Dragon and the Fly

by bubbajack

In the swirls of the multiverse where things have and have not been, let us see what changes happen when the naval ship the USS Sanctuary docks at Brocton Bay, bringing with it change on the swirling tides of fate. OC, OC x harem.

2. Chapter 2

Dragon and the Fly

By: Bubbajack

Beta/Co-Author: IcySnowSage

Disclaimer: I do not own Worm or any character that appears in this work. The only characters Bubba does own are his OCs

Ch.1.2: Berth

Once again, Akio awoke at just before 0500 right before his alarm was due to go off, he turned it off, and got dressed. He'd taken a sword frog which was usually only used for parade uniforms and slipped it through his belt that held up his brown cargo pants as he got ready. He slipped Ishan's sheath into it. It slipped into the angled leather sword holder without issue. He then tested how quickly he could draw the wooden saya out of the holder. 'Hmm, 1.65 seconds. Acceptable,' He thought before placing it, and the sword it was supposed to carry, back at his side. Slipping on his camouflage pants, long sleeve shirt, and cap on his head once he tied his hair into its usual ponytail and put his goggles on. His spit shined black boots went on last. He looked at himself in his full length mirror and didn't find anything out of place. He nodded at his reflection once. Then marched out of his room. Creeping down the hall as quietly as he could, he popped his head into Zoe's room. It was filled with all manner of stuffed dragons. Zoe absolutely loved dragons. 'I'm almost afraid of what would happen if she met Lung. Would she try to take him home with her?' Akio smiled at the thought of such a dangerous man being cowed by his adorable little sister. If anyone could bring Lung to heel, it would be her.

Seeing her sleeping peacefully, snuggling up to a giant stuffed quinlung, he walked down the hall towards the stairs, but not before he made sure he had his wallet and his phone on him. The air was brisk and smelled of salt as he pushed open the door onto the deck. The sun was just peeking its head out over the horizon, filling the sky with grey hues. 'Let's see breakfast food… if I wanted breakfast food, who would I ask? College kids,' Akio decided, as he took off down the Docks; his mantle and sword were the only things that weren't military standard issue on his person.

He was several blocks from the Docks, when he saw a likely candidate to ask. She was a pretty young lady wearing an open pink cardigan and matching skirt, her long blonde hair tied in a french braid with a purple scrunchie on the end and she had a thin spattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose. "Pardon me Miss?"

She turned his way as she called to her, the girls bottle-glass green eyes locking onto his concealed ones inquisitively. "Yes?"

"Sorry to bother you so early, but I'm new in town and was wondering if you could point me in the direction of a diner that might be open around this time?"

She looked him over once as if trying to glean information from his appearance. "I do mister?"

The pale boy smiled contritely. "Apologises, Miss. Ensign Akio Adams of the USS Sanctuary, at your service."

'Survivor, protector, leader, fighter. Palenness is caused by albinism. Chances of survival increase by 51.6% if he is kept close,' Her shard told her. 'Sanctuary has seen multiple contacts with the Endbringers. He has survived them all.'

"Oh, oh wow, you and your ship are about as famous as the Triumvirate, Ensign Adams. I'm Lisa Wilborn, nice to meet you," She held out her hand for a shake. She did not expect what the young man did instead.

He took it and kissed the back of it, causing her to flush a bit. "The pleasure is mine Miss Wilborn, but as to my inquiry?"

"Umm, y-yeah, Pop's is always open early for the Dockworkers. Right down the road and turn right."

"Excellent, can I treat you, Miss Wilborn?" He offered politely. "As thanks?"

Lisa's mouth hung open for just a moment. Usually her shard told her the worst of the worst a person had done and turned her off of any and everyone immediately. Yet, it hadn't done that with Akio Adams. That made him interesting. "Sure, I'm not one to turn down free food."

He offered her his arm, "Then shall we go, Miss Wilborn?"

Lisa reached out and wrapped her arm around his, smiling, "That we shall, sailor."

---

Pop's was nice, Akio decided. It was an old timey place with a bar and stools up front, and small intimate booths lining a brown tiled floor, as fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. The kitchen was behind the bar, where a pair of stainless steel swinging doors separated the kitchen from the rest of the restaurant. The pancakes, eggs, and sausage he'd ordered along with black coffee were top notch as far as he was concerned. The brown-haired waitress with an updo wearing a pink uniform and apron sauntered over. Her name tag said Dolly. "How's the food darlin's?"

"Great Dolly thank you, our compliments to the chef," Akio replied.

"Yeah, the food was great!" Lisa said surprised. "I always kinda avoided this place cause it looked kinda shifty but… meh. Guess you really can't judge a book by its cover huh?"

Dolly put her hand on her hip. "Been tellin' Earl for years this place needs a fresh coat of paint," Dolly complained. "Does he listen? No, course not."

"Well, I'd like two dozen doughnuts to go, and the check please," Akio said, seeing the raised eyebrow he was getting from Lisa he said, "I've a friend in the hospital this should cheer her up a bit. Her father is the Dock Worker Union Rep I believe? Daniel Hebert?"

Dolly's eyes widened at that. "Herb's kids in the Hospital? Well that explains why he raced outta here like a bat outta hell yesterday," She turned and yelled, "Hey Earl!"

"Yeah?" a gruff rough voice yelled from the cooks window.

"Herb's kid is in the hospital!" Dolly yelled.

"Shit really?!" The cook hollered back in suprise.

The waitress carried on. "Yeah, the Ensign here is gonna bring 'em some mess."

Earl yelled back, "You tell 'em his money's no good here yet Dolls?"

"I was gettin' round to it!" She hollered back. "As I was 'bout to say, your money's no good here dearie. Service men eat free. Active or retired, and dock workers get a discount. On account of Earl bein' in the Navy himself at one point."

"Really?" Akio asked, intrigued.

Dolly nodded curtly. "Yep, he was a Marine, and I was a logistics officer."

"Semper Fi!" Earl yelled before adding, "To go order up!"

"Semper Fi!" Akio called back as Dolly went over to the window and boxed and bagged two orders before she filled three boxes with doughnuts and brought it all to Akio's table. He blinked behind his goggles. "I really feel the need to pay for this."

"Nope, told ya, your money's no good here, now take yer date and get goin'! An' when you see Herb and his kid, tell 'em we hope she gets better soon yeah?"

Reaching for his pouch, he pulled out some coins, and slapped them on the table, smirking triumphantly. "Your tip Dolly," Before he turned to the slightly blushing Lisa, and told the waitress. "Also, I don't think this was a date?"

"It wasn't!" Lisa said hastily, before adding uncertainty not used to being caught flat footed, "Unless you wanted it to be?"

"I'm… not against the idea… but we only just met a few minutes ago. Let's just call this a friendly get together between new friends shall we?" Akio said, smiling at offering a compromise.

Lisa found herself smiling as well, the mounting tension in her head that had nothing to do with a Thinker headache slowly easing away. "Yeah sounds good to me,"

Turning back to the waitress, the Albino nodded, "Thank you Dolly, and you Earl for a delicious way to start the morning, I'll probably add stopping by part of my routine."

"You drop by anytime sugar," Dolly said, giving him a smile before stage whispering, "I gotta say this girls a keeper."

"Thanks Dolly," Akio said, giving an awkward laugh as he picked everything up. Turning to Lisa, he said, "Miss Wilborn, till next we meet."

"Yeah," She said, giving him a warm smile. "Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later?"

Akio smiled, "We'll see,"

Turning to the waitress Lisa said, "Dolly, can I borrow your pad and pen for a moment?" Taking them she wrote something down, tore the page off, and stuffed it into his pants pocket, before giving him a pointed look. "Call me, soon."

She then walked out of the diner, leaving him holding everything. Akio looked to the smirking waitress. "What… what just happened?"

"You got the pretty lil' things number darlin' good on ya," Dolly said, patting him on the back. "Now, you'd best get goin' to the hospital while the foods still hot."

"R-Right, thank you!"

"Come again!" Earl and Dolly called as he ran out the door, two bags full of culinary delights in his hands.

---

He ran all the way from the Docks to Brockton Bay General. It took him about twenty minutes. 'I hope the food is still hot,' He thought as he made his way inside the lobby and clicked the closest elevator. When it opened he saw a girl in a white robe with a red sash worn over her left shoulder. She looked half dead with fatigue, her eyes ringed in black, her mousy brown hair hung limply on her head, and her skin was pale, her eyes bloodshot. She shuffled past him like the walking dead.

"Stop," He said, placing a hand on her shoulder in his best drill sergeant tone, causing her to jump.

She turned and glanced at him. Seeing his fatigues she asked, "Can I help you officer?"

"No, but I clearly need to help you. Follow," It was not a request. He led the girl over to a bench. "Sit," She sat. He opened up one of the bags and pulled out a box opening it, revealing doughnuts. He placed it down in front of the girl, whose mouth watered at the sight of them and ordered. "Stay and eat. I'll be right back."

He walked up to the secretary on duty and asked, "Ma'am is there a place in here that has coffee that doesn't taste like it came out of a mule's ass?"

The woman looked up at him, blinked, then said, "Cafeteria usually has a couple of fresh pots officer."

"Thank you ma'am," He said with a tip of his hat before he sauntered off. He found the cafeteria said fuck you to the line because he was in a hurry, and filled three cups full of the life giving nectar all black as he didn't know how others took it, he did put sugar and creamer in his pockets though. When he got up to the cashier he said, "Sorry but this is an emergency. Panacea looks like she got run over by a truck, the truck backed up, and then what was left of her got revived."

The man just shook his head in understanding and spoke up, "Say no more, say no more, just take it and go."

Again Akio tipped his hat. "Much obliged."

The man waved him off. "Thank you for your service."

"Thank you for the coffee," Akio replied before he made his way back to the mess of a girl. He found her right where he'd left her, having devoured an entire box of doughnuts by herself. "Do you feel better now Panacea?"

The mousy girl nodded. "Yes, thank you."

He handed her a styrofoam cup. "You'll feel even better after you drink this. How do you take it? I got sugar and cream in my pockets."

"One sugar, two cream please," She asked tiredly.

Adding it to her drink for her because now she only looks like she'd been run over once by said hypothetical truck, Akio stirred it with a straw before handing it back to her.

"Thank you… why are you helping me?"

The Ensign blinked. "The fact you even have to ask that, shows you've been doing this way, way too long. You look like death warmed over twice girl! Who the flying fuck is your CO I want to have words with them!"

Panacea looked down as she sipped at her drink. "That would be my mother, officer, and having words with her would be… ill advised."

Akio scoffed. "I'm not afraid of some lawyer who can turn herself into a ball. It's called the fetal position, Panacea, and it's not all that impressive. Hell, Samus Aran can do the same thing, and a lot of other cool shit besides. Your mother? Is boring."

