AN: The next chapter sets everything off!


Armsmaster
April 16th, 2011

Mechanical arms twisted just nanometers as Colin observed through a microscope before the extruder kicked to life. Three-dimensional circuit boards on a microscopic level were the bread and butter of his technology. Most would find the maze of connective wires a confusing mess that had some only nanometers away from others. On the contrary, he found it oddly relaxing, which was exactly what he needed right now.

The non-emergency chime twirled from his computer for the tenth time, as he had dropped everything but the worst events into that category, because this was his supposed off-day. A rare sight these past few months, but these past few days had everything escalating beyond what he could handle, even as the Protectorate Leader. Director Piggot continually circumvented his commands and ignored recommendations. So he took a day of vacation.

Thought it wasn't without systematic filling of complaints about the subversion of orders and poor management. He sent one detailing the events each time Piggot overstepped and that he didn't endorse them. It should have been enough to insulate him from any blowback that was sure to come. Colin shook his head as he continued to build the controller for a new halberd.

The after-report from Miss Militia and her poorly carried out raid of the Hebert household almost had him walk away. And he would've if Taylor, the newly named Weaver, had died. While it started as a simple way to dissociate himself from the vagrant breaking of the unwritten rules, the further steps back had him assessing his obsessive pursuit of... pride? He sat up, blinking his eyes while examining the circuit board. It was only a faint blur with unenhanced eyesight.

It wasn't pride, but the need to do better, be better, strive for unattainable heights, and match the Hero. Now he saw it for what it was. Colin nearly fell back into the blind pursuit to avoid the moments of introspection that free time gave. Not only were his interactions crude, but his tech turned that way too. The current gear may have eked out that last percentage of efficiency, which was great for being the best he could be out on the field, but it also left him toiling over it off the field. Efficacy could come in many forms, some of which pertain to reliability.

Take, for example, the circuit board he was constructing. The connections were 10% thicker and made of an alloy that dropped conductivity by 2%. Neither of those had a negligible effect on the finished product, but they imparted a significant increase in how long the component lasted, by at least 50% or even more. …they also cost far less.

The gentle chime turned grating.

Colin sighed, resting both hands flat while centering himself for the withering onslaught. The thrum of power vanished as he pressed the stop button, robotic arms freezing before scanning their surroundings for obstructions and returning to storage. He stood up from his stool, and ran through a quick set of stretches to loosen up after sitting for so long.

The screech came again, not thirty seconds after the first. Colin picked up the corded landline that was solely for internal usage. "Armsmaster speaking."

"Where are you? Get your suit on and report to the lobby!" Piggot heaved over the phone, raspy breaths taken every four words.

"Piggot, ma'am, this is my day off."

"THE FUCK IT IS YOUR DAY OFF!" She screamed into the phone. Her labored breathing kicked up a notch. "Emperor and Empress are walking down the center of the road in broad daylight, and they're almost to the PRTHQ!"

"What would you want me to do about it? They don't have an active warrant to my knowledge, and bringing them in for questioning does not require me, the leader of the Protectorate, to intervene unless they turn violent."

Through the subpar and frankly decade-old phone, Colin heard Director Piggot hammer away at her keyboard. He knew what was coming, and, frankly, there was little he could do about it unless he risked his position, which wasn't something he was willing to do. The computer beside him dinged, receiving a priority email.

Colin opened up the document, scanning through the lengthy pages of a catch-all template before reaching the meat of the matter. In the end, it was a warrant for Empress's arrest for the kidnapping of Dinah and one for Emperor as an accessory. He was surprised that they waited this long to issue it, but he supposed that they were waiting for more information before issuing it to avoid bad press, which they had caused enough of.

OMW, A simple response.

He stood up and stripped off his clothes to fit the exact measurements required to fit into his suit. That also necessitated an exact diet and exercise routine, yet another change for the future versions of his suit.

"Did you get that Dragon?" He asked as he disassembled the back armor plate, prepping for his entry.

"You know I'm always listening." Dragon's friendly voice responded. "Be careful out there, Colin. There's no telling what they are capable of."

He grunted, sliding his legs and locking in his feet once past the greaves. The rest of his body followed, small motors cinching up panels as the backplate reconnected and pulled tight. Only his head was now exposed, something that wouldn't be wholly mitigated by the helmet.

"There's always a place at the Guild waiting for you."

