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Beta: You-would-not-see-the-fuzzy-long-necked-mammal-if-you-were-not-looking-for-it

AN: Reviews make me more excited to write more, otherwise I'm really not sure how the story's going over. I appreciate and read all of them. Read and Enjoy!

~Work

"Shadow Stalker, the duration of Master-Stranger protocols for interaction with a known Master, in this case the cape designated as Regent, have passed. The director plans to clear you from quarantine after you pass my examination. We've received your report, but I'm here to question you personally about the events two days ago, Wednesday, January first, two thousand eleven. Are you ready to begin?"

He silently activated one of the features in his visor.

"Let's just get this over with so I can get back to my life."

Null

Her response is unprofessional, not surprising given her history. "How were you injured?"

Shadow Stalker becomes visibly angry with the reminder. "While in pursuit of the Undersiders, Regent caused me to accidentally shoot myself. "

True.

Completely possible, except… "Why was the wound from a lethal bolt?"

She attempts to calm herself down before she answers, "I ran out of tranquilizer bolts on patrol last night. I decided to use what I had on me."

True

Armsmaster nearly frowned at the answer before continuing, "Why were you patrolling alone?"

"I wanted to blow off some steam and no one wanted to come with me." Her reply almost seemed disinterested, which didn't match the body readings.

True

However, it was plausible and he followed-up with the next question, "Why didn't you call for backup when you encountered hostile capes?"

Her answer came with a touch of anger, "It was only Grue at first, and I wanted to handle it by myself."

True

At the answer, Armsmaster did frown, "Standard protocol requi-"

Shadow Stalker's outburst wasn't unexpected, nor was it out of character. "I know what they say! You've been jamming them down my throat since I got here! I'm sick of letting criminals get away because of your rules!"

True

"Regardless, you agreed to follow the rules set by the PRT and the Protectorate in exchange for leniency. Ignoring how you broke protocol to call for reinforcements, you also went on an unapproved solo patrol, and have been found in possession of lethal armaments."

Shadow Stalker glared at him from the hospital bed she'd been confined to inside the Protectorate medical bay. The electrical precautions had been disarmed when the required twenty-four hours had passed, not that Armsmaster felt a single iota of concern for his well-being. Shadow Stalker wouldn't be combat capable for at least a week. Less if they could arrange for Panacea to pay her a visit. Meanwhile, this incident would lower the combat efficiency of his Wards. He really needed to secure a healer for his sector, but with New Wave nearby the directors felt it was unnecessary.

"I thought this was a clearance test, not an interrogation. When are you going to let me out of here?"

False

… She considered this an interrogation? Why? Possibly his personality or her lack of respect for authority. Something to look into later.

"Your placement in the Wards was on a probationary basis. The terms of your membership dictate that you would not engage in solitary patrols without approval and proper monitoring equipment. In addition, under no circumstances were you to be found in possession of lethal ammunition. Upon violating these terms, your agreement with Protectorate would be terminated and the punishment you were slated would be followed through. From the records-"

"Are you fucking kidding me!? You're going to send me to juvie because I defended myself? I could've died if I didn't have those bolts."

True

"Doesn't all the work I put in for you count for anything? I've followed your rules for months!"

False

When the Brockton Bay Wards looked good, it reflected well on him as a leader. Shadow Stalker was a loose cannon. Rude and often violent, she had joined the Wards out of coercion, rather than her free will. Unexpectedly, there hadn't been any major problems out on the field until today. Although his lie detector did pick up some uncertainties and lies that were concerning, she'd kept her nose clean to the rest of the world.

"You've violated your probation twice in one night. Normally, you'd be removed from the team and either punished with your original sentencing, or reassigned to a Simurgh quarantine zone for an indefinite period of time. Both would serve to teach you the consequences of your actions."

Recruiting a troubled vigilante like Shadow Stalker and turning her into a productive hero proved that he could be a versatile leader. It also demonstrated interpersonal skills he didn't really have. That said recruit could potentially hurt an Endbringer was also a tremendous boost to Brockton's reputation. She would get a second chance.

