With Great Power: A New Lead
A New Lead
The night air was cool against Taylor’s skin as she landed on the rooftop, her boots barely making a sound against the concrete. Behind her, Glory Girl floated down to join her.
“So,” the heroine drawled, crossing her arms, “care to explain what exactly we’re hunting tonight? I know I just sort of dropped in on you, but I’d still like some kind of explanation.”
Taylor gave her the quick rundown of the situation, sticking to the essentials so she didn’t waste too much of their time.
“...and my friend thinks that there might be a central relay. A device that all the others point to that hopefully links directly back to the base,” Taylor finished. “Emphasis on hopefully. This guy really doesn’t want to be found.”
“Most Tinkers don’t. Bad things usually happen when they get scooped up out of their lair.” Glory Girl hummed. “This is pretty impressive, Spidey. How long did you say you’ve been doing this?”
“A few weeks. Maybe a month?” Taylor shrugged. “It’s been a process.”
Glory Girl hummed thoughtfully. “And you’ve been doing this alone? No backup, no team, no one watching your back?”
Taylor shook her head, gesturing toward her ear. “I’m not alone, remember?”
Glory Girl’s mouth opened in understanding, “Ah, right. How’s your friend, by the way?”
“She’s good. Speaking of which...” Taylor reached up and tapped the small device nestled in her ear. “Hey, how are we doing? Still on track?”
Static crackled, followed by the sound of metal scraping against metal. “Hm? Oh yeah,” came the distracted response. “Signal’s still strong. Head about three blocks north, then hang a left.”
Taylor frowned. Emma’s voice was distant, her attention clearly elsewhere. The telltale sounds of tools and tinkering echoed through the connection.
“Are you even watching the map?”
“Yeah, yeah. Like I said, three blocks and then turn left. After that, you’ll need to keep going straight for a while.”
Taylor resisted the urge to sigh as the line went dead once more. Glory Girl watched the exchange with open curiosity, but to Taylor’s relief, she didn’t pry.
“You know, this is pretty impressive stuff.” She gestured vaguely at the city around them. “Most new capes are too busy trying not to get themselves killed to do actual detective work. Though I guess I can’t really call you a newbie anymore, huh?”
Taylor felt her cheeks warm slightly at the compliment. “I’ve had good help.”
“Just make sure you don’t bite off more than you can chew,” the other heroine warned. “You’re pretty good, Widow. But you’re still just one person trying to take down a Tinker’s whole operation. That’s a lot to handle.”
“I’m not completely alone. And I’m definitely not stupid enough to run into a Tinker’s lair by myself,” Taylor shuddered at the idea.
“Besides, if things do go wrong, then I’ll call for help.” Taylor tapped her ear. “Or she will. I’m not planning on rushing to my death, but I can’t really leave this alone either.”
Glory Girl studied her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she smiled. “Alright. I trust you.”
Taylor blinked, caught off guard by the frank admission, before she returned it. “Thanks.”
“Don’t make me regret it.” Glory Girl’s smile turned wry. “Now come on, lead the way. I didn’t tag along just to stand around on a roof all night.”
They took off across the skyline, Taylor’s webs carrying her from building to building while Glory Girl flew beside her in a relaxed manner.
“So I’ve been wondering,” Glory Girl called over the wind, “do you do this a lot? Patrol, I mean. Seems like every time I’m out here, I end up running into you.”
Taylor shrugged between swings. “Most nights, yeah. It started as just testing my limits, but now...” She trailed off, searching for the right words. “I don’t know. It feels wrong to stay home when I could be out here helping.”
“I get that.” Glory Girl’s voice softened slightly. “You see something on the news or hear about a mugging or something, and you think ‘I could have stopped that.’”
Taylor nodded, the girl’s words echoing a sentiment she’d been having for a while. “Yeah. Exactly. It makes it hard to get anything done unless you tune out completely.”
“Which is basically impossible in this day and age,” Glory Girl huffed. “Cape culture’s never been bigger. I’m happy for the job security, but I’d like to turn on the TV without seeing something on fire every once in a while.”
