Step 6.10

The standoff between Dragon and Eidolon didn't last long.

Thank Velocity.

He zipped on up a few seconds after Cranial's bloody mess hit the asphalt and flinched.

"Oh, wow." He turned toward Dragon, then toward Eidolon. "Um. Everything okay here?"

Trevor helped. Mostly by keeling over and vomiting.

Been there, done that.

I tried not to look at the corpse, though it did have an odd way of drawing my attention. Especially with blood splattered onto Astraea and Dragon. Hard to ignore it, and harder to quantify what I felt about it. A chill I guess, but not a sad or a horrified chill. Just, a chill. One that got worse whenever I looked at Eidolon.

I teetered back and forth. Cranial did things I didn't want to forgive. Kidnapping, experimenting, killing, and all on kids? That's fucked up. She needed to be stopped. Yet, she talked like someone who did not have all of her marbles. Almost like those 'crazy' people you see on TV who are just generically crazy.

For once, the big bad villain seemed to legitimately be insane. Not sure how to feel about that in the context of what she did, or after seeing her body get blown in two.

What did she want to say? She seemed to want to say something to Dragon when she died.

Piggot asked, "What just happened?"

Eidolon and Dragon didn't answer, so Velocity said, "Um, confirming Cranial is deceased. Body's in the middle of the," – he turned toward me, and I guess he saw all the kids bound in the bus – "road. Fuck. Um. We should move them."

Kind of weird, 'cause some of them were older than me. Of course, I'd seen people explode before thanks to Oni Lee. Not sure what they'd all seen following Cranial around for who-knew-how-long.

"I'm on my way now," Armsmaster said. "We'll need to detain Cranial's victims for the time being."

Right. Master/stranger stuff. I jumped down from the bus to the street, landing next to Trevor.

I motioned for Veda to start moving the kids, and Astraea began lifting them from the bus and lining them up on the sidewalk. I set the Haros to keep eyes on them. They all seemed really still though. Staring toward Cranial, or looking to each other.

Glancing down at Trevor I frowned. I didn't throw up the first time I saw someone die, but I felt like I wanted to. Adrenaline put a stop to the actual act maybe.

"You okay?" I asked.

He sat back a bit. "Fine."

His voice sounded more serious than I'd ever heard it. I wondered if he wore a mask too, when he put on his mask. Not sure why he'd choose to act like a goofy fool in costume, personally.

"She surrendered," Dragon reiterated.

Eidolon maintained her position in the air, hand pointed.

"She wasn't sane," Dragon said.

Eidolon lowered her hand slightly. "I know. But we're capes. Being insane only makes us more dangerous."

Her feet touched the ground, standing across from Dragon with Cranial in between. Velocity watched them, looking ready to move. Not sure what he expected to do if Dragon and Eidolon started fighting fuck what am I going to do if Dragon and Eidolon start fighting.

Over a child napper and killer?

"Dragon," I said. Do something. "Did you know her?"

"No," she said. "And yes."

Okay… She certainly talked to her like she knew her.

"She did for me what I did for you," Dragon said.

Oh.

"She helped you get started?" I asked.

"Yes. I couldn't join the Wards, and the Guild didn't exist yet. Cranial interviewed me when I went to Toybox. We only spoke the one time but she… not like this."

"You wanted to help her?" I asked.

"I wanted something to be done," she said. "Anything, before it came to this."

Eidolon dropped her cape on the ground, covering Cranial's body.

"Sorry," she said. "It wasn't going to end any other way. We're well past that point."

Dragon's suit raised its head. Eidolon stood her ground.

"We'll sort out this mess in the after action briefing," Piggot said in a calm, but 'there is no question,' voice. "For now, everyone who has come into direct contact with Cranial will be following our normal procedures. That means all troopers who got disabled at the school, plus Prism, Manpower, Flashbang, Eidolon, Newtype, and Chariot."

"What procedures?" I asked. I'm not going to like this.

"M/S screening," Eidolon said. "Cranial is sub-rated as a master/stranger two because of her specialty. She's dead, but the PRT doesn't take chances."

