Blinkeous Galadrigal knew many things. He knew more about Troll Lore than any other living (with the possible exception of his annoying, traitorous brother, who somehow was living with Tobias' Grandmother.).
He missed Dictatious. He missed Tobias.
He missed his dear friend Aaarrrggghhh.
And he was quite annoyed that he was here, instead of by Master Jim and Fair Claire's side. Granted, Lady Emily at least was reasonably intelligent, though perhaps she hadn't expected as many volumes of troll lore as he'd given her.
"So, you had no idea that they were going on this…" Lady Emily looked at the screen, replaying the image of a building collapsing into rubble. "Excursion."
The more tolerable man from the Youth Guard was in the room, and Director Costa-Brown was attending via view screen.
"No. But I would not have stopped them." It was time to be blunt. "I fear you misunderstand my relationship with Jim and Claire. Partially my fault, since I was eager to seize upon this guardianship to avoid… issues."
"So what is your relationship?" Costa-Brown asked.
"I am their mentor, adviser, friend…" Blinky paused and smiled. "I daresay Jim sees me in a fatherly light, an honor which I doubt I could ever repay. But I am not their master. I trained Jim when the amulet chose him, but he defeated Gunmar. Claire defeated Morganna. For six months they helped lead our people on an exodus from Arcadia in California to New Jersey where a new Hearthstone awaited. Their parents agreed, knowing that they would be operating on their own." He took a breath. "Whatever their age, they are not children…"
"Morally, no. Maybe not even mentally or emotionally," Mr. Samuelson, the Youth Guard rep said. "Legally, yes. Don't even think about mentioning emancipation, because there are lots of laws around that, especially after Jane Doe Vs. Collins."
"I am not familiar…" Blinky started.
"The PRT department in El Paso," Costa-Brown said, "decided to resolve their manning issues by pressuring parents into cooperating with the emancipation of Wards and their transfer to the Protectorate. Some of the new 'adults' were 14."
"And it ended really poorly," Samuelson said. "Hell, I've talked to the kids, Mr. Galadrigal, and I happen to think they are in the category of people we could emancipate, but that… It'd be highly difficult. I know they're both coming up on seventeen, and we can revisit it then, but for now…"
"For now, we have to deal with the issue that they both went off the reservation, enlisted both independent heroes and villains into their crusade, declared war on Lung…" Emily paused. "And won. Almost at the cost of their lives." She shrugged. "Speaking to a complete hypothetical, if I'd known about their talents and maturity, I might have suggested fudging the paperwork so they were listed as both being seventeen, and moving them directly into the Protectorate after the emancipation proceedings were completed."
"Well, Youth Guard cannot comment on hypotheticals," Samuelson said. "But Youth Guard can comment on my main concern, which is if they go off the reservation again, will they drag the rest of the Wards, most of whom are not prepared for a war, with them?"
"My concern as well," Emily said. "Well, Mr. Galadrigal?"
"If…" Blinky paused. "If you mean, will they go forth and consider themselves authorized to right every wrong in the city? No. If you mean, will they ignore assaults on the innocent? Then equally, no. Had this… thug, confined himself to attacking Master Jim, he would have sought aid. Had he even confined himself to dealing with the criminal who had an attack of conscience…" Blinky shrugged his upper arms. "Then I believe he would have sought help. But he sought to enslave and torment three people who had never done him any harm, and Master Jim and Fair Claire will never ignore such a call—nor should they."
"Which brings us back to Jim fighting Kaiser on the Five O'Clock News," Emily said.
"It's not just their welfare," Costa-Brown said. "The Wards program has, for all of its hiccups, helped many children come to terms with their powers—and for all the 'badass memes' coming out of Mr. Lake and Ms. Nunez's battle with Lung, there's an equal amount of concern about the possible danger to other Wards. Another such incident…"
"Then tell them. Don't simply order them," Blinky said. "I told you that they are not mine to order, and if you simply try to command them, the Trollhunter will do his duty. He will accept the price for his battle with Lung…" Blinky closed all six eyes, remembering Jim being lowered into the Dark by the doubly accursed Usurna. "But if you wish him to abide by these restrictions, you must both explain why… and ensure that the price is not measured in innocent lives."
"And he will remain determined in this?" Costa-Brown asked.
"Master Jim's father walked out of his life when he was five, on his birthday. The next day, he attempted to prepare breakfast for his mother, and nearly burned down the house." Blinky thought back to Barbara, talking to him about her son with tears and laughter. "He stopped almost burning down the house. He never stopped caring for her. Claire cared for her baby brother almost as a mother would. Then, she accepted a changeling as a member of her family." Blinky shook his head. "You might as well ask the sun to go dark or the moon to stop in its path, as you would to ask either one to forgo their duty to their fellows."
