Log entry 17 12.20.10***********************************************
Dallon home.
"Mark honey, can you double the hamburgers and add some brats to the grilling this evening? Carol was moving with a purpose, carrying two bags of groceries. "We have guests tonight, and though we can't exactly break from our standard family night, this does involve some cape activity."
"Really?" He closed his book. Checking the weather by the old 'look out the window' standard "Doesn't look like snow. Grill is topped off with propane and I can turn on the heating in the tiles for the patio. Who are we hosting?"
"That depends on if they come as civilian or cape persona, really. But it looks like Keptain and her crew will be coming over."
"Four additional teenage mouths to feed beyond our own? Maybe I should add a pack of hotdogs."
Carol just waved an extra large packet of dogs vaguely in his direction as she unpacked the groceries. Buns, both for burgers and dogs, were laid out already. She took out a pack of heavy duty paper plates right after.
"So, going with the fine China, are we?" He murmured in a shadow of his old jokester self.
Carol froze a moment, then continued with a calming breath. "That's the plan."
Mark raised an eyebrow. "I know that look. Did you con Amy into trying something new?"
"No, Mark. I am not conning Amy into doing anything tonight."
"Okay, then." Mark let it drop. It never helped for long. Just like his meds. They stopped helping every couple months, with a new prescription mix giving him a month of time approaching normal, two in mild depression and dissociation. The last month they –or Carol rather– fought with the insurance company to change out his meds while he was so much of a bump on a log.
******************************
I sent out the invite for the SMAAL crew to come to dinner at the Dallons if they were available. I planned to tell them my identity, leaving it up to Emma to divulge hers. Zoe had been more than happy to have a lie down and skip making dinner tonight with a bit of a migraine. Alan was set to work this evening anyway, there was a small surge in divorces around Christmas in the last few years.
Sophia answered she could come either way, her mom Kiki approved of New Wave and considered it to be a bonus to have another set of adults to contact her directly in the event of an emergency.
Freyja dropped a bombshell on me as I ran through the options.
"My Keptain –Although there is no precedent involved, there is a certain amount of resources used in performing this operation. Would you consider requesting equal strength in favors for SMAAL itself, or some form of agreement to act as allies with New Wave?"
I paused, looking over the list of available treatments and resources she brought up on the screens. "Oh, so if New Wave and SMAAL were allies, this would fall under standard resource sharing instead of a gift."
"Quite." She noted, puppet hands nodding. "It would also allow for certain civilian grade versions of crew enhancements to the adults –ahem– all of New Wave."
"Show me what you were considering."
The list highlighted the basic bone structure additions that were part of the crew basics. Tracking units. Vision improvements. Implants of certain glandular structures…
"Wait, that last item. Is that something in our packages?"
"Yes, as well as Kiki Hess and now Zoe Barnes. The glands involved manufacture the correct antibodies for a multitude of galactic known bacteria, as target specific treatments for viruses, prions, and most poisons." At this point she mumbled something.
I hadn't heard Freyja ever mumble by accident. Raising an eyebrow. "What was that last?"
"Ah Mitogen production age reversal."
"Are you telling me you can extend life indefinitely?"
The puppet hands tapped their first fingers together with the hands forming the eyes veered way to the left. "Not … indefinitely. But extension has raised the standard expectancy to closer to two centennials if one ignores accident or war."
She seemed contrite.
"And you have not offered this for the rest of our family members why?" I was a little steamed. Dad, the Barnes –all of them– Kurt and Lacey. And then I saw it. "This is why you mentioned limited resources. You can't just produce this for every person on Earth, and everyone on Earth would want it if it was known."
Freyja sighed. "Exactly."
"But you are required to divulge the information if asked."
She nodded, but seemed to tilt her puppet head.
"Unless ordered by the acting Captain to withhold the information." I grimaced.
"So, I get to pick and choose. Is there a chance these 'glands' would be detected by modern medical treatment?"
"Very unlikely. Except for Panacea…"
"Ah, I have to have a few words with her tonight anyway. Joy."
"In the meantime, schedule time for the rest of the Hess's, Alan and Anne Barnes, and find a way for me to get my father treated –whether he is aware of it or not."
"Aye." She paused and then added. "Ah, Keptain. Your father is within range given that I had already placed a tracker in his effects on the last visit. It would not require an overnight stay, not even an hour's work to produce the basic set of changes."
I rolled my eyes at her dramatics. "Make it so."
I changed my look to be in civilian mode as a male form appeared on the bed. He had been taking a nap, something he had mentioned was part of the regimen –extra sleep time to help purge out the poisons from his liver. Well, that would be easier soon.
"Dad?"
He sat up and looked my way, alert but a little confused. "T-Taylor? Am I dreaming?" He looked around. "This is like a set on a TV show."
