AN: And so the penultimate chapter. This fic is almost completed now, probably one more chapter and then an epilogue. I hope you enjoy how things are dealt with!


Interlude: Hunted

[A]

Thomas Calvert performed his morning routine with barely a thought. As he finished his cereal, he glared at a lone spider crouched in the corner of the kitchen ceiling. Getting his can of bug spray from under the sink, by the time he had turned around, the spider had vanished.

"It's never that easy. Damn bugs. Useless exterminators," he grumbled. He had noticed several ants, spiders, and flies throughout his home for the past two days. The exterminator wasn't able to come for another day as it was, thanks to infestation in several other nearby homes booking them solid. So he was forced to deal with the minor annoyance on his own in the meantime. Replacing the spray, he grabbed his keys and went to the car.

[B]

In his other timeline, he finished reviewing the evening's files, and, seeing that nothing had placed him in danger while he was sleeping, he dropped the timelines.

[A|B]

Resplitting them nearly immediately, he continued to work in his primary reality while his secondary one went right back to the base. It was always smarter to get a full night's rest, just in case it was needed later in the day. Besides, he still wasn't certain just how well he could impersonate a noctis cape. It would be an interesting experiment to run one day.

Once he had his pet back, he could ask her.

Thomas smirked to himself as he thought of all the myriad questions he was going to assault his pet with. She needed to learn her place. By the end of the week-long migraine he had planned for her she would be begging him for more of his special concoction. And of course he would oblige. But only after he let her watch as he destroyed whatever was left of that annoying Hebert girl.

How the little bitch had managed to keep his pet out of view for over a month without any powers to speak of was…unthinkable.

She had to have an ability. Perhaps a Stranger effect?

Thomas sighed as he switched on the radio for distraction. He was going around in circles again. Of course the Hebert girl wasn't a Stranger. There would have been some indication of a new Stranger on the streets. New Wave at least would have mentioned it to the Wards and it would have filtered down to the official reports whenever Gallant opened his mouth. They were all just so…predictable. It was almost too boring manipulating them these days. Even without his pet, he knew how they were going to react before they did. Panacea would have been needed to heal his pet; she'd have brought Glory Girl for backup; Glory Girl would talk about Hebert to Gallant; Gallant would talk to his superiors; Coil would read the reports.

It was too easy. He needed larger game. He needed a challenge. He needed his pet back so that he could expand. Once she was safe in her cage, he could move against the Empire, the ABB, and finish setting Emily up for her tragic fall from grace.

[B]

His base was closer than the PRT building so of course he was able to get there quickly and get into his bodysuit, setting himself back up in his office. It felt like he had just left! Chuckling to himself at the private joke, Coil pulled up the files for the day that needed to be reviewed as well as his agenda before calling in one of his intelligence agents.

"Sir, I believe we have a lead on the secondary target. There have been reports of a girl at Hawke Middle School who has been repeatedly absent due to 'headaches'. We're sending someone later today to find records and obtain a name."

Coil had to resist the urge to chuckle. Such a foolish little girl. She should really know better than to call out with such an excuse. Typical little Thinker, too focused on her power and too blind to the wider world around her. Well, that would be her loss, and his gain.

He wasn't certain of her power yet, but he knew it had to be strong for her to be absent enough for notices to be sent like this. Hawke was a wealthy school and wealthy schools simply didn't care about absences until they were egregious. This was perfect. Once he had the new child, he would use her to get his pet back. And then he would break her all over again.

Perhaps, he could even use the new Thinker to make things interesting? A new angle to exploit with his pet?

This time Coil did laugh.

He really should thank Hebert before he tortured her. She had given him such a gift! Being able to break Sarah in all over again - Thomas shivered in both timelines as the anticipation surged back through him. Sarah had been so fiery, so determined. And by the time they were done, she never even spoke except when he asked for her analysis.

