"Halt! You have entered a protected zone with lethal intent. Leave immediately or you will be subdued. Personal injury is a high likelihood if you resist capture. You have thirty seconds to comply with my orders."
Everyone stopped and stared, even Kaiser and Armsmaster, who had been engaged in a fierce battle with the villain frantically producing blades from almost every surface around him, and the Tinker hero chopping his way past these with a halberd which was glowing blue-white and trailing sparks at each impact. The rest of the Empire capes, minus Krieg who had just been downed by Miss Militia who'd used a grenade launcher loaded with sedative grenades, also whirled to look at where the unexpected and very loud voice had come from.
The Protectorate members who were able to disengaged from their E88 opponents to evaluate the new threat, while the various PRT troopers and gang mooks all pointed weapons towards the alley the voice had come from, everyone mutually deciding that for the moment the latest addition to the chaos was more important.
Everyone knew that voice. Or at least, a voice that sounded a lot like it. It wasn't quite human, although for a machine it was incredibly good, even though it was far deeper than most people could ever manage.
And it sounded very annoyed. That part was remarkably human.
"Oh, hell, she's here," Assault said in a worried voice. No one needed more explanation about who she was.
Dinochrome.
Nobody knew much about her, aside from her apparently being a Tinker with remarkable technology which she could produce far faster than usual, and with a knowledge of military techniques and weapons that was second to none. And, far more worryingly, the ability to produce strong AI at a level that the PRT suspected was well past human intelligence. The machines she pulled out of nowhere were absolutely devastating if pushed, although at the same time they appeared to be programmed to only react if threatened, or if you threatened someone they were protecting.
The Teeth had found that out the hard way, when they'd had the bright idea to move back into Brockton Bay a few months ago. After a series of battles between them, the PRT, the BBPD, and even the E88 as well, Dinochrome had apparently lost patience and become involved.
No one had seen the Teeth, or the Butcher, ever again. But there was a two hundred foot diameter mildly radioactive crater in the worst part of the Docks where they'd been, lined with glass…
Somehow the radiation was decaying far faster than naturally could occur, and no contamination had spread past the hole, nor had whatever had made it done any other damage, but the mere idea of that happening again was enough to give pause to even the stupidest criminal. And whatever else he was, Kaiser wasn't an idiot.
"Oh, fuck," the man himself muttered.
Armsmaster was minded to agree.
Everyone watched as what could only be described as a bipedal tank stepped out of the alley, its clawed feet crunching on the debris beneath it. The thing looked like something out of a video game, or possibly an SF movie, but it was very real and very dangerous. The sheer number of weapons protruding from the pair of turrets that took the place of arms on either side of the egg-shaped torso spoke of that fact.
As did the minor issue that no one yet had any idea what most of them actually did. "You now have twenty seconds to comply,"
It was fair to say that Dinochrome didn't mess about.
"Who are you?" a rough voice shouted from the other side of the crossroads where the gang and the authorities had ultimately clashed. Armsmaster recognized it and sighed faintly. Hookwolf, unlike Kaiser, was an idiot. A very dangerous one too, and far too fond of violence. It was his first instinct, and his second, and so on.
"My designation is MRK432501. To my friends I am known as Mark," the machine replied immediately, turning to look in that direction, as much as anything that mechanical appearing could be said to be looking. Armsmaster was well aware that it was still easily capable of keeping everyone else under surveillance even as it was apparently talking to the villain. "You may refer to me as sir."
"Fuck that, tin boy," the criminal cape shouted. "I don't call anyone sir."
"As you wish. You are designated Hookwolf, Empire Eighty Eight villain, known murderer and serial absconder. I will refer to you as Target One."
Armsmaster sighed again, very quietly. That was the other problem with Dinochrome's creations. They were all far too intelligent for his comfort, much more autonomous than sense would suggest was wise, and every single one of them had a sense of humor. One he found deeply irritating.
Annoyingly, Dragon seemed to consider them rather amusing, and he suspected nursed something of a liking for the reclusive Tinker weapons expert. Not entirely surprising since there was a degree of similarity between his friend and the other person, as no one had seen either one in the flesh.
Turning back to scan the crowd again, almost all of whom, villains and heroes alike, were either pointing weapons at it or ready to attack, the machine said, "You now have ten seconds to comply. Withdraw or face the consequences. Nine. Eight. Seven..."
The weapons turrets lifted slightly and several devices lit up, a low hum coming from somewhere on the thing. Armsmaster's suit sensors detected a rapidly building energy source that had already reached a level far past his own hardware's capacity and was increasing at a rate that frankly terrified him.
"Six. Five..."
Coming to a decision, one that he knew was going to make the Director shout at him but the only one that made sense under the circumstances, Armsmaster stepped back from Kaiser, who glanced at him in what looked like relief, then said into his comms, "Protectorate forces, disengage and fall back."
A similar order was given almost simultaneously by the lieutenant leading the PRT troopers, all of whom rapidly scattered, heading for the other side of the street and the area that was outside that which Dinochrome tended to defend. Most of the Docks were covered by this zone, and it expanded in odd ways at times, usually in the vicinity of some business or other that had come to an agreement with her.
And god help you if you started anything anywhere within two blocks of any hospital in the city. Because no one else would.
"Three. Two..."
