A.N. General disclaimer for all things copyright. I do not own the characters, setting, or lore utilized in the creation of this piece. My work is inspired by the creative thought of the original authors

Lisa bit her lower lip, worry permeating her mind as her headache pounded away, her focus split between driving and keeping her power contained.

It had been no small amount of effort to convince Taylor to meet her team, the other girl being hesitant about other people knowing her identity. Pointing out that it would be an exchange of identities had not helped out much, the brunette's trust issues getting in the way. Lisa pressed on, finally convincing her counterpart by way of how grateful the others would be at seeing their savior, and how it would help Taylor see that she was doing good in the city.

The blonde felt her guilt rise and clamped it down. Taylor was a scatterbrained, idealistic girl who's powers were forcing her in a direction of extreme action. She was powerful, too strong to be left alone. Someone had to step up to guide the girl through her mission, to control her when she became difficult to work with.

Lisa knew that if someone was going to step up then it might as well be a person Taylor could trust, that could be her friend.

Good intentions. She knew how those ended.

They had taken their time finishing lunch before leaving, making their way to her truck as quickly as possible, the sounds of the crowded street pounding like hammers to Lisa's migraine. Taylor, worried if Lisa was in any shape to drive, the girl having little to no experience herself, voiced a concern about safety.

"Are you sure you're alright? We could always call a cab or take the bus. You could just send someone back for the truck."

Lisa rebuked the argument by stating that between the distance, the time, and the ever ticking down parking meter, it would make far more sense to just take the truck. Additionally, it wouldn't do to leave the vehicle around for anyone to recognize.

Which led to some really awkward questioning and a very uncomfortable revelation.

Lisa glanced to her side, taking in the brunette. She was silent, eyes peering forward just over her glasses, her body slumped against the seat, her right hand playing with something in her hoodie pocket.

Possible weapon. Possible defensive measure in case meeting went wrong.

Lisa struggled to contain her power, turning her eyes away to the road, thankful for the sunglasses she'd found in the glove box.

Tattletale was a villain. The Undersiders were a villain group.

It wasn't something that Lisa was comfortable with, even on the best of days. Sure, she enjoyed the freedom, and they had really only hit the gangs so it wasn't like they were hurting anyone important, but being a villain wasn't what she wanted. It wasn't what any of them wanted. They had all been brought together, under the auspice of their terrible patron or 'boss', aimed to complete a few heists and hits, their gains being whatever loot they salvaged.

Lisa had enough money that she could have bought a nicer truck than what she was using. Brand new. Hell, she could have made a special order to the manufacturer for some cool decals or something.

Instead, she saved it, banking whatever she could under another identity, just in case something came along, an opportunity she could use to get out of her terrible arrangement, when money would be tight.

Strange that she would stumble into that opportunity on one of the worst nights of her life, a figure covered in blood and fire with a weapon that seemed to cut through the night.

Lisa had been forced into crime, literally at gunpoint, leaving her with little option other than to go alone, perform the bidding of some powerful villain, and do as she was told. Her research into Coil had only amounted to incidental findings, small things that more or less showed the scope of his influence rather than whom was at the center of the web.

Taylor, to her credit, took as it well as she could have. She didn't freak out, start yelling, or start killing. She hadn't returned to calling Lisa a beast, yet, and to that the blonde was entirely grateful. She saw what happened to those with that label, their bodies mangled and torn by a blade so much more wicked than it seemed.

Instead, she had asked some pointed questions, her voice calm and soft, her body tense and rigid.

"Who is Coil? What have you done that's villainous? Have you killed anyone? How do you intend to help my mission?"

Lisa's answers were swift, a property borne from her wariness over the girl's instability. She divulged the sum total of what she knew about Coil, how far his probable reach extended and what his possible ambitions were. She revealed details of the small missions that they had been sent on, targeted hits against the other gangs that were annoying at best, like a mosquito that just wouldn't go away.

