She really has to get a better grip on her temper. That’s what Lisa decided after the disaster that was the PRT meeting, her confrontation with Taylor, and the way things seem to devolve every time one of them loses their shit.

  With so many things happening at the same time, it was getting hard to keep track of what needs doing when and how.

  The ruse involving Ruff hasn’t even gotten off the ground, and with Leviathan on his way, that needs to be paused. Alfred was also planning on testing his power-boosting abilities, which were apparently dependent on the specific form that he’s using at any given time. Taylor’s new bombshell only complicated matters further, since it’s something that they’ll need to figure out sooner or later. Preferably sooner rather than later.

  Lisa initially suggested Rachel for Alfred’s test subject, but over the course of their conversation two days prior, he asked what would be the most useful power they could have on their corner. She jokingly claimed that Thinkers like her were in-demand for a reason. Information is King, after all.

  His eyes lit up, and he quickly excused himself. Since then… nothing.

  The silence would have bothered Lisa more if they weren’t literally about to face an Endbringer, and their biggest gun is currently brooding on the roof of their hideout. Alfred is ignoring everyone. The one time Taylor pressed, he flew away, only coming back several hours later.

  Lisa couldn’t dedicate that much time trying to figure out how to get the flighty bastard to open up, either. She was too busy coordinating with the PRT to prepare for the attack. Who knew getting an entire city ready for the apocalypse would involve so many moving parts? Lisa was even invited to a truce meeting with other heroes and villains later tonight.

  So, talking Alfred out of his moody state is left to Taylor and Danny. Meanwhile, the Thinker was getting ready for the meeting at Somer’s Rock. A dive bar that embodied the sleaziness of the criminal underworld.

  Accompanying her are the rest of the Undersiders. They all agreed that Brian will still take point as Grue, since the change in the group’s dynamics has yet to be widely known. As for why they were even attending the little gathering of masked troublemakers, her team’s grey reputation made for a passable bridge with the local villains.

  The trip didn’t take long with Rachel’s dogs providing transportation. Upon stopping in an alley across the bar, Lisa immediately let her power loose, taking in the field. A lot of useless trivia flashed through her mind, but she quickly sifted through them for the valuable nuggets.

  In no time, the blonde was aware of who was in attendance, the various precautions they took, and some of the superficial plans in place. A quick glance down the deserted block, for example, showed the PRT agents hidden inside buildings and vehicles.

  Had she been ignorant of their purpose, Lisa would have been worried about their presence. Fortunately, it doesn’t look like those waiting on the wings had plans to make a mess tonight.

  A tap on Brian’s elbow signalled the all-clear from her end. If there was any hidden danger she missed, it was beyond her powers. They all dismounted, and Rachel allowed Brutus to shrink. Two will remain in their enlarged states, standing by. If trouble came calling, rescue would be just a whistle away.

  Not even bothering with a knock, Brian opened the door and went inside. Lisa and the others quickly followed, where they were treated to a cavalcade of colorful costumes and personalities, ranging from the subdued to the grimy.

  Faultline’s Crew was made up of Faultline, Newter, and Gregor the Snail. The E88’s representatives were Kaiser, Purity, Krieg, Hookwolf, and the Valkyrie twins. Bakuda and Oni Lee were showing the flag for the ABB. Even those druggies named after a bridge were here.

  Uber and Leet showed up, too. Though they were looking significantly less animated than how they typically portrayed themselves. In fact, they appeared downright dejected.

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

  Of course, Assault and Miss Militia were in attendance. Lisa approved. Beardmeister would’ve been a bad representative, all things considered.

  “Greetings, Undersiders.” Star-Spangled Barbie’s greeting was impressively bland.

  “Miss Militia,” Brian grunted before choosing a vacant booth.

  Once everyone was seated, the typical exchange of pleasantries, threats, crass language, and intimidation ensued. A month ago, Lisa would have been enthralled by the interactions of Brockton Bay’s various organizations. She was still interested, to a point. However, the insults and posturing are rather underwhelming when Lisa considers the scope of the threats bearing down on her and her allies.

  Seeing as Alexandria, Eidolon, and Legend could very well be counted as part of that threat, Kaiser and Skidmark fell far below her list of priorities.

  “If you’re all done,” Miss Militia finally cut in, “we have more important things to talk about.”

