyes locked and not knowing what to do next.

"So," she coughed. "Picture…"

"Yeah," I shuffled awkwardly. "Give me a minute?"

"Sure…"

"Yeah…"

"So…"

"So…"

"Blake?"

"Yes, Em?"

"I can't get up."

I jumped back like I'd been burned, face flushing. "Sorry. Being a pokemon can mess with me."

"N-No problem. It was… nice."

"Yeah… nice…"

She scurried back to her easel, as much to get away from the situation as to actually prep painting. I could relate. Traveling wasn't exactly great for relationships. It galled me to say, but I didn't really have much in the way of romantic experience. A few flings here and there, but nothing truly grounded.

In the end, the awkwardness between us lifted like a fog and Emily sketched out half a dozen different drawings on her sketchpad so she could use them as a reference while I was away. When she found out that a growlithe was in fact just the puppy and its evolution was much larger, she begged to see "big doggo."

I obliged, getting me the sole picture she insisted on fully painting on the spot:

An artistic rendition of herself, napping against an arcanine's side. It was the sort of tooth-achingly adorable that could adorn any teenage girl's room.

"I'm keeping this one," she said. "That's okay, right?"

I rolled my eyes but smiled fondly. "It's your painting. You decide what you want to do."

"Hey, I'm going to be selling these, right?"

"Yeah?"

"But how do they know that these are your forms? You have so many."

"Good point. Should I sign them?"

She shook her head emphatically. "No! That's just going to make people think I forged your signature to sell knockoffs. Can you be seen more as a growlithe?"

"Yeah, I can do that. I'm going to the hospital later today anyway so I guess I can arrive as an arcanine. Play with the kids as a growlithe or something too."

"Awesome. If you let yourself be recorded, I can say I just used one of those as a reference picture."

"No problem, Emily. Now… There's something else I wanted to test with you."

"What?"

"Your power."

I could see her shrink in herself a little. "Oh, that…"

"Yes, that. I figure now's the best time to really get to know your power, you know?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm fire right now. I wasn't joking about the lava monster. If anyone can take your hits, it's me."

"Oh, okay…" She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before violently exhaling. When she opened them, there was a firmness I'd yet to see in her, a core of iron in the sweet artist. "Let's do it."

I considered it. I'd never taught a human anything before, not really, but perhaps I should train her like I would a pokemon…? No, the similarities were superficial; in the end, Emily was not a pokemon and such training could possibly break her spirit.

I could become any number of fire types that would likely be immune to her flamethrower, but first… "Emily, tell me everything you can about your power."

She shrugged helplessly. "You know as much as I know. I spit. It combusts."

"How hot is your fire?"

"I don't know."

"Okay, what's the most durable thing you've melted before?"

"Umm… I guess my bed frame doesn't count… Cement? Or steel?"

I nodded. Not exactly an exact science, but it was a start. Now, how many fire types could withstand heat past the melting point of steel? I dug through my aura and what I remembered of Blaine's long-winded lectures and came up with… too many.

Pretty much all of them, in fact. Or at least, most of the fully evolved ones. Fire types were considered some of the most destructive for a reason and pokemon collectively told physics to bend over.

Since that didn't narrow my choices much, I decided to try a different approach. "Okay, Emily. What would you like to get out of this?"

She shuffled nervously. "I mean… I don't know…? I'm doing this because you said I should…"

"Then why not ask?"

"You just did."

"No, not you. Or… I mean, yes, you. But maybe not?"

"What?"

"I have an idea. What if you can see the future?"

"I don't think that's how fire-spit works, Blake."

"Not you. Me. What if I can see the future and told you how to best improve?"

"You can see the future… Of course you can. Next you're going to tell me you can grant wishes." I thought about Jirachi. Far beyond my ability to shift, but… "Blake? Blake???"

"Nothing I can do right now," I told her. "Anyway, shift, delphox!"

I remained mostly the same general profile: two legs, two arms, same general height. Instead, heat wafted around me, forcing Emily to back off a bit. Orbs of fire flickered to life around me, forming a blazing corona that seemed to shift colors randomly.

I was a delphox, one of the Kalos starters. It lacked the mobility of a charizard or the raw physical might of an emboar, but its cunning and mastery over fire could not be denied. Coupled with its psychic abilities, it could generate a vortex several times hotter than lava.

I stood proudly, my ear-fur combed to luscious perfection. I deftly drew my wand from my sleeve and ignited the tip. With a flourish, I pointed it at Emily.

"Are you ready to delve into the blinding mysteries of the secret arts, my student?" I asked. I made sure to hover a foot off the ground so I could loom over her imperiously.

"Uhh… What?"

I booped her nose, jabbing her with a stick of fire that did not burn. "You are my pupil and I expect nothing but your full focus as we search the sacred flame for cosmic secrets. Am I clear?"

My new student cradled her face in her hands. "Oh no… Blake… I feel embarrassed for you… Please don't use this form in public."

"I fear no ridicule from unenlightened minds."

"Of course not… Fine… What are we doing, oh enlightened one?"

"Do not think your sarcasm goes unnoticed."

"Your wisdom knows no bounds, Professor McGonagall."

"You lack faith in the mystic arts."

"Sure… Can we get on with this? Whatever this is," she muttered under her breath.

I sniffed. There was nothing wrong with a bit of pizazz and flair. Still, I conceded the point. I was on a timer after all. I flourished my wand and the flame began to shine a rainbow of colors. "Very well, my ornery pupil. Look into the flame and let the warmth draw you in. Let its flickering dance focus your mind."

"I don't see anything. Are you going to pull a bunny out of a hat next?"

"No. I'm supposed to do the seeing."

"Oh, fine. Let me know when you're done with the hocus pocus stuff."

I ignored her. Some people just had no style. I allowed the dancing flame to capture my full focus. She'd already done her part. All I wanted from her was a psychic imprint of her mind. After all, looking into the future was far more accurate when you had a reference to start from, kind of like having a star chart in the middle of the ocean.

'Okay, future-Emily… Give me a hint here…'

I stared into the iridescent core at the tip of my wand and felt my mind reach out for things yet to come. It was akin to standing on a hilltop, looking down at all the branching possibilities. Cloud and fog covered my vision; I couldn't see far. Psychics always described precognition as an imprecise art. I sometimes wondered why Sabrina wasn't deliriously rich or why Olympia didn't pull Lysandre's intestines out of his anus before the whole mess with Team Flare, but now I understood.

Precognition sucked. It was like staring down from the top of a mountain, amidst the clouds, and being told to predict the path of a single leaf or pebble.

I needed a guide, a light to latch on to. I tugged on Emily's psychic imprint. After what felt like an eternity, I got a response. I eagerly sent forth my consciousness until I felt her mind. Then, with an insistent pull, I forged the bond between us, a temporary psychic link to let us speak.

'Hello?' I tried.

'Hello? Blake?' I heard Emily answer. Her "mental voice," for lack of a better word, reminded me of Titania in a lot of ways. It was confident and warm, leaving me with impressions of the woman she was without ever having met her. 'Is that you? Are you a psychic again?'

'Heh. I suppose it's only natural that you're familiar by this point.'

'"This point?" So Future Sight? Interesting use of it. You normally only look ahead a few seconds to clobber some poor schmuck. How far back are you?'

'Not a clue. I don't really know how far ahead you are after all. The mind is li-'

'Nope. Nopenopenope. Do you have any idea how many of your ridiculous explanations I've had to sit through?'

'No, I believe that's the point. And they're not ridiculous. I'm offended on future-Blake's behalf.'

'Yes they are. They make no sense for anyone but you.'

'Ugh, whatever. Did you somehow get more snarky?'