The girl looked up at the young boy who just declared that a video game character had more tricks up her sleeve than her mother. 'I mean, technically he's not wrong but,' Then she couldn't help herself, she laughed. Laughed until she cried, it was just such a crazy thought of her mother being compared to the main character of Metroid Prime. The pure ridiculousness of the woman she wanted to impress most being a bounty hunter who rolls into a ball.

Wiping away her tears she replied. "Thank you, thank you so much! I... you've no idea how much I needed that. It has been so long since I laughed like that."

"Anytime Panacea," Akio said, smiling as he picked up his bags. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some deliveries to make."

"I… of course thank you again!" She called. It was only after he was gone that she realized she never got her acquaintances name. 'Well, maybe I'll see him again,' She thought hopefully. As she made her way out of the front doors of the hospital before deciding that instead of having Vicky come pick her up she would take a bus home and just relax for the day. After free coffee and doughnuts is surely a sign she needs to relax today. That is after she gets home from school later.

---

Akio whistled a jaunty tune as he made his way down the psych ward to Taylor's room. Boxes of food in one hand, and cups of coffee in the other. He knocked on her door, and found her already up, her father sitting in a chair reading the morning paper. Upon seeing him, Taylor's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Akio!"

"Hey Taylor," He raised his bags. "I brought breakfast, as promised," He then looked to Mr. Hebert. "Also Mr. Hebert? Dolly and Earl send their regards."

The man smiled. "Bless them, and you. You brought coffee."

"It's from the cafeteria," Akio admitted sheepishly.

Daniel shook his head. "Doesn't matter, anything that isn't that instant swill is great."

"Agreed."

Taylor dug into her pancakes, eggs, and sausage with relish. "Thanks for this Akio, it means a lot."

"I look after those under my command Taylor. Speaking of, how're you doing?" He asked, opening the second box of doughnuts and taking an apple fritter for himself.

The girl sighed. "Better now," She didn't add the 'that you're here' like she wanted to. She felt like that would be too forward. Yet she did feel more comfortable with him around. "They're keeping me here a week due to potential infections."

Akio nodded, it was just another strike against Shadow Stalker. He checked the clock on the wall. It was 0730. "In three hours I have an appointment with the director of the PRT in Brockton Bay."

Taylor and her father blinked. "Why?" The girl confined to a bed asked.

Akio closed his eyes and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "I did my homework on the Trio Taylor. In the midst of doing that, I found out that one of them and I won't say which is a Ward."

Taylor blinked silently for a moment then she started laughing but there was no humor in her tone, it was cold, harsh, hurt. "Are you fucking kidding me?" The question was rhetorical. "A hero, a fucking hero, is acting like a two bit bully, has treated me like trash for over a year and is allowed to be a cape?"

"Not for much longer," The albino promised, his tone soft yet dangerously so, just like he had displayed the other day. "As a paramilitary organization, the PRT is subject to the same laws and command structure as any other branch of the US Military. She will be thrown in jail for this, and," As he spoke Akio typed out a text on his phone, "As we speak copies of what happened to you have been sent to the FBI, Homeland Security, and the BBPD. Furthermore, I have every intent to prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law."

"Homeland security?" Taylor asked.

"Taylor, what they did, counts as a biological homegrown terrorist attack," Akio explained. "With the intent to cause terror and fear amongst their fellow students. Included on top of this is assault and battery, failure to properly dispose of biohazardous waste, false imprisonment, and attempted murder. Those three are going to be going away for a long, long time, Ward or no Ward," Akio's tone made it clear he was pissed.

"Why are you going so far for me?" Taylor asked in a small voice as she looked at her bedsheets. "You hardly know me."

"I know enough," Akio replied, placing one of his hands over hers. "And that's all I need to know."

Taylor smiled, drawing warmth and strength from his touch. "That's not all, you need to know," She turned the buzzing in the back of her head into information and called the bugs to her. Only a few, she didn't want to freak him out. Seconds later a half dozen flies zoomed above her hand and flew in a perfect helix formation for several seconds.

"So, you did trigger then," Akio said after a few moments of watching. "Well this changes things, if only slightly. Have you given any thought to my offer Taylor?"

The girl nodded. "I have, and I think I'll take my chances with you. The pay is good and I like my boss," Taylor said with a smile.

Akio smiled and was touched by the compliment. "Thanks, and I'll do my best to do right by you."

"Well, you've given more of a shit than any of my teachers or principal so far. So I have no complaints," Taylor replied honestly.

The Ensign was glad to hear that. "Now, this may be a bit of a rough question but did you keep any kind of record of what those girls did to you? We can use it now to strengthen our case against them."

Taylor frowned and nodded. "I do. I kept a diary. It's in my room under my pillow. I also kept all the emails they sent me as harassment saved."

"Do I have your permission to direct the BBPD to enter your home and retrieve it as evidence and that you could forward the emails you saved when you have time?" Akio asked the Heberts.

Taylor looked to her dad and nodded and the man said, "Go ahead, we keep a spare key under a fake rock in the front yard."

Akio sent the text. "Right then," He glanced at the clock on his phone. It was now 0800. "Now Daniel shall we continue your chess lesson from yesterday?"

"Oh, is that what you call the thrashing you gave me?" Daniel asked humorously.

Taylor looked between Akio and her dad, "So he's teaching you how to play chess?"

"Yes, excellent game. Good for learning basic strategy, but bad for thinking it can be used on the fly in the middle of a fight," Akio spoke like he was speaking from experience. "Do you play Taylor?" Seeing the girl shake her head he offered, "Wanna learn?"

"Sure," Taylor said.

That is how an hour and a half passed, Akio would utterly destroy Daniel at chess, and explaining what every piece did, how he did it, and occasionally correcting Daniel when he moved a piece incorrectly. When he next looked at his phone, it was 0930. He sighed and stood up. "It seems it's time for me to depart."

Taylor frowned, but asked hopefully. "Will you come back after the meeting is done?"

"We'll see. I might be held up there for awhile," Akio said. "See you both later."

---

The PRT building on Lord Street didn't stand out all that much, provided you didn't take the barred glass windows into account. The building had a helicopter pad on the roof, and Akio noted as he made his way into the building proper, that the glass door was bullet proof three inch thick tempered glass. He swept his shaded gaze around the lobby, painted portraits of the Wards, both the inaugural team and the current one here in Brockton Bay hung on the concrete walls, there was a gift shop to his immediate left, and people mainly PRT employees were walking about. He made his way over to the front desk and told the woman waiting there, "Excuse me ma'am, but I have an appointment with Emily Piggot at 1030 hours. Where might I find her?"

The brunette smiled at him politely. "She's on the fifth floor Ensign Adams and has been expecting you. Feel free to head on up."

"Thank you ma'am. I hope the Director doesn't mind but I brought doughnuts," The teen said with a wry smile.

"Peace offering, smart idea," The woman replied before motioning to the elevators behind her desk.

Akio called an elevator, then hit the button for the necessary floor. He was let out into a white hallway soon enough. Looking left and right he saw a set of doors at the left end of the hallway and made his way towards them. A brass plaque on the door said, "Emily Piggot, ENE Director."

Akio politely knocked, and waited to be allowed entrance.

"Enter!" A strict no nonsense feminine voice called. Akio took that as his cue to go inside. His gaze swept around the room, it had a desk facing the door that was half piled with paperwork, and a bleached blond, grey streaked haired, slightly portly looking woman was sitting behind the desk in a charcoal grey suit, her hair falling about her face in light curls. Her green eyes flicked up to him for just a moment as he took in her office. "Please come in Ensign, and shut the door behind you, would you?"

Akio did so, bearing the final box of doughnuts with him in his right hand. "Doughnut, Director?"

"You want something," The woman said in response.

Akio shook his head. "No, I'm here to inform you that one of your Wards is about to be buried under a mountain of shit."

"Is it Clockblocker? Please tell me its Clockblocker," Piggot sarcastically begged as she took a glaze and dunked it into her coffee.

Akio smiled and helped himself to his third doughnut that morning. "No, unfortunately not. One Shadow Stalker attacked my newest recruit, committed what could be construed as a homegrown biological terrorist attack upon her and the rest of her fellow students at her school, unlawfully imprisoned her, assault and battery, and attempted to kill her. In the end, she only succeeded in managing to make her Trigger."

With every word he spoke, Emily Piggot got paler. She then hit a button on her desk paging who Akio assumed was the cape in charge of the Wards today. "Miss Militia, I need you to get Shadow Stalker, and her Youth Guard handler in my office, five minutes ago!"

"Director?" Miss Militia asked, concerned.

"Now, Miss Militia!" Piggot said again, her voice as yielding as stone.

"Right away ma'am," Miss Militia said before the line went dead.

Piggot then sighed, "Tell me what happened."

In response, Akio produced several videos on his phone, he had them cued up in order and showed them to the Director one by one. "The first is by one of the perpetrators who stupidly recorded the entire event and posted on her handbook page,"

Piggot watched as Sophia whacked a dark-haired girl over the head with a wrench, then she was forcibly dragged to an open locker that was full of… "My god is that human waste?"

"Human waste, used tampons, insects, you name it, it was in my new recruits locker," Akio replied coldly.

She continued to watch as they coldly shoved her in and slammed the door before using a nail gun to try and keep it shut. Then the girl woke up and started screaming begging to be let out. Their mocking and laughter, Hess telling her she was prey was caught on camera. It shortly ended as they walked away, the girl still begging to be let out in the background, banging on the locker door.

"How long was she in there?" Piggot asked. As several other videos played chronicling the girl's time in the locker. None stopped to help her or thought to get a teacher. Some even posted selfies.

"The better part of the lunch hour. About forty minutes I'd say."

The final video showed Akio himself hands algow with yellow light as he ripped the door off its hinges like it was made of tinfoil and tossing it down the hall, before he picked up the girl who was now in fetal position and wrapped her in the very cloak he was wearing as he headed towards the ambulance.

"You're a cape?" Piggot asked, with slight disgust in her tone.

The albino shook his head, "No ma'am. I was simply taught to harness life energy, chi or qi if you will. I never had a trigger event."

Emily Piggot nodded clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Eidolon says the same thing. Thinks his powers are magic too. You'll forgive me if I ask you to get rated by our people while you're here visiting do you?"

"I have no problem doing so, if that's what you wish," Akio obliged as a courtesy. "You are aware however that I am ineligible to join the Wards nor does anyone in any military branch fall under PRT juridstriction as per the Military Cape Protection Act."

Emily gave a curt nod. "I'm well aware," she knew the MCPA was passed shortly after the creation of the PRT. It protected any service members and their families who triggered from being drafted into the PRT. Even children were upon triggering, given ranks and pay and inducted into their families branch of the service, all of which rose with age. Piggot folded hands on her desk as she continued, "So how can we end this matter quietly."

