2.5

When I saw it was the police rather than the PRT coming to investigate, I pulled out my PRT phone and called in. "This is Icon. We have a PRT agent, Lee Jones, killed in an explosion at his home. BBPD are on site."

"Understood. Will send PRT response. Unfortunately, we have had at least six agents attacked in the last hour. So …" I could hear fear and uncertainty in the dispatchers tone. The ABB had made this personal.

"Right. I am on site and will give my statement to the BBPD."

"Hold one … You are requested to tell BBPD this is a PRT matter and not, repeat NOT, give a statement. Understood?"

"Not really, but I'll comply."

"Response ETA in fifteen minutes."

"Right. Out." I hung up and approached the police officers. There were two, an older woman and a younger man. Both in riot uniform with ballistic vests and helmets. I was guessing things were not going well for the police either. "I'm Icon, PRT Affiliated hero." I offered my PRT ID.

"Sergeant Gustav," the woman responded. "This is Officer Franklin. What happened here?"

"PRT Control has asked that I inform you this is a PRT investigation. Sorry about that. I thought PRT and BBPD were coordinating on these attacks?"

"Shit." She looked disgusted. "You're new, right?"

I nodded.

"PRT doesn't cooperate with anyone. They order or ignore police all over the country. Piggott's not the worst, but she doesn't like to air PRT problems." Gustav pointed to the half destroyed PRT SUV then to the tarp I had used to cover Lee's body. "This is obviously one of hers and she wants to take care of it in-house."

"At least this means they might get off their asses and actually fight the gang capes," Franklin added. Gustav just nodded. "The one thing guaranteed to get the PRT, or worse the Protectorate, off the pot is an attack on one of their own."

"Is it really that bad?" I asked. I thought the Protectorate and PRT were a little too reactive, but this sounded like something a whole lot worse.

"Hard to tell what they're doing most of the time," Gustav said. "Maybe they're fighting secret battles that we never hear about. But look around. The gangs have controlled this city for more than a decade, at least since the Marquis, with the PRT and their heroes sitting out in the Bay behind their force field the whole time."

I nodded, not sure how to respond.

"Anyway, if the PRT are claiming this, then it's your crime scene. We'll leave you to it." the older woman motioned for her junior to get back in the cruiser. "It not like there aren't enough others around the city. Damned ABB."

I waved as they drove away. How much of that was just frustration or interagency rivalry? I wondered. In the media, they always played up the rivalry between local police and federal agents, whether FBI or PRT. I'd have to do some research, especially as I was planning on joining the Protectorate. Maybe I needed to take a closer look at my other options.

I called Dad while waiting for the PRT. It seemed silly not to just go over to the house, but I didn't want to leave the scene unguarded and I didn't want Icon to be too closely associated with the Heberts.

"Hello?" I could tell he did not recognize the number of my official phone.

"Mr. Hebert, this is Icon. I am just checking on the status of your guests."

"Ah … Let me let you talk to Dinah."

"Icon?" she sounded better than I expected. I wondered about the implants Riley had mentioned.

"Yes. How are you Dinah?"

"I'm pretty much ok. Riley is working on Nonie. She says she'll be up and walking in about forty minutes. She wants you to stall the police and asks that you keep our powers secret. We're not ready to come out as heroes yet. Nonie too, though she can't talk for herself yet, so we are assuming."

I thought quickly. Untruths dealing with secret identities were about the only acceptable deceptions in the old comic books and there was a lot of chatter about the unwritten rules on PHO. Senior Agent McCloud had mentioned the importance of keeping cape identities secret when I registered, not wanting me to automatically out any capes I arrested. And I had already acted to maintain Lee's secret. "Yeah, alright. I'll do what I can. Not sure how effective it will be, but I'll try."

"Thanks, Icon. I told Riley we could count on you," Dinah gushed.

Just then Armsmaster arrived on his bike, followed by three PRT vehicles. Miss Militia got out of one. I wasn't surprised the Protectorate leaders would come to investigate the death of one of their team. "Alright, the Protectorate is here. I have to go."

