Chapter 6: Errant Knight

The Rinnegan was gray – almost purple – with three concentric rings surrounding the pupil. At full capacity, six tomoe appeared in the inner two rings. Unlike a regular eye, it encased the entire socket. Unlike his Sharingan, with its red iris and three tomoe, it couldn't be switched off. Sasuke's domino mask covered it well, but he couldn't wear it everywhere if he was going to spend time among the public. The same went for using his regular outfit as his costume.

Earth Bet wasn't the first time he'd tangled with superheroes, but that time, most of those heroes didn't hide their identities. On Earth Bet, however, not only were there far more parahumans, most of them didn't have the personal power to survive that level of scrutiny. The ones that did were usually dangerous. Danger attracted attention. Danger wasted time. Danger would prevent him from hiding in plain sight.

Now that he had defeated the Merchants, he'd have to hide in a different way. Maintain the façade that he wasn't different. That meant he'd have to play by their rules. For starters, he would need an actual costume to separate Sasuke Uchiha from Sasuke the cape. He'd brainstorm ideas for his new appearance while he ate.

Sasuke didn't expect to see Charlotte when he went to the cafeteria, but there she was, hard at work. She even brought his food to his table, handing him his breakfast like she was a waitress without a single worry occupying her frayed, anxious mind.

"Thank you," he said.

"You're welcome!"

The bandages beneath her see-through gloves were a reminder of what she'd endured. What she needed was support, and he was more than glad to give it to her.

"You're working hard."

"Honestly, it's thanks to Battery. I asked her if there was anything I could do, and she told me to do this. My mom gave me permission, she doesn't want me in... you know."

Her voice had strained itself by the end. He gave her time to recover.

"Why not leave Brockton Bay?" he asked.

"It's my grandpa. He's survived way too much to leave now, and we can't abandon him, either. It'd probably kill him." She coughed. "Sorry. Um, working here's actually helping me out, just like you said it would. And Battery told me I could talk to her if I've got any problems."

Sasuke smiled. While he wasn't much of a smiler, it was the right move to make. It felt kind of good, too.

"Keep it up."

Her smile came easier than it had the previous night.

After he finished eating, Sasuke took a walk around the areas of the PRT building he could access, getting a better feel for the facility's layout. Eventually, he reached his destination: the PRT's gift shop.

He wasn't alone. Sierra was there, scribbling numbers on a clipboard, and she was being supervised by a cape. Dressed in a deep purple costume, white arrow-shaped armour panels covered her shoulders and torso, while a large metal crossbow was holstered on her back.

"Good morning, Sasuke," Sierra said, giving him a tight wave.

"Morning. What are you up to?"

"Inventory check. Battery got me a job here, with the PRT. Can you believe it?"

"Good for you."

The cape was watching Sierra's every move. She hadn't failed to notice him.

"Are you going to put yourself as a reference on Sierra's CV?" Sasuke asked.

Her thin lips quirked up. "If she does well. Don't worry, I believe in you."

Sierra smiled. "You won't be disappointed."

The cape faced him. "So, you're Sasuke?"

"I am."

"Nice to meet ya. Name's Flechette. I'm supervising Sierra, showing her the ropes."

Flechette's complexion was much like his, with long black hair tied back in a tight ponytail. However, her eyes were covered by a white visor.

"Well met."

She looked him once over. "You named yourself after Sasuke Sarutobi, right?"

"Correct."

Naming order aside.

"Quick question, do you know what Sasuke means?"

"It means 'to help', though it depends on how you write it."

A small smile crossed her face. "It's a nice name."

"Thanks," he said in Japanese, following her lead. "You know Japanese?"

"Yes, my grandma taught me. I'm all-American, though. Welcome to Brockton Bay."

"Were you here when Leviathan attacked?"

"Yes, but I'm not from here. I was transferred so I could help everyone here until Brockton Bay recovers."

"Make any progress?"

She rotated her palm twice. "Ehh... ask me again next week. We lost a couple of fights, but I was able to meet some good people. It is not as hectic as New York, but Brockton Bay has definitely kept me busy."

"New York is gigantic. There's so many people living there, it's hard to believe that it's only one city."

"There's no place like it," she said, with pride and warm nostalgia. "I am very happy to meet someone else who can speak Japanese. Of course, you sound like an old man, but you speak very fluently."

In contrast, Flechette's grasp of Japanese lacked a native's fluidity. She knew the words and pronounced them properly, but she might not have had many opportunities to use the language in day-to-day life.

"A native told me my Japanese was the most bizarre dialect he'd ever heard. I resolved to talk like a normal person would."

Her mouth went wide. "You aren't Japanese?" She laughed. "Wow. You must have really worked hard to become so fluent. You know, I want to visit Japan one day, to see where my grandparents came from. But saying they've lived through tough times is... um... how do you say 'understatement' in Japanese?"

