Maria Pov

I thought after the Vacuum; we would finally start making things right in this world gone mad. But it seems that this new year has started with every roadblock we could even imagine. This easily took the cake, though, because, on some level, I knew that we already lost everything. Nothing had shown that affected more than the location of Alchemist, and I’s next mission at the city hall. Once we arrived, we saw it had already become a warzone, with the entire front caving in like some giant storming a castle. Police cars littered the streets like toys left by a child. As we ventured closer and closer to our “target,” Alchemist had some choice words.

“Blackout if it’s just as bad as this on the inside you can’t hold back, understand? I can’t help you if things get out of control.”

“We don’t know if it will come to that. We didn’t try reasoning with the others; maybe we could break the spell.”

“And we don’t know if we can break this spell, and the longer that we wait, the more danger we are put in.”

With my heart in anguish, all I could do to counter was list off one childish remark at the cusp of our respective crossroads.

“Would you be the one saying that if you knew we're still in there?”

“Yeah, I would, because I know better than the rest of us that our powers are dangerous and are an ocean of unknowns. Better to be safe now than sorry later. We don’t have the right to save people if we can’t even save ourselves,” Sofia said with passion that matched my own.

Knowing that she had won the argument like she’s always had, I swallowed the bitter pill and said yes as we made our separate paths. All I had to do was follow the sound of broken concrete and earth-shaking blows. I managed to track it to the far right of the lower floor. Once I got there, though, I saw a sight that threw even me for a loop. Because amongst a dog pile of guards lied, our lovely Mayor Greene was defending himself with a dome of golden light! But that dome was already cracking at the seams from the mighty power of my target. Which is completely understandable given what laid before him was a Gargoyle angrier then I had ever seen him! Realizing the danger, I pushed the thought aside and instantly reacted, stunning Gargoyle with a small jolt that can get his attention.

“That was a warning shot Gargoyle, so I suggest you stand down now. I don’t want to fight.”

Gargoyle then turned his head slowly, revealing crazed eyes that were almost alien to me. And with bloodlust that made my entire body shudder, he started to approach in a predatory fashion.

“It’s too late for that whelp, you already have one!” he said as he sprung at me with all of his might!

Sofia Pov

I’ve always wanted to visit City Hall but under much better circumstances. Using Chelsea’s help, I was able to track down my targets to the upper left floors. Once I was there, I came face to face with three cloaked figures causing your average everyday havoc: a middle-aged white woman with glowing red hands, an Indian man with his fingers in a gun like position and someone that looked like a dark yellowed scale, black harried eastern dragon. The logic part of my brain wanted to run away and get help immediately. But my flabby emotions already knew that I was still a Champion with or without help. So instead I acted like Maria.

“Hey, burros! Why don’t you try and fight someone that can fight back.”

My simple plan worked all too well as soon enough I was already running for my life in 3 seconds flat. Even with my head start, though, I found myself quickly cornered by the dragon as he flew straight into my shoulder like a pouncing tiger. Lucky for me, I had transmuted the bit part of my costume into iron. And as I slid down onto the floor, I changed the ground into a clump of salt to throw in his eyes! At once, the dragon raged in pain. I kicked him off while turning the cloak into iron as well though it didn’t take long for the woman from earlier to strike! I narrowly dodged her outstretched hand by the skin of my teeth! Once I managed to get back up, I soon realized that the place she touched was covered in steaming ash.

Realizing the danger, I could do nothing but dodge her onslaught of thrusts as I lead her to the nearest wall I could find. Once I was “cornered,” the woman gave out a crazed smile before trying to lean in for the kill! However, this assault was completely stopped when I threw a small barrage of fire extinguisher! With her hands now completely useless, the woman found herself on the floor in an iron-clad cloak.

I thought that I would make the fight completely Scott free, but soon enough, I got hit with three bullets like attacks to the chest! Each one felt like one hard punch to the gut as I fell to the floor, gasping for breath. I probably would’ve lost here and there, but the crippling fear of death is an amazing motivator. I wanted to test this theory much later, but it seemed now I had no choice. In one last desperate gamble, I closed my eyes and remembered all this atmosphere had to offer for one last desperate transmutation! For a tense couple of seconds, I didn't know whether I had won or lost until I felt the reassuring sound of a bullet striking metal. When I opened my eyes, I realized my theory was indeed correct as a wall of metal separated me from defeat.

During my fight with the Cutter, I realized my protective aura had done something unexpected. It had transmuted the surrounding air into just what I needed to defend myself. It then got me thinking that it was possible to do such a feat on my own. On my own, I was only half successful, creating only a bunch of small shards in the past, but I guess that my powers seem to work best under pressure anyway. With my new ranged transmutations, I soon got up and fashioned myself a shield out of the metallic wall with a leather band fashioned from my clothes tying it all together. The shooter tried to fire, but with my added defenses it took no time at all to get within range, turning the ground beneath him into water and stone at just the right time to completely trap him, all it took was a little slam of my shield, and my last opponent was knocked out. Unfortunately, the toll of my previous injuries left me huffing and puffing, unable to help my sister with a choice that could decide everything.

Maria POV

Despite his appearance, I always found David to be the most inspiring out of all of us. Sure, Chelsea brought us all together, but despite nearly eight months of living like a beast, he still viewed himself as the equal of any other man. This is why as soon as I find Prophet, I’m lighting him up like a Christmas Tree because his influence turned all of that humanity into something monstrous. Through numerous shocks, David seemed to get even more dangerous, thrashing around like a rabid bear. From there, we engaged in a deadly dance of near-missed strikes. This dance ended when David released a powerful gust of air that sent me colliding with the nearby pillar! Pain started to erupt like a volcán, but I still tried to keep reaching.

“David, please, you can fight this. You can fight him. You never let anyone define you, so don’t start now!”

“Prophet is who defines me like a peasant, and in his honor, I will slay you here!”And as David leaped upwards to close in for the kill, my body moved on its own. In less than a second, my entire body focused all of its electric power into one high voltage parry that sends him back. As much as I hated this, I knew that David hates this even more. So to honor both my sister and my friend, I concentrated the power of the heavens into my hands, lighting them up like a generator! Before David could retaliate, though, I already got right within range, delivering all my stored power in one thunderous and triumphant hit! Tens of thousands of volts collided with David’s scale-like body until it sizzled like a frying pan. Once half a minute passed, I stopped the barrage, too tired to continue any longer.

For a tense couple of seconds, I thought that I failed my onslaught, but I proved to be wrong as David soon fell to the ground unconscious. Deafening silence soon claimed the entire area, giving me all the time I needed to process the depths of our failure fully. Because any hope of the “heroic” Champions inspiring the public for the better was officially dead and gone now, which left my friends and I as nothing more than uncertain vigilantes struggling in a world gone mad.