4.1
I wondered whether board meetings were worse than villain fights. Fighting always meant there was the possibility that people would get hurt or killed. So on any objective scale, possible human casualties had to be said to be far worse than the slaughter of time through sheer monotonous minutiae that a board meeting might entail. But subjectively the adrenalin rush of combat sure beat the ennui of listening to repetitive reports.
The meeting on the Friday following the Empire attack combined some of the worst of both worlds. Lev was reporting about the damage to the New Dawn Co-op, and the people that were hurt or killed. "The attack was directed at Legacy and the leadership of the Foundation, therefor we have a certain moral, if not legal, culpability for the damage done," he argued.
"I submit that we owe some level of restitution and propose the following. First, we offer compensation to the families of the slain and assume all medical expenses for the injured. Second, we recompense all residents of the Co-op by defraying their rents for the remainder of the academic year. We may want to consider purchasing the note on the building and donating it to the Co-op and recommend they pass those savings on to the residents."
"Not to put too fine a point on it, Lev," Guy interrupted, "but aren't you, and Caleb, and Zada, and David all residents. I think any compensation that directly benefits members of the Board voting on them is a conflict of interest and may be a legal issue for the Foundation."
"I had considered that," Lev said. "The four of us would continue to pay our current rent either to the Co-op or the Foundation, regardless of rental adjustments. That should allay in ethical concerns.
"Fair enough," Guy conceded.
"There is the possibility that we're going to be kicked out of the Co-op anyway," David frowned.
Both he and Lev had been targeted by the gang. And both bore signs of that attention. Along with a fine set of bruises and scrapes, Lev had bandaged ribs and David had stiches in his cheek and ear. I had seriously considered growing a healing power to fix them, and the other injured in the attacked, but had decided that if I could heal people I would be driven by my conscience to spend all my spare time at the hospitals trying to save lives.
I hated hospitals.
When I was ten my younger sister was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This type of cancer has an 87% survival rate. My sister was in the unlucky 13%. I spent most of a year accompanying my family to hospitals and clinics watching Grace die, slowly and in great pain. Her illness and death was the cause of most of my parent's arguments and the impact of her passing on the rest of the family lasted long after the pain faded. Part of that impact was my hatred of hospitals.
I know some people who lose a family member are driven to become doctors and researchers. Not me. I was driven to try to make the lives people live better, if not longer. So I choose not to join Panacea in her medical servitude. On the other hand, I was planning on contacting her and the rest of New Wave to see if we could partner to support each other's work.
"What do you mean?" Guy asked.
Lev frowned. "We're copping a lot of the blame for people getting killed. If we didn't live there the Co-op wouldn't have been attacked. I can't say they're not wrong. It just hurts that some people don't want to stand behind us. Still I can see their point. Even if we do get kicked out, I think we need to pay restitution. I would even say we keep any decisions made until after they vote on evicting us."
"Do you want me to look over your lease to see if they can evict you? There are laws protecting victims of crimes from retaliation." Guy offered. "This is not your Chief Counsel speaking, but your friend the lawyer. Not part of my Foundation duties I mean."
"I think we can come up with enough to rent a house if we need to. Maybe even buy one," I said. "Form a small co-op of our own."
"Let's leave that aside," Lev said. "Here are the details I am proposing …" he pointed to the PowerPoint on the screen and my mind started to wander. I was for his proposal and trusted him on the details.
I was more concerned about the PRT's reaction to the incident.
Piggot had tried to chew on me for outing Kaiser.
"You can't just unmask people like that!" She pounded her desk. I was meeting her alone in her office. I could sense the cameras and mics transmitting the meeting to a room buried in the bowels of the PRT building where Armsmaster and Miss Militia were observing.
PRT not willing to risk removal of their powers.
Office rigged with containment foam sprayers and pop-up lasers.
Piggot set to escape through drop into tube below chair.