"Then I—" There was a beep on Emily's desk. "Yes?"
"Director Piggot, it's Dragon. Under subsection 5 of the Baumann Parahuman Containment Center, regulation codes, I am required to transmit a message from Kenta to you, for delivery to James Lake, Jr. Otherwise known as Trollhunter, within 48 hours."
"Play it," Emily ordered.
"Trollhunter. James Lake Jr., since you walk without a mask. You named me Dog and Coward. And you defeated me. Tell me, now that Hookwolf is free to rampage through the neighborhoods that I once owned, who will protect them? When Night and Fog come? You named me coward and you battled me, and you won—and now, all that I had is yours. That is my gift. So, Trollhunter, will you be a coward and dog, or will you protect those you have claimed?"
"Fuck," Samuelson said. "I don't suppose we could lo—"
"I am mandated by law to deliver any final pre-incarceration messages to loved ones or associates," Dragon said. "The law did not rule out enemies."
"And Trollhunter will…" Costa-Brown looked at Blinky.
"He will defend them." Blinky didn't even need to think about it. "Enemy or no, trap or no, Master James will agree with the Brute. He and Claire… Lost many acquaintances and friends to Gunmar's blade."
"The E88 is alone," Emily said. "Without the ABB to deal with…"
"There is some information that they might be bringing in more capes," Costa-Brown said. "But… Emily, I know that we've been asking you to make bricks without straw, but to be honest, it was because many in the PRT felt that the Bay was a lost cause. Now that it isn't, and especially since Merlin assisted in the Grey Boy project…"
"How is that coming?" Emily asked.
"Slowly. The device can free one bubble every few hours, but we're limited by the need to provide care for the victims, and Cranial is limited in how many she can handle at once." Costa-Brown shook her head. "But I might be able to cut lose a few parahumans for deployment. Sere, for one."
Emily frowned. "His power would be very useful against Kaiser."
"Yes. And hopefully by doing so, we can ensure that the Empire is less… flagrant than they might be otherwise."
Blinky reserved his judgment on that. Thugs never exercised restraint—not in the long term, and the story of their dogfighting ring from a disturbed Jim and Claire made it plain that they were merely thugs.
Blinky wished the meeting would end. He wanted to see Jim and Claire again, to make certain they were all right.
"So, you want us to lay low?"
"Yes, Tattletale. For now at least. You have been extremely helpful to my operations…"
"You mean, we helped Take Lung out."
"Yes," Thomas said. In one timeline.
His power's limitations had been brought home brutally by the fight. He'd been taken by surprise by how quickly Trollhunter had escalated. In one time line, he'd ordered Lisa to convince the Trollhunter to back off, with the promise of assistance in finding his friends…
That timeline had ended with the Trollhunter and the Undersiders dying at the hands of Lung and Oni Lee and Shadowdancer going berserk and killing Lung with the assistance of Orb Weaver.
That left the other timeline as the preferable one. The Undersiders had helped take down one of the more fearsome parahumans on the East Coast, and more importantly, had established a friendly relationship with two very powerful capes, and through them, their mentor. Glory Girl's involvement was icing on the cake.
In his current second timeline, he was torturing Director Piggot's secretary, someone who was totally loyal, even if not resistant to his methods of persuasion. Once he had the new passwords, he could collapse the timeline and commence erasing any evidence of his actions, just in time for another fruitless mole hunt.
But now…
Thomas had never considered the Wards a useful step in his plan. They would come under his sway regardless. But…
Whatever is being said publicly, Emily's tenure is probably hanging by a thread. If something… Unfortunate were to happen to some Wards, and the Undersiders once again rescued—no, that might be too convenient. If they tried to rescue them, and sadly failed to save the Ward…
Well, such a director might need to be replaced, especially if there was someone who had already asked to work with the Wards and had advised her against certain courses of action.
Most especially if it once again proved her inability to control Claire or James Lake, when they went on a rampage.
Thomas nodded. And Claire had been associating rather heavily with Vista…
As Director, Vista would have been useful to him, but she wasn't indispensable. Something to consider.
Yes. "Tattletale, I think you should keep your lines of communication open to Shadowdancer and the Trollhunter, as well as Glory Girl. I believe," Calvert projected sincerity, "that this could help us all gain everything we desire."