----------------------------------------
"Ames, please, I didn't mean to hurt him this bad, I promise it's the last one." Vicky begged, holding her hands together in a praying pose, her lower lip slightly trembling.
Amy sighed wearily, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Yeah, that's what you said about the other four, the last one would have died if I hadn't gotten there in time, Vicky." Yet even as she said it, she moved towards the thug bleeding out on the pavement, a partially crushed rib cage the sight of Glory Girls over eagerness. "Shit, Vicky, this one would have died too! You have to stop this!" She groaned, kneeling down, not bothering to ask the unconscious man for permission to heal.
Vicky floated dejectedly a few inches off the ground, rubbing one arm self consciously, "Yeah… I just don't know my own strength sometimes." She chuckled self deprecatingly.
"Panacea, Glory Girl. Mind explaining this situation?" A sharp voice rang out.
Both girls' heads snapped up to the entrance of the alley, where several fully kitted out PRT troopers stood, rifles pointed down, but available, as they assessed the scene, their full head coverings giving the girls no idea what they thought of what they saw.
Victoria flashed a brilliant smile, her aura coming to the forefront full bore, love me, "Heya guys, just found someone heavily injured and got Ames to come save 'em, business as usual!"
"Don't let us stop you, Panacea, the victim looks in dire straits." The lead PRT trooper said, all of them relaxing markedly after the blast from Glory Girl, she was a trusted hero after all.
Amy quickly laid a hand on the thug, using some of the biomass from his heavy gut to repair his injuries, purposefully not healing the man fully, not wanting him to regain consciousness right now and finger Vicky as the one that injured him. "All good, he won't even need the hospital." She lied, giving Vicky a dark look, promising reprisals for putting her through this.
Vicky notably winced, but turned back to the PRT troopers, floating closer, a winning grin on her face, "All good, you guys sure had a good response time, but we took care of it." She laid some praise down, even as she continued to lay her aura a bit thick. Amy was right, she definitely needed to control herself, this had been a close one!
"Glory Girl, stand down." A quiet but stern voice called from above them.
Vicky and Amy both flinched and looked up to the edge of the rooftop over the alley, finding Miss Militia crouched up there, her eyes hard, and was that disappointment?
"Hey MM!" Victoria said, giving a hesitant wave, "Sorry, but stand down? What do you mean?"
PRT troopers now appeared at the other end of the alley, their rifles were no longer pointed downwards, both girls swiveled their heads to the first couple soldiers, to find them also hefting their weapons in their general direction.
"What the hell? Brandish is going to sue you into the stone age if you keep pointing those at us!" Amy snapped, nervous sweat rolling down the nape of her neck, her hand reaching for the thug again, to erase the evidence.
A rubber bullet rang out, hitting the pavement in-between them, making Amy withdraw her hand, even as Victoria flew to her side, hands up, "Whoa, Whoa!" She called out, face enraged and scared in equal measures. "What the hell!?"
"Panacea, do not attempt to touch the victim without authorization again." Miss Militia said, heavily, her hand now holding a gun, and it was pointed at them. Her gaze turned to Glory Girl, "Stand down, and put your hands on your head." She ordered, with finality.
They'd seen such a business-like and stern mien on the Protectorate hero before, but only when she was dealing with criminals, not them.
"Jesus, what the hell is this?" Vicky snapped, her aura flaring out, the jostle of rifles audible - as the PRT troopers stepped back a step.
"Vicky… Just do as she says, don't make this worse..." Gallant's voice came from above them, the ward coming to stand next to where Miss Militia was crouched, Dauntless also visible in the air above them. He sounded reluctant and weary, but he still stood against them.
"What… What the hell is this!?" Vicky shouted up at Gallant, Amy nervously watching the PRT troopers that had them surrounded.
They might have been able to fly off and get back home and do some damage control, somehow… But not with Dauntless up there as well.
Miss Militia straightened up, and her gun never wavered once, "We received a tip, about a hero potentially committing manslaughter…"
Amy felt her heart sink into her stomach, at the same time as Vicky actually had her feet hit the ground as she forgot to float in her shock. "W-what?" She croaked out.
Miss Militia shook her head, "Girls… We've had this alley under surveillance since Glory Girl flew off to get help in covering this incident up. We know you almost murdered this man, we know from your own words you've done this before and covered it up, and we know you lied to the PRT when they arrived on the scene. According to Gallant, you, Glory Girl, then attempted to use a Parahuman power on PRT troopers to influence them - which is assault with a Parahuman power. That's not even mentioning what Panacea has possibly done to the victim that made her try to heal him a second time."
Miss Militia gave Amy a judging look, "Your healing has been well documented, there shouldn't be a need for a second pass, unless you deliberately did something or left something undone, as a way to cover up your crimes, perhaps?"
