The trick was to get enough speed that they could circle around and hit the target from the side or behind. Going straight there wouldn’t work, because it would mean running headlong into anyone coming to see what was happening.

One empty building toppled, another two with one exterior wall partially or wholly collapsed. One tree brought down to block a road.

They passed through an intersection, and she had the briefest of glimpses of the capes on the next road over. A larger group than she’d expected were on their way to investigate.

J stopped the vehicle. She hopped off, kicking the door closed, then broke into a run.

Lights streaked across the sky.

That would be phase two of the distraction.

Damsel had made Angel notify the heroes that Blastgerm were up to no good.

At worst, what? She was outnumbered thirty to one instead of twelve to one? Past a point, it didn’t matter.

At best? They were out of position and tied up with outside concerns.

Her power blasted the door open. A heavy thud behind her marked the arrival of a cape, a moment after she disappeared inside. A big guy—not one of the ones she’d seen during the day’s patrols. He had a metal helmet and painted skin, and walked with a hunched back.

Angel and J had independently come to the conclusion that this was Blasto’s headquarters. It was where the capes kept entering and leaving. Those who sold drugs apparently came and went from here as well.

Not bright, to shit where one ate, but he might have told himself that he had more than enough powered bodyguards.

The big guy was stampeding his way inside. She hit the stairs and she went up. The big guy followed, charging his way after her.

Time to burn this building down, she thought.

She blasted behind her, and she took out a chunk from the floor of the hallway. The angle meant she was thrown up and back, and it wasn’t her usual style. With the usual sort of blast, she could at least try to keep her balance. Here, she toppled and slid on the smooth laminate floor.

The big guy, catching up, had to stop to avoid falling in. He gathered himself together on the most solid ground, muscles standing out, and he leaped.

She wasn’t even fully to her feet as she stuck her hands out. A wide area blast, concentrated to get as much of the floor as possible, where he was due to land. It gave him less chance of finding some footing, and it kept pieces from raining down on the unsuspecting below.

He crashed into the edge of it, and he fell through.

She used her power with wanton abandon. Doors? Gone. Walls? Gone. One blast knocked out the power on her floor.

Empty rooms, offices, a room with bunk-beds and storage crates.

Nothing on this floor.