The day has been a rollercoaster ride for Taylor, but the last few minutes have made it even bumpier. Leviathan is here. Alfred has gone crazy. Dragons were apparently real. And now, they were about to drown because the very thing keeping the Endbringer from sinking the whole East Coast is about to disappear.

  In the background, Taylor was busily swapping her range with dimensional windows all over the place to get a better idea of how everyone else was responding to the revelation. The answer was not good.

  Ever since Alfred blurted out the time limit and the potentially disastrous consequences that came with it, both civilian and military personnel lit up their communications platforms. Hundreds of voices spoke over each other as they attempted to get ahead of the threat that Leviathan truly posed.

  For her part, the bug controller couldn’t help but worry that the ace up her sleeve might not be enough to truly make a difference, in the end. Not when the Endbringer was apparently more powerful than they initially believed.

  “Is there anything else you can do to contain Leviathan’s influence?” Alexandria screamed through the comms right after punching the Endbringer higher into the air, where Eidolon and Legend pelted it with exploding beams from below. From a certain point of view, it almost seemed like they were trying to keep Leviathan airborne.

  “Oh, would you relax, Lexie?” Alfred snarked with infuriating cheer. “All we really have to do is give him a juicier target than all those coastal cities. And I’ve got just the thing.”

  It all happened at once. The dragon dissipated into particles of light after launching the Endbringer into the air one last time. Alfred’s blue form quickly shifted to black, which gave Taylor unpleasant flashbacks. From there, he glows an unsettling mix of dark purple, blue, and white, which made the flashbacks even worse.

  “Stop!” Lisa screamed, but it was too late.

  “Astral Drain!”

  Alfred threw his sword at Leviathan. Rocketing at supersonic speed, the blade buried itself in the Endbringer’s pockmarked flesh. Taylor watched in horror as a glowing stream connected Alfred and Leviathan. It was the same one she saw that night on the rooftop with Lung. The same flowing absorption of power and vitality that changed her life forever.

  “Ooooooh, yeeeaaahhhh!” the Trump let out an exuberant cry of triumph. “That’s what I’m fucking talking about!”

  “You idiot!” Taylor heard Lisa shout. “Tattletale to vanguard team! Seraph is siphoning Leviathan’s power to prevent him from launching wave attacks! He’ll be a sitting duck. You need to cause as much damage as possible while protecting his stupid ass!”

  “She’s right, folks!” It was almost impressive how thrilled Alfred sounded at being an Endbringer’s target. “Levi’s a big boy. I won’t be able to keep doing this forever, either. Otherwise, I’ll explode. So, keep up the pressure!”

  Through Dragon’s drone, Taylor saw Leviathan try to pull the sword out of its hide. At the same time, it spun in midair to strike Alexandria with its tail before diving back into the water. He was prevented from doing so when Eidolon surrounded him with what appeared to be an anti-gravity field, and Legend flew beneath the Endbringer to let loose with incredibly powerful blasts of multicolored light.

  “In the meantime,” Alfred continued while he remained floating over the same spot, “hey, Tats! How about you start looking for a weakness, eh? I’ve got a feeling it’s between its tail and torso.”

  “I’ve been trying to do that from the start, but your dragon kept getting in the way!” Lisa growled in annoyance.

  “Blue’s not here anymore, though?”

  “I know! Shut up!”

  While the two bickered, Taylor focused on the fight. Alfred might be weakening him, at the moment, but Leviathan was still a powerful hydrokinetic. Several balls of water formed in the air and started pelting toward the Triumvirate.

  Alexandria was blasted away. Legend had to dodge several that were sent in his direction. And Eidolon disappeared and reappeared in front of Alfred before projecting a multi-layered forcefield that stopped the oncoming attacks from the front.

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  A split second after that, even more of the balls of water were formed and sent in every direction, forcing the heroes accompanying Alfred to defend the winged cape. Meanwhile, Leviathan took the opportunity to dive under the waves.

  “Oh, come on!” Alfred whined. “You can’t compress water like that! That’s against the laws of physics!”

  “Seraph!” Dragon snapped over the comms. “You’re fighting something that can control the weather! Now is not the time to focus on inconsequential details!”

  Taylor couldn’t help but agree. They’ve already done a lot of damage to Leviathan, but his injuries don’t seem to impair him in any way. He either didn’t care or the gouges, cuts, and burns that he’s suffered so far don’t really matter.

  “Shit!” Lisa cursed. “He’s aiming for the city! Dragon, focus on the glowing connection between Seraph and Leviathan. It’ll tell you where he’s at!”

  “Understood,” the Tinker replied, redirecting the UAV to follow the ethereal connection that was swiftly moving over and under the ocean, unimpeded by the water.