Akio shook his head and laughed. "It is far too late for that Director Piggot. I've already informed HS, the FBI, and the BBPD before we even started this discussion."

"Fuck!" Piggot swore. "Then why even ask to talk to me if you're just going to make my life fucking difficult?"

Akio lost his slightly jovial demeanor he'd kept up till now. Now, he let his anger show. His smile dropped, replaced by a cold unfeeling viage as he spoke in his tone of steel wrapped in silk. "To make sure Shadow Stalker doesn't get off easy, with a slap on the wrist. To make sure she gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

In that moment, Piggot felt like she was in her office with a wolf. She felt something akin to bloodlust wash over her. Words in a voice like nails on a chalkboard rang through her mind.

"Run, flee, terror, hate, rage!"

"Stop that!" Piggot snapped at him.

"Stop what?" Akio asked, genuinely confused.

"Trying to intimidate me with your Master powers," the director rebuked quite angrily. "I've been around more powerful Masters than you, and it'll take more than someone triggering my fight or flight response to make me back down!" She said this even though she was quivering in her chair but her spine of steel showed through. This was nothing compared to that living hell hole of Ellisburg.

"I wasn't consciously doing that Director Piggot. Though now that you bring it up it does sound similar to Killing Intent."

Getting control of herself the Director rebuked, "I don't care what it is, just turn it the fuck off."

"Fine, I apologize. I just find the way Miss Hebert was treated by a Ward no less, very upsetting."

Piggot scoffed. "You?! How do you think I feel? Being kept out of the loop of one of my assets?! Do you know how long this has been going on?"

Akio was quick to respond. "According to Miss Hebert, a year and a half."

"Fu~ck me!" Piggot swore again under her breath.

Akio replied flatly with, "Sorry you're not my type, ma'am."

"Hardy har har," The Director mocked as a knock came at her door.

The woman that came in was wearing a black pantsuit, and had her dark brown hair framing her face and matching her doe-like eyes. "You asked to see me, Director?"

"Yes Mrs. Jones," Piggot said sharply, fixing her gaze on the woman, making her shiver. "Would you like to tell me why in the hell I wasn't informed of a year and a half of bullying going on being propagated by Miss Hess?"

"Ma'am? You can't just talk about her civilian identity in front of-" The woman was cut off by the young man in the room who spoke in a sharp tone.

"I am an Ensign in the Navy and have been briefed on her identity both civil and caped, as well as her powers. What I want to know is why her bullying campaign was never reported!"

The woman flinched under the tone of the boy. The Director tapped a finger against her shoulder impatiently for a moment before saying, "Well Mrs. Jones, we're waiting."

The woman cracked like a raw egg. She started bawling, admitting she was covering for Shadow Stalker, failing to report disappearances, solo patrols, assaults on gang members, the list went on. Piggot was recording all of this and asked after the woman had finished speaking, taking a moment to regain her breath. "Is that everything?"

"Y-Yes ma'am."

"Are you certain?" Piggot asked her eyes sharp as she glared at her subordinate. "For if I find out you're hiding anything, anything at all… things will get much, much worse for you than they already are."

Jones fidgeted. "I think Sophia might have a safehouse somewhere, but that's more speculation and a gut feeling than anything ma'am."

Piggot nodded before hitting a button on her intercom. "Someone get in here and arrest Mrs. Jones for dereliction of duty. I'll decide what to do with her later."

Soon enough a PRT operative arrived and cuffed the woman dragging her away down to the holding cells. Piggot then turned to the young man in front of her. "So, it seems you've given me a fine mess to clean up. Thank you, so much for that."

"Would you rather be out there running interference, or stuck in here doing paperwork?" Akio retorted.

"Out there every single time damn you," Piggot replied despite herself. "Now were you serious about getting that testing done, or were you patronizing me?"

Akio stood with a smile on his face. "I'd very much like to take you up on your offer, Director. I've always been curious as to what my official PRT rating would be."

"Then head on down to sub section three. I'll have Armsmaster down there ready to proceed with testing. He needs to get out of his lab more anyway," She said distractedly as she planned how to do damage control on the veritable shit storm she was about to have to clean up.

Akio bowed to the woman taking a napkin and snagging a couple of doughnuts for his soon to be examiner before leaving the office.

---

Armsmaster was slightly annoyed he was taken away from his various projects to do a power examination on some navy brat at the Director's order. 'Well, we don't often get military types in here so I guess it makes sense. They usually have their own people do this sorta thing,' Collin thought to himself as he waited impatiently for the elevator to ding.

When it finally did and the doors opened, Armsmaster blinked, 'It's a fuckin' kid!' He thought to himself. 'He can't be any older than Glory Girl,' The pale boy approached and offered him a pair of doughnuts on a napkin with a smile.

"Armsmaster I'm assuming?" He said.

Colin nodded. "Yes, and you are?"

The boy gave a salute. "Ensign Akio Adams, I'm sorry for taking you away from your work, but I hope this won't take too long."

Armsmaster munched on a doughnut idly wondering just when it was he last actually ate something before he saluted back and replied, "Don't worry about it Ensign. All is forgiven by you bringing me the first bit of food I've had in… twenty-six hours according to my helmets logs. C'mon let's see what we've got here."

"You should take better care of yourself sir," Akio gently reprimanded.

Armsmaster chuckled. "When you are the foremost Tinker for the PRT ENE, you don't have time to take it easy."

Akio followed the man into a room full of all manner of gadgets, several disassembled halbards sat on a workbench, computers that had data and video feed were set up in a suite and wire cords were sprawling all across the floor plugged into various devices.

"This room looks like a fire hazard waiting to happen sir," Akio commented after taking a look around.

The cape rolled his eyes under his helmet. "Not the first time I've heard that and it won't be the last," He said as he picked up a wireless keyboard and walked into a different room.

The room was spacious, and created out of solid cement. It had weights some inhumanly sized, off to one side, there were scorch marks on the far wall, as if it had been hit by a laser or similar blaster effect.

"Okay Ensign, I'm sure you and I both have things we need to do, so let's get this over with quickly," Armsmaster said as he began tapping away on the wireless keyboard the words showing up on the visor of his helmet. "Now, what can you do?"

"Well, I can do lots of things, Armsmaster sir," Akio began, "Yet they all come from one source: the manipulation of life energy or chi."

The Armsmaster nodded. 'Grabbag cape then,' he said, "Okay can you give me the cliff notes version then?"

Akio nodded. "Yes sir, I can learn any martial arts move after seeing it once," the boy began, "I've mastered several martial arts forms already despite my youth. I can induce a fight or flight response in others, fire energy blasts, enhance my strength, speed, agility, senses, and perception, with chi, manipulate air pressure, friction, density, and the atmosphere, fly, and can channel my chi into objects to increase their durability or into a person directly to make them explode in a horrific display of blood and gore, and hide my presence."

Armsmaster blinked, the action hidden by the visor of his helmet before he finally spoke in a serious almost monotone voice, "Bullshit! The sheer amount of powers you have, even as a Grab Bag Cape, are pure and utter bullshit."

Akio laughed awkwardly. "Yeah I get that a lot. Also, for the record, I still don't know everything I can do."

"Bullshit!" Armsmaster said again.

"Yes, we've established this Armsmaster sir," Akio said, "Moving past this,what would you rate me sir?"

"Show me," Armsmaster said, his voice tight. "Show me you're not just talking talk."

Akio didn't see any point in arguing. So he went over to the bench press, and he adjusted the weights till there was a hundred fifty pounds on either side and he started pressing. "This is me not using chi by the way."

"Well we're here to see your powers, so get the lead out," Armsmaster said.

"Yes sir," Akio added five hundred pounds on either end of the bar and his body glowed gold for a brief moment before he started pressing the weight with little effort.

'A half ton, and he's still growing, his upper limit could be anywhere from a ton and a half to two and a half possibly three tons,' Armsmaster surmised. "Alright that's enough, I wanna clock you running next."

"Yes sir, just a moment," Akio took his cloak off and draped it over the bench. Then he jogged over to the far end of the room. "Signal when ready sir!"

Armsmaster threw his arm down to let the boy know to go ahead. One moment he was there, the next he wasn't and Armsmaster felt a breeze behind him, and his visor was reading 90mph.

"Well, how'd I do sir?" Akio's voice came from behind him.

The Tinker turned to the boy. "Ninety miles per hour. You're as fast as the fastest land animal on Earth. How long can you maintain this speed?"

"That was my top running speed. I could probably go faster in a full out sprint but I could maintain this speed indefinitely," The boy replied honestly.

'The more I learn about this kid, the more broken he seems,' Armsmaster thought to himself. "Okay next, show me an energy blast."

"Not a problem," A golden sphere the size of a grapefruit materialized in an inch above Akio's hand and he aimed it at the far wall where it impacted and exploded leaving a hole the size of a bowling ball in its wake.

"If I had more time to charge it up I could make a bigger hole. Do you require a demonstration?" Akio inquired politely.

"No, thank you, that is sufficient," Armsmaster replied. "You said something about air manipulation?"

The albino nodded. "Yes," The boy unsheathed his sword, causing it to glow yellow for a moment demonstrating his weapon enhancing abilities, before he spoke again, "I must warn you that these are some of my most dangerous abilities."

"Meaning?" Armsmaster said.

"Don't blink and take a step back," Akio replied. As he let himself find his center before taking off his goggles. When he did he turned to Armsmaster and opened his eyes. The hero took a step back because the boy in front of him had open dead eyes like a fish. The instruments in his suit told him the boy had no pulse yet he stood there alive. In that moment, he looked less like a human and more like a well built anatomical doll. He gave off no air or feeling of a true human being, as he turned towards the wall, and raised his sword. The raising of the blade was concurrent with the rising of a warm gentle wind current that swept the boy up in its embrace. Armsmaster almost didn't hear it in the wind, but in the end, he did manage to pick it up.

"Mizuchi."

The gale flowed forth, slamming into the wall with all the force of a hurricane. When the dust cleared the hole in the wall was now three times Armsmasters height and deep enough to bury a couple dozen coffins in one on top the other.

"Did you hear it?" Akio asked, "The voice in the wind?"

"What was that?" Armsmaster asked.

Putting his goggles back on, Akio replied, "That was the base technique of Mumyou Jinpuu-ryu."

"My instruments recorded you as having no pulse. You were dead when you put yourself in that trance," Armsmaster told him.

"What is death to a kensai?" Akio said ominously.

"Kensai? A sword saint?"

Akio nodded. "To enter a realm of nothingness to become nothing and thus everything. That is the first step to mastering Mumyou Jinpuu-ryu. To become dead while living, to emit no killing intent, nor fighting spirit, while fighting. To kill conflict from within, so as to end conflict from without."

"I… see… I think it would be too dangerous for us to continue at this point so if you would just describe what the other attacks do please?" Armsmaster requested.