The next question touched a bit closer to home. Lisa had never killed anyone, directly anyway. She couldn't be blamed for the actions of others. She could, however, harbor the guilt.

The final question, however, took some explaining.

"I'm a Thinker. My job, normally, is to figure out how our operations work. How we get in and get out without getting caught. The only heavy hitter we have is Bitch, the one with the dogs I mentioned. We're not really well suited for a prolonged fight with the other groups, which makes my job all the more important. I also get relied on for general intelligence gathering. Basic Thinker stuff. Connect the dots here and make lists there. Really, the only reason why I'm in the field is because they wouldn't have accepted me otherwise, which would have been a major issue since Coil wanted us all together."

She continued, eyes squinted as the sun hit her during a turn, "I'm aware of the villain community in a way you couldn't be. Sure, you've done research into capes, but its literally been my job for a few months now. I have a pretty good idea about current events, who is targeting whom and over what resources. I can also help you with the Protectorate capes, including the Wards. We've had a few run ins with the latter, probably the safest thing we could fight in my opinion. They're amateurish, young, and use non lethal tactics. I can provide you with all of that information, plus the planning needed for your operations against the gangs. I'd rather not go out into the field unless necessary, but I can if need be.

She glanced over at the brunette, their eyes meeting for a moment, "I was a villain, Taylor, and I'm not going to hide it. I was forced into that life. I'm not your enemy. If anything, I'm your friend and ally. You killed yourself against Lung for me and that's not something I'll ever forget."

The drive was quiet the rest of the way, the sounds of the city cocooning the solemn pair.

"You ready?"

The brunette paused, her body tense. She took a breath and seemed to straighten her back. Her exhale, a forceful one, complemented her expression of determined resignation.

"Sure."

Lisa sighed, a little put out from her partner's morose attitude. Still she pressed forward, opening the door with ease and inviting the girl in with a simple wave.

The interior was poorly lit, the light from some faded windows providing the only illumination. Great figures loomed in the darkness, the salvaged remains of machines and constructs that once operated within this place. Sheets had been placed over the worse looking ones, implements that bared sharp ends of racks and unsightly equipment that had been reduced to skeletal remains.

Lisa scrunched her nose at the dust in the air, an accumulation that they had never been able to be rid of.

Setting up in an abandoned factory had not been her first choice. Hell, it hadn't even been on the list of choices.

Lisa turned to Taylor and observed the girl. She had widened her stance slightly, her right arm held loose at her waist, her left still fumbling with whatever was in her hoodie pocket. She was watching her surroundings with trepidation, as if she was walking into a trap.

Cape expects to be attacked. Probable history of betrayal from peer group.

Lisa rolled her eyes and motioned toward a spiral staircase, a metal thing that had seen better days, just off in a corner.

"Come on. The real place is upstairs."

They quickly made their way up the stairs, Lisa skipping a damaged step every so often while Taylor mimicked the blonde.

Lisa took her first full step into the loft and gave a small wave.

"Hey guys!"

The staircase had opened up into a living space. Two couches, set at a right angle, lay flanked by a robust entertainment center. In the center sat a coffee table, a simple thing littered with paper cups, aluminum cans, and some pizza boxes. Off to the side sat a few more tables and chairs, a set of shelves filled with odds and ends, magazines and books to candles and a stereo.

The loft was very open, lacking walls that would normally divide a house. Instead, a series prefab walls had been set up to create a handful of cubicles, rooms for privacy. To the far end looked to be cabinets and the making of a kitchen, hidden just behind the 'rooms'.

Taylor eyed the place with no small amount of wonder.

So this is a villain hideout? They were set up better than some heroes! How was that any fair!?

She eyed the vaulted ceiling high above her, metal girders spanning the structure for support.

These people made out like bandits while so many were suffering from Lung's rampage, and they weren't even a large villain group. Gangs like the ABB or the E88 would have so much more influence and power, capable of pulling in a significant amount of wealth. Some had lost homes and others had lost businesses to the fire. Over a hundred had died from the attack alone, so many more wounded or maimed. Even if these guys could give a fraction of what they were showing here to a charity it would help, it would make a difference to someone.

