Battle against Echidna

Battle against Echidna Conflict: Date: June 20, 2011<ref name="I19">Interlude 19.y</ref> Location: Brockton Bay Outcome: Echidna is killed. The Travelers are returned to Earth Aleph, sans Trickster. The existence of Cauldron is revealed to the public. The Triumvirate is discredited. The Irregulars are formed. A portal to Earth Gimel is opened in Brockton Bay. Combatants The Protectorate Triumvirate Brockton Bay team Chicago team Other heroes Undersiders Faultline's Crew Travelers Echidna Ignis Fatuus Apocrypha Chitter Other clones Trickster Damage Sustained/Casualties Myrddin and several other Protectorate capes (fatalities) Irregulars (schismatic formation) Trickster (captured) Full fatalities otherwise

Previous: Coil's Betrayal

Concurrent: Skirmish in Boston

Next: Incident at Arcadia High

The Battle against Echidna marks the battle between the assembled forces of the Protectorate, as well as The Undersiders, and Echidna and her clones.

Prelude

In 2009, the Simurgh attacked Madison, Wisconsin; in addition to necessitating the quarantine of the city, by drawing on the technology of Professor Haywire, she brought a building containing a gaming team that would eventually become the Travelers from Earth Aleph into Earth Bet.<ref>Migration 17.2</ref> In their attempts to sustain themselves, the Travelers acquired powers by drinking from Cauldron vials, but their main priority soon became helping Noelle, whose lower body grew increasingly monstrous after drinking only half of a vial.<ref>Migration 17.7</ref> Eventually, the Travelers were hired by Coil, who promised to find a cure for her, and they began to claim territory in Brockton Bay.<ref>Migration 17.8</ref>

The Travelers remained in Coil's employment as his plans developed, with Noelle placed in confinement in his base. The kidnapping of Dinah Alcott had long been a point of contention between Coil and his other employees, the Undersiders; as his plans came to fruition, Coil betrayed the Undersiders, almost killing Skitter.<ref>Monarch 16.10</ref> Skitter survived the trap set for her, however, and eventually killed him. In his final act of spite, however, Coil released Noelle, now focused on getting revenge upon the Undersiders, from her vault.<ref>Monarch 16.13</ref>

Noelle's absence was soon noticed as the Undersiders return to Coil's base. Ballistic explained the nature of her high-rated Master powers to them, before they left and encountered Miss Militia at a damaged building, who informed them that Vista had been kidnapped.<ref>Queen 18.3</ref> They negotiated with the PRT, who kept Noelle as an A-Class threat despite Tattletale's efforts to persuade them. However, they did agree to work with the Undersiders and brought in Eidolon, Chevalier, Myrddin, and other Protectorate capes and Wards.<ref>Queen 18.4</ref> After a brief strategy meeting and communication with Noelle herself, the capes moved out and began to act.<ref name="18.5">Queen 18.5</ref>

Battle

[[Category:{{#switch:|File=Files|Template=Templates|articles}} in need of completion]]The battle had two stages, the first when Noelle was considered an A-Class threat. The Undersiders and Chicago Wards were sent together to warn Ballistic and Parian and also retrieve Scrub, on Tattletale's request. On their way, however, the two groups encountered three of Noelle's clones of Vista, though without Noelle herself present.<ref name="18.5" /> The three Vistas were eventually defeated, but not before two of the Wards, Raymancer and Wanton, were taken out of the battle by one of the clones. Meanwhile, Dragon's armband reported that Eidolon had found Noelle and was planning to engage her one-on-one; the Undersiders and remaining Chicago Wards, Tecton and Grace, decided to ignore Eidolon's command to stay away and located them. Through her bugs, Skitter overheard him talking to her, mentioning Cauldron.<ref>Queen 18.6</ref>

Trickster joining Echidna helped push the undersiders and the Travalers off the board.

After being trapped in the remains of Coil's base, the heroes were given a brief respite before Echidna returned, augmented by the mass from Bitch's dogs. Here the Threat was upgraded into a S-Class and other assets were called in.

Myrddin was killed, along with several other capes in the belly of Echidna and ensuing fight.

Aftermath

Eidolon's clone had effectively discredited the Triumvirate, revealing their association with, as well as the very existence of, Cauldron. Contessa continued to silence people who were present at this event and spoke out about this for some time afterward. Case 53s broke away from the Protectorate as a result of this revelation, forming their own group, the Irregulars, while suspicion grew within the Protectorate itself about the loyalties of Cauldron capes. Heroes such as Pretender and Legend resigned from their positions, the latter being replaced by Chevalier as leader of the Protectorate. This damage persisted for years.

References

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