Chess club part 3

000

Taylor adjusted the scarf that hid her face while walking one of the dark streets that made up Brockton Bay. Her first patrol as a cape was disappointingly quiet.

She exhaled "Really, what was I expecting? Just because we the crime capital of the country doesn't mean there a mugging on every corner."

With a hop, Taylor flew upward, surveying the building "Come on, give me something." her focus slipped to the rig. Sophia was asleep at the moment. She was still there after three days and Taylor had a theory that Sophia was now a cape. Her mood changes were similar to her own when she was exploring her powers, happiness, terror, wonder. Hell, her possible trigger event was similar to Taylor's own, bleeding to death in a street.

Taylor shook herself. Enough feeling kinship with her bully, she was still someone she hated.

A far off pop drew her attentions. It took a moment before her knowledge of the common sounds of Brockton Bay kicked in "Gunshots?"

XXX

Judas thunder below her as he tried to outrun the bastard in the demon mask. Bitch grimaced as the stump that was her right arm bounced, the first and for now only causality of a surprise Oni Lee. If they got out of this alive, the first thing Bitch would do would be to punch Tattletale in her smug face.

The whole reason why the undersides agreed to robbing the Ruby Dream Casino was because the ABB's two capes were elsewhere. And somehow Miss Know-it-all didn't trig before an knife got slammed into Bitch's arm.

Thankfully this happen after they got the safe open so if they got away, then this whole mess would not be for nothing.

That was a pretty big if, Bitch reflected, as the demon bastard appear, grenade in hand.

For a moment, her world was nothing but heat and light. Then her back felt like it broke in half as she smacked into a wall. She pull herself up once sure-footing was obtained and saw her teammates had stopped.

She felt like something was wrong with her sight. A feel with her remaining hand told her that her mask was gone and she was missing an eye. Well, she wasn't missing it, it was just mostly jelly on her cheek. A moment of hysteria draw a saying she heard of about dog owners resembling their dogs, but she didn't think the universe would get this hands-on to bring her more in-line with Angelica.

A movement caught her attention. That demon mask wearing fucker was still here. Bitch took a deep breath.

"Wait, don't you-!" Tattletale began.

Bitch whistled and the two upright dogs bolted, with their passengers. She picked up a wench, dropped by her involuntary dismounted and shouted "Hey, Oni Lee! Your money here!" a third of the stolen money was in the backpack she was wearing.

There, the ABB cape was looking at her from the rooftop. He turn to the fleeing dogs' direction. "Come on, coward!" Bitch yelled.

Lee snap back to the injured girl. Bitch stagger when a second Lee kicked her in the groin. She lash out with the wretch, getting a face full of dust as a elbow hit the back of her head.

Collapsing to ground, Bitch tried to get up again, but a foot was placed in the small of her back, telling her the backpack must have been ripped off moments ago.

Twisting her head as much as she could, she spied Lee with a grenade, pulling the pin. And then he wasn't there, replace by some lanky girl with thin black wings facing the other way with her fist outstretch.

There was a boom a small way off as the girl turn to her "You okay?"

Bitch just glared with her remaining eye.

"Right, sorry. I may have something that could help." The girl babble on, pulling out a chessboard of all things. She look at it for a moment before handing a castle-looking one to Bitch. "Apply to the chest and you should be fine." she dismiss the board before jumping away.

Bitch just look at the piece. "Not like I got much to lose" she spoke to herself, pressing the object to her bosom. Well, she tried to press it as it sank into her flesh instead.

Within moment, her right arm returned and a quick check told her the eye was back. With ease, Bitch stood and saw Judas's inert meatsuit. In a second, she was already tearing it open, breathing a sigh of relieve that Judas was still kicking within.

She look down the street, seeing the winged girl was tossing fire about the street, mostly like to limit Oni Lee movement, since she was delivering a fist to the chin whenever Lee came in for an attack.

Bitch look down at Judas.

XXX

Taylor glared at the cloud of dust. 'Alright, I'm now more annoyed then scared.' A soft noise behind her made her grit her teeth as she turn around.

Her assailant was oh course there, but this time, it wasn't dispelled by Taylor fist, but a mass of some kind of monster. The familiar remains of a Lee clone hung in the air as the stocky rider on top scanned around. Her head stopped on the roof line fixed the ABB cape.

'I see what she going for.' Taylor realized. She straighten up, stared at Lee and pulled the fires around the streets into her palms.

The seconds ticked by as Lee look back. And then he turn around and collapsed into more dust.

Taylor exhaled as she let the flames die. She turn to face the dog rider, who had also faced her.

The rider lowered her head "Thank you." the gruff girl spoke.

"N-no problem." Dear lord was the awkward level high at the moment, Taylor thought.

Thankfully the rider didn't seem to care "I should catch up with my team, but I shall remember your help. If you need something, I'm often at the shelter on River street." She start to lead off her mount.

"What is your name, by the way?" Taylor asked.

"It's Bitch, not Hellhound like the PRT would like to saddle me with. Your?"

"Um...Astaroth."

"I'll remembered it" and then the rider bounded off into the night.

A few moments passed before Taylor did anything "Why did I pick that name!" she shouted.

000

I probable not got Bitch right, but apparently that hard to do so I won't lose sleep there. As for the name I couldn't think of anything good so I went Astaroth because it ends like Kasparov. I'm sure someone could come up with a better name but they are not here.

Anyway review, flame or lurk.