Her fist clenched around the mark, its smooth texture doing little to soothe her.

Monsters. Beasts. Capes that preyed upon normal folk just trying to live, reaping so much just because they could.

The hero community had conspired with the villains to live-let-live, depriving the people they were meant to protect of their only shield against the beasts. They were desperate, living in a subtle fear of the next Endbringer attack or of escalating gang violence. She was a hunter because nobody else would do what it took to stop the predation.

An extreme reaction to an equally extreme situation.

"Hey!"

The shout startled her, eyes blinking as their green gaze focused in on her blond friend. The girl looked worried, her head tilted in that way that suggested that she was probably using her power. Taylor held the blonde's gaze for a few moments before coming to her senses.

The Undersiders. Their hideout.

She was supposed to meet Lisa's friends.

Taylor shook her head, her right hand coming up to smooth out her curls, a small action of distress. She breathed in and out, focusing on the feeling of a cool breeze and a field of sweetly scented flowers.

"Sorry."

The response was quiet, eyes looking away as if embarrassed.

Lisa gave the younger girl a small smile, a consoling hand coming to rest on her shoulder. She turned and regarded the others. Regent was sitting on a couch, feet up and arms behind his head, looking entirely disinterested in what was going on. Grue, on the other hand, was standing off to the side, having gotten up to greet the guest.

Lisa smiled, her words upbeat, "Everyone, this is the hero I've been talking about. Turns out she was able to make it through that scrap with Lung. You'll have to excuse her but she gets a bit spacey."

Taylor snorted at the comment.

Right, play off the mental degradation as being ditzy. Thanks.

She watched as Lisa disregarded her noise, instead motioning toward one of the guys, a tall teenager with dark chocolate skin and shoulder length cornrows. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt which showed off the muscle definition in his arms.

"This is Grue, the leader of our motley crew."

Taylor narrowed her eyes, glancing at the blonde in a small amount of confusion, and said, "I thought you were the brains."

Grue stepped forward, approaching the pair, a smirk on his face, his voice that of a young adult or late teenager, "She is. I just give the 'ok' on her less than insane plans."

He reached out with his right hand, a cordial action.

"Nice to meet you. Thanks for saving our skins back there."

Hesitating at first, Taylor accepted the handshake, her response simply, "No problem."

Lisa smiled, giving a small clap, and said, "See, already making friends. Now, over there is Regent. Don't mind him, he's a bit of a slouch."

Taylor turned her attention to the other teenaged boy. He was smaller than Grue, probably around her age, and had a head of black curly hair. His face was triangular, with features that she would describe as pretty though not necessarily handsome. He was wearing a dark blue shirt under a open white jacket with a pair of jeans while sitting on the couch, staring at her with a pair of blue eyes.

He didn't greet her, instead he scowled and stared, an intense gaze that put her on edge. A moment passed by, then another, before he spoke, words hard and fast, "Thought you were dead."

Taylor felt her hand clench around the mark, her mind briefly remembered waking up in a field of white flowers.

Her reply was short, green eyes boring into his, "I got better."

He snorted, reaching out for a coke can on the table, and replied, "Clearly."

Grue frowned, stepping between the two.

"Don't mind him. Believe me, we're all grateful that you showed up. We were dead without your help, so thank you."

His words were deep and calm, an expression of sincerity upon his face. He meant it. They were totally screwed that night, faced against a monster they couldn't have handled.

Taylor swept the room, her eyes lingering on each person for a moment. These were the people she had saved. These were the people she had traded her life for. A bunch of teenagers. A bunch of villains.

It was a bittersweet thought.

Finally, she nodded, accepting his words, her hand fumbling with the mark, its presence somewhat calming.

