Rebecca begrudged every moment she spent as Costa-Brown.

Not because it wasn't important. You could argue that her duties as Chief Director did more than Alexandria did.

No, it was because it was so much more simple to deal with a problem you could hit.

Especially right now. Contessa's unavailable… A convenient wording for "running paths to keeping America from collapsing." The destruction of New Orleans, the majority of the Gulf Coast's oil infrastructure and the sudden revelation that nearly every other coastal city was just as vulnerable had led to an implosion of the housing and energy markets.

Not just the homes and businesses directly destroyed by the Endbringer, or the ones that were no longer viable, but those whose owners were either simply leaving, or refusing to pay their mortgages.

Because less than 72 hours had passed and one thing was clear—that market was a dead market, and who would buy a house that could go the way of New Orleans? And with that, something like six trillion dollars of debt had become worthless. The PRT and Cauldron had worked for years to keep people from thinking too hard that there was nothing keeping Kyushu or Newfoundland from happening again…

Until Leviathan hit New Orleans. Now everyone who could see the ocean was thinking about it.

Between the paths to keep America from imploding, the changed paths to handle all the other threats that might take advantage…

No, Contessa would probably only contact Alexandria to let her know the world was ending, and for now, Scion seemed willing to keep playing the hero. Which made her silence comforting, until you remembered that not all paths would include 'keep Alexandria alive' as a primary component.

"Dealing with the Elite?" Director Martins frowned. "Chief Director, granted we have tolerated them but—"

"But unless you can figure out a way to suddenly conjure up resources we don't have, this is an all hands on deck issue and the Elite can read spreadsheets. They may want a bigger slice of the pie, but for that—there has to be a pie. Agnes Court has offered to construct housing and irrigation facilities, and we're also contracting with Toybox for Big Rig's services, in addition to Dragon and Protectorate builders. They'll also be working to help deal with the intrusion of saltwater into farmlands due to the tidal surges Leviathan sent up the Mississippi."

"What does this mean for the PRT's budget?" Tagg asked.

"A freeze, likely some budget cuts." There were curses.

"We're more or less past the fat and to carving out vital organs," Director Piggot said.

"We're thinking of creating some 'flying squads' of parahumans who won't be attached to any specific region to help shore you up." Rebecca nodded. "Some of them would of course come from your own parahuman squads…"

"Dammit," Armstrong muttered.

"We're also considering conditionally releasing some parahumans who are in juvenile and adult detention facilities for supervised work release."

"Lovely," Director Piggot said. "So in addition to losing funding, we'll have 'help' that we have to spend more time watching than we do using."

"Buck up, Emily, the Bay's a lot more stable than it has ever been," Armstrong said.

"Yes, up until the Empire realizes that nearly twenty thousand—"

"Actually, the new numbers came in and we believe the Bay will be needing to accept just over twenty thousand."

"Thank you, Chief Director. As I was saying, until the Empire realizes that about twenty thousand people, most of them of the wrong skin tone, are dropping by."

"Worried that they'll do something to set off your resident Knight and Sorceress?" Armstrong asked.

"Oh, they're not the only ones."

"Right," Rebecca brought the discussion back to the point. "Finally, Director Tagg, I want you to handle the New Orleans Quarantine Zone. Lots of people don't want to leave, but the city is a total loss. Rather than leave the ruins to become the refuge of criminals, we're going to clear and demolish it."

There were winces on the monitors. At one point, the idea of just surrendering like that would have been inconceivable.

"The port facilities?"

"Will be rebuilt, but solely as port facilities, with the workers commuting in or living in short term housing. There's no reason to give Leviathan another crack at a soft target. Now, Gentlemen, if you'll excuse me…"

A few moments later, and the room was silent.

"So, Shadowdancer wishes to talk to me." Rebecca raised one eyebrow. "And she isn't telling you."

