“So you’re Amaranth,” a scrawny rat of a woman said, crossing her arms. “Can’t say I’m impressed. Still don’t like this Fidel.”

  “We’re meeting to find out if working together is the right choice,” Fidel replied evenly. He was a handsome guy, with a well-kept beard and warm eyes. Older than I expected too, his tanned skin lined with heavy wrinkles. “Join us at the table, won’t you?”

  “Sure,” I said, careful to keep my tone neutral as I stepped inside the basement flat I’d been invited to.

  It wasn’t too bad, clean enough, smelled like incense and weed. Wick was in the car, parked out front in case we needed to make a quick getaway. I had my gun on top of that, and as far as I knew none of these guys were parahumans. A little digging on the net revealed they were pretty new as far as actually doing stuff, and actively reaching out to recruit people. I wasn’t sure how much I liked that but...well, it would be useful if we were working together.

  I sat at a large, round table in the kitchen. There were a few other people already seated, a couple masked but it seemed most of them didn’t care about their faces. It was a young team, though I couldn’t really throw stones from my glass house. All of them stared at me as I sat, drew my pistol, and set it on the table in front of me. I crossed my arms and leaned back, sweat pricking my skin as Fidel and Rat-woman joined us.

  “Let me formally introduce our organization,” Fidel began, folding his hands in front of him. His eyes flicked briefly to my gun before returning to meet mine. “We’re a cell of Anti-Fascist Action, an international association of like-minded people dedicated to rooting out the scourge of fascism wherever it appears.”

  “Mmm, been busy I see,” I said dryly.

  “You know how hard it is to run a group like this in a city like Brockton Bay?” Rat-woman snapped.

  “Rosa,” Fidel said sharply, making the woman shut her mouth. “The Brockton Bay authorities have been in bed with the Nazis for years. We were only able to act recently because of the disruption of government authorities and the leak of Empire Eighty-Eight membership. Unfortunately, we don’t have any parahuman members, there isn’t much we can do with how many villains are left.”

  “They aren’t bulletproof, mostly,” I said with a shrug.

  “No, but until quite recently they had Purity,” he retorted. “Flying artillery, I think you’d call it. How effective were your guns against her?”

  “Not very,” I admitted begrudgingly. “Whatever, so now you want to do shit. That’s great, frankly I need all the help I can get with taking down Werwolf. What do you want?” God if it was more money…

  “We want the Nazis gone,” Fidel said evenly. “Nothing more, nothing less.” I narrowed my eyes.

  “I don’t believe that,” I said. “You know what we’re doing right? Raids against armed gangsters, capes. It’s dangerous work.”

  “It’s necessary,” he replied with a shrug. “I spent a year in Berlin. That’s a real mess.”

  “God, fuck Berlin,” the only other person wearing a mask groaned. “I didn’t even get to do anything!”

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Liebknecht was caught in a bombing the day we landed,” Fidel said with a grimace. “Worked with the intelligence teams after that. He was actually quite good.”

  “Yeah, but it was boring as hell,” Liebknecht scoffed. “Anyway, I’m with Fidel. Money is what makes living in this capitalist hellscape possible, but I did this for free and I’d do it again.”

  “Rosa?” I asked, glancing at ratty. She’d been the most hostile so far, no doubt I’d need to grease the wheels there.

  “Don’t make me a fucking criminal,” she said flatly.

  “Well, failed that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Unless you think I can legalize arson.” Not to mention the litany of other crimes I’d committed… A good cause didn’t matter much in the courts, unless it was backed up by a badge.

  “We’re not going to peddle drugs,” Rosa said bitterly. “We’re not going to be muscle for your protection rackets, nothing like that. We’re fighting to make this city a better place, not more of a cesspit.”

  “Whoever told you that’s what I was doing needs a beating,” I snapped, fists tightening. “I have very specifically been making sure the drugs go to the cops. Only thing I take is money and guns, and that’s to fund more of this. A warchest.”