'Yes, yes I did. Now, what'd you need?'

'I'm sitting with a more youthful version of you-'

'Hey! I'm only 17!'

'Oh, so I guess you're only ahead a year or two. Figures.'

'Har-de-har…' Thoughts were unlike speech. They were more than words. Along with them came impressions and emotions, sometimes even glimpses of associated memories. I could quite literally feel the sandpapery dryness of her laugh. 'What do you want? What does mini-me want?'

'For starters, training tips. She has no real clue how her power works and I want to know what you've tried. What works. What doesn't. That sort of deal.'

'Ah, got it. Makes sense. Okay, I can do that. Listen up. I go by Spitfire now because… duh.'

'You don't spit fire though.'

'No, I spit a highly volatile fluid that undergoes an extreme exothermic reaction upon any form of kinetic impact and burns at 2,400 degrees,' she replied dryly. 'It's close enough. My spit is fire.'

'Fair enough. What else can you tell me?'

'I can't stress this enough: I am NOT fireproof.'

I blinked with surprise, almost enough to knock me from my meditative trance. 'Wait, really?'

'Yup. Funny, huh? The girl who can melt steel can't handle the heat. When I fight, I actually rarely spit at anyone anymore. I keep a vacuum-sealed container attached to a gun that basically works like a high-tech super-soaker so I'm less likely to accidentally burn myself. But, you know, more fire.'

'Huh… That's pretty creative. Have you tried hand grenades? Or an actual gun powered by your spit?"

"Have. Both. The heat's too hot so it'll warp any gun I use and not be worth it if I try to use it as a powder-substitute instead of just throwing the fluid at people. The grenades are my last resort weapons. I even tried a blowgun for a while. you know, a spitball but with a sponge instead of a wad of paper so I fire miniature fireballs.'

'How does that make sense? Wouldn't the sponge ignite in your mouth while you chew it or something?'

'No? I'm not really spitting per se. When I reach for my power, it feels like there's a hose in my throat. I turn the valve and… vola. But yeah, spitballs from a blowgun. They're surprisingly good for improving my accuracy.'

'Huh, neat. Anything else about your power you want to tell me?'

'Hmm… Am I still homeless?'

'Yeah. We're working on it. She's going to start selling paintings of my forms.'

'Oh! I know where you are. Or when? Geez, that's kinda confusing. Okay. If mini-me wants to debut, she can sell our spit to Armsmaster as a propellant. It burns way too hot normally, but Armsmaster can manufacture a type of heat-resistant alloy that can handle that stress. Or something. I don't know. I'm not a tinker. He'll likely pay a fair bit.'

'But wouldn't he just try to get her into the Wards?'

'He would. Up to you if you want to try. Or her, I guess. I remember being really skittish back then.'

I sent her the mental equivalent of a nod. 'Okay. Powers. Possibly money. Umm… Is there a way to store your fluid without setting the building on fire?'

'Yup. Try high-fire ceramic. I think it was called alumina? Aluminia? Alumin? It's a type of ceramic that contains aluminum oxide and I can't even make a dent in it. We use it for both my grenades and to transport the spit for sale.'

'That's clever. How'd you find all this out?'

'Faultline. She's really cool. Honestly? If we didn't run into each other, I could see myself joining up with her. Speaking of which, if I'm still homeless, I'm guessing that's 'cause I don't want to go back?'

'My Emily hasn't told me where "back" is.'

'Okay, give her time. That probably means no ID either. Talk to Faultline. She's probably a better resource than anyone you know at the time you're in.'

'Is she?'

'Yes. Did you know she took on Myrddin and Chevalier in Phili before coming to Brockton? She's good. And definitely more resourceful than anyone else in the Bay.'

'Fair point, but can she be trusted?'

'I trust her,' she said, as though that alone should be enough.

And, surprisingly, it was. Maybe it was a weakness of mine, but I didn't want to be the kind of person who second-guessed his friends, especially friends with future knowledge. 'Okay. Go to Faultline. Should I also bring a box of chocolates?'

'You say that as a joke, but yes, actually. Faultline's got a thing for sweets. So does Labyrinth. I know they’re technically villains, but give them a chance, okay?'

'As you wish. Is there anything else about the gangs you want to tell me? I met the Undersiders the other day if that helps.'

'I don't know much about them, sorry. They're not really a concern anyway. It's Coil who you really need to worry about.'

'Coil? The merc?'

'He's not a merc. He's actually the most entrenched crime lord in the Bay. He just hires mercs to seem inoffensive. He also likes to pay off small-time villains and I know for a fact that the Undersiders are in his pocket. If you met them, it's probably because he arranged for it. Be careful.'

'Got it. What about his powers? Base? Who else can he pay off?'

'Coil claims to be able to split timelines, explore both options, then choose what he likes best. I don't know how true that is, but he's very good at not getting caught. He's also completely morally bankrupt. Like, go after a twelve year old girl kind of bankrupt.'

I paused. I was no stranger to crime, but I drew the line at children. It was what bothered me so much about Plasma. Other teams left most kids alone. Plasma specifically targeted young trainers to try and force them to release their pokemon. I felt the psychic link strain but held tight. I wanted to hear this.

'What happened to that girl?'

'Dinah Alcott. She triggers? Triggered? Will trigger? She has the power to answer any question with an exact percentage of it happening. Kind of like your Future Sight, but less accurate. She's much more broad though. He took her, drugged her to the gills with narcotics, then made her his slave. I only found out about it all long after he was killed. She did eventually get free though. Can you… Can you save her?'

'Noted, thank you, Emily.'

'Not a problem. You're starting to break up a bit. Do psychic powers have to deal with poor reception?'

'No, but the technique is hard to maintain. I think this is all the time we have.'

'Ooh! Before you go. Can I mess with my mini-me?'

'I can't really connect multiple minds. Delphox aren't strong enough for that without a lot more training than I have.'

'Okay, just tell her that Spitfire is my rapper name, cause I spit fire and rhyme. Tell her rapping is great practice?'

'Is it?'

'Pfftt, no. It's funny though. Please? Rap God? Or really, anything Shady?'

I rolled my eyes. 'Fine. I'll tell her.'

'Okay, bye!'

I winced as the connection snapped like a rubber band. I felt myself transform back, landing on my ass and nursing a killer headache. "Oww…"

Emily placed a hand on my shoulder and gently shook me. "Blake? Are you okay? You just kind of fell into a trance."

"Yeah… I don't think I'm going to be doing that again anytime soon…"

"So… What happened?"

"I talked to a future version of you. Or, one possible version anyway. The one that's close to your current self. I think she was two years ahead?"

Emily looked at me as if trying to decide whether or not to take that at face value. Eventually, she nodded. "Either you're full of shit, you're really magic, or you're delusional but believe you're magic. I guess it doesn't really matter."

"Your faith in me is awe-inspiring. Truly. What would I do without you?"

"Give pretty girls dinosaur rides apparently. I'm still mad that you haven't given me one yet."

"We can, but you'd be a known quantity."

"Ugh… Whatever. What cosmic secrets did you see in the fire, oh enlightened one?"

"Hey, whatever poke-Blake says isn't admissible in a court of public opinion."

"You're such a dork."

"Psh, you love me anyway."

"Love is such a strong word…”

"Oww, fine. Well future-Emily says you need to learn to rap."

"Excuse me?"

"Rap. You know, like Eminem or Tupac."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you said. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"Nope. That's what future-Emily said. She also said you don't actually spit napalm." I went ahead and started to tell her everything about her own power.

"Huh… Rapping huh… You're not pulling my leg?"

"Nope. Future-Emily said that rapping will help."