He told her, she thanked him. He wanted to ask why she thought that way, until he realized that not only was Flechette implying that Japan was in dire straits, it was also a completely normal state of affairs.

Of course: Leviathan was responsible. Unbelievable.

"You'll get to see it one day. No matter what happens, Japan is still Japan."

"Let's hope you're right," she said, switching back to English completely. "At least we'll be able to empathize with them a little bit. If we ever go there, I mean."

He frowned. "In the meantime, we can help out where we can."

"You don't have to tell me twice."

During their conversation, Sierra had finished counting the first two of five shirt racks and was busy on the third. Each of the five racks had ten shirts, but when she reached the fifth, her count was wrong.

"It's ten, not nine," he said. "You missed one."

"Really?"

"He's right," Flechette said.

Sierra shook her head and counted again, quickly crossing out the wrong number.

"Thanks for the catch, guys."

Flechette smiled rather warmly. "You'll get it right next time. Don't sweat it, okay?"

Sierra nodded, tapping her pen against the clipboard. "It'd be a lot easier if the shop wasn't a mess, but I can't complain."

"It's not your fault, Sierra. Blame the Undersiders." Flechette's sudden scowl crushed her smile. "Those jackasses ransacked the place after they invaded our HQ. If it were up to me, I'd give 'em a taste of their own medicine, but apparently, they aren't a threat."

She looked his way for only a second, but he got her message. He had his priorities, though.

If he arrived on Earth Bet one day earlier, he could have easily taken care of the elusive Undersiders. Then again, he might have been on their side if he met them first and they made a compelling case, if he never had a reason to work with the PRT...

"Has nobody thought about cleaning up?" Sasuke asked.

Flechette huffed. "We would if we weren't short on staff and the shop was supposed to be open. Just have to make do, I guess."

He took a closer look at the gift shop, noting the ruined merchandise and wreckage. It was a lot to sift through, but it gave him ideas.

"Is this your only job, Sierra?"

"No, it isn't. Why do you ask?"

"I want to help you out."

Flechette cocked her head sideways. "Really?"

"I want compensation."

"What kind of compensation?"

He smirked. "I'll tell you when I'm done."

Together, Sasuke and Sierra quickly set up a system: he counted the items in the shop and Sierra wrote them down. Flechette double-checked his count whenever she wasn't watching Sierra. When he was finished counting one section, he would clean it up – with Flechette's permission, he grabbed cleaning equipment from the storage closet nearby.

In less than half an hour, they were finished. If he was alone, he'd be done much faster, but he wasn't, and that was fine. He used this extra time to figure out exactly what he wanted for his costume, taking a black cowboy hat and a pair of sunglasses. The hat would go well with his poncho. The sunglasses would be an adequate substitution for his mask when he relaxed in public.

"You want to try it on?" Sierra asked.

"Sure," he said. There weren't any intact mirrors in the shop, but Sierra and Flechette's smiles were very encouraging.

"You're the spitting image of a cowboy," Sierra said.

Flechette stifled a laugh. "Like a rōnin."

That term fit, quite well. However, Sierra blinked in confusion.

"What's a ronin?"

"It's a samurai who doesn't have a master to serve," Flechette said. "They drift from place to place, searching for purpose and opportunity. Some of them swear allegiance to new masters."

He wouldn't call himself a samurai, but the idea of drifting in search of opportunity was exactly what the word rōnin brought to mind.

"That sounds more like a knight errant," Sierra said. "They're knights who would travel across the land to fight for justice and prove their virtue."

Flechette hummed. "Maybe Sasuke can be a cowboy knight?"

Sasuke felt the weight of his sword on his hip, though it was a chokutō rather than a knight's broadsword. "Did cowboys have swords?"

"Most of them used whips and guns to protect their cattle from bandits," Sierra said. "It was a hard life with lots of risk, but the rewards were too much for any wannabe cowboy to pass up."

Sasuke smiled. "I like it."

"It does fit," Flechette said. "From what I've heard, anyway. You can keep the hat and the glasses. I'll call it in."

Sierra scribbled something on her clipboard. "Got it jotted down, just in case anyone asks."

"Good thinking." Flechette looked all around the gift shop, smile growing as she did. "Now this place isn't an eyesore. Great job, guys."

"Does that mean you'll give Sierra your reference?" Sasuke asked.

"I'll give her way more than that."

Sierra smiled. "That's amazing. I've had some unusual references in the past, but I never expected a superhero would be one of them."

Flechette grinned, ducking her head. "How could I ever say no to you? I mean, you work really hard, you don't complain. You deserve it."

"She's right," Sasuke said.

"You're too kind," Sierra said.

Sierra made eye contact with him. Her eyes burned with determination, gleamed with sincere appreciation, glimmered with hope.