The albiono did so and the more he spoke, the more Armsmaster kept saying 'Bullshit!' inside of his head. Finally when he brought up the fact he knew two sword techniques one a stab and the other a slash that could break the laws of physics and be in three places at once the hero held up his hands. "Okay, okay stop please. I've just got one question after hearing all of this."

"Yes Armsmaster sir?" The white haired boy asked.

"Do you think you could solo an Endbringer?"

Much to his surprise, the boy replied right away in a tone that wasn't boastful. "If I had to and provided I was in an area under an open sky, and away from a heavily populated area, then yes."

Then, it clicked for Collin Williams aka Armsmaster. "That's why you've been learning all these crazy techniques. You're training yourself to kill the Endbringers."

Akio just smiled as he moved to collect his cloak. "Perhaps, Armsmaster, perhaps."

"Don't perhaps me kid," Armsmaster bit out at the obvious vagueness from the young sailor. "That's crazy talk. The Endbringers are forces of nature. I don't know if they can be beaten, just endured."

"Maybe," Akio agreed.

"Why'd you take the cloak off anyway? Armsmaster questioned.

Clearing his throat a bit, the Ensign replied, "Well, it's a bit of tinker tech made for me by a friend who is no longer with us," Akio said solemnly. "Using ceramic and springs it puts four hundred pounds of force down on my body as long as I'm wearing it."

"So the cloak is a training aid," Armsmaster noted. "You keep it on and you train no matter what you're doing."

"Yes sir," Akio replied with a nod. "After all of this, what is my PRT rating, unofficially of course?"

Collin went over everything he'd seen and been told. "Well from what I've seen and you've described I'd put you at Mover Four to Six, Brute Five, Master Two, Blaster Five, Thinker Three from your ability to copy martial arts techniques, Striker Seven for obvious reasons, Trump Ten because your power grants you powers that you can then boost and there is no theoretical limit to the amount of skills you can pick up and enhance with your power, and lastly Stranger 3 because you said you can conceal your presence too."

Akio blinked at the Capes assessment. "Wow, that's quite a lot."

"It's bullshit is what it is," Armsmaster said as Akio made his way towards the elevator while he forwarded his ruling to Piggot to see if she agreed or wanted to make any changes to his decision.

---

Akio was glad to be back outside. Checking his phone, he found the time was 1315 hours and decided to make his way back towards the hospital. He promised Taylor he'd return if he could, and he kept his promises for good or ill. On the way back to the hospital he stopped by a Knockoff Bell and got two boxes of tacos one soft, one hard, and a bag of sauces just to be safe, and cokes for everyone before he headed back to the hospital.

He received a bright smile from Taylor for his efforts, and that was reward enough for him. "You got me Tacos. How did you know I was hungry for tacos?"

"Lucky guess? Good karma at work? Who really knows," Akio said with a shrug. As he dug into the soft tacos.

Taylor ate in silence for a bit before she finally asked, "So~o what're the PRT gonna do? Did they say?"

Taking a sip of his drink Akio replied, "Miss Piggot did not, but I'm hopeful they'll not get in the way of the arrests. At the same time, I'm sure they'll at least try to defend their own, it'll look bad for them if they don't."

Taylor blinked behind her glasses. "You got to meet the director herself?"

"Yes, pleasant woman all things considered," Akio thought aloud. "She works far too much for her own good can't be good for her heart. Met Armsmaster too, he needs to lighten up some," Akio opined, "And this is a military man talking here."

That earned a laugh out of Taylor. "Yeah I've heard he's like, super professional."

"Yes indeed, I got a PRT rating, though I don't consider myself a parahuman." Akio said conversationally.

"What is it?" Taylor said leaning forward eagerly.

Mover Four to Six, Brute Five, Master Two, Blaster Five, Thinker Three, Striker Seven, Trump Ten, and Stranger Three."

Taylor's jaw dropped. "Woah… what can you even do?"

"Umm, a lot of things?" Akio replied sheepishly.

"I have a question," Daniel piped up saving the boy from having to talk about a touchy subject. "How exactly do you have such a high rank in the Navy, or are even in it to begin with?"

"Well, you see Mr. Hebert, that has to do with the Military Cape Protection Act that was passed in June twenty-first 1993, almost six months to the day that the PRT was created, in response to the Military being concerned that their top men a majority of which had triggered due to combat stress, could and would be conscripted into the newly formed PRT. In order to stop this the POTUS passed a bill stating military and their families are exempt from PRT drafting and should children of military personnel would upon triggering, be granted rank and benefits of their parents branch of the armed forces, with pay grade and rank rising every year or upon battlefield promotion."

"Can you tell me more about your ship, the Sanctuary?" Taylor asked.

Akio nodded. "What do you want to know?"

"Well, it showed up during like, just about every Endbringer attack after Japan and I just wanted to know…" Taylor trailed off afraid she was about to step on a landmine.

"How did we keep ourselves supplied even though we were clearly defying orders?" Akio finished for her. Seeing the dark-haired girl meekly nod, the albino nodded. "Well, it's no real secret! Some people in the navy… who will remain nameless, sympathized with us. They would conveniently lose some of their cargo rations, ammo, and other such things, when they happened to pass us by… Things were tough back then, and things didn't really turn around for us till Leviathan's attack on St. Petersburg."

Taylor winced. "The Endbringer Blitzkrieg" the papers called it. Not six months after Behemoth had all but destroyed the Kremlin, Leviathan attacked St. Petersburg. President Vladmir Putin's daughter Illyana Rasputina had been visiting the town that day on a goodwill mission, hoping to lift people's spirits after the Endbringer attack and in the end, she somehow made it out of that disaster alive. It was called the "St. Petersburg Miracle" or that's how the papers spun it anyway. Despite the fact that the Winter Palace, the Kazan Cathedral, Lakhta Center, and even more historic buildings besides were utterly destroyed, not to mention the number of lives lost.

"Yeah," Akio said, a little quietly. "After that we didn't have a problem getting supplies though, Russia was always more than happy to help us out after that, and Korea; when we aided after Behemoth attacked… honestly considering South Korea is on a peninsula I was expecting Leviathan again, what with all that water available," He laughed mirthlessly, "Instead people were crushed like ants, cooked alive… did you know the human body is about eighty percent water? Do you know what happens when they are hit by lightning and microwaves? It's like a bug zapper, only cranked up to a thousand. Then there's the smell, like burnt bacon."

Taylor and her father noticed that as Akio talked he had a far away tone in his voice and the girl suspected that if she could see his eyes right now, she would see a thousand yard stare. "Akio, Akio," She called gently, trying to snap him out of it.

"Hmm?" He said, before giving his head a shake like a wet dog. "Sorry I… I get lost in bad memories sometimes."

Taylor just smiled at him encouragingly. If anyone could understand how that felt, it was her. "That's alright. It happens to the best of us. I bet you have all kinds of friends around the world huh? Do you keep in touch with them?" Taylor asked, trying to change the subject.

"Some," Akio affirmed. "I've got a couple friends in Russia, one in South Korea, I smuggled a friend out of the CUI so she wouldn't get brainwashed by the Yangban."

"Yangban?" Taylor asked.

"Chinese-Union-Imperial's secret police when it comes to capes. They… aren't nice people. They brainwash anyone they see as useful to their ideology, and are more than happy to buy or steal capes who live anywhere in the world to further their own personal goals," Akio said with a scowl. "I don't like them very much."

Taylor found she couldn't blame him, kidnapping, brainwashing, enslavement? What wouldn't these Yangban people stoop to? Rape? She shuttered, that was more the Fallen's MO from what she'd heard of them. She didn't want to meet either group if she were being honest.

"Anyway Taylor, while you're here in the hospital I want you to go through a MEP… Medical Evaluation Program. I need a full work up done on you so I know what I have to work with once I start training you up."

"So, bloodwork and junk?" Taylor asked.

"Bloodwork, psych eval, physical exam, the works." Akio told her.

Grimacing, Taylor said, "Not sure if I'll pass the psych eval part considering… everything that happened recently."

"Don't worry Taylor," Akito assured her, "Let me give you some advice I gave my little sister once. "You've triggered, that means' you've had the worst day of your life… so there's no way any day after this can possibly be worse right?"

Taylor took that into perspective. "You… you've got a point."

"Yep, you just gotta take it one day at a time… you're wondering how Zoe triggered aren't you?" Akio asked, seeing the look on Taylors face.

"I… am, but Triggering feels kinda personal. Ya know?" Taylor replied.

The Ensign nodded. "It usually is, but Zoe's story is adorable and a little sad. We were on furlough in Germany and checking out a circus. Zoe and I ended up getting seperated and Akihiro ended up joking earlier that if Zoe got lost she'd end up having to join the circus folk."

"She believed him?"

"She was four, of course she believed him," Akio replied, "She also realized that day that she hated clowns. Hated their jokes, outfits, and them in general. So, missing me, unable to find me, and really not wanting to become a clown or live with circus people, she triggered and ended up creating a portal right to me. Then I bought her cotton candy and won her a dragon plushie… after I beat the shit outta Akihiro."

"Awe," Taylor cooed, "You're a good older brother."

"Thank you," Akio replied. "We've kept her at Petty Officer because well… a twelve year old doesn't need security clearance. She gets in enough trouble as it is." The Heberts nodded in agreement and understanding.

There was a knock at the door and suddenly it opened, and the Howlett siblings, Kiden and Tatiana walked into the room. "Hey girl," Kiden said shooting her a peace sign, "How you feeiin' after your first foray into dumpster diving?"

Taylor shook her head and snorted. "Like, well, shit Kiden."

Kiden's pale blue eyes landed on her dad and she asked, "This your old man?"

"Kiden!" Taylor said.

"What?" the blonde replied,"He is old, compared to us anyway."

Daniel just chuckled at the girl's blunt demeanor he'd but up with far worse than this at the Docks. He held out his hand. "Kiden was it? Nice to meet you."

"Kiden Nixon, and you too Mister H," Kiden said, taking his hand and giving it a shake.

Laura went next. "I'm Laura Howlett and these are my siblings Kitty, Akihiro, and Jubilee."

"Tatianna Caban nice to meet you sir."

A round of handshakes commenced. Once they were finished, everyone made themselves as comfortable as they could in the small room. Akio decided to ask, "So what did I miss at school today?"

"Oh you know the usual… PE, Mister G's usually kissassery… and Sophia Hess getting taken down by the 5-0!" Kiden commented, smirking as she put her hands on her hips and asked, "I bet you had nothing to do with that, did ya?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny that statement," Akio said straightfaced.

That made the blonde laugh. "But that wasn't all the FBI and Homeland security show up too, shut down the school, arrested Blackwell and all the teachers for the school being so not up to code, it was amazing no one died yet, then there was your locker Tae," Kiden said to Taylor, "Guys were in fuckin hazmat suits around that thing as they took pics.