I was still in my uniform cum suit, minus the visor/helmet. "Not a dream, not exactly."
He turned to look at me closer. "I've seen that costume before. Are?" He trailed off.
I nodded, triggering the change to the Keptain fully. "I am."
He slumped. "You triggered." He got up from the bed/chair and stepped closer. "I am so
sorry. I should have been there for you. I am such a
failure…"
I stopped him short of the hug to look in his eyes, downward a bit now. "You didn't fail me and I didn't exactly trigger. We don't have a huge amount of time to discuss this, but I will make time later to explain fully. For now, understand that this being
my ship and my crew, I can extend certain advantages to family –Zoe Barnes already with Alan and Anne later tonight. Would you allow us to give you certain advantages that can help keep you alive, healthy?"
He hugged me fiercely. "Yes. I trust you completely." He let go and looked up at me. "I wasn't really shrinking, eh? Can't exactly call you my little Owl anymore."
I chuckled and did the answer I'd been using since I was six. "
WHO, me?"
Gesturing at the bed. "Just lie down again and take a little nap. Freyja here will give you the base set and we can consider if anything else is necessary for later. The basic gist is that you won't get sick easily or die from snakebite."
"Oh, okay. I guess it won't be all that obvious a change since that is exactly the kind of thing they are trying to do to me in rehab."
Oh.
OH!
Freyja, you withheld this so there would be no sudden changes in Dad that would out me!
"You might even get a Brute zero or one rating out of it so try not to advertise it. Are they still giving you a two day pass for Christmas day itself?"
Thumbs up. Then he slumped as Freyja clearly anesthetized him.
"I find myself less than happy that you chose to withhold this option so long." I said to Freyja.
The puppet face looked sad. "I am surprised you didn't work out that there was such an option before now, my Keptain."
Ouch. I did have it in front of me the whole time.
"I apologize." I note the puppet blinked once slowly. "Please speak freely in such cases as you deem I am lacking forethought."
"As you say, Keptain."
*****************************
Dallon residence.
"Amy, Victoria, can you come down here please?" Carol's voice was, well, lacking something it usually held.
Amy could not put her finger on it. She spoke like this to Vicky sometimes, but anytime it included herself, there was always a note of suspicion or disapproval.
Vicky put it best. "Did mom win the Lotto or something?"
"I don't think so. Besides, she's a cape. They tax those things like 50% if you are a parahuman and they can prove it, just to keep the Thinkers from trying to spoof the numbers." Amy grumbled as she walked downstairs behind Vicky.
"We have guests for the family dinner night. Depending, it might be four girls or four capes that have been in the news lately. SMAAL. It is a bit of celebration for taking a good bit of the Empire off the streets." She smiled at that, but her eyes drifted to Mark.
Amy suspected there was more to it.
She wasn't thinking that Keptain could do something for Mark, was she? There had been a notation claiming that Keptain had healed Shadow Stalker and was known to be capable of advanced Tinker-like healing. Well, there goes the college fund money.
*********************
Barnes residence.
"Taylor and Emma were invited to dinner with the Dallons. Carol is trying to get her girls more involved with normal teens, ones that aren't part of Arcadia and the golden spoon set." Zoe was telling Alan. "Anne just got back from some kind of spin class and just wants to turn in early."
"So a 'fend' night? I can handle making a sandw…" He trailed off as she brought out a bag from the local Sub chain. "Ah, you have this thought out. Are you feeling better after that migraine this afternoon?"
Zoe smiled beatifically. "I feel
much better, yes."
Anne's room was quiet, her headphones were in but she was sprawled out on the bed in her workout clothes. Zoe had checked in a few minutes before. The hologram was exact, although the whole made the bed two inches higher than normal to simulate the bend where the weight would be. Zoe, having changed the bed sheets in that room for much of Anne's life, recognized this in an instant but was still taken in by the breathing form.
She would be done and returned in just a few minutes. Unlike New Wave, they didn't expect to swap out the whole group at once. But Freyja had suggested there were bigger 'rooms' available than the small one she used for a 'bridge'.
************************
Flying was always fun, but I was feeling a little bit out of sorts as I came in for a landing at the Dallons residence. I walked into the covered area of their front porch, returning to visibility above that of a wasp that anyone able to see that clearly in the early dusk could have seen.
I knocked on the actual door and stepped back a little so they could look at me on the camera screen Freyja had let me know was there.
Carol answered, or Brandish really since she was wearing her costume.
She glanced past me. "First to show? Are they coming in costumes as well?"
"I have them with me. I can bring them out once we are inside. No one saw me land and approach."
The woman inside to the right as I entered and said this seemed impressed. "Mover and Stranger ratings as well." She wiped a hand that had been holding a drink and reached to shake. "Sarah Pelham." She smiled. "Or Lady Photon if you are keeping to the costume. We have the blackout curtains pulled except at the back door."