That was a recurring theme, as it wasn't an unattractive offer, but with so much of his life already committed to the PRT, Colin couldn't just leave. So he grunted again, sliding his helmet on, letting the clasps pull tight. He secured a connection to his private server that, in turn, had a connection to Dragon.

"Thank you, Dragon, but I can't leave yet. Do you have any additional information about the coming confrontation?"

"Yes, I've submitted all available information to retained Guild psychologists to get a read on their personality. While not much, Empress' trolling on PHO provided a wealth of data on her."

That was an understatement of the century, with seven hundred posts by her alone in six hours as she trashed PRT's image went beyond trolling. Worse was that they had no way to shut it down, but at least it was limited to the Brockton Bay area, so damage control was possible.

"Any negotiation should be directed at Empress as she takes the lead more often than not while Emperor does his own thing."

"Is that a point of weakness? Should I try to drive a wedge between them?" Colin asked.

"No, we don't know the dynamics, but something is off from what we've seen. If it only went one way, it would be an easy master label on one of them, most likely Empress. But it works in both directions; they act as one, in sync beyond what is possible without powers."

Colin nodded, understanding that any attempt to split them apart would at best be laughed off or turn them aggressive at worst. That left battering their prisoner as the only way forward. He knew why they kept Danny Hebert locked up in the PRTHQ intellectually, as he was a bartering piece. Still, regulations stated any person arrested by the PRT without powers had to be turned over to the police. But as it was, it couldn't be contested for another. He glanced at the clock, 37 hours.

Of course, Piggot wouldn't release Mr. Hebert unless forced, making this coming confrontation violent. That would be a gross escalation, and Empress had already proved that she wasn't willing to hold back from releasing heavily classified information. Nothing damaged the PRT too much so far, but it was a stark reminder that she had an inside source. If this turned violent, with either one of them escaping capture, it would turn even more complicated.

He grabbed his halberd, removing it from the charging station before running through functionality tests by performing a rapid set of maneuvers. The test came back green across the board with a full load of brute sedatives he had used on Lung. Heavy metal doors snapped open, leaving his workshop behind as he took the quickest route to the lobby.

"Is Miss Militia back on duty?" He intoned, letting miniature microphones pick up on the words while walking through yet another set of doors, one of many.

"The last report has her still in the hospital under guard. Inquires are still being filled out, and it's unknown if she will face trial over her actions."

Colin grunted; losing his second in command to ill-conceived orders from Piggot was annoying. It also left him down a cape for any confrontation, and he was suspicious of how Velocity would help besides being an annoyance. That left Triumph, Dauntless, Battery, and Assault. He squinted his eyes at merely thinking of that immature idiot. Triumph joined Velocity as a minor brute, sonic roar, and flying wouldn't stand favorably against Empress and Emperor. There was also the relation to Dinah Alcott to take into consideration and how it would color his perceptions.

Orders came together on his visor, having Dragon transmit them to the gathering force. Velocity and Triumph would watch the perimeter and shut down any third parties from interfering or taking advantage of the confrontation. Their powers suited it perfectly. With his mobility and heavy firepower, Dauntless would act as a hit-and-run and provide support. Assault and Battery would take the lead and try to contain the duo if or when the time came. While he tried to sedate or incapacitate them.

PRT troopers outfitted with foam sprayers would cordon off the area and push for containment if and only if everything went bottom up. A good chance they would be slaughtered if they engaged. It's useless and inefficient, not to mention a waste of lives.

"A new video was just posted by Empress."

"Oh?" That worried Colin. A new source of potentially incriminating information just moments before their confutation. What exactly was on it would shape how he responded. He was beginning to believe that Empress was a thinker of some kind. Her actions and directing of public opinion were just a touch immaculate and well-timed at that.

"Well, it's not the worst, but it shines a spotlight on the attempted kidnapping charges just filed."

Colin paused midstep, "Direct allegations or reference to the warrant?"

"No."

He sighed with a breath of relief; they hadn't infiltrated the PRT network.

"It might be worse than that. The video is of everyone declaring for the Spark team, almost everyone maskless, with Dinah sitting at the front. This doesn't include Weaver; she remained masked."

"...shit." Colin muttered. He couldn't stop imagining the multitude of ways Brockton Bay could self-destruct because of this. It painted targets, ones that the Sparks would respond to with lethal force. Almost goading the PRT, Empire 88, and ABB into doing something stupid.