Amy gulped as Vicky slowly saw the situation that was in front of them, and slowly put her hands on her head, tears in her eyes as she stared up at Gallant. They'd been entrapped. And Vicky's boyfriend had been in on it.
Amy couldn't feel happy for that relationship breaking apart though, as she put her own hands on her head, PRT troopers moving in to arrest them.
Carol… Is going to blame me for all of this… She thought woefully.
----------------------------------------
The Rig, Brockton Bay.
Sitting in an actual interrogation room was a new experience, one Amy really could have done without.
She thought the handcuffs cuffing her to the metal table was a bit much, it wasn't like she was really dangerous. She could be, but she wasn't like that, would never do that! This was just… To protect Vicky…. She hadn't done anything bad!
She couldn't even convince herself, her self loathing pointing out that everything Carol had ever said about her had come true. How she'd not only become a criminal, but had brought Vicky down with her. If she'd just stopped her the first time, refused to heal the man whose arm she'd broken - she would have never kept escalating.
When the door finally opened, after two hours of waiting - which had been after another five spent in a cell, she was initially relieved, then she sank in on herself even more as she realized it wasn't Miss Militia or even Armsmaster…
Director Piggot herself had come to interrogate her.
She kept her head down as the Director slowly sat down in front of her, laying a file folder on the table.
"Surely you have some spine in you, girl? Raise your head." Piggot said clippedly, arranging some papers that she'd taken out of the folder.
Amy raised her head, sullenly glaring at the woman, "I'm not saying anything without my mom here." She said stiffly, knowing that Carol would be even angrier if she spoke to the PRT without a lawyer present.
Piggot raised an unimpressed eyebrow, "That is your right, you don't need to speak then, just listen."
One by one she laid out photos, each one was of a man she recognized, one of the thugs she'd had to heal. She bit her lip to stop herself from speaking up and further incriminating herself. Carol would fix all this, lawyering was what she did.
"That's three counts of simple assault with a Parahuman power, two more of assault that could have been a murder or manslaughter charge if not for your efforts to cover it up." Piggot said conversationally, tapping the pictures, one by one, slowly.
"You already know the charges Miss Militia brought up for your arrests, what you may have failed to realize is that you face a charge of assault for each of these victims, not only an accessory charge." Piggot continued mercilessly, her gaze judging and full of distaste.
Amy had always known, hearing about it from the wards and from Vicky - that Piggot disliked Parahumans, but it almost looked like she was afraid of her, even handcuffed to the table as she was. She couldn't fathom why. Reluctantly she spoke up, the silence after Piggots last statement getting to her, "I didn't hurt anyone." She mumbled, hands clenching in their caged positions.
Piggot chuckled harshly, "And did you ask all of these gentlemen whether they desired your healing? Or did you force it on them and then threatened harm to them if they told anyone?" Her smile was vicious as her voice dripped heavy with sarcasm, "Forcing your power on someone in anything but lawful dispensation of your duty, is in every way still assault, no two ways about it."
Amy froze, not realizing they knew so much, but of course if she had the men's files, they'd actually found them all, and talked to them. This was beginning to look really bad. "Where's my mom?" She asked slightly hysterically.
Piggot smiled, Amy had seen sharks on the discovery channel that had friendlier smiles, "Brandish left thirty minutes ago after reaching a plea deal for Glory Girl."
Amy's entire world came crashing down, her thoughts moving as through molasses, a ringing sound all she could hear. "Oh." She said simply, realizing she'd been all but abandoned, cut loose, blamed for everything. What else had she expected?
She didn't know how long she sat there, stewing in her own fears, some tears falling as she realized just how little she could count on her family. Vicky, how she loved her! But… She'd done this to Amy, and she'd be getting bailed out… it wasn't fair!
"Besides…" Director Piggot broke the silence, sliding a paper over towards Amy, "It turns out your adoption was illegal and more akin to kidnapping, so Brandish is facing her own situation with the law." The vicious pleasure in the director's tone would have taken Amy aback, if she didn't have a head full of not so complimentary thoughts of Carol herself right now.
She couldn't help but look down at the papers, "Amelia Claire Lavere…" She mumbled, dazed.
Director Piggot rose, "I'll let you think on things, you'll be escorted to your cell momentarily, there will be a few things left out for you to read, I would study them religiously, they're your only way out."
Amy barely heard her, her eyes focused on the innocuous paper, Amelia Claire Lavere…
----------------------------------------
An hour later, The Rig, Director's Office, Brockton Bay.
Sarah Pelham didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to do…
When Carol had come to get her, leaving the Rig to come talk to her - she hadn't had any idea of what exactly was happening, having only received a text letting her know that the girls were in custody.