Kaiser shouted an order and the unpowered gang members turned and legged it. One or two neglected to hold onto their weapons in the process, so keen were they to leave the possible blast zone. Most of the capes including their leader did much the same, Kaiser himself raising his hands to signal he was retreating and then quickly but in a dignified manner moving back. Armsmaster found himself walking backwards beside the villain, which was unnerving.
"One. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter," the machine said pleasantly. It watched as they moved past whatever invisible perimeter it had, then turned to leave. Relieved that they hadn't managed to make the terrifying weapons cape of Brockton, or any of her creations, take precipitate action, Armsmaster exhaled silently and thankfully.
Right then was when Hookwolf, who had been visibly reluctantly following Kaiser while looking back over his armored and spiky shoulder, whirled and dashed towards the device.
"Oh, hell," he heard Kaiser mutter. "Hookwolf! Abort that, now!"
It had no effect. The bladed monstrous form of the E88's most dangerous cape leaped onto the machine, which had paused, apparently well aware he was coming and not worried. With a howl of rage he formed his body into even larger blades and started slashing at the outer hull of the thing. "Die, you freaking bastard of a machine," he screamed as he attacked it.
"Lethal force has been used by Target One," the machine announced conversationally, to no one in particular. "My rules of engagement permit response in kind. All unaffiliated personnel are advised to look away now."
It didn't sound worried, or particularly interested in what Hookwolf, who was still trying to forcefully dismantle it, thought of the matter. Armsmaster quickly engaged his PA and said, "I would respectfully request that you refrain from lethal actions, MRK432501."
He thought that politeness with urgency was probably the best approach, as past encounters had shown that flatly ordering Dinochrome's machines to do anything had little effect. Apparently the PRT and the Protectorate were not in their chain of command, based on the responses.
"Your request is noted, Armsmaster. My commander allows me to use my own best judgment in this case."
The machine, which was apparently unaffected by the furious Hookwolf, who didn't himself seem likely to give up any time soon, shifted one of the turrets in a blur of motion that was almost impossible to track, then there was a very loud noise and a flash. Armsmaster's visor opaqued as the anti-flash system cut in, then cleared a moment later to see the Changer fly overhead trailing smoke and debris while a glow showed where whatever weapon had been used had hit him.
"Pull!" Assault shouted. Because of course he did.
Another bolt of energy hit the rapidly moving and almost certainly severely damaged Hookwolf, altering his trajectory enough to make him slam into the fourth floor of the building he hit with an impact that sprayed masonry everywhere. He then tumbled down the front of it and landed in the street with a crash, while every single person still present stared in shock.
The machine took two steps forward as Hookwolf groaned and tried to get up. It fired once more, energy impacting him and crackling over his scorched and melted blades with a sound of thunder. He dropped and lay still, the blades rapidly disappearing to reveal a badly burned and clearly heavily injured cape.
"He will live," Dinochrome's creation announced calmly. "Does any other person present wish to be designated Target Two?"
Oddly enough, everyone, even Armsmaster and Kaiser, shook their heads rapidly.
"Excellent. In that case, my job here is done. Do not enter a protected zone with aggressive intent again. Please have a nice day." It scanned them all once more, somehow giving the impression that it was almost smirking at them, turned, and left almost silently.
There wasn't a mark on it from where Hookwolf had been trying to disassemble it. Armsmaster didn't know what the hell Dinochrome made the hulls of her machines from, aside from her referring to it as 'Flintsteel,' but it was harder than diamond and invulnerable to anything anyone had so far fielded against one of them, doubly impressive as there was no evidence of any form of force field in use.
And anyone who tried such a thing never managed to try again, as the machines tended not to appreciate being shot at and had a direct manner to register their disapproval.
Kaiser looked at him, then at the still smoking form of his heaviest hitter, paused as if he was going to say something, then shook his head and walked away, motioning to his remaining people to follow. Armsmaster watched him go, rather feeling that he should do something, but right now not really up to it. The way the fight had been so abruptly and violently ended was still sinking in.
Eventually, when none of the E88 members other than those trapped in containment foam or otherwise disabled were present, he shrugged and waved to his own people to start gathering the prisoners up. On the whole it was a good result, having bagged two of the Empires more dangerous capes and fifteen of their other members.
It was likely that the Director would have other ways to describe the entire thing, but she hadn't been there.
"Director Piggot is going to be furious that you just let them walk away," Miss Militia said from beside him, echoing his own thoughts, as she glanced at him then around at the scene.
"Probably. But I for one do not wish to provoke Dinochrome any further," he replied quietly, turning to look at her. "Or her creations. Remember what happened when Tagg came to town to, in his own words, 'Resolve the idiotic situation none of the people in that damn city are doing enough about'?"
She winced.
Everyone remembered that.
It was why the Protectorate, the PRT, and the US government in general had all decided that backing Dinochrome into a corner was not to be considered sensible. She didn't react well to that sort of thing, although to be fair she was unfailingly polite about it even as everything caught fire or exploded. Or just disappeared in a violet flash of light…
"Oh well. It was only Tagg, no one missed him," she said slightly weakly. He nodded as he headed towards Hookwolf where a PRT medical team were treating his now heavily restrained form.
"Quite."
Shortly they were on the way back to headquarters and a no doubt uncomfortable meeting.