Powerhouse: Legend of the Archwave

Chapter 26 (Act III): Needle Me Not

We last read Chapter 25, in which the combined team of James Markovsky a.k.a. Powerhouse, Isabela Acosta a.k.a. Archwave, and the Spraywatch gang all drive to the Seattle Space Needle to rescue the mayor following Special Agent Warren Schaefer's threatening letter—and ultimatum—directed towards Archwave. Enroute, the Spraywatch vandal Valentina Valdez confides in her best friend Tyrone Hoover about how she secretly hates the outfit she's always worn during her time in the Spraywatch gang's service, instead alluding to a more comfortable clothing style she's always liked but never really gotten the opportunity to try. Tyrone highlights that the Spraywatch gang accepts all of its members as they are, but Valentina still insists that she feels a little "restricted" due to her actual desired clothing style being a bit more baring and the fact that the Spraywatch gang works around paint for practically all of its operations; she doesn't want to get her skin splotched with spray paint, in other words.

To cheer her up, Tyrone offers to ask Monarch McIntosh for a day off after peace between the gang and the Seattle government is officially brokered; during that time, Tyrone will help Valentina turn into her true, comfortable, and authentic self without needing to worry about getting her skin splotched with paint due to her and Tyrone having a break. Now ecstatic, Valentina reaffirms Tyrone's status as her best friend before hugging him enthusiastically and even resting her head affectionately on his right shoulder, which he allows.

When the combined team finally arrives at the base of the Seattle Space Needle, everyone goes over the plan one more time, and it's revealed that Archwave is due to go up first and try to de-escalate the situation, with Powerhouse and the Spraywatch gang only moving in if Archwave is unsuccessful in doing so.....which she most likely will be. Additionally, Monarch McIntosh says that the group's cue to burst in is whenever Archwave either says "I'm not alone" or "I am not alone". Before Archwave enters the doors at the base of the Space Needle, she turns back around to look at Powerhouse and the collective gathering of the Spraywatch gang, and thanks all of them for being the closest of her "family" and "friends" during her time in America when she was severely lacking in those things back in the Dominican Republic. She ends her spiel by thanking Powerhouse—whom she courteously addresses as "James", his real first name—for his patience and perseverance with her, and the chapter ended with Archwave entering the Space Needle and riding up its height while internally declaring that she's done running.

This time, Archwave reaches the upper observation deck of the Seattle Space Needle and tries to talk Schaefer down, but when the Special Agent becomes too agitated, the archer woman is forced to call in the cavalry.....

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The Mayor of Seattle was forced on his knees by two random Schaefer loyalists, who wore dark uniforms highly resembling those of SWAT soldiers—though they were nowhere near qualified to be as such—and wielding specialized weapons that could be modified to switch between safe, semi-automatic, and automatic modes; one characteristic that they all had in common was that they had a patch on the right upper arm portions of their uniforms which had an insignia on them resembling America's southern border wall.

Various other Schaefer loyalists were patrolling around the upper deck of the Seattle Space Needle, keeping it clear of any random civilians who tried to enter.....and holding any civilians who already happened to be there as hostages; their pleas and cries could be heard all across the area, and all for all they knew, no one would be coming to their rescue.

The Mayor of Seattle himself was gagged, and his arms were restrained behind his back by their wrists using a tight zip tie. The two random Schaefer loyalists guarding him stood at each of his shoulders, ensuring that he was able to do nothing else besides gaze out at the admittedly splendorous view of the city he dedicated his career to presiding over.