And that it didn't look good…
Now she knew far more than what she liked. Oh Victoria…. How could you… And to drag Amy into it as well… She lamented, sitting in front of Director Piggot, Carol at her left. Her sister had already made a deal with the PRT in regards to Victoria before arriving home to explain things to her, and to drag Sarah back to the Rig with her, the entire team hanging in the balance.
Carol finally broke the silence, the Director not even looking at them as she typed away at her computer, "You wanted to discuss a way forward, Director Piggot?" She asked coldly, her distaste for the militaristic Director no news to either of the other women.
Director Piggot nodded sharply, hitting a key with some extra force, papers beginning to print out, "Yes, some reorganization is in order due to recent events." She said, turning their way, a look of reproach on her face, "Your absolute failure in keeping Glory Girl and Panacea within the bounds of the law puts you in a difficult position." Her lips quirking slightly, with a flash of smugness, as she continued, "Not to mention the optics for your team for illegally adopting a child you kidnapped from the villain whose home you invaded."
Piggot shook her head, no pity or mercy to be found in the depths of her gaze. "No wonder you didn't take it to the Empire after Fleur died, you would have been hypocrites, having broken the unwritten rules yourself already, especially if any of the gangs knew."
Sarah closed her eyes, so that's how it is… She thought with defeat, shaking her head even as Carol snarled back at the Director.
"We've ridden out public discontent before, we can do it again!"
Sarah continued to shake her head, almost wanting to weep, but controlling herself, she was the team leader of New Wave, she wouldn't break down here of all places. "Carol, stop! You know as well as I do that without Glory Girl and Panacea there wouldn't even be a team anymore. None of us are active enough, not really."
She hated to admit it, but seeing how nothing they did achieved anything, they'd all kind of… Just scaled back, patrolled their neighborhood and not much else. Without Panacea and Glory Girl to bring in donations and PR money - they weren't even financially viable.
Carol stiffened, her hands clenching as she looked away from Sarah. Her sister was just as aware of their situation, she was just not one to accept defeat as easily. But defeat this most definitely was. The only question was the cost.
"What do you have in mind? You wouldn't call me in here if you didn't have a deal laid out already." Sarah said heavily, eyes firmly on Director Piggot. The bitch didn't even have the decency to act triumphant or anything, just sitting calmly at her desk.
Just another day at work.
"Glory Girl and Panacea will be Wards, the first is already signed and done with, the second we're letting stew a little, since her legal situation is a bit murky." Director Piggot explained matter of factly. "No matter what, she is no longer under your custody, and will not return to your home, we are not in the habit of giving back kidnapping victims." The dry tone of her voice irritated Sarah, and obviously Carol as well as the woman barely held back from snapping out something unwise.
Sarah gave her sister a warning look, the last thing they needed was anymore trouble. She turned back to Piggot, "I suppose we can't really say or do much about that, but Carol has given Amy a good life, and I would hardly classify it as kidnapping."
Having the PRT take over guardianship for Any for the next two years likely meant she'd be lost to them. Sarah wasn't unaware of the strained relationship between Carol and Amy, and the PRT would be able to offer her a camaraderie she knew Amy didn't have within New Wave.
Director Piggot raised an unimpressed eyebrow, scowling lightly at her, "You're welcome to use that defense in court if you wish to fight us." She offered, already knowing Sarah would do no such things. For one, they'd likely loose, the law wouldn't take into account how good a life someone had after being illegally taken into custody.
Plus the PR would be a nightmare and would kill the New Wave movement either way.
"And us?" Sarah asked, bracing herself. She could see Carol closing her eyes and muttering expletives under her breath. Same feeling here, sis. She thought, an uncomfortable feeling tying her gut into knots.
Director Piggot gestured to the printer, and the stack of paperwork it had printed out, "The underage members will be Wards or retire from being heroes. The adult members will join the Protectorate, or likewise, retire." Her eyes met Sarah's before moving to Carol's, absolute certainty in them, "You make one move to try and remain independent heroes, we all move forward with charges and lawsuits."
Needless to say, the public perception of Glory Girl and Panacea almost murdering people and covering it up, including lying and using powers on PRT troopers - coupled with Carol and Mark illegally adopting Amy - would absolutely ruin them, which didn't leave them with much choice.
Fighting the PRT was difficult enough in a system built up to defer to them heavily, it was impossible when you were actually guilty for all that they charged you with.
Not without going villain - which was not a step they'd take.
Retire or join… Sarah nodded stiffly, about what I expected, although honestly, I hadn't expected to be given the out…
Not that anyone but Carol could take it. She had a day job that paid well enough, the rest of them lived off New Wave for the most part, they needed the Protectorate salary if they wouldn't be continuing the movement.
"We'll need to discuss it and speak with a lawyer." Sarah said heavily, gesturing for Carol to join her as she got up to leave. "This all stays quiet?" She asked.