"It's worse. They run through everything, announcing it all, including that Emperor and Empress are both dimensional travelers. Sam and Queenie are sapient. Dinah outed herself as a cape, that Coil tried to kidnap her, and she used her power to indicate that if she left the Sparks, she'd get captured and drugged. Including if she went to the PRT."

This time he stopped in the middle of the hall, softly scratching his meticulously trimmed beard with an armored hand. There wasn't room for a hostile confrontation now, not with Empress laying it all bear for the city. While it painted the PRT as incompetent, that was better than malicious. It wasn't uncommon to hear grumbling about the PRT being just another gang, and he would be loathed to give them ammunition, worse because it was true.

That left negotiation, something that Piggot would deny with all her power. Yet, once he was on the field, his rank outstripped hers, and he could ignore orders based on what was happening. This was going to be tough to manage without anyone sabotaging it. With that in mind, he updated the orders he sent out for a more relaxed initial meeting. Only Assault would accompany him, as Battery would be best to hang back and accumulate energy for her power. Dauntless would wait on the roof, ready to interfere.

"Will New Wave provide support?"

"No, the team's refusing with Brandish and Lady Photon having a power struggle between them. I'm afraid that the whole team will sit out until it's resolved. I'm unsure how the posted video will affect them."

That, combined with Panacea's mental instability and Glory Girl's rash actions, just threw more chaff into an already tense city. Panacea had yet to return to healing, allegedly locking herself in her room and skipping school. It felt like every person on the side of good was falling apart while the villains sat back and watched, waiting for the perfect time to strike.

"Should we expect the Empire to interfere?"

"Short answer, no. From what I've seen on PHO, they're confused. Pissed at the Sparks' names but unsure if they were competition, distractions, or enemies."

Colin hummed, walking at a brisk pace, nodding at passing guards and troopers. "ABB?"

"In disarray with Lung detained. Acts of violence are down, and most members are defending their territory without making a fuss. Oni Lee had been spotted in several scuffles with the Empire without any meaningful casualties or collateral damage."

That was the source of his worry. The Empire should've been pushing the ABB hard and taking everything they could before either Lung broke free or was freed. A measure of distaste filled his mouth, no matter how he wanted to deny it.

Then, in a hushed voice, even though they were on secured comms. "The connection between Taylor Hebert and Weaver isn't going to stay hidden for long. I'm trying to keep it on the down low, but too many people saw the failed raid, and the house it happened at wasn't obstructed, just as who the PRT arrested. Colin, this is going to blow up."

"I know." A problem for later and a measure of dread if his involvement on that fateful day came to light. It felt like ages ago, but in reality, it was merely five days.

He pulled a heavy set of doors open, pushing into what was normally a heavily trafficked area. Instead, two platoons of eight troopers milled around, fully equipped with large tanks of containment foam on their backs. Battery leaned against the welcoming desk, tapping her foot while Assault bounced around with far too much energy for a grown adult.

"Hey, Halbeard! Sick of vacation already?"

"No." He pushed past, gazing out the transparent windows with Assault hot on his heels. Further down, maybe thirty seconds away at their pace, he spotted them. Both had an air of indifference about them, like they weren't a threat to them and more of a show to put on. The lack of 'pets' at least made his job easier, keeping them out of sight and away from Piggot's eyes. "Does everyone know their assignments?" He asked, meeting each cape's eyes and glancing at the troopers.

A wave of affirmatives from the troopers, a "Yuppers" from Assualt, and a "Yes" from Battery. He nodded, and grabbed the handle before staring Assault in the eye. "Follow my lead, don't say a word."

"Roger dodger."

Colin's eye twitched. It was a good thing he was so effective as a cape, otherwise, he would've traded him with some other department long ago regardless of Battery's relationship. To think he was a renowned villain years ago, a pain for any team that ran into him.

Colin halted three meters past the door, slamming his halberd to the ground, gazing at Empress and Emperor.

The closer they got, the larger they became. It was one thing to see them on video and read reports on them, another to see them in person. Empress matched his powerarmor-clad body, well above the normal range, just below two meters, while Emperor pushed beyond. He found Emperor's selection of armor wholly impractical, leaving a muscled gut exposed to the air instead of the set of abs in the picture posted. At least Empress wore a somewhat effective array of metal, even if he had a feeling that it was only for show.

