Chapter 34:
– Sophia –
Sophia Hess clutched the DL-44 blaster Vicky Dallon had handed her. Using her shadow powers, she phased rapidly through wall after wall, the blur of steel and concrete whipping past her vision in dizzying flashes as she rushed toward the Rig's prison cells.
Her anger burned hot beneath her skin. There was no fucking way she was going to let Iron Rain—that Nazi psycho bitch—get away.
No chance in hell!
But when she finally reached the wall that led directly into the containment area, Sophia abruptly stopped. She hesitated, her thoughts screaming suddenly at just what exactly she was about to face on the other side of that wall.
She swallowed hard, her stomach tightening in a knot. "Shit," she whispered to herself. "Am I really about to fucking do this?"
Just moments ago, she'd been so sure of herself, charging in without a second thought. Now she realized the reality of the situation. She was about to face down Krieg, Kaiser, the brutal leader of the Empire, his psychotic, bloodthirsty sister Iron Rain, and possibly even that teleporting maniac Oni-Lee.
All by herself. Armed with nothing more than a goddamn Star Wars blaster pistol. Albeit, a badass pistol.
For a second, she wondered if she'd screwed up leaving the others behind. Maybe she should have stayed with that annoying pipsqueak—Vista, Glory Girl and Panacea. Maybe she shouldn't have run off solo without a real plan.
"No," Sophia muttered to herself, her voice shaking slightly as she straightened up. "No fucking regrets now."
She forced down her fear, replacing it quickly with familiar, stubborn anger. A lot of her teammates—Kid Win, Gallant, even that dickhead Aegis—were probably already fighting for their lives right this second. She might not have liked most of them, but Sophia sure as hell wasn't going to let them get slaughtered by villains.
She tightened her grip on the blaster, the weapon feeling oddly comforting in her hand, and took a deep breath. With her mind made up, she phased through the final wall into the Rig's containment facility. Immediately, she was assaulted by the loud, shrill sound of alarms blaring all around her. Red lights flashed on the ceiling, bathing the hallway in harsh crimson color.
She froze mid-step, her eyes widening in sick horror. On the floor ahead of her lay the bodies of several PRT guards, their limbs twisted awkwardly and their torsos impaled by vicious blades of metal. Kaiser's handiwork, no doubt about it. Blood pooled on the concrete, the metallic stench hitting her nose so strongly it almost made her gag.
"Bastard," she spat bitterly, her throat tightening at the grisly scene before her.
Sophia forced herself forward, moving slowly and carefully as she made her way through the blood-splattered hallway. Her footsteps were silent, thanks to her power, as she crept toward the distant sound of voices around the corner at the end of the corridor.
She stopped just short of the corner, pressing her back against the wall and holding her breath. Her ears strained, desperately trying to make out what the villains were saying.
She heard Kaiser's voice first—cold, deep, and arrogant. She'd only heard him one time before this in the field, and she made a vow to never forget it.
"This is taking too long. Hurry it up. Get the cell door open already!"
There was a grunt of frustration from another voice, probably Krieg. Who she hadn't ever heard before. "Working on it. The electronic locks here are tougher than anticipated."
Iron Rain's unmistakable cruel laughter echoed next. "If the fucking PRT idiots weren't so busy getting slaughtered upstairs, maybe they'd have time to help us open their cells themselves. Hurry the fuck up, Krieg."
"Hurry up and let me out as well," Oni Lee demanded in a surprisingly rough and raspy voice. "I need to go assist Lung-sama in destroying these arrogant gaijin heroes!"
Sophia's eyebrows furrowed in surprise. She'd never actually heard Oni Lee speak before, not even on the online footage she'd watched. He always just seemed like a silent killing machine.
Iron Rain suddenly snapped back, her voice sharp and dripping with anger. "Shut the fuck up, you moron! My brother didn't break an Endbringer truce just to free you!" Sophia could hear the disgust and fury dripping from her tone. "I wouldn't have even gotten exposed if you hadn't attacked the docks like a reckless idiot!"
Sophia bit her lip to keep from scoffing out loud. She could hear the tension growing among the villains, and she hoped silently they'd start fighting each other before she had to make a move herself.