I smiled back at that. "If we could have a short meeting in costume to offer a proposal to New Wave in general, it won't take long."
She nodded. "Then let's go to the basement, we have a conference table there."
Brandish moved to gather in her husband from the backyard, it turned out the teens and Laser Dream were already downstairs. They started to put masks on but I waved them to relax.
"You are already known in both identities, but I represent SMAAL in this as the Captain as well as being Keptain." I made the two words distinct in pronunciation. "We would like to be allies offering the base privileges given to the crew of the Freyja as our part of the bargain. That would include what we can do for Mr. Dallon's condition." I nod toward Mark.
"Mr. Dallon is my father." He joked. "But go on, we are listening."
"Mutual aid, backup as needed. We don't plan to poke the gangs, but it is clear they won't just leave us be either."
Vicky sniggered. "If this is you restrained so far I am scared of what happens when you let loose."
"Shhh." Carol hushed her as I waited.
"As part of that, we would divulge our identities to you –and you alone. Can you keep our secrets?"
Carol had explained they voted democratically for the most part. "I move to accept being allies of Smaal, including keeping their secrets. Do I hear a second?"
Manpower and Lady Photon both held a hand up. "All in favor?"
The hands rose, almost all at once save Panacea and Glory Girl. Shielder shook his head at them. "Come on, it isn't everyday we get to be part of a secret cabal."
"Fine." Amy and Vicky raised theirs as well.
"Motion passed. New Wave is now allied with SMAAL. We can work out the details over dinner." Lady Photon noted.
"Noted. May I introduce my crew." Each one appeared next to me, in costume as they appeared. "First Officer Gingembre, Security– Shadow Stalker, Life Sciences Pestilence."
They appeared and stood behind me, saluting as I did, fist over my heart.
Then each of us shifted to civilian look, Madison slightly after the others.
"Taylor Hebert."
"Emma Barnes."
"Sophia Hess."
"Madison Clements."
The members of New Wave took off their masks, mostly domino sized anyway, to symbolically match us in street wear.
Vicky grumbled and pulled a bill out of her pocket. "I don't know how you got her name right." She passed it over to Amy.
"Come on, the only evidence they aren't the same person was a grainy selfie." Amy seemed to relax a bit as Madison pouted. "It also helped that I saw you before you had upsized your Pestilence figure."
Carol was looking at Emma now. "Does… does Alan know about this?"
Emma blushed. "Not yet. My mom does and he
will by tomorrow."
Carol's eyes shifted to mine. "The Barnes are my guardians now, but my dad also knows for what it's worth."
Sophia grunted and nodded to the implied question.
"Good. Now I hate to rush things, but can you help Mark out?" She asked, clearly trying to hold back from all but pushing the man our way.
Amy perked up. "Can you do something about his condition?"
"In a word, yes. But there is more being offered." I hold out a hand. "I understand you can read the physiology of a person at a touch?"
Amy stepped closer and touched my hand.
Vicky had to catch her as Amy's knees buckled a moment. Her eyes unfocused. Her grip tightened like she thought I would tear free.
"What the actual fuck?!" She gulped. Followed by a more hesitant, "What
ARE you?"
"Read between the lines. My ship has technology that makes the modern world look like ancient Egypt. Note the gland structures, the bones…"
She was nodding, her breath tense. "I've seen something like the bones on a Brute from Australia. And your eyes have features Aegis shows from time to time. Biological subdermal mesh … Is that barnacle shell?"
Her eyes focused and she let go. "You read like a Bio Tinker got ahold of you." The flush of her cheeks said she was not exactly happy with that.
"Now do Madison here. She will have a minimal set of changes that look like mine and a lot of those showing from being a Changer herself." I note.
She takes Madison's hand.
"Huh." She looked at Madison with new eyes. "Well, you do read as both a single life form and as a colonial mass. I think I may owe you the twenty back, Vicky." She smiled. Then she looked past me and spoke up. "Where are Carol and Mark?"
"Being checked out on the ship. It doesn't take more than a few minutes to record a base state and do the minimal set of changes. Emma's parents had it done earlier today, along with my Dad" I say.
Eric Pelham turned it into a joke. "Next thing we know, we are all going to look alike and everyone will point and hiss at anyone not changed."
Freyja took that as her cue to appear behind him and speak. "It is too late to fear me, foolish human." The last was spoken in a bad Jamaican accent.
As New Wave took up stances, a field or three springing up between them and Freyja I interposed.
"That is Freyja herself. The ship I mentioned. She has also been reviewing every science fiction film and show for the last fifty years."
Eric chuckled. "Buckaroo Banzai?"