Fuck that.

"I said my suit has a monitor," I said. "If I got hit with anything, StarGazer would know."

"Brainwaves are unchanged as of last scan," Veda said.

"Does the monitor work when you step out of your armor?" Piggot asked.

Fuck.

I wasn't wrong. I did not like this. Direct contract they said, so only the people who saw Cranial and talked to her? That left Dinah and Lafter free, but what about… No one said Dragon. I glanced toward Astraea, a very big rock forming in my throat.

"People operating drones are exempt?" I asked. I couldn't exactly bring StarGazer in for a master/stranger screening.

"They are not required to submit for anyone rated lower than four," Armsmaster said. "Though it is prudent."

"In these circumstances," Piggot said, "I'm afraid I must insist on at least one exception. Dragon?"

"Narwhal is on her way to collect me right now," Dragon said. "I'm going to set my suit to autopilot. It'll return to the PRT building and wait for further instructions."

"I'll make sure it's secure," Armsmaster said. "Can StarGazer be brought to the PRT building?"

So Piggot wanted to demand Dragon be screened, but not StarGazer?

I suppose that if I switched my point of view, what I'd see is Dragon setting Cranial on the ground and letting her go. Is that why Eidolon took the shot, because she thought Dragon might be mastered?

"No," I said firmly. "She can't, and I won't drag her down in the middle of the night after all this."

"That is inadvisable," Armsmaster said.

"But it is legal," Ramius said. "StarGazer is an independent, and she had no direct contract with Cranial. She's also been unaffected by stranger powers in the past."

I could ask Dinah to use her last question to clear me. That might get me out of being detained in any way, but… No. That wouldn't be fair to her. For all I knew someone already asked her something while I couldn't hear it. If I asked her she'd feel compelled to help me out.

"StarGazer," I said. "Finish up here, and then pilot Astraea for pickup."

"Understood," Veda said.

Green rolled over to my side and stopped at my feet.

Astraea finished moving the kids and stood watch over them. The ambulances arrived a fair bit behind Velocity, but the EMT's piled out and went straight to the kids. Velocity dashed over to them and started overseeing things, and then troopers got involved once they arrived.

Armsmaster made a bee-line right to me and stopped.

"You'll need to surrender your equipment until the screening is complete."

And you're loving this.

I handed my beam saber and pistol off to Purple, and gave my phone to Green. Armsmaster frowned but didn't say anything, so that must be acceptable. Not like it mattered. I liked using my phone but my mask and visor connected to all the same systems.

No one asked me to power any of that off.

Chariot said he didn't have weapons, but Armsmaster insisted he deactivate his armor. Trevor said something about it being really uncomfortable with the power off and the Protectorate leader offered to give him a place to store most of the components until his release.

To my surprise, Trevor seemed even more reluctant to go into custody than me.

Eidolon surrendered without a word, and two troopers escorted her to an armored van. Trevor and I ended up in a different one entirely, and I tried not to take the three armed troopers watching us personally. They were just doing their jobs.

The ride went quietly. I replayed the death in my head. Not that I wanted to, but it's kind of like getting a song stuck in your head.

She kept saying the same things over and over. Time running out, that stuck with me a lot. But also her babble about a source, and something collapsing? Veda would have it all recorded. I could go back and refresh my memory, but crazy is crazy.

Why did I feel so uneasy though.

I'd faced real monsters and it didn't make me uneasy. It made me angry, focused. Determined. Cranial though… That's not what I imagined when I pictured her in my head.

She almost seemed terrified.

The troopers escorted Trevor and I out after they parked. We joined another trio of armed men, and Armsmaster and Eidolon on an elevator into the PRT building.

Ramius met us when the door opened, along with some cape I didn't recognize.

Tall guy, with broad shoulders and a goofy smile.

"Miss me, puppy?" He asked.

Ediolon sighed. "Every moment was suffering."