"Fine, I'll give it a shot. I don't even know where to start with the other stuff though. Gas mask? Modified water gun? Vacuum sealed everything?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure either. I'm thinking I should pay Faultline a visit, and not just because she might be able to arrange an ID for you."

Emily frowned as she began to fidget. "Should I come along?"

"If you want. We can decide later. For now though, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot you can do to practice. I'll look into some ceramics that you shouldn't be able to melt through, Okay?"

"Okay. So you're off?"

"Yup. I need to go to the hospital."

She leaned over to give me a hug. "Mmk. Have fun? Is that the right word? I guess… Have a productive evening?"

I snorted. "That works. Later, Em."

"Later."

I turned and tossed her a backwards wave. We hadn't gotten to practice her power much, but I thought learning about it would give her a bit more confidence. In the end though, they were all plans for later; she still needed money from her paintings. Besides, she seemed to genuinely like art.

I promised to make sure her paintings would sell, so I headed away from our hideout for a few blocks, then transformed.

"Shift, arcanine!"

The ancient people of Kanto revered these pokemon and it was easy to see why. Power flooded my body. It felt as though there was a wildfire raging in my heart. My speed wasn't so much an ability as it was a need.

I jumped onto a roof and let out a triumphant roar. It was a roar befitting a mythical beast, loud and low, rumbling through the ribs as much as it was heard. It drew every eye and I saw at least one person freeze in panic as fight or flight instincts kicked in.

Then, I was off. I became a blur of orange and cream as I dashed towards the hospital. In seconds, I landed on the concave administration and diagnostics building.

I had made no secret of my arrival; plenty of people had seen me race across the rooftops like an orange blur. I stood on the hospital roof and posed majestically before the guard, whipping my head to the side so the wind could tussle my mane just so.

I was an arcanine, a creature so revered that they were often placed on the same pedestal as moltres. I was speed. I was flame. I was nobility. I was majesty. I was lord and master of all the land. Most of all? I was a benevolent alpha, protector and guardian of the weaker races. It would be a truly cruel punishment to deny the guard the sight of my glorious visage.

Majesty deserved to be witnessed. His dutiful vigil deserved reward. Thusly I greeted him.

"Ho, tis a wondrous day we enjoy, guardsman!" I shouted, exuberant with power. The sun struck my fur and I delighted in the strength of its warmth.

He gulped audibly and took a sizable step back. "Umm… Menagerie? Please tell me you're Menagerie."

"Why, who else would I be?"

It was a good thing he was no scholar, for wisdom was clearly not his strength. What an amusing man he was. I smiled wider.

He took another step back.

"A-Are you here to heal?"

"I am, my good man." I wreathed my paws and teeth in flames and did a quick summersault off the roof. I hit the ground with nary a sound, yet another proof of my skill. I let out a lazy yawn, sparks dancing along jaws large enough to bite through a cow's throat.

He took another step back.

I let out an amused chuff. Humans were such skittish creatures. No matter. Fear or awe, both were appropriate responses to one of my majesty.

I reined myself in and shifted back.

"Sorry about that. Mind if I go on in?"

"Uhh, yes, sir…"

I chuckled. As weird as some of my forms could be, they meant well… mostly… I'd just have to be extra careful with some of the less morally conscious pokemon.

I was greeted by a pretty nurse. She looked young, like she had only just come out of college, probably for some residency program. She also looked like she was completely done with my antics.

"Menagerie? Sorry to say, Panacea is taking a rare break from the hospital."

"Ah, that's fine. It's not like we need each other to heal things."

"Right. Do you have anywhere specific you want to go?"

"I think I'll go to the children's ward today, Ms. Ascue," I said, reading off her nametag.

"That sounds lovely. Do you know where it is?"

"Ah… No, sorry."

"Second floor, take a right. Can't miss it."

"Thank you very much. You have a nice day, ma'am."

"I'm not old enough to be a ma'am," she replied playfully.

I found the ward where the nurse said I would. There was a sign that read, "Pediatrics." The ward itself was… colorful.

The walls were painted in varying hues of cream and pastel, a stark contrast from the sterile white in the rest of the hospital. They were also littered with art, all clearly drawn with crayon by the patients here.

They weren't good, not like Emily's, but they had a certain depth to them that I couldn't help but stop to appreciate. Many were drawings of families and for the briefest moment, I wondered what it'd be like to have one.

I shook my head. I had a family. Luca, Titania, Eos, Marsh, Regis, and Blitz. We traveled the world, stopped world-ending catastrophes, and discovered hidden secrets most couldn't even dream of. I had a family and it was the best I could ask for, one earned, not given.

I banished the melancholic thoughts swirling in my head. It wasn't like me to linger on such thoughts.

I walked to the receptionist for the ward and introduced myself. "Hello, ma'am. My name is Menagerie and I wanted to work in the children's ward today if you'll have me."

The matronly woman reminded me a bit of Mrs. Wells. She was a tad pudgy, but in the kind of way that made me think she baked apple pies and gingersnaps in her spare time. "Yes, the front desk told me you were coming. One more time for the record, what are you capable of healing?"

The familiar aura of pink pulsed in my hand. Ever since my breakthrough, I found that I could use the move even in my human form. Heal Pulse really was becoming my bread and butter. I wondered if I should invest some time in learning my other aura-based moves.

"I can close wounds, generally improve vitality, and heal anything that isn't genetic," I told her. "I can't cure poisons however. If I fix someone with, say, mercury poisoning, the symptoms will be gone, but the mercury in their system would still be a problem."

"That shouldn't be a problem," the nurse said with a smile. "In fact, that might be a good thing. Some of these kids are on delicate medications and them being so young, purging their bodies all at once can be very harmful in its own way."

"I'll take your word for it, ma'am. You're the expert."

"Well then. I'll have someone show you around."

Several minutes later, a young nurse who introduced herself as Chloe led me to a door labeled 2-14.

There were several beds framed by bright, colorful curtains. Little tables and chairs dotted the room, with coloring books and other less strenuous activities available. One of the tables was occupied by a young boy and girl, each working on their own drawings.

The boy looked up as we came in.

"Trevor?" the nurse called. "This is Menagerie. He is a hero who-"

"You're the dino-hero," he said with an eager grin. Then he looked me over and his face fell. "Why don't you have a cool costume?"

"Haha, I'm working on that," I promised. "I have a friend who's really good at sewing who's designing one for me."

"Oh, okay. Can I have a dinosaur ride?"

"Maybe after I heal you," I told him. Then I turned to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Yin," she said, almost in a whisper. "Hello."

"Hi, I'm going to make it stop hurting, okay?"

"You can make the booboo go away?"

I looked down at her cast. From what Nurse Chloe told me on the way over, it was a bad break, a knee twisted almost a hundred-twenty degrees around. She was recovering after two surgeries. She wasn't expected to walk again and physical therapy wasn't exactly pleasant, even for adults.

"Yes, Yin. I can make the booboo go away," I said with a reassuring smile. I now understood why it was that the Protectorate tried to reveal their mouths. Emotions were a lot harder to convey under a motorcycle helmet. I put words to deed and called up a pink ball of light. "Heal Pulse."

I gently placed it on her leg and allowed it to sink through. She gasped as the healing energy hit her. Then, I took her hand and gently pulled her to her feet. Gingerly, as though I didn't trust my own work, I removed my hands.

She was hesitant, afraid to put her weight on her leg. When the expected pain never came, she took a step, then two. Then, she launched herself into my side.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're very welcome, Yin," I said back, running a hand gently through her hair.

I let her stay like that for a bit before gently prying her off me. I knelt and faced Trevor. "Now it's your turn, Trevor. Can you tell me what hurts?"

