Collar 6.2
I was woken up on Wednesday morning by a hand on my shoulder. I blinked, confused and tired, having spent another two days in desperate preparation and nervous anticipation of an attack that hadn't yet come. "Rachel?"
"No," the voice said, and I recognized after a second that it was Stefanie. "I hope you don't mind me stepping in, but Rachel got up and went to the shelter about an hour ago. She wanted you to sleep in."
I don't know how I didn't--
Oh, right, we'd not found time for anything last night, either, which meant we slept in separate sleeping bags, and she must have been really trying to be quiet, to get herself and two dogs up without a sound. I rubbed at my eyes, and then asked, "What is it?"
I wasn't dressed in much, but I didn't really feel that modest, and I began rooting around for clothes to change into.
"You should get into your costume. According to Flechette, something big is going down in E88 territory. She wanted to ask you to go and check it out."
"Really?" I asked. "How? What?"
"She… she said it was a big split in the E88, and that you could help with a few things."
"Why talk to you, and not me," I said.
"You were sleeping, and it's just that high of a priority," Stefanie said. "It's apparently vital. The whole Protectorate, and the Wards, are out in force… and split in two."
"In two?" I asked.
"Flechette said that half of them are going to set up somewhat near the camp," Pelter said. "Can you see them yet?"
"I don't know," I said, grouchily, as I began to change right in front of her. Eh, it wasn't as if she was anyone to feel awkward in front of. "Give me a sec to get all the bugs out. Why are they supposed to sticking around here?"
"It's insurance against the Butcher spreading out right in the middle of the crisis. I don't know what the crisis is, she just said that…"
"What?"
"That you and as many people as you trusted should hurry over there just in case it turns into a bloodbath, because Kaiser was dead."
Well, holy shit.
******
Rachel, Pelter, and I arrived via dog an hour later, or so. It took time to get through the wreckage, and Rachel for her part had scowled at me for a moment before nodding, clearly not wanting to leave her shelter behind.
But on the way out, my range had extended far enough to see that Battery, Bryce (I still didn't know what his new cape name was), Kid Win and Velocity were all stationed near one of the ruined buildings, in their own form of camp. I almost wanted to stop to talk to them on the way back, but hopefully they'd still be there when I swung around, because I needed to see this.
Of course, with the range of my bugs, I didn't first see it with my own eyes. "Oh, oh fuck," I said, as we raced along a partially repaired road. "Oh fuck me."
Kaiser was hanging from a lamp post, disemboweled, mouth open and gaping, and something that smelled like shit dripping down from it. Probably was shit, I thought. A message. His corpse was an ugly thing, nothing of the king there, and hanging on the lamp-post along with him, their legs and arms chopped off, were the twins.
There was police tape around the whole area, and I could see Miss Militia, Chevalier, Flechette and Weld all spread out around the area, holding back a terrified crowd of people.
There were no other capes, at least in costume, anywhere within blocks of the place.
Someone had murdered Kaiser and two of his enforcers, and they'd done so in a way that was meant to send a message.
What had happened?!
"What is it?" Pelter asked.
"Kaiser's dead," I said.
"Good," Rachel said, bluntly.
"Maybe not."
The neighborhoods we entered to get to the street where Kaiser had been hung up were very familiar. They were just a few blocks from where I'd lived with Dad before, and I bet that Kurt and Lacey weren't all that far either. It was at the edge of the traditional E88 territory, the kinds of areas where there was sympathy, or at least anger that the E88 could use, but not enough for them to stick their tendrils into the area.
Maybe that had changed, I thought.
The houses were still wrecked, and only a few lots had been cleared. It was a complete mess, and more indication of priorities. Places like this weren't going to be the first to be fixed up. Not the last, I didn't think. But it was sad, and also nothing I could do anything about. It was hard enough fixing up two buildings without structural problems, and even though it'd been weeks, it was still going to be a work in progress.
Finally, we reached the bodies. Brutus and Judas smelled them first, barking at the scent as we rounded the corner.