I was getting used to using my thinker powers more regularly, not wanting to risk an ambush. I wasn't too worried about the PRT's preparations. I was confident I could ghost through containment foam and the lasers would likely bounce. But I was not there to cause problems.
"You mean like he unmasked me?" I replied. "My actions were in defense of self and others. They had already killed several people and were prepared to kill hundreds more. I understand your agency's purview is parahumans, thus your primary focus is on them. But I was concerned with everyone there."
"Fine, let's talk about 'everyone'." Piggot snarled in obvious frustration. "Were you aware that Max Anders is the single largest employer in Brockton Bay? If Medhall tanks more than 7,000 people will lose their jobs. That is a blow to the city's economy that it cannot survive. Not even with your little charity getting into the game."
"Too big to fail?" I asked.
She snorted.
"There is no reason the company has to close its doors," I said. "Even if the whole board is a front for Nazis, the company is producing legitimate products that should be able to keep the company afloat under legitimate management. Maybe the government can seize the assets and sell them to another honest company." I was reminded of the amorous drug reps, Kent and Missy who could be out of their jobs.
"I was expecting you to offer for it yourself?"
"Too rich for the Foundation. Besides, we are not looking to get into business. While we do have the Exchange; that's a not-for-profit enterprise that is used solely for raising funds for the Foundation's philanthropic works."
"Speaking of which, are you aware that the Justice Department is looking at the Renaissance Foundation for potential NEPEA-5 violations?" she asked with just a touch of schadenfreude. "You, both personally and as the President, could be facing massive fines."
"As you are well aware there are any number of corporate teams allowed under the existing laws, as well as any number of capes making money with their powers. Otherwise MIRIS would not exist. The restrictions of NEPEA-5 are narrowly targeted. Our attorneys, and those of the New Hampshire and Massachusetts ACLUs are certain that the NEPEA-5 provisions for limiting parahuman involvement in business and media do not apply to organizations with a 501(c)(3) status." I looked at her as directly as my visor allowed. "We, with their support, are willing to go to court as a test case to confirm this. We already have briefs in the works for filing should the government try to stop our auctions."
"As for WEDGDG," I continued. She winced. "We hope to be a benefit to the economy of the city and state. We are no danger to the economy of the nation or the world. And we are willing to comply with all normal oversight procedures."
"You may not be a danger to the economy, but you are a danger to the stability of the city," Piggot pushed back. "You've damaged or destroyed two of the largest gangs. That's going to cause a gang war that will spill out on to the streets endangering thousands of citizens. Not to mention the instability will invite criminals from outside to come to try to take advantage of the weakness of the established powers. I wouldn't be surprised to see a resurgence of the Teeth after all these years."
She pointed a jaundiced finger at me. "You are responsible for every person killed or business destroyed in this chaos because without you and your cowboy crap it would not have happened."
I so wanted to shoot back that if she hadn't sat on her fat ass for the last however many years and had taken down the gangs like she was supposed to, then none of this would have happened either.
"All I am responsible for is my own actions," I said instead. "The choices and actions of others are their own responsibility."
"So you're going to sit in your ivory tower, protecting your people, playing great white savior to the poor savages of this benighted city when you should step up, take responsibility, and make a real difference by joining the Protectorate!" Again with the hand slam.
"I will overlook your deliberately provocative wording with its racist implications. While I am willing to work with the Protectorate in certain areas, I think we may have to disagree on what constitutes making a real difference."
"Your identity has been revealed as well," she pointed out. "You're a danger to your friends and family now. We can help protect them."
"I would hope so," I said, swallowing 'because that is your job" and continuing, "though we are going to take precautions ourselves."
"Your force filed tech?" she frowned more deeply. "The PRT is considering prohibiting the public distribution of that technology for national security reasons."
"My lawyers will be happy to discuss that with you, and my PR people will be happy to broaden the discussion on why the PRT has not shared their pre-existing protective technology with the local schools and hospitals, for instance. Interestingly, those will be some of the first places we will donate generators."