  “Very well, Miss Militia,” Kaiser intoned with a deep, solemn voice. “If you believe your information is significant enough for even vermin to hear, then by all means.”

  Contrary to the part he is trying to play, though, Lisa could see how stretched and twisted his nerves have become. In fact, many of the villains in the room seemed really anxious, and as far as her power can tell, it’s due to the uncertainty that has descended on the city.

  Gone were the days when the PRT played fast and loose with infosec. All the moles and informants have been rooted out with extreme prejudice. Government-sponsored activities within Brockton Bay have also been kept under lock and key, with the Image department treating information as carefully-selected ammunition in their recent public relations war.

  In short, all of the city’s major gangs are blind to what’s really going on, and this has made them incredibly nervous.

  Moments like this force Lisa to remember how fortunate she’s been in recent weeks. She’s literally the most informed person in this room. Without the debilitating Thinker headaches, she can use her powers without limits and with no obvious tells that she’s doing so.

  It was an exhilarating experience.

  “We have gained reliable intelligence that Leviathan will attack Brockton Bay in less than a week, at most.”

  Naturally, Miss Militia’s announcement caused quite the racket. Whatever they expected from this meeting, it clearly wasn’t that fun little revelation. Questions were tossed around, of course, with Kaiser actually losing his cool.

  The druggies were shrieking, screeching, and shouting incoherently, and the gamer duo seemed to shrink into their seats even more.

  Lisa was pleased to see that the news hit Faultline like a brick to the face. She actually reared back, with her companions looking ready to shit their pants. The Undersiders, on the other hand, remained calm and cool.

  It helps that they got their freak-out, desperate panic, and overwhelming dread out of their systems days ago. Of course, their relaxed state didn’t go unnoticed.

  “You!” Faultline called out, pointing an accusing finger specifically at Lisa. “You already knew about this, didn’t you?!”

  “Well, duh!” Alec answered with pure condescension. An act that would’ve gotten him censured by Brian before, but it really didn’t matter at this point.

  “It appears your Thinker is more capable than we previously thought,” Kaiser snarled.

  Contrary to what they were probably expecting, though, instead of giving them an eloquent and well-structured verbal flaying, Lisa merely gave them a mysterious smile. Well, she tried to go for mysterious. It probably came off as smug, though.

  “What Tattletale can or cannot do is our business, Kaiser. Not yours.” Phew! Brian really leaned into the whole stern and unyielding leader trope. He even made his voice deeper and more growly.

  “On the contrary,” Krieg spoke up. In stark contrast to what a startling number of people mistakenly believe, he did not, in fact, speak in a faux German accent. Lisa couldn’t even tell where this misconception came from, even with her power. In fact, his accent was so generic and neutral that it was nearly impossible to place it. “Keeping information about an Endbringer attack to yourselves can be considered a violation of the Endbringer Truce.”

  “They didn’t keep it to themselves,” Miss Militia interjected. “The Undersiders have been working with the PRT and Protectorate to prepare for Leviathan’s arrival, along with Seraph.”

  “Wait a minute,” Faultline jumped in. “This credible information that you got. It didn’t come from Tattletale, did it?”

  “Excuse me?!” Lisa exclaimed before she could stop herself. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “I mean that if the information came from you, we might be worrying over nothing,” the bitch shrugged before turning to the Protectorate Blaster. “She’s often wrong, you know. Actually, she’s wrong a lot of the time. I just wanted to point that out.”

  “No, it didn’t come from Tattletale,” Miss Militia denied. “The source has proven reliable in their ability to track Leviathan, so we trust them.”

  Blood still boiling at the dismissal of her power and the discrediting of her abilities, Lisa spoke without thinking.

  “Yep, it’s amazing having someone so reliable in your corner,” she boasted. “And unlike some people, they actually appreciate my talents.”

  Faultline gave her a skeptical look. “Like anyone worth a damn would spend time with your intellectually stunted ass. What would they want with a third-rate Thinker?”

  Lisa saw red. “I don’t know, why don’t you ask Seraph, you condescending bitch?”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Assault groaned.

  “God damn it, Tats!”

  “Wait, were we keeping that a secret?”

  “Stupid Thinker.”

  Yeah, Lisa Wilbourn really has to get a better grip on her temper.