January 4, 2011 – PRT ENE Headquarters
Sophia

The door of the holding cell clanked as Sophia kicked it for the hundredth time. "Let me out of here, you fuckers! I have rights!" She didn't know how long she had been unconscious the first time. She had come awake groggily, and in considerable pain. Armsbastard had lived up to his nickname, jumping her from behind with no warning, like a coward, she thought angrily. The tinker had tased her, and then dumped her in the tiny, windowless room.

She'd been fed three times now – a cold chicken sandwich, chips, and an apple for what she assumed was a late supper, and then mixed fruit and a breakfast sandwich. She had tried to hold out in protest, but her hunger won out. Lunch, the same as her barebones dinner from the night before, sat untouched at the foot of the bed.

The whole thing was bullshit; no one had bothered to tell her what the hell was going on. Both of her phones had been taken, along with anything even remotely resembling metal. The only thing of that sort that she had was the pair of heavy bracelets she wore, along with a plain white jumpsuit. Said bracelets were rigged to shock her if she tried to enter her shadow state – not that it would have helped. The room was designed to contain breakers like herself.

They were treating her like some kind of loser criminal, and she just knew who was to blame: Fucking Hebert. Somehow, she had to be responsible for Sophia's current predicament. Either that, or someone at school had talked, and if that was the case, they were going to pay. But Hebert was going to get it so bad when Sophia finally got things straightened out. Emma and Madison would both back her up, and there was no way Hebert had any proof. Even if someone were stupid enough to help that loser, it wouldn't be enough.

That was going to be pointless if they wouldn't fucking – kick – let – kick – her out – KICK! "This is total garbage! You can't do this to m-"

"Miss Hess, you will contain yourself and step away from the door now!" She growled at the nameless trooper's tinny voice that came through the overhead speaker. When she made no move to follow the order she had been given, the speaker crackled to life again. "Step back, or we WILL foam you."

For a brief moment, she considered telling them to fuck off, but grudgingly stepped back. She had never been hit with containment foam before, being able to shift to shadow the time or two it had nearly happened, but that wasn't an option now. She had seen Clockblocker get nailed once, and it had been funny to see him so miserable – she had no intention of experiencing it firsthand.

The magnetic lock in the door released with a loud clack, and then it was pushed open by the last person Sophia had ever expected to see.

Alexandria stepped inside, dragging a chair in with her, and then she shut the door. "Sit," she commanded in a tone that clearly expected obedience, and she pointed at the bunk. A tablet pc rode under her arm, which was tossed on the bunk before she lowered herself into the seat. "You will watch the video, and then we will talk." Sophia knew better than to argue, and so she did as she was told.

Earlier That Morning
Alexandria

Quintessence, for all the furor surrounding her, hadn't seemed very intimidating to Rebecca. The costume was admittedly very impressive, and the disguised voice did make it difficult to determine the younger woman's age. The speech patterns sounded stilted, so perhaps ENE's assessment was a little on the high side. She had flown out to Brockton Bay early that morning, partly to meet the cape, but also to set the woman straight. They sat in the same conference room, with Armsmaster and Miss Militia flanking her, but near the wall. She had given orders to Piggot to remain in her office, pending the other woman's reaction.

Quintessence gave very little away upon hearing that the PRT, in fact, would not be told what to do. "I see," she said. Her posture did not change, and the tone of voices was neutral. "Allow me to make certain that I understand you correctly. Sophia Hess gets a pass on her heinous behavior, because it will draw inconvenient public perception." The silvery mask tilted to one side, and the speed of the crawling vines on the breastplate did not change. "And what of Taylor Hebert? Will there be no justice for her?"

Rebecca kept her own tone of voice and facial features impassive. "That would be an accurate assessment. Shadow Stalker will be confined indefinitely, and the Heberts will be compensated generously." This approach was a calculated risk, but a necessary one. "That may seem unfair, but it is the only course of action the Protectorate is willing to take at this juncture."

Quintessence stood, and Rebecca tensed – the cape was of a height. "I'm afraid that is not acceptable, but I understand. You leave me no choice." She moved toward the end of the table, heading in the direction of the door.

Rebecca stood as well, and moved to block her path. "I'm also going to have to insist that you turn over all copies of the footage you've taken. If the full extent were to fall into the wrong hands-"

The stubborn cape halted near the edge of the conference table. "Neither will I do that, nor will there be any danger of that happening," Quintessence cut in. "If the Protectorate will not do the right thing, then we shall see how the public feels about it. Let the people draw their own conclusions."

Rebecca placed on hand on the table. "I cannot allow that – you would be putting lives at risk." She heaved, and the table rumbled and shrieked across the floor; she was keenly aware of the other two capes' own tension, but they had not moved from their positions against the wall. Quintessence, to her credit, did not react fearfully.

Instead, she took a step forward. "This will not end well, Alexandria. Move aside," she said calmly, and she took another step. It impressed and thrilled her more than she cared to admit. She couldn't remember the last time she had faced an opponent that didn't shake in their boots at least a little bit. She sprang forward with just enough force, intending to lay hands on the woman and push her up against the far wall. Instead, she crashed into the armored breastplate with both hands, and stopped. After a split-second of confusion, she tried to press harder, and they didn't move so much as a millimeter.

Quintessence casually grasped both of her wrists with either hand, and put enough pressure for her to actually feel it. "You disappoint me, Alexandria, I had expected better of you." Concrete fractured beneath the carpet as the cape pushed her away. Rebecca marveled at the sheer, measured power of the move, made with apparent ease as she pushed back with as much strength as she dared. Oh, what she would give to have this woman at her side against any of the Endbringers. She only hoped that the course of action she had chosen was the right one.