"Here," he said, waving his hand generally across his entire upper chest and neck.

"Trevor has a respiratory condition. He's recovering from pneumonia."

"Ah, I see. I should be able to fix that right up for you. Come here."

"Okay…"

Another burst of light later, he was happily chatting with Yin. Then, just to make their days, I decided to show off a bit. "Hey, Trevor, Yin, wanna see something cool?"

"What?"

"Shift, growlithe."

I became the embodiment of all that was fluffy and loyal. These were not pack. These were not Emily. But, but they were pups and all pups deserved to have fun.

I barked happily and ran between their legs. Yin squealed happily as she walked clumsily after me. The cast still needed to be removed after all. Trevor liked to pretend he was too cool, but he eventually caved when I jumped onto the table then onto his face. We played like that until I felt my aura start to run out the clock.

"Alright, that's enough," I said, shifting back.

"Aww," the kids whined in concert.

"Next time. There are a lot of kids I need to visit, okay?"

"Okay, kids, say thank you and goodbye to Menagerie," Nurse Chloe said. She looked a little impatient, but I saw her take more than a few pictures.

"Bye, Menagerie. Thank you for healing us," Trevor said.

"Thank you," Yin mumbled, shy again now that the excitement had worn off.

I ruffled their heads and continued my tour.

That was how I spent my afternoon. I entered a room, healed everyone inside, then switched to growlithe to play with the kids. One slight hiccup came up when a kid turned out to be allergic, but I immediately switched back and healed that too. I instead ended up switching to a fletchinder and flying around her head in apology.

We were about two-thirds of the way through the ward when my phone started to ring. I recognized the ringtone; it was my burner.

I found somewhere out of the way and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Menagerie?" came Amy's voice. "Where are you?"

"Hospital. Pediatrics. Why? I thought you weren't showing up?"

"I thought so too," she growled. She sounded positively pissed. "Then the ABB and Empire started a fight and now the ER's about to get busy. I just flew in."

"Got it."

Hanging up, I ran for the elevator. "Sorry, something might be happening in the ER," I called to Chloe.

A minute later, I met up with Amy and Victoria. "Panacea, Glory Girl, what's going on?"

"I don't know much more than what Amy told you. Four people are already dead because some idiot started a firefight near a gas station. I know that one of the Empire's unpowered lieutenants is here so it's probably going to become a cape fight soon. They can't afford to back off now that things have gotten this bad. You coming?"

"He can't," Amy said. "He needs to heal here. You know how rare healers are."

"No, Panacea's right, Glory Girl," I said. "No matter what, I want to be the kind of hero who saves lives, not just punches bad guys."

"Fine, you two set up here. I'll go punch whichever villain shows up in the face," she said before she flew off.

By this point, the hospital staff were like a well-oiled machine. Upon reflection, that spoke ill of the state of this city.

Regardless, the two of us were ushered into two separate rooms. I barely had enough time to give her a friendly nod before we were separated so we could double the patients seen. The first patient who arrived was an overweight man with tan skin. He could have been Hispanic or Filipino, though I supposed it didn't matter. He had two broken legs, one femur so badly shattered that a fragment was forced straight up his pelvis and into his spine.

"Car accident," one of the three nurses assigned to help me explained. "Unrelated to the fight, but potentially life threatening."

"Got it. Heal Pulse!"

I launched two more just for good measure and watched as his bones began to knit themselves back together. He was wheeled away and a woman with a swastika tattooed over her shaved head was brought in. She was bleeding heavily from two gunshot wounds across her right breast.

I stared at her with a gimlet eye. "Do I need to heal her?"

"Panacea usually stabilizes them for the police. You don't need to fix her completely."

"Got it. I can live with that."

The four of us fell into a swift rhythm. One nurse worked to triage patients. A second wheeled in the most critical patients for me to treat. The third wheeled out the ones who were healed or stabilized and handed them off to someone else.

We were about fifteen minutes in when I heard a commotion out in the lobby.

"Nurse Yi, what's going on?" I asked.

"Fuck you, you goddamn gook! Hookwolf's gonna kill all you fuckers!" I heard someone shout. "Don't fucking touch me!"

The nurse, a young man with a small scar on his cheek, hollered back. "ABB and E88 gang members got wheeled in at the same time, sir. Wound wasn't severe enough to keep the E88 down. Security's got him."

Then, much quieter than the Nazi, I heard, "What is a dog before the Oni?"

I healed the next person who was wheeled into my room. She was a young girl, maybe fourteen, with half her face burnt in the gas station explosion.

'You're okay now," I cooed as she whimpered in pain. "Everything is going to be alright."

I worked on autopilot as the argument outside continued. They kept up the threats until one, the ABB by the sound of it, was taken over to Amy's room. I worked and worked but my mind was racing a mile a minute.

Oni Lee?

Hookwolf?

Was that what Victoria was dealing with? She had backup, right? I was starting to regret my actions here. It sounded like this wasn't just any other firefight; this was escalating. If I entered, would I make things worse? Or could I put out the fire?

I finished treating the next person the nurses brought in, a bit of blunt trauma that Amy couldn’t heal. That was one thing that bugged me about her power. Healing should be healing. Exceptions made because something was too complicated or entrenched into their identity like a genetic disorder, I could understand, but a whole region of the body blacked out like that? Her power made very little sense to me and I wondered if it was a problem with her aura manipulation.

Then again… Powers might not even be aura? I was no scholar, but parahumans just didn’t behave like pokémon in any way. It was baffling.

I motioned for the nurses. “That’s it,” I said. “I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

“Menagerie? You can’t leave! The ER’s just about to get busy!”

“I’m not going to stop healing; I’m going to go to the site. Panacea can do plenty here, but I’m one of the few healing capes who can defend themselves in the middle of combat. We’ll work from both ends.”

“You’re doing plenty here.”

“I can do even more there. How many people do you think would die because I’m happy being safe?”

I had to go. Amy would likely be upset with me for leaving her swamped, but… but she’d be utterly inconsolable if Vicky got hurt. And as much as I disliked her aura, she was my friend too and I didn’t leave friends out to hang.

I had no experience with the gangs in Brockton Bay, but I knew my way around Teams. Reputation mattered. Who shot first wasn’t important anymore. There was a big enough flash that all eyes were on the gangs. Neither side could back off without showing the flag. Neither could afford to look weak. At minimum, that’d mean a lieutenant.

Oni Lee? Hookwolf? Yeah, that sounded about right. Magma and Aqua used to have pissing matches like this too.

I remembered the mess back on Mt. Chimney. They were fighting over some meteorite or something, but the amount of ecological damage done to that mountain, the bodies of humans and wild pokémon alike who perished for Maxie and Archie’s pride… Conservation? Building a better world for humans and pokémon? Their deeds made liars of them both.

The heroes… I could probably count on New Wave; I doubted they’d leave their daughter out to dry, even if the adults were semi-retired. But the Protectorate? They seemed to have adopted the policy of non-escalation to an extreme. They virtually never brought out more heroes to a scene than there were villains, almost as if to balance the scales in favor of the status quo, but press not an inch further.

No. They couldn’t be trusted.

I had to be there. Things would really start to explode soon…

“Excuse me! Coming through!” I shouted as I jostled my way through the ER staff and patients. “Tell Panacea I’m going to the site!” I yelled back as I burst through the doors. Then, the moment I had the space, I roared, “Shift, arcanine!”

I felt my aura blaze like a wildfire. There was an unquenchable need to move, to be seen and heard. I was lord over all the land, a legend. But there was more there than just ego and pride. There was power, but it was the power of a mighty protector, a guardian of men and pokémon. Arcanine were creatures who wholly embraced noblesse oblige, the duty of the strong to defend the meek.