Taylor grimaced but said nothing. 'I'm not surprised,' she thought. 'It was hell in that… that pit.'

"They like," Kitty said, "Totally got Emma and the other one too. What's her name again?"

"Madison," Taylor said, "Madison Clements."

"Right her, Well the whole school watched all three of them get dragged to an FBI SUV then the place got cordoned off by the cops. This dude working for Homeland said the school might be even condemned and we're to stay home until we're notified either way."

"Wow… I'm sorry?" Taylor said after a moment.

Kiden scoffed, "Pff, don't apologize for getting that hellhole shutdown, girl. It was gonna happen one day."

"Yeah," Tatianna replied, "Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll transfer us all to Arcadia."

Kiden scoffed. "Yeah right, hoodrats like us rubbing shoulders with their precious silver spoon blue bluebloods? Their parents would riot before that happened. There would be PTA meetings and very angry letters written to the school superintendent," The blonde said in a mocking tone.

Taylor giggled something she hadn't done a lot of since Emma turned her back on her a year and a half ago, perhaps even since her mom passed. "Kiden you're terrible."

"I'm terrible Tae? I'm nothing compared to those hoighty toighty rich kids," The blonde said, crossing her arms in mild anger and exasperation.

"Kiden tried going to Acadia once… they didn't treat her very well the month she was there," Tatianna supplied for everyone who didn't know why the blonde had a chip on her shoulder.

"Fuckin' Dallon bitch kept tryin' to intimidate me with her aura and make me feel terrified," Kiden said almost under her breath. "Called me a trashy slut just cause I dressed differently."

"It appears I may need to have words with the Dallons," Akio said with a sigh.

Kiden turned to him, alarmed, "Whatchu talkin' bout Kio?"

"This is the second time today I've found one of them taking their powers too far. One from overuse, and now another from misuse of a cape ability. That's at the very least a civil offense with the way her aura works. Intimidation and threat to do bodily harm? Yeah, not gonna fly with me."

Kiden turned to the Albino, "You can't seriously be thinking of bringing New Wave to task?"

Akio smirked. "As a paramilitary organization they fall under the jurisdiction of the United States Military Code of Conduct. Misuse of one's cape abilities is no different than misuse of government issued firearms."

"What're you gonna do? Her mom's a lawyer you know?"

"In non military court yes," Akio affirmed, "Lot's of things changed when Capes and the PRT was formed, Kiden. We have our own rules and ways of handling things. According to Article C-102 if a Cape is known to misuse their parahuman power, and it is reported to a military official, it is reported to the highest in command in the area, who will then mette out proper punishment." Akio cleared his throat. "Normally, that would be my or the Howletts father but they are both currently serving forty-five days hard labor for going AWOL on multiple occasions… thus, this duty falls to Lieutenant Rodgers."

Akio took out his phone and dialed a number. It rang twice before someone picked up. "Hello Steve Rodgers speaking."

"Hey Steve, it's Akio, I've stumbled upon a C-102 and need assistance."

"Who, what, where, and when?" Steve asked.

"Victoria Dallon aka Glory Girl used her aura to intimidate and threaten a fellow student simply because she didn't like her. This happened… Kiden?"

"Start of the school year three months ago," Kiden replied.

Steve was silent for a moment before he spoke, "Right. Ensign please meet me at the Dallon residence asap we're gonna sort this out."

"Right away, I've got other business with the Dallons in any case LT."

"Like?" Steve's tone was suspicious.

"Panacea is working herself to near death LT, I'd like permission to order her to take it easy." Akio requested.

"Panacea… yes I've heard of her, quite the miracle worker I can see why she of all people would work herself to the ground," Steve was silent for a moment. "How bad was it Ensign?"

"Remember that time in Seoul when Behemoth attacked? How fucking dead all the survivors looked?"

"I'll never forget," Steve replied.

"That's how bad she looked LT."

"Jesus the Lord Almighty," Steve kinda sorta swore. "Right, meet me there doubletime,"

"Understood LT, I'll be right over… you realize Carol 'Brandish' Dallon is gonna get all pissy right LT?"

"Who gives a fuck? Pardon my language."

"I'll be right over," Akio said laughing as he hung up.

---

The Dallons had a nice house borderline mansion in the downtown area. The gated home was surrounded in wrought iron with rose bushes surrounding the victorian home. It was a large three story house with a balcony on the second floor, two jutting almost turret-like expansions on either side of the house and the front was gilded in white picket fencing. Akio wasn't impressed. He's seen fortified castles fall to Endbringers like twigs. This place would hold up like a matchstick to the power of a hurricane should one of them come to Brockton Bay. Though he prayed that didn't happen.

Steve was waiting just outside the gate as he came up. The blonde haired blue eyed man was also known by his cape name of Vigil. On top of having superhuman attributes, he could make barriers that could stop kinetic motion dead. Akio nodded to the man. "LT,"

"Junior Grade," Steve shot back.

"I turned down that second promotion Steve. I'm just an Ensign."

"You turned down two battlefield promotions, you and I should be the same rank," Steve reminded him.

Akio sighed, this was an argument the two always brought up if they were left alone together. "I'm not counting me doing stupid shit during Endbringer attacks as worthy of battlefield promotion Steve."

"If its stupid, but it works, its not stupid Akio," Rodgers said sagely. "Next time you get offered a promotion, friggin' take it."

"Fine, LT, fine. Next time I get offered a promotion, I'll take it," Akio replid, before motioning to the gate, "Can we go in now?"

"Right, here's how we're gonna do this, I'll take lead, you keep an eye on Glory Girl. If she tries anything with her aura, hit her hard with your sheathe and we'll arrest her."

"Is this worst case scenario?" Akio inquired looking at his CO.

Steve shook his head. "No, worst case scenario is us fighting the entire family at the same time."

"Permission to cut loose if that happens?" Akio asked.

Steve nodded. "Just don't use the fist or any of the really flashy things. We don't need to level an entire city block. Also, strike to paralyze, not clean them up with a mop, we don't need another incident like in Istanbul."

"I make a pickpocket's head explode one time, and you never let me live it down… if I recall correctly, you took me out drinking in the first place Steve!"

Steve's reply was honest. "Well, I thought your powers would stop you from getting drunk, like mine do."

"They do… but I have to be sober enough to concentrate on it," Akio grumbled in childlike annoyance as they made it to the porch.

Steve knocked on the door thrice before putting his hands behind his back and waiting. Akio mimicked his motion.

The door was opened by a woman in her late thirties with long blonde hair and green eyes wearing a grey pantsuit, and light makeup. Carol Dallon blinked upon seeing the military men upon her doorstep. "Can I help you officers?"

"Ma'am," Steve said, taking the lead, "We are with the United States Navy and it has just come to our attention that one of your daughters has been misusing her powers. As the only military outfit in the area, we are obligated to investigate. May we come in ma'am?"

Carol's eyes narrowed and she grimaced. "Of course, please come in. She led them inside her lavish home and hollered up the steps. "Amy Dallon, you get down here right now young lady!"

The two men shared a look of confusion, wondering why the mother's thoughts immediately went to the healer instead of the flying brick who had a form of invincibility.

Two pairs of feet were heard and the mousy brown haired girl showed up wearing a red t-shirt with a white cross and jeans looking like death was just waiting for her to keel over, while the blonde they were here to see came down wearing yoga pants and a sports bra.

"What's going on mom? The blonde bombshell asked, eyeing up the two soldiers.

"We are here to speak to you, Miss Dallon," Steve said, keeping his eyes fixed on her face.

Carol turned to look at them, from where she stood in her living room, surprised, "What? But you said…"

"We said we came to speak to one of your daughters about power misuse. You never let us clarify which one and yet you automatically assumed it was the healer who spends way too damn much time at the hospital, why?" Akio asked, only for Steve to send him a look.

"My subordinate has a point ma'am. We're here for Victoria, not Amy."

"Um, what is this about?" The blonde asked.

"We received a report that you used your powers, specifically your aura, to intimidate a student; one Kiden Nixon from coming to Arcadia High School. Is this true?"

"Gentlemen, I do not think my daughter would…" Carol began only for someone else to cut her off mid sentence.

The blonde blinked, wide-eyed. "Oh… oh shit! Is that why she stopped showing up to class?!" Victoria asked.

"Vicky," Her mother said warningly only for a primal shiver to run down her spine, and the lizard part of her brain suddenly told her she was in the room with something… someone, dangerous. She glanced over at the young, white haired boy wearing a mantle.

"Be quiet and let her finish," He said, his tone calm.

"Um, pardon my french but what the fuck was that?!" Victoria asked.

"A warning not to interfere in our investigation," Akio said, "You were saying Miss Dallon?"

The blonde blinked and put her hand on her heart, feeling it slow down, 'My power is supposed to protect me from other Master powers… right?' Victoria thought to herself. "Right well Nixon and I didn't exactly hit it off, we bickered a lot actually, but I didn't hate her or anything. In fact, I only realized after she'd left that she was the only person with the guts to call me out on things and I respected her for that. Most people think I'm the most amazing thing since sliced bread… do you have any idea how annoying that gets after a while?"

Akio smiled, 'Maybe she's not so far gone as I thought,' Clearing his throat, he advised. "I see, well if I may Miss Dallon, might I suggest you take up meditation, or perhaps actual yoga?"

"Um, why?" the blonde asked.

"To master something like an aura, you must master yourself. You need discipline and control in body and mind. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience here," He said with a bit of a smile as the small pulse of emotion from her started to shrink into nothingness.

"Yoga and sitting around doing nothing huh? Well, I already do that four hours a day in class, so how hard can it be?" The blonde said with a shrug.

"Victoria!" Her mother said disapprovingly.

"Also Miss Dallon, what does long term exposure to your aura do to someone do you think?" Akio inquired.

The blonde blinked. "What do you mean?"

Akio put his hands behind his back as he explained. "Well, it makes people like or fear you… so what happens if people who are around you for a long period of time… like your family for example, are forced to be exposed to a near-Masterlike ability?"

Victoria's eyes widened as did everyone else's in the room. "Oh… fuck me!" the blonde swore.

"Don't tell me none of you have ever thought of this?" Akio inquired, slightly annoyed and confused as looks of shock appeared on all the Dallon women's faces.

Carol spoke up now. "Well, we always assumed we were… immune?"

"Ma'am do you know what happens when you assume? You make an ass out of you and everyone else for making assumptions," Akio turned to Steve. "Sir, I think we need to seperate the Dallons for their own safety immediately under master/stranger protocols."

"I'm inclined to agree," Steve said.

Much to their surprise, Victoria nodded, saying, "Ditto."

"Victoria?" Carol said, surprised. "You're okay with this?"

The blonde crossed her arms and replied, "Duh mom, you guys being turned into my own personal Borg is not cool."

