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Chapter 37
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Everyone who remained in the city that night knew terror by sight and sound. Some knew it one moment, and soon knew nothing at all.

A luminescent bubble grew from the center of the Faultline District. It grew and grew, crossing streets in a matter of seconds, passing through walls, shaking everything it touched.

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Chapter 35
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Bucht followed Dock through the disheveled streets into the Talos district. Nervaeus was last seen in the area.

“What’s the plan?” Bucht asked.

Dock said, “Adamast shouldn’t be far behind us. If we spot Nervaeus, we slow him down if necessary, but wait for her to launch an all-out assault. I’ll scan for any weaknesses, and heal minor injuries, as usual.”

“Works for me. I think we should have packed some water.”

“There should be plenty around this part of town for you to play with.”

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Chapter 33
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Defiler grinned as he strolled through the chaotic hospital. One officer tried to turn him away earlier. That officer was dead after a mere scratch on the neck. He was going to leave, sure enough, but Defiler came here for one reason. He wasn’t leaving until his work was done.

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Chapter 31
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With a second wind, Swan Diva resumed fighting to help push back the mask bearers. Captain Patriot finally sat back at the end of his first. Near boundless energy, that one, just like his father said once or twice.

Pixeletta’s voice came over the earpiece, “Is anyone else near ‘The E?’ I spotted someone dressed suspiciously. Approaching now.”

Suspicious how? An uneasy feeling hit the pit of Swan Diva’s stomach.

“Excuse me, miss, are you lost?”

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Chapter 29
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Striga Island had its own share of trouble, off to the east of Paragon’s mainland, but it was nothing compared to the city most days. War Lagoon knew this. He counted on it about as much as being able to find a few smalltime heroes on patrol who were willing to help out with the increasing efforts across the sea.

He met two sibling heroes chatting at the docks who looked bored. It didn’t take much convincing to ask them to come along before he left.

Author's Note: The final conflict of the trilogy begins, not to overshadow one scene in this chapter...

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Chapter 27
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That half a dozen of the Asylum escapees were here with the Vanquishiri Bahitians did not bode well. Mortar Mage tried to put names to their faces, but only the big man Bloodthorn, the woman with the vulture wings Carrion, and the other woman Needlepoint, came to mind. He had to assume the other three were just as bad, not just for where they had been locked up.

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Chapter 25
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The elevator door opened on the twenty-fifth floor. This wasn’t the tallest tower in Paragon by far, but Adamast thought that she and Saelum Blaster might have taken the longest elevator ride in the history of the city.

As they walked onto the floor, Adamast saw a fight going on all over the place. Members of the Dallevan League were combating forces who appeared to be equipped with rifles and arcane-powered nightsticks.

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Chapter 23
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His phone was silent, and the city was unusually quiet for this time of day.

Walter sat along the edge of the skylight of a three story building, his chin pressed against the top of his cane. It was, after all, a good time to ponder on things while he waited for someone to get back to him.

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Chapter 21
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She opened the door, hoping it wouldn’t creak. Judy saw the bed where their guest lay, and had a suspicious feeling about her. Five or six years ago, she would have sneaked in and poked the woman on the nose just to be sure. Sleeping people breathed differently from anyone who faked being asleep.

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Chapter 19
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Mary and Kyra didn’t have a dining room table. They barely had any sitting furniture. When it came to dining of any sort, they had eating-ware that could be flung off the bed at a moment’s notice. They had made plans to buy more at some point, but it wasn’t a priority for the two of them.

Today, they enjoyed breakfast in bed. The dirty dishes were on a tray at the foot end of the mattress. The only clothes Mary and Kyra had on was their underwear.

A rarity in these parts.

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Interlude part II
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Mortar Mage let one of his gadgets take the lead as he and his allies entered the temple to fend off invaders. Dozens of fighters came at them with barely any sign of life or willpower in their eyes.

As he fought, Mortar saw Dexios use contraptions of his own that were designed to contain their foes. Most of the actual fighting was left to Mortar and Toyenna.

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Chapter 17
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The sun had barely risen when Mortar Mage left the mansion. Mary followed from a distance. She had been curious about that man for some time, and her gut told her that he went somewhere that Mary had never known before.

If it was home, and she saw nothing suspicious, then of course she would turn back and go somewhere else.