This was a strip mall sort of area, or rather the old stores that were too 'historical' to be called a strip mall, but in essence were.
Chevalier was patrolling the outside area, carrying around his massive blade and looking carefully about, but I could have told him not to bother. The E88 had retreated out of this area entirely, one way or another. All that was left were huddled, terrified citizens.
"Arachne!" Flechette said. "Good that you're here." She advanced on the dogs, clearly in a hurry.
"Brutus, kneel," I said, and the dog did, allowing Pelter to step off.
"Judas, kneel," Rachel said, and then tossed herself off, just a second ahead of me, and looked around at the area. Her face was hidden by the mask, but I could imagine the frown on her face as she took it in. I was disgusted, but I doubted she was quite as hard hit.
"I am. So what happened?" I asked.
"Late last night, someone outed the names of all of the E88 online. Their real identities, I mean," Flechette said.
"Oh. That's bad, right?" I asked.
"Bad, it's a disaster. And then this morning, there's this." It was barely past dawn, and so if this was how the day was starting, I couldn't imagine that it'd be getting much better.
"Infighting, or something else?" I asked, glancing over at Miss Militia and Weld, who were talking in a quiet voice.
"They've gone to ground," Miss Militia said. "That's my evaluation."
"Maybe, but they can't afford to, can they? The reports we've had…" Weld said.
"We think infighting. It looks like Night or Fog's work. But we can't be sure," Flechette admitted, shaking her head. "Either way, I actually called you three here because we need to find where the E88 are. We have their identities, but with the city destroyed, it's not as simple as calling their jobs and ruining that. Plenty of them are homeless and displaced, and that means less… hooks in them." Flechette winced a little, her voice getting a bit quieter, as if she were guilty of something. "This isn't a good thing, though. We're leaving them without options but to lash out."
I frowned, and then said, "They were already lashing out. Look at Parian," I said.
"Right, right, but this will just make it worse," Flechette said.
Maybe she was right, but I wasn't sure. If they were murdering each other, that was better than them standing united, as long as we could keep them from taking it out on other people. Now was the time to up the pressure, higher and higher, until they fucking cracked.
It was harsh, but they deserved every second of it… but who had done it? My first thought was Coil, and who else could it have been? Butcher would have just attacked and started murdering them, doing something like a complex plot to reveal their identities? It didn't make sense. But it could be the Undersiders too. If it was Accord, then that had to be what the supervillain was telling Coil, about his plan… which made it Coil anyways, in effect, by letting it happen.
"So, where do I come in?" I asked, glancing back at Pelter. "Also, who else is out?"
"New Wave is pushing them from one side," Flechette said, sounding doubtful. "Director Piggot has insisted on a vigorous response to eliminate them as a criminal element in our city."
"As a class of criminal," I said, with nasty satisfaction.
"You could say that," Flechette said. She glanced over at Miss Militia and Rachel. "The idea I had, was if you could identify their…"
"Dens? Warrens?" I asked.
"Hideouts," Flechette finally decided on. "We could mark them for later attack, and if they retreated from them, then we could just keep on pressing them. We don't want to fight now, but we have an offensive planned this afternoon. If we can hold New Wave back. It's strange what's going on with them."
"What is that?"
"We have reports of Panacea fighting on the front lines, or at least hurrying ahead after gang members, and they haven't been coordinating with us."
"And you hoped we'd be comrades in arms for this? Helping you in a non-combat way?"
"Yes. And in exchange, we protect the camp while you three are away," Flechette explained, glancing over at Weld and Miss Militia. "We don't need you to fight or do anything other than just provide us information."
"I think I can do that. But only if we hurry," I said. "There's a lot more going on in the camp then just… but." I bit my lip, glad they couldn't see the hesitation. A chance to hurt Nazis, to help bring them down, wasn't something I could pass up. "Rachel, is that alright?"
Rachel shrugged.
"Pelter?"
"I suppose. I…" Pelter shook her head. "I don't want to sound too eager."
To her it was rather more personal than it was to me, rather more pressing, I knew. I turned to Flechette and said. "Well, that's that. We can help you out. So how do you want to do this?"