Director Piggot smiled, and it wasn't a pleasant one, "For now." She agreed, "I wouldn't dally too long." She gave Carol and her mullish look one last long look, pursing her lips, "Carol… We took DNA tests, we know."
Carol froze, Sarah looking at her quizzically, not understanding, of course they knew Amy wasn't Mark and Carols, they'd already been talking about it. "What is she talking about, Carol?" She asked, worried.
Carol shut her down with one fearful and angry look, her lips pinched. Notably, any fight seemed to have drained out of her at the Director's statement.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
They left the Rig, needing to have a family meeting, to decide if they were going to fight, retire, or continue the hero business, this time from within the system.
With Carol on a spiral of panic and anger, and Sarah having a kernel of suspicion brewing in her gut as she stared at her sister's back…
They left without making any stops, heading straight for a team meeting.
Neither woman remembered Amy, stuck alone in a cell, desperate for information, for validation, for anyone to be on her side.
Luckily the Rig had several friendly Wards to talk to, and a woman named Yamada.
----------------------------------------
One week later, Director's office, The Rig, Brockton Bay.
Thomas Calvert sat down calmly in front of Emily Piggot, utterly relaxed to any casual observer.
Inwardly he felt an odd mix of almost pride, as well as aggravation. Recent events would make it much more difficult to dislodge Emily as the PRT director for the ENE region. At the same time, he did feel a little thrill to have her show some competence in her unknown fight against him. Co-opting New Wave so brilliantly, why, Coil couldn't have done it better himself!
Not to mention she'd managed to defang the youth guard in the last week, finding issues with several wards that the youth guard had either willingly ignored, or actively covered up.
He could appreciate the cleverness in defanging the Youth guard right as she'd had an impressionable and desperately alone Panacea dropped in her lap.
Truly, it had been masterfully played. And it would all be his when he took over her job, so really, he did feel some measure of pride over the work she'd done for him.
"Congratulations Emily." He said, breaking the silence, choosing a more personal touch as this hadn't been billed as an official meeting. "Getting the entire New Wave team into line will dramatically shift the axis of power in the city."
They'd been around, sure, but not active enough to really matter. Now though, working under orders from the PRT, they'd be put to actual use. Even Brandish followed the team into the fold. It certainly would change how Coil would do things going forward, the PRT actually a possible threat now.
Especially as Emily had finally actually gotten herself healed up, even going so far apparently as to have Panacea get her back to form, looking more like her old self then ever, which he admitted was slightly intimidating.
Especially as it showed a shift in attitude and priorities that meant he couldn't accurately predict her anymore.
It likely also had the Empire sweating bullets, seeing the writing on the wall - Emily being back in form and with enough cape back up to take it to the Empire…. Kaiser was hardly blind.
He'd be gearing up for war.
"Save me the ass kissing, Thomas." Emily scoffed, giving him a look of such obvious distaste that it took him aback.
She didn't like him, he knew that, found it amusing to use throw away timelines to reveal himself to her just to see her absolute rage - but she was never obvious about it otherwise. He didn't like it. Something more had changed.
Luckily he did have another timeline going, working as Coil in his underground lair. So he could afford to push, and see what this was really about. "Come now Emily, why the hostility? You should be happy, right now." He said, with an infuriating smirk that he knew would piss her off further.
Emily's lips twitched slightly, as the muffled sound of a radio sounded out from her desk. Giving him a toothy grin that looked so out of place he actually shifted slightly away from the woman, she opened a desk drawer, taking a radio out, and a gun, which she promptly pointed at him!
He raised his hands slightly, "Emily… Think this through, you might have been mastered, you're acting very odd right now." He said, very thrown by what was happening.
"Director Piggot, come in, over?" Armsmasters voice came over the radio.
"Don't worry, Coil… I'll get to you soon." Emily said, freezing him in place far more successfully then the gun had.
How does she know? The other timeline won't help me much if she is aware there as well? Did something happen with New Wave? No, how would they know? Coil's mind was moving fast as he tried to understand how he'd been revealed.
"Piggot to Armsmaster, you have a go on the operation, over." Emily said, seeming to savor the moment, an uncharacteristic amount of glee in her visage.
Thomas missed Armsmasters reply, frozen in place as alarms began blaring in his base, his fingers flying across his keyboard as he went through cameras until he found the breached wall, and the absolute flood of water rushing though, far more than his pumps would ever be able to handle.
He rushed for his emergency door, opening it, having already set the self-destruct to destroy any evidence, only to fall back as water immediately rushed though the open door, immediately submerging him as it continued to flow in.
Thomas looked at Emily Piggot, then at the clock, exactly at 13:05. Five minutes after he made it to the meeting scheduled for 13:00. She knew more than his name, she knew his power. "You can't do this, Emily, I don't have a kill order." He said, dropping all pretenses.