"However, in light of your service and clean record before this incident, Director Piggot and I believe you deserve a second chance. Should you violate the terms of your probation a third time, then there will be no leniency in our decisions. Do I make myself clear? "

"Yes sir." No gratitude, but he didn't expect any.

"Good, you're free to go. Be sure not to miss your daily check-ups until the doctor clears you."

He left without waiting for her response.

"What's the problem Colin?" Armsmaster always believed he heard a distinct accent in her voice, part Canadian and something else he couldn't identify. Even he knew enough not tell a woman she sounded a tad mechanical, regardless of the fact that they were friends and both Tinkers.

He usually dialed her from his helmet's uplink; it was probably the transmission.

Colin cleared his throat, "Nothing urgent Dragon. While the holidays haven't been as peaceful as I'd like, there hasn't been anything we can't handle. "

"You wouldn't call me for nothing. What's wrong?"

Armsmaster stopped himself from saying he enjoyed her company; he was a professional. And he didn't want to alienate his colleague; especially not one of the only one's who could tolerate his personality.

"I have some concerns regarding Shadow Stalker; I'm uploading the data from my lie detector to you now. I… I was hoping you'd give me a second opinion. If you have the time of course."

He disliked asking for help. How was he supposed to show he could be one of the best heroes if he always needed help? Dragon was the authority on data analysis though, and she would be discrete.

"No problem, I've gone through it already, and I think you're right. I could look into this for you if you wanted."

Except her abilities put his to shame. She embarrassed most Tinkers if he was being honest. Friends were supposed to help each other out though… Bulldozing his hesitance he replied, "If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd appreciate it."

"You know I don't mind helping you out whenever you ask. By the way, your new software looks like it runs much more efficiently. Probably around ninety-eight percent correct, though truth is subjective."

He smiled even though she couldn't see it, a compliment from one of the world's greatest Tinkers didn't come easily.

"Thank you. For the help. I really appreciate it."

"Any time. Good-bye Colin."

She hung up before he could say anything. In these moments, Colin felt frustrated at his lack of social skills. Armsmaster couldn't afford distractions though, and he headed to the gym for his daily workout.

The Merchants used to be a small time problem, even with their three parahumans. Making a mess in some small corners of the Docks had been the extent of their abilities, but it had only been a matter of time before they tried something bigger. Apparently the catalyst for that was gaining a fourth parahuman. Cape designation 'Trainwreck', they'd captured footage of him fighting Hookwolf in a mechanical suit. The Merchants with more muscle would've been annoying enough. Two Tinkers, although only one confirmed since Trainwreck hadn't been observed building anything, cooperating together was a potential disaster.

Particularly if they didn't care about retaining anything they made.

Armsmaster massaged his temples in a vain attempt to stave off the headache dealing with the junkies had become. He took a moment to look at his surveillance screens. As usual, he was the last one still working besides of the patrol shifts. Turning back to his screens, he briefly considered tinkering with his gear to relax, before focusing again. Putting in the extra hours is what it takes to be the best.

Drugs had always been an issue in Brockton Bay, first with smuggling, like any other shipping port, and then with the gangs. They saw trafficking as easy money, especially with the large groups of low to middle income families.

The Merchants recent expansion had spread the substances into a wider area than ever before. The ABB and the Empire both dealt in drugs, but it wasn't their specialty. Not like Merchants, whose membership, from the common thug to the capes, was made up almost entirely of users.

He pulled open diagrams of the different vehicles the Merchant Tinkers had cobbled together. Too many design flaws, he could see immediately how the machines could be streamlined to achieve the same effects. Adjusting the wiring to minimize power loss by at least twenty percent, or rearranging the tubing to increase the range of the sound vacuum by several feet. Armsmaster shook himself before he fell too deeply into a Tinker trance. The machines were especially offensive to him because of his personal specialization: miniaturization and efficiency.

Focusing on the capabilities, he considered Brockton Bay's latest problem.