"You should talk to Miss Militia about it. There's other information we have as well. On another matter."
"What matter?"
"Hellh- Bitch,," Flechette said.
"What about me?" Rachel asked, angrily.
"The charges… and some other matters," Flechette admitted.
*******
That left me in a bad mood during the whole exercise, inventing a thousand ways that this all might have gone wrong. It wasn't hard, was the important thing. My panic and worry only increased my range even further, and on dog back I could see large parts of the city without even really getting in trouble.
We kept back, Miss Militia riding along with us, and others fanning out behind us. She didn't complain about the rough saddles, or about the way the dogs smelled, or anything else I'd expected from someone who had spent their time in the aftermath of the disaster in luxury and comfort. Someone who hadn't been camping out for the last few weeks and coping with disaster.
She just dealt with it as I built up a picture of two camps. Night, Fog, and a still-injured Purity were joined by Crusader in a warehouse near the docks, and in fact near ABB territory in general, if the ABB still existed. I didn't know where they'd all gone, really. Surely there had to be some gang-bangers still left, but maybe they'd been absorbed by the Merchants, who had always cared a lot more about profits than skin color.
And then, further in, at a house in one of the newly-all-white neighborhoods, there were the rest of them. The new cape, Alabaster, Stormtiger, Krieg, Othala and Rune. Victor was surprisingly absent, perhaps out and about.
The men were not evenly divided either. Almost three-fourth of them seemed to be clustered around various houses and street corners towards the Krieg side of things, whereas Purity's forces were a lot smaller.
Still, all in all, the fact that the E88 was reduced down to two squabbling factions that totaled ten capes was a good start. And they didn't seem to notice the bugs I sent to carefully look, in part because they weren't expecting it from ten blocks out. Plus, I was using a different sort of trick this time.
One that took way too long, but it was pretty simple. I sent only a few flies, and then slowly scouted out the area. I couldn't see everything at once through that method, but I didn't need an exact position on everyone, because it wasn't as if we were going to raid them right then and there. So I cased the joint, and before I knew it we were riding back to a street corner to part ways.
A few hours had been used up, but I knew that if there was a fight with the Teeth, it'd have gotten a lot more attention. Miss Militia had a word or three for me, and we climbed off the dogs. I was sore from the trip, but I wanted to hear what she had to say.
Away from Rachel. It concerned her, but I needed to protect her as best I could. She might say something that could make things worse, I knew that much. I trusted her, just… not necessarily with social things. So I moved away from Rachel and Pelter, who continued to talk about the state of the city. I'd seen enough to know that repairs had only really begun in the parts of the city that were under Protectorate control.
No matter what lies the E88 spouted about caring for the white race, they'd let down everyone of all races within their territory. Only a little rebuilding had happened, and I knew that once the E88 was out of the way, things would at least speed up a bit. I knew that the docks, for instance, were almost repaired at places. And were far more active now, what with the repair work going on on the one hand, and the fact that driving supplies in for stores was a lot harder: which meant that it made economic sense to ship it in.
I almost wanted to stop and see the boardwalk and docks, because I bet they were in better condition than anything I'd seen.
"So, lay it on me," I said.
"The various agencies have agreed not to press charges for manslaughter, assault and battery, aggravated assault, theft. Some of them," Miss Militia said, her voice as if she were reading a report. "Are almost or already beyond the statute of limitations, but many of them aren't. And we cannot know for sure whether a future elected prosecutor might change their minds." Miss Militia shook her head. "But we've been talking with the PRT of the areas, and they've managed to convince them not to press charges."
"Well, good," I said. "Bitch is a hero now, even if she's not a part of the Wards. But she wouldn't be a good fit, would she?"
"She could be. We have dealt with difficult cases before," Miss Militia admitted. "And you have helped us out quite a bit. But our analysts suspect that any possibility of doing so is long past." She shook her head. "As long as you remain a hero team, then I can't gainsay what you are doing. Though I do fear that you will go too far."
"Too brutal?" I asked.
"Yes."
