Editing The Simurgh (section)

===[[The Ice Breaks]]===
Simurgh switched her nest from [[Kronos]] to [[Fortuna]].<ref name="II18.2">[[Radiation 18.2]]</ref> According to the Wardens' think-tank Simurgh scrambles Fortuna's communication.<ref>"Tattletale said the thinkers are analyzing Titan Fortuna and the Simurgh.  With those two you can never be sure, but it looks like they aren’t aligned.  The Simurgh is interfering with the information Fortuna is trying to transmit to her network.” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2019/12/14/radiation-18-9/ Excerpt] from [[Radiation 18.9]]</ref> Simurgh had managed to outplan the titan. Their duel was interrupted by the interference in [[The Shardspace]].<ref name="II18.z">[[Radiation 18.z]]</ref>

After ensuring her domination over Fortuna Titan, Simurgh set up Cryptid emotionally, sabotaged [[Dragon]]'s efforts, and fed pieces of herself to the [[Machine Army]]. She skipped attending [[the Wardens]]' meeting.<ref name="II19.z e16">It did not matter that she couldn’t see the remainder of that meeting in the lobby of the headquarters.  Were she to fly closer and gather information by emitting her signal, she might be able to piece together the events, but it did not matter.  She was entirely assured of Cryptid, Chris Elman’s trajectory.  There was no reality she could interpret where the result wasn’t entirely to her favor. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/02/23/infrared-19-z/ Excerpt] from [[Infrared 19.z]]</ref>

When the Wardens attempted an assault on her, she humored them for a while, then deployed the Machine Army to tie their forces, and went straight to [[Cauldron Compound|their HQ]].<ref name="II20.1">[[Last 20.1]]</ref> She later ambushed the leading group, that was securing the complex, killing several heroes in the process.<ref name="II20.3">[[Last 20.3]]</ref> Meanwhile, Simurgh-compromised individuals put pressure on the Wardens thinkers.<ref>“Be careful going there,” Chastity told Sveta. “Half these guys we caught were heading there like they were given orders. We’ve been holding them off but…” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/07/last-20-4/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.4]]</ref>

The Simurgh for a short period took over [[the Mathers Giant]], that was used to sedate all her other victims. It allowed her to wreak a massive chaos and kill a dozen or so capes.<ref name="II20.5">[[Last 20.5]]</ref> [[Antares]] was able to turn the tide by disabling the Giant and temporarily blinding the Simurgh to the people present with [[Dinah Alcott]]'s help. The Simurgh was cut in half with [[Precipice]]'s blades, but escaped.<ref>[[Last 20.7]]</ref>

====The Simurgh's Final Flight====
In a desperate attempt to subsume [[Titan Fortuna]] before [[Dauntless]] can join her network, the Simurgh flies towards Fortuna's small army of [[Titans]]. However, Dauntless attacks her en route as she is pursued by [[Defiant]] and [[Dragon]].<ref>Defiant steered a careful course around the cluster of Titans, mindful of the Simurgh’s plotted course, as she tried to stay away from Dauntless and the attacks the Titan made with the spear of light.  He watched Dauntless, studying the Titan, trying to gauge.  He thought of the recording he’d seen of the Titan turning to look at the boy.  What had his name been?  Addison? - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Using the cover provided by the surrounding ruined cityscape, she tries to dodge the relentless attacks from Dauntless until she eventually gets close enough for Fortuna's group to make its move, causing Dauntless to stop his attacks.<ref>Dauntless fought the Simurgh, striking out, over and over again, every time she pulled out of cover.  The Titan was relentless, and stopped only when Fortuna’s group made its move.  - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> The [[Machine Army]], effectively in service to the Simurgh because of their previous exposure to her,<ref name="II19.z eStudy" /><ref>Now he worked to do something similar to the Machine Army, which was effectively in service to the wounded Simurgh.<br><br>As that thought crossed Defiant’s mind, he saw the Simurgh change direction.<br><br>''In service to the wounded Simurgh… because she spent long enough in their proximity.''  - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> then arrive and open fire on Defiant and Dragon<ref>''“She’s moving.”''<br><br>“I noticed.”<br><br>The Machine Army lurched out of chasms.  They’d traveled across the crystal landscape, and now they rose up, flooding out onto the ruined cityscape around them.  As they got their footing, they oriented, then opened fire.  His Marduk’s sensors tracked the lasers, even though they were invisible to the naked eye.  His naked eye, singular, could see the damage each of those lasers was doing. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> as they are eager to collect their technology.<ref name="II20.a eSelfInterest" />