She stared at me, her teeth grinding and fingers drumming on the desk. I gazed back impassively.
Finally she snapped, "Get out."
I nodded and left. A uniformed officer met me at the office door and escorted me to the roof.
I wondered if a legal battle, or worse a physical clash, with the PRT and their capes was inevitable. I had always thought of myself as a proponent of the rule of law and the idea that laws should be justly and equitably enforced. But I also recognize that the law can be perverted by a corrupt government. Civil disobedience allows people of conscience the option to disobey laws for a greater good, while accepting upon themselves the consequences of that disobedience. If it came to a conflict with the PRT would I resist or allow myself to be jailed to make a point? I did not know.
That evening while floating over the city I remembered that the bug girl protagonist of the webserial was supposed to make her debut by fighting Lung some time soonish. As it had not yet happened that either meant it was coming up or that my actions had changed the world enough that it might not happen at all.
I decided to look around the city to see if I could find her or other possible recruits for the team. If I could keep her out of the Undersiders … I was surprised I remembered the name, though it had come up again in my study of the locals … and away from accidental villainy and the control of the time split guy it would be a good thing.
My powers let me detect people with powers pretty much anywhere in the city if I tried. But I had to be closer to discern the nature of those powers. I decided to spend a charge to refine the detail so I could identify the nature of any powers within my range. This let me pick out independents we had been considering. I added bug girl and whirlwind girl to the list.
As I flew invisibly over the city I could sense most of the capes were in their homes. Bug girl was one of those. A couple were out in their civilian identities. There was whirlwind girl. I decided not to bother them as that was a breach of the 'unwritten rules' that Piggot took such care to explain to me.
By a strict interpretation my simply knowing their homes and faces was a violation, but that was the nature of my powers. I also placed little faith in these sanctity of these 'rules' as Kaiser had broken them when it suited him. Piggot had shown some surprise at his decision to do that, but suggested that my capture of nine out of twelve of his available capes may have forced his hand.
At 12:47 a.m. I found a trio of parahumans in conflict. The one I had been looking for was Browbeat, a young man with self-biokinesis combined with touch telekinesis who was patrolling the dark alleys of the Docks. It appeared he had come across a battle between Circus, a low level villain with multiple powers and Shadow Stalker, one of the Wards, who was also one of the bullies that terrorized bug girl into triggering. Browbeat was crouched on the edge of the roof of a three story building watching the fight below. It looked like he was deciding whether or not to join in.
Becoming visible as I descended, I cleared my throat quietly to alert him of my presence. He looked up with a start. When I landed beside him, he took a step back.
"Legacy?" he asked.
"Browbeat," I nodded and held out my hand. He stared at it. I could see the expression of trepidation under his full face mask.
I realized I was becoming something of a boogie man to other capes, which was not my preference. Dispelling that fear, that I would depower every cape I met, was one of the reasons I was anxious to fill out my team. I did not need other heroes for their powers. I needed more public faces for the team and bodies to be in places while I was elsewhere. Community building was a collective effort. I could not do it alone.
"That been going on long?" I asked looking down on the fight.
They were well matched. Both combatants were fast and agile. Circus had the advantage in speed, but Shadow Stalkers shadow state allowed her to make up most of the difference. Both used a mixture of close combat and short range projectiles. As I watched, Circus caught one of Shadow Stalkers quarrels out of the air. I noted it was tipped with needle sharp steel, something I'd read she was not supposed to be using since joining the Wards. The colorful villain launched it back at the dark vigilante, who let it pass through her.
"Couple of minutes at least since I got here," he whispered.
"Any idea why?" I asked, using my aerokinesis to limit the sound to the roof.
"No," he said quietly. "If they bantered, it was before I arrived."
"Are you going to join in?"
"I was thinking about it," he shrugged. "But Shadow Stalker took a pot shot at me a few nights ago. I'm not sure she wouldn't think I was on the wrong side."