"Can't be worse than what Shadow Stalker did," I said.
Miss Militia frowned slightly. I could see it in her eyes, even though her mouth was closed. The frown was that visible, that obvious. "What did she do that you're referring to?"
"Second degree murder, or perhaps a far more serious ype of manslaughter. Vigilantism. And activities as a civilian. But I don't want to talk about that shit. After she became a Ward." I glared at her for a moment, fierce and heroic in my fury at this injustice.
"Yet you ask us to forgive Rachel her trespasses," Miss Militia said mildly. Politely, but firmly. "Director Piggot was reluctant to do so, but I pointed out that we've…"
"Done worse? Rachel didn't mean to--"
"There are people who lost functionality in their hands from where her dogs bit them. There are people in therapy even now." Miss Militia shook her head. "She was reckless. I'm glad that she's now fighting to help uphold law and order, but we cannot stop people from filing civil suits. Several have expressed interest in doing so."
"Suits? For what?"
"Damages physical, emotional, and financial," Miss Militia said. "If she were a Ward, our legal department would handle it, and I do not believe that suit has been called up yet, but it will be coming eventually."
"It's all bullshit," I said, firmly. "Rachel stole to eat, to live."
"This is true… mostly," Miss Militia said. "We chased after her, and she had to constantly move. She was a topic of interest among analysts. But the suits are not bullshit, and I suspect that your best bet would be to settle for some of them."
"Settle? For what? A person got his feelings--"
"A man was bitten in the leg and partially mauled. He limps to this day, and has lost some sensation in that leg. He planned on suing for both physical and emotional damage, as well as financial damage, as the destruction of the smash and grab and the medical costs led to him having to sell his gas station." Miss Militia said it all so cleanly, as if she were reading from a report. I winced: not at the thought of a little mauling, or at least if it were a… but then, wasn't that the same justification that Sophia used?
I'd thought that they were something alike, and then concluded they were nothing alike: and I still stood by that. But if I couldn't forgive Sophia, then why should I expect some of the people Rachel had hurt to forgive her.
But then what was I supposed to do, I thought, feeling sick. The lawsuits hadn't been filed yet, but I assumed it'd be tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars demanded: maybe even each. It'd be this huge weight and I didn't even know what would happen if we couldn't pay. Some sort of repayment plan?
I bit my lip, and then bristled. "This is your plot, isn't it? You guys are trying to just fucking force us to join the Wards, so you can 'protect' us from shit that you started on your own. After we've put ourselves out there every day, against the Merchants, the Teeth, and now the E88!"
"No. We did nothing of the sort. We didn't have to tell you about the upcoming lawsuits, and there are indications of about three or four, but we felt that it would be a good sign of trust. We believe despite Rachel's past actions that you are now doing work that complements the mission of the Protectorate."
Again, so formal. It pissed me off: it reminded me of Principle Blackwell, evenhandedly giving out suspensions, as if she were Solomon. I wanted to rage, I wanted to punch someone or hurt something, but instead I nodded, my teeth bared. "Sure, great."
I couldn't see whether Miss Militia's were bared for her part, but--
Bared? Fuck. No. If they were, it was because she was smiling, that's all. I didn't need to be hostile and Rachel-like right now. "Listen, thanks for the heads up. We've helped you out, you've helped us out. And thanks for the camp watching. But we aren't going to participate any further in this anti-E88 activity unless we have a reason to. You can withdraw your people in a few hours, once we're settled back in and ready for the Teeth attack."
"We were thinking it could be a partnership," Miss Militia said.
"Well, that's clearly not going to work out. We have our own problems to deal with, including economically. You know how much money we fucking spend, keeping the camp running?" I asked. "Too much. We're not making a profit here, on saving people, and we shouldn't. It's disgusting to think that people do particularly, beyond what it takes for them to live and do what they need to do. But that means that lawsuits like this could lead to the collapse of the camp. So thanks for the information, but I have no idea what the fuck to do with it."
"I'm sorry that it comes as such a shock," Miss Militia said.
