Nemo me Impune Lacessit 2.8
"Taylor!" Lisa shook off her friend, she's in shock, she didn't need her powers to consider that the strong girl in front of her was in a state of distress that she couldn't respond to anything "Taylor look at me! Look at me!" Lisa shouts to her friend who recognizes her and then hugs her crying.
"They have dad!" she cries out as Greg looks at Grue and then at Emma.
"Did you advertise yourselves as open capes?" Greg asked as the two including Lisa shook their heads.
"We didn't some of us have families and some don't want to be found by their family" case in point Alec, Lisa continued on comforting Taylor, "we have to put a report to the PRT for a possible breaking of the Unwritten rules"
"And put yourselves further into debt to them" Greg states as Lisa looks at him shocked "I talked with Rachel she didn't like the fact that you indebted yourselves to the PRT said you are just playing to their strings"
"Greg-" Lisa tries to explain but was stopped by Grue.
"We can't hold the whole the Docks indefinitely, the PRT had offered their help and so we took it, we have to play ball with them"
"That doesn't seem like what Rachel told me Brian, if anything you are playing the appeaser to what is essentially someone that parades around capes like its a goddamn beauty pageant, did Armsmaster made you join their talent portion as well?" the quip would have made everyone laugh in a good time and place but Lisa flinched at the insinuation that they became nothing more than puppets for the PRT, just like New Wave.
"Greg we did what we have to to make sure that what we gained will not be lost" Grue explains as Greg leans to a wall "you also work for the PRT so don't claim the moral high ground here"
"I work at a contract not as a part of them! Don't fucking put me in your position Brian!" Greg roars at him but then saw Taylor and then sighs "fuck! I will call Piggot tell her there has been a change of plans, whatever you do you don't try and make contact with the PRT anything that will make you seem like you are begging them for help" he said as he storms out of the door and Lisa was sure that he was going to contact Director Piggot.
Believe in the respect between his teacher and the PRT ENE director, thinks that that respect also extends to him, Lisa's power tells her as she helped Taylor "you okay?" her friend nods despite otherwise.
Lisa looks at Brian who only hissed under his breath "I'll try and contact Aisha, Emma put in Uber and Leet tell them that this is Code: Zero Dark, also contact your family if they're safe" he put up a sigh.
"Damn it!" he slam his fist to a wall "its so much easier being a villain" you tell me, she was surprised when she saw Taylor leaving as well, having recovered from the shock, resolve and anger that could threaten to blow this place apart if not directed to proper targets.
"Where are you going Taylor?"
"I'm going with Greg" she said, believes that the Witcher has a plan, will also try and contact her instructor or rather instructors.
"Taylor you don't-fuck!" she was gone before Grue could try stop her.
"Don't worry about her, if anything the two will take care of each other" Emma assures them and Lisa didn't have to use her power to confirm that.
"Piggot" came the familiar rough greeting that was somewhat inherited from his teacher.
"Greg to what do I owe the pleasure?" she greets evenly as there was silence on the other line and Piggot didn't need any parahuman powers to know that there is something wrong.
"There has been a change of plans concerning the Empire" what? Piggot thought as she was confused by those words.
"Sugar was illegally unmasked by the Empire, her father was kidnapped by them, the Circle of Steel can't move when one of their own is compromised" Piggot could have dropped the phone then and there, she looked at her secretary and then across her office where the rest of the PRT are working with papers.
"Sally you are taking a break for now" she orders the secretary who quickly jumped.
"Ma'am?"
"You are taking a break for now don't question me on this" Piggot said with much pressure and her secretary went up and leave, she stood up and then quickly locked the door so that there are no disturbances.
"Explain" she demands as the Witcher at the other end of the line did so.
It always comes back to Coil, fucking Calvert, Piggot had to curse herself for not seeing this sooner, as much as the Witchers became responsible for his downfall, Thomas Calvert also handles the majority of information concerning Brockton bay and its residents. Not surprising that when he died those information that he had gathered as a villain for whatever nefarious plans he had for the city also scattered.
Only a matter of time for someone to try and make use of those information, not that the Empire 88 will connect Sugar to Taylor Hebert, the timelines do not match if anything they must have deduced it since Dinah Alcott was in the Hebert household's protective custody at the duration of the battle against Coil and it was during the aftermath of the New Wave grand offensive and the Bloody Eagles leaving the bay that Sugar and Spice became capes aligned to the Circle of Steel.
"We have recovered those information from Coil when you beheaded him" Piggot assures the Witcher, "if anything the leak must have come from outside source as we had make sure that any information concerning the New Wave grand offensive wouldn't include any civilian assistance"
"Empire 88 had sympathizers in the PRT ENE, any chance you may not know that there is a leak on your own backyard?" Greg asked her, any lesser person would have been offended by that suggestion but not Piggot who despite having been director for some years knows the concept of delicate handling of situations.
"No I don't think so, we made sure that with the attack at the Slavic community at the Docks, security and background checks have been tougher" Piggot said as she saw one of the reports and saw a line with the phrase 'Nazis among the police' it wasn't a far fetch, if anything both the BBPD and the PRT ENE had what one can say a rivalry that isn't bordering on clashes or shootouts.
"I would theorize that there can be a leak at the BBPD, there has been many reports of racial discriminatory stops, searches, and even violence by the Brockton bay police that one can only add SS and a swastika on their badge to confirm that they are pro-Empire" she explains as she finds the other line silent, considering her words before deciding to speak up.
