Chapter 8-6

I sat for about fifteen minutes, listening to the commotion. Keeping track of so many things at once was almost impossible for me. Once again, I found myself cursing my inability to multitask. If I could, I would be much more effective at surveillance than I was now. As it was, all I could do was get a few errant snippets of conversation. Enough to get a good idea of what was going on, but not enough to get the full picture.

Eventually, listening to the PRT employees running about, I came to a conclusion: this is what organized panic sounded like. Fascinating, in a way. I guess years of Endbringer attacks and other disasters were paying off. In spite of the new threat, everyone acted according to the various protocols that were thrown around like candy.

Oh, and the PRT actually has a 'zombie apocalypse' protocol. Several, in fact. I'd call it crazy paranoid, but then again, it's the PRT. They literally have to be prepared for everything.

"Banshee?" Aegis said. "Earth to Banshee. What exactly did you mean by 'fucked'?"

Oh, right, we were having a conversation. "Sorry, got distracted."

"It's fine, just tell us what's going on."

"Short answer: Zombie apocalypse. Still working on the long one."

Aegis stared into space for a few seconds before muttering. "Well, fuck."

"Protectorate tried to fight them off." Insight said. "Didn't work. Now the zombies are running rampant through the streets. Judging by the massive wall that just appeared around the city, quarantine's in place, too. Yeah, we're pretty fucked. I'm sure we'll get briefed in a moment on how we're…"

Suddenly, a pair of armed troopers in hazmat suits walked through the door and turned to me. "Banshee?" The one on the left said.

That didn't look good. "Yes?"

"You're gonna have to come with us, miss. Panacea needs you for something."

I remembered hearing Panacea arrive to treat Battery. Why would she need me, though? I'm good at hurting people, not putting them back together. "Why? What's going on?"

"Don't know, miss. Just that we have to take you downstairs and that we're authorized to, I quote 'drag her by the ear if we have to'. Please come with us."

"Right," the other one said, "'cause the two of us can totally force her to do anything. Fucking bullshit foam-melting powers."

"Dude, it's been a month." The first one growled to his colleague. "Let it go."

I shook my head. Must be the same guys from the training exercise back when I joined. Has it only been a month? It felt like much longer than that. "Alright, I'm coming. No need to get worked up, alright?"

The trooper on the right muttered something under his breath. Geez, what did I ever do to him?

We arrived to a rather distressed Panacea trying to do something to Battery. Clockblocker stood right next to her, probably ready to freeze the patient if something went wrong. In the corner, Armsmaster and Assault looked on, though I had the feeling the boss was here mostly to restrain Assault. Battery herself looked…well, like shit, basically. Her leg was missing and the stump was oozing some sort of liquid I couldn't identity. The rest of her body wasn't looking much better. Much of her body fat and muscle seemed to have wasted away and her skin was deathly pale. Way things looked, she wasn't going to last much longer.

"Thank God, you're here. Clockblocker, freeze Battery." Panacea said. My teammate responded almost instantly. The healer practically yanked me into the room and started scanning me with her power. "Okay, if I do that…then this…that might actually work. Yes, I think I can save her. Maybe. Sort of. She'll live, if this works."

"If?" Assault almost cried. "You're the best healer in the world! Why can't you…"

"Assault!" Armsmaster warned in response. "Panacea, maybe you should tell us what exactly you're trying to do."

"Right, yes." The healer took a deep breath, trying and failing to steady herself. "Okay, basically, Banshee has the same virus that's killing Battery right now, except with her it's somehow stable. I don't know how, exactly, but it just is. I think, maybe, that I can copy this, do the same to Battery."

"You want to give her my power?" I asked, incredulously.

"No, nothing like that. In you, the virus is like…like mortar holding things together. Apart from what's left of your normal, human body, there are also inorganic components that my power doesn't register…or that could be constructs created by the virus, I can't tell. No, I can't give anyone powers. I also can't modify them, because I don't do brains." She said with a sigh. "Look, my point is, if I can get the virus to stabilize and then lock it away somewhere, I might be able to save Battery. Might. I'm trying but I still can't affect the virus directly, so I have no idea if this will work."

Armsmaster nodded. "Just do what you can."

"Alright. Oh, please stay here, sir. That neutralizer device is actually working. I need it to keep the virus from spreading faster than I can work with it."

The Tinker perked up. "Really?"

"Yes. Sort of. It's slowing the rate of conversion, even if it isn't stopping it. If you can build a bigger transmitter, you might be able to slow it down some more, or across a larger area."

"But it can still spread through direct contact, like it did with Battery." He added with a frown. "Still, it's better than nothing. There are some transmitters on the roof I can probably repurpose." After a short moment of silence, he added: "Good thinking."

Aegis cleared his throat. "Uh, Panacea? You said Banshee was infected too, right?"

"Yes, but with a stable variant."

"And is it possible that it could become unstable again? I mean, she's obviously not infectious right now, but could that change?"

What was he getting at? Was he saying that I've been compromised?

"I…No, I…The virus behaves kind of like a miniature living cell. When it differentiates like living cells do, it seems to discard a lot of its systems. I can't say for sure, but my gut says that it loses its ability to reproduce along with it. If it doesn't…No, it probably does. This virus still obeys the laws of physics, for the most part. There just isn't enough room for…"

"Panacea!" Clockblocker interrupted. Immediately, the healer ran to her patient and started doing her thing.

"Aegis, what was that all about?" I asked. The words came out as a snarl.

