A quick jump later and the team was in the heart of the city. Skip bringing them to the top of an office building. At ten stories tall, the view was amazing. With the night sky merging into the horizon as stars light up the inky blackness above. The lights on the ground twinkled up in return. To find such beauty in a time of crisis magnified the view.

Matt had just finished giving the team a rundown on what they were about to face. Two confirmed Cowls with an unknown number in support. Going in, the Heroes would be outnumbered. Not that that ever stopped them.

The criminals appeared to be members of the Broken Crest, robbing another bank. Something of a specialty for them in recent weeks. Luckily for everyone, they went in at night this time, when only a single security guard was there. Liam hoped the timing would help prevent bystanders from getting hurt.

The Broken Crest had become a thorn in Liam’s side. In his time on the team, The Hunt had faced off against that group several times. Often driving them into a retreat, but never fully subduing them. The constant back and forth was something Liam wanted to ask the team about. Why was it that this group of Cowls committed all the major crimes in the city? In Liam’s time studying at the academy, he’d never heard of such a thing. There were always multiple groups of Cowls fighting, as often amongst themselves as the Heroes. But something was different about this city.

Snapping back to reality, Liam focused on Matt’s voice as he played the emergency call that came in, placed by the night guard.

“Dispatch just sent over the call, here’s what we have to work with,” Matt said.

“This is 9-1-1. Please state the nature of your emergency.”

“This is Jeff at Safety Bank. I’m the night security guard and someone is breaking into the bank.”

“Police are on the way.”

“No, send The Hunt. I saw one of them walk through a wall.”

“I’m alerting The Hunt right now,” the 9-1-1 dispatcher said. Liam could hear a rain storm of keystrokes through the speaker. “Jeff, can you find somewhere to hide and then tell me what you saw?”

“I’m hiding in an office,” Jeff said as he took in deep and shaking breaths. “I was doing my rounds when I saw two people come through the wall.”

“What did they look like?”

“One of them had a knife for a hand,” Jeff hissed into the phone.

“They were holding a knife?”

“No her hand was a-” Jeff cut off as there was a crash next to him, then the phone went dead.

The audio was cut short by what sounded like the Cowls finding him and attacking. With any luck they only subdued the man and didn’t kill him.

From their height on the rooftop, the team peaked out at the bank, only two blocks away on the far side of the street. Light shining through the front door framed the massive columns at the entrance. Making the building look more like an ancient castle than a modern day financial institution.

Watching the building, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No figures walked past the front door or any of the bank’s windows. But looks could deceive and if the caller was right, that castle of wealth was in enemy hands.

Pulling out his spy bug, now equipped with a mic to pick up audio, something missed at the last bank robbery. Liam started giving it commands. With any luck it’d find out what they were going into. Was the lobby a trap? Were the Cowls waiting there for any Hero foolish enough to enter?

What better way to find out than with the handy spy bug and not by walking into it. As Liam was giving the last command, Ullr motioned him to stop.

“Not enough time for that,” Ullr said. “Last time The Broken Crest hit a bank two people died. The security guard might face a similar fate if we don’t act fast.”

“Shouldn’t we see if we’re walking into a trap?” Liam asked.

“The murder at the house was a diversion. They won’t expect us to be here. At least not this soon,” Skip said.

What Skip said made some sense. Though why they’d created a diversion with a dead body Liam did not understand. Weren’t there easier things they could do that would achieve the same result?

“Understood,” Liam said.

While Liam wanted to know what the Cowls were doing in there, Ullr and Skip had a point. If the time getting reconnaissance cost the guard his life, was it worth it? The answer was obvious.

“H-Bar and Source are team one. I’ll be with Gladius on team two. Skip provide support between teams, whoever is facing more of the Cowls you join them,” Ullr said.

That got a quick round of affirmatives from the team as everyone readied to move out.

“Alright, remember they might outnumber us when we go in there,” Ullr said. “Keep your heads up and don’t get sloppy. Deadly force is permitted. Let’s save that guard.”

With that the Heroes moved. Skip bringing Ullr and Gladius to the left of the bank’s main door while H-Bar and Source went to the right. H-Bar’s suit blended into the night as the Hero left his lights off. Focusing on stealth as they crept towards the building instead of going for shock and awe like they had last time.

With the team in place, huddled around the main door, Ullr held up three fingers then pointed at the door. It’s game time, Liam thought as Ullr began to count down.

The energy coursing through him built as the fingers ticked down. Looking at the other Heroes Liam saw his zeal mirrored in their bodies. Skip was twirling a knife with one hand as his eyes stared a hole through the door. The blade itself asking to dart inside. While Gladius hefted her shield. Ready to charge in head first, begging for someone to fight.

Reaching zero, Ullr pointed at the door. Gladius, using that as a cue dashed forward, slamming her shield against the wood. It was obvious who would win that contest of strength. And to no one’s surprise the door went flying off its hinges. Leaving shattered wood to decorate the inside of the bank. So much for stealth Liam noted.

Following her strike, Gladius rushed into the bank. Breaking to the right as she entered. Ready for anything. Liam was a step behind as he went left, clearing that corner of the main room. The rest of the team stormed in behind. Scanning the middle of the room as they went.

With his corner of the room inspected Liam turned to the middle of the space as a golden brown blur darted by. Ullr sprinting at full speed Liam assumed. Not something he’d like to cross paths with. Or would most people.