Her puppet face beamed at the young man. "Indeed. Though I find I am still more inclined toward the various Star Trek settings –except that horrid reboot."
Several teens around the room nodded and I heard an "Amen to that" from Manpower –er Neil Pelham.
That same person raised a point. "Will these changes be visible on scans? And will they affect our powers?"
I nodded for Freyja to answer.
"No, they will not show up for anything short of Thinkers or Panacea. As for affecting your powers, they are not mutually exclusive. Unless you ask me to
remove your powers, they will continue unchanged. There may be synergies that will allow you to use your powers in other ways, both from the changes made and with technology we make available to you directly. I am offering to make you Harsh Environment Reconnaissance Suits in your colors, for instance."
Sarah Pelham looked at Amy a moment and leaned forward. "Tell me more about these suits."
Freyja took that as her time to bring back Carol and Mark Dallon.
It was a very good distraction though I could see Sarah Pelham give me a look that said we would revisit things.
"Emma, have Bygul print up some visors in white. Preload them with the manual for the HER suits."
"Print? As in manufacturing?" I could see Glory Girl's eyes go wide "Can you do dresses?"
There were four pairs of arms signaling 'No!' emphatically.
"Nothing is free." Freyja noted. "But if you volunteer to go next we might make you one nice dress as well as your costume."
"Sold." Vicky said, then disappeared.
Amy caught Carol's arm, then Mark's. Nodding to herself. "I can see what was done. Huh, I could probably make glands like those now that I've seen it a few times."
Freyja frowned. "I would prefer if you did not for now. There are issues which I will show you onboard." Amy vanished as well. "Pelhams, the Dallons have already given consent. If you would like to go as a group, I have sufficient capacity to do the rest in one 'go' as it were."
Neil Pelham stood up, having been seated the whole time to avoid brushing his head on the popcorn ceiling. "In for a penny, in for a pound. Come on kids. Who knows, it might even cure acne."
Eric Pelham and Crystal both beamed at that, then the four of them were gone.
Carol looked around then back at me. "Does it take less time for them or what?"
"That is accurate. We said an hour to pad extra time for complications in Mark's case. For what was done to you and the rest, it was done in the same time it took to beam you onto the ship in the first place. That and recreating your costumes in the form of HER suits."
Four boxes appeared on the conference table, sized like clothing. Four more appeared without boxes, each with a name card on them. These were for Panacea, Brandish, Flashbang, and Glory Girl. There was an additional long skirt option for Glory Girl. The white visors were already on the table, but as Carol picked up hers, it changed to match her colors on the trim. The others also took on the color each wore that wasn't white for the trim.
"There are several options you can use on the HER suit costumes."
Mark snickered. "Hirsute. Like a bunch of Furries."
Carol was looking at him like he'd sprouted another head.
He threw his hands up in surrender. "Master Stranger protocols for me. As soon as I go get the last brats off the grill."
Freyja perked up. "I –ah– took the liberty of beaming them into the kitchen and turned off the grill."
Mark stopped at the stairs up. "Really? I don't suppose you can clean the grill too?"
"Done."
Carol winced. "You've created a monster you know."
"Hey I don't suppose you can help renovate the house?" Mark noted. "I can't say I've done a lot of upkeep the last few years."
"I am scanning the building now." Freyja started but I held up a hand.
Smiling at him I caught him winking at Carol. "We can help if something happens to it…"
I was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell. Carol started for the stairs.
Freyja's puppets emoted alarm. "Keptain!"
**********************
We were all on Freyja's deck, the smaller bridge opening up as walls folded back out of the way. Seating formed around the room as we found ourselves standing around the six couches the Dallon daughters and the Pelhams were rising from.
"What gives?" Carol asked.
The puppet version of Freyja arms formed up and appeared to sigh. "New Wave, it appears that the Empire has –ah– struck back."
The imagery on the screens came to life showing a burned out pit, a smoking hole burned tens of feet down. The remaining back half of the cars from the driveway showed what had hit was energy, something powerful.
"Purity" Freyja had obtained satellite footage in near real time, showing a blast of energy from nearly a mile up.
Mark Dallon sighed and looked over to me. "No take backs now, you said you would help if… That looks like a perfect example."
As we watched, a tiny prick of energy drew a swastika across the remaining piece of driveway.
"Damage report." I spoke.
Freyja answered calmly. "Slight heating on the hull. We actually gained power from that Keptain. We are close to 95% of capacity now."
"Excellent. May I suggest New Wave not show their faces for now? They may know that all of you were onsite when they fired on your home. Breaking the unwritten rules. No sense telling them they missed. Block any pings to their phones." I glance at Freyja. "Get Armsmaster and or Dragon on the line."
"Easily done. They are trying to contact us now." The sound changed, "This is Freyja speaking."
