Interlude: Boston
"With all due respect," Director Armstrong said, looking over several reports. "I couldn't possibly agree to having the Brockton Bay teams cross-training here in Boston."
"I find myself curious how you came to that conclusion after the one visit," Director Costa-Brown replied. Director Piggot seemed to agree.
"Hunch and Weld looked over the Wards reports Saturday, since most of us thought your numbers were exaggerations. The number of confirmed combat situations they run into in the safe areas of Brockton Bay is absurd, reaching encounter rates the Protectorate members have here in Boston. Sanguine apparently checked with the Protectorate members while he was there yesterday and confirmed that their patrol routes are generally much more dangerous than what the Wards run into."
"I'm still not seeing where the objection to them visiting Boston is," Director Piggot replied. "After all, the training wouldn't be here in Brockton Bay under the proposal."
"The issue is that if we do joint training it should be in Brockton Bay. Comparatively speaking they won't learn anything of use here. It would be a vacation with incredibly unrealistic encounters."
"But you won't let your Wards anywhere near the combat situations that Brockton Bay would provide?" Director Costa-Brown noted.
"The Youth Guard would try and skin us alive without a much better justification."
"I don't suppose Maul had any interesting insights, as she usually does with new parahumans she encounters?"
Director Armstrong looked through his paperwork. "The only things I see here about Maul are second-hand. Apparently she was unavailable over the weekend, and was off duty Monday as a side effect?"
Director Costa-Brown looked surprised, even as Director Piggot spoke up. "Dragon asked for Armsmaster, Countdown, Maul, and Kid Win to visit Vancouver to attempt a larger tinker fugue. Kid Win couldn't make it due to familial obligations, but the other three left on Friday. Maul returned on Sunday with a several day recuperation period. Armsmaster and Countdown returned yesterday. I'm told the initial report on what they accomplished should be distributed sometime tomorrow."
"I will admit that I was unaware of that particular trip," Director Costa-Brown replied. "I will keep an eye out for the report on it. I had hoped that Maul would be available to provide some insight on the Case 53s, but I suppose it is my fault for not actually trying to schedule her time for that purpose."
"It was apparently impressive enough that Vancouver recommended we build a facility here to reduce Maul's travel time. We've already started working with the Guild on procuring a location."
"Your report on Brockton Bay raises a number of interesting questions," Appraiser said, apparently looking over said report. "It looks like Mycroft might be a good fit, but Maul's lack of presence is concerning."
"Nevermind on that," Eleventh Hour said from behind Appraiser. "Looks like Dragon requested her time, legitimately. And they apparently did good work, if the Think Tank having worked themselves until they collapsed is any indication."
Hunch and Appraiser both blinked at that revelation, with Hunch recovering first. "I thought they had better monitoring for that kind of thing?"
"Normally handled in part by Dragon," Appraiser said, apparently recovering. "And if she participated?"
"Yeah, that could cause issues," Eleventh Hour replied. "Hmmm, looks like they arranged for power testing for a local villain somehow. Think we should crash that particular party? Maul's been specifically requested to be there. By the villain."
"See if you can arrange for Mycroft to join you," Hunch suggested. "Get a better overview of her suitability, instead of relying on my report?"
"Her power would be better suited to that task than ours."
Bastian looked over Sanguine's report. "They actually have a policy that they only bother mentioning guns being used against them in their parahuman incidents if a Ward was present or someone on their side was actually hit?"
"Actually, I only found one incident where guns were mentioned while a Ward was present and nobody was hit," Sanguine admitted. "And that may have only been due to Clockblocker having frozen the shotgun before it could be fired."
"Shit. Half of our Wards would probably freeze up at the thought of being shot at."
"Though apparently their buses are more civil than ours." That got an odd look from Bastian. "Seriously, apparently the gangs treat the buses as neutral territory or something like that. Freakiest thing I saw there, given the overall violence levels. Assault mentioned that the hospitals are off limits too, but only the public ones. Medhall's place isn't included in that unofficial truce. Oh, and whenever Panacea is doing one of her weekends where they drag people to her the gangs all shut down their operations for a few days out of respect or something."
Bastian blinked a couple of times. "What the fuck? A violent hellhole where the criminal elements have some kind of code of honor? I mean, I heard a lot of the rumors, but to have them confirmed?"
"Miss Militia mentioned that after whatever happened to Jacob's niece went down back in January the gangs made the schools neutral ground too."
