Vox De Harlequin
Consequences are for other people
- Location
- Hyalean Theoric World
Do excuse me if I think literal bio-terrorism would be taken seriously in the real world.
Starry Eyes [Worm/Lovecraft Mythos]
- Location
- Earth Prime
Given that cops are guilty until proven innocent in today's media, I think the only reason Sophia-as-cop would be covered for is that she clearly is the oppressed victim because BLM says so.
Oh, certainly, there's a good ol' boys' club about protecting officers from being targeted, but it's pretty intrafraternal, and in today's climate it doesn't really fly if there's even a hint of political hay to be made by vilifying even innocent police officers.
Moreover, Shadow Stalker's case isn't even analogous. So I will stop debating RL police here, as long as others will do likewise. I strongly suggest, if they do not wish to, that they take their echo chamber to another thread. I might join them there, but I have grown weary of these debates and just hate how they creep into fictional funtimes.
Anyway. Shadow Stalker is a minor in a unique program that allows minors law enforcement authorities under supposedly careful supervision. This does not happen in the real world. It only happens in canon because grooming superpowered people to work with law enforcement and to keep them out of the hands of criminal organizations is considered that important. Moreover, you don't get criminals who killed people "accidentally" out of juvie by recruiting them into law enforcement in the real world. You might get somebody permission to sign up with the military, but I'm not even sure that's done. If so, it would be under incredibly tight supervision, with next to no off-base privileges and certainly no access to random civilians in a "normal" life.
It is entirely believable that authority figures aware of Shadow Stalker's case would be horrified to learn that she was engaged in chronic felony assault and conspiracy to commit the same while on probation. Even if you want to do the "cops close ranks" thing to try to say that the "real" result would be the Wards and the Protectorate covering up her "youthful indiscretions" no matter how bad they got...it's not believable in Shadow Stalker's case because she actively goes out of her way not to fit in.
The "blue bond" is a fraternal thing. They care about each other. They're friends and allies and family. If Officer Bruno is a jerk who refuses to come to the department barbecue unless forced, sneers at everybody, works with them only grudgingly, and tells them off and makes them uncomfortable in his presence every chance he gets...
Then, when somebody steps forward and says he committed a crime against them, the department is more likely to have people eager to paint him as the loser who didn't fit in and who they always suspected but could never prove, and how glad they are to demonstrate that nobody, not even a cop, is above the law. He'd be thrown under the bus so fast that the fall to the ground might kill him before the bus could run him over.
The only reason Shadow Stalker was covered for was intermediate levels of authority that didn't want to look bad to the ones who'd actually do something about it. Her social worker/parole officer was criminally negligent in her duties, and suborned similar negligence in the school administration. The three key figures to Sophia getting away with it were the social worker, Emma's dad, and Principal Blackwell. The latter two were enabling each other, because any serious opposition would make "I'm a (divorce) lawyer" lose its teeth but it provided enough faux pressure that an administratrix who didn't want to be bothered and wanted to please the money-making tie that was the social worker could pretend she'd done "everything" she could when she did the minimum to not-entirely-cover her own hindquarters.
Danny screwed up, too, by letting himself be bowled over after the locker incident. "Sign some papers and get medical bills covered but nothing else" is insulting. It honestly falls into unconscionable contract law. If he'd pushed, if he'd so much as pressed the police to investigate (I am given to understand they never were so much as called), things would have gone differently.
Taylor's only real mistake was NOT going to her Dad about it. While he messed up the one BIG incident, it's probable that he would have seen a chronic problem as something to fight over. If nothing else, it's probable that word would have gone out amongst the Dockworkers, and somebody there would have had the ire to make something happen.
It's all tragically believable, but it isn't because the PRT or the Protectorate are full of jerks who'll cover for chronic criminal assault for one of their own who isn't even really one of them (by her own adamant choice). It's believable because a few self-serving, lazy bureaucrats like not having to do much, so they enable a bully because it's easier than putting a stop to it and risking the status quo in which they are comfortable.
Characterization of everybody except arguably Armsmaster indicates that if word got out that Shadow Stalker was bullying somebody at all, most of the oversight figures in the PRT and Protectorate would be all over putting a stop to it. Armsmaster is only questionable because he tends to get his head buried in things and would be at least partially concerned about PR, which means he might endanger the case by trying to spin it so his leadership looked good.
Oh, certainly, there's a good ol' boys' club about protecting officers from being targeted, but it's pretty intrafraternal, and in today's climate it doesn't really fly if there's even a hint of political hay to be made by vilifying even innocent police officers.