He was alarmed, that was clear. "Freyja! We were alerted that New Wave was hosting SMAAL for dinner tonight. Purity just took out the Dallon household in one blast!" He audibly gulped. "Were your crew there?"
Freyja deferred to me.
"We were. How
secure is this line?" I asked.
"Very." Dragon's voice drawled.
I coughed. "As secure as the knowledge that SMAAL was going to visit New Wave with all present at one location?"
There were several grunts of surprise around me as New Wave caught on. Carol spoke up. "You think they were targeting SMAAL as well as New Wave?"
Dragon answered her. "There appears to be several outlets spreading the Empire manifesto that
race traitors and an
alien menace were exterminated in Brockton Bay tonight."
Sophia and Emma both looked ill. "We need to check in, let the rents know we are fine."
Madison piped up. "We need to tell my dad
before he opens the
Armory and blows up whatever beer hall they are celebrating at."
Freyja nodded. "Comms are available. Please step to the side."
Madison, Emma and Sophia all but ran to the other side of the room, all talking fast.
Victoria Dallon was floating there woebegone as she watched the replay of the blast looking like a scaled down Indepence Day shot. I felt the anger coming from her as she switched from 'lost' to 'losing it'. "Let me out there so I can kick some Empire ass."
"No can do. We need to inform the authorities and invoke the unwritten rules."
"Unwritt
en RULES!" She screeched. "
YOU HAVE GOT" She had the chance to look down at Panacea's hand on her arm before she crumpled across the couch she had been leaning over to get to me.
"Sorry about that. Carry on." Amy waved.
Carol nodded, visibly smoothing her features. "Call Director Piggot in. They have to get the word out before the Empire can spin this into something else."
"Too late. They have released images from the takedown of Hookwolf they say shows Keptain attacked before he changed out of civilian mode. They are saying she hunted
HIM down and broke the rules, implying the retaliation was against Brandish for helping SMAAL out his private identity." Dragon spoke up.
"This is Emily Piggot. I hope you are all unharmed because I would dearly like to strangle you myself for bringing this shit stew to a boil on my watch." That she didn't shout made it hit home.
"Director, are you going to issue a kill order on Purity of the Empire for attempted murder in their own home of eight capes of New Wave as well as their assumed guests?"
"I cannot." She spoke, pained. "I have already had a call from New York to go 'hands off' of the situation after Dragon told them you were alive. Try to leave as much of this city instact as you can. Piggot out."
"There you go." I said at the click. "Armsmaster, we are going dark. Try not to stand close to any Empire assets."
"Understood." Armsmaster's voice was tight as he put paragraphs into the one word. The click followed.
************************
Max Anders looked at the activity that could be seen above the Protectorate HQ downtown from his office window. "Kayden, are you quite mad?" He asked it clearly with pain in his voice.
The cellphone distance was not enough to stop her from blasting him from where she floated, baiting out the response she expected. "Angry? Yes I am.
Mad?" She cackled. "It is quite clear that you have lost whatever spirit you had, Max. The Empire needs a
leader not a CEO."
Stormtiger, Cricket, Krieg, Rune, Othala, Victor, Alabaster –the little sheisse– Crusader, Menja and Fenja –all had deserted to
HER faction when she gave the ultimatum. Perhaps it was time to go north and see if he could still stand being near Theo. The last of those who might care what he wanted. He couldn't even safely take Aster along as she was in a car seat nestled between Fenja's breasts as a necklace the shield maiden wore.
He headed for the elevator, leaving his usual cellphone behind.
He did have two with him, one a burner he'd maintained for years. It had numbers that were unknown to most of his –ex– supporters. Lung was the first on the list, Coil the second. As he rode the car down he considered which to tell he was leaving.
Deciding, he dialed and got a grunt for an answer.
"Put Lung on. He will want to hear this." Speaking as Kaiser without wearing the armor felt off.
"Speak."
Inhaling deeply for strength. "The Empire has a new empress. I am leaving and she is unhinged. Don't expect her to pull her punches. Tell the Oni not to bother with flashbangs or hide behind buildings if she can see his shadow. You might tank a shot, but she's using a battery powered flash pack to recharge quicker now. I am heading out of state and I doubt I will be back."
"Coward."
That stung. But it was also true. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight…" The elevator dinged, the door opening. The breath in Kaiser's chest expelled forcefully as the air around him turned thick. He could not see Krieg but that didn't stop Krieg from crushing him while looking in the curved mirror out of line of sight in the Medhall garage level.
The phone was damaged but still functional.
"Kaiser?"
Krieg laughed as he recognized the growling voice of Lung. "The
turncoat is dead. You are next, vermin!" Then the phone was smashed completely.