“At least there’s plenty of us willing to put them out,” Taylor said wryly. “Even if it doesn’t feel like that. Stop here really quick.”
They landed on a water tower as Taylor adjusted their course. They were getting close now, and each adjustment was fine.
“Do you ever team up with anyone else?” Taylor asked, genuinely curious. “I know New Wave operates as a family, but—”
“Oh, we don’t really... Do that anymore,” Glory Girl’s expression flickered, “I’m pretty much the only one who goes out on patrols anymore. Everyone else is too busy with other stuff.”
“That sounds lonely,” Taylor said before she could stop herself.
Glory Girl’s expression shifted into something wry. “It’s not that bad. I mean, I used to patrol with Gallant all the time, but...” She trailed off, her gaze drifting toward the city lights. “We haven’t been doing that as much lately either.”
Taylor caught the slight tension in her voice. She recognized when someone didn’t want to talk about something, so she simply nodded and didn’t press.
They moved in comfortable silence for a while, hopping from rooftop to rooftop. Somewhere in the distance, sirens wailed, but they seemed far away.
“By the way,” Glory Girl’s voice broke the quiet. “Thanks for letting me tag along. Most people don’t really appreciate it when I drop in on their solo ops.”
Taylor shrugged, firing a web-line to the next building. “I don’t mind the company.”
“It’s actually kind of nice,” Glory Girl admitted. “Patrolling with someone who isn’t constantly trying to lecture me about proper hero etiquette or whatever.”
“Does that happen a lot?”
“You’d be amazed.” Glory Girl rolled her eyes dramatically. “My mom has opinions. Lots of them. About everything. It’s like she thinks I’m going to break something if I look at someone wrong.”
“Sounds stressful.”
“You have no idea.” Glory Girl banked around a water tower, her flight path smooth and effortless. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my family. But sometimes it feels like everyone has an opinion on how I should do this whole hero thing, and none of them actually trust me to figure it out myself. Like I’m not allowed to mess up every once in a while.”
Taylor thought about her own situation. Working alone, making her own decisions, answering to no one but herself and Emma. It had its downsides, sure, but at least she didn’t have a dozen people hovering over her shoulder.
“At least you have people who care,” she offered.
Glory Girl made a noise that was half laugh, half sigh. “Yeah, I know. It just gets on my nerves sometimes. Sometimes I wish I triggered in a normal family so I didn’t have my mom breathing down my neck every second.”
She glanced over at Taylor. “What about you? Do your parents know?”
Taylor’s grip tightened on her web. “No,” she said. “My dad doesn’t know. I can’t tell him it’s... It’s... complicated.”
Glory Girl seemed to sense that she’d touched a nerve. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
Taylor shook her head. “It’s fine. I just don’t like to think about it much.”
She paused, gathering her thoughts as they landed on another rooftop.
“I’m sure he’d approve of what I’m doing,” Taylor said. “Helping people, making a difference. But how I’m doing it...”
Glory Girl nodded slowly. “Yeah. I get it.” Her voice was softer now, stripped of its usual playful edge. “I guess that’s one good thing about being born in a cape family. Never really have to have that kind of talk.”
A small moment of silence passed between them, the city hum filling the space, before Glory Girl huffed.
“Jeez,” she said, letting out a laugh. “That got heavy. Sorry, I didn’t mean to dump all that on you. I’ve just been a little frustrated here recently.”
“It’s fine,” Taylor said. “What are friends for?” She paused. “Or, well, co-workers, I guess.”
Glory Girl grinned. “Friends.”
Taylor’s earpiece suddenly crackled, Emma’s voice cutting through the quiet.
“Hey, not to ruin the moment, but you’re pretty much on top of the signal. You need to slow down or you’re gonna blow past it.”
Taylor slowed her pace, dropping to a crouch on the rooftop. Glory Girl followed suit, snapping to a sudden stop mid-air like G-forces didn’t concern her.
“Sorry,” Taylor murmured, tapping her ear. “We’re close?”