Moreover, Shadow Stalker's case isn't even analogous. So I will stop debating RL police here, as long as others will do likewise. I strongly suggest, if they do not wish to, that they take their echo chamber to another thread. I might join them there, but I have grown weary of these debates and just hate how they creep into fictional funtimes.
Anyway. Shadow Stalker is a minor in a unique program that allows minors law enforcement authorities under supposedly careful supervision. This does not happen in the real world. It only happens in canon because grooming superpowered people to work with law enforcement and to keep them out of the hands of criminal organizations is considered that important. Moreover, you don't get criminals who killed people "accidentally" out of juvie by recruiting them into law enforcement in the real world. You might get somebody permission to sign up with the military, but I'm not even sure that's done. If so, it would be under incredibly tight supervision, with next to no off-base privileges and certainly no access to random civilians in a "normal" life.
It is entirely believable that authority figures aware of Shadow Stalker's case would be horrified to learn that she was engaged in chronic felony assault and conspiracy to commit the same while on probation. Even if you want to do the "cops close ranks" thing to try to say that the "real" result would be the Wards and the Protectorate covering up her "youthful indiscretions" no matter how bad they got...it's not believable in Shadow Stalker's case because she actively goes out of her way not to fit in.
The "blue bond" is a fraternal thing. They care about each other. They're friends and allies and family. If Officer Bruno is a jerk who refuses to come to the department barbecue unless forced, sneers at everybody, works with them only grudgingly, and tells them off and makes them uncomfortable in his presence every chance he gets...
Then, when somebody steps forward and says he committed a crime against them, the department is more likely to have people eager to paint him as the loser who didn't fit in and who they always suspected but could never prove, and how glad they are to demonstrate that nobody, not even a cop, is above the law. He'd be thrown under the bus so fast that the fall to the ground might kill him before the bus could run him over.
The only reason Shadow Stalker was covered for was intermediate levels of authority that didn't want to look bad to the ones who'd actually do something about it. Her social worker/parole officer was criminally negligent in her duties, and suborned similar negligence in the school administration. The three key figures to Sophia getting away with it were the social worker, Emma's dad, and Principal Blackwell. The latter two were enabling each other, because any serious opposition would make "I'm a (divorce) lawyer" lose its teeth but it provided enough faux pressure that an administratrix who didn't want to be bothered and wanted to please the money-making tie that was the social worker could pretend she'd done "everything" she could when she did the minimum to not-entirely-cover her own hindquarters.
Danny screwed up, too, by letting himself be bowled over after the locker incident. "Sign some papers and get medical bills covered but nothing else" is insulting. It honestly falls into unconscionable contract law. If he'd pushed, if he'd so much as pressed the police to investigate (I am given to understand they never were so much as called), things would have gone differently.
Taylor's only real mistake was NOT going to her Dad about it. While he messed up the one BIG incident, it's probable that he would have seen a chronic problem as something to fight over. If nothing else, it's probable that word would have gone out amongst the Dockworkers, and somebody there would have had the ire to make something happen.
It's all tragically believable, but it isn't because the PRT or the Protectorate are full of jerks who'll cover for chronic criminal assault for one of their own who isn't even really one of them (by her own adamant choice). It's believable because a few self-serving, lazy bureaucrats like not having to do much, so they enable a bully because it's easier than putting a stop to it and risking the status quo in which they are comfortable.
Characterization of everybody except arguably Armsmaster indicates that if word got out that Shadow Stalker was bullying somebody at all, most of the oversight figures in the PRT and Protectorate would be all over putting a stop to it. Armsmaster is only questionable because he tends to get his head buried in things and would be at least partially concerned about PR, which means he might endanger the case by trying to spin it so his leadership looked good.
azoicennead
Overly-Affectionate Zombie Squad
- Pronouns
- He/They
Are you serious? This is a gold-mine for the media. An entirely legitimate scandal where a school covered up a Ward bullying a girl so hard she triggered (which most other parahumans will look down on SS for), and I'm sure there's at least one person involved who would be happy to let the media know that Shadow Stalker was on probation because she used excessive force as a vigilante. They might even do that without Coil encouraging them to make Piggot look bad.
Throw in some experts (who happen to work at Medhall) volunteering information about how terrible locking someone in a locker full of used pads and tampons is and you've got a good recipe for months of the press shitting on the PRT.
