28.3

(Compression Goal: 5/5, Target Word Count: 1196)

“We need to look for Endbringer solutions,” I state, a thought striking me after our discussion with Saint. Imp balks at the idea, given our limited success against them. Tattletale, however, senses a deeper plan. I recall Dinah’s prophecy of five defending groups, suggesting a coordinated Endbringer attack. Defiant worries about our forces being spread thin, but I point out that desperate times bring out unexpected fighters, like Parian during Leviathan’s attack on Brockton Bay. Narwhal warns that some might give up against such odds.

Defiant asks if I have a specific plan. Narwhal suggests a pre-emptive strike against the stationary Simurgh, using weapons similar to those used in New Delhi or Los Angeles. I urge caution, emphasizing the need for groundwork and gathering resources. Defiant tells us to prepare while he handles Saint. Canary, concerned about the standard skintight Protectorate suit, is offered a Dragonslayer suit by Saint, an offer Defiant approves after ensuring its safety.

We pass through a portal to Gimel, where I see people building shelters, blissfully unaware of our recent losses. A wave of warmth and pity washes over me. I think of my dad, Charlotte, Sierra, and the orphans, imagining them among the workers. Shaking off the daydream, I gather my costume components.

“Humans are idiots,” I say to Tattletale, “But sometimes, humanity isn’t so bad.” She agrees, sharing her own disillusionment with people, and a growing desire to help them. I don my armor and flight pack, a somber note hanging in the air as I realize we might soon run out of resources.

We enter a makeshift hospital through another portal. Panacea is there, leaner and with a new tattoo, working with Marquis. She’s not thrilled to see Tattletale, but I thank her for fixing my hand. She remarks on the irony of people investing in my survival when she had no one to catch her when she fell.

We explain our mission to recruit powerful capes. Panacea refuses to join the front lines, citing her importance in healing and keeping Bonesaw, who is now without her implants and feeling unstable, in check. Lung and Bonesaw arrive, the former pushing the latter forward. Bonesaw apologizes to Imp for her brother’s death, but Imp is unforgiving.

Lung agrees to join our fight, surprising Tattletale, who admits she tried to manipulate him by mentioning the Yàngbǎn. We move through another portal to find Shadow Stalker. After a brief exchange, she agrees to join us, eager for a fight.

Back on the Dragonfly, Lung immediately asserts dominance, growling at Rachel’s dog. As we fly, Shadow Stalker expresses outrage at our plan to confront the Simurgh. Lung, surprisingly, supports the idea. Tattletale plays a video from Glaistig Uaine, showing the last two minutes of Eidolon’s life.

This is what I’ve been waiting for. We need a massive-scale solution, a destructive force we can direct. We’re heading straight for the Simurgh. We’ll talk to her, or we’ll kill her. I set the autopilot and watch the video, ready for whatever comes next.