While [[Dragon]] provides cover, [[Defiant]] aims the [[Marduk]] in the Simurgh's direction and primes the G-driver<ref>The Simurgh used the opportunity to soar, rising up above the buildings she had been perched behind.<br><br>Defiant brought the Marduk around, aimed, and switched the channels on the power core.  For ''this'' weapon, he could only hover while the weapon primed.  There was a countdown.<br><br>Dragon moved in sync with him.  Her crafts protected him, there were forcefields erected to keep him from being knocked off course. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> outside her active scream range.<ref name="II20.a eOutsideRange">But he had to stay out of the Simurgh’s range.  She was weakened, he was relatively clear of her scream, and that weakened her predictive power.  It meant his shots landed, and she was forced to choose between destruction and a grazing hit, instead of destruction and a miss. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Although [[Fortuna]]'s group<ref name="II20.a eSelfInterest">Defiant’s thoughts were interrupted as he was struck again.  The Machine Army this time.  The first blow had come from Fortuna’s group.  There was no logic with these opponents they were fighting.  Each acted according to self-interests.  The Machine Army had decided it wanted what he had, half of the machines that had reached this particular battlefield scuttling over to the tract of devastated land, pausing as if staring at it. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> hits the Marduk and knocks his shot off course,<ref>As if to punctuate the statement, the Marduk was hit from the side.  An attack that bypassed the forcefields.  It knocked his shot off course- brought his nose around toward Dragon’s craft.<br><br>He steered hard, compensating.  He’d anticipated this. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> the weapon did not require very good aim which meant the blast still clips the Simurgh<ref name="II20.a eFirstShot" /> (and also [[Dauntless]] by accident<ref>Dauntless, too, was in the path of the beam.  He had his shield, and he was rooted into the ground in a way that resisted being thrust away with the kind of power that could push a moon out of orbit, but the grazing hit still demolished one of his arms, tore out a chunk of the Titan’s side.<br><br>For long moments, Dauntless didn’t move.  Defiant fought to reorient, switching systems around so he wasn’t so vulnerable, and so Dragon could do what he needed.<br><br>''Was that what she put in your head?  Defiant thought.  When the Simurgh roosted on you, was she thinking of this moment, reminding you of the times I exerted authority to take away your time with your son?''<br><br>''Are you aware enough to realize I didn’t mean to do that to you?  Or is resentment building?  Are you reaching a point where you serve her instead?'' - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref>). However, the [[Machine Army]] soon forces Dragon to focus on preventing them from collecting the Simurgh's lost body parts.<ref name="II20.a eCollect" /><ref>Dragon changed tasks, shifting to a full-on offensive, unloading every weapon she had into the dust cloud.<br><br>This was the danger, the fact the Simurgh could use to manipulate them.  That they were forced again and again to make sacrifices today, to save tomorrow.<br>[...]<br>Dragon focused on keeping the machines from collecting the Simurgh’s parts. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref>

