Relief was clear on people’s faces as they began wading en masse toward the front doors.

“Oh good, the capes got in, we can stop this futile work.”

My dad was taller than average, and I hoped to be able to make him out, see if he was in the crowd.  As the group gravitated toward the doorway, however, I lost the ability to peer over the mass of people.  I didn’t see him. 

I hung back as people filed out in twos and threes.  Mothers and fathers holding their kids, who otherwise wouldn’t be tall enough to stay above water, people still in pajamas or bathrobes, people holding their dogs above water or with cats on their shoulders. 

And then there’s Danny, somewhere. All alone. Wondering if Taylor is okay. Wondering where she is, whether she’s made it to a shelter. Whether that shelter has been breached.

Unbeknownst to Danny, Taylor wonders the same about him.

They marched against the flow of water from the stairwell, up the back of the vault door and onto the street.

Mr. Gladly was near the back of the crowd, with a blond woman that was taller than him, holding his hand.  It bugged me, in a way I couldn’t explain.

Oh, hi there.

It was like I felt he didn’t deserve a girlfriend or wife.  But that wasn’t exactly it.  It was like this woman was somone who maybe liked him, heard his side of things, validated his self-perception of being this excellent, ‘cool’ teacher.

Is that what bugs you? The idea of a person who genuinely likes Mr. Gladly?

A part of me wanted to explain to that woman that he wasn’t, that he was the worst sort of teacher, who helped the kids who already had it easy, and dropped the fucking ball when it came to those of us who needed it.

Also he’s terrible at giving homework.

I stepped down to investigate, sent a few bugs in to get the lay of the land.  The interior of the shelter was surprisingly like what Coil’s headquarters had been like, concrete walls with metal walkways and multiple levels.  

Huh.

There were water coolers and a set of freezers, bathrooms and a sectioned off first aid area.

Seems like a nice enough place.

It was clear that one of the waves or Leviathan’s creation of that massive sinkhole in downtown had done some damage to the shelter. 

Water was pouring in from a far wall and from the front door, and twenty or so people were in the first aid bay on cots, injured and bloody.

At least they’re still alive.

…

You know what I just realized? Even if Danny is alive and well, Taylor coming across him as Skitter could make for an interesting, emotional moment.

A team of about fifty or sixty people were moving sandbags to reduce the flow of water into the chamber from the cracked back wall.  A second, smaller team was blocking off the room with the cots, piling sandbags in the doorway.  In the main area, people stood nearly waist deep in water.

That’s a lot of people, but that’s good.

“Everyone out!” Laserdream called out.

That said, it’s worth knowing when to fold and evacuate the shelter to a different shelter.

There was a pause.

No reports.  Location unknown.  Exert caution.

“I’m going to try cutting the door off,” the cape spoke.  He descended beneath the water.

Are the bugs all gone, then? I would’ve expected Taylor to try sensing them here… Although I guess we’ve moved more than four blocks away from Leviathan, making it futile.

I could barely make out his silhouette.  Laserdream ceased firing as he made his way to where the heavy metal door was, stepped around and set to burning long channels in the side of the stairwell.  I realized it was intended to give the water in the stairwell somewhere to flow that wasn’t towards the people inside.

Ooh, good call.

The door tipped into the stairwell and came to rest against the opposite wall, resting at a forty-five degree angle, sloping up toward the railing.  

Nice work!

The water in the stairwell flowed inside, an unfortunate consequence.

Well, yeah. You were prepared for that, though, right?

The cape with the Halberd set to using the blur of the Halberd to to cut lines into the back of the door and to remove the railing, so there was sufficient traction for people walking up and out of the door.

Excellent.

Then I remembered the Halberd.

!!

Yes!

Told ya it’d come in handy.

“Hey,” I stopped one of the capes that was heaving rocks out of the stairwell, “Use this.”

“As a shovel?” he looked skeptical.

“Just try it, only… don’t touch the blade.”

Hehe, I like this approach. Let ‘em see for themselves.

He nodded, took the Halberd, and ducked beneath the water.  Ten seconds later, he raised his head, “Holy shit.  This works.”

“Use it on the door?” I suggested.  He gave me a curt nod.

Wait, we actually are going for the “destroy the door” approach?

Enemy location unknown, I could hear the cape’s armband announce.  Defensive perimeter, report.

Time to check up on the bugs.

“What’s the plan?” I asked, as Laserdream set us down, I immediatelly sent out a call to summon bugs to my location, just to be safe.  “Do we want to shut the door or open it?”

“Open it,” one of the capes in the water said.  He ducked down, grabbed a rock, hauled it out with a grunt.  “We don’t know what condition they’re in, inside.”

Ah yeah, I guess it’s worth letting more water in, in return for getting in to find out if people are alright.

Laserdream stepped forward and began blasting with her laser, penetrating the water and breaking up the larger rocks at the base of the door.

Nice.

My mind briefly went down the line of “why not try to break the door”, but besides the other reasons why that’s a bad idea, that train of thought quickly came to a stop once I realized that yes, this door is presumably designed to keep parahumans out. That’s what people seem to think the Endbringers are.

I was very nearly useless here.  With one hand, I couldn’t clear the rubble, and my power wasn’t any use.

At least you’ll be able to give advance warning if Leviathan approaches. That is, unless he runs out of bugs.

There weren’t even many crabs or other crustaceans I could employ in the water around us, and the ones that did exist were small.

Man, Taylor taking control of a giant crab and having it move the rocks sounds awesome.

Alright, let’s get back to this!