  “I still think guns are a bit...crazy,” one of the younger member remarked. “It’s like...that stuff kills people, you know?”

  “I’m deeply aware,” I said. “Not everyone is as lucky as me,” what a joke, “with a protective bubble that stops all damage. For regular people, well, I’d want to be on equal footing at least. Besides, I don’t think you know the full picture of what you’re up against.” Fidel’s brow creased.

  “You mentioned taking weapons from Werwolf,” Fidel said, leaning forward. “The rifles?”

  “One and the same,” I said with a nod. “Other things too, but those ones were taken from squads that teleported in. Tinker stuff, from what I’ve been told. You may have issues with guns, but they don’t; and they certainly don’t have issues using them on you or me. Frankly, get over it.” I’d managed. “I’ll provide the guns and ammo, no cost. If you need gas, I can buy that too. I figure you probably have training sorted, but I can give some good pointers I’ve learned.” Everyone stared quietly at me for a moment.

  “What’s your story anyway?” Rosa asked, crossing her arms and cocking her head. I noticed she had weird bangles dangling from her ears, like weird windchimes. “Rich kid trying to spend her trust fund doing stupid shit?”

  “What’s your story being such a bitch?” I muttered, getting a nasty look. “You want full disclosure? My mom was an unpowered higher-upin the Empire, did shit like engineering drug epidemics. Absolute ratshit scum of a person, and I’m glad she’s dead.” I tried to ignore how my throat tightened. “So I have to do this. My money’s partly from my inheritance, her blood money, and partly from bounties for villains I...killed. Wouldn’t be right, using it for myself.” My guts squirmed with guilt and I stared at my pistol, wondering if I should just go back and try again.

  “Christ that’s uhhh,” Liebknecht stammered, voice wavering. “Fidel?”

  “Who have you killed?” Fidel asked gravely.

  “Shatterbird, Purity, Stormtiger,” I rattled off the villains first, throat growing ever tighter. “I...I can’t tell you exactly, a few Werwolf bastards, and… Back during the Nine’s attack one of them controlled some soldiers and I had to kill them or they’d kill hostages, and some of the hostages died anyway so that’s on me too. My d—” I choked as Mark walked by in the corner of my vision, gone when I snapped my head to look.

  “Lots of blood,” I muttered, half to myself, gaze turning back to my pistol. “A sea, an ocean, a bay. If I could go back,” I could, I couldn’t, “I would hate me. Wouldn’t blame you for it either, but I hope you’re like me, able to recognize there’re worse things than a killer.” The tension in the silence that followed was thick enough to stop a bullet.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Hey...you’re just a kid, right?” An acne-covered guy who hadn’t spoken up before broke the silence. “I mean like...you’re my age, seventeen, aren’t you?”

  “I...yeah, I am.” He sucked in his breath through his teeth.

  “And you’re telling the truth,” Fidel sighed, rubbing his eyes. “You’ve had a difficult life.”

  “Whatever.” I didn’t need pity, I needed troops. “The world sucks. Least we can do is make it suck more for the people that deserve it.”

  “If you’re telling the truth,” Rosa said slowly, an odd look on her face. “I...we can work together, for now.” I snorted. “What?”

  “Sorry I just…” An empty laugh escaped my throat and I shook my head. “I figured you’d go for my gun before working with me.”

  “I’m not that stupid,” she said dryly. “Fidel, my vote’s a yes.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked, getting a nod. “Trin, what about you? Don’t feel pressured just because Rosa changed her mind, we need genuine unanimity.”

  “If she can do it...I can too,” the seventeen year-old said shakily.

  “Amaranth is a parahuman,” Fidel cautioned.

  “And I’m trained,” I added. “Got experience from the PRT and...other places. I’m not exactly normal.”

  “Neither am I,” Trin sighed, tugging at his shaggy, black hair. “I’m in Fidel, final vote.”