This was now about survival.
He wasn't going to make it out of his base, not with how fast it was filling, his office would fill before anywhere else due to his emergency exit being part of the access point for the flood. He had not expected the heroes to use such a lethal manner to deal with him. He hadn't expected them to deal with him at all!
Emily laughed shortly, cold and harsh, "Coil doesn't have a known power, he's an enigma." She said, gun unerringly pointed at his face even as Coil began to drown in the other timeline.
"It was beyond easy to get Panacea to create a biologically altered creature in secret as part of her deal with me, the girl desperate to have somewhere to belong, and down right eager to experiment when she had the PRT director herself ordering her and giving her lawful permission. Telling her it was only done to take down a horrible villain had her get the work done days ahead of your planned execution." Piggot explained, confusing Thomas, his brows furrowing slightly even as he had a hard time swallowing, feeling like a noose was tightening around his throat.
"Since Coil's power is completely unknown," Piggot mocked lightly, eyes lit up with sadistic glee, the most alive expression he'd seen her with for years, "It was not that hard to get a kill order signed off on this dangerous recently discovered bio tinker capable of making reproducible biological creatures - I knew some friendly judges and PRT directors to go through to bypass involving the triumvirate - speed was of the essence for such a dire threat of course, before Brockton could go like Ellisburg. The PRT director was sadly unavailable due to being in master/stranger screening - due to an accusation she wasn't the real PRT director, coming straight from a trusted source."
Thomas didn't quite understand all of what she was talking about, to his chagrin, although he suspected she was aware of Cauldron and referencing them, which if anything made him terrified.
What the fuck was going on? He stared into Emily's eyes, absolutely sick to his stomach, "You made me out as a second coming of Nilbog!?" He clarified, panicking, seeing the irony, before his mind began almost gibbering in fear as he saw no way out! His vision darkening in the other timeline.
"Yes I did." She said pleasantly, savoring the words, drawing them out like they were a fine wine.
At that moment Coil died in the other timeline, a truly unpleasant experience, and Thomas immediately made another timeline, in one he immediately began pleading for his life, "Emily, we have history together! The only surviv-"
In the other he tried to bargain, "I have a lot of information, both on all the gangs and on people in the PRT and a secret soci-"
In both timelines he couldn't finish, as a bullet blew his head out, Emily Piggot watching with grim satisfaction, holding a smoking gun, being his last sight.
----------------------------------------
Across Brockton Bay,
Rachel looked suspiciously at the hero who'd appeared at the dog shelter, her hackles raised.
Her dogs growled, standing at her side, ready to attack at a single sign from her.
Assault lightly tossed a radio over, before ambling away, giving her a cheery wave.
Leaving behind a plate of raw steaks, Rachel wasn't stupid, she just didn't understand people normally, this… She could sort of understand.
He was bribing her to listen to something.
Rachel frowned, looking down at the radio. Slowly she bent down and picked it up, flicking the button to speak, "What?" She barked out roughly.
"Bitch, this is Director Piggot of the PRT, I'll keep this quick as I know you don't care for pleasantries, I'm offering you a pardon, signing you on as an affiliate to the Protectorate as a special asset."
Rachel scoffed, "I don't give a shit, I'm no hero." She was about to throw the radio away, having no time for that shit, when it blared again.
"As part of the deal you'd have the largest dog shelter in Brockton Bay fully paid for, all stray dogs in Brockton under your roof, and PRT and Protectorate assistance to shut down any dog fighting rings wherever they may be. In return, when we deal with the gangs or any threats to the city, you and your dogs are on our side."
Rachel stopped, staring at the radio, "... Don't bullshit me…" She warned, a low growl building in her throat.
"Let's talk specifics." The voice answered back.
And despite her suspicions and distaste.
Rachel listened.
…
Brian rushed into the apartment building his sister lived in with their dad, having received an emergency text from Aisha that he needed to be there immediately.
He knew their dad would be at work, so it meant an emergency with Aisha being alone.
His mind whirled through worst case scenario after worst case scenario as he pounded his way up the stairs, the elevator as usual down - not that he'd have the patience to wait for it even if it was in service.
Making it to the apartment door, he shoulder-checked it, racing into the apartment, "Aisha! Where are you!?" He shouted, before skidding to a halt, his jaw dropping.
Aisha was sitting at the kitchen table, a wide grin on her face as she chatted away rapidly at Vista! And standing next to her, leaning against the fridge, was motherfucking Velocity!
Get that junk away from my sister! He wanted to scream at the indecent hero.
"Aisha… What's going on?" He asked cautiously, trying to play it off like the concerned brother he was, and not like the supervillain who'd been ready to come home and beat the shit out of anyone that was bothering his sister.
