Disclaimer: Getting old sucks.

One Held The Line

Emily stepped into the command tent and spared the unfamiliar hero a glance. Roman lorica segmentata, a blank steel mask, and a deep red cape. She gave a mental snort, no stupider than most of the costumes they pushed on members of the Protectorate. Her eyes lingered on the other individual in the tent, just what in the hell was the Director of the New York office doing here?

"Got a last minute addition to your team, Piggot. Congratulations, you and your team get your very own hero."

Emily's eyes flicked over to give the the cape another look, if the kid was over eighteen it wasn't by more than a few days. "What's your name, kid?" The look on her superior's face was enough to choke her protests.

"St- I mean, Testudo, ma'am," the kid squeaked.

"Stick with me," Emily ordered. "You don't go more than an arms length from me at any time. Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am."

"Good. You do that and we won't have any problems."

"We won't have any problems, ma'am," Testudo said quickly.

"Come on." Emily started back towards her men. "Powers?"

"I can make overlapping shields, ma'am."

"Any offensive powers?"

"I can put spikes on the shields and ram them into things, ma'am."

"Does that take extra power?"

"Yes, ma'am"

"How big an area can you cover with your shields and for how long?"

"I can cover about half a tennis court for two minutes, ma'am. I can do it for more time the smaller the area. Um, maybe forty minutes if it's just me."

"How strong?"

"Not sure, ma'am. We were still trying to figure that out when they sent me here."

"Hell of an introduction," Emily said sourly. "What idiot thought that would be a good idea?"

"Um, I . . . um." The kid seemed to shrink.

"Volunteered, didn't you?" Emily asked dryly.

"Yes, ma'am."

Emily laughed. "Good attitude, bad judgement. You survive today, you're gonna go far."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Things went to shit almost immediately. The mission had been to go in and take out a bio tinker. Intel had said he didn't have more than twenty creatures. Intel had said the forces they'd brought were more than enough to favorably resolve the situation. Needless to say, Intel had been wrong.

Piggot growled in frustration when she saw the 'heroes' break and run. It wasn't their fault, she told herself, they never would have gotten powers if they hadn't been weak in the first place.

"On me!" She ordered. "We're getting the fuck out of here!"

"I can hold them off," her shadow whispered.

"What?" Emily glanced over her shoulder and was surprised to see that the kid was still with her. Spoke well for her that she didn't break and run with the others.

"I'll hold 'em off," the hero said, her voice cracking. Poor kid was shaking like a leaf. "I'll . . . I'll catch up, you get out of here."

"Hell with that!" Piggot bellowed.. "We came in together, we're leaving together."

"I can't hold my shields long enough to cover all of us when we leave and I can't move fast when my shields are up," the kid sobbed. "I'll buy you as much time as I can. Please, just run, please." The creatures threw themselves against the kid's barriers. "I can't hold on much longer. You have to go now."

"Kid, you're coming with us or Johnson is going to pick you up and carry you. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," the kid said, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry."

"Start moving back," Emily ordered. "Slowly so the kid can keep up."

It was slow going as the remnants of the team inched their way back to the fall back point burdened with wounded and shackled to the speed of their slowest member.

"I can't hold it much more. Run! Please, just run!" Testudo begged as her shields collapsed. None of the survivors remembered much about the next few minutes, just a few scattered images of blood, death, and horror.

Piggot was sitting next to the young hero's bed when the kid awoke a few days later.

"You with me, kid?" Emily asked with a smile.

"I'm with you, ma'am," Testudo agreed. Her legs were cold and they itched. "How many of us made it out?"

Emily sighed heavily. "We suffered almost eighty percent casualties. Would have been a hundred if not for the fact that none of the choppers were hit and the fact that the . . . and other reasons," she finished lamely.

"It's all my fault," the kid sobbed. "I never should have gone along. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Emily asked gently.

"I thought I could help, but I spent the entire time scared out of my mind," Testudo confessed. "I just wanted to be somewhere else. I . . . I peed myself the second the shooting started." Tears were streaming down the kid's face. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry."

"Kid." Emily sighed. "There's no shame in pissing yourself when you're fighting for your life. Don't worry about it, happens to almost everyone."

"But-"

"And," Emily interrupted. "You did good. You're the only reason a lot of us got out. Understood?"

"But-"

"I asked you a question," Emily said sharply.

"Yes, ma'am."

"You're the only hero that did good," Emily continued. "Only cape that deserves to be called a hero. Rest of them broke and ran."

"What?" Testudo looked sick. "But . . . but they're supposed to be heroes. How could they?"

"They're people who had no business being there," Emily replied bluntly. "I didn't realize it before. I've had years of training and I've planned, led, and participated in more operations than I can count. Them? They had a bad day and came out of it with powers." Emily patted the kid on the shoulder. "Which makes what you did all the more impressive. You stayed and you almost died because of it. Got it?"

"Got it, ma'am."

"Good." Emily smiled. "One good thing that's come out of this absolute fuck up is that the higher ups are shitting themselves at the thought of what an absolute PR nightmare this could be. They're falling over themselves to buy our silence. Offered to skip me up three ranks to make me a branch director."

"Congratulations, ma'am."

"I'd like you to come with me."

"Ma'am?"

"They're going to give you a choice between retirement and the city of your choice," Piggot stated. "Well, after they manage to find someone to regrow your legs."

"I forgot about my legs," Testudo said faintly. She nearly vomited at the memory of losing them.

"You'll get 'em back," Piggot said calmly. "Just need to wait a bit to find the right healer."

"Yes, ma'am."

"As I was saying," Piggot continued. "You've got an offer coming, I got a better one. They're making me a director and I want everyone who survived that mess to come with me."

"Except the capes that ran," Testudo said firmly. "I'll come if they don't, ma'am."

IIIIIIIIII

Emily pushed the wheelchair into the conference room. Every eye was immediately fixed on her companion. "It's okay, kid, just relax."

"Yes, ma'am," the kid replied softly.

She raised her voice. "My name is Emily Piggot! As of now, you all belong to me." The eyes moved to her. "This is Testudo, the only cape that didn't break and run at Ellisburg. Which one of you is the head of the Protectorate?"

"I am," a man in futuristic looking armor announced.

"Name?"

"Armsmaster, Director."

"Testudo works directly under me, you have no authority over her. Is that understood?"

"Regulations state-"

"You will be getting a waver signed by both Legend and the Chief Director by the end of the week."

Armsmaster nodded. "I withdraw my previous comment."

AN: Just something that's been sitting half finished on my HD for a while.

Omake: Patch

"Why do you have a PRT patch on your costume's shoulder?" Vista asked, wondering if half the stories she'd heard about the woman were true.

"Because the PRT stands and dies in place when the Protectorate breaks and runs," Testudo replied. "I stood and almost died so I earned this patch."

Omake: Not if You Won't

"I'll go first to make sure it's safe for you. But if you won't get healed, neither will I," Testudo stated firmly. "Both of us or neither. Your call, boss."

Emily snorted. "You got an appointment because Legend himself called to ask for it. I don't have one because the Chief Director is far too busy to do the same for me."

Testudo nodded. "Should I call Legend and tell him to get on his knees for you too or should I call the Chief Director to tell the bitch exactly what I think of her?"

"I remember when you were a scared kid going into her first fight."

"I remember the day your colostomy bag exploded," Testudo retorted. "Your fault for having us put in the same hospital room."

"You insisted and then you made life hell for the doctors by shielding the room every time you heard a strange noise," Piggot said dryly.

"Like hell I was going to trust those morons with your safety. Not after how badly they fucked up your colostomy bag."