The Stranger model, silent and invisible, used as both a getaway car and transportation for money and drugs. These alone had nearly doubled the number of car accidents in Brockton. Tinker ratings were based on a variety of factors, including specialization and effects. He himself could be rated in several other categories because of his creations. Similar to how Squealer received a Mover 3 classification for her previous creations, the PRT had given the machine a Stranger 3 rating.

The Blaster model, firing blasts of typically electricity, though fire had appeared a few times. The night Shadow Stalker had gone out alone, the local Protectorate had to run disaster relief only a few blocks away to help people evacuate two damaged buildings. While originally a lower rating, the Blaster model had either been improved, or never really pushed to its limits. To better prepare those pursuing the Merchants, they'd upgraded the machines to Blaster 4 after the last fiasco. Whether or not he agreed, protecting the PRT officers and heroes took priority.

And of course the Trump model that made all of it possible. Only Velocity had seen it in action before the Merchant capes had fended him off and ran. From the footage recorded in Velocity's costume camera, Armsmaster had determined that the model was of a much higher quality from a technological standpoint, and the design didn't completely matched Squealers typical mess.

He opened the video again and watched. As in Velocity's report, the machines dimensions outsized "two big SUVs side-by-side". Pipes and gears features just as prominently as Squealer's typical protruding attachments of unnecessary size. It sat on what looked like the bottom of a train, except treads circled the wheels. Unusually, there weren't any obvious weapons, another sign of a second designer; although video analysis revealed it most likely out armored any two tanks.

The video continued, and the machine produce what looked like cocaine, crystal meth, and heroin in succession through a few of its pipes. Then vehicle vanished, and the scene suddenly spun incomprehensibly as Velocity fled from the attacking Merchants.

The Trump model not only had the capabilities of the Stranger model, but more importantly it had the ability to produce whatever drugs the Merchants wanted. Thankfully, for the peace of Brocton Bay, the quantity produced each time appeared limited. They'd tentatively rated it with a Trump 1 since while the car only made drugs at the moment; they weren't sure what else could be produced. Armsmaster went cold at the idea of the Merchants creating weapons grade uranium in any quantity.

Still, an apparently never-ending producer of high-end drugs didn't bode well for anyone. The other gangs had already taken note, and there had been a sharp increase in cape battles involving pretty much every faction in the city. The Merchants had thrown his city into disarray.

He narrowed his eyes in thought. Other than the Trump model, all the other machines had limited lifespans. Provided their functions weren't engaged, they could work as normal cars.

Otherwise, they'd judged from surveillance and the units they seized that the Stranger model had about five hours of cloaking before burning out, and the Blasters had anywhere from four to five shots. However, the cars could be repaired by the Merchants' Tinkers if they were brought back before they collapsed or malfunctioned. Even broken, the Merchants would scavenge the shells for parts if the whole contraption hadn't gone up in flames. He estimated that about thirty percent of the Merchants' fleet had been repaired at least once.

Armsmaster opened more files onto the screen.

He hypothesized that the reason Merchants only had one Trump model was a combination of their resources and the manpower they could muster to protect it. At the moment, they couldn't afford to build a second since everyone was gunning for them. But if they weren't stopped and acquired more money and more members… Armsmaster inputted the numbers and created a rudimentary growth model for the hypothetical situation. He didn't like the future it depicted. The Brockton Bay Protectorate would have to step in before the Merchants gained more momentum.

The two weak points in the Merchant operation were the Trump model and the frailty of their cars. He'd have to neutralize the first, and find a way to take advantage with the second.

A roster of his team opened on the screen and he scratched his face. He'd have to shave soon or decide to go with a beard.

Assault, Battery, Velocity, Miss Militia, Triumph, and Dauntless.

Next came the profiles of the Wards.

Kid Win, Aegis, Gallant, Vista, Clockblocker, and Shadow Stalker.

A brief note and an extra profile popped up. The former about Shadow Stalker's medical condition, the girl had only narrowly avoided destroying her knee completely by using her power, and the latter detailing the appearance of an underage cape in the nearby area. He called himself Browbeat, short-ranged telekinesis and personal biokinesis.

