Tale of a Biron2.2
After Triumph, I guess it was Triumph I don't think Missy knew many Rorys other than him, got the ball rolling it only took the PRT about three hours to get everything in order. Of course Mrs. Biron didn't take it lying down. Looks like Missy wasn't exaggerating about her mother and the Youth Guard, she had their number on speed dial.
From her, rather loud, half of the phone conversation with the lawyer they provided I got that yes, minor or not the PRT actually could put me under their custody in these specific circumstances as I was technically a parahuman. The PRT seems to have a lot of legal leeway when it comes to parahumans.
So that left us, that is Missy and I, waiting for our escort in the safe house living room with a couple of PRT agents and with nothing better to do than do some zapping.
Ugh, daytime televisión. I swear I felt some of my neurons die an horrible and painful death. A pity that agent Moore wasn't one of the two agents saddled with babysitting us, she was nice unlike the two guys that took the stereotypical federal agent look too seriously.
The reason we were waiting for transportation was because the other agents assigned to our protective detail had taken the van to bring Mr. Biron back to his house and Mrs. Biron to a hotel as her, I mean our, house was still a crime scene. They would still have a BBPD patrol near them just in case.
It was almost midday when we finally heard a car coming up the road. One of the agents, whose name I did not bother to learn because he had the personality of a pet rock, took a look outside and said something on his radio before giving us the all clear signal.
When we got out, our bags in hand, I saw an SUV with tinted windows and standing next to its open door a guy that at first glance did look rather normal with his sneakers, jeans and a hoodie with its hood up. I don't know much about clothes but even I could tell that they were expensive. The only thing that hinted that this wasn't someone who got lost and ended here by accident was the domino mask half hidden by the shadows of the hood and that when she saw him Missy visibly perked up.
"Ro..." Missy cached herself before blurting out his real name. "Triumph!" She let her bag go and in a couple of steps she covered a considerable distance and got in front of Triumph almost glomping him.
"Hello to you too, Missy." He said with a fond smile and tousled her hair.
"You didn't tell me you were coming." She said letting go of him and swatting playfully at his arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"
"Where would be the fun in that?" He said teasingly and when she pouted he added. "No, really. I didn't even know if they'd agree to your idea and when they gave it the green light I volunteered to take you guys to the base."
As they talked I took Missy's bag from the floor and got closer. Dammit Missy, I'm not your pack mule.
"Oh, this is my brother Bobby." She said when she noticed me at her side. "Bobby, this is Triumph, he is... was the leader of the Wards until a while ago."
"Hey." I let Missy's bag go an waved at him.
"Hey, yourself." He waved back. "Ready to go?"
I just shrugged and pointed to the house. "We're still missing a couple of someones." What the hell were they doing?
He nodded but before he could answer Missy cut in. "Can you tell me anything about what's happening? They just told me that the Empire and the ABB are at each others throats again."
"Haven't been online lately?"
She snorted. "No computer here and you know that the only phone I've got is the cheap one that issue to every Ward and you can't connect to the Internet with it."
"Oh, right." He said before shrugging. "Last night some new cape took on Lung and then somehow made him crash one of Hookwolf's underground fighting rings when Hookwolf, Stormtiger and Cricket were there."
I had to squash the urge to whistle innocently.
"Wow, that takes some ba... I mean guts." Triumph raised an eyebrow at her slip of the tongue. "Sorry, lately they have been pairing me with Shadow Stalker for patrols." She explained with a little blush.
"The new cape escaped in the confusion and left us to pick up their mess. They had to field the whole team to take care of it." He continued. "In the end we had to agree to a truce with the Empire to get Lung to the boat graveyard and leave him there to cool off."
"Oh, is everyone ok?" Asked Missy bitting her lip.
"Yes, we got out of it without life threatening injuries. Crusader got the jump on Dauntless early in the fight, before the truce, and he is still in the med bay of the rig but New Wave contacted us earlier and said that Panacea was coming to help out this evening. The others injuries weren't that serious, mostly just inconvenient. Battery got a concussion and was told to take it easy for a while, Panacea can't do anything for her. And Armsmaster got a broken arm, but that didn't stop him, you know how he is. To be honest only Miss Militia and I came out of it unscathed."
We stored the bags in the trunk as he gave Missy the rundown of last night's aftermath.
"Right, so, you think that this time they might call us Wards to the field? I mean, even if they are just minor injuries that's most of the team that got injured, if the gangs' capes start something..."
"Don't worry, most of the Empire's capes and Oni Lee must be still licking their wounds. And I doubt Lung will go out again so soon." He answered while Missy and I got into the back seats of the car. "And even if the Empire has Othala her healing takes time unlike Panacea so by the time she has healed the nazis we will have most of the team back at full strength." He got back into the driver's seat.
"What about the non powered members? Have they tried anything yet." Asked Missy.
"So far only a drive by shooting that luckily didn't leave any victims and a small riot at Winslow high between Empire and ABB new recruits, Shadow Stalker and the police broke it up but classes were canceled for the day."
At the mention of her fellow Ward Missy rolled her eyes. "Great." She said sarcastically. "No she'll be unbearable."
"You two don't get along I guess." I said, not surprising given what I knew about the ex-vigilante.
"She's a b..." She stopped for a second "very unpleasant person."
"Shadow Stalker can be a bit abrasive." Added Triumph.
"She's always looking down on us. At least with Aegis and Gallant she's just dismissive. But with Kid Win and me she's more..." She trailed off. "Vocal."
"Is she bullying you?" I asked and I found myself frowning. I swear if that psyco has tried anything like she did to Taylor in canon with my sister I will introduce her to the business end of one of my electric techniques.
"No, nothing like that." She said glancing sideways at me. "She is already in hot water because of things she did before she joined. It's mostly more subtle stuff. Some things she says..."
"Missy..." Triumph started to say before being cut by Missy.
"Don't worry about it, that's not important right now." She said with finality turning to look out of the window.
"Okay, but if there is a problem I trust you'd tell Aegis." Insisted Triumph.
"Yeah." She said without looking at us.
Dammed Sophia, ruining the mood even when she's not present.
The conversation died there. I had no idea what to say to the former leader of the Wards and while he is probably my best shot to learn anything about Dinah I can't suddenly start asking if his cousin has suddenly developed powers. Especially when I'm not supposed to know his secret identity. And it was obvious that Missy wasn't in a talking mood anymore.
The uncomfortable silence lasted even after the PRT agents finished whatever they were doing in the house and all the ride back to the PRT building.
Screw it, I'll probably punch Stalker's face with a crackling fist as soon as she gives me the slightest excuse.