Kaiser's voice cut through the tense silence next, calm and cold. "Regardless, dear sister," he stated slowly, "I did make a pact with Lung. The agreement was clear—I free Oni Lee in return for Lung providing a large distraction outside the Rig."
Sophia nearly jumped when one of the heavy prison cell doors suddenly slid open with a mechanical hum, followed by a loud triumphant laugh.
"Damn, I'm good! Suck it, Armsmaster! Your security ain't shit!" Krieg's voice echoed through the prison area, accompanied by a smug chuckle.
Sophia pressed her back tighter against the wall, her heart racing even faster now. She clenched her jaw tightly, her stomach twisting with dread.
Iron Rain was out of her cell now.
Her fingers twitched on the blaster trigger. She wanted to step around the corner and shoot, but she knew the odds were terrible. Her body tensed with anger and frustration. If she stepped out right now, maybe she'd hit one villain, but the others would immediately kill her.
Maybe a few months ago, she'd have welcomed that idea. But now, thoughts of Silas flashed through her mind. She knew he would be heartbroken if she died like this, and there was no way she was going to let Emma Barnes, the Dallon sisters, or fucking Taylor Hebert get their greedy hands all over Silas just because she got herself killed.
Sophia trembled slightly with a quiet, nervous laugh, feeling ridiculous for even thinking about romance at a moment like this. If Emma ever found out, she'd never let Sophia live it down. Still, the thought of Silas gave her a spark of resolve. She wasn't going to die here.
"Keep to the damn agreement, let me out already!" Oni Lee shouted, his voice angry and impatient now.
Sophia heard Iron Rain's footsteps clicking sharply on the metal floor, her voice suddenly calm and calculating. "I have a better idea," she said coldly.
There was a sudden horrible screeching noise of metal being violently twisted and then a sickening wet squelch. Sophia grimaced slightly, swallowing back bile.
"What the hell did you do?!" Kaiser shouted angrily, his voice echoing harshly off the metal walls. "Why the fuck did you kill him? Lung is going to be furious!"
Iron Rain chuckled darkly, a cruel edge to her voice. "Oh please, brother," she said smoothly. "I didn't kill him. The PRT did."
Sophia cursed silently, realizing Iron Rain's plan. Oh this bitch, she thought bitterly. Iron Rain was going to frame Oni Lee's death on the PRT to incite more chaos.
Sophia felt her blood boiling, anger overcoming her fear. Enough hesitation. They were distracted and it was time to strike. She tightened her grip on the blaster, took a deep breath, and stepped quickly around the corner.
Her heart skipped as she raised the weapon swiftly, aiming right at Iron Rain's smug, hateful face. Before she could pull the trigger, a sharp metallic scraping echoed through the air.
Kaiser, quicker and more alert than Sophia had anticipated, immediately summoned a barrier of razor-sharp blades in front of his sister, shielding her completely!
"Shit!" Sophia cursed loudly, shifting her aim in a split second of desperation. She pulled the trigger, feeling the recoil kick back hard into her palm as the blaster bolt exploded from the barrel with a bright flash of red.
It streaked across the hallway and slammed right into Krieg's head. His triumphant grin was still frozen on his face as the plasma bolt obliterated his dome, his lifeless body dropping heavily to the floor.
"You fucking Ward bitch!" Iron Rain screamed furiously, eyes wide with rage and disbelief. Her face twisted into a mask of murderous fury. "I'm going to fucking kill you!"
Sophia immediately spun around, heart pounding frantically, and shifted into her shadow form. She moved instantly, bolting straight through the nearest wall, putting as much distance between herself and the villains as she possibly could!
Sophia ran as fast as she fucking could, her chest tight and lungs burning as she phased rapidly through wall after wall inside the Rig. She could hear the horrific shriek of metal shearing apart behind her, the razor-sharp blades of Kaiser and Iron Rain hot on her trail. The Nazi villains weren't even trying to be subtle anymore, not after Sophia had blown Krieg's brains out right in front of them.