Grue nodded as well, glad to have the situation defused. He motioned to the TV, a large flat screen that took up way too much space, asking, "So, do you have a name? The news mentioned you but the PRT hadn't put anything out."

"Mentioned a lot of other stuff too", Regent muttered.

Grue gave him a sharp look, one that was returned casually.

Taylor ignored the teen, instead replying with some frustration, "Just...look, I don't have a name. I'm just a hunter of the beasts. Call me whatever you want."

That seemed to confuse the dark skinned teen, his expression turning into something a little lost.

Lisa stepped forward, motioning toward the two.

"Well we can't just call you 'that girl' or whatever. I doubt a title for a name suits you, so how about something short and simple? What about 'Beast Hunter'?"

The brunette sighed deeply, looking at the girl with no small amount of consternation, clearly tired of dealing with the issue of a name. She rolled her eyes, looking away and towards the entertainment center, her words muttered, "Just 'Hunter'. People think I'm weird enough already."

"Cause you are."

Lisa turned and narrowed her eyes at Regent, holding her powers back as she fought the drumming in her head from the migraine earlier.

What's his problem? Why's he trying to pick a fight?

She wasn't alone as she watched Taylor step around Grue and herself, stopping just short of the opposite couch and asking, "What's your problem?"

Regent shrugged, eyeing the taller girl, and replied casually, "Just trying to feel out what your about. You say your a hero. News says your a villain with a body count. You saved us from Lung, which means we owe you. Waiting for the other shoe to drop is all."

It was a simple way to look at things, but essentially he was right. Taylor's status as a cape was ambiguous and she had saved them at great cost.

God damn it Regent, now was not the time!

Before Lisa or Grue could step in the brunette responded, her body stiff, the hand in her pocket still, "You don't owe me anything. I didn't save you for a favor."

"Bullshit." His words were swift and hard, eyes watching the girl only a few yards from himself. He continued in the same manner, "Your tough, I'll give you that. I saw you go toe to toe with Lung even after he went full beast mode. You didn't have to get involved, but you did. You either have something against the ABB or you were looking to pick up a favor in us."

At that Grue stepped up, a hand coming across in a cutting motion, and said, "That's enough! Don't antagonize her, Regent. She saved our lives. Leave it alone."

The dark haired boy looked away, a muttered 'whatever' echoing out as he sipped his coke.

Lisa swallowed hard as she watched Taylor, the girl staring just beyond a window and out into the afternoon sky.

Her powers screamed at her, struggling against the suppression.

Cape is likely considering life debt. Cape disapproves of villains. Cape is exceptionally dangerous when provoked with villainous intent.

She watched as Grue moved over to Taylor, his words calm and low, "Look, we really are grateful of your actions, despite what they may be-"

"Stop."

Taylor's sudden words halted him, verbally and physically, his body freezing at the command. Lisa watched as the girl turned around and walked back toward the stairs. She stopped alongside Lisa, glancing at the girl over her glasses, and said in quiet tones, "I saved their lives. Make them stop before I have to take them in return."

The blonde's eyes widened at the implications as the younger girl moved away.

Threat not unsubstantiated. Cape wiling to use lethal force when present with lethal force. Cape willing to maim or cripple to remove criminal element. Cape is unstable in regards to her view of the cape community. Cape will not accept a truce between Undersiders and herself.

Her brain caught up just in time to see Taylor reach the stairs.

"Hunter!"

The girl stopped, a hand on the railing. She turned slightly, one eye showing from around her hood.

Lisa quickly fished out a flip phone from her back pocket and tossed it, the girl catching the item with a small yelp of surprise.

She stared at the cellphone as if it was a foreign creature, her confused look turning to the blonde for answers.

Lisa smiled, an expression that belied her inner worry, and said, "Its a burner. It has my number in it so we can keep in touch."

Taylor looked at the phone, considered leaving it, then stuffed it into her hoodie pocket next to the mark. She nodded at Lisa and walked away, headed down the stairs and into the dark world below.

Such was fitting for a hunter, she supposed.