Under fire from the [[Machine Army]]<ref name="II20.a eSelfInterest" /><ref>He took evasive action as more of the Machine Army’s lasers sought to cut him to pieces.  Where he could, he flew back, kept his distance, even though it made his effective responses worse.  When he fired his own energy weapons, the sheer distance between himself and the robots added a time lag.  The lasers didn’t really face the same lag.<br>[...]<br>He was watching the dust cloud, and he was ready when the Simurgh emerged.  Lasers raked him, and systems failed, but he was ready and able to open fire. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> and staying out of her active scream range,<ref name="II20.a eOutsideRange" /> [[Defiant]] notices the Simurgh will reach [[Fortuna]] before the next G-driver shot can finish charging.<ref>He focused on the Simurgh, watching the countdown.<br><br>Simple math told him that the numbers didn’t add up.  The Simurgh was making her move.  Seeking Fortuna.  He could do the math.  It took her thirty seconds to get to Fortuna.  He needed forty to shoot again. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> [[Breakthrough]] via [[Lookout]] contacts him with their plan to contact [[Dauntless]].<ref>One of the monitors on his console flickered, then showed a pair of hearts, a curved line between and below them, a smiley face.<br><br>He smashed his hand into the top of the console, shattering the glass of the monitor, the crack running through one of the heart-eyes.  “No!” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref><ref>“Defiant!” Lookout’s voice came through the console.<br><br>“Not the time!”<br><br>“It has to be!  Dauntless-”<br><br>“I know!” he roared.<br><br>“Tell him we have plans-”<br><br>He hit the console again.  He disconnected the breaker.  He didn’t need to be told.  He’d followed that conversation, read the transcript as they discussed.  A part of his brain had recorded it without him needing to.  That part had come directly from Dragon. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Defiant decides to trust in Dauntless<ref name="II20.a eTrust">He kicked every thruster into action.  Spearing down toward Fortuna.<br><br>His trajectory carried him past Dauntless.  Dauntless, who had endured the Simurgh’s company for as long as just about any person who hadn’t lived in Lausanne, the unwitting audience for her very first appearance.<br><br>Dauntless, who had every reason to hate and resent him.<br><br>He could only trust.  That Dauntless was a better man.  Trust that the Dauntless who they’d discovered had spent ''years'' trapped in time with only his own thoughts could somehow hold out against the Simurgh’s influence.  She had two vectors of attack, with one being prediction, the other being the ways she could grind down a man’s sanity.<br><br>The prediction would be weak right now.  As for the other part… Defiant trusted that his old teammate had held onto that sanity.<br><br>No choice but to trust. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> and flies his ship right past him at speeds fast enough to peel away damaged hull.<ref>The Marduk roared, the velocity causing hull to peel away, where the lasers had caught it.  He swept past Dauntless, bracing himself for a shield to come between himself and his destination, or a spear to strike the side of his Marduk. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Defiant then places his ship right between the Simurgh and Fortuna.<ref name="II20.a eConfront">The impact to the side of his Marduk drove him off course.<br><br>He corrected.<br><br>It was telekinesis.  A chunk of building.<br><br>He descended, placing himself between the two most dangerous things in existence, at least as far as humanity was concerned.  A ship a little larger than a house placed between an Endbringer and the queen of the Titans. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> 

When a projectile hurled by telekinesis proved ineffective,<ref name="II20.a eConfront" /> the Simurgh literally uses herself as a living missile and crashes into the [[Marduk]].<ref name="II20.a eCrash" /> Yet despite all her efforts,<ref name="II20.a eTrust" /> [[Dauntless]] takes action and saves [[Defiant]].<ref name="II20.a eSave">He turned his eyes to his left, where he should have been able to see terminals.  There was only a wall of electrical ruin, blinding a cyborg eye that was supposed to be able to see in any combat scenario.<br><br>''I didn’t deserve this'', he thought.<br>[...]<br>The electrical ruin to the left of the Pendragon was Dauntless’s shield, raised between the Marduk and the Simurgh.  But for that shield, the Simurgh would have crashed right through him on her course to Titan Fortuna.<br><br>Dauntless had saved him, and it felt like the man shouldn’t have. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> With his ship severely damaged,<ref name="II20.a eCrash" /> Defiant is forced to manually fire the Marduk's G-driver.<ref>''Fire'', he thought.  He couldn’t see the countdown, but he knew it should be time.<br><br>The signal was distorted.  He could hear the scream, and in that three dimensional sprawl of data, that part of his brain that he’d replaced with technology was parsing the data as corrupted.  Out of his reach.<br><br>He reversed course, his feet shifting, the treads in his boots relaxing, letting him slide down the sloped deck toward the console.  His combat program helped his movements to coordinate.<br>[...]<br>He reached the space next to his chair, the wall of that crackling shield illuminating everything, until his surroundings looked like ninety-nine percent ''white'', one percent almost-white.  The trajectory and his program-coordinated movement saw his hand meet the button. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> However, as they are now in her active scream range, her signal could interfere with the signal of the manual firing button and prevent it from reaching the weapon.<ref>G-driver, second shot.<br><br>He could see it in his readouts from the console.  Disruption in the power supply.  The signal wasn’t getting through from button to weapon.<br><br>He checked.  Reading transcripts. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref>

