Armsmaster August 10th 2003

Forward, spin, kick, spin, thrust, parry, victory is created through effort, tenacity, and training. A press of a button and the training droid is destroyed, being Hero's sidekick is not without advantages. The training is efficient, my body is a machine and my regimen Tinker made to make me the best me I can be. The last droid is demolished, destroyed. I breath heavy as Hero claps. He had a close call awhile back. I'm glad he survived, I don't know what I would do without him.

I grabbed the offered water and drink it down, it's cold and refreshing.

"You're doing better."

"It wasn't good enough, just a little more precision, a little more..."

I looked at the offered envelope, and took it, opened it and smiled.

"Really?"

"A word of warning Colin? It's a shit hole."

"But I would be the leader of the Protectorate there?"

Hero nods, yawning.

"Yeah, you would, that said we need to talk about your social skills."

"They are proficient to the task."

He rolled his eyes.

"No... dear god no... look Colin ,you need to be more open minded."

"I do a fine job on the streets."

He looked frustrated.

"That isn't enough, turning a city around requires more then tactics, more then equipment, knowing how to work with people is important and even vital. You need solid teamwork, but you also need flexibility."

"I will be able to work with the local heroes, I will read up on the independents and..."

"Read up on the rogues."

"Good point, if I know what arguments to use I can get them off of the fence and."

"No."

The room was silent, I blinked.

"Excuse me, I thought we needed all the help we could get."

Hero sat down next to me and put an arm around my shoulder.

"We're at war."

"Which is why we need every cape we can get."

He shook his head.

"Did you watch that series on world war two I gave you?"

I nodded.

"Yes the logistics of the war was an interesting subject."

Hero stopped touching me and leaned back.

"Rogues create or at least attempt to create businesses, legitimate ones. This creates jobs in the local economy which helps create prosperity. We are currently in the midsts of a global energy crisis."

"Because of the war."

"Yes, because of the war. The middle east isn't producing enough oil, which is hammering the entire economy. Our Thinkers went over the numbers, with the old antirogue laws gone we can convince a lot of people who would have become villians under the old rules to become rogues instead."

I frowned.

"That doesnt sound-"

"It's the difference between being outnumbered 2 to 1 and 3 to 1."

I stared at the ground.

"That much of a difference?"

"Yeah, that much. Officially the government's putting out an effort to help small businesses and it will, but a disproportionate amount of parahumans will benefit from the new laws. Being a hero is still important, but if we can harness the rogues with out alienating them, well that's important, but that isn't the only thing you should study."

"The villains, know yourself and your enemy and you need not fear the result of a thousand battles."

He smiled.

"Good, but you also need to know when to work with villains."

I stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because there will come a time where you will have to unite against a greater threat. I've been forced in that situation as have many other Protectorate heads. You need to be able to prioritize threats, get a feel for the bad guys personalities."

"I want to stop crime."

"And you will, we're talking about crisis situations here, but also another reason to study villains besides finding weaknesses is to find out who can be turned."

I stared at him.

"But they're criminals."

He raised a finger.

"We used to say the exact same thing about the Endbringers, didn't we? All of them are bad news, but we got lucky and found a tiny chink in their armor. A dissatisfied medic who started questioning his beliefs, who decided to watch our media. Never forget that our first victory against the Endbringers came not from tinkertech, or powers, or superior teamwork."

He smiled.

"Ironwood himself will state that he was defeated by one man's words and simple courage. This happens on the streets too. Parahumans get pressganged into gangs all the time, or there's a change of leadership, or the cape in question grows a conscience. You have to be strong, but you also have to have a open mind."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with recruiting villains."

"Recruiting an Endbringer has resulted in us finding out their weaknesses, finding out how many there are, the secret behind our powers, three days of warning before most Endbringer attacks, mass healing and a highway to the solar system. I'm not saying to trust blindly, but you should be open to redemption."

I took a sip of water, taking it all in.

"I will think of it as depriving the enemy of an asset and increasing our strength."

Hero sighed.

"Fine, close enough it's-"

Hes phone buzzed and he grimaced.

"Bad news?"

"Three days until Mecca gets attacked, Ironwood doesn't know the capabilities of the Endbringer in question."

"I'm in."

He smiled at me.

"Ok, let's go kick some alien ass."