  “Alright,” Fidel said, clearing his throat. “Then I speak on behalf of our cell: we’ll work with you, Amaranth.” I couldn’t help but sigh with relief.

  “Great,” I said, meaning it more than they knew. “Because we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “Man of course it’s the shittiest place in the ‘hood,” Jeep groaned as we pulled into the driveway, Reese coming in behind us.

  “We don’t work with people that can afford better,” I said, sighing. “Don’t be shitty, okay? Or...not shittier than I am.”

  “Pretty low bar,” J-Dog commented from the back seat. “But easy enough. Let you and Nadir do the talking, right?”

  “I’ll be letting her talk,” Nadir replied. “No offense.”

  “None taken, but pay attention okay?” I said. “Never know when I’m not coming back from something.”

  “Don’t talk like—”

  “We have to be realistic,” I cut off her protest. “It’s not likely the PRT will bite, but I don’t trust them. They aren’t on board with us, and they have the means to capture me. So, take notes. You’re my second in command, that means you’re first in line when I’m gone.”

  “No pressure,” Jeep said after a brief silence, then racked his pistol. “Well, boss?”

  “Let’s go,” I said with a nod, tightening the knot on my scarf.

  We got out of the car, a cheap sedan I’d bought for Jeep after Zeke cut and ran. Nondescript, like I’d originally wanted anyway. I had ideas of armouring it up to protect my team, but no idea how to go about it. Maybe Papa would, I could pick his brain later. Reese and Wick fell in behind us as we approached the door. I raised my fist to knock, but the door opened before I could.

  “Inside, quick,” Rosa said sharply, a bright red bandanna covering her lower face. I swept in, followed by my team, and she shut the door behind us. “Why not be a little more conspicuous, huh?”

  “We weren’t followed,” I said. “And if you didn’t tell us you’re being watched, that’s your problem.” Potentially ours too, but I’d burn that bridge when we came to it.

  “We’re not,” she snapped. “Might be after a bunch of masked bandits show up unannounced, though.” I rolled my eyes as she led us into the kitchen. The others I’d met the day before were there, masked like Rosa was. I nodded to Fidel when I recognized him.

  “Terriers,” Fidel greeted us, nodding in return. “Thank you for coming. For those of you who I haven’t met, I am Fidel, cell elect of ANTIFA – Brockton Bay. We’re looking forward to a fruitful alliance.”

  “I’m Nadir,” she introduced herself first as we spread out along one wall, a couple of the guys leaning on the counter. “Amaranth’s second in command. I’ve heard a little about you guys.”

  “Only good things, I hope,” Fidel replied, getting a shrug and sighing. “Yes, well, we haven’t exactly heard the best of you either.”

  “But that’s not why we’re here today,” I said before they could start arguing. “We’re here because, whatever we think of each other, our goals are the same: crushing the Nazis. Can we all agree on that?” I looked around the room and saw most people nodding. “Good, then let’s get planning.”

  I set my bag on the table at the center of the room, digging out the maps and scantly detailed plans that I’d been putting together in my spare time; or when I couldn’t sleep, which seemed more frequent these days. Nadir came over and I handed her a few papers that were for her team’s attack, then sorted out my own and beckoned the ANTIFA guys over.

  “I’ve started planning a series of raids for Saturday,” I began. “Two places each. We’re targeting drug distribution in the outskirts of their territory. Fairly small stuff, relative to what I know they have, but we’re still a small group. Fidel, you guys have a car?”

  “I drive,” Trin, full name Trinity, piped up. I had a sneaking suspicion that was the only reason he’d been let in…

  “Great,” I said. “Me and J-Dog are going with you, make sure you have people experience with capes. I’ll take point. Once we’re going, there can’t be any question of who’s in charge, and that’s me. Fidel, I’ll give you a vote too, but I need to know you’ll listen and keep your guys in line.”

  “This isn’t the army,” Rosa said bitterly.

