Jacob didn’t enjoy stepping into the New York Protectorate offices, even when he was invited. He might be a respected PRT therapist on the books, but enough people in the building knew who he truly was. The worst of them was dear little Rebecca, who doubled as both Alexandria and the PRT Chief Director when it suited her. She had body doubles on both coasts, and the one that served as Alexandria even had a Brute rating and flight to fake that side of things. He made his way straight to the elevator and punched in the code that would take him to Legend’s office.

Rebecca still held a grudge from the time he had brought the Nine to quell the Siberian against Contessa’s wishes. A good thing he did, because the beast almost killed Hero before he managed to put down William Manton. So many in Cauldron trusted that woman’s power beyond reason, but he knew better, he had heard the whispers it spoke to those around her.

It was a poison pill, meant to corrupt and guide those around her to some outcome that wouldn’t be good for humanity. That incident served as the final straw. Legend and Hero agreed with him, and thus Cauldron fractured for good. It took time, but an uneasy alliance was reached between the opposing factions, with the survival of humanity as their priority.

Now, he was about to deliver a request that would shit all over that agreement, and he was finding it difficult to care. Brockton Bay was one of their projects, a test to see what happens when Parahumans take over a city. That no longer concerned him, for lines had been crossed, and those scales would be settled one way or another.

Someone had seen fit to target people that he considered under his protection. Toybox might have been Hero’s pet project, but he was the liaison that worked with them, their well-being was entrusted to him when Hero wasn’t available, and someone had taken a shot at Taylor that stunk of a powerful precog. If he discovered Contessa’s involvement in that mess, he might just get that death match with the boogeyman after all.

He stepped off the elevator and made his way straight to Legend’s office. The hallway was bare, with no doors leading away from it. He knew that various security measures were in place in the event of intruders, Rebecca’s office had much the same measures in place just one floor above them.

He did have to fight a smile at the small rainbow flag sticker on Legend’s office door; they owed the man much for what he had done to ensure equal rights in the country. It was one area that Bet was ahead of Aleph, because who could argue against Legend when he took to the Senate floor to argue in favor of the Equality Act?

That the Nine had visited the homes of three of the biggest detractors a week prior was just a minor contribution in the grand scheme of things. Now, he was going to do much the same in Brockton Bay, take out the trash that should have been dealt with during his first visit to the city.

He didn’t bother knocking, entering the secretary’s office and offering her a curt nod before striding forward. The woman knew not to waylay him when he was in a mood, and so he walked right into an argument between the two most powerful people in the city.

“I refuse to let this stand, Rebecca,” Legend said, glaring at the woman.

“I don’t care Keith, the experiment is too important,” Rebecca said, slamming her hand down on the reinforced desk. “We can’t risk twenty years of progress just because you are upset.”

Rebecca looked older when she wore her civilian guise, makeup carefully chosen to make her seem her natural forty to the casual observer. He knew it wasn’t her body double, as that woman had no powers, and he could always tell. That whisper in the back of his mind that told him when a Parahuman was near, they possessed a depth to them that normal people couldn’t match.

“He’s not the only one,” Jacob said, cutting off Keith’s rebuttal. It never ceased to amuse him that even Alexandria gave pause when he channeled Jack Slash. “Give me one good reason I don’t take the Nine out for a stroll through Brockton, because I’m feeling nostalgic.”

“Jacob,” she said, turning to face him. “I fail to see what this has to do with you.”

“Taylor Hebert,” he said slowly, “is the daughter of Anne Rose, formerly known as Hirschfeld. Let’s just say that certain parties won’t take no for an answer.”

“Oh shit,” Keith muttered. “How long can you keep her from taking matters into her own hands?”

“Thankfully, whoever did this fucked the dog and missed several factors,” Jacob said. “Taylor is alive, though her father wasn’t so lucky. Tattletale will recover and Miss Militia’s assassination was foiled. Like it or not, Brockton is going to become a war zone once they’ve recovered and the PRT will bear the brunt of that.”

“Why would the PRT be their focus?” Rebecca sneered. “Coil is dead, and the Empire handled the assassination of the elder Hebert.”

“Don’t play the fool, Becky, it doesn’t suit you,” Jacob said pleasantly. “Coil wasn’t one of those men killed by Hookwolf, Armsmaster was the one to shoot Militia, and the Empire was framed for the assassination. Not that it makes them saints, they are Nazis after all.”

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“Wait, Armsmaster did WHAT?” Keith yelled, and for the briefest of instants he shifted to light. “No, I’m sorry, but what the hell have you allowed to fester in that city, Rebecca?”

A tense silence followed as they waited for Rebecca’s counter. That wasn’t to come however, as a golden iris opened and a fedora clad woman stepped into the office with a grace and poise no mortal could match.

