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Today, she realized something else. She didn’t need power like that, but duty wasn’t about what you needed. It was about what was needed from you.

Centuries ago, the Last Emperor Elend Venture had been faced with a similar problem: how to dispose of a great deal of power. She knew what she needed to do.

A second later, she burst out of the building to find the clustered men and women of the Community speaking with the guards—calmingthem. Armal had finished tying up Entrone. He struggled, but strangely was unable to break free.

“Macil is a Leecher,” Armal said, gesturing to one of the nearby women. “He might be able to heal, but we’ve sucked the strength out of him.”

Marasi nodded, teeth gritted against the pain and the echoes of the Rioting she’dsurvived. “I need every Allomancer in this cavern gathered here,right now.”

“Why?” Armal said, walking up to her.

“There’s a well of power in the room nearby, and it’s opening a portal to something terrible,” Marasi said. “We’re going to stop it the old-fashioned way. By burning up all of the power with our abilities.”

61

With Wayne clinging to his back, Wax bounded across the city to the Shaw. He made one last jump from the top of a nearby skyscraper—one that was half as high as the Shaw—and launched them toward destiny, mists curling in their passing.

There were some balconies over halfway up the tower, just inside a strong Coinshot’s reach. If the enemy had any measure of foresight, they’dbe ready for incursions at those locations. They were still his best choice. The higher he got, the less ground he’dneed to cover inside, where he’dlikely have to fight for every inch.

Wax angled them toward a wide balcony with two broad, dark windows looking into the structure. Wax’s Push—the anchor too far away—was barely enough to get them to it, and they landed lightly amid some small planters.

“Aw…” Wayne said, dropping off his back. “We was supposed to go smashing through that glass! All dramatic-like!”

“That’s an excellent way to get cut to shreds,” Wax said, ducking to the side—out of sight of those windows. “I can’t heal. You can barely heal. And there’s a doorright there.”

“The Ascendant Warrior did it,” Wayne grumbled.

“When?”

“Right before killin’ the Lord Ruler.”

“Since when have you known that sort of thing?”

“It’s in a little kids’ book that Max and I read sometimes,” he said. “Right about my level.”

Wax tried the door in the wall to the left of the large windows, but it was locked. “Assassinating the Lord Ruler?” Wax asked. “Isn’t that a little violent for a children’s book?”

“Mate,” Wayne said, “it ain’tviolenceif it’sreligion.Don’t you know anythin’?”

“Apparently not,” Wax said. “I—”

He cut off as floodlights turned on in the room beyond, shining through the windows with blazing intensity. Wax pulled up against the wall, Wayne next to him. He dared a glance inside, and saw figures behind and between the lights, their silhouettes raising weapons.

Gunfire cracked like thunder, shattering the window.

“Damn,” Wayne said as the gunfire tapered off. “Those aresoldiers,mate. I came down here to the Basin all those years ago ’cuz of a cute little case involvin’ train cars what got robbed in a funny way. How in Ruin’s own name did I end up getting mixed up with dark gods, armies, bombs destroyin’ cities, and… andghosts,Wax. We still ain’t talked about theghosts.”

Wax unhooked the Big Gun from inside his coat, where he carried larger weapons while flying. “Can you keep their attention while I try to flank them?”

Wayne smiled. “Scary Tree? We could do Scary Tree!”

“Do you have enough health stored for Scary Tree?”

“Mate, I don’t need health for Scary Tree,” Wayne said. “Just you watch.”

Wax nodded, whipping off his mistcoat and handing it to Wayne along with a spare gun—which Wayne took with a shocking level of calm. Usually they needed to throw some bullets in the fire or something to do Scary Tree.

Wayne proceeded to shoot the weapon from beside the window into the room beyond—mistcoat tassels waving—persuading everyone he was Wax. Wayne even did some eerily impressive vocal imitation.