  “Why’s he going there?” Alfred asked, sounding genuinely outraged while he and the Triumvirate hurriedly followed after the Endbringer. “I’m the one sucking him dry. He should be focusing on me!”

  Phrasing aside, it was a good question. Taylor looked over at Tattletale just in time to get the answer.

  “More targets!” she said. “Leviathan wants your attention divided, and he can’t do that when you’re surrounded by powerful capes that he can’t easily kill! So, he’s going for more vulnerable prey.”

  “How does he even know I’d give a shit?” Alfred almost sounded sane again with that question.

  “Because you’re out there instead of here!” Lisa snapped. “Your actions are effectively screaming that you want to preserve lives!”

  That made too much sense in Taylor’s mind. Even when they participate in Endbringer battles, Villains or Rogues rarely ever go out of their way to face the monsters alone. They do so as part of the collective. Alfred’s stated reason for meeting Leviathan in his home turf was not at all about saving lives, but this didn’t change the fact that his actions have effectively prevented mass casualties up to this point.

  “It’s not just that,” Lisa continued, her eyes focused on the screen. “It’s also…” The way the blonde suddenly froze while watching the feed caused dread to pool in Taylor’s stomach.

  “Also, what?” Eidolon demanded impatiently.

  “He can hear us,” Lisa whispered fearfully. “He knows I’m looking for his weakness. He knows I can find it. He’s coming straight here!”

  A mad scramble followed the Thinker’s declaration, with messages flying all over the place, personnel suddenly on their feet and packing up equipment.

  Taylor’s attention was divided between all the places where people were losing their minds. Not only did Lisa reveal that, yes, she absolutely can find an Endbringer’s weakness, but she is now a target as a result.

  The Master had to wonder why they didn’t think of this possibility from the start. Alfred as Seraph was always going to be a priority for elimination by Leviathan. Her own potential for controlling giant minions and dimensional powers also placed a bullseye on her back. The former might not be in the cards due to how it was deemed too risky, but it could still come into play.

  In fact…

  “I can slow him down!” Taylor announced while getting on her feet.

  “Don’t even think about it!” Lisa barked, pointing a finger at Taylor. “We already have one suicidal moron effectively tying himself to a freaking Endbringer. We are not throwing eldritch monsters into the mix!”

  “We don’t have a choice!” Taylor snapped. “If Leviathan makes landfall, a lot of people are going to die. My minions can get in his way, giving Seraph and the rest more time to wear him down, and for you to find his weakness.”

  “You could just as easily bury us in a mountain of slime!” Lisa shot back.

  “I can control them!”

  “You couldn’t before!”

  “Ladies!” Seraph cut in, sounding strained. In fact, his breathing seemed labored. “Her majesty’s solution might just be our best bet. The trio flying with me is proving particularly useless, right now, and Eidolon really needs to stop being a careless fuck with those singularities! You’re not even hitting him! Choose a containment power or something!”

  “Those are containment powers!” Eidolon spat. “At least I’m doing something instead of being a glorified spotlight!”

  “I’m draining him, you impotent fuck! That’s a lot more useful than just pissing in the ocean!”

  “Put them away, boys!” Alexandria interjected. “Your figurative swordfight can wait. Brockton Bay’s in sight. Imago, can you control your minions?”

  “Yes,” Taylor said.

  “No,” Lisa denied.

  “Which is it?!” the flying brick barked.

  “Yes, I can!” Taylor exclaimed. “Please, Tattletale, just this once! Trust me.”

  Across her desk in the command center, where personnel have been watching the two teen Parahumans bicker in alarm, bottle-green eyes considered the Master. Taylor more than understood her hesitance, especially after the Master explained how it felt to be inside Tiamat. However, this time was different.

  Taylor could feel it.

  Sighing in defeat, Lisa rubbed her temples. “Fine. But if even one tentacle touches me, we’re gonna have problems.”

  Taylor beamed. “No promises,” she said before turning to her wristband. “I can control them. Tell me where to send them and when.”

  “Dragon, give her the coordinates,” Legend instructed. “Once you have them, Imago, send as many as you can. Fill the entire ocean if you have to. Just keep Leviathan at bay.”

  “Understood,” Taylor replied as she read the data Dragon sent via her assigned desk console.

  “Are you sure about this?” Lisa asked quietly.

  “I am,” Taylor said confidently before closing her eyes.

  For a brief moment, she feared that it wouldn’t work. Taylor hadn’t even attempted to replicate her monstrous feat since the first time for fear of the consequences. However, like riding a bicycle after years of not doing so, the memories came rushing in. Reaching out for the presence was easy, and the presence reached back.

  Once their figurative fingertips touched, Taylor’s mind lit up, and the world bore witness to the unforgettable sight of mythical beasts coming to life.