Armsmaster skimmed Browbeat's information, before deciding to place Assault and Gallant on recruiting him in the near future. Assault's powers were somewhat similar to the potential Ward, and he was fairly approachable. Gallant followed the rules while being very amiable, could show off the potential Tinker technology that came with being a Ward, and his powers gave an in-depth perception to how the prospect felt. Sending his notes and recommendations to Director Piggot, Armsmaster returned to planning his operation.

The Protectorate base required a minimum of two Protectorate members on call if the rest were on patrol or mobilizing for an operation. One to operate the console, while the other acted as backup for emergencies. The Wards could be used to fill in, and they usually did for the surveillance console, but they tried to keep them from combat if possible.

Armsmaster considered the weapons and capes the Merchants had, and the damage potential from the Blaster model cars alone meant that the Wards without durability were immediately ruled out. One lucky shot and he'd be offering his condolences to a family. Of his roster, that only left Aegis. He decided to keep the junior heroes at the base or on patrol.

Next, he began selecting the heroes who would come with him. Purely based on numbers, he wanted to match the Merchants' capes four for four. However, that meant only two senior heroes in reserve, less if they needed backup. In light of Shadow Stalker's recent injury, Armsmaster hesitated to have fewer heroes monitoring the Wards for trouble.

As Dragon always said, they were just children.

He could bring Assault and Battery with a reasonable certainty that they would succeed. That it would leave everyone else, Velocity, Miss Militia, Triumph, and Dauntless, to oversee the kids and patrols was convenient. While he would have to share credit, shutting down the growing drug problem was exactly the kind of publicity the Protectorate needed.

Director Piggot wouldn't be sold on bringing a smaller force against superior numbers though. As much as the PRT officers trained to handle parahumans, they remained largely ineffectual without cape support. An extra parahuman along with an unknown number of Tinker weapons didn't qualify as 'safe' odds.

He began going over his justifications. As the resident senior Tinker, Armsmaster had the experience necessary to deal with two potential Tinkers, even on their home turf. Assault and Battery could bypass Skidmark's power fields with pure speed, while being strong enough to handle anything Mush or the Tinkers threw their way.

Battery specifically had a slight electromagnetic element to her power, so the electric blasts would be rendered ineffective against her. They'd tested as much when she first joined, and while she couldn't redirect the lighting back at the source, her power allowed her to ground the highest voltage they had through her body without harm.

Of course the results meant that the Protectorate base installed extra security measures, mostly more containment foam turrets. He followed suit by adding extra electromagnetic shielding to his equipment.

Armsmaster blinked, he'd nearly forgotten about the EMP shielding he'd put in place. That could be the answer to his problems. While most Tinkers learned to implement shielding on some level, the Merchants' Tinkers wouldn't be taking the necessary precautions if their machines were made to be semi-disposable. He could assuage the director's concerns if they could shut down the various models and put them at an advantage.

They still had one functioning Stranger model on the base that he could run tests on.

By the time he made it to his lab, Armsmaster had the schematics for gauntlets that would emit a localized electromagnetic pulse.

EMP technology was well within the grasp of humanity before the first parahumans appeared, and he'd finished and tested his first design in the twilight hours Friday night. However, although the testing department cleared his device on functionality, the director had conferred with the testers over the results, and ultimately rejected his prototype. Since then, calibrating the power output had been immensely challenging.

The main concerns had been rooted in the range of the devices, specifically how they might affect civilian buildings caught within. Armsmaster had originally calculated the output to short the Merchants' disposable cars at range, with the idea that the areas the Merchants operated in wouldn't have sensitive electronics. She had rejected the concept again even as he scaled it down.

While Director Piggot did give his operation a provisional green light, she refused to budge on scaling down the devices.

He held a grudging respect for Director Piggot's iron will; since knowing her, he'd never seen her back down from her position regardless of whom she faced. Armsmaster had designed and improved over half the technology in the building, without making it into true Tinker tech, and she still didn't allow him any leeway.

Instead of gauntlets, he'd worked with his specialization and downsized the EMP emitters into watches. At Battery's request, he'd included a function to tell time and the local weather. He'd denied Assault's request for his to tell a joke every hour.