He really wanted to scream, because this was such a break of the unwritten rules it was insane!
"Hey big bro, you didn't tell me you were a hero!" Aisha said, a teasing look on her face.
Brian blanched, what the fuck? He stared wild eyed at Velocity, "The unwritten rules…" He said, then winced, good going, you practically outed yourself anyway there!
Velocity chuckled, gesturing to some papers on the table, "Brian, there's your custody papers for this little scamp, we already have a key for your new apartment and everything." He cocked his head, "All available after you've signed the Wards contract of course, Like we discussed…"
Brian just stared at the man, because what the fuck twilight zone was he in, discuss my ass!?
"Bro! You didn't tell me you got custody!" Aisha shrieked, jumping off the kitchen chair and tackling him around the waist.
Brian patted her head as he stood in a daze, meeting the amused heroes looks, "Wards?" He managed to ask weakly.
What the hell is happening?
…
Lisa banged her head on the steering wheel several times. So god damn close!
She was literally one turn away from getting on the highway down to Boston, getting the hell out of this city, where her power kept screaming at her that something was very wrong.
Then Kid fucking Win had began hovering over her car on his fucking hoverboard.
Knows who you are, unwritten rules no longer in play by the PRT, will use confoam grenades at any sight of resistance. Was briefed on your capabilities, knows not to let you talk, will attack if you speak, her power helpfully provided, only fueling her wish to get the fuck out of Brockton Bay!
To make things even better, the sound of Armsmasters motorcycle could be heard down the road, and she soon had the pleasure of seeing the hero pull up next to her rental. Any hope of making it out of the city practically nil, as she stared forlornly at the highway exit.
She glanced at Armsmaster as he approached, her power immediately kicking in.
Knows who you are, displeased to have orders to not arrest you unless an attempt is made to flee, wants you to resist. Approves of the breaking of the unwritten rules. Decision not made by heroes, made by the Director?
Great, just fantastic. She lost the yoke of Coil only to have the PRT go absolutely nutfucking nuts on her, disregarding all the rules.
Fuck the old boss, welcome to the new boss…
Armsmaster gruffly stuck a radio through the driver side window, not even bothering to say please. Walking off after, with Kid Win flying off after him as well, leaving her alone.
Not that they couldn't just hop back over and stop her from leaving if she tried…
Lisa had wanted to make a smart remark, but she was honestly too terrified at how unreal everything was right now, her power not nearly as helpful when everything was too crazy to draw proper conclusions.
"Tattletale, the world will end in two to fifteen years, do you want to help and get richly rewarded during - or go crawl into a hole and wait for destruction?" A stern voice challenged her over the radio.
Lisa returned to banging her head against the wheel. Now that just wasn't fair!
Who uses planetary destruction as an opening gambit in negotiations!!!
…
Alec looked weirdly at the radio he'd been given, not sure if he'd heard that correctly, "Excuse me?" He said, feeling… Something, for the first time in a long time.
With him being inside the Undersiders lair, it had been fairly annoying to have Triumph stop by suddenly. So much for this base, he'd thought. But this was honestly even weirder.
"I have a sniper team overlooking Heartbreakers estate right now, they have the shot. Sign the papers and they'll take it." The clipped stern sounding voice said.
Alec looked down at the papers that would make him a special asset of the PRT ENE, "What exactly is a special asset?" He previcarated, knowing it didn't matter, because he'd end up saying yes anyway.
"You'll be turning enemies of Brockton Bay against their own, working for the side of good, doing bad things." The voice paused for a moment, before continuing on, "You'll never do PR or join the Wards or Protectorate, not openly, as far as the public is aware, you don't exist."
Alec thought that sounded like a pretty sweet deal, all things considered, he certainly didn't want to be one of the prancing ponies walking down the boardwalk to smile on cue. "Is the pay any good?" He asked, suspicious he'd be asked to do this all for charity.
"Twice the rate you were being paid currently." Was the curt reply. "With heavy bonuses for you for any villains we order you to convert."
Alec hummed in thought, "I thought it was illegal to kill a cape premeditated like this without a kill order?" He asked, wanting to be sure.
The voice was quiet for a few moments, before dryly replying, "I don't know what you're talking about, the ordinary mercenary team in Montreal hardly has anything to do with the Brockton Bay PRT."
Alec signed on the dotted line, casually ambling outside to hand the paperwork over to Triumph.
Someone willing to cause a shit ton of chaos in Canada by taking dear old dad out, not caring about the consequences as long as the job got done, that's someone he could work for.
"It's all here, Ma'am." The hero said respectfully into the radio.
"Regent, go with Triumph, also, check your phone." The radio signal ended abruptly after that.
Alec got a message with a picture two minutes later, and for the first time, smiled a truly genuine smile.
…
"Dinah Alcott?"