She gritted her teeth, furious that she'd missed her chance to put a bolt between Iron Rain's eyes. Still, blasting Krieg in the head with the Star Wars blaster was a pretty satisfying consolation. Sophia glanced down briefly at the DL-44 blaster in her sweaty hand, a cocky smirk tugging at her lips. This weapon was fucking awesome. Too bad it belonged to Barbie. She found herself bitterly wondering just exactly how well Vicky Dallon must have sucked Silas's cock to get something as cool as this blaster.
Sophia cursed herself silently—here she was, running for her life, and somehow, yet again, her brain was filled with thoughts about Silas Thorn. It was ridiculous. She couldn't help it, a breathless laugh suddenly escaping her lips. She phased straight through another thick metal wall, moving fast, but was immediately caught off guard when she collided hard into someone standing on the other side!
The woman she crashed into grunted loudly in surprise and pain, sent flying backwards from the impact to slam roughly onto the metal floor, skidding across the tiles. Sophia herself grunted sharply, losing her own footing from the collision and landing hard on her ass. Her muscular thighs stung sharply from the fall, and she cursed loudly, scrambling back up to her feet.
"Sophia!" a familiar, weak voice called from nearby. "Shit, I'm actually glad to see you!"
She spun quickly, still gripping the blaster tightly, and saw Aegis staggering weakly against the wall. He looked seriously fucked up, his body almost completely wrecked. He was missing an entire arm at the shoulder, the stump torn raggedly, leaking blood and fluid down his shredded costume. A gaping hole in his chest exposed the raw muscles and broken bones where his heart should've been, and half his handsome face was grotesquely blown away, leaving a bloody, pulpy mess behind.
Sophia stared at him in shock. She knew Aegis had insane regenerative powers, practically immortal, but even he looked like he was on his last legs right now. She could tell just by looking at his injuries that he needed Panacea's help immediately.
A low groan drew her eyes to the side, where Kid Win was slumped painfully against the far wall. He clutched a horrible, ragged gut wound that was pouring blood, soaking his costume dark red. He looked pale, breathing hard, obviously in serious trouble.
Before Sophia could even speak, the villain she'd collided with earlier began to stand slowly, rising from the floor with a furious hiss of anger. The woman was obviously Asian, clad in a form-fitting black costume armored with protective plates and small glowing spheres clipped across her body. She glared at Sophia, her eyes dark with anger behind a sleek mask covering the top half of her face.
This had to be that ABB bomb bitch that Vista had warned everyone about earlier. The villain looked at Sophia and sneered contemptuously. Sophia narrowed her eyes, lifting her blaster and aiming it directly at the villain's masked face.
"Who the fuck are you supposed to be?" Sophia demanded harshly, her finger tightening dangerously on the trigger.
The villain scoffed arrogantly, standing up taller as she glared Sophia down. "I'm the greatest genius in this fucking city, bitch. Remember my name—it's Bakuda!" She laughed bitterly, eyeing Sophia's weapon mockingly. "And put down that toy Star Wars blaster, you dumb Ward slut. It's obviously not real. Besides, it's not like you hero pussies would actually ever kill anyone without a kill order anywa—"
Without hesitation, Sophia squeezed the trigger, her blaster recoiling sharply in her palm as a glowing bolt of red-hot energy ripped across the room. It struck Bakuda directly in the thigh, searing straight through her armor, sizzling and burning flesh instantly. Bakuda shrieked horribly, collapsing to the floor as her leg buckled under her, smoke and the acrid smell of burning meat filling the air.
"You fucking psycho Ward bitch!" Bakuda screamed in disbelief and pain, clutching her ruined, smoldering thigh as tears of agony rolled down her cheeks. "You actually shot me! Fuck!"
"Shut your fucking mouth," Sophia growled coldly. "Be glad I didn't put one right through your skull like I did Krieg…"
Sophia whipped her head around when she heard Aegis violently coughing nearby. He was kneeling on one knee, his remaining hand clutching his chest as dark red blood splattered onto the metal floor in front of him. "What did you just say, Sophia?" Aegis managed to choke out, looking up at her through his bloodied face. "You shot Krieg… in the head?"
"Damn right I did," Sophia snapped back. She shifted her grip on the DL-44 blaster, keeping her finger tight on the trigger. "The Nazi bastard deserved it."