Quintessence then changed the rules of the game. "If I were you, I would take a deep breath." Rebecca had no sooner gasped inwardly, than the floor fell out from under them both, and then she was falling. And freezing hard enough to make her teeth chatter – it wouldn't kill her, she knew, but that didn't make it any more pleasant to endure. Darkness surrounded them, and a circle of light rapidly vanished into the distance as intense pressure slammed into her from all sides.

The first inklings of panic set in, something she hadn't felt since The Siberian had torn her face half off. She tried to fly up, back to the portal she had obviously been dragged down through. "Ah-ah," Quintessence admonished her as the fingers tightened on her wrists like vices. "Finish what you start, Rebecca, and consider that I'm being kind."

They impacted a rough, rocky surface, and Rebecca felt it crackle and flex. The surface was covered in a heavy permafrost, but she had little time to wonder just where she'd been taken, because she tried to breathe in spite of Quintessence's warning. There was nothing for her to take in, and her heart began to hammer in her chest as the oxygen she had left in her lungs began to run out.

Quintessence, clearly unbothered by the lack of atmosphere, finally released her. Rebecca tried to fly up, only to be firmly halted by hands on her shoulders. "I don't think so," she said, in a tone that sounded positively cheerful. Rebecca abandoned her plan as her vision began to dim at the edges, sparks of light flashing within it. She punched the shiny mask, and it only rocked back a fraction. "Alexandria, I know this might seem difficult, but if you don't stop struggling, you're going to pass out. If you promise to listen, I will give you air. Let us talk, woman to woman."

Rebecca tried to get away again, but she was held firmly to the ground. Finally, she could take no more, and ceased struggling. Quintessence took that as consent, and a hissing sound filled her ears, accompanied by pure oxygen that she unabashedly sucked in. Once she got her breath, the other woman finally released her. "I know what you're trying to do – your little stealth test."

Rebecca's eyes narrowed and her lips thinned as she took note of their surroundings. "Not so clever, after all." Stars wheeled overhead and across the horizon. "Dare I ask where you've kidnapped me to?"

Quintessence glided past her in response. "Walk with me, won't you?" Rebecca was tempted to retreat, a glance upward showing her the portal still open. The opportunity to learn more about the enigmatic cape overrode her instincts, however. She turned to follow, and halted after two steps. Quintessence kept walking, and she took long strides to catch up, hoping that it would mask the trickle of fear she felt at the sight that loomed large in front of them.

They walked in silence for a few moments, before she finally ventured a question. "Is that…"

"Jupiter? Yes." Rebecca firmly clamped her teeth together, utterly prepared to wait whatever length of time Quintessence required.

Back on Earth Bet
Miss Militia

Hannah had rarely seen Alexandria in person outside of Endbringer fights and the occasional Protectorate event. She trusted the Triumvirate member implicitly, but had been confused by her strategy, if only briefly. She was relieved to hear that Sophia Hess would, in fact, not be excused from all of the terrible things that she'd done. Realization had come to her that, because they all knew so little about Quintessence, Alexandria was hoping to provoke a reaction.

It had appeared that it would reveal little, as Quintessence remained as unflappable and concise as she had at their first meeting. Things had gone dramatically worse than any of them had expected. Alexandria had warned them that things might get a little… hectic. Hannah doubted very much that their nominal superior had expected to be stopped, or taken away.

The hole in the floor confirmed that Quintessence could make use of her windows to other places. There had been an alarming rush of air down through it, which had cut off the moment the pair of them had passed through. Colin, like a fool, had tried to leap in after them, but he at least had the presence of mind to stab his halberd into the concrete floor before he had attempted it.

He now crouched next to it with his hand pressed flush against the opening, held back by some unseen barrier. "What can you see?" she asked. Her eyesight was good, but whatever was down there was far enough away that all she could make out was a rocky surface. She would chastise his impulsiveness later. Right now she was more concerned with what had become of Alexandria, and though she was reluctant to admit it, she was worried about Quintessence as well. The girl was worthy of respect: Anyone willing to stand up to Alexandria the way she had deserved at least some consideration.

Colin stood up and stamped a boot down where his hand had been. "Laser bounce-back puts the surface at about a mile down." He frowned and pressed two fingers to the side of his helmet. "I can't get a read on the location, but I can see them walking, and most likely speaking."

Hannah heaved a sigh of relief. "I'm not certain this was the best idea. We could have tried asking first." She understood that the Triumvirate handled things differently now and then, but this approach made her wonder if more questions might have been asked. The Protectorate wasn't exactly a democracy, but they did talk things over. Usually.

Colin shook his head in disagreement. "When it comes to capes with unknown abilities and a calm nature, sometimes a gamble is prudent." Hannah frowned and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Colin was a good friend, but he seldom questioned the directives of his superiors. He stepped back from the edge of the hole. "They're flying back now," he said. "It seems the conversation was brief."

Hannah's power manifested a machete, and she hooked her thumbs in her belt. "Let us hope that it was productive." She decided not to comment any more than that. Less than a minute later, Alexandria and Quintessence emerged, sans air-pressure disturbances. The hole shrank to nothing, and the pair settled down on the carpet.

Neither said anything, and Quintessence gave them a nod just before she vanished. Alexandria looked at the empty space that had been occupied moments ago. Without looking, she said, "Please inform Director Piggot that she may begin processing Shadow Stalker's paperwork for transfer to juvenile detention."

Colin turned to go, but paused when Hannah lagged behind. "What happened down there – wherever that was?"

Alexandria turned to look at them grimly. "The contents of this meeting are now classified. Discuss it with no one. I will work with the Chief Director to update the file on Quintessence," and without another word, she dragged the massive table back to its original position, and then she left the room.

A/N - I decided to break this down into separate chapters. I should have the next round sometime Saturday! :)