Then there were the glowing crowns. He zoomed in, detail expanding the closer he looked. Stylized DNA chains turned realistic while spider webs soon sported interconnecting threads with miniature spiders and flies in a never-ending dance.

On Colin's visor, he assigned a preferred target to both their exposed necks. Based on his predictive software and what little data he had acquired, any physical attacks were unlikely to be effective because of the minor shaker ability shown. A shame considering the capes under his command.

The duo came to a halt some meters away, Emperor crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow and staring both of them down. Empress, once at his side, stepped just forward, indicating it was her that they were speaking to while not bespeaking an uneven power dynamic. After a moment of silence, she then crossed her arms, mirroring Emperor's expression, making no move to speak.

Colin kept his pose, meeting their eyes through his visor. A power play to start and one he'd have to concede least Assault shoved his foot into his mouth, or Piggot demand results. He clenched his jaw, giving it a precisely timed twenty seconds. "Empress, Emperor."

"Armsmaster, Assault," Empress mirrored him, yet a wave hit his body, a need to kneel and pay respect.

In that instant, he signaled Assault to retreat with his left hand while using a haptic-feedback controller in his right glove. With it, he enabled remote piloting of his suit and permitted Dragon to command his suit. Then he typed her a message to ensure there was no way to listen in.

Monitor vitals and actions. If found compromised, pilot to safety. Add master rating and confirm Vista's report.

"What can I do for you?" He asked.

"We demand the release of Danny Hebert from your unsafe detention." Her face didn't shift from its neutral, if maybe regal elegance. He was uncertain if she was using the royal we or just talking for the both of them. It was something to consider in any dialogue when some capes became their persona over time.

Before Colin could respond, Piggot's voice pipped into his helmet via command channels. 'Do not accept!'

It was unfortunate that the PRT had priority on that channel, one that he couldn't mute without reprimand. He chose to not follow her order while at the same time choosing not to disobey it just yet. "Would our hostilities cease with the release of Danny Hebert?"

"Only with the retraction of active warrants to all members of the Spark's, including Queenie and Sam."

"The assault with parahuman powers on twelve troopers and Miss Militia?"

"Self-defense."

Colin nodded, neither agreeing nor opposing her opinion. "The death of five mercenaries during the kidnapping of Dinah Alcott?"

"Reasonable force in defense of a minor."

"Dimensional travel?"

"Unwitting participants."

"The unlawful detention of Dinah Alcott?"

"At her request."

"Hm." Colin tilted his head down, hoping to convey that it didn't matter what she requested because of her age. With the death of her parents, she was required to be taken in by relatives or meet with CPS. The law had little regard for the circumstances, and he knew that it was an easily exploitable loophole that would be used to legally contest the Sparks.

Eventually, Empress spoke up. "We'll allow a meeting with Dinah by a CPS agent to convey her sentiment about the matter."

He nodded. It would either allow the correct procedure to be followed while keeping her supposedly safe, or allow them to form a cohesive raid at the meeting. Also, it enabled the preceding to proceed apace without being hung up on a matter that had no quick resolution. "It will take time to see Mr. Hebert's release." Thirty-six hours and counting.

Empress took a single step forward, her foot slamming into the ground, and an almost physical impact rocked him. A whispering voice told him to follow the command of his abject superiors.

They knew best.

"Unacceptable," The glowing crown over her head pulsed with opposing weight. "He will be released today and made free regardless of the methods required. We demand nothing less."

Colin sucked in a breath, staring down what felt like a mountain, too similar to an Endbringer, and it left his head reeling. He had to kneel, to step back, to concede.

"If a single hair is singed, we spare none."

From the moment they arrived until now, he had a bad feeling about them. Even their powers weren't apparent. They had some, but what exactly they were was beyond what he could pin down. The powers dabbled in shaker, brute, master, thinker, and even a negative stranger rating. None of them were exceptionally high on the threat level scale. All things considered, any one of them would make for a weaker than average parahuman. But they had them all rolled into one, and there was no telling what they hadn't shown.

He mentally shifted closer to the theory of a group trigger, and these two were the only surviving ones left. If Empress' lack of restraint to those she deemed as enemies said anything, she was most likely the killer of the rest of the group. While not well understood, kiss/kill has been observed a number of times.

