[Local News Break — 5 o’clock News]

[Camera view of a temporary Belport Bulletin newsroom. Bethany Wonder sits alone at the desk. She’s wearing a dark blouse with her blue hair pulled back into a bun. Bethany shuffles her papers before beginning.]

“Belport and the rest of the world are celebrating the first week of peace and rebuilding in the aftermath of humanity’s war with the underwater civilization known as the Deep Ones. While our coasts and our cities may be free from attack, there is still a lot of work needed to make them safe to return to.

“This is a reminder from Belport officials that most of the city is not safe to return to. I repeat: Do not try to return to your home unless your district has been given explicit permission to do so. Otherwise, you will be turned away. As of this broadcast, the only districts that are okay to return are listed at the bottom of your screen.”

[Several districts scroll across. All are located along the Northern edge of the city. The Heights is one such district cleared for return.]

“Even though the tide has receded, it’s left untold damage in its wake. Even if a building avoided direct combat, flood waters have wreaked havoc on lower floors and, in some cases, even threatened the foundation. Reconstruction efforts are already underway throughout the city, but officials are already talking about delays due to lack of materials and manpower. Right now, officials are prioritizing critical infrastructure, roads, and services. Some critical businesses have also been given authorization to enter the city, Aquarius and Gnosis among them. Employees in those companies should stay on the lookout for updates from their employers.

“With so much of the city’s infrastructure affected, estimates of the damage are still unclear. Thankfully, a few trailblazing companies and enterprising members of the Summit of Heroes have stepped up to help humanity rebuild.

“We go live now to a joint session between the government of the Allied States, the Summit of Heroes, and the Binary Brotherhood, where they’re going to discuss the additional help required to rebuild our beloved country.”

~ ~

[Camera view of the Capitol Building in Washington DC. A large crowd is gathered outside, most of which are holding signs. The group is agitated, but overall peaceful. A mix of Capitol Police, National Guard, DSA officers, and Summit capes are present. Two large mechs flank the entryway. They are bipedal, with a dome instead of a head, and are covered in armor. The word, Brotherhood, is written across their chest.

[Most signs are unreadable from a distance, but the camera zooms in on several, including: “Pay for your damage” and another that says “power to the people, not supers”.

[Camera view changes to the Hall of the House inside the Capitol Building. Officials from the government and the Division of Superhuman Affairs mingle while they wait for the address to start. Ranking members of the Summit and the Binary Brotherhood stand behind the podium.]

[Ocean Guardian, Amarque, and Midas are representing the Summit of Heroes. Ocean Guardian and Amarque stand to either side of the speaker’s podium. All three men tower over the rest of the room.

[Ocean Guardian is the most dramatic-looking of the three. He stands head and shoulders above even his fellow heroes. He wears a suit of shimmering blue armor that looks sleek and medieval, except that it appears to be made from bone and scales. His trident is made from the same shimmering material. Perhaps because of the recent war, Ocean Guardian holds his helmet under his arm, and maintains a stoic expression. His skin is a deep bronze and his head and face are bald.

[In contrast, Amarque isn’t shy. He waves and flashes several smiles with the look and confidence of a movie star. His suit and tie match the deep purple of his superhero outfit.

[Midas stands just off to the side of the podium, waiting to be introduced. He’s wearing a formal black suit without a tie, contrasting to his other comrades on the Summit. He stares straight ahead with a look of calculated determination.

[Speaker Rivera, the Speaker of the House, steps up to the podium. He’s an elder politician, but new to the position.]

“Fellow members of the House, distinguished guests, and citizens, it is my honor to introduce this legislation and the partnership between the government of the Allied States and the Binary Brotherhood.

“When I was elected, it was with the promise that I would do everything in my power to make the Allied States better for everyone, safer for everyone. After the unprecedented events of the last week, it is clear that we have not done enough to protect our country. After witnessing this war, it is clear that we must use every weapon in our arsenal to maintain the safety of our cities and our citizens.

“With that in mind, the government of the Allied States is entering into a partnership with the Binary Brotherhood and, by extension, the Summit of Heroes. Despite the hardships and horrors of the war, some of those brave heroes have graced us with their presence and support tonight. Standing with me are Amarque, Ocean Guardian, and Midas.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

[Speaker Rivera gestures to the three supers flanking the podium. Applause echoes through the room.]

Speaker Rivera continued, “All three of them fought on the flooded frontline to hold back the Deep Ones. They’re here now to show support for this partnership.