[A]

In his primary timeline he pulled into his parking space at the PRT headquarters and started the trek up to his office to drop off his briefcase. Ignoring the secretary as she greeted him was yet more useless routine. Such a waste of manpower and money. There was no need for a greeter here. Hers would be the first position he'd cut once he had taken Emily's job.

[B]

In his base, he summoned the leader of his team, and folded his hands on the table, glaring at the incompetant fool. "You lost four people yesterday, Mr. Fish."

"Yes, sir. A remarkably low number when against a parahuman," the mercenary stated.

The sheer insolence! He had to fight not to shoot the man himself as Fish just met his gaze without flinching. "My funds are not unlimited, Mr. Fish. If you are going to be taking losses, I expect you to be retrieving my property."

"Sir, with all due respect, if you want assurances that we can take out capes, you should hire a cape or two yourself. Tinkertech only goes so far. Lasers can't be overclocked without burnout - which costs money in replacements - and even an overclocked laser doesn't get through most of the armor of capes in this city. Mush isn't technically a Brute, but he might as well be. The fact that we took down five of the Merchants and still came back with one of the small crates is better than expected in that sort of situation. We aren't miracle workers, we're just professionals. If you want miracles, hire a cape."

"You should remember who you are speaking to, Mr. Fish."

"You're not going to hurt me for telling you the truth, Sir," Fish replied with a shrug. "Not when you don't have any capes on your payroll to replace me and my people. You shoot me for telling you our actual limitations, my people walk, you have nothing. I'm trying to help you, Sir. I'm not a gentle man or a nice man. If I was you wouldn't have hired me. If you don't like my advice, fire me, if you do, get a cape. We are better at backup then direct confrontation."

"I will take that under advisement, Mr. Fish." Coil unfolded his hands and pressed the button to release the door latch studiously ignoring the roach that skittered past the door as it swung open. "Now get out of my office and arrange for a capture team. We should be able to get the secondary target tonight." As Fish passed the threshold and before he could close it, Coil, called out, "Oh, and Mr. Fish, have your men ensure that this facility is cleared of the roaches. I believe I said this yesterday."

Fish grunted. "Sir, it's an enclosed bunker, underground, in a humid city, by the sea. It would be odder not to see any roaches than to see one or two. Just like I told you yesterday. But we'll go around again in an hour, once the patrol gets back, to get rid of them again for you. Mark my words, they'll be right back tomorrow without a full fumigation. Which we can't do. Because we're soldiers, not exterminators."

"And you're supposed to resolve these issues for me, Mr. Fish. That is why I pay you." He pressed the button and the door whizzed closed.

Scowling, he turned back to his reports on the next free agent. Fish wasn't wrong. He did need a new cape, his organization couldn't survive with just Thinkers. And yet…it was so hard to trust investing in anyone without the input from his pet. He had lost out on getting Hellhound when he tried approaching her without his pet's analysis. Circus should be simple to recruit, and yet…he didn't even know what pronoun to use for the stupid clown.

He needed his pet back.

"Oh I am going to enjoy making her watch as I choke the life out of Hebert before her eyes," he murmured, stroking a photo of his pet. It had been taken just after he had shaved her head, the blank stare as she watched the monitors in her room…

"Soon, pet, soon. I've almost finished the grid search. Just another few days. Hebert can't hide you forever, no matter what her powers are."

[A]

In his primary reality, he found that Emily had called for yet another pointless meeting. With the amount of meetings the tub of lard held, it was amazing anyone ever got any sort of work done. Ah, if only he could drop this timeline immediately and do something productive in both.

"Any progress with the runaway Thinker, Armsmaster?"

Thomas perked up. They were discussing his pet. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a useless meeting after all!

Armsmaster tapped his gauntlet and the image on the television display changed. It didn't show his pet, but the artist rendition was a…decent mockup. He would have to show it to Sarah, once she was back. She would adore it. He'd make sure it was on her wall.

"Mr. Hebert has ceased cooperating with us since his initial report. Beyond providing assistance with this sketch, he has been unresponsive to further contact attempts, only replying to repeat requests that we reach out in the event his daughter contacts us. It is my understanding that Assault has had more success, if minor, in that particular area."