Beast and man merged. Our hearts beat as one and our breath fueled the fire within. A friend was in need. An annoying friend, but a friend nonetheless.

I let out a blood-curdling howl. The fire answered. It suffused every single cell in my body, cloaking my fur in a coat of embers. Beneath my feet, I felt the asphalt begin to bubble, such was the heat of my mere presence. Then that fire became a corona of white that graced my head like a crown. Ribbons of white aura enveloped me and I was off.

Extreme Speed, one of the signature moves of an arcanine, one of the hallmarks of a legend. Other creatures could ape at it with enough grueling training, but arcanine were some of the few non-legendary pokémon to learn the move naturally. An arcanine could race at well over 250 miles per hour for days on end without rest. That, that was the measured gait of a distance runner.

When that explosive power was invested solely into speed? When the fastest land predator in Indigo stopped holding back?

The sound barrier ceased to exist.

Those watching saw a tiger-dog large enough to hunt bears roar, the ground being to melt and heat shimmers dance around him, then a burst of white before the clap of thunder announced my absence.

Brockton Bay, like most cities in New England, was not a large city. From Brockton Bay General Hospital to the Boat Graveyard, it was roughly a twelve mile drive. Taking traffic into account, it could take anywhere from twenty to forty minutes abiding by the normal speed limit.

Racing through the rooftops in a straight line at well past the speed of sound? It didn’t even take me a minute to arrive.

My eyes narrowed as I took in the scene.

Victoria, Glory Girl now, was in the sky, radiating an aura of awe like the world’s most irritating nightlight. Still, I could forgive her considering she was playing tag with the one called Oni Lee.

‘She certainly knows how to make getting her ass kicked look good,’ I thought.

I kicked myself. That was unnecessary, a flash of canine contempt for the so called hero who couldn’t even handle a simple Double Team. I’d seen growlithe do better. The real Oni Lee smelled different from a clone made of ashes after all. Still, a friend in need…

To my great annoyance, only Lady Photon from New Wave arrived. Apparently, neither Brandish nor Flashbang could make time for their daughter. Or perhaps they were stuck in traffic? Neither were flyers from what I could recall.

The leader of New Wave was trying to help out her niece by taking potshots at the villain, hoping to nail the right one by repetition. If nothing else, they were able to pop the clones before the clones could pull their grenades.

On the ground, Miss Militia, Assault, Battery, and Triumph were busy trying to take on both sides. With Oni Lee kept in check by New Wave, the ABB gangsters had withdrawn somewhat to shelter behind an upturned semi truck near the exploded gas station. They were now taking potshots at both the Empire and heroes, their unpowered lieutenant unwilling to be seen retreating but well aware of the sudden disparity in strength.

On the Empire side, a woman with a… cage of all things… wrapped around her face was jumping circles around Assault and Battery. A shirtless man laughed as he hurled daggers of wind that reminded me of Air Slash at Triumph. Their leader was a large wolf that had to have been ten feet tall at the shoulder. Hookwolf, by my reckoning.

He said something to Miss Militia that made her narrow her eyes in offense before her confoam launcher turned into something distinctly deadlier.

At least it looked like the PRT troopers could keep the fight from spreading out into populated areas…

I took in the chaos. With so many combatants, it was hard to focus on any single thing. I squashed down my instinct to roar. I didn’t need to announce myself. My goal was to take them down as quickly as possible before the PRT cordon inevitably fell and these idiots got civilians involved.

As much as I wanted to take down Oni Lee for attacking my friend, I knew better. No one knew I was here yet, which meant this first move was free. Everyone focused on the big bosses, but it was the goons who caused the most damage more often than not. They were the ones who slipped through the cracks, escaping while the League or G-men arrested the likes of the Seven Sages.

I growled with barely suppressed irritation. Flexing my legs, I felt power course through me as I blurred forward, Extreme Speed turning me into a flash of supersonic white.

An instant later, I was among the Empire crowd. I counted over ten, but didn't bother with exact numbers. Two of them were injured with varying wounds and I discounted both. The thunderclap of a collapsing vacuum screamed out my arrival.

I immediately went for the lieutenant, a shaved man with an honest to Arceus eagle tattooed on his cheek. Dedication to the cause… or something…

He was wearing some decent body armor, probably taken from the army supply store. Over it, he had on a leather jacket. It was about the most protective gear a regular civilian could have. He was just turning around when I struck, fangs flashing white.

If I took a little more pleasure in the way his eyes widened with terror, who could blame me?

He didn't even have time to scream before I was on him. The fangs of an apex predator met processed leather and ripped through like it didn't exist. I bit into his shoulder, punching holes straight through the army surplus garbage he was wearing.

I scoffed, as if there was anything man-made that an arcanine couldn't rip up like a water balloon.

Then, my tongue caught up to my jaws and I wanted to whimper in disgust. Stale, boiled leather, some kind of hardy fiber used by the military, then the sour tang of still-warm blood filled my mouth. I picked him up and shook him a little until I felt several somethings pop out of alignment. I then chucked him to the side and gagged a bit.

"Ugh, you idiots don't even have the decency to taste good," I muttered as I ran to the next, not that I expected him to be able to hear me.

After their lieutenant, I refused to put Nazis in my mouth. Instead, I sped up a bit and shoulder-checked them with a bit more oomph. It was enough to send the next one flying across the street and into a street lamp with enough force to dent the hollow metal. He wasn't getting up again.

Three. Six. Eleven. It was child's play at this speed. I could feel my muscles straining, the rapid turns doing more to tax me than my so-called opponents. Even so, I was able to knock down all but one with a few well-placed tackles and swipes of my claws. A few would be needing stitches, but they were Nazis. I could afford to treat them last… if at all…

I paid the two who were already incapacitated no mind and advanced on the last one. With fire licking at my jaws and legs bent in a lunging crouch, I growled.

"This is the part where you play dead."

To no one’s surprise, he played dead.

I let out a mocking chuff before swiping a meaty paw against his chin, claws away, making sure he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. Brain damage? that implied there was much to damage.

I took the brief lull on my end to study the situation.

"Stay still!" I heard Glory Girl roar. Up in the sky, she careened like a flying brick towards an Oni Lee clone. It popped like a balloon, raining a small cloud of ash to the floor. It wasn't nearly enough.

One clone appeared just above Glory Girl and landed on her back. He yanked her hair and slammed a dagger into the back of her neck.

She corkscrewed in the air, throwing it off, but another appeared to her side before a third pulled a grenade pin. It went off, launching her out of the sky, only to be caught in a purple shield by her aunt. She wasn't hurt, but it was enough to rattle her.

I let out a frustrated growl. They were fighting incredibly inefficiently. It was evident that no one had taught Victoria how to fight, ever so confident in her invincibility. If she learned to leverage her flight, strike from multiple angles and without committing so bullheadedly every time…

My gaze turned to the ground.

Dismantling Empire "soldiers" took less than five seconds. I'd eaten more time making sharp turns than actually hitting those idiots. Even so, all three of the Empire capes had noticed my arrival by now.

Cricket tried to turn towards me, but Assault and Battery worked as a seamless team to keep her pinned. I wasn't sure why they were having trouble taking her down, but it seemed like she had something up her sleeve beyond just her kamas. Whatever the case, they were clearly off their game; I'd seen them fight better against other villains.

"Fuck, who the hell's the pupper?"I heard Stormtiger yell. He tried to disengage from Triumph, but was sent tumbling ass over teakettle by a mighty roar.

The arcanine in me approved. Like Simba finding his voice.

