Masters of death

The night was thick with fog, the streets damp from an earlier rain. Rose slipped out of the Fairy Court's stronghold, her hood pulled low to obscure her face. She moved quickly but carefully, her magic masking her presence from prying eyes. The surreal grandeur of the court's transformation behind her felt suffocating—a gilded cage.

She exhaled in relief when she reached the meeting point near the edges of ABB territory, a crumbling warehouse tucked away from prying eyes. Inside, the air was stale and heavy with the faint scent of rust.

Taylor Hebert—now Skitter—was already waiting, her lean figure shrouded in her black and gray costume. Beside her, the rest of the Undersiders lingered in varying degrees of unease: Tattletale, eyes sharp with calculation; Grue, his shadowy aura curling faintly around him; Regent, lounging casually but with a readiness that belied his posture; and Bitch, silent, her three dogs lying at her feet, watching Rose with wary eyes.

---

"You're late," Taylor said, her voice even but edged with tension.

Rose shrugged, crossing her arms. "Had to make sure I wasn't followed."

Tattletale leaned against a crate, her grin both welcoming and predatory. "Good call. You're lucky Glaistig hasn't caught on yet—or has she?"

Rose hesitated, her stomach tightening. She knew Glaistig was growing suspicious. The fairy queen was sharp and always three steps ahead of everyone else. "She hasn't… not fully," Rose lied.

Taylor's posture stiffened. "If she does, it'll put all of us at risk. We need to know what we're dealing with."

Rose hesitated again. Could she really trust them? The Undersiders were clever and resourceful, but she knew betrayal wasn't off the table if it suited their goals. Still, she needed allies, and Taylor's determination felt genuine.

"Glaistig is… complicated," Rose admitted finally. "Her power lets her take the abilities of parahumans she kills, turning them into what she calls specters. They're… pieces of them, tied to her. It makes her nearly unstoppable."

Tattletale's eyes narrowed, her grin fading as she pieced together the implications. "So Nullwave could disrupt that connection."

Rose nodded. "For a moment, at least. But she's already planning how to deal with him. She's obsessed with adding his power to her court."

"That's not happening," Taylor said firmly.

"Agreed," Rose replied. "But if she finds him before we do…" She trailed off, letting the thought hang.

---

Their conversation was interrupted when Grue tilted his head, his shadowy aura darkening. "We've got company," he said quietly.

Rose turned, her senses sharpening. From the darkened alleys and crumbling buildings outside the warehouse, the faint sound of movement reached her ears.

Taylor extended her hand, and a wave of insects poured forth, swarming outward to scout. "Merchants," she said grimly. "A lot of them."

"Great," Regent muttered. "Guess we're working tonight."

Rose glanced at Taylor. "We should split up. Cover more ground."

Taylor hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. Watch your back."

Rose slipped into the shadows, her magic cloaking her movements. The Merchants weren't subtle, their ragged cries and clattering weapons giving away their position. She reached a high vantage point, casting a faint shimmer of protective magic over herself as she assessed the scene.

Below, a group of Merchants had set up an ambush, their makeshift weapons and improvised explosives ready to spring. Civilians—likely scavengers caught in the wrong place—were huddled nearby, terror in their eyes.

Anger bubbled within Rose. With a flick of her wrist, she conjured a barrier of shimmering light to shield the civilians, her magic subtly steering the Merchants' attacks away from them.

Taylor appeared from the shadows, her swarm of insects disarming several Merchants before they even realized what was happening. Her movements were precise and calculated, her presence commanding.

The two worked in tandem, Rose's magic deflecting attacks while Taylor's swarm incapacitated their foes. When one particularly bold Merchant charged her, Rose didn't hesitate—she unleashed a blast of raw magical energy that sent him flying into a pile of debris.

The fight was over in minutes, the Merchants scattered or unconscious.

---

As Rose stood amidst the aftermath, her hands trembling slightly, she realized how easily she had tried to resort to lethal force. The man she had blasted wasn't moving, and she wasn't sure if he was alive.

"You're getting better," Taylor said, her tone neutral but edged with something unreadable.

Rose looked at her sharply. "That's not the point."

"No," Taylor agreed. "But it's the reality. If you're going to survive in this city, you have to be willing to cross some lines."

Rose shook her head, guilt gnawing at her. "It doesn't have to be this way."

Taylor's gaze hardened. "Sometimes it does. Just… be careful. Power has a way of twisting people, and you're walking a dangerous path."

Rose opened her mouth to respond, but a flicker of movement caught her eye. High above, barely visible in the dim light, a shadow shifted. A specter.

Her blood ran cold. Glaistig Uaine was watching.

---

Back at the Fairy Court, Glaistig Uaine reclined on her throne, a faint smile playing on her lips as she observed Rose's return.

"Out for a stroll, little sorceress?" she asked, her tone light but with an undercurrent of menace.

Rose stiffened but kept her expression neutral. "Just needed air."

Glaistig's smile widened. "Of course. It's important to stretch your wings now and then."

Rose knew better than to argue. She retreated to her quarters, her heart pounding. Glaistig's words had been casual, but the specter's presence during her meeting with Taylor made it clear—her queen was watching, waiting for a misstep.

As she sat in the quiet of her room, Rose's resolve hardened. She needed to act before it was too late. Glaistig Uaine was growing more dangerous by the day, and Nullwave's arrival had only heightened the stakes.

She couldn't do this alone. But could she truly trust the Undersiders—or anyone?