Chapter Twenty-Eight: Know Thy Enemy
March 19, 2011
Clockblocker texted Armsmaster to let him know that Contract was willing to meet with the Triumvirate, as long as the Wards were present as well.
While they waited for the adults to join them, they gathered extra chairs. Kid Win passed out pens and paper so that they could record any suggestions or ideas that couldn't be discussed immediately. Gallant flipped the white board around, both hiding their notes and presenting a clean surface.
Vista and Beetle placed the extra chairs at the end of the table nearest the elevator while the other Wards moved closer together to make room. It set up a sort of us-versus-them feel, but Intrepid might have been overthinking things.
Before anything else could be said, the elevator door opened and expelled five heroes: Armsmaster, Miss Militia, Alexandria, Legend, and Eidolon.
There was really only room for the four seats they'd pulled over, but Armsmaster solved that problem by ignoring the seats all together. Instead, he walked directly to Contract, who had stood up when the elevator arrived.
"Are you okay?" The question should have sounded awkward, because Armsmaster was just standing in front of her and everyone was watching them. Alexandria actually hesitated as she lowered herself into a chair, evidently very interested in Contract's answer.
Contract gave a forced smile. "I've puked, cried, prayed, cussed, and sworn vengeance. Give it 12 hours, and I'll repeat the cycle. But I'm holding up right now." Armsmaster nodded, the movement exaggerated by the lines of his armor, and when Contract sat back down he stood behind her chair, facing the Triumvirate.
Interesting.
Contract took a deep breath. "To be clear, this conversation is to be covered by the Endbringer truce. No knowledge gained here will be used for outside advantage of any kind. No knowledge shared here will be used against us, either."
It was a very interesting way to start a conversation that she predicted would probably include blackmail.
Legend answered her, "I think that's reasonable." None of the other heroes contradicted him. "I know it's difficult, but we need to know more about the cost to destroy another Endbringer."
"Before we begin that part of the conversation, I have two conditions. First, I want to make a contract with everyone here. Everyone will speak honestly. We can each refuse to answer, but we will not lie to one another for the next twenty-four hours. We will not use the truth to purposefully mislead each other."
Intrepid half-expected Contract to simply keep talking: explaining, and convincing. Instead she stopped, stared straight at Legend, and waited. The Triumvirate shared a glance, and then Legend nodded.
"Alright."
Contract moved her gaze to Alexandria. "Alexandria? This contract is only balanced if we all agree of our own free volition."
The heroine seemed pleased at that, and she nodded. "I agree."
"As do I," Eidolon offered.
Contract glanced at Kid Win, seated next to Eidolon, and he nodded. "Of course."
"I agree," Gallant volunteered, and then Contract was meeting Intrepid's eyes directly.
"I trust you," Intrepid swore, trying to convey his willingness to bear this cost and any other she could or would share with him. She wasn't alone.
"I agree," Clockblocker said, and immediately Vista echoed him.
Contract glanced over her shoulder at Armsmaster, who nodded his agreement. When Contract didn't look toward Beetle, he said, "Of course."
Beetle agreed with the same intensity that Intrepid had tried to convey, and then Miss Militia agreed as well. Contract twitched, rolling her neck slightly, and then nodded, satisfied.
She looked back to Legend. "Secondly, I need a more explicit promise from you, Legend." Her tone was much gentler than Intrepid expected, considering her distrust of the hero. "I know that as of 2003 you were a member in an organization that was… distasteful. I need to know whether or not you can speak on their behalf, and whether you can guarantee the safety of those in this room from that organization. If you can't, we really don't have much to discuss."
Miss Militia looked towards Legend sharply and Armsmaster shifted his weight, but none of the Triumvirate reacted to that statement. They didn't even share a glance, which was itself sort of telling. Before Intrepid could try to follow the thought to its logical conclusion, Contract re-stated, "So, knowing that you are protected by the Endbringer truce, can we speak freely, and safely?"
"Yes," Legend said, but it sounded hoarse. "How did you…"
Contract's jaw clenched, but she answered calmly, almost respectfully, "I don't think that's a conversation you want to have right now, with witnesses, even given the truce."
Legend shifted uncomfortably, but Alexandria was the one who spoke. "If we are to have an honest discussion, I think it's important to put our cards on the table. Even distasteful ones."
Contract stared at her, weighing something. In fact, Intrepid realized, she was weighing a scathing, biting answer, and forcing herself not to say it.
After a very long moment, Legend finally said, "It's alright, Contract. Please, how did you come to know about… that organization."
Contract looked away from Alexandria, swallowing whatever she hadn't said, and pierced Legend with her gaze instead. "I was kidnapped, drugged, experimented on, and tortured for four weeks. It started with a vial of black muck, which did absolutely nothing when they gave it to me. After it failed, the real pain began."
The words hit Legend like a physical blow, but she didn't stop. Instead, she continued in her fake-polite tone, like she was discussing the weather. "When I was kidnapped, I took a blow to the head and was temporarily deaf, but that wore off after day five. By that time, my torturers were accustomed to talking and thinking I couldn't hear, and I was so focused on my pain that I never reacted to what they discussed."
Miss Militia was looking green, and Armsmaster's jaw was clenched so hard there was a vein twitching in his neck.