"Rebound," Armsmaster said to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I asked Strider to pop me on over after I heard the crisis was resolved. M/S screening right? I'll sit in," he nodded toward Eidolon. He turned toward me, and took a glance at Chariot. "We're married."

Is he bragging about being married to Eidolon?

"And I still ask myself how," Eidolon said. "I'd kiss you, but…"

"Procedures do have a way of ruining the fun," Rebound said.

"Standard procedure," Ramius said. "Part of the screening is having someone who knows you well sit and watch. We don't solely rely on it, but we ask them to point out any behaviors inconsistent with the person they know." She nodded to me. "I can call a parent if you'd like and they could do it, or I can if you'd like."

"You," I said. No need to disturb dad. "Though, if you'd call?"

"I already have. He'll be here to pick you up when the process is complete."

I took that as meaning the entire screening amounted to a formality. Good. I didn't need my paranoia to keep wondering if Piggot planned to use her chance to detain me over something.

Ramius turned to Chariot.

"Your mother is on the way down," she said. "You won't see her, but if it helps you relax know that she will be watching."

Trevor just nodded.

"This process is a formality," Ramius said. Eidolon, Rebound, and Armsmaster turned and went down the hall, but Ramius pointed Trevor and me the other way. "None of the thinkers on call are getting anything that concerns the PRT, so we're just covering our bases for the sake of paperwork."

She glanced down at me, saying, "I thought you'd fight this more."

"I'd get arrested if I refused, right?"

"Most likely."

"Fuck that."

And I figured, if I didn't put up a hard fight it became easier to get pressure off of Veda. I can't submit an AI to master/stranger protocols for obvious reasons.

Just imagining walking into the building with a quantum processor and saying 'here she is' made me groan internally.

As we went down the hall, I contemplated telling Ramius the truth.

I already told Dinah, Lafter, and Dad because I trusted them. I trusted Ramius too, and if she knew it might be easier to get her help in situations like this in the future. What I didn't know is what rules or regulations the PRT might have in place. Ramius was a 'company woman' as it were. She took her job seriously. If the PRT had some rule that required her to say anything about AI's she knew about, she might do it regardless of how much she wanted to help me.

The PRT rules manual is a huge novel as it were. I'd yet to work my way through the entire thing. Never mind any standing or secret protocols they kept outside the book.

"How bad is the damage?" I asked. How many died.

"Thankfully worse on the property end than the people one," Ramius said. "Fifteen troopers are dead, about two dozen wounded. Only four or five dead Merchants. A lot more wounded."

"The building Squealer hit?" I asked.

Ramius frowned. "Stratos is still digging people out. It's slow. Now that everything else is resolved, we're going to send Vista and Clockblocker over to help. Their powers are both useful for search and rescue."

She didn't give a number, but I got the sense they'd already found bodies.

"I can send some Haros," I said. "My cameras see through solid objects fine as long as tinker tech isn't around." Maybe because tinkers modify the materials they work with? That might throw off the imaging.

"It would be appreciated," Ramius said.

"What's going to happen to Squealer?" I asked.

"I don't know. Her circumstances aren't widely known, but they are in her file. I'm not sure how they'll play into any decision about her fate."

"She was high," I said. And Cranial was insane. Both villains I crossed paths with tonight were certifiable. "I don't think she knew where she was at the end."

"I saw her when they brought her in. She's in medical right now. Unoa isn't sure what she took, but it's nothing generic."

Something Cranial came up with maybe?

Ramius took Trevor and me to a room that looked… Like the Dentists office mom once took a five-year-old me to. Colorful carpet and chairs, cartoon animals, and one of those tables with a paper sheet over it and crayons.

I stared at Ramius.

"Sorry." She smiled. "We've locked down several sections of HQ because of Tattletale and Grue, and we're bringing Cranial's victims in to be screened too. I need to set things up, so just sit here for a bit?" She pointed to the corner. "There's a camera right there. Wave if you need anything."