"Oni, call Bakuda. Get her working on things that create darkness. Light blocking fields of force. Things that would stop Purity. I want them… yesterday."
Oni Lee bowed two steps back and then turned to ash, having already ported out the small window to the private courtyard beyond. Porting up to the roof, he took the fastest route to Bakuda's workspace, not noticing the figures on horse sized dog monsters following stealthily behind.
*************************
PRT HQ.
"Calvert! I need you to get out to the rig. Split the ready roster. We have an S class level Blaster trying to clear out heroes and she might start taking shots at the HQ. Deploy the barriers and be ready to repel anyone trying to free Hookwolf, Night and Fog."
Director Piggot swept away from him. Thomas Calvert thanked his stars that his safe timeline was home, having traded his shift with Commander Park. The man was trying to get an extra day off around Christmas and it was about to come down around his ears. The only issue was his private home was a little too close to the Pelhams residence. He did not want to be swept clear as an afterthought if Purity decided to finish her targets tonight.
Thankfully he'd had a tunnel dug from the storm drains to his own basement. So even his 'safe' self was pulling a go bag out and heading for the sewers to work his way further away from downtown.
This was it. His current plan had been to get the Empire to overstep and call in the big guns. Well, to be honest that was his plan for the ABB as well, but unlikely to happen at the same time. With the Empire, he was holding many of their secret identities to release –and perhaps blame the other group.
Whistling the theme to Mayberry RFD he made his way down the tunnels toward his secondary base. He hoped that his newly acquired Travelers would be settled in and ready to help him make good on the opportunities to come.
***************************
Deck of FC-2045
Brandish was angry. "You have the Empire's civilian identities? All of them?! And you didn't turn them in?"
Freyja nodded. "It would be escalation against the ROE set by my Keptain. Villains who cannot maintain private lives have no reasons to not kill any hero they meet."
Brandish paled at that. "But you could work backwards with the information and find ways to expose them that weren't directly traceable."
"Dunkirk, in your history books. The Enigma machine." Freyja answered.
Sarah put an arm around her. "If they give away that SMAAL knows it in any way, it brings down all the house of cards. Back to the old days of Vikaire and snipers sitting on rooftops at night. Not even Coil would be stupid enough to release that kind of information."
Freyja cleared her throat –or made a sound like it– "That is not accurate. Coil's database contains the information on the Empire. That is in fact where I gleaned the information – from his assets."
"Wait, you got into Coil's back pockets and riffled through his private data?" Sarah Pelham seemed confused.
"If it is stored electronically within one hundred miles of this location, you can assume I know it. If it is within one thousand, the chances are still high that I have already obtained it. Storage centers of high interest at a world wide range. Assume the world is full of passengers on the bus holding private phone conversations that I cannot help but overhear." Freyja offered. "It does not help that there are many agencies aware of the fact, changing their codes constantly and shouting them in my ear as they do."
I asked, "Can you release the information in such a way that Coil is the source?"
"Easily. He already has that set up as a failsafe of his capture." Freyja noted. "Catch Coil out and it releases."
"Where is Coil now?" Carol asks.
"He is leaving the home of Thomas Calvert by secret tunnel to the storm drains." Freyja says, the pupils of her puppet hand eyes pulling to the side.
*** Author: I'm just going to leave this here
Labyrinth_meconis_flat.jpg (1000×1394) (dylanmeconis.com) (1904) Pinterest
"Say what now?" Neil Pelham piped in.
Carol shushes him. "Would I be wrong to assume that Coil is traveling in civilian clothing and perhaps could be mistaken for Thomas Calvert at first glance? Is he armed?"
Freyja's puppet face smiled wide. "He is assuredly armed. Your costumes there are resistant to small arms and Tinker tech lasers such as Coil employs. As well, your subdermal mesh will stop or reduce small arms damage or knives."
Shadow Stalker snorted. "How about we give them a makeover like ghosts. Maybe some plastic chains to pull a Scrooge on him? Dibs on Death!"
I saw the Dallons and Pelhams smiling in a way that would be disturbing if it was directed at me. "Right, you do
that while we go find Purity."
************************
Miss Militia was on her motorcycle, she stopped short of the Empire lines, the group of gang members surrounding the park next to Medhall plaza. Inside the park, the capes left –all except Kaiser it seemed– were gathered. Purity was hovering above them.
"Empire, stand down and disperse. No one else has to die today!" She was keeping her green weapon in the shape of a baseball bat on her back, obvious.
Clunks sounded from around the park as Klieg spotlights turned on to be aimed upward at Purity, who if anything glowed brighter.
"I will give you a counteroffer. Tell your director to evacuate Protectorate HQ. You have two hours before I will
burn the building to free my companions. The Empire is claiming this city entirely. Your inability to keep the peace, failure to make your heroes stay within the bounds of the rules. It forces us to take action to keep our families
SAFE!"