“We cannot change the past, but we can take a bold new step into the future. We owe it to our country, to our children, and future generations. This legislation, this partnership, is a promise to them—a promise that we will do everything in our power to make the world a better place. Thank you.”

[Speaker Rivera steps aside and Midas takes his place at the podium. His titles appear on the screen below his name. He is listed as the Leader of the Binary Brotherhood, a Senior Member of the Summit of Heroes, and a Class 5 Hero.

[As Midas utters the first words of his speech, the microphone levels adjust to his voice.]

“My fellow Americans, let me first thank you for this opportunity and your trust. Let me assure you that the Brotherhood and the Summit of Heroes do not take this partnership lightly. There is much to be done, and we are prepared to shoulder the burden in every way that we can.

“Our mechs and drones will help clear the damage wrought by the war. Soon, thanks to this partnership, our technology will help clean up the streets in another way entirely. As work continues and citizens return to our great coastal cities, you’ll find mechanized walkers and flying drones patrolling the streets. They’ll work alongside law enforcement and, if necessary, fight alongside them.

“In addition, we’ll bring our government’s investigative tools into the modern era… What if it was possible to track down a terrorist or a supervillain before they committed an atrocity? What if we could find them while they’re still planning and scheming? Think of the innocents we could save. We won’t do this using psychics, but through modern communication monitoring. Utilizing new communication monitoring tools, it is possible to find criminals while still assuring civilian privacy.

“I understand the concern of our elected representatives and our citizens. This is an unprecedented partnership. And I understand your concerns. We in the Brotherhood, the Summit of Heroes, and in the government have not entered into this agreement lightly. We’ve drafted legislation and provisions to assure that this transition goes as smoothly as humanly possible.

“While we focus on the future, we should also revisit the past. It was only decades ago that the Summit of Heroes was founded, and that supers in all of our varieties were formally included in the protection of our citizens. The idea divided our great nation, and no one listening needs a reminder of the civil war that followed. However, we came to understand that integrating supers into our government was the best path forward.

“Now, we stand at another crossroads, only we’ve already seen what integration of technology can do. The war is behind us, thanks to the heroism and sacrifice of brave members of the armed forces, the Summit, and, as Speaker Rivera mentioned, to the technology we’ve developed within the Binary Brotherhood. The hardest parts are already behind us and, together, we can build a brighter, safer future.

“This partnership will be overseen by Speaker Rivera, myself, and by Ava Savanus, who was unable to join us today.

“It is our hope that this will be the first step in a new partnership between citizens and supers. We at the Brotherhood have made several advances in computing, energy, and medicine, and we hope to share advances in each in the years to come. But our first priority is rebuilding and securing our great coastal cities.

“Together, we will bring our great country into the future.”

[Midas nods in thanks, and applause rises through the room.]

~ ~

The news broadcast ended, and Emmett set the phone down on his lap. Up until a moment ago, both Clara and Athena had been sitting beside him on the couch, watching the news broadcast.

Now Clara paced across the room. “Goddamnit! How can the Summit work with that asshole? How can the government?!”

Athena leaned back on the couch and sighed. “He does have a punchable face.”

Clara groaned and walked away. “I’m going to meditate!”

Athena turned to Emmett, her expression souring. “He’s talking about monitoring our communications, right? Can they really do that?”

Emmett nodded. “Before all this, TINA used something similar to find The Freakshow. I didn’t think much of it at the time because we needed to find those guys… But now, Midas has that same tech.”

“Could he use it to find you and Clara? …or me? Shit, TINA and Dr. Venture did find me.”

TINA replied, “The Brotherhood may have my search algorithms, but there are ways around them. So long as you keep communication with friends and family to a minimum, I can keep you safe.”

Athena asked, “What about other masks? Could he figure out their identities?”

“Yes. I suspect this is part of the reason that the Allied States government agreed to this partnership. It will allow them and the Summit to register all superheroes and regulate their activity.”

Athena stared blankly ahead. Silence settled between the two heroes.

Suddenly, Athena got up and grabbed her jacket off the coatrack. “I’m going out… While anonymity is still a thing.”

Emmett closed out of the broadcast on his phone. He stood up and went back to the kitchen table.

Athena was halfway out the window, but stopped. “Back at it again?”

“Yeah.” Emmett formed a nanite chair beneath him as he sat down. “If Midas isn’t taking a break, then neither am I.”

~ ~ ~