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Ez struggled to her feet; she didn't get to this point to roll over due to something like intense physical pain.

Familiar faces approached her, helping her up. It took all kinds. "Yeah, I'm getting back..." Ez tried to find her reserves in her belly. Even if she was out of gems, she should feel that. "I don't feel my mutation..."

The sounds of a kick and a groan woke her from her concern. She would figure out what happened to her powers later. She staggered over, raising her gun at the old woman kicking Agnes. "Get off of her!"

The threat made Malachi fall back in front of the Supreme. Realizing her energy was limited thanks to her wicked niece, she let the charms on the rest of her army fall away. She raised her holy symbol and prayed over Malachi. Ez fired two rounds into him, but he didn't react.

"Feel no pain, my champion. Defend me with your life!"

Ez backed off a step, hoping she gave someone time to get the... former bug girl away, if Agnes couldn't get on her feet after what she went through.

But the strategy did finally click for Ez. She called out into her comms. "If we break that weird cross around her neck, that might break the charms."

The enemies they faced were organized and strong. Ez had opted not to consume any gems that might keep her full of earth, so she was effectively a glass cannon. Running herself into a mob sounded like a reckless plan.

A reckless plan the insect girl was doubling down on. Fuck. It was not Ez's job to protect everyone who chose to battle today, but the girl's energy was... well, just all wrong.

If she was going on a warpath, Ez would use that as a window to make a best attempt at flanking the leaders. She was not an X-Man; team play was not her strong suit, but an assassin could end a war as quickly as a hundred soldiers, right?

Slinking between and around trees, Ez maneuvered close to the less-guarded backside of the army. And yet again, there was bug girl, shouting and screaming a woman's name. Much to Ez's surprise, the Mystics cleared a path. That absolutely reeked of a trap.

From a close but safe distance, Ez decided to give the girl a better chance. She slowed her breathing, focusing on the lapis lazuli in her stomach. As she burned the stone, a mist started rolling out, gaining body as it crept toward the back guard and the Supremes. "Give 'em hell, girl," she muttered, grabbing her handgun and inching closer.

Ez had a pouch full of air gems to rely on, knowing mobility was more important than her other abilities. This Mansion had an absurd level of land surrounding it, and while she couldn’t fly or run with super speed, the whirlwinds she could make carried her well and softened her landings.

Running as quickly as she could, Ez realized she was walking into a shadow rapidly growing in size. She gusted her way out just in time for a grand goddamn piano to narrowly miss her. Looking around, she noticed the Mystic responsible; some oily loser. Annoyed, Ez burned Ruby and a burst of fire came from her hand, making him fall back. She kicked him in the face for good measure and moved on once she was sure he was down.

Noticing a young woman with insect wings(?) was moving with purpose toward the edge of the woods and what seemed to be a large group of Mystics. Crystal Witch trailed close behind, not sure what the young woman was thinking. “Ey, wait for backup!”

As someone who was doing her own tarot readings since puberty, Ez felt confident in her ability to read the possible meanings of a card, but she never had to do it with this kind of pressure. Piecing together puzzle pieces she could not see while a looming death clock followed her made it hard to think. The vigilante was no stranger to stress or life-or-death situations; she just needed to adjust to what the universe was throwing her.

The Moon was not helpful unless it was a hint to trust their gut instincts going forward. Maybe there was something bigger going on they were waiting to be revealed. Until then, they had to stay on their toes as they made their escape.

Ez’s door was doing its best to hold up, but they had to move quick. Ez offered a hand in case Gemma needed support fleeing toward a rooftop up the shaky metal stairs. The High Priestess was a weird one. ”Dreams, visions and insight. Intuition? Serendipity? Heck, it could be occult or hidden knowledge.” Now there was a thought. Though… was she willing to entertain it? Ez believed in the Goddess and the ways the universe tugged and influenced things, but this was very… direct. She pulled herself over the bricks, scrambling to her feet on the roof. ”As for how that’s gonna manifest? Hell if I know.”

”The lost daughter of crystals can’t see what’s in front of her, it seems.”