Dinah turned, peering suspiciously at the hero who stood on the sidewalk, normally she would have been elated, but with all the horrible predictions she'd had, she knew the heroes couldn't save her.
So a hero showing interest in her was not good.
"Not interested." She said, not bothering to act like a normal fan stricken girl, her head hurting way too much, and if they were here anyway, they already knew.
"Just hear me out, Dinah, Miss Militia is already speaking to your parents, I just volunteered to come explain things on your walk home from school, to smooth the process." Gallant said kindly.
Dinah sighed, shoulders slumping, she wouldn't cry in front of a hero, she wouldn't! Instead she spoke in a defeated voice, "If I go to the PRT I have a 76.342 chance of a bad end."
Gallant walked up next to her, "I understand how difficult and scary it must have been to see bad things happening and not being able to get out." He said compassionately.
"Then leave me alone if you understand!" She snapped, tears springing to her eyes despite every attempt to keep them back.
Gallant crouched down, looking ridiculous in his knightly armor crouched like that - speaking with her in a gentle tone like if he was dealing with a wild animal, which offended Dinah something fierce, but then she registered what he was saying…
"Have you checked those numbers in the last 48 hours?"
Dinah automatically checked, even knowing she'd just make the pain so much worse.
Her hands flew to her mouth, as she gasped, tears running freely down her face as she jumped at Gallant, "4.623 chance!" She cried in jubilation.
She didn't know what had changed, but she was safe!
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Sophia couldn't believe what was happening.
Piggy had gone from an overbearing fatty who couldn't help but stick her nose into everything and ruin any fun - including any efforts to actually stick it to the gangs - to a soldier, organizing an effort to go to fucking war!
She didn't really give a shit what happened or how, nor how New Wave ended up drafted, or any of that garbage - all she cared about was that her leash was off now, how the Director actually allowed her to carry lethal ordinance again, actually wanted her to do her job, something no other hero in Brockton Bay could do.
She waited in eagerness outside the restaurant Piggot had directed her at.
Apparently they had a new thinker or something that had said there was a 86 percent chance or something - that Lung would show up at this restaurant this evening.
Normally Sophia wouldn't go within a block of Lung, she was a predator, the predator in this shit sack city, but some prey was just too big even for her, she wasn't the only predator in town.
But Piggot had thrown the unwritten rules out of the window, just to stick it to the gangs, something Sophia could respect, it took guts to do something like that. Piggot would probably get fired or jailed or something, but fuck, if the gangs were all gone, it would be worth it.
She'd sat Sophia down, explained how her power could no sell Lung. How his regeneration wouldn't do shit if she phased her bolts into his brain and heart.
Halbeard had worked on a tranquilizer for the dragon as well, which Piggot authorized to be added to her lethal bolts, to further ensure the dragon did not come back.
She, Shadow Stalker, was going to take out the dude who beat up the entire Protectorate when he arrived in Brockton Bay.
She was going to be a legend!
She waited on the rooftop with anxious and eager energy, two crossbows already loaded with her bolts so she could fire one after another, she couldn't afford to miss, because she held no illusions about what would happen if Lung got a chance to rampage after her.
A car drove up to the restaurant and Sophia perked up, aiming a crossbow immediately, following the cars progress, her form hidden by the billboard on the roof.
Her heart beat a thousand beats a minute it felt like when she spotted Lung stepping out, surrounded by a few ABB losers. She settled herself, took a deep breath, a second one, before turning into her breaker state, firing one bolt. Lung staggering back, the bolt having phased right through him, hitting him right in the heart, Sophia going corporeal again as the bolt hit the heart, lodging it there.
Immediately Lung began growing, even as he tore at his chest, the regeneration not able to remove the object lodged into his heart.
Sophia fired again, a second bolt going straight through his forehead just as Lungs wild eyes found her, his roar cut off as she went corporeal again with a vicious smirk behind her mask.
The undefeatable dragon of Brockton Bay fell, the tranquilizers and the lethal bolts working just as intended, suppressing his regeneration.
For good measure, Sophia fell on the panicking ABB tools with wild abandon, putting them all down as well, breathing heavily, her lips spread into a wild grin as she looked around at the quiet street, bodies splayed around her after she was done.
She threw her head back and laughed, cackling as she raised one arm to the sky, I am unstoppable! She crowed.
…
Hours later,
Sophia Hess stalked into the conference room, feeling looser and more at ease than she had ever felt before. Finally taking it to the gangs had been better than any orgasm, or any adrenaline high from a fight.
Getting to actually fight properly, with all the chains broken - it felt exhilarating.
The only snag had been this stupid after action report bullshit, all week she'd had to spend hours and hours in this room after training, talking about everything she did, about her strategy, her thoughts and feelings.