"Please tell me the insanity isn't contagious?"
"I find myself curious how you came to that conclusion after the one visit," Director Costa-Brown replied. Director Piggot seemed to agree.
"Hunch and Weld looked over the Wards reports Saturday, since most of us thought your numbers were exaggerations. The number of confirmed combat situations they run into in the safe areas of Brockton Bay is absurd, reaching encounter rates the Protectorate members have here in Boston. Sanguine apparently checked with the Protectorate members while he was there yesterday and confirmed that their patrol routes are generally much more dangerous than what the Wards run into."
"I'm still not seeing where the objection to them visiting Boston is," Director Piggot replied. "After all, the training wouldn't be here in Brockton Bay under the proposal."
"The issue is that if we do joint training it should be in Brockton Bay. Comparatively speaking they won't learn anything of use here. It would be a vacation with incredibly unrealistic encounters."
"But you won't let your Wards anywhere near the combat situations that Brockton Bay would provide?" Director Costa-Brown noted.
"The Youth Guard would try and skin us alive without a much better justification."
"I don't suppose Maul had any interesting insights, as she usually does with new parahumans she encounters?"
Director Armstrong looked through his paperwork. "The only things I see here about Maul are second-hand. Apparently she was unavailable over the weekend, and was off duty Monday as a side effect?"
Director Costa-Brown looked surprised, even as Director Piggot spoke up. "Dragon asked for Armsmaster, Countdown, Maul, and Kid Win to visit Vancouver to attempt a larger tinker fugue. Kid Win couldn't make it due to familial obligations, but the other three left on Friday. Maul returned on Sunday with a several day recuperation period. Armsmaster and Countdown returned yesterday. I'm told the initial report on what they accomplished should be distributed sometime tomorrow."
"I will admit that I was unaware of that particular trip," Director Costa-Brown replied. "I will keep an eye out for the report on it. I had hoped that Maul would be available to provide some insight on the Case 53s, but I suppose it is my fault for not actually trying to schedule her time for that purpose."
"It was apparently impressive enough that Vancouver recommended we build a facility here to reduce Maul's travel time. We've already started working with the Guild on procuring a location."
"Your report on Brockton Bay raises a number of interesting questions," Appraiser said, apparently looking over said report. "It looks like Mycroft might be a good fit, but Maul's lack of presence is concerning."
"Nevermind on that," Eleventh Hour said from behind Appraiser. "Looks like Dragon requested her time, legitimately. And they apparently did good work, if the Think Tank having worked themselves until they collapsed is any indication."
Hunch and Appraiser both blinked at that revelation, with Hunch recovering first. "I thought they had better monitoring for that kind of thing?"
"Normally handled in part by Dragon," Appraiser said, apparently recovering. "And if she participated?"
"Yeah, that could cause issues," Eleventh Hour replied. "Hmmm, looks like they arranged for power testing for a local villain somehow. Think we should crash that particular party? Maul's been specifically requested to be there. By the villain."
"See if you can arrange for Mycroft to join you," Hunch suggested. "Get a better overview of her suitability, instead of relying on my report?"
"Her power would be better suited to that task than ours."
Bastian looked over Sanguine's report. "They actually have a policy that they only bother mentioning guns being used against them in their parahuman incidents if a Ward was present or someone on their side was actually hit?"
"Actually, I only found one incident where guns were mentioned while a Ward was present and nobody was hit," Sanguine admitted. "And that may have only been due to Clockblocker having frozen the shotgun before it could be fired."
"Shit. Half of our Wards would probably freeze up at the thought of being shot at."
"Though apparently their buses are more civil than ours." That got an odd look from Bastian. "Seriously, apparently the gangs treat the buses as neutral territory or something like that. Freakiest thing I saw there, given the overall violence levels. Assault mentioned that the hospitals are off limits too, but only the public ones. Medhall's place isn't included in that unofficial truce. Oh, and whenever Panacea is doing one of her weekends where they drag people to her the gangs all shut down their operations for a few days out of respect or something."
Bastian blinked a couple of times. "What the fuck? A violent hellhole where the criminal elements have some kind of code of honor? I mean, I heard a lot of the rumors, but to have them confirmed?"
"Miss Militia mentioned that after whatever happened to Jacob's niece went down back in January the gangs made the schools neutral ground too."
"Please tell me the insanity isn't contagious?"