She was about to say more when a harsh sound filled the corridor on the other side of the wall—metal scraping loudly against metal, harsh and echoing, signaling that Kaiser and Iron Rain weren't far behind.
Sophia grimaced, her chest tightening with tension. "Fuck," she muttered under her breath, realizing they'd nearly caught up. Sophia bolted over to Kid Win, who was lying against the wall, his face pale and sweaty, his breath ragged. Blood was still seeping from the wound in his stomach, his hands shaking as he tried to hold the wound shut. "We gotta move, Kid," she urged roughly. "Can you walk on your own?"
Kid Win shook his head weakly. "No. I don't—I don't think I can."
Sophia cursed again, glancing back as the screeching noise got even closer. She swiftly holstered the blaster in her belt, grabbing Kid Win firmly by his shoulders and lifting him to his feet. He groaned loudly, clearly in pain.
"Aegis!" Sophia shouted, looking sharply at her mutilated teammate. "Move your ass unless you wanna lose another limb! Kaiser's coming, and that psycho sister of his is with him. They're already pissed off and killed Oni Lee. We gotta go, now!"
"What the fuck? They killed Lee!?" came another furious voice. Bakuda, the ABB bombmaker, was still on the floor clutching the gaping wound in her leg, her eyes wide with alarm. "I can't run away with this fucking leg!" she screamed, her voice panicked and filled with desperation.
Sophia flashed a vicious grin at the fallen villain. "Well, I guess you'll have to buy us some time, won't you? Those Nazis out there are out for blood. Good luck not getting skewered," she taunted cruelly, enjoying Bakuda's helpless fury.
Bakuda screamed hatefully after them, a string of creative curses following Sophia as she hurriedly hauled Kid Win towards the corridor exit. Aegis staggered behind them, barely able to move quickly enough, clearly struggling from his horrific injuries.
Only seconds later, Sophia heard explosions erupt behind them, rattling the entire corridor as Bakuda began fighting Kaiser and Iron Rain with her bombs. It was clear the ABB villain was desperately fighting for her life now. Sophia smirked darkly—at least the Nazis would have their hands full for a few minutes.
As they moved further away from the fighting, Sophia briefly wondered how the pipsqueak Vista was handling herself. And, grudgingly, if Barbie and her annoying healer sister were holding their own too.
– Vicky –
Vicky leaned heavily against the corridor wall, breathing rapidly as sweat trickled down her forehead and ran along the side of her face. Her entire body felt overheated, her skin damp beneath her costume, causing the tight material to cling uncomfortably to her chest, arms, and thighs.
"Fuck me," she groaned breathlessly, wiping sweat from her eyes with the back of her hand. "These guys seriously didn't mess around, Amy."
The hallway around them was a total mess. The metal walls and floors were scorched with blast marks from lasers and fireballs. Bodies of heavily armored mercenaries lay scattered across the corridor, some groaning in pain, others motionless, defeated by the intense fight.
Vicky's heart was pounding heavily as she glanced down, noting the smoking, charred holes torn through her costume where the mercenaries' tinker-tech lasers had hit her. Her forcefield had overloaded quickly under the relentless barrage, leaving angry burns on her bare skin, painful and throbbing.
But luckily for her, she had Amy.
Her sister was standing close beside her, a serious, fierce expression on her usually reserved face. Amy's eyes were narrowed and intense, her cheeks flushed with exertion. Her thick auburn hair was tangled and messy, strands sticking to her sweat-slicked forehead.
Vicky had never seen her sister this fierce and confident before.
Amy quickly moved closer, placing one hand firmly on Vicky's injured arm, fingers gently pressing against the burned skin. A soothing heat spread immediately through Vicky's injuries, easing away the sharp pain. Within seconds, her wounds were completely healed.
"Are you okay now, Vicky?" Amy asked, her voice unusually sharp and protective, her dark eyes locked firmly onto her sister's.
"Yeah, Ames, thanks to you," Vicky said softly, flashing her sister a grateful smile. "You're literally the best sister in the whole damn world!"
Amy's cheeks flushed a deeper red at that, and she rolled her eyes a little, though Vicky caught the pleased twitch of her lips.