Armsmaster removed the tarp and examined Lee. I looked away, sniffing. Miss Militia approached. "Icon. I understand you reported this. How soon after the attack did you arrive on scene?"

"I was here when the attack happened. Miss Jones, Agent Jones' sister was assisting me in my investigation. We were in the house when Agent Jones returned home. Before he could enter the house another vehicle …" I pointed to the destroyed car. "… drove into the driveway and detonated. I could not see the vehicle or its driver from my position, but did hear it."

"Where is Miss Jones?" I could detect the concern in her voice. I assumed the hero knew her teammate's sister.

"She, along with the two minors who had accompanied us, are resting at the neighbor, Mr. Hebert's house." I pointed to my house. "I think she saw her brother killed and is in a bit of shock. While I was digging myself and the two girls out of the wreckage, Sentinel appeared to dig Miss Jones out, then disappeared."

"Sentinel? Can you tell me about him?"

"Not really," I said. "Tall, silvery, no face. Super strong. Silent. After he freed Miss Jones he looked over the rest of us, then leapt into the sky and … gone. I didn't even see which way he went."

"Alright," she said, pulling out a tablet and setting it to record. "Let's go over this from the beginning."

After I gave my statement, she asked some clarifying questions. I drew it out as well as I could, giving lots of details, while avoiding mention of the powers of the others involved."

"You were able to see through the fallen debris?" she asked at one point.

"Yes, I added x-ray vision as a new power during the event. It was relatively weak while boosted. Now it is almost non-existent. It will take at least nine more charges to get to what it was, more to be really useful."

She shook her head. "I see. Please go on."

Several minutes later Armsmaster joined us. He had me go over the basics again. After I did, he looked at me closely. I wondered why. "Why did you come here as part of your investigation. What were you investigating?"

"I was trying to find Bakuda's bomb lab," I replied. "She has to be producing these devices somewhere. My understanding is that a tinker needs a lab. As for why I came here, I am limited in how much I can divulge as it involves the secret identity of a cape."

He jumped on that. "Which cape?"

"One that does not have a masked identity at this point." I answered, realizing he thought I meant Dauntless. "But she has powers that might help me in finding the lab. And, as I already know her identity, she is willing to assist me."

Both of the Protectorate heroes examined me silently for several seconds. I forced myself not to fidget.

"I wish you were currently in the Protectorate so I could order you to divulge your source." Armsmaster's voice was scary intense. Miss Militia laid her hand on his shoulder. He looked at her, nodded, and then walked away.

"Uh ..." I started, not sure what to say.

"He is very upset," she tried to reassure me. "There is more going on here that you are aware of." She looked around. "If you'll take me to the neighbor, I'd like to talk with Miss Jones. Perhaps she can tell us more about the attack vehicle."

I nodded and took her to the house. It was very strange to knock on my own door. Dad answered. He could not stop staring at Miss Militia. I worked hard to keep the grin off my face.

"Mr. Hebert," I made the introduction. "Miss Militia would like a few words with Miss Jones. Is she able to answer questions at this time?"

"Please call me Danny. Nonie is over on the couch. I think she's ready to talk."

He led us into the living room. Nonie was laid out on the couch, a blanket over her and a steaming drink on the coffee table next to her. There was still blood in her hair and scratches on her face. But her eyes were open and she was tracking us. I felt a shot of relief when I saw her. She was a longtime friend of the family, even if we had not been close in the last few years. I had lost one such friend today. I was delighted not to lose another.

"Miss Jones, I am Miss Militia of the Protectorate. I have a few questions about what happened today."

Dad and I listened as the hero gently walked Nonie through the events. Nonie never mentioned anything about a walking table. She did put a quiet stress on the fact that Lee was carrying his case when the car exploded. She said she only got a second's view of the driver. He was an older East Asian man. She confirmed that she had seen Lee caught in the blast and had checked his body afterwards. That was the end of the questions as Nonie collapsed. Miss Militia tried to comfort her, but it was Dad that eventually got her quieted.