In the latest model, the range had been reduced to barely an arm's length. It would require the heroes to get close to the cars to shut them down, but that the team he'd selected remained unchanged kept him satisfied. Configuring the technology to account for Velocity's power would take several more days, and none of the others had enough speed to make a difference. Dauntless might in a few months, but otherwise Battery and Assault were still faster in close quarters.

For the third time, he brought a prototype and associated test reports into Director Piggot's office. At this point, she'd gone over enough similar reports that she didn't need the scientists in charge of testing around. He'd requested the meeting even though it was Sunday. Starting the week off with a solid operation would send a great message to the public: their heroes worked diligently everyday to keep them safe.

Emily Piggot sat unsmiling behind her desk. Armsmaster knew she didn't appreciate having to come into work early on a Sunday morning, but he did offer a solution to the growing drug problem. She acknowledged him tersely, "Armsmaster," before gesturing for him to sit down.

He remained standing, and instead handed her the paperwork and began speaking.

"Director Piggot, I've finished the EMP devices and have the appropriate test results to show their new specifications. I also brought the surveillance reports taken over the last few days by the various patrols and PRT officers. We've located what we believe is their current location, and only require your approval to begin closing in."

Finishing, he waited as she stared at him shrewdly before flipping through the papers. After a few minutes, she shuffled the stack together and spoke.

"I'm glad you agree that the previous designs were too dangerous to the lives of normal civilians. I'm willing to overlook this instance as an eagerness to get the job done, Armsmaster, but try to be more considerate in the future."

Armsmaster took note of her comments, but didn't visibly react. For all her experience and expertise, the Director was not a nice person. She continued when he stayed silent.

"Regarding your other request, barring any unforeseen developments, I give my full approval for you to execute the operation within the outlines you've given me. You may begin at your discretion."

Despite the growing eagerness he felt inside, Colin didn't react as he replied, "Thank you m'am" and left her office.

He radioed Assault and Battery to meet him in his lab. Aside from surveillance, he'd also formulated several attack plans in the last few days. He wanted the operation to headline the Monday morning news tomorrow, so they would have to strike tonight.

How did it all go so wrong?

Armsmaster replayed the videos again. Outfitting his team with high-quality miniature cameras ostensibly for accountability, he'd actually wanted to chronicle the events for both his combat prediction software and the media.

Two blocks out from the target, Assault took to the rooftops while Battery ran through the streets and he rode alongside with his bike. Assault took long leaps, seeming to defy gravity each time he pushed off something. Battery's stop and go bursts looked like alternating a movie between pause and fast-forward.

He'd followed Squealer's example and added silencers to his favorite means of transportation, forgoing the usual intimidating roar. They didn't want to alert the villains any earlier than necessary.

Arriving, they prepared to storm the warehouse: he would approach from above, Battery covering the back entrance, and Assault smashing his way through the front door.

It had been a trap.

Still, he took a moment to watch the boosting maneuver the pair had perfected over years of experience.

Battery stood stock still next to her partner as the light meters on her costume filled up in a transition from yellow to green. Suddenly she lashed out, striking Assault in the side. He nearly vanished as he absorbed the kinetic energy from her super-strength, and compounded his own movement to crash through the front of the warehouse. Battery became a streaked blur as she zoomed toward the back entrance.

Armsmaster could and did appreciate the simple, effective, and efficient, power combination they'd done hundreds of worked like a well-oiled machine. He turned back to his camera as they breached the warehouse.

The razor-edge of his halberd carved through the old metal roofing like a warm knife through butter. While he dropped down on his new circle platform into the middle of the building, Assault folded and knocked in the sliding warehouse doors with a crash. Battery tore through the back metal doors like tissue seconds later.

The original plan had been to activate the EMP emitters as they entered, blitz through the warehouse, and then incapacitate the Merchants' capes. The warehouse's lights had been on from the outside, but the inside had been full of nothing except broken cars and parts. They met in the center underneath where he'd made his entrance.

Squealer had a vehicle specialty, he should have known.

Assault broke the silence first, "Not even a single junkie here to greet us... I feel insulted!"