Hookwolf though, he shrugged off the containment foam that Miss Militia was lobbing his way. He turned to face me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ABB lieutenant begin to panic. He was a tall, Asian man with multicolored hair and a crimson scarf with a green dragon embroidered on it. Our eyes met and his face paled enough to fit in with the fools I just demolished.

He yelled something that I couldn't hear over the clamor of battle. A part of me wanted to race up there and tear Oni Lee a new one for hitting my friend, but Hookwolf was eyeing me. He'd clearly identified me as the biggest threat and I was eager to prove him right.

Or, I could go for the ABB goons. I didn't know if Lung planned to show up, but cleaning house would make the cops' lives easier, probably keep the civilians safer with fewer idiots with guns running around.

I grunted in annoyance at the ABB. They were small fry. The big boss of the Empire-pack was here. Our eyes met. In the wild, this would have been a surefire way to pick a fight with an arcanine. My instincts screamed at me that this was a challenger, an insolent pup to be shown his place beneath my paws.

Targeting anyone else would have felt too much like running. Was I being influenced by the arcanine's personality? Absolutely.

Did I care?

Eh, I could indulge.

"A bitch? They lost to a fucking bitch?" he growled. He sounded like dozens of blades scraping together to emulate speech.

"There is a limit to your arrogance. Shall I show you the heights of Coronet?"

"You know, I run a dogfighting ring. I think I'm gonna chain you up and stick you there."

I stilled. "You… what?"

"Yup, think I'm going to enjoy watching my pits rip you apart."

I processed what he was saying and then, white-hot rage fueled me. It burst through my fur and cloaked me in a blazing flame. The asphalt around me began to bubble and steam and what few conscious grunts did their best to crawl away on broken bones.

"I… I intended to make this swift. Congratulations, Hookwolf. I think I loathe you."

"Well come on then!" he roared, more of a screech of tortured metal.

He lunged at me, growing even as he sprinted as fast as he could. I braced myself and let out a Roar, loud enough to carry for miles and stagger the beast. He did not flee, too committed to ending me, too stupid to know better. Even ursaring fled from enraged arcanine.

"Please," I growled, "allow me to enjoy this."

Righteous wrath fueled me. Dogs weren't pokemon. They sure as hell weren't humans. But even so, I worked at a shelter. I cared. The fear. The pain. The lack of trust. Every single abused animal that crossed the Camacho Clinic sent me in spirals of flashbacks. I remembered the cages and shackles of Team Rocket.

For a moment, I was tempted to release all my inner fire in a Burn Up, an attack so powerful that it'd consume my inner fire in its entirety. I'd love to see him switch back amidst a pool of molten metal.

I stayed my hand. I had another idea.

"Agility. Extreme Speed. Flare Blitz," I whispered. A combination attack. I'd never done it in this life, always so careful to not go too far. I finally discovered a worthy target, one durable enough, despicable enough, to be guilt-free.

Air could not boil, but it could be heated into plasma. I lashed out with all the force of a meteor, leaving behind a series of thunderclaps that then imploded in brilliant plasma.

I struck Hookwolf before he could blink. Now that I was up close, I could see that he still had eyes, though they were shuttered behind metal slits. My attack took him clean off his feet. I sheared through them like a plasma torch through butter.

I was already several steps past him when he finally registered the conducted heat. He clearly didn't turn into metal, but I'd bet he didn't appreciate the sudden warmth.

"RAAAGHHH!" he began to scream.

I cut him off, circling around for another pass. This time, I toned down the heat and aimed for center-mass. I tackled him off his regrowing feet and grabbed him by the throat with Crunch like an unruly pup.

Then I was off.

We were by the Docks. The sea was never further than six blocks or so. I grabbed him and dragged him along at supersonic speed until I came across the water.

I kept running. We were more than four hundred feet out when I finally dropped him. Like all things metal, he sank like a stone.

As any other fire type, I wasn't a fan of water in this form. I especially wasn't a fan of any body of water I couldn't even drink from. Truly, Kyogre's domain existed just to spite me.

But Hookwolf was even worse off than I.

I was so fast that I just ran back and forth. I felt like a reverse sharpedo, me circling on the surface like a frenzied sharpedo while Hookwolf desperately tried to hold his breath. He'd shift back and swim or he'd drown.

I was once told that drowning was one of the most painful ways to die. I wouldn't kill him, but I was happy to get creative here.

One minute. Two.

Almost at the three minute mark, he emerged. Hookwolf was a man with blonde hair and a metallic mask. He was shirtless like Stormtiger and I wondered if Nazis enjoyed displays of homoeroticism.

I shrugged. This asshole's repressed desires were none of my business.

On my next pass, I leaned down and grabbed him by the back of the throat. I sank my fangs in deep and listened to him howl. My fangs grated on something. He had metal under his skin even in his human form.

'Guess I know why he had trouble swimming,' I mused.

I felt hooks begin to sprout against my gums, but I shook him swiftly in my grip. Flesh tore. Sounds of tortured metal rang across the sea. Bones snapped as I continued to shake him violently.

I dragged him back, a matter of seconds, and dropped the waterlogged cape before the Empire grunts. Puncture wounds, broken spine, all things I can fix later.

With me taking out their leader, the tide had clearly turned for the Empire. Miss Militia was now free to snipe down Cricket from range. Whatever the wannabe ninja was doing to keep Assault and Battery at bay, she clearly had trouble doing it from afar because she was already down and out when I returned with Hookwolf.

Assault and Battery split off after that, Assault to back up Triumph and Battery to round up the ABB grunts.

Stormtiger, seeing a lost cause, began to flee.

I considered chasing him, but Oni Lee appeared in front of Battery and tossed a grenade her way. She tanked the blast, her electric charge somehow making her stronger as well, but two of the ABB grunts near her weren't as lucky.

That broke them. Their unpowered lieutenant finally ordered a retreat. From their perspective, this must have seemed like a victory. The Empire lost two capes, one a heavy hitter, while the ABB lost almost nobody.

I watched them run before letting out a snort of flame. "Cowards."

I was of two minds about them. A part of me wanted to give chase, to show Oni Lee that tricks like Double Team only worked on rookies like Glory Girl. The idea of letting the ABB claim a victory, or letting Stormtiger slink away with his tail between his legs, rankled me.

But I was a hero. With Hookwolf down, my anger died down to smoldering embers. I looked around and saw that I'd done all I'd set out to do. I released a sigh to let go of my frustrations and shfited back.

There were people to heal.

I walked towards the Empire grunts. I was only gone for four minutes at most, but more of them were awake now. I took a step forward.

Half of them groaned in pain as they tried to drag themselves away from me. I'd left an impression.

Good.

I conjured a ball of pink light in my hand. "Come here, let's put you fuckers out of your misery."

"Menagerie! You can't do that!" I heard Miss Militia shout. I glanced her way. I could see why Mark had a crush on her when we were in middle school. She had very pretty eyes if nothing else, though she was a bit too… patriotic… for my taste.

I hefted the Heal Pulse. "What? I'm healing them… Mostly. They need to be able to answer questions, right? And if they try to escape… I guess I'll just have to un-heal them," I said, glaring at them pointedly.

I stuck around for another few minutes. After making sure the Empire capes were still out, I brought out some Sleep Powder and dosed them all before handing them over to the Protectorate. I then moved on to the PRT. A few of them had taken some hits, but none had any major injuries.

"That should do it," I said, pushing a Heal Pulse into someone's arm. "Was that everyone?"

"Yes, thank you for your assistance, Menagerie," Miss Militia said.

Before we could talk further, Glory Girl crashed into the ground, leaving spiderweb cracks on the pavement. "Holy shit, Menagerie! You didn't tell me you were that strong!"