Akio took out his phone and got into a certain chat window.

N-Sign: Hey dragon I've got a situation.

D-Rage-0n: what is it Akio? Also I saw the officer cams from the arrest. Want me to send you the video?"

N-Sign: Yes please. Also didn't I tell you to change that username? Anyway, why has no one ever considered Glory Girl's aura a Master power and that she might be accidently mind fucking her family.

D-Rage-0n: … Sent him a gif of Picard holding his head in his hands. Fuck! Why did none of us ever think of that?! Also I like my username, it makes it easier for use to communicate.

N-Sign: Will you send some PRT people over? The Dallons need to be separated for God knows how long. Under master stranger protocols of course

D-Rage-0n: I'm not officially a member of the PRT. I work with the Guild that works with the PRT but I can get in contact with someone who can. They'll be going in under Master/Stranger protocols like you stated until we can tell Glory Girl's aura's effects have dissipated. Also sending that video. :)

N-Sign: That's like saying I'm not officially white, I'm just albino. Either way, much obliged, on both fronts.

D-Rage-0n: Lol. No problem. TTFN.

Looking up from his phone he said, "Okay, I've got some PRT trucks on their way to pick you guys up and separate you guys for… however the hell long it takes to desentize you to Victoria's aura."

"Oh God dad!" Vicky said. "He has depression!"

"Victoria, think about New Wave's image!" Carol chidded.

"Mom, fuck New Waves image!" Victoria spat. "Fuck our image and think about this for a second! Dad, has depression, has had it for a long time. So whaddya think happens when he's around me and when he's not? Better what about Amy who isn't related to me so any immunity you two have she has none. I sleep right next to her room mom. My aura doesn't turn off."

"Uppers and downers without taking the pills," Amy said in a clinical tone hoping to steer the conversation away from herself.

"Fuck!" Victoria swore again as she pulled her hair a little at the literal mindfucking she may have done to her family, before turning to her sister. "What about you Aims, are you okay?"

"I… I'm fine," the brunette said nervously, fidgeting.

Glory Girl scowled. "You're lying, you always fidget when you lie. It's why you've always sucked at it." She gently placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Amy talk to me, please."

"Not here, not now… please?" Amy was all but begging as she started to feel like the center of attention and hating it.

Victoria usually wasn't one to give up but seeing her sister whom she would go to hell and back for to protect, begging her like that, she relented. "Okay, but we will be talking about this."

Amy nodded meekly. "I… I think I'm going to go outside. Get some air, wait for the PRT to show up."

"LT, can you handle things in here? I still need to speak with Panacea about the unreasonable amount of time she's spending at the hospital." Akio said looking towards the front door

"Can do, you go right ahead, Ensign," Steve said while locking eyes on Carol. "I've got this situation handled."

Carol fixed the Lieutenant with a gaze of scorn. "I hope you're happy sir, you're about to completely destroy not only New Waves credibility but that of my practice. All in one fell swoop."

Steve smiled at her. "Just doing my job ma'am."

---

Out on the porch, Amy was staring out into the street, her arms folded. She didn't speak for a moment when Akio came and stood at her side. Then she did. "You know, I still haven't gotten your name."

"Ensign Akio Adams Miss Dallon."

"Amy," the brunette retorted, "Call me Amy. Though I should be mad at you… I'm not."

The Albino was quick to respond. "Then Akio, please. Also, thank you, for not being mad."

Amy sighed again. "It's been hard, you know, living with her, with them? I knew I've always known I was adopted, and mom… Carol never let me forget it. She always treated me like I was never good enough, and I don't know why."

"Have you asked her?" Akio questioned.

The healer shook her head. "I just assumed she... " she paused, "There we go again, making assumptions."

The ensign nodded. "Kinda like how you're assuming your sister will hate you for liking her a little more than you should when it is likely a byproduct from what? Three years of constant exposure to her aura?"

Amy deflated. "Was it that obvious?"

"Not to Victoria, she's got too much on her mind at the moment, but to someone who can't be affected by her aura and can think clearly. Yes, there is only one explanation. As a fictional detective once said, When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever left, however improbable, must be the truth."

"Sherlock Holmes," Amy said.

"Yep."

Amy sighed again. "So you think I should tell her?"

Akio laughed, "There you go, making assumptions again. Yet if you're really asking for my opinion, I think you should wait. Allow yourself to detox if you will from Victoria's aura, let her learn to control said aura, and then, only once both those things are done, should you meet her again. Then, if you still feel the same way after all that, yes, you should tell her."

Amy turned to him and smiled. "Thanks Akio. You're a good friend."

"First rule of any adventuring party. Always look out for the healer," Akio said.

"Oh, I see," Amy drawled, "You only wanted me for my body. It all makes sense now. Well you may not be my type bub." She poked in the shoulder while waving to her flawless body. The two looked at each other before they laughed. "Why is it that I laugh so easily with you?" She asked no one in particular.

Akio shrugged. "I dunno… maybe I'm just that sexy?"

She shoved him this time. "Dream on Dracula."

"Ouch, you wound me madam!" Akio retorted hammily.

"You will be wounded if you hurt those rose bushes. Carol loves them more than me and Vicky combined," Amy warned.

The albino turned to look at said rose bushes. "Oh really?"

Amy glared at the Ensign. "Don't do it, seriously."

"What's the worst Samus Aran can do to me?"

Amy's reply was deadpan flat. "Kill you? Or at least mostly murder you so I have to revive what's left?"

Akio pointed at her. "Point," Then he shrugged, "But then again, if I have access to Phoenix Downs, might as well use 'em right?"

"No! No! I am not fucking Aerith! Aerith dies!" Amy retorted hotly.

"Ah c'mon Amy!" Akio needled, "Don'cha wanna fight the secret boss?"

No! Cloud I don't!" Amy replied… before she gave him a once over. "You know, you wouldn't look half bad in a dress."

"And moving on," Akio said, "You are hereby ordered to go on vacation. No hospital visits not until you are given a clean bill of health yourself for your sister's aura."

Amy shook her head. "I-I can't do that!"

"Why?"

"Every minute I'm not at the hospital, people are sick, dying from illnesses only I can cure. I need to help as many as I can!" She argued.

"Do you think you're a god or something?" Akio asked bluntly.

Panacea shook her head as her emotional stability started to break down. "No, I don't have a God Complex. It's just… I hoped that if I helped enough… if I saved enough people that mom… Carol… would finally be… proud of me."

"Oh Amy," Akio came over and gave her a hug.

"Why am I not good enough?" She asked in a sad voice, tears falling from her eyes. "Is it because I'm adopted? Have I not healed enough people yet? What's the reason?"

"I… I dunno Amy… are you sure you don't wanna destroy her rose bushes? It might make you feel better."

"Stop with the rose bushes already," Amy said, choking out a laugh.

"Another time then," He said as the PRT vans pulled up to the house.

The White Mage pulled back and smiled at him. "So I guess this is it huh? We won't be seeing each other for awhile?"

"What're you talking about? I intend to visit you everyday or as often as I can," The sailor replied.

"Really?" This surprised the New Wave heroine.

"That's what friends do Amy. They're there to laugh with you, cry with you, and when you're surrounded by a gang of fifty pissed off Yangban, bleed with you."

"I think there's a story behind that last bit," Amy said with a chuckle.

Akio chuckled ruefully himself. "Like you wouldn't believe, but another time perhaps?" he said as the PRT operatives approached.

Amy smiled despite how topsy turvy her life was about to get. She had a friend, not a friend of her sisters who put up with her or someone who knew her as a cape, but a genuine friend for the first time since… ever. 'I think I'm going to be okay?'

Then Gallant showed up, dashing that feeling to pieces faster than a bloodhound chasing down a rabbit.

"Amy, what's going on?" The armor clad hero asked worriedly. "I heard something about a Master power and Vicky?"

"Calm down Romeo, you might slip on some unsuspecting butter knives… wouldn't that be a shame?" She said under her breath.

Gallant put his hands on his hips. "C'mon Aims I just wanna know if Vicky is okay."

"You mean you want to abuse your powers as a cape to check up on your girlfriend. How, commonly criminal of you," Akio said to himself. "What's next? Kickbacks, cocaine, hookers? Crazy hookers on cocaine kicking you in the back?"

"Oh, I like that last one!" Amy said, chuckling.

"Um, who are you?" Gallant asked the stranger who was in his opinion way to close to Vicky's sister.

"Ensign Akio Adams second in command of this op."

The armored hero pointed a finger at him. "You're the guy who got Shadow Stalker arrested! You going after Vicky next?!" he accused.

"See Amy, this is what I mean. People assume, then, they make asses out of themselves," He pointed to Gallant. "Prime example right here. Take notes because there will be a pop quiz sometime tomorrow."

"It can't be a pop quiz if I know it's going to happen?" The healer pointed out.

"But I never said when or where did I?"

"If you mysteriously show up in the bathroom I'm turning your eyes into goo," She threatened.

"If I somehow end up in your bathroom, I'll probably faint from embarrassment," The Japanese teen replied honestly.

"Guys," Gallant deadpanned, "Is my girlfriend ok?"

"Oh she's fine, in fact she is the Master threat," Akio explained. "Yeah, that aura of hers? Master power."

"Oh… Oh… Oh!" Gallant said.

"Clearly he is a man of wit," Akio said. "So anyway, you, like the rest of the Dallons should probably get quarantined and tested… and remember, if it lasts for more than four hours seek help from a doctor immediately."

"Not me!" Panacea said, holding her hands up defensively. "I don't wanna see that. Vicky is the only one in this family who even wants or needs to see that… has Vicky seen that?"

"No comment," Gallant said defensively as he proceeded to walk into the house and check on his girlfriend.

"Umm not that this isn't hilarious, but can we go and secure the area now sir?" One operative asked, as another had his phone out and was clearly recording all of this.

"Right, our mazani act is over," Akio pointed his thumb behind him at the door. "Go do your job fellas."

---

"I think that went well," Akio said as he and Steve walked through the boat graveyard that would soon play host to the Sanctuary as well.

"You have a knack for saving girls in trouble," Steve said as they looked over the derelict ships.

Akio clasped his hands behind his head. "I suppose so… Hey Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"When a girl gives you her number and says to call soon, how soon is soon?" Akio asked.

The Lieutenant turned and looked at his subordinate. "When did you get a girls number? Wait, actually whose is it? That Taylor girl?"

The Albino shook his head. "No, a nice girl named Lisa Wilborne. She pointed out a local diner near the docks to me and I treated her to breakfast as thanks. Then she gave me her number and said to call soon, but how soon is soon?"

"You got it today?" upon receiving a nod, Steve said, "As a general rule it is usually considered a good idea to at least wait three days before you give a girl a call after you get her number. Any sooner, and you seem desperate, any later, and you give off a vibe that you're not interested."