Battery glared at Assault before turning to ask, "What's the plan now? Was there a secondary target?"

Before he could reply, his visor notified him of several activating power sources. The EMP emitters had shut down the ones they had passed within in range of, but without circling the floor several had been untouched.

"Blasters! Scatter!"

Battery sent a flat palm thrust into Assault's chest, allowing him to zoom backwards toward the front of the warehouse. She followed Assault out, while he grappled upward. The EMPs had probably saved their lives as a cacophony of roaring flames and thunder strikes filled the air. They regrouped at the front as the smell of ozone and burning oil filled the air.

Assault smiled as they stared at the conflagration, before he exclaimed, "That's more I like it! Fireworks!" He turned his grin to Battery and rubbed his chest, "Did you have to hit me so hard? I think that's going to bruise..."

He paused the video screens and took a deep breath. No matter how many times he watched, seeing himself get tossed around still irritated him. Armsmaster clenched his fists. He'd been prepared: the EMP devices would shut down the disposable Tinker vehicles, he wore power armor that boosted all his physical abilities, and his personal gear could detect the power sources so they wouldn't be caught by surprise.

And he'd made the classic mistake of underestimating the villains. Especially Tinkers.

Light shattered, as if revealing one of the Stranger models, except it was Trainwreck. His camera view whipped side to side, accompanied by the sound of metal on metal and concrete as Trainwreck's massive mechanical hand grabbed him and slammed him into the ground repeatedly. Mush slopped out of a cloaked eighteen-wheeler's semi-trailer. His malformed shell of gunk and garbage stretched fifteen feet tall. Assault moved to engage, testing Mush's durability with light taps that sent portions of him ballooning outward.

He switched over to watch Battery's camera, since his wasn't in focus.

Battery activated her EMP emitter while sending a flying kick into the 'head' of Trainwreck's body. The machine shuddered for a moment and its lights blinked out, but while she took the opportunity to rescue him, the eyes flashed back on and steam whistled through the various exhaust pipes. Assault appeared and a kick crunched one of the knees holding Trainwreck up. As the machine fell, he addressed the other heroes with a wide smile and a wink.

"Looked like you needed rescuing."

He shook off Battery's help and stood shakily, "What happened to Mush?"

Assault's smile turned into more of a nervous grin, "Well… you see I couldn't really do anything to him, since he kept absorbing the parts I knocked off… and I sort of shoved him back into that trailer."

As he finished speaking, Mush burst back out, this time several feet larger. The container had apparently been filled with loose debris for him to use his powers on. Meanwhile, Trainwreck sent a wide swing at Assault's back, only for his arm to crumple inward and bounce off.

Assault resumed smiling, undaunted "So anyway, I thought we could switch-off! You've got to have something that can zap him, I can stop whatever Trainwreck throws my way, and Battery can keep standing around looking good!"

Receiving a super-speed smack to the head, Assault quickly changed his mind. "Ouch! I meant she can back up whoever needs it!"

He finished his spur of the moment repairs just in time for his visor to notify him that Squealer and Skidmark were fleeing by highlighting the Trump model's larger power source. He broke his composure by letting out a growl before shaking his head.

"The others are getting away. New plan, Battery you stay with Assault. Together, you two should be able to hold off anything they throw at you and subdue them. Radio the PRT for the containment vans they've prepared after you secure the parahumans. I'll call you if I need assistance."

Battery kicked away Mush's center and magnetically pulled away a few metal items from him before retreating to recharge. Assault sent Trainwreck flying into a building with a car bumper he used as a bat, before turning to jab it several times into Mush's 'body'; debris burst out from the back of his shell.

He paused to reply, "You got it Boss!" Before turning to Battery and offering her the improvised weapon. "Bring back any memories?"

She looked decidedly un-amused, before taking the proffered object and turning to knock Trainwreck back with a loud screech of metal. He had already mounted his bike when she called out behind him. "We'll follow as soon as we can. Stay safe."