The Protectorate hero motioned for me to follow her out of the house. As we walked to the street I looked back in time to catch a glimpse of a small face peering from my bedroom window. It disappeared almost immediately. So they were hiding upstairs, I thought.

"Is there anything else you can tell us about this incident?" Miss Militia asked.

"When I called this in the PRT dispatcher said there had been other attacks on PRT agents?"

"Yes. Several were apparently followed home when they went off-shift. Car bombs were used in seven separate incidents, of which this is one. The ABB broke the rules. This is going to come back on them hard." I saw her energy construct shifting into weapons I was not familiar with, but which looked really dangerous. She had not been quite this disturbed at yesterday's big meeting. I wondered of the police sergeant was right. They only got serious when their own were attacked?

I flew away, only to return ten minutes later, having changed back into Taylor. When I approached our house a PRT agent stopped me until I showed him my ID that had my address on it. He looked at the house number then let me go though. As was my normal practice, I entered the house through the back door.

Dad gave me a big hug. Nonie was still on the couch. I rushed up to her and took her hand. "I'm so sorry about Lee. Are you alright?"

"Oh Taylor …" I held her as she cried.

Dinah and Riley came down and Nonie introduced us. I waved.

"I'll be back in a few minutes. I have to get something."

I went down to the basement, grabbed a large box and half-filled it with miscellaneous junk. As they all watched me, I carried it out to the shed. Right before I got there I stumbled, dropping the box, and spilling its contents on the ground. Quickly I refilled it, using my enhanced reflexes to hide the grey case at the bottom. I continued into the shed and closed the door behind me.

I quickly transferred the contents of the case, Dauntless' armor, boots, shield, and lance into a different box, covering them with different junk. I got a bit of a shock when I picked up the lance. It started to spark and I could feel my power reaching out to it. I dropped it before it became too noticeable. I used gloves to touch the rest of the gear.

As a PRT agent watched, I carried the new box back into the house.

"What was that all about?" Dad asked me quietly, looking at the junk I had brought in.

"Something I have to show Nonie. It's … her secret to share, not mine."

"Ok. I'll take the girls upstairs?"

"Yeah. That would be good. Maybe you can show them Mom's comics? I loved them when I was their age."

"Wasn't that just last week?" He asked with a cheeky grin. I bumped him gently.

While he took the girls upstairs I put Dauntless' gear in a clean opaque plastic box with a built in lid, cushioned by kitchen towels. I brought it into the living room. Dad had already closed the curtains to cut us off form the investigators sight. Or maybe he was hiding the ruins from Nonie.

"What's that?" my old babysitter asked.

"It's … well, I guess it's yours now." I set the box on the coffee table where she could see it easily and opened it.

She gasped, then looked at me. "How?"

"Don't freak out," I said. She nodded. I turned into Icon. She gasped.

"Are you really Taylor?"

"Yeah. It's me." I turned back. "I found this in the wreckage. I didn't want anyone who didn't already know to find out Lee's secret. I'm guessing he … was Dauntless?"

She nodded as she reached out to touch his helmet. It began to glow at her touch. I smiled. "It looks like it likes you."

She looked at me, her eyes wide. "What … what do you mean?"

"I'm guessing that as his sister, you can probably use his gear." I said. Pointing to the shortened lance I gestured, "Pick it up."

Gingerly, she did. It sparked then energy began to flow off of it, like in all the pictures of her brother in action.

We both heard a gasp behind us. We turned and found Riley peeking around the stairs. "No way!" she cried.

"What?" Dinah demanded, coming around the corner, followed by Dad who looked like he could not quite bring himself to physically stop the two girls.

"Sorry …" he was saying when he too saw Nonie with the energized arclance. "Whoa."

I facepalmed. So much for keeping secrets.