Resuming his attacks once more, [[Dauntless]] strikes the Simurgh with his spear:<ref>Dauntless moved, the spear sweeping to one side, striking the Simurgh.<br><br>Defiant, at the very front of his ship, nose pointed almost at the ground, almost everything illuminated by brilliant white light, could see the Simurgh’s upper body, and part of her face. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> the electricity from his attacks overrode the interference caused by her signal.<ref name="II20.a eMissTiming">The Titan Dauntless moved again, the spear sweeping up.<br><br>The data readouts warped.  The electricity was its own distortion, its own interruption.<br><br>Defiant hit the button for the manual instruction to fire, but the timing was wrong.  - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Shouting at Dauntless, [[Defiant]] asks him to join [[Fortuna]]'s network.<ref>“Dauntless!” he called out, at the top of his lungs.<br>[...]<br>“They’re saying they’ll help you!” he bellowed.  “After!  But we need you to do like we discussed before!”<br>[...]<br>“Connect to Fortuna!” Defiant called out.  “She knows what to do!” - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Unfortunately for the [[Endbringer]], the [[Skadi]] and [[Custodian|Liminal]] [[Titans]] then gang up on her and stop her from physically contacting Fortuna.<ref>Titan Skadi was there too, her blade-hand at the Simurgh’s back.  Digital readouts read that the Custodian Titan was active in the area.<br><br>All dogpiling the Simurgh, who struggled to make contact with Titan Fortuna. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Although Defiant mistimes the first button press,<ref name="II20.a eMissTiming" /> when Dauntless attacks her again, Defiant simply held the button down; this successfully fired the G-driver and flung the Simurgh and the Titans back.<ref name="II20.a eOverride">Dauntless’s spear moved again, and this time, Defiant simply held the button down.  When the spear’s disruption overrode the Simurgh’s signal, the signal got through.<br><br>Simurgh, Titan Skadi, Custodian, and Dauntless were all flung back.  The Marduk ripped in half from the strain of firing- - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> Although the resulting blast was not a proper hit capable of killing an Endbringer<ref name="Redd eStringTheoryCooperate" /> because of the [[Marduk]]'s severe damage<ref name="II20.a eCrash">The Simurgh crashed into him.  Damaged parts of her body were like the teeth of a saw, her feathers sheared through parts of the Marduk like blades longer than he was tall, passing into the very chamber he sat within.<br>[...]<br>The Marduk couldn’t fly.  Defiant did what he could to disengage from his chair, and ran up a sloped deck that was partially obstructed by feathers.  He grabbed a spear and an old halberd he’d kept for posterity. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> causing it to break apart while firing this blast<ref name="II20.a eOverride" /> and Dauntless having to guide the direction of this blast with the help of Fortuna's sight, it was more than sufficient to knock the Simurgh into [[Sleeper]]'s storm.<ref name="II20.a eGuide" /> 

[[The Wardens]] previously baited in [[Sleeper]] and lured him to [[the City]] in an attempt to slow down the [[Titans]].<ref>“I am ''fucking'' open to better ideas, ''anything'',” I told her.  “But I’m worried the Wardens’ contingency plans won’t work-”<br><br>“They aren’t.”<br><br>“They…”<br><br>“Sleeper has been baited in.  No luck.  Saint had a trick up his sleeve when it came to dealing with A.I., in case his big red button for dealing with Dragon didn’t work.  He’s trying it on the machine army.” - [[Last 20.9]]</ref><ref name="II20.b e3" /><ref>Sleeper’s storm was creeping forward.<br>[...]<br>Sleeper was at the horizon, south of the Simurgh and Titan Fortuna’s small army of Titans.  Thirty-five titans now, and the number was growing, the accumulation speeding up, not slowing down. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref> When the Simurgh was flung into his storm, she was trapped, lay prone, and was taken out of the picture entirely.<ref name="II20.a eGuide">The Simurgh lay prone within the storm that was the Sleeper.  Unmoving.  That hadn’t been him.  That had been Dauntless, acting with the benefit of Titan Fortuna’s sight, guiding the direction of the blast.<br><br>The storm crackled, boiled, popped, the colors taking on a rainbow sheen that somehow felt it shouldn’t make sense with the way the colors unfolded.<br><br>That would be enough to take her out of the picture. - [https://www.parahumans.net/2020/03/28/last-20-a/ Excerpt] from [[Last 20.a]]</ref><ref>The Simurgh was out of action.  Sleeper had her.  She had wanted to enslave humanity, bringing us all into her siren call. - [[Last 20.10]]</ref> She was still dealt with even after Sleeper retreated from the area.<ref name="II20.b e3">“First of all, the Sleeper is retreating.  He is not an immediate danger, and we will let you know as soon as we can, if that changes.”<br>[...]<br>“The Sleeper was lured to the city specifically to slow down the Titans and was used to trap the Simurgh.  Some of our best minds and strategists are confident the Simurgh is dealt with.”<br>[...]<br>“Didn’t you want to be a lawyer?” Presley asked, leaning onto the snow-dusted railing.  In the distance, Sleeper’s cloud was receding. - [[Last 20.b]]</ref>