Friends In Low Places

Dust Devil and Sophia sat in the mostly empty courtroom in the row behind the defendant. Ray was in full costume sans his armor paneling, and Sophia had her hair tied back with a black ribbon wearing a black sundress and matching flats. She eyed the defendant's family members, one in chains and the other an older man who expressed neither dismay nor concern for their daughter's plight. Mr. Pendelton sat next to the defendant as their legal counsel, opting to wear the same style black mortician's suit he wore picking Sophia up from prison.

"I don't get it? Why all this hush hush court stuff if they're just going to dump my butt in the birdcage?"

Aisha had her cuffed arms propped up on the table and was playing with a stray lock of purple hair. Arrayed on her torso was a tinker harness with a dedicated dragon drone hovering above her monitoring her every move.

"Miss Laborn-"

"Aisha. Miss Laborn is probably nostrils deep in a pile of drugs, thank you very much."

Restraints rattled noisily as Brian shifted on the bench.

"Okay, Aisha, you are more than likely not being sent to The Birdcage. In fact this may be a huge turning point for your life. If the Judge agrees with the terms I've written up with the Consultant, you could be back in school, earning money for the future and still defend this city."

"What?! I was already rolling in dough and I was mostly taking care of my part of this city already, and those punkass skinheads at school can go fu-"

"Shh, shh, please - everything you say impacts your ability to be free."

"Free? Like do what I want free or do what others tell me to do free? Cos I find those two things are the same the longer I have these stupid powers."

Brian reached across the ornate wooden divider and rested a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Hey, I don't want you to go to The Birdcage but my hearing is after yours and I swore I would watch out for you. So - please, just be honest with the judge, and I mean that. You did really well when - I couldn't handle things, so I trust you a lot more than you're aware of, Aisha."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the consequences of my actions and every bridge I'd cross when I'd get to them", she spoke before her restraints clinked as she slumped down in her chair.

^•_•^

Mr. Laborn stepped to the back of the courtroom with Mr. Pendelton while PRT Officers escorted Brian over to the defendant table. Aisha slipped into the row next to Sophia, "Soooo, I been wondering why are you in your human clothes and Porcupine Cock is in his costume? He got a face for PHO, or something?"

She stared daggers at Aisha but Devil answered, "She's gonna find out at some point but that's right. Got really messed up when my trigger happened, and apparently so bad Weld asked me if I was a Case 53. So I'm masking up."

"Ow, that's rough buddy, but uhh, no matter what happens I'm going to get you both back for all this."

Sophia grinned and pointed up at the Dragon Drone.

"Not on my watch, Aisha", Dragon's voice spoke from the drone above their bench.

"Ughh, she's gotta sleep sometime!"

"I do not sleep."

"Not cool, but you should try it cuz sleep is where I'm a pilot and I drop bombs in volcanoes to set them off."

Dust Devil started to laugh and Sophia elbowed him, "Keep it professional, you know what he said."

Aisha cackled, "Guess everyone on this team is going to have someone holding their leash. Speaking of leashes, how do you think Rachel is handling her-"

Mr. Laborn and Pendelton returned from the back of the courtroom and took their places, "'Rachel' is currently being evaluated for reintroduction to her dogs, and with the help of 'Skitter' they're setting up a dog run in a garage with a few kennels to start."

Brian looked confused for a brief moment then sighed in seeming relief, "That was quick, it's still just before lunch."

"'Skitter' has the rest of your people in lockstep for this project", Sophia added with a crooked grin. "Plus Tattletale is cooperative as is Parian."

"What!? Parian, yes. Tats, ehh. But Regent, not happening", Imp started to get up but the drone maneuvered into her line of sight. She plopped back down and Mr. Laborn slid down the bench closer to his daughter while regarding the machine with hostility.

"He's still pending international charges on top of the sh- crap he's pulled, so we have no idea how he feels about any of this", Devil chimed in.

The attorney gave Ray a quick shrug and turned to his latest client, "Mr. Laborn... Brian, I'll be serving as your legal counsel. It's mostly a formality at this point knowing the results of Aisha and Rachel's status regarding their and your capture, but this hearing is for acknowledgement by your Family as to induct you into the Wards and the specific stipulations of your time with The Wards, under the PRT."

"I only really care if I can be there for my sister. I don't trust the PRT to be able to guide her outside of punishments or some kind of shock collar like an animal. She deserves better treatment than that. She deserves every chance at having the leg up in life my parents did not get."

"We'll bring that point up before the Judge, it will work in your favor that your actions have been wholly to care for your sister and get her away from her Mother's negative influence."

Brian looked over his shoulder at Aisha, who was in the process of making minute sudden movements and seeing if she could get the drone to react.

"Okay, then. For the rest of the Undersiders, are we being broken up or thrown into the mix with actual The Wards?"

"It's time to rise, Brian", Mr. Pendelton stood up as the bailiff announced the Judge's entrance.

^•_•^

Rachel Lindt was upset.

Taylor, wearing just her Skitter mask along with some basic PRT training sweats and white tennis shoes, was doing her skinny best to hold the dog master back as Vista was petting all the dogs. The words good boy, pretty baby, and on and on issued from the young girl's mouth as clipped tails wagged and cropped ears flattened.

It was all so wrong, the wrong message and mood to be setting in such a strange smelling place. They needed to know this was where they'd be when not out patrolling, that they needed to behave here and just because they could smell cars did not mean they weren't safe to lie down on the concrete to rest.

"It's okay, Rachel. She's one of the good guys and outside the costume she's just a kid like Aisha. She's a hero and it's not in her to hurt innocent animals", Taylor whispered.

Rachel relaxed a bit, simply balling her hands into fists and grunting in response.

Taylor raised her voice a bit, "Besides, Vista here will help clean up after the dogs, after all this overstimulation. Because this is Rachel's chance to show the PRT the dogs are useful and not just a personal petting zoo."

Missy stood up quickly and fixed her domino mask as the dogs kept rubbing their heads against her hands, "Ahh, yeah - sorry, Hellhound - err Rachel. Mom and Dad both promised me a dog in the past but they never made good on it. So, I'm just jealous you have such beautiful, furry friends."

"Ngh, did you ever get ready for a dog?"

The young Ward blinked in surprise at Rachel addressing her, "Yeah, I picked up books from the library and I went to a dog park to watch people care for their dogs. But it seemed like they just let the dogs do whatever and didn't play with or exercise with them."

Taylor watched with relief and approval as Rachel started giving small bits of advice to Vista on the handling of the dogs. After a while Flechette, sporting a domino mask of her own, led Parian into the garage area. The two quietly whispered between themselves as they took up a position towards the front of the garage leaning against a safety railing.

Lisa's voice came in over the system comms, "If you all are done with the inaugural - no no, I got this Weld. If you are all done with the inaugural Brockton Bay Dog Sitter's Club meeting, you might want to come up to the conference room, minus short stuff, for seeing Grue and Imp at the Image meeting."

"Hey! I've been a cape longer than all of you."

"And some of us - it's just friendly banter Weld, I got this. Some of us can ride more than just the teacups at Disneyland."

"Ignore Tattletale, it's what I do", Rachel assured Vista.

The Ward nodded, "I should go, anyway. I got a patrol in a bit."

Rachel grunted in response and let the girl out of the fenced off area.

"Thanks, Tattletale. Quick wash up for me and Rachel and we'll be up."

"To think we were the terrors of Brockton Bay, Parian excepted. I'd wistfully sigh but Weld is giving me the stink eye so see you all there."

~~x