"She's afraid to, Chief Director." Emily shook her head. "I don't know if it's trauma or something she found out, but she claims the wrong person finding out would be disastrous. She's especially worried about parahumans and was quite insistent that you not have any at all around you when she talked." The rotund woman frowned. "I don't know, but she's… flinched away from parahumans, even those who are her close friends. But it was her first time in an Endbringer fight…"

"And you never know how people respond. I can give her ten minutes."

And yet, she didn't act panicked around Leviathan. Frightened yes, but only fools weren't frightened of the Endbringers. And Merlin had proven himself nearly as powerful as Eidolon, although the 'wizard' had been more interested in observing the Endbringer than attacking it, seemingly more focused on provoking a response than driving it off.

Still…

When the door opened three people entered the room and it was immediately obvious that Shadowdancer was under stress. Rebecca could see the way her eyes were flickering all over the room.

The way her lover was shadowing her, his figure tense with anger and worry.

And Merlin…

Rebecca paused. Merlin had the air of amused boredom he'd carried when Leviathan had tried to grab him and he had smashed it in the face with a building.

"Are… Director Piggot said this room was secure."

Rebecca touched a button, and there was an odd fizzing sensation that passed over her. Trollhunter growled and Merlin glanced around in interest.

"We are now a half-second out of phase with the rest of the building." Rebecca frowned. "And the cost of refitting this device once this conversation is over will be in the tens of thousands of dollars."

"Right," Shadowdancer said. "Merlin, add your own barriers."

"As you wish, Fair Claire," Merlin said, and soon Rebecca felt a heavy sensation fall over the room.

Had it been most ordinary Wards, Rebecca would have cut the conversation. But she didn't think Claire Nunez was prone to flights of fancy, and again, it was clear that whatever she was about to tell, she believed it to be important.

"I…" Claire swallowed. "I tried to communicate with Scion. I have… An ability, to post-cog events."

Rebecca went absolutely still. She can postcog—he isn't a blind spot to her…

"And what did you find out?" she asked, leaning back.

"First of all, Scion isn't a human. It never was a human. Powers come from it, but…" Claire gripped the sides of her chair as a shudder went through her.

"Claire…" Jim said. "We can wai—"

"No! No… I have this…" Claire took several deep breaths. Rebecca noticed her heart rate rising, then falling.

"We're part of a… a test. A plan. A way for its people to live… live forever, expand forever… That's what powers are used for. But that's not the worst. I…" She sucked in her breath. "Sorry. Sorry…"

"It's okay," Rebecca said.

"In the end—I saw. I saw other species…the powers are taken from them. Th-they all die, they all die!" Now the child had tears running down her cheeks. Trollhunter was on one knee next to her, his arms around her, Merlin's hand on one shoulder. "But there are two of them. One… planner, the one that thinks how to do things. The other one… Scion is shorter term, the… um, hitman, I guess… If he's here, then the other one is probably hiding and it manipulates things. It could be manipulating everyone around us, our friends, the enemies, any cap—" She broke off.

She saw the cycle. But not the events that occurred here. That made sense, since there was no evidence that Scion knew all that had happened to its counterpart. But…

Rebecca had expected to spend some time with them, then take any important information back.

But this changed everything. Not only that, if Claire could… "Can you postcog other creatures?" Rebecca asked Merlin.

"To some extent, though she has a far greater affinity for that talent."

"You need to come with me. You were wise to say nothing to others, though I can assure you that the influence of the entities on parahumans is not as great as you fear."

"Ah, you do know more than you let on…" Merlin nodded.

"Director Piggot," Rebecca said when she lowered the field. "I need to borrow your Wards and Merlin. Have Strider meet us on the roof."

"Where are we going?"

"My office."

A few moments later they were at Rebecca's office, Strider quickly leaving. Emily hadn't even asked any questions.

"It's a rather nice office, but why would we need to remain here?" Merlin asked.

"Because nobody will get curious if we don't emerge for a few minutes." Rebecca looked around, touched the button that would summon her double, then turned to the wall.

"Door to Cauldron."