As he stepped out of his car, Lieutenant Benjamin Gordon was happy.

Brockton Bay was finally turning itself around. With the destruction of the Teeth and the Marquis a few years prior, the only major criminal parahuman presence was the Empire, and they were laying low. When there were multiple gangs, it was easy to ignore the law. The last thing any Director wanted to do was unite the gangs against the Protectorate.

Now, even the non-parahuman criminals were stepping lightly. The murder rate was down, there hadn't been an armed robbery case in over two weeks – sadly a record – and he had been able to schedule some extra vacation time.

Yes, life was good for Benjamin Gordon.

Now if only he could stop referring to himself in the third person.

Humming quietly to himself, he swiped his card, opening the PRT's employee entrance. Someone brushed past him.

"Hey!" Gordon said, scowling. "You have to swipe in!"

The man turned, blinking. "Oh, Gordon, good to see you."

"Higgs, you sly old dog, were you testing me on security protocols again?" Benjamin asked, smiling. "You know piggybacking is against policy."

Truth be told, he thought it was pretty funny. Higgs had been working for the PRT for twenty years, and actually taught several new generations of PRT officers.

Rather than take offense, Higgs just smiled. "Yes, well, I have a package that needs to get to Armsmaster. I'm running a little late as it is – traffic was murder."

"Yeah, I know, just this morning I - a package?" Gordon blinked. Armsmaster got special shipments occasionally, but they usually came in armored cars. "From who?"

"A friend of mine. It's urgent that Armsmaster get it." Higgs tapped the button, calling the elevator.

Gordon frowned at him. The back of his neck began to itch; something was off here. "That's kind of odd, isn't it? Have you opened it?"

"Well, no, he asked me not to."

Alarm bells, slightly delayed, were definitely ringing now. "Higgs, let me see that real quick."

"Oh, no, I couldn't, he said not to let it leave my hands." Higgs clutched it tighter. "I think I'd better hurry – this has to get to Armsmaster. It's urgent."

Yeah, okay, that was enough. Gordon keyed his radio. "Lieutenant Gordon, code eighteen, entrance three. Repeat, entrance three,lock down the main elevator."

The elevator doors, just opening, began to slide shut. Higgs shoved his hand inside, but these weren't the standard civilian model – while they didn't keep closing, the doors refused to open further.

"No, you don't understand," Higgs said, a note of desperation in his voice as he pried at the door. "I have to bring this to Armsmaster!"

"Higgs, step away from the elevator!" Gordon ordered, raising his sidearm. To his shame, his hands were shaking. "Come on man, don't make me shoot you! If it's that important, we can give to him later, just as soon as you go through screening."

Ignoring the gun pointed at him, he continued trying to get the doors open. Gordon's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Come on, just put the package down-"

Then, Higgs' movement's stilled as his watch began to beep.

"Oh," he said, voice sad. "It's late; he'll be so upset."

With a final, quiet click, twenty five pounds of high explosives activated, ending the standoff with a blast that shook the building to its foundations.