"Don't get reckless," Amy scolded gently, but her voice wasn't truly angry. "You scared me. Those mercenaries could have seriously hurt you, Vicky."
"Trust me, I noticed," Vicky replied with a small laugh, stretching her healed arms and enjoying the newfound lack of pain. "Coil's soldiers are way worse than Empire or ABB thugs. Military trained and crazy tinker weapons? Where the hell did that snake bastard even find these guys?"
Amy shook her head slowly, glancing around the battlefield once more. "No idea, but let's just hope Vista's alright. She charged ahead so quickly to save Director Piggot—I hope she doesn't run into even more of these creeps."
Vicky nodded, briefly picturing their tiny teammate eagerly waving her glowing lightsaber around. "Honestly, that girl is scary and impressive. Still, we shouldn't leave her alone too long."
A sudden groan sounded behind them, catching both girls' attention. Two remaining Coil mercenaries staggered up from the debris-covered floor, aiming their strange weapons shakily towards Vicky and Amy.
Amy spun on her heels sharply, raising both hands in front of her. Bright flames erupted immediately from her palms, forming into deadly fireballs that flew forward in a blur of light and heat. The mercenaries barely had time to shout in surprise before the fireballs slammed into them, instantly igniting their armor.
They fell to the ground, screaming loudly as flames burned through their protective gear. Vicky stared wide-eyed as her usually gentle sister stood calmly, watching the soldiers writhe helplessly in agony. Amy's face held no pity.
Vicky swallowed hard, heart racing with surprise and something else—a warmth she wasn't expecting.
"Damn, Amy," Vicky said quietly, voice thick with admiration. "Since when are you so…intense? You're kinda really hot right now."
Amy glanced sharply at Vicky, cheeks darkening even more as embarrassment mixed with a little pride on her features. "Shut up, Vicky," she muttered, turning her face away quickly to hide her obvious blush.
"Seriously though," Vicky continued playfully. "This badass side of you is insanely attractive. You should definitely let it out more often."
…
Vicky pushed open the heavy door leading into Director Piggot's office. Amy followed close behind her.
As soon as they stepped inside, Vicky immediately noticed the director standing behind her large desk, glaring sternly at Vista. Director Piggot was a heavyset woman with short brown hair and sharp, piercing eyes that looked angry enough to bore holes through walls. Her pale face was red with anger as she pointed a finger directly at Vista, who stood defiantly in front of her, chin raised and jaw set stubbornly.
"Vista, I cannot believe your recklessness!" Piggot shouted angrily, her voice loud and harsh. "You've used excessive force and severely injured a villain without proper authorization! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?"
Vicky's eyes moved downward and she blinked at the sight on the office floor. Coil, now unmasked and exposed as a pale, heavy-faced man with greasy brown hair, was slumped against the wall clutching the blackened stump of his right hand. His pale face twisted in agony, tears leaking down his cheeks as he whimpered softly to himself.
Vista stood there proudly, green lightsaber still ignited at her side, humming quietly. "He was going to kill you, Director," Vista said firmly. "I did what I had to do to stop him. He should be glad he's still breathing."
Piggot opened her mouth to yell something else, but Vicky stepped forward quickly, interrupting the conversation before it got even more heated.
"Uh, sorry to interrupt your lecture, Director," Vicky said clearly, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. "But honestly, what Vista did here is nothing compared to what's going on outside right now. The fighting out there is brutal. People are dead…"
The room went silent. Vicky felt Amy move closer to her, her sister's comforting presence steady at her side. Suddenly she realized just what she had admitted. She had killed today… A lot…
Frowning slightly, she realized she wasn't that upset over it when she figured she should be freaking out?
Vicky wondered briefly if Amy had done something to her brain. To keep her calm? She wouldn't exactly mind if that was the case—it was probably keeping them both alive right now—but still, she'd have to talk to Amy about it later.
Director Piggot rubbed her forehead, her face scrunched up in frustration as she sighed heavily. "God damn it," she muttered tiredly, sitting back down in her large chair with a heavy slump. "This whole situation is a true clusterfuck."