I picked the least childish seat and sat down. I still felt ridiculous. Ramius closed the door, and Trevor took a seat on the couch against the back wall. Pulling open a drawer I found coloring books and some Dr. Seuss. Guess the PRT used the room for dealing with really young kids? Probably didn't come up that often – I hoped – but when you needed it you needed it.

I honestly think I'd rather wait in an interrogation room.

Green jumped up on the table with the paper cover and started sorting through crayons. That made the wait a little better. He started drawing cats naturally. Rather photo-realistic ones at that… And they all seemed to be color coded to the Haros.

Figures.

Oh well. Time to think. No more Merchants. I'd need to advance my plans. Make some adjustments and adaptations. Maybe fast track the construction of a second suit. Astraea could take advantage of the balance between three main gangs. Just two in open warfare? I needed to contain that fighting not beat it down. Push the Empire and the ABB and anyone else who showed up into keeping their heads down.

I could put Queen together quickly.

Veda's Gundam design edged close to O in terms of simplicity. Not needing to accommodate a living pilot solved a lot of space and design issues too. Maybe a week? If I focused on nothing else a week might do. Maybe making nice with the Empire and ABB would pay off. If they kept their heads down until Leviathan showed up, I'd have time to finish the Full Armor modules and maybe throw Queen Gundam together. The latter really depended on how long the second solar furnace took to complete.

Wouldn't get much sleep though, and it didn't resolve the factory, or the risks that came with a bunch of freshly unaffiliated gangsters running around town.

I glanced to Trevor. His hands shook.

"Sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Fine," he grumbled.

I raised my brow at the tone. "You don't sound fine."

"Yeah well, people dying in front of me isn't fun times."

Huh. "I get that."

Trevor raised his head. "No, you don't."

"I watched Ali Al-Saachez murder a dozen people," I said. "I've seen Glory Girl get shot by a teleporting bullet, PRT troopers get hit by a cannon, Sam and Dean Stansfield gunned down, and I saw the exact same thing you saw just a bit ago."

I inhaled, not entirely sure why I felt angry. Maybe because I didn't like Trevor of all people telling me I didn't understand people dying. I'd seen plenty of people die, and I always tried to do something about it.

Trevor fucking walked away.

I didn't want to be an asshole though. I remembered the feeling. That indescribable sensation that comes with seeing the life leave someone right in front of you. It's not easy.

"It gets easier, fucked up as that sounds."

"It shouldn't be," he grumbled.

"It will be."

And I maybe shouldn't have said that.

Trevor shot to his feet glaring at me.

"Fuck that!" He snapped. "She surrendered! You saw it. I saw it! It was plain as day on her face and Eidolon fucking blew her apart!"

I blinked in confusion.

"That's fucked up," Trevor snarled. "That's not heroic! That's just," – he shook his head and turned – "but whatever, right? She's a 'bad guy' she gets what she deserves."

I frowned.

I didn't disagree. I don't know what Grace Hicks wanted to say to Dragon. "There is" something?" The words sounded a little slurred. Maybe I misheard. Probably wouldn't get to know now.

But she did have a kill order, and she'd done fucked up stuff herself. Experiments on kids? Experiments that killed kids? Hard for me not to remember the sight of Lafter crying. She didn't even cry when she talked about her family, as vaguely as she talked about them.

It's not that I liked seeing Cranial dead. Even when I'd been planning to take the shot myself, it felt like a hand grabbing my heart and squeezing it tight. I didn't put on a mask to kill anyone, regardless of how I felt about how some very bad monsters in the world might need killing. Even Eidolon didn't seem very proud of the fact.

The way she put her cape over the body and stood quietly over it, I'd almost say she seemed ashamed. Why not, I supposed? She probably didn't become a hero to kill people either.

"It is what it is," I said. "I don't like it either, but it's not something we can control." I'd looked kill orders up ages ago, when I approached everything in an even more paranoid manner. "Even if she surrendered, she'd still be executed. At least the kids are safe. Maybe the PRT can find the capes who can undo whatever Cranial did to them."