"You know that will just call the triumvirate down on you." Militia tried once again for sanity.
"Let them come!" She shrilled. "They failed time and again to stop Lung, to do anything of value. If they come, they will be the
reason the city burns."
As she finished, a structure of metal rose up around the area Purity was in, beginning to spin slowly. The mirrored finish of the pieces made it impossible to tell if you were looking at Purity or a reflection at any point. This was apparently her answer to snipers. Rune was keeping her out of the direct field of view. Crusader's ghosts were seen flying around the rooftops to clear out any pesky heroes trying to interfere.
**********************
"Director, we have to move. Vista can only keep this avenue open for short periods." Rennick was urging her to get into the transport.
"I don't like it. If we evacuate, then they've all but won. If we cede the city to them, we won't ever get it back in one piece!" Emily growled.
"We know. But we also know that the barrier field can't hold against more than one Purity shot and she's cobbled together something to let her recharge at night. Even if we hold out until daylight, she could hit us from across the city at will."
"That holds true for the Rig as well."
"Armsmaster can adjust the force field to block her blasts." Rennick tried.
She crumbled, limping up the ramp. "If he does that, we will be blind on the city side. She could just fly out and come from the other side to blast us when she chooses."
Vista, visibly sweating in her seat, responded. "We aren't giving up. We are rallying forces at a secondary position, so we aren't picked off by irregulars."
Emily Piggot straightened up at that. "Do it." She grumped.
The flights of transports leaving the HQ were visible from all parts of the city.
***********************
Unsafe timeline
Calvert did not board the transport. He hung back, aware that he could leave through the basement of PRT HQ into the sewers by the secret passage he'd had built and erased from the system. First though, he decided it would be prudent to set the explosive charges at the cells to go off if opened without authorization.
Normally this required a director level access, but by relinquishing their command of the building, the highest-ranking officer onsite had authority to do so. And he was third in the chain of command.
Whistling that tune stuck in his head, he left the control center to go down and open the maintenance hatch with the false concrete wall behind it leading into the sewers.
Safe timeline
Three blocks away from his house, he tried to exit through a manhole cover. No luck. Someone was parked on it or something. The next one was just past the juncture, he would be able to get out there.
He was dressed in jeans and clothes that wouldn't stand out on the street, a thin black man with close cropped hair. That he was carrying a police scanner with one earplug plugged in to listen on the happening above and held a handgun with an underslung tactical light did break that effect slightly, but he could always talk his way out with the Calvert identification.
"Thomas." A voice whispered down the tunnel at him.
He stopped, gripping his gun tighter. The Police band squawking and then dying like it lost all charge made him flinch. Then his tac light showed three figures up ahead, flying or hanging. Dirty costumes and red marks like blood, they looked like…
No!
It couldn't be New Wave. They were ashes at the bottom of a crater.
"Thomas." The voice again, this time from the other direction. A tall male figure was staggering along, dragging a leg behind. His arms were full of bloody robes. Panacea's cross was evident. "You set us up to die, Thomas."
Fuck!
Checking his other timeline, he was unhappy to discover the hatch was locked by a new lock, Tinker-made. Oh, that sunovabitch, Armsmaster had
blocked his escape path. If he had a few pounds of C4 he might be able to open it up. But it would not be quiet. And he didn't have it!
Closing the Unsafe line let him open another here.
Thomas A turned left and made for the next path down.
Thomas B stayed put for a count of ten and then moved toward the shambling figure, trying to work past it.
"Coil!" Another figure showed down the way A had taken, Glory Girl –face gray-white as she hovered ahead of him. She had what appeared to be entrails hanging down, red and dripping from a gash in her abdomen.
He had been uneasy before, maybe frightened. But he was military trained. Ghosts might be real, but they couldn't hurt your any worse than your conscience could, and he had beaten that to nothing years ago.
Then the fear hit him.
Coil screamed as his nightmares took on reality around him.
Thomas B felt the same fear coming from the side. There wasn't enough room between the two lines. He couldn't use it to get free of these …things.
He shot the closer one. It didn't react to the shots. The fear redoubled.
He turned and shot at Glory Girl's ghostly form. It smiled at him as the field popped –according to Tattletale a solid shot would… The second shot hit her in the chest. She seemed to look down at it momentarily then grow angry.
The fear grew again. Again.
The two Calverts stumbled back, forced into the same space, the fear in both of them.
"Coil! You told them where to find us."
Blubbering, Calvert found himself blurting out something, anything to get them to stop this.
"I did it! I told the Empire where SMAAL would be as soon as Brandish reported on the meeting. I knew Purity would try to finish you off. Then I would be able to take over the ci-hit-ty."