- Pronouns
- Yes
The problem is for Worm to exist, scenarios where people not only think they can get away with it but actually manage to do so need to be VERY, VERY rare so it's not so much that people don't care, it's that on rare occasions when the potential rewards outweigh the risks (and the risks are, at least to an extent cumulative) people will break the unwritten rules.
Not that it matters in this case because the PRT was very careful about not breaking the rules.
Of course, you should just accept that your lords and masters are above the law and not expect them to be bound by it[/sarcasm]It's ridiculous to be upset by someone who is supposed to enforce the law breaking it?
Sad thing is some cops actually believe that.
A lot of them don't care, but many do care and Miss Militia strikes me as the sort of person who would. More importantly you're mixing two levels of caring about the issue there's "That's terrible, they shouldn't do something like that, I'll talk to them/the captain and see if I can get them to stop. Have them arrested? Don't be silly, they're good cops I don't see any reason to ruin their careers just because they made a few mistakes"
Which I think is fairly common, and then there's "They're crooked cops, I'm going to go arrest them immediately" Which you're right is much too rare a reaction among cops.
- Location
- Earth Prime
Thing is, the well-intentioned "they shouldn't do that; I'll have a word with them/the captain before this gets out of hand" approach falls out the window when there's a victim of a violent felony. If Sophia and the others had restrained themselves to ostracizing Taylor and maybe vandalizing her seat, that might've flown if Sophia really was seen as "a good kid who made a mistake." But...she isn't seen that way. She's a troublemaker who nobody likes but they hope to redeem and is on her last chance. And there's a crime that SHOULD have had the police involved. And, if the police WERE involved, then somebody on the force was criminally negligent for allowing "oh, um, nobody saw anything" to be the end of it the way the school did.
RogueInquisitor
Unexpected!
It has been close to a week since the PRT decided to look into why Starfield hates Shadow Stalker. In that time, Sophia is still attending Winslow, and is apparently aware she is under scrutiny, given that she's stopped attacking Taylor in the halls. The incident with Emma is starting to look more suspicious. I suspect that Sophia told Emma about the investigation, and they decided they needed to divert the PRTs attention. Hence, they trapped Taylor by cornering her in the bathroom, and tried deliberately to drive Taylor to lashing out, in front of a bunch of favorable witnesses. That way, they can paint Taylor as the villain, giving the PRT enough to either drop the investigation as coming from an unreliable source with suspect motives, or force Starfield to accept press-ganging into the Wards alongside Shadow Stalker.
Also, it seems Miss Militia slipped up. She just confirmed Sophia Hess was a Ward in front of Danny. The 'unwritten rules' are a cape thing (and unknown to either Hebert) and there is no legislation or law against outing a parahuman. Danny isn't bound by an NDA, he's not obliged to keep quiet about what happened while he was being interviewed, and the PRT has quite thoroughly alienated him and his family, so there is no reason for him to keep quiet. I can't see this story staying out of the news for much longer, and once it breaks, the PRT are screwed.
Also, it seems Miss Militia slipped up. She just confirmed Sophia Hess was a Ward in front of Danny. The 'unwritten rules' are a cape thing (and unknown to either Hebert) and there is no legislation or law against outing a parahuman. Danny isn't bound by an NDA, he's not obliged to keep quiet about what happened while he was being interviewed, and the PRT has quite thoroughly alienated him and his family, so there is no reason for him to keep quiet. I can't see this story staying out of the news for much longer, and once it breaks, the PRT are screwed.
earthboy
(verified ape)
- Location
- NYC
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I feel like the Worm world is significantly different from real life, so arguments based on what the cops and/or media would do IRL are not necessarily relevant. (Some are, of course, but not all -- and maybe not most.)
Worm is a world where the governments have lost the monopoly on physical power. That's huge.
There are gangs and criminal organizations which are regularly doing damage like domestic terrorists, and the government can't quash them (for various reasons).
This is less like real-life America, and more like a state of guerilla war.
I think bad apples can get away with a lot more during a time of war, with a recognized enemy at whom they can point.
Also, of course, the media isn't looking to create villains in Worm. There are ample self-identified villains eager to create news.
IMHO the media would treat official Heroes™ more like soldiers during war than like police during peace.
IMHO that's a very significant distinction.
Worm is a world where the governments have lost the monopoly on physical power. That's huge.
There are gangs and criminal organizations which are regularly doing damage like domestic terrorists, and the government can't quash them (for various reasons).
This is less like real-life America, and more like a state of guerilla war.