"Think I should stop them?" I held up a hand and a little bubble appeared. I was curious as to his thought process, but didn't want him to think I was suggesting draining them.
He stood back and really considered my question. Eventually he nodded. "Someone could get hurt. Circus uses fire and Shadow Stalker is not too particular with her aim. I think there are homeless staying in some of these buildings."
I checked and he was right. There were a few people taking shelter in the abandoned structures. Returning his nod, I gestured and encapsulated both combatants below. He looked a little startled as I raised the bubbles to the roof level. I had to burn a charge to add a sort of telekinesis to the power but now I could move the force fields around mentally.
Circus and Shadow Stalker were looking around trying to find the source of their captivity when they spotted the two of us on the roof. Circus tried to free herself with a trickle of flame that had no effect on the interior of the bubble. Shadow Stalker's phased crossbow bolt had more results. It passed through the field and impacted my chest, sticking in one of my armor's chest plates. She managed to slip from the bubble before I could increase its effectiveness against her power.
She got off three more bolts before I released five shadow clones that were able to quickly restrain her. No matter which form she tried, they could hold her, an odd interaction between the powers. After a few moments I created a special bubble around her and the shadows, two of which melded on to the interior of the bubble making it semi-opaque but keeping her from passing through it. Circus and Browbeat just watched on.
"You are fucked now," Shadow Stalker yelled as she struggled to get free. "You just attacked a Ward. That's prison time."
I picked up one of the hunting quarrels and prodded the tip, then pointed to the one sticking out of my chest. "I think you will find that self-defense against an unannounced illegal attack, even from someone who later turns out to have police powers, which to be honest, I am not certain the Wards do, is a legal response. I'll call Director Piggot and ask after explaining the situation."
She looked at me. Again I could see her face through her mask and saw the doubt flash across before settling back to anger. "We'll see who she believes. She's not too happy with you right now."
"And you're her golden child?" I asked.
"This sounds like something you two need to work out," Circus said. "If you don't mind, I'll just be going." They were wearing a ringmaster's overcoat on top if an aerialist's leotard, along with a mask with clown hair and a top hat. Colorful and clashing, yet it all somehow worked.
"Why were you two fighting?" Browbeat asked. Under his mask he face was a study in interested curiosity.
"She just jumped me, for no reason," Circus said dramatically.
"He's wanted on suspicion of a jewelry store heist," Shadow Stalker argued.
I did not have a full understanding of the legal authority to arrest and detain that the Protectorate heroes had, much less the kids in their apprentice program. I did not know how legal trying to kill someone on 'suspicion' was.
"What do you think I should do with them?" I asked Browbeat, still wanting to explore his thought process.
Again, he took his time thinking. "I think she? … he? … is probably wanted for something. And I think Shadow Stalker was working outside the rules. The Wards are trying to recruit me and told my parents that I would never be patrolling alone. I do not see her partner anywhere so she is probably out of bounds." He paused then nodded. "I think you should call in the Protectorate and let them deal with it. I have Miss Militia's card on me."
He pulled a business card out of his costume. I could not see any pockets, but realized the costume was actually his outer layer of skin and he had grown internal storage spaces. Biokinesis was pretty cool.
"You want to call it in?" I asked. If he was interested in the Wards this would be a tough decisions. He would be bringing in a villain, but he would also be ratting out a teammate.
"No way. You do it." He shoved the card at me. I took it and made the call using my cyberpathy.
"Miss Militia," the voice answered.
"This is Legacy. I am at 459 Walther, on top of the roof. I have someone identified as Circus who was fighting with someone claiming to be Shadow Stalker. Both were firing lethal attacks recklessly into inhabited areas. I would request Protectorate assistance with these two individuals."
"I see. We will have someone there … No, I'll be there in fifteen minutes. Thank you for calling this in. Out of curiosity, how did you get my direct number?" she inquired.
"Browbeat is also on scene and witnessed the suspect behavior. He gave me your number."
"I …see. Be there in fifteen."