"That's not the point." Trevor grunted. "Let's kill everyone who's even slightly crazy, because they have powers and that makes them dangerous." He pointed his finger at me. "There are people who think you're crazy. Should the PRT get to put a kill order on you because you're too dangerous to leave alive."

I scowled. Low blow. "I'm not hurting people."

"You've hurt plenty of people," Trevor said. "You just hurt the right people and stick your neck out for the right people, so no one gives a damn." He shook his head. "I'd have thought you'd be different, what with Shadow Stalker."

I shot to my feet. "What?"

Trevor flinched. I kept scowling. I'd thought pointing out some people considered me insane a low blow. Comparing me to Sophia fucking Hess? That's just dirty. I might break some bones or take no shame in inflicting a little pain, but I didn't nail people to walls and leave them to bleed out.

Bully.

And of course Squealer needed to call me a bully on the same night.

"Sorry," Trevor grumbled. "That wasn't fair."

"It wasn't," I said.

Figures. He put together Taylor Hebert was Newtype. Of course he figured out Sophia was Stalker.

Trevor retook his seat and pulled his helmet off his head. Why not? Everyone knew who he was anyway.

I'd never seen Trevor angry. I'd seem him goofy, uncertain, and ashamed, but never angry. He almost seemed like Dad actually, with the way he just exploded out of nowhere. Dad never lashed out like that though. I think he could if he wanted to, but he seemed self-aware enough to direct his anger away from saying hurtful things.

Trevor sat back down, and I did the same. Felt kind of stupid for a few moments, letting myself get worked up like that. Such a good job getting over the Trio I'd done.

I watched Trevor brood, and after a few moments of silence sighed, and asked, "You know you saved some of those kids, right?"

Trevor raised his head.

"That girl nearly cut her own throat. I couldn't stop her. You did."

Trevor shrugged. "Guess."

Cranial was Cranial. I didn't expect to lose any sleep over her death? But those kids? Yeah, if any of them died I'd be pretty broken up about it.

"Decided what you're going to do yet?" I asked.

"Do about what?" Trevor asked.

I frowned. "You know what. You can't keep running around town, getting involved in stuff like this, on your own. I threatened the gangs with retaliation if they went after anyone out of costume. If you're going to put on a mask and do stuff Trevor, you need to pick a side."

Trevor scowled again, that anger returning to his face.

"What if I don't like any of the sides?" He asked.

And… that sounds awfully familiar.

"The PRT doesn't change anything, and I don't see how the Protectorate waging war with the Merchants to get Cranial dead is improving anything here." He glanced at me. "You're just setting everything on fire, no offense, and hoping the ashes look better."

My hands tightened, but I tried to keep my cool. Trevor wasn't the first person to suggest my actions sowed chaos. I'd dealt with it before. Normally with adults too trapped in their PR to look at things a different way, but still.

For the moment I just wanted Trevor to get over himself and do something for his own safety.

So long as Parian maintained her neutrality she'd probably be safe. Labyrinth and Grue had their teams to back them up, and most of the other independents who got outed by Teacher's leak moved to new lives and identities a long time ago. They'd all be safe, or at least as safe as any cape could be.

Only Trevor remained flapping in the wind.

"Then be a rogue," I said. "Join a corporate team. Focus on your tech. You said that's all you really wanted to do before." It didn't make the world better, but at least it didn't make it worse. Long as he didn't fill Toybox's void in the local arms market at least. "You're not safe like this, and neither is your mom."

Trevor turned his helmet toward himself, looking at the visor.

"Yeah. I like making stuff… But it's not good enough anymore."

"Good enough?"

"My dad died in a car accident," he said. "Drunk driver crashed right into him in broad daylight… And no one did anything. Even when I cried for help. And then that guy at the hardware store." Trevor's face twisted. "I could have stopped that, but I walked away."

I flinched when he rose and threw his helmet against the wall.

"And I don't care about kill orders! Cranial gave up!" Trevor turned away as his helmet rolled across the floor. "So why join the Wards? I'll just end up in the Protectorate that way, right? And then what? I'll have to do something like that someday? She shouldn't have died! Not like that! It's wrong!"