Vista turned off her lightsaber, the bright green blade retracting back into the hilt with a quiet snap-hiss. She stepped closer to Vicky and Amy, looking up at them both with clear relief. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, glancing worriedly at Vicky's torn costume and the faint burns visible on her skin.
"Yeah, we're fine," Vicky said gently, giving Vista a reassuring smile. "Amy healed me up. You did great here, Vista. Seriously, nice work on taking down Coil! What were his powers anyway?"
Vista shook her head, saying she didn't know. "He never got to use them, I took him down so fast!"
The door slammed open without warning, and Vicky instantly whipped around, fists clenched tight, body tense and ready for another fight.
Her shoulders immediately sagged in relief when she saw it was Sophia Hess stumbling into the room. Sophia carried Kid Win, who was pale and groaning softly, blood dripping steadily from his stomach onto the floor. Behind them, Aegis limped slowly, his torn and bloody costume barely clinging to his battered body. Half his face was mangled, his left arm completely gone at the shoulder, with blood oozing from the raw wound. He staggered into the room, breath coming in painful, shallow gasps.
"Oh shit," Vicky whispered under her breath. Her heart twisted at the gruesome sight. They were clearly in horrible shape. "Amy, quick!" Vicky called urgently, turning to her sister.
But Amy was already rushing past her, dropping to her knees at Kid Win's side.
"You're okay, I've got you," Amy murmured, eyes locked in fierce concentration as the wound slowly began to close.
Director Piggot grumbled. "This is a clusterfuck deluxe, but at least it's not a total disaster. At least all of you are still alive. I'm thankful for that…" she said heavily.
Sophia snorted bitterly. "Don't thank anything yet, Director. Kaiser and Iron Rain murdered Oni Lee, and they're probably killing Bakuda right now. They'll be heading straight here next." She glanced pointedly at the dark trail Kid Win's blood had left on the floor, leading right to the open doorway. "We left them a pretty clear trail to follow."
Kid Win weakly lifted his head, looking apologetically at the bloodstains. "Uh… sorry. That's mostly mine," he groaned.
Amy glared sharply, not looking away from her task. "Stop talking while I'm saving your life," she ordered.
Piggot slammed her hand down on her desk in frustration, a loud curse escaping her. "Fuck! Reinforcements won't be coming anytime soon. Endbringer battles never wrap up quickly. God only knows if our people will even survive against the Simurgh—"
A sudden bright flash of energy cut her off mid-sentence. Vicky spun quickly, blinking rapidly to clear her vision. When the glare faded, she saw two figures standing in the center of the room.Strider, the world's best teleporter, and Silas!
He was back!
"Thanks for the lift, Strider," Silas said, nodding gratefully to the teleporter.
Strider nodded back silently, then instantly vanished with another flash, leaving Silas standing alone in the middle of the room.
Instant joy surged through Vicky's chest, momentarily overriding all her worry. Without thinking, she lunged forward eagerly, intent on flinging herself into Silas's arms. Unfortunately, Sophia moved at exactly the same moment with the same goal in mind. The two collided mid-air, sending them sprawling awkwardly onto the floor in a heap.
"Ow, Barbie, watch where you're going!" Sophia growled irritably, shoving Vicky roughly away from her.
"You watch it, Emo!" Vicky shot back, annoyed as Silas quickly moved to help them both stand.
Once Vicky regained her footing, she watched Silas curiously as his eyes scanned the room, taking in every detail of what was going on. When his gaze reached the far corner, it froze, his brow furrowing in clear confusion. "Wait… wasn't Coil supposed to be black?" Silas asked, puzzled, looking at the pale-skinned man in Coil's costume who lay collapsed against the wall.
Piggot groaned softly, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. "Dragonborn, I honestly don't even want to know how you know that detail about the Bay's most illusive villain. Right now, we have more pressing concerns." Her tired eyes suddenly narrowed sharply. "Why are you already back from the Endbringer fight? Don't tell me it went badly…?"
Vicky felt her heartbeat quicken again. She watched Silas nervously, breath held as she awaited his reply.
Silas hesitated, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. "Actually…" he began slowly, "we won."
For a moment, stunned silence filled the room. Vicky blinked rapidly, processing what he had just said. She shook her head slightly, disbelief evident on her face.