Flechette cleared her throat, cutting the moment apart. "Your job's not done yet, Sierra."

Sierra reeled back, blowing out air. "Right. Can you give me a minute, please?"

"Sure thing. Hey, Sasuke, don't take too long, got it?"

He imagined Flechette glaring at him, but for what reason, he had no clue.

"Don't worry."

Flechette shot him a thumbs-up, then grabbed a ball etched with clocks and retreated to the gift shop's entrance.

"You two must really get along," Sierra said.

"What do you mean?"

"I dunno. Maybe it's the language barrier, but whenever she talks to you, she just sounds happy."

Did she now?

"She never took her eyes off you while we were working," he said.

Sierra's brow furrowed. "She's pretty friendly, isn't she?"

She seemed too friendly, but maybe friendship was different on Earth Bet. Not that he was an expert on regular friendship.

"Battery let me see the criminals you two arrested." Sierra's lips were set in a thin, reedy line. "They won't be leaving for a long time, and it's all thanks to you."

"You're welcome."

Sierra's sudden frown caught him off-guard. "I shouldn't have asked you to fuck them up, Sasuke. It wasn't right. Isn't. At all. I was just so angry and – and desperate."

Sasuke clasped Sierra's shoulder. Sierra flinched, but she didn't shrug him off.

"It's only fair that you wanted revenge."

She sighed, relaxing under his grip.

"The real revenge is seeing them locked behind bars." Sierra looked up at him. "Now, they'll have no choice but to pay for their crimes, and if they realize they were wrong, that'd be enough for me."

Of course. He'd become so focused on avenging Sierra's suffering that he'd forgotten who he was dealing with: people. Criminals, yes, but people capable of changing for the better. There was no need for him to use his lightning to put them in their place.

"That's admirable."

Sierra frowned. "It doesn't feel that way. I'm just glad you didn't really hurt them."

"They were powerless against me. For a man like Thomas, that would hurt more than any physical pain."

"I guess. I don't regret asking you or Battery to help, but I don't want to be someone who hurts other people, even by accident. It might sound naïve, but that's not the kind of life I want to lead."

"It takes strength to choose peace over violence."

Sierra sucked her bottom lip. "You really mean that?"

He nodded.

Silence fell like a glaive, shearing their conversation to tatters. He didn't mind these quiet moments, but he didn't want Sierra to feel awkward.

"What happens when it becomes too much?" Sierra asked.

"You deal with it before it reaches that point."

"That simple, huh?"

"Not really. It's a journey of its own."

She began to smile. "You're pretty wise. Anyone tell you that before?"

He shrugged. "I'm still learning."

"That's what a wise person would say. Here's a tip from me: you don't have to grab a girl's shoulder if you want to comfort her."

Was that right? He was only doing what he learned back home.

"What should I do instead?" he asked.

"Reach for her hand, ask for a hug. Some girls aren't big on physical contact, though."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Affection wasn't his strong suit, so he'd take whatever advice was good. Together, they returned to Flechette, who was juggling four separate balls with pinpoint accuracy. She caught all of them with ease.

"Took you long enough," she said.

"Were you using your power just now?" Sierra asked.

"Kind of. I can shoot through pretty much anything."

"By anything, do you mean..."

She smirked. "My bolts punched straight through Leviathan. Good thing perfect timing comes with the package, eh?"

He could imagine. If she wasn't pulling his leg, to borrow an American phrase, it was a power he didn't want aimed at him.

"Thanks for the advice, Sasuke," Sierra said.

"You're welcome."

Her smile returned, gifting him the warmth of satisfaction. "Ready to go, Flechette?"

Flechette smiled at her. "After you. It was nice meeting you, Sasuke."

"You too."

They shook hands, went their separate ways.

Blending in was better than standing out as far as Sasuke was concerned, but if it meant doing the right thing to help someone in need, he could always make an exception.

In any case, he had his costume and a growing reputation. Now, it was time to make them work for him.

Faultline offered to give him information about Cauldron in exchange for the vials. However, Battery was still available. There was no doubt that she knew something about Cauldron, possibly information that Cauldron's documents didn't include. Convincing her wouldn't be easy.

Sasuke's phone buzzed before he could make a decision. Battery had sent him a text message.

Meet me at the lobby. Got a surprise for you.

That was intriguing, as well. When he met up with her, he saw her holding a folder.

"Nice hat," she said. "I take it this is going to be your costume?"

"Yes."

"We all start somewhere. Take it from me, there's always room for improvement."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. The costume served its purpose and looked good on him. There was a time where he didn't put any effort into how he looked, but he knew better than anyone that appearances mattered when making a good impression.

Battery led him deep within the PRT building, past a security gate he wasn't allowed to pass without proper clearance. The metal detector was off, but a PRT agent stood guard. Fortunately, he went through without being screened.