“Yeah,” Emma’s voice came through, a bit clearer now. “The signal’s coming from somewhere on this block. Should be right below you.”
Taylor moved to the edge of the roof, peering down at the street below. It was a quiet stretch of road, lined with closed storefronts and abandoned buildings. The kind of place that saw more rats than foot traffic after dark.
“I don’t see anything,” Glory Girl whispered, hovering beside her.
Taylor scanned the street, her eyes doing their best to pick up anything out of the ordinary. The buildings below looked unremarkable: weathered brick and dusty windows, a few stray cats picking through overturned garbage bins. Then, she spotted it.
“There.” Taylor pointed toward a small device mounted on the side of a telephone pole. It was easy to miss if you didn’t know what to look for; a black box with a blinking red light, partially hidden behind a street sign.
“Is that it?” Glory Girl asked, squinting at the device she pointed out.
Taylor dropped down to the street, her feet landing silently on the pavement as she landed in front of the telephone pole. Up close, she could see the differences between this one and the others she’d found. The casing was bulkier, almost twice the size of the others, and there was a second antenna that the previous boxes lacked.
“This one’s different,” Taylor murmured, reaching out and pulling it off of the pole, effortlessly snapping the screws that kept it in place.
Glory Girl floated down beside her, peering at the device with curiosity. “Different how? Different like ‘this is definitely the thing we’re looking for’ or different like ‘huh, that’s weird’?”
“Hopefully the first one.” Taylor tapped her earpiece. “Hey, I’ve got it and it looks different from the others. Think this might be what we’re looking for?”
She waited for a response. Static crackled in her ear, followed by the distant sound of metal clinking against metal.
“Em?”
More static. Then, a muffled voice filtered through the mic, like it had been put down. “...just need to strengthen the connection… God this would be so much easier if I could just...”
Taylor let out a frustrated sigh as her friend trailed off into a string of tech jargon that even she couldn’t understand. “Em. Are you watching this or not?”
“Shh!” Emma’s voice came through, irritated. “I’m busy. Just... put it in the bag or whatever. I’ll look at it later.”
Glory Girl raised an eyebrow at Taylor’s exasperated expression. “Let me guess. Your mysterious Tinker friend is distracted?”
“Something like that.” Taylor resisted the urge to yank the earpiece out and throw it across the street. “She’s been like this all night.”
Glory Girl shrugged. “Tinkers be tinkering, I guess. You’re lucky she hasn’t just hung up.”
That was true. Taylor had heard stories about Tinkers who went days without doing anything but working on their own projects. She supposed she should be happy that Emma was even willing to talk to her given how focused she clearly wanted to be.
A sudden crash echoed through the street below, and the girls turned toward the sound.
Down the block, a figure in blue and silver street clothes was backed against a wall. He was wearing a tank top and sweatpants, alongside a ski mask. He was also absolutely massive and not just in height, possessing bulging muscles that were a million times more impressive than the ones Taylor’s power had given her.
He was surrounded by four men in gray tactical gear who were slowly edging towards him even as he warded them away with his fists. Taylor’s eyes narrowed as she noticed the men were wearing the exact same outfits as the ones belonging to Transit.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones out tonight,” Glory Girl observed.
The costumed figure threw a punch at one of the attackers and blew the man backwards, but another soldier flanked from the side, landing a solid hit to the vigilante’s ribs that sent them staggering.
“That guy’s getting his butt kicked,” Taylor noted with a frown.
Glory Girl lifted off and angled herself towards the group. “Then let’s go help him out.”
Taylor didn’t need to be told twice. She fired a line at the nearest building and swung down toward the fight, Glory Girl streaking past her like a blonde comet.
The soldiers heard them coming, but by then it was too late. Glory Girl slammed into the nearest attacker with the force of a freight train, sending the man flying into a wall with a crunch. Taylor landed on another soldier’s shoulders, her legs locking around his neck as she flipped backward, using his own momentum to drive him into the pavement.