He felt it the instant she appeared, that wrongness that followed her every step in her accursed Path. He wanted to draw his blade, to finally remove the cancer that had poisoned humanity’s best attempt at survival. He couldn’t, because he had things more important than himself, like his husband and daughter, to care for.

“Fortuna?” Rebecca said in genuine surprise. “Why are you here?”

“The Path,” she said simply, then placed the file on Keith’s desk. “This is a crossroad, one path leads to momentary peace and greater future ruin, the other is the one we tread which is full of pain but greater hope for tomorrow, and only the aggrieved can choose which to walk. Door to Denver.”

Just as quickly as she had arrived, Contessa had moved on, following whatever her power told her would accomplish her goals. He was unsure of the gift she had delivered, and sat patiently while Legend looked it over, his frown growing by the second.

“Rebecca,” he said after a moment, sliding the file over to Jacob who took it and opened it for himself. “Tell me you weren’t aware of Thomas Calvert when you gave him the Brockton Directorship. Please.”

“You let a villain gain power within the PRT?” Jacob asked, shaking his head as he skimmed the folder. Thomas Calvert, one of two survivors of Ellisburg and a recipient of a Cauldron Vial that granted him a branching form of precognition. Also known as the villain Coil. He stepped forward and shoved the file into Rebecca’s chest. “Tell me, in what world is this damn experiment of yours still valid? It’s so tainted at this point that you may as well discard it completely.”

“Agreed,” Keith added. “This would destroy us if it got out, you have to realize. A Nine deployment would be the perfect cover for removing the corrupt elements. Give me one good reason to not give that order.”

“I have none,” she said, taking the file before setting it back on the desk. “Fortuna has apparently taken that choice from me and given it to the two of you, do with it as you will. Door to Cauldron.”

Rebecca stepped through, and the iris closed once more, leaving them alone in Legend’s office. He turned to his nominal superior as he went over the file in some detail.

“Where are they now?” Keith asked.

“Recovering in Toybox,” Jacob answered. “Taylor’s father was the only true fatality, but none of them will be ready for days, if not weeks.”

“This is beyond the pale,” Keith said, sitting back in his chair with a weary sigh. “Jacob, if I authorize this, how would you proceed?”

“A Nine run would be a good cover for removing Calvert and Armsmaster from the board,” he conceded. “That doesn’t change that Taylor will be wanting her pound of flesh. They wronged her personally, struck at every piece of her support structure bar the one on my team. If she doesn’t get to be a part of this, she will feel slighted, and likely fight against us thinking we are a threat.”

“You want to bring a girl who isn’t even sixteen into the Nine?”

“Riley isn’t thirteen yet,” Jacob said with a shrug. “Plus, Riley sees Taylor and Amy as big sisters in a way, she would jump at the chance to not keep secrets from them.”

“And Tattletale already knows,” Keith said softly. “Damn me for even considering this… Okay, read Taylor in on this, and if your reports on Panacea are accurate, bring her in as well. At worst, she might be able to keep people alive that would otherwise die.”

“What about Hero?” Jacob asked. “He doesn’t like me swiping his Tinkers for the Nine.”

“Leave him to me,” Keith said. “It isn’t like he will be losing Cyber, because unless I’m reading things way off, I suspect you’ll recruit the Major for the Nine while she gets to maintain her life otherwise. Amy Dallon will be the tricky one to juggle, given she’s a public cape.”

“We’ll pay her family a visit,” Jacob said. “We’ll make sure they don’t go digging once she takes up her birth name.”

Legend sat in silence, his eyes locked on the open file as he no doubt considered the weight of what they were about to do. A city would descend into chaos, near a dozen capes would likely end up dead before they were done. It would be national news, as all attacks by the Nine were.

Jacob didn’t care though, it was something that needed to be done ever since his first visit to that accursed city. At last, he could finish what he started, but he would leave the choice in Taylor’s hand, much as it burned him to listen to Contessa on such matters. The woman spoke in riddles but he had understood it. Coil’s power gave him the option to take risks without actually risking anything, which meant he had a safe option in his pocket until he knew he was insulated from reprisal.

“Keith, until we’re ready, play Brockton carefully,” he said as he turned to leave. “We need Calvert complacent, we can’t afford for him to fall back on one of his safety nets. Give him enough rope so when the time comes, he will hang himself.”

“Okay,” Legend answered. “Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll make sure everything is in place on our end.”

“You can count on me,” Jacob said. “We founded Section Nine for a reason, and it’s days like today that we were made for.”

With those parting words, Jacob left the office, determined to return to Toybox. He had several difficult conversations ahead of him, not to mention that he needed to ensure Taylor didn’t accidentally discard the opportunity in front of them.

He was not looking forward to the burden he was about to place upon her, but he would do what was needed. That was why the Nine existed, because there would always be a necessary evil, and damn him if he didn’t enjoy filling that role.