I shook my head. "But there, you have the E88 pinned. Don't let them get away. We'll take care of things on our end."
******
"What was that?" Pelter asked.
"Nothing," I said, not caring that neither of them believed me. They didn't have to believe me. I was the one who'd have to find some solution to this: probably need to talk to Cassie and Pelter, and maybe Charlotte. Cassie for online access, Pelter and Amp for leadership, but also because Stefanie's parent worked with non-profits. Perhaps there was a way to hide the money, or separate it from what we had together?
Personal poverty was fine, as long as it didn't fuck with our mission. I think. Maybe. I wasn't completely sure, but I could work with it. We rode along towards the camp in silence, and I was glad when we were close enough to see that no attack was in progress. "Rachel," I said, already having resolved not to talk to her about it until I had to. Sometimes it was best not to press an issue if it could lead to a bad confrontation. It was just common sense. "Can we swing around to talk to the Protectorate people for a moment."
"Sure, Taylor," Rachel said. She sounded tense, and I knew that she wanted to know what had happpened. But how was I going to ask her about all of the things she'd done? I'd already found out that she wasn't a murderer, but… but. But I didn't know what that was supposed to actually mean. Was it hypocritical that I still was thinking of excuses in my head for her, that I still loved her? Would I have been her enemy in some other circumstances, not understanding what she was doing and why she was doing it at all?
Maybe. I bit my lip beneath the mask as we veered off.
They were huddled in a half-ruined building, the floor creaking even when it was just us, and not the dogs, walking along towards where they were standing.
Velocity raised a hand in greeting, and Kid Win perked up. "What's happening?" Kid Win asked. He was dressed differently. His armor was a little sleeker, and while he had his hoverboard off to the side, he also had what looked like a long, thin, science-fiction type of gun. He seemed tenser, his eyes harder beneath the visor. Clearly he'd had a rough time of it, but so had I. So had everyone.
Bryce, on the other hand, was crossing his arms as Sierra tried to talk to him. He was in a white bodysuit, with a short, flowing cape that looked odd on him. His bare hands were splayed out, and the parts of his skin I could see seemed to phase in and out of reality just a little bit with every second. As if he was struggling to contain himself.
Compared to that, Battery was neither friendly nor nervous. She just leaned up against the wall, not moving at all, staring at the far wall and waiting. That's the feeling I got, that she was waiting for something to happen, conserving herself for some later date, as if someone was going to come busting through that far wall.
"Nothing. You're just relieved," I said. "Oh, and I wanted to check in with…" I pointed at Bryce.
Sierra said, out loud, "Phantom."
"Yes, check up with Phantom and everyone else."
"Oh, good," Kid Win said. He let out a breath. "This place makes me nervous."
"Don't want to fight?" Bryce asked, a little snottily.
"Well, Phantom," I said, and then stopped myself. It was true that I still didn't like Bryce, and I still wanted to be as far away from him as I could be, but Sierra was here, and that was enough that I didn't want to offend anyone. "I hope you're settling in well with your teammates."
"He is," Velocity said, in plain defiance of the evidence of how poorly Kid Win and Phantom were getting on. "It is nice that you were concerned, and we're glad to have you here, but--"
"Nobody is coming," I said. "If the Butcher was on the way, I'd start getting blind spots. Her strategy worked before, she's going to do it again."
"What strategy?" Battery asked.
"She has a cape called Animos that can cancel out powers. It tells me where she is in a rough way, but then so does leaving it up, and leaving it up allows me to attack her and her allies."
"Oh?" Kid Win asked.
"Yeah. She's tough and she has a strong team of capes," I said. "I don't expect holding her off will be easy, but… if Phantom really is doing well?"
"He's learning," Sierra said, finally breaking her silence. I could hear Rachel snort behind my back, but I didn't turn to look at her.
"Good. As always, feel free to stop by our camp on your patrols. We have food and drink for anyone who shows up," I said.
As if I were a tour guide. I really was rattled, and I'd planned on saying a lot more to them, and… oh, one more thing.