"We have a bit of a rapport, yeah," Assault said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I'm not going to betray the details here. We've been over this before. I don't think it's relevant and if it becomes relevant then I'll speak up. Until then, it's a personal issue I'm trying to help him work through on my off time."

"Yes," Armsmaster stated simply. Thomas resisted sneering through titanic effort. The fool. Assault obviously knew that Hebert was a cape, and her father apparently suspected as well. Perhaps that was an angle he could try to attack to draw her out?

No, the child had already left her home. The odds that she would leave her charge for a parent she'd already dismissed wasn't worth overextending for; not when he was about to get a new Thinker who would be a force multiplier instead. Only after the middle-schooler was successfully indoctrinated would he see if Daniel Hebert was worth any of his time.

"…nearly certain that she is receiving help from a friend in the city. Checks of bus routes and taxis revealed no one matching either Taylor Hebert or Mime's descriptions leaving the city. They're still here and they have largely avoided camera coverage locations. Dragon and I have gotten one or two hits that might be Hebert, but the clips are too indistinct to be certain with a high enough degree of accuracy to flag anything until long after the fact."

"Was there a pattern in the movements you captured?" Thomas asked, leaning forward and playing with his pen. It wouldn't do to appear too eager. He was just a simple contractor and strike team leader trying to assist with expert advice. He certainly had no interest in narrowing his own search down.

"None. The latest possible sighting was near the recent skirmish between the Merchants and Coil, yet accuracy was only 42%. I'm unconvinced it was her and I only bring it up because there are so few other potential sightings. The girl is learning and taking cues from Mime."

He would have to give his pet a reward. If she could spot cameras for a helper at a distance…oh this was useful information!

"Didn't Hebert say that Mime was mute?" Emily asked.

Assault nodded. "Yeah, but he also said that his daughter was able to communicate with her pretty well. It might be because she's a Thinker or because his daughter is a smart cookie. Either way, just because the girl can't speak, doesn't mean she can't talk."

Emily grunted agreement.

Thomas snorted. Oh his pet could talk. She could sing. A grin spread on his face as he stared at her sketch. He would make her sing. He would make her sing a sonnet as she begged to make him stop hurting her little 'savior'.

"Just another few days," he whispered, eyes focused on Sarah.

"What was that, Calvert?"

He blinked and looked at Emily. Biting the inside of his lip to keep from scowling, he gestured towards the screen. "I was just thinking that we will likely find them in a few days. How long can two teenagers stay on the run after all?"

Armsmaster frowned. Thomas didn't particularly care what the man thought. It was true. He would find Sarah and her little tagalong soon. Follow the money. They hadn't been staying in the slums or the day-motels. They were staying with a friend. Hebert didn't have friends. Which meant they were staying with New Wave, but most of New Wave would blab in a heartbeat, which meant either Laserdream or Shielder had a secret apartment in the city. He would find that. And he would find his pet. And Sarah would be home.

Marking down on his notepad, Laserdream apartment(?), he tapped it and leaned back. Now to see what else Emily thought was worth wasting half the day away on.

[B]

In his base, Coil pushed aside the files on Circus and Trainwreck and reached for his computer. He could find Laserdream's expenses easily enough. She wasn't a minor anymore after all. She had to file taxes now.

The clock ticked over to noon, and he brought up her reports for the past year. It did so pay to have inside men at the IRS!

[A]

The clock ticked over to noon and Thomas had to resist the urge to sigh as Armsmaster droned on about yet another movement of his own mercenaries. This wasn't even useful information because it was late. They didn't have updated information on his troops so how was he supposed to use this to avoid future patrols?

Loud buzzing interrupted his thoughts as the screen's display changed. As he looked around for the source of the buzzing, his eyes widened as he caught sight of the words on the television.