"Be gentler, Victoria," her aunt chided, landing with far more grace. "The world is not nearly durable enough for you."

"Aww, come on, Aunt Sarah, it's just a little crack."

"You say that because you don't have to fix it," I joined Lady Photon in chiding her. "Go pick up some cement mix and let's see you get to work."

"Yeah, well… You were going all boom-boom and breaking the sound barrier. I heard you. How many glass windows did you break?"

"Well…"

"Ha! Glass houses, Menagerie, glass houses."

"The Wards program exists to teach capes control," Miss Militia said, seamlessly inserting a pitch. "We'd be happy to help you, Menagerie."

"Nope. No way. I run solo," I said, crossing my arms. 'Unless Em decides she wants to run with me.'

"Well it was wonderful to meet you," Lady Photon said. I looked at her again and I was blown away. Their entire family was ridiculously photogenic and it wasn't fair. Even into her early forties and semi-retired as she was, it was easy to see just why the leader of New Wave got so much good press.

I shook her proffered hand. "Pleasure's mine, but I'm going to go now. I think your niece might be looking for me."

"Yes, Vicky did say you and Amy got on well. Crystal also had good things to say about you too. Something about a dinosaur?"

"Heh, yeah, that was a good time."

I left shortly after that, desperate to escape the threat of more sales pitches and statements. Surely a few broken windows were a small price to pay for Hookwolf, someone sentenced to the Birdcage, multiple times over if I remember correctly.

I shifted back to arcanine and raced back, being more mindful of the windows now that I wasn't on a time crunch. I didn't even bother to switch back as I ambled into the hospital, not a care in the world. A quick glance at the clock told me that I'd been gone for less than ten minutes.

"Greetings, caregiver, is my workstation still ready?" I asked the nurse.

"Huh? Uh… Menagerie?"

"Tis I. Who else would wear such a majestic visage?"

"Why are you talking like that?"

I blinked. Then my large, canine head struck the countertop. I shifted back, thankful that my helmet hid my blooming cheeks. "Sorry… So… workstation?"

"Oh, umm… yes, of course. Room eight."

I waved behind me as I headed to the familiar room. There, I was greeted by the three nurses who were initially assigned to me. They had apparently waited for a few minutes and were in the process of cleaning up.

One, a man with ginger hair, asked, "Menagerie? Where did you go?"

I shrugged carelessly. "Oh, you know. I thought I'd take a smoke break. See the sights. No big."

The four of us fell into a rhythm. As it turned out, though I didn't seriously injure anyone who didn't deserve it, a few people got cut on the glass that I broke while I was racing around town. I made sure to heal those personally and apologized for the trouble.

It was about 8PM when Amy came to fetch me.

"Menagerie?" she called. She twisted her back and groaned in satisfaction as a series of pops filled the air. "You down to grab some dinner?"

"Hmm? Are you asking me out? Why, how bold!" I said, falling into a mock-swoon.

"You wish, you horndog. Come on, you're the one who keeps telling me I can't stay cooped up here and I'm hungry."

"Yeah, I think we've earned a meal."

She flashed a card. "Hospital director's dime. Let's go get something pricey."

"Hah, well aren't you the villain?"

"Nope. Hero. He-ro. I'm appreciated."

"Of course you are, Panacea. Like a rash."

"Whatever. You coming?" I bid the nurses goodbye and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Despite her grumbling, she didn't remove it. "So, what do you want for dinner?"

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever you want, Panpan. I’m down for anything.”

“Don’t call me that,” she huffed.

“Ehh… Panpan… It’s got a nice ring to it, no?”

“You want a zit on your nose brighter than Rudolph’s nose? Keep talking.”

“Can you actually do that?”

I felt her stiffen like a board under my arm. “N-No, I’m just joking. Fucking around. Of course I can’t.”

“Amy,” I said warningly. “You know you’re a terrible liar, right?”

“I’m just a healer.”

“Not just a healer. The best healer. Even with me around, it’s not even a contest. I can’t fix genetic anomalies.”

“I don’t do brains.”

“You put in way more hours than I do and you’re better at diagnoses than I am. I just have a magic fix-it ball.”

“Whatever.”

“Point is, you’re not just a healer, are you?” I pulled her in tighter so she couldn’t escape. We headed out into the parking lot and I led her towards Hillside Mall; the food court was always a good option. If not that, then one of the restaurants nearby. “Nope. No squirming. Panpan, are you holding back your powers because you don’t want to do anything that hurts people?”

“No, I’m… Can we not talk about this?”

I was no longer the aura-based empath I used to be, but even now I could see that I’d stepped on a landmine. “Fine, I’ll drop it.”

“Thank you,” she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“For now.”

“Really?”

“It bothers you, that much is obvious. You’re my friend so I want to know what bothers you.”

“You’re impossible.”

“Uh-huh. That’s me.” I changed the topic. “Say, you want to be a PHO meme?”

“What?”

“I took Vicky, Crystal, Sabah, and Vista on a ride so…”

“You have another dinosaur in your pocket?” she drawled. Her tone said she was disinterested, but I could feel her shoulders perk up with excitement.

I considered it. Charizard was a dinosaur, right? Or dragon? Kinda-sorta? There weren’t many fire types that matched the conventional image of a dinosaur by this world’s standards unfortunately, but I didn’t want to be a Charizard anyway.

I had a devious thought. It had been hours since the battle by the Docks. My actions as an arcanine were undoubtedly making their rounds on PHO. Why not give them something else to ooh and aah over?

“No dino,” I said. “Arcanine. You don’t want to ride a giant tiger-dog the size of a polar bear?”

“Pffttt, fine. Let’s see it.”

“Wait, did you not see me as an arcanine?”

“I don’t think so? I arrived after you started your tour of the children’s ward.”

“Ah, then you’re in for a treat. Shift, arcanine!”

I grew and took on the now familiar form. Grinning a big, doggy grin, I licked Amy’s face from chin to forehead and let out a burst of flame towards the sky. “What’s up?”

“Eww! Don’t do that!” she yelled, wiping my drool on her sleeve.

“Why? Have I ever told you that you look positively delicious?”

“Nope. Not doing this. You don’t get to make sex jokes while you’re big enough to actually eat me.”

“Ugh, fine, you killjoy.” I turned my back and sat on my haunches. Amy was not a tall girl. Even seated, I was a few inches taller than her. “Hop on.”

“Alright, just give me a moment. You don’t exactly come with footholds.”

She managed it, straddling me just below my shoulder-blades. I felt her fists bunch up my fur but ignored it. She was pack; she had fur-mussing privileges. “Okay, I think I’m goo-!”

I laughed as her voice cut out into a surprised squeal. I was mindful of the lack of Vicky on my back. Without a flying brute to play anchor, I wasn’t sure I could start racing at any speed so I just ambled across the street and joined traffic. A man on a motorcycle waited in the lane next to us.

“Yo, how’s it going?” I greeted.

“Uhh… Hi…?”

“Nothing to see here, just a fire-dog kidnapping Panpan. I’m told-”

I felt her slap my back ineffectually. “Stop that, you idiot. This is Menagerie.”

“I think the whole city knows who that is now,” the motorcyclist said shakily.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

I laughed, though it came out more a growl than anything. “She’s been on-call until five minutes ago. She hasn’t seen PHO yet.”

“B-Menagerie… What’d you do?”

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing bad,” I promised.

“Menagerie…”

“What? You don’t trust me?”

“Not as far as I can throw you, you goddamn troll.”

“Heh.”

The light changed and I began to jog lightly. More of a crawl for me, but about as fast as I could go without dislodging my rider. Next to me, the motorcyclist fumbled with his phone, trying to put it away and get going before the cars behind him started honking. He failed.