Always this same room too, which was annoying as it was literally as far from anything worthwhile in the building one could go.
Bah!
Such bullshit, but she put up with it because Piggot had at least finally seen sense on letting a real predator loose on the problems in Brockton Bay.
The monitor on the wall flickered on as soon as Sophia sat down, Piggot's stern visage visible as she glared down at Sophia.
Sophia frowned, a little taken aback, because for the past week or so the Director had been downright friendly with her, so this sudden reversal to glaring bitch when she'd finally done the deed, taken down Lung - was odd.
"Shadow Stalker, your service in removing the threat of Lung was exemplary." Piggot said slowly, still with the look on her face like she'd sucked off Crawler or something.
Sophia wanted to fire back something scathing, because now she was the biggest bitch in town, and the Director better start showing some real respect, except she found that she couldn't move!
She could only sit there, frozen, as she stared up at the Director's face as she continued speaking.
"Unfortunately, you are an honest to god psychopath and loose cannon that I can't abide, triggering a classmate alone is enough to condemn you, let alone your extracurricular activities."
Fuck, Hebert triggered? That's the only one that could have… The fucking queef TATTLED!? Sophia was going to kill that little bitch when she got out of this!
Piggot sighed tiredly, momentarily looking less of a hard ass, and more human, before her face withdrew into a stony countenance again, "If you were anyone else… I likely would not have authorized this, but your power is too useful as the quiet assassin in the dark, a special asset solving the problems the PRT can't officially admit to. Your paperwork has already been submitted, labeling you as going AWOL and committing to villainy 48 hours ago, every record of you entering this building between then and now have been erased."
Internally Sophia raged, even as a trickle of fear began to travel down her spine, what was this? And fucking bitch! They were going to pin Lung on her going villain!!
Piggot looked above Sophia, to something behind her, and Sophia could hear a wall sliding apart, slow footsteps coming towards her."
"You have a good hold on her, Regent?"
Regent stepped in front of Sophia, patting her on the head cheekily, "Absolutely, boss!" He took out a marker and detached Sophia's mask, beginning to draw on her. "You and I are part of the irregulars now, sweet cheeks, congratulations!"
Internally Sophia kept screaming.
Screaming and screaming.
No one could hear.
No one cared.
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Taylor Hebert was not looking forward to school, she never did to begin with, but especially now, after the locker…
When the school had proven beyond any doubt that the trio would get away with anything in regards to her, without a single punishment.
She'd taken the last bus possible, to arrive at Winslow as late as she could, while still having just enough time to get to class.
Her heart sank as she arrived to find half the student body standing around outside, she didn't know what was going on, but she had a feeling it would be bad for her.
The power she had was too new for her to dare utilizing it, so she just ducked her head down and tried to remain unnoticed, slipping through the crowd.
When an arm latched onto hers, she froze, expecting a hit or a shove, expecting Sophia to be behind her.
"Brian, I found her!" The voice behind her called out over the crowd. The fact it was a voice she didn't know, was enough of a shock that Taylor turned around, staring at the girl holding her arm.
She'd never seen her around Winslow before, slender, with bottle green eyes, a mischievous kind of look to her features and blonde hair, she looked like the kind of girl that would definitely support Emma.
As she thought it, the girl winced, looking like she'd tasted something bad, "Don't worry, Taylor, all that stops now, I'll be joining your class… I'm Lisa by the way!"
Before Taylor could voice her thoughts on whatever cruel prank this was a part of, because the girl was obviously older than her - someone else she definitely knew didn't go to Winslow, joined them. She knew, because while Taylor might be an unpopular, ugly loser, she would have definitely noticed him before.
"There you are, don't run off like that, Lisa." The absolute beefcake of a boy said as he came to stand before them, his face gaining a small tired smile as he noticed Taylor, "Hello, Taylor, nice to meet you, I'm Brian and I'll be joining your school as a teacher's assistant…"
Taylor was now going beyond shocked into the beginning stages of panic, because there was no way this guy knew her for any good reasons.
Lisa tsked, loudly clicking her tongue, "This is going to be hard work starting off like this, I warned her…" She sighed dramatically, the boy next to her shrugging silently, seemingly exhausted.
"Let go of my arm, please." Taylor asked, wanting to get away from whatever this was.
Lisa immediately did so, a compassionate look on her face, "We'll talk later, I'll explain everything, it's only fair."
Taylor didn't listen to the rest, rushing through the crowd to avoid anything else from this obvious set up.
She stumbled through the crowd, freezing in place again as her jaw gaped at what she was seeing.
Principal Blackwell and several of the teachers were being led out in handcuffs, by police.
So much for this school day if half of the teachers weren't going to be available to teach. Why on earth had they waited until just before class started to arrest them anyway?
Why were they doing it? Why now?
Am I dreaming…?
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