He was holding the Police band radio still. His custom modified radio. With the extra buttons and commands.
As New Wave landed around him and he realized they were alive and wearing makeup and some of them had been recording him the whole time, he muttered a last "Fuck you all."
Triggering the fail safes. ALL of them.
Emails went out, putting the Empire cape identities into four different new agencies and the FBI. The evidence was fresh but the fingerprints on the source of the data was old. Some of it suggested Lung was the source. Other bits that Faultline of all people was the origin of the data. But a last slug of the data going out showed it to be Coil who sent the data –thanks to Freyja.
In his primary base, alarms sounded. Mercenaries, faced with a countdown until destruction, emptied the armories into their vehicles and ran for the surface. Their vehicles came boiling out of the garage next to the Forsberg gallery, on the far side of Medhall plaza.
Having military grade vehicles that looked like PRT or SWAT vans come out of a garage, the guns in the open windows stuttering with fire as they mowed down armed gang members that turned toward the engine noise coming into the street. That was a sign.
To Purity it stated simply 'shoot me' and she did.
Finger guns would never quite be the same once the footage got out. Leet's snitch was a filming, but those two were staying heads down as far away as they could be. They were parked in the dormitory parking lot at Brockton University.
One, two. And through and through. Three, four. The shots did pour. Burning military panel trucks with a few unlucky souls boiling out –unlucky because the Empire toughs were right there to shoot them on the ground as they tried to put out the fire on their backs.
*************************
"Director, I see PRT trucks on fire just outside of the Forsberg gallery parking garage." The technician reported.
Frowning. "We don't have vehicles parked at the Forsberg gallery." She glares at the logistics officer, who shook his head.
"No ma'am, all assets accounted for except one with no rear axle intact and that was left at the HQ."
*************************
In Coil's secondary base, further north by some eight blocks under the old North Mall, the Travelers were hearing alarms sound. They had not been there for more than a week. Noelle was going to be transferred from the Penske truck they'd moved her with to a place further underground. It hadn't happened yet. Coil had just had a farmer bring in horses or older cows and leave them for her to 'eat'.
She couldn't stand to kill the horses. But Ballistic had done the deed as needed.
She still felt bad that Oliver had broken his neck as they ran from the Simurgh in Madison. The fact that they then found vials enough for each of them to take a full dose was not enough of a silver lining.
Clearly, she was still growing. There was a consensus that she might have the same powers as Crawler of the Nine. Or something worse. Crawler wasn't known to eat people, that was more the Siberian's wheelhouse. But Noelle was 'peckish' all the time unless she had a meal in hand that was bigger than the person annoying her. And a lot of people annoyed her.
Horses, she couldn't bring herself to kill to eat. People were … different.
"What if that is a timer counting down to blow the place up?" Cody yelled over the din of alarm noise.
"What really? You've watched too many Bond movies." Trickster responded.
"Um, Dude. Coil is like a god-awful cat-stroking Blofeld, and you know it." Ballistic spoke up.
Trickster looked around. No mercenaries or minders. They were alone in the garage under the closed mall, just the Penske truck with Noelle in it and the RV they used for the rest of them. Keys in hand he ran for the Penske truck.
"Drop the door, baby. We think this shit is going to blow!" He called out through the little window.
"But I'm hungry."
"We'll hit a drive through or maybe a farm outside town." He waved at the others to move it as they threw their gear back on the RV. Ballistic had it started and they both were ready to pull out yesterday,
"Follow me and head north. We can run for the Canadian border and cross back further west."
The walkie talkie they used squawked with Mars's answer. "But we need passports to cross."
"Not on the backroads. Worst case Noelle hikes for a mile around the edge and we cross with an empty truck."
"I heard that!" Noelle sounded unhappy.
He headed for the exit, the RV right behind. "It isn't leaving you behind, I can swap you with a truck from the other side. And we can get you some maple syrup, you like that."
"Pancakes?
Okay, I'm sold."
***********************
Purity was counting down the time. Less than forty minutes to go and she would burn through to the holding areas, using 'volunteers' to guide her shots from her location.
Krieg's pained voice got her attention.
"Kayden! That sheissekopf Coil, he released our identities." He sounded lost. "We're burned!"
Automatically, Purity chastised him about using THAT name until it sank in. "
All of us? Including Max? Aster?"
"All of us. The bastard gave out our social security numbers and many of our accounts are already frozen. Medhall is in the middle of being seized."
Purity slapped one hand to the other. "All right then, time's up! Blast the front door of the PRT HQ open and be ready for me to burn through the floor to the next level down. We need Hookwolf, Night and Fog if we are going to keep this city as open capes."
Alabaster, far enough away to be brave in grumbling. "Open capes, she says.
She hasn't had the IRS sniffing around her income to spend ratio has she."