I turned back. "Oh! And we have a tinker now, Artificer. So if you want to show up sometime Kid Win to talk shop, I'm sure he'd like that."
"Huh," Kid Win said, as I left on that hopefully high note.
******
Cassie looked almost startled when I flopped in front of her. She was staring at the fire as if it was doing something to her, and she was nervous, even though she had to have heard me approaching. People muttered as I moved, a whispering train and honor guard that my bugs towards me was mostly complimentary. I'd been spending a lot more time talking to people. I could see that the people around her, George, Amal, Teddy Harrison, were people who were important when it came down to the current focus, which was getting as many apartments ready for people to get into as possible.
The fewer people in the line of fire except those ready to stand and fight the better. Not that being in the apartments would save them if Butcher won, but it would at least force her to work for it, instead of just scything through the camp and killing people by the score.
"Hey," I said, waving at Amal especially. One of the people who had come with Parian, actually. He had experience with repair work, and plumbing.
Everyone backed up a little bit, except Amal, who nodded. "Hey. What's happening with the E88?"
Of course he was wondering. I'd be wondering if I were in his place. "They've split into warring factions. The Protectorate is going to try to destroy them."
"When they're gone, can some of us leave?" Amal asked, glancing over at George.
I knew there'd been talk like that, and I knew just as well that there was nothing I could do to stop it. Nothing I should do: the vague possessiveness that I got when I thought of them shouldn't be a guide for anything. Even if it did feel like they were MY people just like it was MY team.
"... yes, of course," I said. "Of course you can. Nobody's forced to be here. We're doing everything we can, but eventually this is going to have to split apart." I shrugged my shoulders. "Right now I'm trying to live it one day at a time."
They all nodded except for Cassie, seeming to buy what I was saying. And it was true that I was just trying to make it past tomorrow at this point: but sometime I'd have to do more than that. Sometime I'd have to think about what the future would be, and how we were going to get Rachel out of the mess the lawsuits would make.
We had to think about what the team meant, and how it would work. Which would be even harder considering how different we all were, and the fact that we didn't really have a system, or even a name. We just were the team, and that was probably not a good thing in one sense.
In the sense that Cassie no doubt understood. She was coming back and forth from areas that actually had internet. Even if she was spending so much time with Rachel and the camp that it seemed like she barely had a life outside of her mission, she did: enough of a life that she had something that I didn't.
A network.
"So, Arachne, were you just coming here to talk?" Cassie asked.
"No. Yes. I need to talk to you, Cassie. Very briefly. It's not a major problem, but it's something that needs to be addressed." This was a lie, and I was sweating already as Cassie nodded and we stepped away from the others.
"What is it, Arachne?"
"You can call me Taylor. How would you say things are going in the camp? And outside of it, online?"
"You're attracting a lot of support and attention," Cassie said. "Most of it is positive, though there's this group of trolls, I can't remember her name right now, but it's been bad, but it doesn't matter. That's just the internet. The camp is interesting, and I'm seeing a few things that kinda concern me."
"Like what?" I asked Cassie.
"Well, not concern, but Amp and Pelter… they get along alright, yes, but they do seem to have different priorities. But Charlotte seems to be getting her way most of the time."
I bit my lip, glad she couldn't see my face. "Oh? Is Rachel infecting you with her suspicions?"
"Rachel gets along with everyone but Amp," Cassie said. "Were you the one that threw her and Greg together? It doesn't make sense that they do alright, but I guess…"
"They're both a little socially awkward," I said, fondly. "But there's differences. I've been thinking about talking to Charlotte and her group, but there's not much I can do about the priorities. She cares about working for me and making sure that things work out."
"I… guess so," Cassie said. "But what was the real reason you called me here? It can't just be that, though I think you're still doing a good job. We're raising a lot of money, and that's partially thanks to Pelter. You should talk to her more about… well, just funding in general. Her parents would be perfect if you wanted to do something more after the camp."
"Yeah… that's something. So, is Rachel doing well?"
"She seems worried," Cassie said.