He'd barely heard Assault's quip then, and hearing it clearly now nearly made him crack a small smile despite his current circumstances. "Should I be jealous here? I mean he's the leader and all but we have so much history together! … Hey stop ignoring me!"

The door slid open and Armsmaster looked up from the carefully checked laptop they'd allowed him to bring into the cell. Miss Militia walked over to the control panel and entered the code to disarm the security features.

She began speaking, "I'm sorry about all of this Colin, but you know-"

But he interrupted her "I understand Miss Militia, you don't need to be concerned. I don't blame any of you for following the precautions that I helped design."

Colin closed the laptop and started walking up the stairs. He stopped briefly and looked at the Merchants sitting in the other cells. All the villains had been brought to their current cells in the Protectorate Headquarters because of the EMP blast. The PRT cells had similar security measures, but they were taking precautions against other possible strikes.

Against him.

He closed off that line of thought. Of the four parahumans in the Merchants, only Trainwreck had escaped, leaving mid-fight moments before the pulse hit.

Armsmaster hadn't noticed, but he'd long left the trapped warehouse behind, and the pulse hadn't reached the ambush area. This meant the cameras on Assault and Battery had remained unaffected. The pair had kept Mush in place before the PRT arrived with containment foam, and then redirected their efforts toward search and rescue.

Skidmark and Squealer had been picked up escaping on foot by Velocity. Bags full of various drugs and money had weighed them down. While Squealer had dozed off in her cell, Skidmark hadn't stopped yelling obscenities since they caught him. Armsmaster had never been more relieved to have designed a soundproofing feature. He continued up the stairs.

Their capture hadn't been worth it.

Miss Militia turned and followed, keeping pace at his side. She pulled off her mask once they were clear of the villains. Her face showed no relief at his words, something that tinged her next words, "The director has already debriefed Battery and Assault, and has scheduled a meeting with you later today. We all told her it wasn't you, but it took Dragon examining both your devices and the data from the events tonight to clear you of suspicion."

He nodded his head, but didn't reply and turned in the direction of his lab instead. Miss Militia's next comment stopped him. "This wasn't your fault Colin, there won't be even a single mark on your record from this. The good guys won this one."

His reply was tired and he tried to affect as much sincerity he could into it by using her real name. "Thank you Hannah, I appreciate it."

She smiled sympathetically at him, "Just get some sleep, it's been a long night for all of us." Dawn peaked through the windows of the Protectorate Headquarters, and they both turned to stare at the rays of light brightening the city.

After a quiet moment, Armsmaster waved goodbye before resuming his trek to his lab. Once there, he connected the laptop to his console and activated enough screens to cover a wall. This time he followed the footage from only his camera.

As he pursued the Merchants, his power armor informed him that the altercation with Trainwreck had strained the tendons in both hips, as well as fractured his right humerus, scapula, and clavicle. He rerouted power from his torso to compensate.

He would've lost any high-speed chase with only one arm to steer. Adrenaline had helped him ignore the pain then, much like the painkillers he was on now.

Another notification from his visor highlighted one of Skidmark's power fields, one that accelerated the Trump model further ahead. Armsmaster attached his halberd his bike and accelerated. The oddly silent chase drove through the Docks.

At the time, his built in map of Brockton Bay had indicated they were headed out for the western border of the Docks.

That was unacceptable. Civilian density increased once they left the northern area.

Since the pursuit began, he had been careful not to lose sight of the machine since only his detection technology could keep track of the Tinker cloaked device. Remembering now how Trainwreck and Mush had ambushed them, Armsmaster had realized only the larger power source made the Trump model visible to his sensors.

He pulled within range to take aim from behind. His first shot slowed in mid-air as the glow of Skidmark's power appeared on the ground. Another series of sharp turns, the Trump model maneuvered surprisingly well for its size, and he tried again from a closer distance. The EMP attachment latched on and dispersed a charge throughout Squealer's vehicle, shattering the cloaking effect. However, the machine didn't lose any speed.

Armsmaster heard himself curse quietly.

He repeated the strategy twice before cycling through his other armaments. Concussive sound, steel cable nets, chemical smoke pellets, liquid-nitrogen darts… everything up to and including brute force had negligible effects.