In his head, he took her words and ran through any hidden meaning. Then his heart hammered in his chest as he deciphered the not-so-hidden message. They knew his cell was in the same block as Lung, and they believed that his escape was almost foretold just as he assumed. Was it the PRT's death they promised, or the ABB's? Either would send the city into a spiral and kill hundreds or more just by the disruption of power.

'This has to be navigated carefully, Colin.' Dragon spoke up.

'Do not listen to her! Arrest them, Armsmaster! Do it…' Piggot heaved into the comm system before going dead silent.

While that was happening, Empress took her left foot, remaining behind on her statement step, and dragged it forward. She cocked her hips slightly to the side, tilting her head somewhat forward, and tapped her foot once. They were running out of time.

'Armsmaster, Director Piggot, has collapsed. She's being moved to medical.' A new voice said over the comms.

A blessing and a curse. She no longer could countermand his orders, but the amount of paperwork would be immense. It was also just his luck that Deputy Director Rednik wasn't due in for a few more hours, most likely already on his way. He was officially the highest ranking person on base. "Assault, please retrieve Danny Hebert and his effects."

"Yes, sir."

Colin then addressed the duo. "This settles matters for now, but warrants are not within my jurisdiction. Would you mind answering some questions?" It would hopefully alleviate some blowback from freeing Danny to their care, losing leverage over them. Yet a part of him knew that this was the best possible course of action.

Instead of waiting for a response, he launched his first question. Either they answered or not. "Do either of you possess a biological tinker-based ability or effect?"

Neither answered right away or indicated that they heard him while his analytical software tried to shine a light on their thought process to no avail. Then, to his shock, Emperor answered. "Perhaps. Depending on how you define it. Everything I make is possible in nature, if unlikely. No shortcuts."

That told him very little, but it was something. "Can any of your biological constructs be capable of reproduction?" That was the meat of the matter and what worried most people.

"Sure."

Colin clenched his jaw as he didn't even try to hide or deny the fact, something he wished he had done. It put Colin in a disadvantaged position, eroding his defense of the actions taken. "As a token of goodwill to the PRT, please do not allow them to reproduce. Will you allow the examination of Queenie and Sam?"

Emperor tapped his chin as if thinking about it before smiling, "No."

"Understood."

This was going to be a headache.


Coil

In the disposable timeline, Coil observed his orders being carried out via the surveillance cameras on the PRT building. The sniper took the shot with a fifty-cal rifle, firing an armor-piercing round right at Empress' head. Just like every other time, she swatted it from the air with a bare hand. Then she turned to one of the cameras he watched through.

"Thomas Calvert is Coil."

He smashed the computer monitor before pulling his handgun and dumping the magazine into it before dropping the timeline. Every time he tried anything, they survived it and then disclosed his identity. Of course, there wasn't anything he didn't know about them, but it didn't matter, and for the life of him, he couldn't find a way to kill them.

From interrogating Mr. Hebert, Coil knew where their base was and that Empress was Taylor Hebert from a different timeline. Likewise, where Dinah was and even some aspects of their powers. But what good did that serve him?

The Undersiders were mere gnats to the duo, swatted from the sky with a simple backhand. The Travelers did little better, able to mildly inconvenience them, but it always resulted in their deaths. His mercenaries might as well be preschoolers in the face of their overwhelming might.

It frustrated him to no end. Everything was going perfectly until it wasn't, and he had no plan or idea of how to put it back on track.

Coil even tried to call the Boogeyman. The woman in a fedora. Only to be ignored.

It moved to the point that he couldn't take satisfaction with the fire under Piggot's fat ass. At least watching her collapse on repeat helped while Armsmaster decided to remove his halberd from his ass for once in his life. And it had to be now.

His last contingency plan was to force the PRT and Sparks into a war, hoping the hammer would drop. But instead, they talked it out. Talked! Capes talking it out! He grabbed his hair in frustration.

This had to be the work of Dinah, that brat.

Danny was supposed to be bait, a distraction, a hostage, a way to point the finger at the PRT. Just like the raid on their home to both enrage them and secure Dinah, at every point, he was outplayed. They even turned the public against the PRT, beating the PR team at their own game!

It was maddening!

Every single asset he had was tied up in this city. It was always a risky move, but spreading them out took control away, and he knew where the feudal project was heading. That was the end goal, but now they were at risk. Any action taken against them would have his identity exposed and his assets confiscated.

Coil ordered back every away team, turning to the expansive map of the world, eyes falling on Africa.