I'd noticed that too, but it was just sulking. I knew that it'd fade over time if I just focused on what'd be best for both of us. I had to see the bigger picture, the picture of the team I was sorta-kinda leading. "Maybe, but… there's more to worry about. There are lawsuits coming. Civil lawsuits over some of what she did on the run," I said. "I need to figure out what to do with that. Can you ask some important figures if they know anything about lawyers or asset protection or… just how much we might have to pay if we settle it?"
"Oh," Cassie said. "I might know about some of those. I'd need to check, but how many are there?"
"I don't know. But we need to start brainstorming what to do to undo the damage Rachel could…" I bit my lip, realizing that that came out wrong. "To deal with the problem that Rachel's past actions might have caused. It's not her fault, she was trying to survive and get by, but people were really hurt."
"Are you okay, Taylor?" Cassie asked, leaning forward.
"I'm fine," I insisted. "It's fine. We're fine. But right now, you're right. Talking to Pelter, talking to Amp, talking to people you know… we need to get this contained without disturbing Rachel on this. She's… I mean." I waved him hands. "We should be doing other things, but instead we're so busy getting ready. But it's going to pay off, and I know that she knows this."
"Pay off how?" Cassie asked.
"She cares about this camp, and about the teammates. With the possible exception of Amp. There are puppies on the way, and she's agreed to start interviewing people for getting dogs, hasn't she?"
"Well, yes. But there's always going to be something in the way," Cassie said.
"There won't," I said. "Just let me handle my own affairs. But thanks for the concern. I do appreciate the spirit it was expressed." I tried to be diplomatic, but I was too rough around the edges. Another thing I needed to work on… or at least needed to learn to compensate for. "I'm going to be reading with Rachel tonight," I said. "We can relax then."
"She talks to me now," Cassie said. "A lot more than she used to. I'm sure you hear some of it, though she's… aware?" Cassie shrugged.
"Aware of what?" I asked.
"Of the presence of bugs. But, you know I want what's best for both of you--"
"And I want and have always wanted what's best for Rachel. Ask around online, and get back to me as soon as you have news either way."
I gave it like a command, because I was sorta in charge, so why wouldn't I?
"I can do that," Cassie said.
******
The next morning, I was in a better mood. Rachel and I had read well, and while there hadn't been time to do anything before I had to be called away to help Charlotte talk to a feuding couple, who just needed to be talked down… I felt as if there would be soon.
We were waiting for the hammer blow of Butcher's attack, and it wasn't coming.
Instead, Citrine and two other Accord followers showed up at the edge of my bug-assisted vision, holding what seemed to be a small white flag.
A truce?
The moment I saw that, I raced off through the camp to gather people. If this was a trap--two women and one man were showing up, one of the men a new Ambassador, and I knew that Accord always found good talent--then I'd want to have as many people on hand as possible.
We presented a united, if harried and hurried, front. Rachel and myself standing there, her arms crossed in hostility, with Amp and Pelter behind, and Parian's confusion and sleepiness hidden behind her mask. And Greg… well, Greg was still in his workshop. He'd apparently had a breakthrough, and, "Can it wait just five more minutes?!"
I'd decided that we could do without him, temporarily. If it came down to a fight, there was little he could do at this point, after all.
Approaching us were three people I'd seen before with bugs. There was the woman in the plain mask who I hadn't known, who was slightly pudgy. There was Citrine, looking as perfect as ever. And then there was the strange man in the cape and mask. Two unknown powers, and one I barely understood. Great.
"I told you that they would anticipate our arrival," the one man said, his voice cold and tinged with a faint accent of some kind or another.
"Were we discussing it?" Citrine asked. "I remember that you were merely talking to the air," Citrine said, and then she smiled and approached. "Greetings, Arachne, Bitch, and all other capes here. I come as an emissary of Accord, for I wish to discuss something with you."
"What?" I asked, aware that I should have waited. I could feel Charlotte opening her mouth behind me, no doubt having planned to politely introduce herself.
"Is everyone here able to speak of the matter?" Citrine looked around. "Or should we talk in private?"
I sighed. "Please tell me what you mean."