Last came H-Bar, who turned on his bright new lights as he crossed the threshold. A little comet rushing into the otherwise dim interior. H-Bar was still framed in the doorway when the bank exploded in activity.

A man stood up from behind one of the teller’s desks. Balls of red ooze in both hands. While he moved, the balls wriggled around as if they were jelly, somehow holding their shape against gravity. With a deceptively gentle toss, the man sent the balls flying towards the exposed Heroes.

They moved at a misleading speed. Liam assumed they would be slow from the way they were thrown. But he was wrong. The orbs hurtled across the room at breakneck speed. Red streaks of danger.

“Watch out!” Ullr yelled.

He avoided both attacks like he was playing dodgeball. Ullr’s speed outstripping the balls by the smallest of margins.

Hearing the warning, Gladius spun on the spot. Her shield held as a barrier to the unknown attack. The first ball collided with her an instant later. The ball popping like a water balloon against her shield. A spray of red liquid covered the entire thing. Some even sailing behind it to stain Gladius’ silver armor.

The Hero looked like an ancient warrior back from a bloody battlefield. The stains of red were hard fought trophies of her victim’s demise. The illusion lasted a second before the red liquid began to bubble and fizz. Acrid black smoke streaming from it. The red liquid was an acid Liam realized. Despite that, and the violent reaction occurring all over her, the armor wasn’t affected. Gladius’ power at work Liam assumed.

The second ball whizzed past Gladius, racing towards H-Bar. As the man molded a shield Liam realized there was a problem. H-Bar didn’t have as much light as normal. He turned on the lights just before the attack. Giving him little time to gather light.

The shield that sprang up in front of H-Bar was small, barely the size of a dinner plate. When the acid ball collided with it, the light fragmented into countless sparkling pieces before it faded out. But not before it did its job, blocking most of the acid from reaching H-Bar. Only a few drops made it past, landing oh H-Bar’s arm with a hiss.

Those few drops soon became a problem. His suit was designed to soften blows not repel acid. Each drop made short work of the armor as it ate its way through. Sending streams of smoke into the air. H-Bar let out a muffled cry as the acid touched his skin, falling to one knee from the pain. The horrid smell of burning flesh reached Liam’s nose a second later.

Aware a follow up attack could come, Liam threw himself in front of H-Bar. There was no guarantee his armor could block the acid, but H-Bar’s had already proven inadequate. Even if his suit was to fail, Liam wouldn’t let his teammate be attacked when he was down. That just wasn’t who he was, or any Hero.

As Liam was covering H-Bar, the other Heroes were already moving. Ullr nearly upon the red acid Cowl before Liam or the Cowl realized it. A punch to the shoulder later and the Cowl was sent crashing into a wall. Cracking bones letting everyone know just how hard the attack was. If the broken wall behind the Cowl wasn’t hint enough. The man had nearly been flung through the wall of the bank.

The Cowl was out of the fight, but Skip hadn’t gotten in his attack yet. So he took advantage of the unconscious man and jumped next to him. Appearing there with a knife poised over his head. Sinking it through the Cowl’s good arm, pinning it to a section of wall that was still intact from Ullr’s earlier attack. The next second Skip was gone. Leaving the knife in the man’s arm as a parting gift.

The combined attacks sent the Cowl collapsing to the floor, arm still held up by the knife pinned above his head. One Cowl down for the count Liam thought as he saw the action unfold.

As the Cowl folded into a heap, Ullr turned back to the team and yelled, “H-Bar you ok or do you need out?”

“I’m good to go boss,” H-Bar said through clenched teeth. One hand clutching where the red liquid impacted. Smoke rising between his fingers. “Just need a second to get back on my feet.”

“Good to hear,” Ullr said.

“Flush it with water,” Liam called before screams coming from around the room interrupted him.

A door to the left banged open as three people burst through. Cowls, Liam realized as he recognized Little knife leading the group. Today both her hands were shaped like rapiers. Her head swiveled around until she found Ullr. A fierce smile spreading under her masked face when she spotted him. Then she darted forward. Intent on continuing their fight from before.

Behind Little Knife was a monstrosity of a man. Stepping through the door the man straightened to his full height. His head brushing against the ceiling. On his back were wings like those found on a dragonfly. His skin rippled as he moved, something black just beneath the surface. But all of that was secondary when compared to the man’s face. To either side of his mouth were large insect like mandibles, snapping at Liam as his oversized eyes focused on the Hero. This man wasn’t part of any intelligence report Liam reviewed. The Broken Crest must be recruiting.

Spotting H-Bar, still down from the acid, the Cowl’s face twisted into something horrible. A sound that was almost passable as laughter spewed from him. More clicking of mandibles than anything a human could make.

The bug man started towards Liam as the last Cowl darted from the doorway. This one wearing old tattered clothing. A kid’s Halloween mask of a skull covering the top of her face. A red cross painted on the skull’s forehead. The woman’s eyes darted around the room before settling in on her unconscious companion, recently knifed to the wall. That sent a shiver through the woman as she pressed her back to the wall opposite her teammate. Trying to blend into it and stay out of the fighting. Not someone Liam would have to worry about if that was all it took to send her running.

A door flying open on the other side of the room showed they had more company. But Liam couldn’t focus on that as the bug man was closing in fast.

With each step the gap between them shrank. The behemoths feet cutting into the tiles with each stride. Claws, Liam hadn’t seen before, shredding their way through the man’s shoes and digging into the floor below. That couldn't be good, Liam thought. The fight just starting to warm up.