Ez’s head swiveled to the low, feminine voice and found a figure shrouded in red. Red dress, red cloak, red hood. Her face, however, was obscured by the hood. Ez glared, stepping away from Gemma enough to feel her gems in her stomach. Not concerned in the moment with revealing more of her mutation, her hands flared with flame. ”I see someone who owes us answers. Are you doing something here?”

Painted red lips smirked from under the hood. ”I do not need to; the universe is sharing its prophecy with you all on its own. It is up to you to prove you’re listening.” she advised both women.

CW was not expecting some dumpster man to interject in an already overcrowded situation, but she knew enough about New York to expect weird. She wanted to say shit like this did not happen in Texas, but her parents were cosponsoring a secret mutant trafficking ring, so apparently every place had its unexpected surprises.

Looking over the odds and ends gathered in the alley, at least the samurai confirmed what CW assumed; at least some of them were here for the Triad. ”Why would I leave? I got all dressed up for this.”

It was not like the Witch had ever been the only self-titled vigilante in New York. Even ignoring the X-Men, plenty of people fancied themselves crime fighters—usually mutants. Wannabe heroes to varying degrees of success. She would roll with this, though she did question how helpful it would be bringing a pre-teen along.

So far, it was hard to see any of this cast of characters helping to bust up the Triad. Too zany, too distracted. They screamed of chaotic energy, mostly having crossed paths before. She focused on the warmth in her stomach, keeping her positive when the dumpster clan plagued her with doubt. ”Goddess, give me strength,” she muttered.

At least one woman seemed to have her eyes on the path. Taking a step away from the chaotic energy of the dumpster, the Witch stepped toward the Samurai. ”So based on your intel, what’s the path here? How were you planning on getting in? We’ve got six bodies and some options.” Yes, that was how to view this positively. Options. Manifest good things. Do not question what you’re doing with your life in an alley with a child, a helmet head, a slacker and… whatever that last guy’s deal was.

The concept of working alone was more a principal than practically possible. The Crystal Witch did not work alongside a team like the X-Men, not that they would enjoy working with her or her methods. That did not mean she could get everything done independently. Keeping informants was important. Beating information out of thugs was also, in its own way, a collaborative exercise, but it paid to have a few criminals willing to talk to you out of their own best interest.

The point was, even when working alone, the Witch still had to recognize the use of others as a resource.

Criminals clearly understood the need for cooperation. For such selfish creatures, they loved “organizing.” She heard the rumors of a Network of criminals, but the suppose Syndicate was not the only game in town, as hard as it tried. There was always a criminal startup. Enter: The Treacherous Triad.

What a lame fucking name.

Despite having pleasant discussions around the underworld of New York, no one could tell her what this Triad was shipping into the city. Given she was hearing multiple points of entry, these shipments were worth investigating. Popular answers were usually weapons, drugs, or people, and Ez was not looking to see an influx of those three as commodities on her streets.

To investigate, a good vigilante should study the area and determine the best point to assess the situation. Apparently, CW was not the only good vigilante out and about, because the rooftop she wind-jumped toward stood over an alley with a collection of… unique characters? A samurai, a mobster, a young woman in sweats, and a helmeted man. Things seemed tense from above, though no one was attacking.

No one neatly fit what she was expecting from the Triad heads or their potential lackeys, so she could consider her curiosity piqued. She had Garnet, Black Tourmaline, and Peridot sitting in her stomach, ideal for a fight if it came to it. Feeling proactive and confident, the vigilante jumped from the roof.

Burning her Peridot, the wind swirled around her and under her feet, slowing her descent and creating a cushion of air, kicking up dust in the alley with her nearby landing. The moment she touched down, she switched to burning her tourmaline, hardening a stone-like outer layer in case the gunwomen decided to do anything crazy. ”I’m going on the limb that three of y’all aren’t The Triad. Not group cosplay either; everyone’s clashing. I can only assume I missed an invitation for something exciting. Are you here for good trouble? Or bad trouble?” CW was ready to burn her Garnet or reach for her sidearms if she did not like the answers she got.