The Supervillain known as Coil is in the room with you. I apologize for this hack. I'll send the exploit I used to get in shortly so you can patch it. We're using the same backdoor that he used to piggyback onto your systems.

That wasn't possible. That wasn't possible. That. WASN'T. POSSIBLE.

The Unwritten Rules are important. The next time you try to kidnap me off the streets and drug me out of my mind, Thomas…do it while I'm wearing a fucking mask. Maybe then it wouldn't have come to - fuck it, yes it would. I'd rather die than let you take me back. You have 30 seconds to go back to your base and make this easy. That's how long before Weaver's attack drops enough venom into your veins to kill you. Go to your base and we let you surrender.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Thomas demanded. He slammed his hands down onto the table even as he stood. His eyes flashed around the room, supposedly checking for whoever was pulling the prank, really, he was trying to find the source of the increasing buzzing.

Emily was already pressing the panic button on the table, her gun in hand, waving vaguely in his direction. "Master Stranger quarantine procedures are in effect. Calvert, you know the drill. Keep your hands visible and away from sidearms until we can sort this out. Armsmaster."

"Yes, Director."

They were bluffing. Sarah was many things, but rebellious was not one of them. Not anymore. He had beaten that out of her. And Hebert was a wallflower by all reports. Neither of them could follow through on the implied threat. His pet might be able to burn his identity, yet she certainly had something worse setup for him back at the base. That was why they were trying so hard to get him to drop this timeline.

He felt himself smile. Yes, they were trying to get him to drop this. They knew this made them look bad. All he had to do was hold fast. He could talk his way out of this easily enough. Plus he had alibis for nearly everything that 'Coil' had done. Full-body suits were so useful.

Last chance Thomas.

"This is nonsense!"

The buzzing suddenly changed from a mild whine into a roar. Every vent in the room exploded with insects. Thomas stumbled back, his hand dropping to his gun as he fired several panicked shots into the biblical swarm coming towards him. His eyes widened and he started to scream before he clamped his mouth shut against the incoming horde of bees, hornets, spiders, flies, mosquitoes, and roaches.

Spiders were being held by the fliers and some of the roaches were flying. The majority of the swarm seemed to be composed of bees and hornets. Not that it mattered. His bullets did nothing against that wave of chitin.

Whimpering, he twisted on his heel and ran for the door before they could reach him. Then the door burst open, flying inwards and nearly smashing into him as yet more insects swarmed over themselves. All coming directly towards him.

Hebert wasn't a Stranger. Hebert was a Master.

As the first insects reached him, he couldn't help but scream out.

[B]

Breathing hard, Coil, checked the clock on his computer in his base. 12:01:30. This was fine. They weren't here, they weren't attacking him here. He was fine…he was fine. He was…

He was dying in the other timeline. He needed to drop it and start escaping.

And yet…they were trying to force him to drop it. They had something arranged here. If he dropped it now…He'd be stuck with whatever horrific fate they had come up with for him here.

"Sarah…You're never going to let me leave here alive are you?"

Buzzing loud enough to nearly deafen him was his answer as insects surged out of the vents. They paused for a single moment, their wings starting to beat in a horrific imitation of a voice.

"You're blaming the wrong person Thomas Calvert. You will never touch her again. I would suggest you keep this timeline, because I could make it quick. But I've been watching you long enough that we both know you aren't that type of man."

He swallowed as he stared at the wall of chitin in front of him. His other self was still screaming and writhing even as Armsmaster tried to tase the insects off of him. There were just, too, many. He was already dead there if only from the venom. The creatures he could feel crawling in his throat would just be the final touch.

He'd never been afraid of Sarah. Sarah was broken.

He'd been focused on the wrong girl.

"I'll force you to kill me in front of the Protectorate. In front of the PRT if you don't let me leave here breathing." It was worth a shot. It wouldn't matter.

"You make the mistake of thinking I care. Like I said, Thomas Calvert. You will never touch. Her. Again."

He dropped the timeline before the second wave of insects could drop on him.