  “It’s not, but this is a little more than we’d planned,” Fidel countered. “You’ll clear all plans with us before we engage. I won’t risk our live stupidly.”

  “That’s why you’re here, to plan with us,” I replied. “My plans tend to be simple, but I’ve proven they’re effective. The more complicated things get, well...” I shrugged. I learned what happened with the car chase.

  “Well, what have you got so far?” he asked.

  We got down to the nitty gritty of how to uproot Werwolf, of how to wage a war.

  “Remember, fingers off the trigger unless you’re shooting someone,” I said as I handed out stolen pistols to the ANTIFA guys. “And try not to shoot people unless you have to. If we’re good, I doubt we’ll even see a gun from the bad guys tonight; and if we do, I’ll get in the way.”

  “I know how to use a pistol,” Rosa grumbled as she pressed the slide, frowning and racking it before slipping it into her waistband. “We’re not all new.”

  “And how many of you are?” I countered, fixing her with a steely glare.

  “Let’s not get into experience,” Fidel said warningly. “I have a feeling you and I are the only competition, since Liebknecht isn’t here.”

  “Alright,” I said, backing down. Better to keep the peace. “I’ll be on point. Trinity, you stay with the car, keep your eyes open and phone on. If you see flashing lights, don’t hesitate to call. If you see a Nazi, shoot them. J-Dog, rearguard and hold the door. I don’t want a teleporting ambush getting us in the ass.”

  “Got it,” he said with a nod, racking his carbine; he and I were the only ones with heavy firepower, since I didn’t have good guns to spare...yet. “Prisoners?”

  “Not from teleporters,” I said, shaking my head. “Everyone else gets the deal I offered the last ones.”

  “Um, what was that?” one of the guys, whose name I didn’t know, asked.

  “Get out of the city or die,” I said simply. “Usually, only one picks the latter.”

  “Scattering them to the fours winds,” a guy with a lightly accented voice said appreciatively.

  “Brutal,” Trinity whispered.

  “Necessary,” I retorted. “They should be happy they get a choice at all.”

  “Am I to understand we shoot people on the spot?” Fidel asked.

  “No, gather them out front,” I said. “They all get asked together, and they all witness the consequences. Then we go. Ten minutes tops, cops won’t even get there in time to eat our dust. How many of you know how to clear a room?” Everyone but Trinity raised their hands. “Perfect. Fidel, you’re third in line okay? Second comes into whatever room with me. Sweep, clear, move, move, move; that’s what we need to do tonight. Questions?”

  “Expected resistance?” Accent asked.

  “Low,” I replied. “Expect pushers and users, maybe a little muscle but these aren’t priority places. Take money and guns, leave the drugs to rot. Got it? All on the same page? Then let’s go.”

  We piled into Trinity’s car, or rather minivan. Not exactly a dragster, but it could carry the entire crew, plus J-Dog and I. As we got going, I got the names of the remaining two I didn’t know: Lin with the accent and Kristian, both apparently former exchange students. Both led here because of Leviathan and the terrible aftermath, like me, like Nadir.

  How many people were there in the city like us? How many had been drawn to the Empire by the promise of protection? Fewer than were left, surely. If I took Fidel at his word, others would come like they had to the Nazis before; and no more to them with how dangerous we’d make it. He was confident there was general distaste for Werwolf, and that showing they weren’t invincible would bolster us.

  I could only hope. Zeke was gone, and I was afraid more would be before long. If we couldn’t replace our losses, one way or another, we’d be ground down in short order by the significantly more massive forces we were up against. Not just Werwolf, but the PRT, BBPD, and likely more would be dogging our heels when things took off. More people meant more legitimacy, according to Fidel, which made sense to me.

  “Hey, boss?” J-Dog asked, interrupting my thoughts. I opened my eyes and turned to him.

  “What?”

  “We’re here,” he said, gesturing to the window.

  “Huh, so we are.” I unlocked my door and took my carbine in hand. “Well, come on, show me what you’ve got.”

  And so they did.