The remaining soldiers adjusted quickly, pulling back to form a defensive formation. One of them raised a futuristic pistol, but Taylor was already moving. She fired two webs in quick succession, yanking the weapon from his grip and binding his wrists together in one motion.
The last soldier tried to retreat, but the cape they’d been fighting finally recovered enough to throw another punch. The blow sent the man stumbling backward, right into Glory Girl’s waiting arms.
“That’s everyone,” Glory Girl announced, holding the limp soldier by his collar. “Nice work, Spidey.”
Taylor gave a small nod, already moving toward the downed soldiers. She crouched beside the nearest one, taking the chance to examine their gear.
The man’s equipment was a strange mismatch of regular tech and blinking components that was clearly Tinkertech. The style was similar to the boxes that she’d been ripping off walls for weeks.
On his arm was a blinking band of dark metal and wires. A small metal antenna jutted out of the very top. Curious, Taylor grabbed it, pulling it off of him and holding it up to her goggles to get a better look.
“Find anything?” Glory Girl asked, floating over with the unconscious soldier still dangling from her grip.
“Not sure yet.” Taylor turned the device over in her hands. “My friend might know more though.” She tapped her earpiece. “Hey, Em. You there?”
Static crackled and more sounds of tinkering came from the background. Taylor continued, “Hey, I’ve got something here. Not sure what it is but—”
“Hmm? What is… oh. Oh SHIT!”
Taylor flinched as Emma’s voice peaked her microphone, “Ow! Is there a volume button on this thing?”
“Shut up!” Emma hissed. “Drop whatever you’re doing and bring that back here right now.”
Taylor raised an eyebrow. “Huh?”
“That armband.” Emma’s tone was urgent. “That’s exactly what we need. Bring it back here. Oh my god, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this!”
Glory Girl floated closer, watching the exchange with open curiosity. “Everything okay over there?”
Taylor held up a finger, turning her head to the side. “Mind filling me in on this one? I thought we were looking for more relays.”
Emma made a frustrated sound in her ear. “The relays point to something, genius. From what I can see, that armband takes those signals and sends them somewhere else. Ten bucks says it’s linked directly to whatever lets them teleport, which means we might be able to use it to figure out exactly where Transit is hiding!”
Taylor’s eyes widened behind her goggles. “Seriously? But what about all the boxes we’ve been collecting?”
“Screw them, they don’t matter anymore!” Emma giggled. “I don’t need to triangulate shit if I’ve got a yellow brick road leading me right to his front door. Hurry and bring it back so I can start working.”
The line cut off again, but this time Taylor was more happy than annoyed. Seemed like she had just stumbled upon the Holy Grail.
All we had to do was find one of these guys and lay them down for tech? Taylor hefted the gauntlet in one hand. Man, if I had known it was this easy, I’d have taken down every guy in grey I saw from here to Boston.
She turned to Glory Girl, who was still hovering nearby with an expectant expression. “Okay, so don’t ask me for all the Tinker-speak, but with this we don’t even need the relays apparently. I’ve got to get it back to base.”
Glory Girl’s face fell slightly. “Oh. So we’re done?”
Taylor blinked at the disappointed tone. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, we found the thing. Mission accomplished, right?” Glory Girl let go of the unconscious soldier she’d been holding, letting him drop unceremoniously to the pavement. “I kind of thought we’d be doing this longer.”
A smile played across Taylor’s face behind her mask. “Well, it doesn’t have to be over. I still need to actually do something with this information. And when I do...”
Glory Girl’s expression shifted, brightening. “When you do?”
“I could use someone to back me up,” Taylor admitted. “You were right earlier. This is a lot to take on alone. So if you wanted to be there when I make my move...”
Glory Girl’s face split into a wide grin. “Are you asking for my number, Spidey?”
Taylor tilted her head, confused by the question. “I guess? How else am I supposed to contact you?”
“Oh my god...”
Glory Girl stared at her for a moment, her expression somewhere between amused and bewildered. Then she let out a laugh that echoed off the nearby buildings. “Yeah, okay. Here, give me yours and I’ll send you a text. That way you’ll have my number.”
