Interlude: Costa Brown

Anyone else would have probably keeled over at the end of the day she'd just had. She'd fought Behemoth once for nearly an hour and hadn't felt quite this drained.

She didn't get tired, didn't feel the strain of mental exhaustion like others, but after coordinating a nationwide prison security overhaul, three press conferences, giving orders to all eighteen PRT directors, Myrdin, Eidolon, and dozen other hero teams with Movers, Thinkers, and pre-cogs to determine which of their facilities was at most risk of being hit. Placing the Movers on alert to teleport whole teams from out of state into position to answer threats. Running a half dozen simulations and overhauling their fast response protocols.

And that was only the work on the national scale. The work surrounding Brockton Bay…

Urgh.

She'd worked with Jessica Yamada in the past, both as Alexandria and as Costa-Brown. She honestly had a level of respect for the woman she reserved for a select few. She was professional, intelligent, good at her job, and always on the ball.

The fact that all those qualities were now the primary cause of her contemplating calling Contessa to just make this go away in however many steps she needed was not exactly endearing the woman to her.

The file in her hands was a detailed report on the Bay's psychological, or lack of, counsel, but the most pressing matter was Winslow.

Why did everything bad seem to come from that place? It was probably built on an indian burial ground or something if it kept screwing with people after it had been burnt to the ground.

Rebecca looked over the report as she picked up the phone and started dialing. She found the meat of the report could be summarized in two main things.

Lack of psychological counsel and help. She had no idea why Piggot had done this, and frankly she never would have even looked at that if it wasn't expressly in the report. That was purely Piggot's purview. And rather 'small' all things considered.

Added to that was the complaint to that the lack of adequate oversight of the Wards program. Yamada was pointing out Ms. Hess' violent tendencies. Tendencies that were overlooked in the name of pragmatism and the actions that Piggot had remained all but ignorant to, namely those involving Miss Hebert in Winslow.

Piggot already explained that Winslow's administrative staff and faculty had been the reason for such ignorance but… that… was still more or less on her head. It should have been obvious to Piggot the second she recruited a Ward, two now she supposed, that were mental headcases that she should have kept a damn eye on them. Even if Winslow wasn't reporting, that didn't mean there weren't a dozen other ways Sophia could have been pissing all over the rules and regulations with all the leeway Piggot gave her.

Now, Hebert, the jury was still out on her mental instability given that Master-Stranger influence was still possible. They, none of them, knew if Coil has any such a Parahuman under his thumb.

So now… here they were. With Yamada more or less taking shots at the PRT leadership for their negligence.

It sounded very… passionate.

She may have applauded her for it once but right now it was a problem she was heaping on a plate that was already over capacity.

Frankly, the only reason it was a 'problem' and not a 'catastrophe' was because, with the prison raid and the violence of it, along with the news that Wards were injured had made Yamada more or less jump the gun.

She'd taken her report directly to her to try and get things done faster.

It was strange how her report could be both pleading and threatening at the same time.

She'd also sent her report to the Youth Guard. But their investigation wasn't done yet which had allowed her, throughout the course of the day, to work on heading this off. Negotiating with the Youth Guard was always exhausting and it was only her reputation for playing HardBall, and the knowledge that Legend had just transferred to the Bay and his reputation that allowed her to even get what little she did.

One month. Thirty days to turn things around in the Bay. Otherwise she'd be dealing with a media frenzy when the Youth Guard took everything they discovered in their investigation to the public.

Which was exactly what she was doing.

She set the phone to her ear.

The voice that answered her was half asleep with a croak that wouldn't have been out of place coming out of a frog. "Hello."

She looked at her watch. Four AM in the Bay. Tough.

"You have it." She said simply. "Your request is granted."

"Wha-"

"You've expressed several times that you believe the policy of cycling out psychologists on a bi-annual basis is detrimental to the psychological help of the Wards." She continued over her sleep addled confusion. "Consider yourself exempt from such. A trial run if you will. You just have to agree to one thing to make this happen, Yamada."

The woman had evidently, woken up by now. Her voice was far clearer, not to mention that she'd kept up with her half of the conversation.

"What would that be?"

"Keep. Your. Mouth. Shut. Quite frankly I don't need the media and political shit storm you can stir up right now. Not with this whole new crisis going on. If your problem hits my desk it's going to be far more trouble than anyone needs at the moment."

There was no answer for a time. When she finally did speak, her voice was heated, angry. "So I'm supposed to just- What? Agree to a coverup to spare you a headache."

"I am being reasonable with you here Yamada." She drawled calmly as she opened the door to her office. "I am agreeing to grant you your request of having a long term posting and agreeing to deal with Piggot." No way around that really. The Youth Guard also asked for her head on a stake. She was already going to be using that with her negotiations with the Youth Guard, might as well make use of it here.

"And that's it then? That's supposed to just make everything better?"

"That-" She answered. "-frankly, is everything you wanted, gift wrapped. You get to help the Wards, Piggot gets the axe. All you have to agree to is to keep your mouth shut. You gain nothing but a paycheck that's not even worth a third of your normal wage if you decide to go to the Media. You know that very well."

"Even if I agreed I already sent-"

"I know." She interrupted. "The Youth Guard will be dealt with. I'll see to that myself but only if you don't kick up dust. As I said, I am trying to be very reasonable here. I can just as easily be very unreasonable as well which won't end well for anyone. Not you, not me, not Piggot, her Wards or anyone else."

There was a pause. A lengthy one. No doubt the woman was considering her options.

"I want a guarantee, Piggot is removed as Director of the PRT ENE. Same with whoever her number two is should they want to make a bid for being the Director once she's out. Whoever would allow Piggot to these things isn't qualified to take her place. If those things don't happen I talk to the press."

"Done." She sat down. "Glad we could reach an agreement." She hung up the phone, not giving her time to answer.

She looked at it after, not dialing… yet.

Should she spring this on Piggot? Or talk with her beforehand. Either way she risked Piggot going to the press…

Hmm…

She shrugged. Better to speak with her and cut a deal if needed now than try doing so afterwards.

The phone rang. This time, the voice, Piggot's voice, was sharp and alert, not giving hint to any weariness. "Director Piggot speaking." The fact that she hadn't checked the caller ID betrayed her recent sleep though.

"Piggot." She answered in a monotone drawl. "We need to speak. You have twenty minutes to get yourself in a video-conference room."

"I'll be available in five."

"No." She answered. "You'll be available in twenty because you'll be calling Legend to the meeting as well." Best to just get it out of the way with him too.

"Can I ask what this is about?" The woman asked.

"You. Having the absolute worst week imaginable." She answered truthfully. Then snapped the phone shut before Piggot could ask for elaboration.