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Chapter 15
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Mai was in the process of gingerly tearing a corner of her ketchup packet when Tatiana sat down with a tray of food across the table from her. They were in the food court in the mall having lunch, and Tatiana had unsurprisingly grabbed enough food for two people. Mai remembered the feeling from two decades ago.

“Still no word back from her?” Mai asked.

“Nope,” said Tatiana. “Maybe she fell asleep again.”

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Chapter 13
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Fire and arcane energy erupted beyond Mortar Mage’s hands, and his partner produced shadow constructs and summoned dark tentacles too. They spent minutes blocking and striking down the masked figures. Some were fast, some were strong, and some just took
more hits to bring down than the others.

A couple faster ones managed to hit Mortar. He wouldn’t have been surprised if War Lagoon was hit as well.

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Chapter 11
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When Judy awoke in the morning, it was to a gentle touch on the shoulder by Kyra. Her equally soft and genuine smile highlighted the winning battle against being up so close to sunrise. Or was it a losing battle? Judy couldn’t be sure with that one, but to this day she was certain alarm clocks were the epitome of evil.

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Chapter 09
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Vidnyanta’s old body fell and diminished until it was nothing more than a heap of dust and cloth. Such was the fate of powerless mortals. Her new body, however, opened from its fetal position, and she felt so strong. So chilly.

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Chapter 07
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Adamast Cross reached the Peregrine Beach district for the umpteenth time in her life. Every time she came here now, she thought someone else from her love life, past or present, was going to show up and complicate things.

She stopped short of the police barricade ahead. Did she really just include Saelum Blaster when thinking about her love life?

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Chapter 05
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Takeout boxes stuffed with Thai food caked the tables on either side of the room. Warren alternated between eating his food and examining the bracelet that Trash Knuckle handed him. It was golden with a set of green jewels embedded in it. Their strange had ally found it while raiding one of the last pocket dimensions belonging to a band of evil mystics, which was now powerless. It was strange that they would have had this.

“You said this turns you into a beautiful woman?” Warren asked.

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Chapter 03
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Outside of the safety barricade around the Paragon Power Plant, news crews gathered at first light; even if that first light was a guard lighting up a cigarette.

They found and practically bombarded Diamond Grace when she arrived on the scene. Their questions were numerous and difficult to pick out, but Diamond Grace answered what she could while making her way to the barricade.

Author's Note: The Title Page has a note or two from me, and also the prologue. Please read both before you continue.

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Chapter 01
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Ohm Wire stuck the landing after hopping a stone wall with an iron gate at the top. She made it. It was damn near a shame there was no audience present to congratulate her on the performance, but that came with the territory of scouting the outskirts of town at night, even somewhere as lively as Paragon.

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Chapter 39
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Judy rubbed one arm and nodded to her. Exhaustion was apparent in her eyes, as much as anyone might have seen if they bothered to look.

Mai Took the invitation and sat on a free space of her daughter’s bed. The Swan Diva posters and the superhero themed stuffed animals were all still in fine condition, which made her hint at a smile before turning her full attention to Judy.

“As you know,” Mai said, “the Grandts are moving in a couple days.”

“Yeah?” said Judy.

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Chapter 37
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Stone sipped on his glass of wine while Judy sat with him, still a little confused. She wanted to tear this man apart—there was no one else in the room to stop her—but she didn’t have the strength for it yet. She wasn’t even cuffed to the chair.

“You should try this wine,” Stone said.

“I’m fifteen,” said Judy.

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Chapter 35
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Dear Diary, March 5 –

I have slept very little over the last few days. My best friend was kidnapped. It’s the League’s fault for not protecting the people around me or being honest. It’s my fault for letting her go alone that day, especially knowing that it’s me Stone is after.

Yesterday, I finally blew up in everyone’s face about it. Not literally. The base and the League’s members still stand, but I don’t know. Can I still call them my friends? My allies?

Author's Note: In the event you, my audience, have either missed or forgotten the note at the beginning, I am placing this reminder here that this story is both a prequel to "These Tights" and a tragedy in how it ends.

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Chapter 33
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The days passed before Judy and her mother returned home, and it wasn’t long before it was time for her to return to school. Judy was changing her clothes in the locker room on Wednesday, and down to her undies, when she was suddenly grabbed from behind.