“Oh, uh...” Taylor dug in her pocket for the sat phone. She held it out glancing at it strangely, and it just occurred to her that she had no idea how to work the thing. “I’m... not really sure how to do that.”
Glory Girl giggled, “Really? Are you from the 13th century or something? Here let me see it.”
Taylor handed it over, only realizing as it left her hands that it probably wasn’t a good idea to give someone the keys to her secret identity, even if it was a friend. Glory Girl navigated the device with far more ease than Taylor could ever have done, and it felt like she had just handed it off when it was thrust into her hands again.
“There, we’re besties now,” Glory Girl handed it back with a satisfied smile. “If you need backup or just wanna gossip or something, my number’s in there. I expect some calls when you’re ready to kick down some doors, but it doesn’t have to be all business, alright?”
“Besties? This bitch...” Emma muttered in Taylor’s ears.
“I’ll... keep that in mind,” Taylor said, eyeing the new contact in her phone. How did she put smiley faces beside her name? Taylor didn’t even know that was a thing you could do.
“You better,” Glory Girl gave her a wink and lifted higher into the air, “Don’t be a stranger!”
Taylor watched her go, quickly becoming a small speck of white in the distance.
“So...” The cape they’d helped earlier was standing a few feet away, looking slightly awkward. “I can’t help but feel like I just got third-wheeled pretty hard back there.”
Taylor turned, having almost forgotten about the other cape entirely. She took in his blue and silver costume, the way he was favoring his ribs, and the slightly embarrassed expression on his face.
“Sorry about that,” Taylor said, wincing behind her mask. “We were kind of in the middle of something.”
“Yeah, I gathered.” He glanced at the unconscious soldiers scattered around them. “Still, appreciate the assist. Those guys jumped me pretty hard. I’ve seen them poking around my neighborhood for a few nights now, thought I’d do something about it.” He rubbed his side. “Definitely bit off more than I could chew.”
“It comes with the territory,” Taylor said reassuringly. “What’s your name anyway? I don’t I’ve seen you around before.”
“Browbeat,” he replied, straightening up with a wince. “I’m pretty new to this whole thing. Just started patrolling a couple weeks ago.”
“Browbeat,” Taylor repeated, filing the name away. “I’m Widow. That was Glory Girl, in case you were wondering.”
“Yeah, I figured.” Browbeat glanced skyward, where Glory Girl had long since vanished. “She’s pretty hard to miss.”
Taylor snorted. “Tell me about it.” She looked down at the unconscious soldiers, then back at Browbeat. “You going to be okay?”
“I’ve had worse.” Browbeat rolled his shoulder, wincing slightly. “Besides, my power helps with the tough stuff. Reinforces my body, lets me take hits that would drop most people.” He flexed his hand, and Taylor watched as his skin seemed to ripple, muscles flexing in a way that seemed unnatural.
“That’s handy,” Taylor said, resisting the urge to question him more deeply. Although his power tingled the scientist in her, she had a feeling that he wouldn’t appreciate an in-depth questionnaire on what he could and couldn’t do.
She shook her head. “Well, if you’re sure you’re good, I should probably get going. Got a lead to follow up on.”
Browbeat nodded, then hesitated. “Hey, do you know anything about these guys?” He gestured at the downed soldiers. “I’ve been seeing them around a lot lately. More than usual, anyway.”
“They’re connected to a Tinker calling himself Transit. That’s about all I know for sure.” She tapped the armband. “But I’m working on changing that.”
“Cool,” Browbeat said. He shifted, looking a bit awkward. “Well, if you ever need backup, I’m usually patrolling around this area. Not that I’m great at it or anything, but...”
“You’ll get there. It just takes practice,” Taylor reassured even as she fired a web-line at the nearest building. “Stay safe out there, rookie.”
Browbeat opened his mouth to respond, but Taylor was already swinging away, leaving him standing amid the scattered bodies.
“Rookie?” She heard him mutter, and she smiled as she climbed into the sky.