Akio nodded, and it was at times like these that he showed his true age of just being a teenager. One who didn't have much in the way of a social life or cues due to moving around so much on the moving home that was an Amphibious Command Ship.

"Three days huh?" Akio said, rubbing the back of his head. "Why're women so complicated Steve? Like, why can't they just say what they want?"

The LT put a hand on the young albino's shoulder. "There are girls like that," Steve said, "They're the weirdest of the bunch, trust me."

"I'll take your word for it. So, what were you doing before I called?"

"Looking for a place. We've got a couple months before the Sanctuary is decom'ed and we all need to be moved out, with homes by then."

"Ah, so you're gonna be getting your own place then?" Akio said, caught off guard.

Steve laughed a little and ruffled Akio's hair. "Did you honestly think we'd be moving into one large place together?"

"Kinda? We're all one big family ya know?" Akio said, sounding put out.

"Don't worry Aki, I'm coordinating with your mom and Itsu to make sure we can all get homes that are close by. We'll all be at most a block apart." Steve promised him.

---

Later that night in his room, laying on his rack, Akio wished he had Taylor's or Kiden's numbers right now. 'They might be able to help with the house search.' He thought wryly.

Suddenly his laptop pinged causing him to get up and see what was going on. It was a direct message from one of his long distance friends. Specifically, the one from Korea, Hana Song aka . the foremost Tinker of Korea, and one of the few known mecha Tinkers.

: Guess who finally got their visa?

N-Sign: You?

: Yep! Gimme your coordinates and I'll be over ASAP.

N-Sign: Brockton Bay Massachusetts.

didn't respond for a moment, then she started a call. It took him a moment to answer as he needed to find his headphones. Then he clicked the 'Join Call' button. "Hey Hana, how're you?"

"Don't 'how're you' me!" she snapped out hotly. "When the hell were you going to tell me you were berthed in a HOSV zone?!"

Akio sighed, Hana always acted like this. The big sister he never really asked for. "Hana it's not that bad."

"Not that bad?!" She echoed incredulously. "Akio, you forget, I know you! You're the guy who punched Behemoth in the face in Seoul, and didn't die from close contact. I know it's only a matter of time until trouble finds you!"

"Your belief in me is so reassuring Hana," Akio deadpanned, had his tone been any drier, Ash Beast himself might've felt he had a rival in the desert making department.

"You know what I mean," the Korean huffed. "You have this knack for finding trouble."

"No, trouble has this knack for finding me," Akio countered. "Or someone is dumb enough to do something stupid in front of me. Like hitting a lady, or being a two bit bully. Anyway, when will you arrive?"

"At the speed I'm going? Twenty minutes or so," Hana replied.

"Hana… did you call me while flying cross continental in one of your Meka?" Akio deadpanned.

"I just passed over the Pennsylvania state line," replied casually, "Want me to stop in Hershey? I can pick you up some chocolate?"

Akio sighed. "None for me thanks but I'm sure Zoe would love that."

"Kay! I'm sure you'd prefer my kisses over chocolate ones anyway right? I'll be there in thirty," Hana said sultrily before she ended the call.

Akio smiled despite himself. "Hana Song, you're something else," He looked at his clock, it read 2030 hours. 'I've got enough time to clean up before she gets here I suppose,' He thought before he grabbed his toiletries before heading to the shower.

---

After a quick shave so he didn't look like a young St. Nick and a pirate wash, Akio threw on a navy blue gi and his cloak, along with some boots, putting Ishan into his belt as he made his way to the deck. He arrived outside just in time to see a bow legged cannon armed meka land on the deck of the Sanctuary. The bulletproof glass hatch opened up, revealing a tall dark haired girl in a dark purple latex bodysuit that clung to every curve of her svelte body who had two purple triangles painted on either side of her pale cheeks. Akio always did think they brought out her green eyes more. She all but stalked over to him on white high heeled shoes, a scowl set on her lipstick painted lips before she pulled him into a rough hug.

"Idiot!" She said, pulling him close. "You should've contacted me the moment you landed! Especially in a place like Brockton Bay."

"Hana… Hana!" He said again trying to get her attention as she ranted. "I'm fine, really. The worst I've done so far is get a Ward arrested for domestic terrorism," He told her gently.

"Why do I find something so crazy, so reassuring?" The Korean girl asked herself, before she put a hand on the younger boy's cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Hana." Akio assured.

"Good," She then stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips to his briefly before pulling away.

Akio tasted chocolate after the kiss ended. "Chocolate lip gloss?"

"They were selling it in the Hershey's gift store. So I guess you could say you got your chocolate kisses after all huh?" Diva said with a little laugh.

Akio laughed as well, "Yeah, I guess so… How've you been D?"

"Better, now that I'm with you again," She replied honestly as she proceeded to pull him into a hug and hold him there.

He and Hana Song had a history. She was his first crush, and first kiss. When Behemoth attacked Seoul he watched her get shot down in her Meka… he was pissed enough that he put as much chi as he could into his fist and punched an Endbringer. As he was recovering in the emergency medical tent with second degree burns on his right hand, Hanna Song, herself came limping in beaten, battered but alive. She berated him a bit called him an idiot for doing something so suicdally stupid… then kissed him on the lips, in the heat of the moment.

She was seventeen, and he was confused. Unfortunately what should've been a private moment between two people was intruded upon by the paparazzi. By morning, the picture of them sharing an intimate moment was on the front page of korea's newspaper and all other media outlets that hadn't been destroyed in the Endbringers rampage.

Hana expected backlash, as the dislike of Japan was still quite strong in Korea. Yet, it didn't happen. The people didn't turn on her like rabid dogs like she thought they would. Instead there was respect. Perhaps it was because she was the biggest cape in Korea, and one of the few Mecha Tinkers worldwide second only to the renowned Dragon in her field. It might've had something to do with the fact the boy in question had just punched an Endbringer and no one wanted to piss him off. That could be too.

Either way for three months the Sanctuary did what they could to help Seoul. Giving out food, blankets, and supplies. Helping with repairs, and in that time Hana Song and Akio were never too far apart. Often helping one another with some task or another and eating mess together. It wasn't a whirlwind romance, but it was one born from disaster and need for strength each provided for the other. They would do small things to show affection hold hands, steal the occasional affectionate glance or kiss, Hana would on occasion find boxes of mechanical parts she could use in her meka outside her door, and Akio a dvd explaining the ins and outs of Taekwondo, Hapkido, Ssireum, and Taekyon in return.

Everything was going great!

Then came the day Akio had to leave. She thought she was prepared. She told herself she knew this day was coming, that logically, he couldn't stay but she still didn't want him to go. She had one last gift for him… A laptop. His laptop, the very same laptop he kept in his quarters down in the Sanctuary at this very moment. It was her compromise, a way she could make do till she could see him again. They could text and chat, and for now it would have to be enough.

Hana cried of course. That whole first week felt like her heart had been ripped out. Laptop or no laptop. She didn't call him at all the first week. She was damn it! She didn't want anyone, Akio especially, knowing how much his leaving had affected her. So she stuck to texting. By the second week, she was back out there in person, doing what she could for her people and country. The ache was still there, and the pain but she had a job to do.

Yet none of that mattered now as she hugged him to her again after all this time apart. It made her think that maybe, just maybe, they could pick up where they left off.

"Neechan!" A happy voice cried out moments before a multicolored missile crashed into her side knocking her over.

"Zoe!" Hana said with a laugh as she ran her hands through the girl's multicolored hair. "How's my favorite little sister?"

Zoe's mismatched eyes gleamed as she looked up into Hana's face. "Good, good! I visited Oniichan in class yesterday, got candy, then this Neechan wanted to take me home with her but I was like, nu-uh Oniichan is best!"

"He is a good big brother isn't he?" Hana said, laughing lightly.

"Yep, yep, then Oniichan made me go home… then bad things happened at school right Oniichan?" Zoe asked looking to her big brother for confirmation.

"Yes indeed Zoe," Akio didn't even bother to ask how she knew about it. His little sister had her information gathering ways.

Hana looked at him concerned. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you inside," He said, offering her a hand. "C'mon, it's cold out here. Let's get below decks."

Hana hit a key fob attached to a chain on the end of her sidearm. In response, her Meka stomped over and huddled into a ball near the wall a trail of steel suitcases chained together being dragged in its wake. Hitting a button on the fob flipped the actual key up that she used to undo an industrial sized lock that kept the chain connected to the Meka. "Right so… where can I put my stuff?"

"I'll carry it to a room for you if you like?" Akio offered. "We're still gonna be here a month at least."

Hana smiled at him. "Please."

---

Akio set Hana up in the old communications room. She said it would be more than big enough with some Tinkering. What she meant by that was displayed when she opened one of her cases, revealing several spherical different colored robots. They turned on, flapped their 'ears' did what Akio could only assume was an x-ray scan of the room, then proceeded to eat everything in the communications room. Everything was consumed, nothing was spared, not even the ham radio. The room now bare, the machines grew arms and legs from holes in their bodies, their circular forms splitting in half as they started to spray an mold grey gunk into various shapes. All while chanting "Haro, Haro, Haro!"

"Neechan, what're they doing?" Zoe asked crouching down on her knees to watch the little bots work.

"These are my Haro-bots Zoe, they take in matter, break it down, infuse it with single programming nanobots, then they shape it into a pre programmed shape." Hana said as the Grey Goo took on various shapes. One becoming a bed, another a workbench while one worked in the corner on various bits of lab equipment.

"Um, they aren't going to go skynet on us, right?" Akio asked warily.

"No no! I built in several redundancies to make sure that doesn't happen. The Haro's can't share information and each can only do certain pre programmed tasks. The Grey Goo, too cannot self replicate and its AI is on a kill timer. After six hours which is how long it takes for the shape to set, the AI self terminates as it no longer has any function." Hana assured him.

Akio sighed in relief. "Good, I don't feel like being ground zero for a robot uprising, are you hungry Hana?"

"My, my, inviting me to dinner already?" She teased, an impish smirk on her lips. "How forward Akio."

"Oh you know me, I'm a regular Casanova," Akio scoffed.

Hana rolled her eyes as she flipped her hair behind her. "More than you would think."

The Ensign didn't know how to respond to that, so he stayed silent.

"So… dinner Neechan, Oniichan?" Zoe said after a moment of awkward silence.

"Right," The tinker gave the Mover a smile before turning to the Striker. "I've got something to show you later Akio, but that can wait till after dinner."

---

'Fuck!' Laura swore in her head. 'She's back!' That was what Laura Howlett thought when she saw Hana Song walk through the doors of the mess hall. She looked around, saw her, smiled and waved. Laura forced herself to wave back while doing her best to bury her mounting dislike for the girl under a mask of civility. Right now, she needed to be her mother's daughter, not her fathers. 'For Akio's sake,' She told herself. "Hey Hana."