"I knew you could do it!" Vista was the first one to break the silence ahead of everyone else!
They what? They won…?
He had said it so casually…
Vicky moved without thinking, her body acting purely on impulse. She surged forward, closing the distance between herself and Silas in two quick steps. Sophia's eyes widened slightly, but this time, she didn't intervene. Vicky's heart hammered hard in her chest as she pressed her lips firmly against Silas's, her arms automatically sliding around his neck to pull him close.
Her mouth moved passionately against his, her tongue pushing forward and slipping past his lips without hesitation. She could feel Silas's surprised breath hitching, the warmth of his body pressing tight against hers. Heat flooded her cheeks, her pulse racing with excitement. The kiss only lasted a few intense seconds, but for Vicky it felt much longer, the delicious sensation of Silas's lips leaving her breathless and a little dizzy.
Finally, she reluctantly broke away from him, a playful, satisfied smirk curving her mouth. She turned her head slightly, enjoying the irritated, jealous glare Sophia shot in her direction. Sophia crossed her arms tightly, clearly annoyed, her gaze shifting back and forth from Vicky to Silas with obvious frustration.
Silas's cheeks were flushed deeply, a startled smile forming on his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Wow," he mumbled, looking sheepish. "That's actually the second heroine's kiss I've gotten in just a few minutes."
Vicky blinked at him, her eyes narrowing slightly in confusion. Second kiss? Her mind immediately raced through possibilities, wondering who exactly beat her to the punch.
Before she could voice her thoughts, Director Piggot loudly cleared her throat, clearly irritated by the scene unfolding in her office.
"Enough!" Piggot snapped harshly, scowling at all of them. "We're still in the middle of an emergency, if you hadn't noticed! We can celebrate later!"
Vicky straightened slightly, shifting awkwardly on her feet as Piggot turned to Silas directly, her voice taking on an authoritative, urgent tone.
"Kaiser and Iron Rain are headed straight to this office as we speak," Piggot explained sternly. "Dragonborn, I need you to intercept them immediately and subdue them both before they get here. They've already killed at least one prisoner, and they're clearly out for blood."
Silas ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, clearly processing the information. "Both of them…?" He was obviously out of the loop since he just got here. But he quickly nodded. "Consider it done, Director," Silas said calmly. "I can handle them."
"Wait," Vicky quickly interjected, stepping forward again and placing a hand firmly on his strong arm. "I'm coming with you!"
Sophia rolled her eyes, stepping forward with a grumble. "If Barbie here is going, I'm going too! This time I'm blowing that bitches head off instead of Krieg!"
"Wait what!?" Piggot shouted at that comment.
Silas looked between the two determined girls and smiled softly, gently removing Vicky's hand from his arm but giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Thanks, both of you, but you don't need to worry. I can handle them myself."
Amy spoke up from across the room, her hands glowing softly as she healed Aegis's severe injuries. Her eyes were filled with concern. "Silas, are you sure? Kaiser and Iron Rain aren't pushovers. They're incredibly dangerous."
Silas turned to Amy, his expression shifting into a confident, cocky smirk. "Dangerous for others, maybe. But not for me."
Vicky felt her heartbeat quicken at his words, her thighs clenching involuntarily at the sheer confidence radiating from him.
"BOOM!"
Suddenly the entire rig shook violently. "The fuck was that?" Sophia grunted as she steaded herself.
Silas smirked, "You all didn't think I came back to the rig by myself, did you?" he asked.
Vista spoke up, her eyes staring off into the distance through the walls—or however her powers worked. "Oh wow! Alexandria, Dragon, Miss Militia and Armsmaster are back and they are really mad at Lung and all the remaining gang members…" Vista then paused before saying that Kaiser and Iron Rain were getting close to this room.
Vicky watched as Vista gripped her lightsaber. "I can help you if you want, Silas!"
Vicky was a bit annoyed Silas actually looked like he was considering accepting Missy's help over her own offer a second ago. Yeah, it was obvious that Missy was more powerful than Glory Girl was, but getting outdone by a 12 year old still grated on her pride a bit!
Silas just patted Missy's head and decided against it though. "I have a new ability I want to test on some evil Nazis…"
XXX