I think bad apples can get away with a lot more during a time of war, with a recognized enemy at whom they can point.
Also, of course, the media isn't looking to create villains in Worm. There are ample self-identified villains eager to create news.
IMHO the media would treat official Heroes™ more like soldiers during war than like police during peace.
IMHO that's a very significant distinction.
GuesssWho
To Assemble A Name From Scars
- Location
- People's Republic of Treacle Mine Road
- Pronouns
- She/Her
And innocent even when guilty in actual court, at least in most cases we ever hear about.
- Location
- Earth Prime
More importantly, it's a war that the media has happening in its own backyard, rather than one that isn't impacting them except as a potential political tool. So the soldiers on the side that isn't killing the media and wrecking the reporters' property will get more favorable coverage, rather than being painted in a bad light to try to demonize them for political purposes.
Given that I am certain we'd disagree about the facts of any case you cared to mention, we'll have to agree to disagree entirely. I strongly suggest we move off this.
Anzer'ke
Anarchism Ho!
...Well I know I certainly can't take it seriously when people claim this is what it would be classified as.
That whole thing was based on a real incident. One that absolutely didn't get classified as bio-terrorism.
I don't know if it's just projecting a desire for these kinds of people to get a comeuppance, or if the majority of the Worm fandom is really so sheltered as to think the authorities respond like this to some poor kid getting bullied badly.
I have personally seen worse get more or less ignored. And that's in the real world. Not the world where superpowered serial killers have roamed free for over a decade and a random city gets destroyed every few months. Which was my point in bringing up real world politics (clear a mistake) as based on those precedents the Wormverse is going to be both far more authoritarian and far more accepting of shitty behaviour by law enforcement personnel.
- Location
- Earth Prime
One thing that keeps coming up is "they accept bad behavior by law enforcement." But there's a huge point that invalidates that: a significant part of the "do nothing" response is that there's no knowledge that Sophia did it. Nobody saw it. The official story is that Taylor makes things up. (I'm guessing it obviously was a random person who did this prank to her, to the minds of the willfully ignorant.)
For "We can't have Shadow Stalker dragged into this" to be a thing, Sophia has to actually look like she's guilty.
For "We can't have Shadow Stalker dragged into this" to be a thing, Sophia has to actually look like she's guilty.
- Location
- Stockton-On-Tees
Really? I'd have actually thought such behaviour would be encouraged, at least by Alexandria/Costa-Brown. It's not like Cauldron can't easily discover an identity after all, and it might discourage some people from trying to find out her identity. As I recall, when that got out there was a little bit of a scandal...
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Miss Militia is one of the heroes who stuck around even after the Cauldron thing came out, remember. For all that Fanon has her as being basically the nicest hero in Brockton Bay, she's actually very loyal to the Protectorate and kind of a pragmatist. I fully expect that she'd do whatever was best for her team instead of whatever was most moral.
- Location
- Stockton-On-Tees
I always thought that Miss Militia was the 'good little soldier' doing what she was ordered to do, kinda like an insect drone...
azoicennead
Overly-Affectionate Zombie Squad
- Pronouns
- He/They
I'm not going to try and dip into how the public would react, but I'm confused about why you think the PRT would act in a way that creates more villains (e.g. ignoring that someone's intentional, malicious activity pushed someone to triggering), or alienate a hero who appears to be willing to play ball in favor of protecting someone they blackmailed into service because they're excessively violent.
Especially when the victim in this case will know the PRT is protecting the people who were harassing her. The PRT has plenty of people willing to throw it under the bus in Brockton Bay, including some who have moles they can use to leak important information - like the results of an investigation into the possibility of Sophia Hess being a bully, or the details of why Shadow Stalker joined the Wards.
- Pronouns
- Yes
It's a lot rarer certainly and I'd like to think weaker, but it doesn't go completely away. Combine that with the tendency to dismiss what would be considered violent felonies in other circumstances as "bullying" when done by students in school and I think it's quite possible to justify some of the PRT/Protectorate excusing Sophia's actions like that.
Although I can't see Miss Militia of Piggot being among those who do that.
Ignored by whom? The school? I can believe that, especially if the parents are absent or unsupportive. The hospital, the cops they'd have to call, etc? That seems more far fetched. Especially if there was a guardian who actually cared about the kid.
I do, but that reinforces my point. She's very big on rules and following orders - covering up a colleague's illegal actions would go against that. Now if Director X ordered her to cover up the crimes because [reasons], then I could see her doing that, she wouldn't like it but she'd do it.