"Banshee, it's not that I don't trust you, it's just… There's a reason Masters are scary. All the willpower in the world won't save you when something physically rearranges your brain. Considering how scary you can get when you really get going…" Aegis sighed before turning to Armsmaster again. "Look, sir, I know it's not my place, but I seriously believe that her staying here is best for everyone. If she turns on us in the middle of the battle, the results would be catastrophic."

I was speechless. I knew he didn't really trust me anymore, but this…

He thought I was a liability.

After everything I've done for the team, he still thought I was a threat.

"Be that as it may, I can't afford to lock up one of our heaviest hitters, especially when she's probably one of the few people immune to this disease."

"Only if Panacea's right, and she just told us she wasn't sure about this."

"It's a chance I'm willing to take. Keeping her here will do more harm than good and if she is compromised, this base doesn't have the facilities to contain her anyway. Not when all our capes are going to be deployed in the field. Banshee will be joining you and that is final. We have a briefing in fifteen minutes."

Geez, thanks for the vote of confidence.

I walked away, trying very hard to let go of the seething anger I was feeling right now. Even Armsmaster didn't trust me, even though I've never…

Calm. Deep breaths. Everyone's running scared so it's not that much of a stretch that they start pointing fingers at people. We all need someone to blame for our problems, after all. It's just human nature and people decided that I should be the scapegoat.

Again.

Aegis ran after me with a pleading look on his face. "Banshee…"

"Not now." I shot back. "Please, just… I really don't want to talk to you right now. Let's just keep it professional. I don't think I can handle anything else."

"I was just trying to help. Seeing you do…your thing, I…"

"That's the whole problem, isn't it? You want to help everyone and end up helping no one."

He looked hurt, almost like a kicked puppy. "Look, let's just…go, okay? Forget I said anything."

"I really wish I could." I sighed morosely.

We made our way to the briefing room. Most of the other heroes were already waiting. The Protectorate members in particular looked defeated. From what I've been able to pick up, I guess I couldn't blame them.

After a while, Armsmaster showed up with a stern look on his face. "People, if I can have your attention, please? For those of you who haven't heard, a new threat codenamed 'Outbreak' has emerged today: a sentient virus with the ability to take control of its victims and turn them into monsters. My team and I have tried to engage it, but were beaten back. As of a few minutes ago, Outbreak has been labeled an S-class threat and the city has been quarantined to keep it from spreading. Even though it is clear that this disease is more than we can handle on our own, our superiors are unwilling to send in reinforcements for fear of losing them to the disease. The director and I have therefore decided to call for a truce with the local villain population and recruit them to our cause. A few of the larger gangs have accepted and are willing to discuss terms on neutral ground. A full briefing will follow once we know what kind of forces we have available. That is all."

An S-class threat. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise. A disease like this is practically guaranteed to lead to a nuclear response. Maybe even literally, if we fail.

Aegis called the Wards together and took us to an unused room.

"Well, that was less than uplifting." Clockblocker muttered.

"Is Battery going to be alright?" I asked.

"No idea. Outbreak's got her bad and Panacea's pretty much winging it. When I left, she looked stable, I guess, but we'll have to see how long that lasts."

I wanted to ask something else, but Aegis interrupted me. "If I may have your attention please? Right. So, we're about to go fight off a zombie apocalypse. An honest-to-God S-class threat." He bit his lip and sighed. "I don't know what to say, really. Speeches aren't my thing. Just know that if you want to back out, you can. It's your choice; nobody can force you to fight this thing."

Aside from the expectations of everyone in the whole damn city, was the unspoken addition. We couldn't sit this one out, not really. You might as well hang up your cape if you did. Not that I was thinking about staying behind, of course. It just feels wrong to tell someone they have a choice when they really don't, but I guess we wouldn't be superheroes if we weren't complete hypocrites when the cameras weren't turned on.

Naturally, when Aegis wanted to know who was coming, no one opted to stay behind. Not even Browbeat, who seemed to be wavering already. I wondered if he would be a problem. If he runs at the wrong moment…

There was a knock on the door. Director Renick walked in. "Aegis. Wards."

"Director, sir. Just wanted to tell you that we're ready to go."

"Yes, I see. I'm afraid to tell you that we won't be needing your services today."

Wait, what? That…how… There was an army of zombies on the loose and they didn't need us? Bullshit!

"Sir, with all due respect, you need every cape you can get."

"Very true, Aegis, we do. However, the Wards aren't supposed to be fighting S-class threats. In fact, they're not supposed to be fighting at all. Even if you all went willingly, it'd still look like we pressured you to an outsider. Considering the danger I cannot, in good conscience, order you into battle."

"But, sir…"

Renick stepped forward and put something in Aegis' hands. "Which is why I'm not giving you the keys to a van full of equipment, including weapons, spare costumes, and communication gear. Nor will I tell you that the villains have agreed to meet us at a pub named Somer's Rock. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." With that, he walked away.

"Uh, what was that all about?" Clockblocker asked.

"Youth Guard's been riding him on 'improper use of the Wards', what with the shit Piggot's pulled over the years." Insight clarified for us (naturally). "It's his way of covering his ass in case the politicians get whiny."

"We're joining the fight without actually having been ordered to." Aegis concurred. "Plausible deniability."

"Not exactly, but close enough. Long story short, if the Youth Guard throws a fit over this, he can tell the world that the Brockton Bay Wards are so dedicated, they were willing to disobey orders and go rogue just to save the day. Renick just made this whole mess too PR-sensitive to fuss over. The Youth Guard won't be able to do anything without making it look like they care more about vague ideals than the survival of an entire city."

Smart. Shady as fuck, but still smart. My respect for our new director just went up a notch.

"Well, with that settled, we should get going. Everyone, saddle up. This is going to get ugly."