The halberd he'd used last night didn't have the heavy firepower installments because the Merchants didn't warrant that level of force. Between Assault and Battery, he didn't expect to have to stop the Trump model on his own. That being said, the Merchants had clearly upgraded the machine, since he'd utilized enough weaponry to take out anything they'd built before.

Only the EMP attachment had worked.

His next actions on screen caused him to frown and lean forward. If only he hadn't been so determined to catch them that very night.

Stopping, he quickly unlatched the EMP emitter he'd made for himself, and linked it onto the electromagnetic pulse device on his halberd. He detached the chain linking the projectile to the rest of the weapon and took careful aim.

Neutralizing the cloaking had allowed him time for the impromptu modifications when he realized the EMP weapon needed more power to disable the machine.

When it hit the Tinker contraption, an enormous electromagnetic pulse rocked through the area. Warnings flashed in his visoras all the lights in the immediate area winked out. The blackout flowed down the street in a wave as the camera view panned quickly from side to side, scanning the streets and the rooftops. Another pulse permeated into his armor and fried the camera.

Armsmaster sat back and considered the data. If he hadn't added extra shielding to his equipment in case of a malfunction with his EMP emitters, then he wouldn't have captured anything beyond the first enormous pulse. Not that the few extra seconds before the second pulse had completely shut him down made a difference. He didn't understand how it was possible; his power armor had EMP shielding beyond all recorded EMP-related weaponry.

Instead, he'd been stuck inside of the equivalent of a metal statue until Dauntless had found him. That humiliation burned him almost as much as being imprisoned in the parahuman cells he'd designed.

Only the specialized three-dimensional computer memory chips had allowed the video footage to come away intact. While he typically preferred to avoid relying on technology from other Tinkers, another Protectorate cape had designed crystals that used light instead of electricity to function as computer chips. Although more fragile, they clearly paid off in circumstances like last night.

Colin looked back at the screen before switching to an overview of the city, waking up for the day. Rewinding several hours, Armsmaster opened the satellite imagery and watched three square blocks of the city black out. The wave-like effect spread further, with the surrounding two blocks on each side experiencing rolling blackouts.

Cascading transformer explosions caused by EMP detonation.

The lack of serious casualties resulted as much from the quick PRT and Protectorate response, as the fact that the Merchants hadn't made it to a heavier populated area. No deaths yet, but many injured.

Armsmaster didn't feel like a hero.

"I'm sorry about what happened."

He hadn't noticed himself answering the call until Dragon appeared on screen, her face frowning sadly.

"There wasn't anything you could do. I'm the one who fielded faulty equipment. I endangered innocents."

Her frown deepened, "Colin… I looked over your specifications. Your power source couldn't possibly create a pulse large enough to cover that area of effect."

She was right, the pulse required too much for the power source he'd included in the either device. Armsmaster crossed his arms and glared at the designs for various EMP devices, still spread around his lab from the previous days.

"Until I can examine the Tinker vehicle, we can't rule out my weapons as the source. At the moment, I can think of at least ten different ways the Tinker technology involved could've reacted negatively to create a magnified EMP blast. The data from my work only indicates I didn't intend to attack the city. This could still be my fault."

Dragon's face held a tinge of what looked like frustration before she returned to a soft frown.

"You'll be accepting my help to clear you of any responsibility."

Her declaration startled him. Taken aback, he hesitated before shaking himself out of his thoughts and replied, "I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't possibly impose on you like that. I already asked you to look into Shadow Stalker, and I know you're busy in your own right."

Dragon shifted through several facial expressions before settling on anger.

"It wasn't an offer Colin, I will be helping you prove you had nothing to do with this."

Colin couldn't keep the slight smile from his face, but he reminded himself of the situation at hand.

"Thank you Dragon."

Her face shifted imperceptibly before settling in a small smile as she replied, "As always, any time." After a brief moment, she abruptly returned to the look of frustration from earlier.

"Speaking of Shadow Stalker, I think there are some things you should know."

AN: If you liked this please let me know!

~Sleep