May 2nd 2000
I was being given a rather guided tour of the city of Seattle, still no word on whether I would be allowed to join the Protectorate, but this has to be a good sign. I've been listining to Earth Bet music, the scene is more or less exactly like my world up to 1980. Then things got odd, the 80s music was a lot more upbeat and the 90s is down right depressing. I watched as doors were locked, windows shut and blinds closed as I walked down the street.
Signs were turned from open to closed and switched back as soon as it was determined that I was gone. Over all it's going better then I expected, an old woman sees me and changes direction walking on the other side of the street. A young african american man in a hood sees me and just bolts, he's actually pretty fast. I feel a can hit my head. I turn around and pick it up and see a woman holding her son, her eyes open in horror.
"Your son lost his can."
I hand it back and continue walking, I imagine this would be a lot harder if I hadn't gone through military school. As for the city itself it was pretty misty, I wonder if I can get a transfer to Brockton Bay. I've asked for maps and it does exist in this world. New Hampshire's ok.
"I don't think they care for me."
My handler shrugged.
"Your brothers are kind of dicks, and honestly you didn't make the best first impression woody."
My new name Ironwood, my nick name is woody, also attack a city one time with an army of monsters and no one lets you live it down. I continued walking through the streets, I had three hundred dollars now. This was what I was allowed to spend on my outting if I could find a place that was open...
Yep, not happening today.
--
May 12th 2000
"Your new outfit."
It was a white and purple outfit, mostly white with purple highlights and inside lining. I also had white pants and a purple belt. Over all it made me look rather dashing, and yes I realize that's vain but considering I am now a 10 foot tall robot with healing powers, well I have to take what I can get.
"Thank you, it's the wonderful."
Why yes, I am playing up the funny foreigner thing, it puts people at ease which is important because, well I scare people shitless. Speaking of which that gets real old after a few months. I took in deep breaths.
A man in a suit looked at me.
"We are giving you a chance Ironwood, today you will become an official probationary member of the Protectorate. If you serve without incident for a year and a day you will become an official member, if you prove yourself to be trustworthy after 5 years you will be granted american citizenship."
"I thank you for this honor."
With that I was guided outside of the warehouse and put on a van, to say that I was watched was kind of an understatement. The rules were numerous, I was not allowed to leave Seattle except during Endbringer fights. I was not allowed to leave Lincoln park unless it was on an approved trip, and I was not allowed to leave the warehouse unless it was approved. If it sounds a lot like prison well, it's because it is, but going rogue and doing my own thing wasn't going to save the world.
If I wanted to stop Scion then I had to do things the PRT way, and ultimately Cauldrons way. The lives of trillions of people are at stake, what's more important that? My ego? Sometimes though, I thought about just giving the whole thing the finger, a man sat opposite me, a frown carved into his face.
"Ironwood."
"Eidolon."
The van rumbled along.
"What am I allowed to say."
He nodded.
"Zion's true idenity is off limits, so is Eden. we can't afford to let him get wind of how much we know. You are allowed to talk about the other 20, where shards come from and that you're an alien. Your past history as a slave is also allowed but you're going to have to lie about who your master was."
"And who would that be?"
"The current leader of the Endbringers, the one were going to call the Simurgh or Ziz. How long until she escapes?"
"I do not know, she is still currently imprisoned."
He nodded.
"Thanks for warning us about her song."
"Taking free will from any sapient being is sicking, of all of my siblings she is by far the most depraved."
He motioned for me to stop.
"It's ok, so how's Ironwood as a name?"
"It's ok."
"Not our first choice but the french jumped the gun on us. I'm going to be honest this is, well um..."
"Awkward."
"Yeah, honestly nobody thought that one of you guys would actually defect, it's...God Legend is so much better at this. It's a good thing though, before you defected everyone was terrified of you guys, you know?"
"I'm sorry I didn't defect sooner, Images on a screen... it doesn't convey the sheer horror of it all. I have been sheltered from what we did, what we are."
He took in a breath in thought.
"We were all scared, for no reason these monsters showed up and started killing people, murdering them. There was no rhyme or reason to it, they would just show up and a city would die, Endbringers... your people were incomprehensible."
"And now?"
"Honestly Woody we're angry, really really angry, we're still scared but..."
"I didn't mean to make your life harder."
"No, we needed to hear the truth even if it's hard, even if it sucks. I'm going to be honest with you, it's going to be a rough crowd. You're going to need to earn our trust, your siblings, well they're assholes."
He leaned back against the seat.
"Why did you defect."
"I wanted to be free."
He stared at me.
"We have plans for you."
"You plan to sacrifice me."
He froze and I sighed.
"It's ok, I have accepted my death whether at the hands of my siblings or at Zion's, it's ok. Everything ends in time, If I must die so that your species lives... well it's a fair trade."
He sighed, looking pretty uncomfortable.
"I expected you to be angry about it."
"I knew the price of my defection going in, I'm as the human saying goes at peace with it now. I do have a request."
He perked up.
"And that is?"
"I wish to be buried under a hill of sunflowers."
"Why sunflowers?"
"They are my favorite of your world's flowers."
"Fair enough, If you die in the line of duty we will do that."
The van stopped.
"I wish you luck Ironwood."
I was walked out to an amphitheater, the press waited behind a red curtain. This was my official introduction to the world as a hero. The curtain opened and the first thing I noticed was the frowns, the hesitation and the under current of hostility.
"We present to you Seattle's newest hero, Ironwood."
There was no clapping, in fact there was dead silence, I heard someone cough. I looked at them and waved, no response.
"Um, any of the questions?"
The silence continued until one reporter reluctantly raised his hand.
"What is the purpose of um, shards?"
"To solve entropy and create an eternal universe."
More silence, someone elbowed the man and he raised his hand again.
"So um yeah, what do you think about Earth."
"It has great art, music, food and this strange thing you humans call love."
There was a cough... One of the reporters got up to leave and was pulled down by the man sitting next to her. The silence continued, one of the reporters phone's buzzed he sighed and started texting. I felt kind of frustrated, an actual freaking alien was right in front of them...the curtain closed Eidolon looked at me.
"We're going to have a talk with them, just be patient."