He's even more idealistic than I am.

I could point out that we didn't know if she really gave up. Maybe she'd faked it to get Dragon to lower her guard. Hard to say with someone who seemed so crazy. It looked that way though, so I took his point.

"Could join me," I offered.

Trevor raised his head.

"You helped me catch Othala. I know you said it was a one-time thing because you owed me, but you were good at it. I can't say I'd be opposed to having another tinker around. StarGazer and the Haros do a lot of the work, but I still put dozens of hours a week into my tech because tinker tech requires a tinker."

I admit, there's a certain thrill in offering Trevor a recruitment pitch in the middle of the PRT's own building. But, if Trevor now felt dead set against joining the Wards, why not throw my hat in the ring? Not like I never thought of it.

Trevor looked at me solemnly, and asked, "Are you any better?"

I raised my brow.

"No offense, but I don't see it. You fly around knocking the gangs over left and right. Beating up their guys, trashing their stuff, and yeah. You're doing something. I guess it's kind of working."

"But?" I asked.

"But I saw what you did to Pyrotechnical," he said. "You threatened to ruin her. To ruin Toybox. Maybe they're not making the world better or whatever it is you're about, but they're not making it worse. So they sell guns to people who hurt other people. So does Smith and Weston and I don't see you battering their door down! They sell guns. Big whoop. If they don't someone else will, so what does it matter?

"And I'll deal with them the same way," I said. Easier with help.

"By threatening their entire lives? What is Toybox supposed to do? Half of them are wanted on trumped up charges and the other half just want to be free. Backing them into a corner and saying "do what I say or I hurt you" isn't right. So they're not perfect, who is?" Trevor's eyes narrowed. "I saw what the girls at school did to you! I didn't think you'd be the kind of person to turn around and do it to someone else!"

I shot right back to my feet snarling at him. Trevor stood firm this time.

Guess he didn't see it as such a low blow.

The door cracked open, and Ramius stepped inside.

"Everything okay?" She asked.

Neither of us answered at first.

"Lively debate," Green said. "Lively debate."

Ramius frowned. She stepped aside, and a short Hispanic woman entered the room. Trevor flinched, his gaze leaving me and turning to her.

"You know how much trouble you're in?" She asked.

Trevor calmed down and frowned. "More than I'd like to be?"

"You're free to take him home Ms. Medina," Ramius said. "The screening is over."

Trevor and I both asked, "It is?"

"Thinkers cleared you both a few minutes ago," Ramius said. She nodded to the camera. "We were talking, but the argument seemed to be getting out of hand."

Ms. Medina entered the room fully, and my dad entered the room behind her. I froze. He wore a mask of course, the same black balaclava he wore when he came to get me at the hospital. Guess Ramius already brought him in.

I hung my head slightly, realizing he'd probably seen that fight.

He came over and hugged me, whispering, "You okay, kiddo?"

"Yeah," I whispered back.

I glanced at Trevor.

He glared at me.

Trevor's mom led him out of the room. Ramius said she'd like to call about something she thought might help Trevor. She noted it didn't come with any obligations to the PRT or Wards. Ms. Medina looked suspicious and gave a noncommittal answer.

He came back a moment later to pick up his helmet, and he pointedly avoided looking at me.

That didn't go the way I hoped.

"I'm free to go?" I asked.

"Not just yet," Ramius said. "Your father and I talked a bit, and there is someone we'd like you to talk to."

I looked up at Dad. I must have grown a bit the past few weeks, he seemed shorter. Suppose my costume felt a little tighter now that I thought of it. Still growing up apparently.

"Who?" I asked.

Ramius glanced at my dad. My dad nodded to her. Not sure what what's about.

"We'll call it a debriefing," Ramius said.

A debriefing?

"Can it wait till tomorrow?" I asked.

"I'd rather do it now while you're not in the middle of something," Ramius said. "You do tend to bury yourself in hero work, and she'll be fairly busy soon herself."