"We know that you have stumbled across items of worth and value," Citrine said. "Gained from the Merchants."
I tensed. The vials?! "Oh? You know something about them?"
"They were ours, before we lost them. We would prefer to have them back, and if not, we'd like to discuss the possibility of deals based on our mutual interests."
"What are our mutual interests?" I asked, since nobody else seemed to be speaking up. "Also, who are the two capes with you?"
"I am Codex," the plump woman said.
"And I am Masque," the only man said.
"Ah, very well. Are either of you Masters?" I asked. "Do you have any talents that you are using right now?"
"At the moment, no," Masque said. "I can promise this."
I took a breath, crossing my own arms along with Rachel, whose mask no doubt hid bared teeth. "Okay, so go on: interests. Mutual."
"We both have reason to distrust the E88. Just last night, Purity went on a rampage in response to being driven out of her territory. Five people are dead, and it is just the beginning. The E88 is foundering, but in the aftermath, we need to prevent," Citrine argued, "the rise of the Butcher."
"Oh?"
"It's basic geopolitics reduced down to the scale of a city. You are a neutral but heroic party, an entire camp of refugees, occupying a key position," Citrine said. "You're a collection of Parahuman strength impressive enough that Accord thinks you could be part of a long-term balance. But if the E88 collapse and the Butcher takes over those areas as well, you might be surrounded."
"Words," Rachel spat.
"Words make the world go round, and our calculation is that we both need each other. If you want to use the vials well, we can counsel you on how to look for people, and what to expect from each vial. If you want economic support against all possible future costs, we can discuss a trade, vial for support. There are many ways we can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes."
She sounded like she was some corporate executive, and maybe she had been. "These vials… I don't suppose I can learn where you got them? Does Accord use them himself?"
I glanced at the two new capes that I'd never seen before. That might be indicative of something. Maybe they were vial capes too. But then, why were they there.
"You can discuss that after we come to an arrangement," Citrine said.
"And why were they here? That's just as important, and makes just as little sense," I said. "I think we can discuss things, but not if… yes, Amp?"
"I have a thought," Amp said.
"Yes?" I asked. Pelter was glancing at her.
"It should be Accord. If we're negotiating, it should be person to person. Right?"
"That's a point," Pelter admitted, "But would he approve? We have Wards coming here at all hours."
"Just call a truce," I said. "If Accord would be willing to meet to hash out the details more… later, however. We don't have time right now, but if he'd like to talk sometime within the next few days, the Teeth are our mutual enemies." I shrugged. "But right now's not the time to make any decisions."
Plus, if Greg's breakthroughs came through, we might be in a better position to trade with him… or at least to figure out what his plans were. I suspected that he was using this meeting to find out more about us, as part of a scheme: but two could play at that game.
"Very well, we will report this to Accord," Citrine said. "This demand."
"I have another demand," I said. "I promise not to spread it around to PHO, but I'd like to know what the powers of the two members you brought here are. As part of a safety policy. Call it a tax for getting here and leaving with more than a boot."
"Codex is a Blaster, whose attacks do damage. Masque can create realistic illusions," Citrine said. "Is that enough?"
No, no it wasn't, but after a moment I nodded. "Actually, if you want to keep in contact, there is a way. But I think that'll be more significant soon."
"Something the Tinker is making?" Citrine guessed.
I shrugged. "Either way, do you have anything else to say?"
I'd learned a lot, and I wondered what Purity was even doing. The E88 were being squeezed down, and I hoped they'd be gone soon… which would leave Accord, Coil, and the Butcher as (beneath the lie of the Undersiders) the only major villain factions in town.
Talking about it as if it were global politics sounded stupid, but it was true that the situation was changing rapidly.
For the moment things were going decently… but what was the Butcher doing? What was she planning?
They left us with more questions than not, but what could I do either way to deal with that?
I just had to figure out what to do next. Watch and wait, trapped by the need to protect the camp. But there were worse traps, I thought to myself as they left the range.
I had too much work to do to worry.
******
A/N: Okay. Thanks to
@NemoMarx.