Anzer'ke
Anarchism Ho!
...Have you read Worm? Ignoring Velocity and Dauntless who we know nothing about, the only one this is true for is maybe Triumph, and even there maybe. Miss Militia in canon is not even close to the fanon 'nicest hero lady'. She's a stone cold killer, who not only stuck guns in people's mouths and accepted shit like Piggot's 'fuck our allies' bombing run, but even stuck with the Protectorate after the truth came out about it's higher ups. Battery was torn over helping a pair of mass murderers escape custody. Assault used to break people out of Birdcage transports for money.
I prefer to see them characterised as trying their best with bad information and limited resources, but that's always been a charitable interpretation.
I'm sorry, paint Taylor as a villain? Is nearly cutting someone's head off not a crime where you're from? I wasn't aware of any countries where that was the case but I suppose I could be wrong about it.
Taylor committed a crime and is now refusing to turn herself in. This is the definition of a villain.
As to outing Sophia, yes I'm sure that outing an underage heroine will make Danny look just fucking great. It's not like the Wards are heroes in a world full of scared people with a giant PR machines stoking the love of them as high as possible. I'm sure people with incomplete information that mostly favours the side the authorities like better will jump to the defence of the fucking hero. No they'll definitely pick the creepy loner girl who eats bis of people.
She's an asset with more intrinsic and irreplaceable value than almost any real human can possess. Yet you don't think she'll get the same benefit of the doubt shown to real cops?
And her being a troublemaker is more fanon garbage, along with all that "finally another girl on the team" shit. She was attending her therapy, doing extracurriculars, hanging out with a good crowd, and sure she wasn't getting on great with the other Wards but everyone seems to miss that that's very far from uncommon. The Wards are composed almost entirely of traumatised teenagers and pre-teens. Of course they don't get along. You think Taylor (as in canon, prickly asshole Taylor) would have been any better?
You miss my meaning.
IRL 9/11 was enough to usher in a whole new wave of authoritarian measures. I'm not making any kind of statement on this being a good or bad thing. I'm stating the inarguable fact that this happened.
In Worm, equivalent attacks have happened with horrifying regularity since the 80s. Whether it's villains or Endbringers, every S-Class threat incident is at least as bad if not worse. Just imagine how scared people are. Imagine how much more power governments have. Now imagine how much people love the heroes, the only thing standing between them and all this horror.
Hero worship is an appropriate term. You think people defend cops and soldiers in real life? It doesn't even compare to what you'd see in this world.
Frankly canon, and most fanfic (even mine if I'm honest) doesn't portray it accurately in the slightest. Based on the precedents set by history the heroes would likely be able to get away with actual unambiguous murder.
By comparison getting away with fucking up some random girl nobody cares about isn't going to be a big deal. If Taylor turned hero I doubt anyone would give a shit about her nearly killing Emma and likely ruining her modelling career. For that matter I doubt a single one of you would be chiming in like this, because this entire debate is just thinly veiled protagonist bias.
And I can prove it, if you have the integrity to answer my next question honestly. I can't fact check you. I can't force you. I can only ask you.
Tell me the name of a random kid being bullied in a city that's not your own. If this is so important, so emotionally stirring, that a hero would be cast down even without much evidence beyond a criminal's word, well you must feel just as strongly about it in the real world. You must care deeply about the numerous cases of worse bullying than what Taylor suffered. You must know the names of those that went to the media, and you must be ready to cast down personal heroes on their word. Surely. Because otherwise you're contradicting yourself.
Look at celebrity culture and how many fans will defend even celebrities who have clearly committed a crime. Even awful crimes like the BBC paedophile scandals. And that's with strong evidence and celebrities who have only fame, not the moral armour of devoting their lives to protecting the innocent and blah blah truth and justice.
The fundamental mistake at play here is that people project themselves onto Worm's civilian population and assume a shared perspective. In fact the perspectives are very different, and while that's a forgiveable mistake in a reader, in a writer it's bad worldbuilding.
helnae
Mlem~
- Pronouns
- She/Her
To be fair, I, personally, have something of a hard time feeling my own emotions (even though some physiological aspects of said emotions still happen; like, the other day, I got a little teary-eyed even though I felt nothing, really) to the point where, at one point, I thought I might be a sociopath.
My gf and bf helped me learn that I can still feel love, though, even though it's a bit muted. So that's good. It's probably just a combination of naturally low emotional response and depression.