"You're used to long nights anyway," Dad said. "Might as well get it all done before we head home."

Figured. The PRT needed to dot their paperwork.

"What about Lafter and Forecast?" I asked.

"I can take care of Forecast while you're busy," Dad said. "StarGazer can pick Lafter up and bring her by the house. I'll get her something good to eat."

Green gathered his portrait from the table, folding the paper into a square small enough to fit inside his ball. He followed after us down the hall, stopping when Ramius said he needed to wait outside.

The room inside looked nice. Professional, if a little cramped. Big hardwood desk with a light tone, comfy looking leather chairs, some stylized lamps, and a big bookcase on one wall filled with books.

A woman sat in one of the chairs, Dad's age maybe with short black hair, glasses, and Asian featured.

"Newtype, is it?" She asked.

"Yeah."

I looked her over, and she didn't seem like a PRT trooper. Her badge said PRT on it, but she didn't carry herself like Ramius at all. Less imposing, more welcoming? Welcoming, yes. How I'd put it. She looked slightly disheveled, like she'd rushed to get out of bed and look presentable. PRT probably called her in with everyone else when the hunt for Cranial started.

She seemed oddly familiar though. Maybe I'd seen her around the building before? Couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Jessica Yamada," she said.

I nodded, and took another glance around the room. Weird place for a debriefing, but then the last few times I'd been asked for statements by the PRT I gave them in the middle of the city or a hospital room.

"I work with young adults for the PRT," Yamada continued.

"They bring you in for the Cranial thing?" I asked.

I didn't see any security cameras. Maybe the first part of the PRT building I'd ever seen without them.

"Yes," she said. "They've pulled in a few specialists to help with her victims, but I'm afraid the screening process for them will be a bit more intensive than it was for you."

I felt mine ended up being pretty intense.

Getting called a bully twice in one night. Talk about nonsense. How did he expect me to handle people like Pyrotechnical? She'd never respond to kind words. And I did a lot more than just beat up bad guys… Though I suppose Trevor couldn't know that. It's not like I went and announced my plans for a Haros factory to the whole world, and I hadn't shared the details of how I planned to run it with anyone.

Is that why he seemed so quiet after we caught Othala? Because he didn't like how I handled Toybox?

"Right now I'm just on standby waiting," Yamada continued. "Murrue asked if I had some time, and I suppose I do. Have a seat?"

She offered, hand pointed to the chair across from her.

I sat down and rested my cheek against one hand. Sat pretty close to the bookshelf, so I started perusing some of the titles while she talked.

"I've seen you on the news. Impressive for someone so young."

"So I'm told." Maybe she wants an autograph?

The titles on the bookshelf didn't stand out at first. A little biochemistry, some philosophy, a little fiction toward the bottom ranging from children's literature to hard science fiction. A full collection of Carl Jung's completed works, which is a lot of volumes. Some Sigmund Freud, Immanuel Kant, Johann Friedrich Herbart. I did a project on the last one in middle school because of his last name. Some of his books sat right next to a copy of the DSMV-VI.

I admit, it took longer to put the pieces together than I'd like to admit.

I sat up, staring around the room for a moment, and then looking at Yamada.

That's where I've seen her.

On the video from Labyrinth's PRT file. She'd been the one talking to her, coaxing the girl to use her power.

"You're a psychiatrist," I said.

She smiled. "Psychologist, technically. Though I do a lot of therapy in my line of work, especially with young parahumans. Most of my patients are Wards or Case-53s, but I've been known to take on an independent or needed."

I glanced to the door, then back to Yamada, and back to the door.

"You don't have to say anything," Yamada said. "Not if you don't want to, but if you want to talk, I'm a good listener. And I won't be sharing anything you say with anyone, not even Murrue. Patient confidentiality is my dogma."

She raised a small notepad with one hand and clicked a pen with the other.

"The room is yours. Feel free to use the time however you'd like."

My brain spun like that little wheel on the computer screen. The one that comes up when you click on something and nothing happened?

They tricked me.