Eventually, they stopped in the Barracks section, where she unlocked a small room. It had a bed with a soft pillow, a firm mattress and a blanket, a desk with an adjoining mirror, and a closet with clean towels. The walk-in bathroom was stocked with essentials, along with a shower and toilet. There weren't any cameras he could detect.

"You can stay here until you find a place of your own," Battery said.

"Thanks," Sasuke said, taking a seat on the bed.

Battery smiled. "Think of this as a reward for your hard work. Now that you know where you can improve, there's no reason not to enjoy the fruits of your labour."

He let a small smile appear. "If you say so."

"Between you and me, it feels even better to do the right thing. Seeing justice served is why I became a hero in the first place."

He couldn't disagree.

"That must be why you helped Sierra and Charlotte find work."

"That's not the only thing I took care of." Her smile went away as quickly as it had appeared. "I've got more presents for you."

She handed him a guest pass for the PRT building's non-restricted areas, and a dossier on Brockton Bay's villains he immediately began to read after Battery gave him permission. It was expansive, complete with threat ratings and summaries of their known crimes. Some gangs' intel was more detailed than others, but it was a great primer on what he might have to face in Brockton Bay.

"You said that every gang is trying to claim territory."

"That's right. Faultline's Crew is the only exception."

"What about the Slaughterhouse Nine?" he asked. They were included in the dossier, but they weren't from Brockton Bay

Battery went still, but not to charge her power. "They're not here to claim territory. Whatever you do, do not fight anyone from the Slaughterhouse Nine."

He'd seen their threat assessment. Three of them could kill him if he wasn't careful, but that wasn't a reason not to fight them at all. There were two that he'd love to wipe off the face of the earth.

"It'd be suicide if you aren't prepared. At best, they'll kill you, at worst..."

The implication sunk in.

"Does that mean you'll let them roam around freely?"

She scowled, the veins in her neck tensing up. "What kind of question is that?"

"A good one."

Battery took in one deep breath, and exhaled.

"You want to know the one good thing about the Slaughterhouse Nine? They're predictable. They usually look for new recruits before they reveal themselves. If they stick to their pattern, the casualties are usually kept to a minimum, but if anything makes them break that pattern, they start shaking things up. And when that happens, everyone loses."

Sasuke took in Battery's grave tone, the tension in her posture, the gravity of her words, and decided to take her warning with the seriousness it deserved.

"I won't go after them," he said.

For now, anyway.

"You'd better not," she said. "We'll take care of them when the time's right. Speaking of which, have you given Faultline's offer any thought?"

How could he not? After seeing Battery and Shamrock in such close proximity, there was no doubt in his mind that Battery had drank one of Cauldron's vials. Those documents he had made it clear that Cauldron knew when people leaked their existence to the public, and through their Subjects, they had the means to crush those would-be informants. There was a very real possibility that she was subject to Cauldron's vow of secrecy.

"Will her crew come after me?"

"No. They make it a point to conduct their business outside of Brockton Bay, it's part of the reputation they've crafted for themselves. Besides, you said you took care of the vials, so you should have nothing to worry about."

That meant he could engage on his terms. Since Battery had brought up Faultline on her own, there was no reason not to continue talking about her crew as long as he was careful.

"Have heroes purchased their services before?"

Battery crossed her arms. "Not that I've heard of, but if they have the cash and aren't planning to do anything illegal, then they should be in the clear. What's in it for you?"

"Just curious. If Newter and Gregor really are monsters without memories, that'd probably attract customers."

She pursed her lips. "Not quite. Newter and Gregor are what we call Case 53's, humans who were mutated by their powers. Most of these Case 53's were found with no memory of their past lives and a brand somewhere on their skin. We've tried to integrate them into regular society, but it hasn't been easy."

"Faultline took pity on them, then."

"Who knows? If you want to meet a Case 53, I'll introduce you to Weld. He leads the Brockton Bay's Wards, and he's an honest example of how a Case 53 can find success if they're given a real chance."

Meeting Weld could be worth his time. Sasuke's best friend had been ostracized and neglected based on an incident that happened to him when he was an infant. Like the Case 53's, he didn't ask for that treatment, yet he suffered anyway.

Battery unfurled her arms. "Anyway, you don't need to get involved with Faultline. Piggot tore you a new one for how you handled the Merchants. Imagine what'll happen if you hire a mercenary crew."

He stared her right in the eye. "I appreciate the advice."

She only made eye contact with him for a pair of seconds, before she broke away and left him alone.

While Weld could potentially provide him with a wealth of information, Sasuke couldn't trust that their meeting would be kept secret from the PRT. Battery was worried that he'd find out about Cauldron. He didn't want her getting paranoid before he approached her, so he'd do his part.

He was going to meet Faultline, and he'd make sure their conversation stayed private.