... Where was I? Oh, yeah. Anyway, the takeaway is that I can sometimes have trouble writing emotions. Though the last bit was written while I was tired, yet awake thanks to adderall, so maybe that's the secret to writing emotions in my case? I dunno.
Anzer'ke
Anarchism Ho!
Because:
a) The PRT was built by someone who wants more triggers and will accept abominable moral costs.
AND
b) Are you joking? That's exactly what happened to Bitch. To a tee.
RogueInquisitor
Unexpected!
First, Taylor didn't attack Emma, Aria did. The PRT aren't aware there's a difference, but its there. Second, Taylor didn't "try to take her head off." The cheekbone is far too high on the face to be considered indicative any sort of serious decapitation attempt. Third, yes the media probably would help. Government agency complicit in horrific abuse of young girl, attempts coverup, wields threats of criminal charges to silence victim. The media would all over that shit, and eager to discover how such a violent anti-social psycho got allowed to call herself a 'hero.' Backing the underdog always makes for a good story, which is what the media hungers for.
- Location
- Stockton-On-Tees
Regarding the 'Hero Worship' mentioned above, I actually think it would be the opposite.
The common man doesn't understand these powers that, as far as they might think, the 'privileged' possess.
The thought that any one of these heavily traumatized people could turn around and go psycho on someone would be intense.
With this in mind, and how much humanity loves to demonize celebrities, I could totally see them calling people evil at the drop of a hat, regardless of the truth of the matter.
The common man doesn't understand these powers that, as far as they might think, the 'privileged' possess.
The thought that any one of these heavily traumatized people could turn around and go psycho on someone would be intense.
With this in mind, and how much humanity loves to demonize celebrities, I could totally see them calling people evil at the drop of a hat, regardless of the truth of the matter.
Anzer'ke
Anarchism Ho!
Been there myself. So, I'm guessing some kind of major childhood trauma? Though I understand that's hardly the only reason for flat affect it does seem to be a common cause for people with few other symptoms and no full disorders.
Which I bring up in order to provide my own tips on writing emotions that you're not personally familiar with in any great depth.
For me what did it was to mimic other writers. Find as many as you can who are known for emotional work and then try to work their tricks into your own stuff. It can be hit or miss but IMO it works reasonably well.
As a more specific critique-y type thing, you want to have characters react and act emotionally. Always think, 'what is this character feeling right now?' and then colour their actions and speech according to that emotion as appropriate to that character.
For instance, Danny is noted to have serious self-control, but a lot of anger when he does lose his temper. He is also a father who will absolutely side with his daughter, and will be concerned mostly with her. he also does not trust the authorities.
So the first issue is he makes no attempt to contact her or try to find something he can do. Once that's exhausted you could have more of a conversation, but in that situation he's the parent of someone being accused of a crime and so he's likely to be belligerent. Struggling to keep control of himself. I doubt he'd even consider Taylor as being in the wrong at first, and when she gets in touch he's gonna be far more concerned with her than anything else.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
The fact you are missing here is that while this is all true the heroes have been failing to stop these things. The Slaughterhouse 9 are still running around. The Endbringers are still damaging or outright destroying cities. Support for heroes would have been huge at the start but then it would have been slowly decreasing. Because the heroes haven't been managing to win with any consistency.
This is why the PRT is so invested in PR. They are trying to get the populace to keep faith in the heroes despite this. To slow the decline of support for themselves and the government as a whole. Because the moment Joe Average on the street starts thinking 'maybe Kaiser can do better than the heroes' they lose.
And Kaiser is the one who is really going to weigh in these considerations here. Kaiser might not know who Shadow Stalker's private identity is, but the moment he catches on to the fact that the PRT is trying to cover up the bullying of a white girl by a black girl he'll be ecstatic. And he does have the means to get info like that out there. A coup like that means he gets more new triggers, more recruits and more support. And the PRT would be losing those things. Shadow Stalker isn't worth that.
Anzer'ke
Anarchism Ho!
I'm sorry, but what exactly is the other option here? It's certainly not the villains, sure some are willing to help (for reasons ranging from being good people on the wrong side of the law, to simple pragmatism) but at best they've failed just like the heroes have. Your argument defeats itself.
FullNothingness
Mostly DHMO.
Well canon does seem to imply that a lot of the populace is willing to try villains over the heroes if given the right situation. But regardless something to keep in mind is that a lot of people might not have faith in that anyone can save them. They call them Endbringers for a reason after all.