"I can agree with that however..." the man stops as Piggot could tell that the man is thinking of something "can you withhold the operation against the Empire 88 safehouse at Downtown south?" he asks and before Piggot could say anything the man quickly followed through "with Sugar's father kidnapped it would only put him in trouble if you move and they saw me at the forefront of the attack"
There was silence and then words "I will have to attempt a rescue on my own, just expect body bags left and right" and a whole lot of paper works, Piggot groaned inwardly at that.
"As much as possible I have a favor that I owed you and Khalid..." Piggot said as she took a sip from her water bottle "...Nilbog is dead and I don't have any nightmares of that time at Ellisburg, so yeah thanks for that, I can try and keep both the Protectorate and the Wards out of your way until you rescue Danny Hebert"
She owed him that much, or rather I owe him and his teacher that much. Let it not be said that Piggot hated Parahumans in whatever form with a passion but there is something different with Witchers that made her rethink her whole view of them, unlike the freaks of nature that are Parahumans, Witchers still see themselves as human and part of a society unlike capes villains or heroes alike, she would have to ask her secretary for more aspirin then.
Just like the times the two Witchers were often found bloodied and in some case of beaten up, Piggot thought as she could imagine a massive headache returning in full force with the days to come, but still if it could resolve the Empire 88 problem then I would gladly have them as the tip of a spear.
"Just don't make it look like that you are responsible" Piggot warns as there was a chuckle on the other line.
"Piggot you know me, I don't make a mess"
"And that's what I am afraid of" the call went dead as Piggot sighs and then sees Armsmaster coming in and she could tell that the Protectorate Tinker had a frown on his usually blank face.
"We had reports that Gesellschaft capes has arrived at Brockton bay, the Empire is going to make a grand offensive on the same scale as the New Wave" he declares as Piggot went into deep thought, with the Witcher doing his own thing there could be only one thing to do.
"We have to cancel our current operations against the Empire 88, all Wards and Protectorate members shall be on the defensive coordinate with both the Circle of Steel and the ABB if you have to" if anything else hope the Witcher call me if he made a dent on the Empire 88, Piggot had to make another call to Greg when she comes back to her home.
"It seems the Lodge finally see beyond the confines of the Continent" Saskia surmises on the other end of the line, Triss and her other colleagues were rather surprised that the Dragon maid of Vergen was able to acclimate herself with the technologies of the place, a feat even Ciri couldn't do in less than a year, Triss thought as she remembers the Heiress apparent of Nilfgaard struggling with a tinkertech tablet along with her biological father.
It was an entertaining sight seeing both father and daughter struggling with what is essentially alien technology to the two of them, then there is also both Yen and Geralt who casually threw out their tablets from the second floor of their estate at Toussaint because of the fact that its too hard to slip in and it is too noisy with no idea on how to make it not noisy.
"We are still trying to determine whether or not to establish a branch of the Lodge here with Triss being the headmistress" Margarita states as Saskia hums at the screen "the Council of Witcher Schools already has a tie here with the School of the Eagle, it is only with the Lodge's interest that a branch should be established here so as to make a safe space for those with the talent of magic"
"I can only applaud the effort the Lodge has made" Saskia replies as her eyes then turns to Lung "have you been a good boy Kenta?" she asked as the three sorceresses turns to their host.
"Mother..." Triss could hear the embarrassment behind the man's tone.
"Has he been a good host to you?" Saskia then asked to the sorceresses.
"He has been hospitable to us so far" Margarita said as a smile graced the dragoness's lips at that.
"Oh Kenta you are so adorable!" Saskia coos behind her screen as Kenta could only groan in disgust and embarrassment.
"Mother...please...stop!"
"I must show you his baby pictures you can see how cute he is!" Saskia stood up but Lung decided to end the call here and there before his mother could embarrass him further.
"I love my mother truly but sometimes there are limits to that" Lung remarks as his phone rings "excuse me I have to take a call" he said as he quickly pulled out his phone and then put it on his ear.
"Witcher! Is there a problem that you come calling?" there was enthusiasm on the man's voice that Triss could tell that Lung probably saw the Witcher at the other end of the line as a good friend, just like Geralt and Villentretenmerth.
"..."
"What?! Sugar's father has been kidnapped?"
"..."
"You need my help along with the sorceresses?" the three sorceresses turns to Lung after some silence there was a response from their host "so the PRT will not be doing any offensive operations against the Empire 88 but the Piggy gave you the go ahead with making the first shot to save Sugar's dad?"
"..."
A sigh went from Lung "alright I'll talk with the sorceresses" the call ended and he pocketed his phone.
"Is there a problem?" Fringilla asked as she went to Triss' side.
"There is, Sugar's was illegally unmasked and her father was taken as a hostage" Fringilla flinched at Lung's respond.
"Fringilla?" Triss looks at her colleague who was pale and obviously distraught despite the brave front she gives.
"I should have stayed with Danny longer perhaps..." she whispers, regret in her voice as Triss puts a hand on her shoulder.
"Fringilla you cannot know" Triss states as she rubs the Nilfgaardian sorceress' shoulders which helped her relax for a bit, "the Witcher who called you, he says he wants our help?" the dragon nods and she smiles showing her teeth.
"Then let's give it to him"
Author's note: now I made an announcement at SB you can check it out but anyway we are getting to a close of the Empire 88 and now Gesellschaft is here, and I can't help but ask since I wasn't far ahead the Worm series did their capes were mentioned?
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