"Hey Laura you're looking well, it's so good to see you…" She paused looking over where Akio was helping Zoe pick the sides to go with her entree, which tonight was meatloaf. She turned back a smile still on her face, "Especially seeing as you still haven't woman'd up and confessed to Aki yet."

Laura froze still as a statue. She dared not breathe. 'She knew?'

Seeing her deer in headlights look, Hana sighed, "Seriously girl what's with you? I thought for sure you'd confess after seeing him with me. Seeing he actually could be taken. Hell, I kissed him when I saw him just now to see how he'd react and he's clearly not seeing anyone so what gives?"

"You what?" Laura growled.

"See, that's what I mean, where's all that courage and fire when you need to confess?" Hana asked.

Laura blushed a bit. "I… that's different."

Hana shook her head. "No, it isn't. I came here full expecting him to tell me he was dating you, had been for over a year now or something. Yet he's still single, so I see no point in not pursuing him since he's still on the market.

"What?" Laura growled dangerously, a snarl coming from the back of her throat.

"You've had two years to confess!" The Korean cape snapped under her breath, but nothing to Laura's enhanced hearing. "That's plenty of time. If you can't do it in all that time…" Hana shrugged "Well then, maybe a bit of competition will finally give you the push you need?" Hana challenged.

Laura just glared at her spitefully as Akio and Zoe sat down next to them. Sensing the tension in the air, Akio asked, "Is everything okay?"

Hana just waved his question off. "Everything's fine Aki! Just fine!"

"Laura? Is everything okay?" Akio wanted to be sure his best friend was okay.

Laura closed her eyes. "Everythings fine Akio, I'm just wondering what we're going to do about school, I enjoyed seeing Kiden and Tatianna every day."

"Oh, that reminds me, you didn't happen to get their numbers did you?" The ensign inquired.

"I've got Kiden, Tatianna's and Taylor doesn't have a cell phone," Laura replied, "Why do you ask?"

As he began eating his meatloaf, Akio replied. "Well, we need to find housing, we've three months to do so. I was hoping Taylor, Kiden, and Tatianna could help with that."

"Leave the finding of housing to us Musuko," Yukia told her son as she made her way over to greet Hana. "Hana-chan, it has been quite a while how've you been?"

"Been keeping myself busy Adams-san, and yourself?" Hana said bowing politely.

Yukia tutted, "Now, now, I'm fairly certain I told you to call me Kaa-san didn't I?"

Hana rubbed the back of her head, but preened slightly. "Right… Kaa-san."

"Mother, please stop embarrassing Hana," Akio requested a sigh in his tone as he continued eating.

Yukia covered her mouth with one of her Kimono sleeves as she hid her smile. "My, my, is that what you think I'm doing? Embarrassing Hana-chan?" Yukia's blood red eyes briefly flickered to Laura. "So Hana-chan, how long will your visa last?"

"Tentatively six months," The girl replied, "Possibly longer if things work out the way I hope with the PRT and in… other areas," She said, flicking her eyes to Akio hinting at her other wants to his mother for a moment.

"Oniichan~n! I don't like meatloaf," Zoe complained, crossing her arms and glaring at her meal

"You don't? Why's that Zoe? You like cheeseburgers," Akio pointed out.

Zoe slowly nodded. "Yeah.. but on meatloaf they cook the ketchup and they make it taste funny!" The twelve year old girl said with a grimace.

Akio just chuckled, "Wait right here okay? I've got something that might fix this," he stood up and walked away.

Once she was sure he was out of earshot, Zoe turned to the other girls and asked, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "So, which one of you is going to confess to Oniichan first?"

"Zoe Adams you little schemer," Her mother playfully chided. "Putting up a big fuss just so you could have some girltime."

"I really don't like cooked ketchup though mama," Zoe said sincerely before shrugging, "It seemed as good a reason to get rid of Oniichan as any. So," She gave Laura and Hana searching looks. "Who's going first? Actually, bigger question… why don't you just share Oniichan?"

It was an innocent question, one posed by a child so neither girl took offense. "The world doesn't work like that Zoe," Hana said gently.

"It's wrong," Laura replied.

"Doesn't work like that? Wrong?" Zoe said, cocking her head to the side. "One could also argue that people shouldn't be able to fly, or shoot lasers, or create portals, or make crazy machines either. Or any of the other crazy things we can all do. One could say that it's wrong and that people shouldn't work like that either."

The two girls looked at each other, and blinked. Each silently admitting the little girl had a point.

"Zoe…" Laura began, but the multi-hue hair colored girl shook her head.

"You know what I think?" Zoe said, "I think you're both scared. Laura-nee, you have senses as sharp as any doggy right?"

"Yeah?" Laura said.

"Well have you known any doggy to have only one mate, or even mate for life?" Zoe questioned cocking her head to the side, a sly smirk on her face.

Laura flushed at the insinuation a twelve year old girl was making. "I um I…"

"Hana-Neechan," Zoe said, ignoring Laura. "You came all this way for Oniichan… then you treat him like a trophy to win instead of a person with his own thoughts and feelings. Tsk, tsk. What if in the end, Oniichan decides for himself that he doesn't want either of you, or both of you? What will you then do, hmm?" The little girl said with a lascivious grin on her face.

"Zoe, are you teasing Laura and Hana?" Akio said as he saw the two girls staring at his little sister wide-eyed.

The portaler turned to her big brother with a smile. "Of course not Oniichan! Zoe is a good imotou."

"Uh-huh," Akio said flatly as he took a knife and scraped off the ketchup then he took a small bowl and poured brown gravy that was also on top of Zoe's mashed potatoes on top. "There, try that."

The girl took a tentative bite… then her mismatched eyes lit up and widened as she proceeded to wolf it down hungrily. "Dis ish gret Oniitan!" Zoe said through a mouth full of food.

"Zoe, don't talk with your mouthful, that's gross," Akio reprimanded, smiling as he dabbed at her now gravy smeared face with a napkin.

The girl nodded displaying none of her previous persona to her older brother. To him, she was a sweet, pure, and innocent, little girl. Thus, would remain as such. Once he was sure she'd eaten her fill, Akio turned to Hana and said, "You said you had something to show me Hana?"

"Umm, yeah! Right, follow me." The Tinker said, giving Zoe an odd look as she got up and left the cafeteria.

---

Back in her new quarters, Hana turned to her one time boyfriend. "Akio, who's your favorite Star Wars character?"

"Bobba Fett, I told you that if I recall." The boy replied, wondering why she was bringing this up now, and what, if anything this had to do with her surprise .

Hana nodded. "Yep, that's why I know you're going to love this." the Tinker said as she stood up another of the cases she brought with her before she unlocked it.

Pulling the door open revealed a set of light grey armor set into foam. It was Jango Fett's armor, but it had a samurai theme to it. The chestpiece, shoulderguards, combat skirt, and greaves with added tools placed on the side for easy access were all reminiscent of samurai armor and lacquered plates, but also modern, having places to hold tools and weapons. The entire thing was constructed of studded and riveted metal. Even the helmet as he took it out, was sculpted in the form of the ancient samurai armor having back of the neck protecting in the form of layered riveted plates, descending from the back. The front had the iconic T-visor.

"The armor is made from titanium and ceramics so it's incredibly light, but also very protective. She said, pulling out a dark grey bodysuit that was folded up beneath the chestpiece. "The bodysuit is made of nanocarbon fiber weave lattice, and is just as protective as the rest of the armor." Removing the armguards and greaves revealed extra weapons. A three-section staff that doubled as a winged spear, with its butt spike acting as a drill, one arm guard acting as a micro-shuriken launcher, while the other was a flamethrower, he had a magnetized sword frog on his left hip…

"Hana… not that this isn't awesome but what is all this?" Akio asked.

"Your Rogue costume obviously," The Korean girl said in a tone where the 'duh' was implied.

Akio blinked. "Me, a rogue? Since when? When did I ever imply I wanted to be a Rogue?"

Hana gave him a deadpan look. "Akio, you've been a Rogue since the day we met. You punched Behemoth in the face with enough force to send it into retreat."

"In my defense, I thought you died," the Albino said.

reached out and cupped his face with her hands and said tenderly. "I know, and I appreciate that, but it just proves my point Aki,you're a true hero at heart. You don't care about money, fame, or any of that crap. You're a real hero," The Tinker gave a bitter smile. "Even better than me," She put a finger over his mouth before he could object. "You know as well as I that I stream my fights. So there's no point in trying to argue this. It wasn't until you… until Behemoth. That I realized what a hero should be," She turned away from him looking at the suit. "Someone who does the right thing, because it's the right thing to do, no more, no less."

"Hana," Akio said, surprised by her words of praise for him.

She turned back to him, hands on her hips, a smirk on her face. "That's why I've made it my mission to see to it you become the hero I know you're meant to be. So, get that suit on! It's time to finally test it out."

Akio found himself smiling. "Okay Hana, if you insist."

Ten minutes and a bit of fiddling later and he was in the armor complete with a silver jetpack that had a small anti personnel missile on top of it, which was almost completely hidden under his cloak.

"The jetpack uses an anti-gravity field up to two square feet and air propulsion technology, so you don't need to worry about setting your cloak on fire," told him through the com he had in his helmet. A stormfront had consumed the horizon and rain splattered against his helmet.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to go out in this?" Akio asked over the coms.

"It's perfect. We should test the armor in the harshest conditions possible to put it through a stress test. Now get going!" the Tinker said.

"Alright, but I have a bad feeling about this," Akio said as he took a running jump off the deck, his jetpack activating and sending him flying through the air.

The legend of a new Rogue would begin this night, and come the morning, the streets would run rampant with whisperings of his name… Hachiman.

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Words: 17, 862 Number of page: 48 Date Completed: 3/27/2020

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AN: Hello one and all to Chapter Two of Dragon and the Fly. Things are going to get a little crazy as we move into the next chapter… as when does one's first foray into heroism ever end well? Especially in Worm? Now a word from our friendly neighborhood Beta Snowy!

Now I am authorized to spoil something about the next ch. Don't worry folks, nothing too big just a tease if you will. What is appetizing, seductive, and adorable. If you can find that answer and apply to a character that is the hint for next ch. Beware Hachiman may bite off more than he can chew and stir a mighty beast that hides in the Bay.

Ominous as always Snowy now I've fleshed out the why and the how of this world a bit more and I hope you're all interested and like my take on things. I will however freely admit I am not nor have I ever been in the Navy nor any other form of the military… but that doesn't really matter all that much because I imagine people with superpowers would throw the normal rulebook out the damn window! So with that in mind, I hope you enjoy my take on how it all goes. Thanks for reading and till next time, this has been a Babbajack and IcySnowSage Production! Peace!

PS. Also, REVIEW! Review because this'll probably be my last update before my birthday next Friday! And reviews make me happy!