I chuckled as we headed to the mall. Then, I felt Amy tug to my left. “Ooh! Let’s go there. I haven’t had a Sonic in like, forever!”

“Really? Your ‘pricey’ meal is a Sonic drive-thru?”

“Shut up, they have a huge menu, alright?”

“Point. They do have good shakes.”

“Exactly.” The two of us stood in the drive-thru as we waited for the line to move on. She took out her own phone and snapped a picture. “I’m sending this to Vicky.”

“Go ahead,” I shrugged. “I’m sure she could do with dinner.”

“She probably ate actually, but she loves the shakes here so I bet she’ll drop by anyway.”

We reached the menu and speaker.

“Hello, welcome to Sonic, what would you like to order?” came a chirpy female voice, probably yet another college part-timer.

I looked over the menu. It’d been a while since I’d been here. The last time was… middle school graduation with the orphanage kids? It was always a treat, though we could only afford a hot dog, shared fries, and small shakes. I swallowed the bittersweet memories and decided to splurge a bit. An arcanine was an apex predator. It wasn’t wrong to have the appetite of an apex predator. Right?

‘Besides, it’s on the hospital director’s card anyway,’ I told myself.

“I’ll have a Sonic cheeseburger meal. Small vanilla shake instead of a drink,” Amy told the server. “What do you want, Menagerie?”

“M-Menagerie???”

“That was Panacea. We just got off the hospital shift,” I told her with a chuckle. “And I want… three SuperSonic bacon cheeseburgers, two fries, and a large strawberry shake.”

“O-Okay…”

“You can’t possibly eat that much,” Amy admonished, flicking my ear.

“Wanna bet?”

“Ugh, whatever. Not my money anyway.”

The two of us stood in the drive-thru line as it inched closer to pickup. After a minute or two, the shock of seeing two heroes at a Sonic wore off and I saw two kids get out of their mom’s SUV.

“Dude, I dare you to pull his tail,” one whispered, not nearly quiet enough if the way Amy looked at them was an indication.

“Man, no way,” the other whispered back. “You do it.”

“Don’t bother,” Amy said. “He bites.”

“Only Panpan,” I winked. “And she likes it-OW!”

Amy yanked on my ears, causing me to cough up embers. “Shut up, idiot.”

“You’re no fun.”

“C-Can we have your autograph?”

I stared at them deadpan. “Sure, let me go find my thumbs…”

Another swat. “Stop being a jerk. You can change back for a minute.”

“Alright, fine. What’s this world coming to? Panpan is telling me to be nicer to people.”

“That just goes to show how far you’ve fallen, Menagerie,” another voice said from up above. Victoria arrived, radiating her aura like a leaky faucet.

I looked her over and rolled my eyes. “Really? A Supergirl t-shirt? Tell me you’re a brick without telling me you’re a brick.”

“Oh, shut up puppers. You’d wear the same thing if you were me.”

“Touché, Vicky. Touché.”

As Amy predicted, Vicky went inside long enough to grab herself a shake. After we signed some autographs and got our food, we made our way to the roof of Hillside Mall to eat. It was less crowded and came with a pretty great view in the setting sun.

I shifted back as the three of us portioned out the food. Victoria, being the awful, awful human being that she was, immediately snapped up one of my fries. She caught me staring and grinned cheekily. “What? You have like three burgers!”

“There is an unspoken law among men.” I ticked them off on my fingers. “Every other urinal. No nut-taps. And never, ever steal another man’s fries.”

“Good thing I’m not a bro then.”

“Goes for women too. Possible exceptions extended for mothers and significant others.”

“Oh, so it’s okay for Amy then?” she laughed, waggling her eyebrows.

“Eww, don’t joke about that,” Amy mock-gagged. She slid her fries over. “Here, since Menageries is being a big baby, just have some of mine.”

“I am not being a baby. This is a sacred and longstanding courtesy,” I grumbled. I carefully tore the bag until I had a large plate and placed all the food on top before transforming back into an arcanine.

“Uh-huh, whatever, you baby.”

“I’d flip you off but I lack fingers. Truly a travesty of evolution.”

“Hehe, you two bicker like a married couple, you know that, right?” Vicky laughed, “No wonder people think you two are an item.”

“A relationship with your sister would mean she’s capable of social interactions beyond snark and horrible bedside manners.”

“Don’t make me shave you bald, fluffy.”

“I’ll pee on your robes.”

“Ugh, you’re disgusting.”

“See? Exactly like a married couple,” Vicky crowed. Then she seemed to get a distinct gleam in her eye. “Say, Menagerie, what are you doing next Saturday?”

“Umm… nothing?”

Amy glared at her sister. “No. No, Victoria. You are not dragging him into a double date.”

“But come on! He’s perfect for you!”

“No, no he’s not.”

“Is it because you don’t know what he looks like?” She turned to me. “You’ll just wear a domino mask, right?”

“No, it’s not because I don’t know what he looks like,” Amy snapped.

“Wait, you know what he looks like? He unmasked???”

“I… Yes…?”

“Damnit, Amy,” I groaned. “No, I’m not going to go on a double date with you, Victoria, especially when Amy clearly doesn’t like me like that.”

“Thank you!”

“But you two are perfect,” the blonde pouted.

“We’re really not. We just happen to both be healers. And even that’s more of a whim for me.”

“Oh, right! You were awesome today!”

“Wait, what happened today?” Amy frowned. “Is that why everyone looked at you like they saw a dragon in their living room?”

I shrugged and wrapped my jaw around a burger, snapping it whole. “Probably.”

“What do you mean probably?” Vicky yelled, enthusiastic as ever. “You wrecked Hookwolf.”

“I didn’t. I just took him for a swim.”

“You ripped off his legs, dragged him into the ocean, ran on water, and then drowned him before hauling his ass back to the Protectorate. All in like three minutes.”

“He did what???” Amy looked at me like I’d grown a second head. “When the hell was this? You were in the hospital all day with me!”

I coughed awkwardly. “Umm… When I went for that smoke break… I mean, it’s not a big deal. The fight took like… ten minutes? At most?”

“I thought you didn’t want to fight?”

“I didn’t, then I heard some of the people who came in talk, an ABB and E88 gangbanger. They were spouting shit as usual, but then they said Oni Lee and Hookwolf showed up so I thought I could end the fight as fast as possible. Fix people up on-site, you know?”

“He did good, sis,” Vicky added. “I had no idea you were that fast.”

“Only when I stop pulling punches. Besides, it was a good thing I was there because some of the troopers and gangsters got pretty badly hurt.” I failed to mention that I was the primary reason for the latter’s injuries. No need to worry her more.

We chatted for a while longer before Vicky flew Amy home for the night.

On the way back, I received a text from Sabah.

Sabah: Hey, I have a lot of the undersuit done, but I’m having trouble cutting the scales to shape. We just don’t have anything sharp enough.

Menagerie: Oh? Yeah, you mentioned it before. I can come cut those when I have time. You’re still in the same workshop at the college?

Sabah: Yup. Still at Wyatt Hall. Give me a heads-up when you plan to show.

Menagerie: How long do you think putting everything together will take? After I cut the scales to size I mean.

Sabah: Not long. A day or two at most. Excited?

Menagerie: Thrilled. I’m really looking forward to seeing the whole thing for real.

Sabah: Good. I need my fashion model to enjoy wearing it.

Menagerie: Thank you, Sabah. Seriously. If you want any more materials for a personal project, let me know.

Sabah: There’s a design contest coming up so I might hold you to that.

Menagerie: Please do.

Sabah: Alright, good night, Menagerie.

Menagerie: Good night.