Contract just kept up her steady, even tone. "And do you know what I overheard? Names. Plans. Details. How to make capes. How to fail to make capes. But mostly, they were talking about you. They said you were starting to doubt the mission, and that they had to find a way to keep you in line. I didn't stick around long enough to find out what they decided."
Other than a moment of disdain on the word mission, Contract's voice never wavered. 2003 was eight years ago, before she'd triggered, and she had been… shit. She'd been eight years old.
"One of the other prisoners triggered very powerfully. All hands on deck were called to handle, subdue, and control the situation. I took the opportunity provided by the chaos to escape. But I remembered what I had heard, and I remembered your name. And I started looking for answers. You know what I found?"
For the first time, Contract's voice quivered. "A lot of corpses. Everyone who really tried to track down details vanished, or died accidentally, or died bloody. Every time someone called to say they had a name, or a location, I'd arrive and find them burned or dismembered. I don't know exactly how your organization does it, but somehow, you find people who are going to be a problem and you kill them. So I ask again, are we safe?"
Shockingly, Legend had regained his equilibrium. If anything, he seemed even more steady now, like hearing that had given him new determination. "I have no reason to believe we'd be in danger."
Intrepid's stomach dropped when Legend failed to refute her accusations. The leader of the Protectorate was party to kidnapping, torture, and murder. But Legend didn't give the audience any time to adjust as he continued. "But why even bring it up?"
Through his horror, Intrepid acknowledged that it was a fair question. Where did this tie into the Endbringers? Was it worth the risk to even discuss it?
"Because," Contract returned, calm and polite once more, "I think that organization is the most likely culprit for the creation of the Endbringers."
You could have heard a pin drop.
In fact, Beetle, who had picked up a pen to write a note, dropped it and it clattered off the table to the floor. She didn't move to retrieve it. No one moved for a long moment.
"Creation?" Alexandria asked, sounding skeptical.
Contract leaned back in her chair, forehead furrowed. "Of course." She glanced around the table, then sat up sharply, turning towards Armsmaster. "You didn't know?" She immediately turned back to the Triumvirate. "You really didn't know. Huh."
No one spoke, but a lot of glances were exchanged. Intrepid welcomed the full onset of shock gratefully. This was going to be a case of Contract blowing everyone's minds, and he wanted to remember every detail. Contract broke the silence, addressing Alexandria. "We… I… always assumed that you were keeping details from the public to prevent panic. But you really didn't know."
Alexandria was starting to look pissed at Contract's vague speculations, so it was a good thing that Contract took that moment to start explaining. "From the start we had two basic sets of theories about the Endbringers, and it came down to one simple fact. Either they started out human, or they didn't. After dealing with Behemoth I can say with absolute certainty: they are not alive, and they were never human."
Contract paused, like this was supposed to be enlightening, and Alexandria growled out the question that was on Intrepid's mind. "Which means what, exactly?"
"It means that they're a construct or projection of some sort, which implies that they came from a parahuman. A disaster of this magnitude requires the prerequisite of significant power. The sort of power that could create an unbeatable precognition, to eliminate an organization's enemies. The sort of power that could create a member of the Triumvirate.
"The sort of power that could accidentally create a cape that ate the boundaries of the multiverse, allowing the chaos for me to escape. The sort of power that could manage to eventually contain such a cape. That sort of power, in the hands of mad scientists? Seems like the most likely suspect for the creation of the Endbringers."
"With what motive?" Miss Militia asked. Honestly, that wasn't Intrepid's biggest question, but okay, they could take the conversation in that direction.
Suddenly reminded of the paper, Intrepid jotted down Fi's contracts created by org? Inherently powerful? Advantage in same source?
Contract shrugged. "Accident. Mad Science. Who knows? My point is that they're the best candidate for having the means and opportunity. And given that something kills their enemies very reliably, I want to make sure we are even capable of having a discussion about erasing the Endbringers. Because if they didn't create them on accident they might have created them for a purpose, and I have no interest in marking us all for slaughter."
"Rest assured," Legend spoke, sounding like a surprisingly normal human being and not a member of an organization that tortured children, "that organization wants the Endbringers gone."
"But you won't say if they had a hand in creating them?" Beetle replied, with far more courage than Intrepid himself had. The Triumvirate didn't react as strongly to a Ward challenging one of their own as Intrepid would have expected. Maybe they all just had very good poker faces.
"I have no reason to believe that the Endbringers were created by that organization," Legend returned calmly. Intrepid hated the hero for not showing the slightest contrition, but he also had to admire the sheer audacity.
"What makes you so sure they are created?" Alexandria asked, looking disturbed by the very idea.
Contract didn't answer immediately, her jaw working while she thought about her answer. "The nature of my power is such that when I am creating a contract, I am extremely aware of the potential costs at my fingertips. Whether it be my own metabolism, an electrical source, a behavioral sacrifice… it's like another sense that opens up."
Contract's tone was so carefully reigned in, that Intrepid was afraid of what she would say next. "And always, in the back of my head, is the knowledge of the one price I will never pay. If I was evil, I would have the choice of using life-force to power my contracts. Human sacrifice. Not just physical murder, of which I am capable, but a soul-level annihilation of anyone or everyone within my radius. Behemoth didn't qualify as a possible sacrifice. Ergo, he was not alive on that level, and was never human."
All the color had drained out of Miss Militia's face now. Intrepid forced himself to focus on Contract, not on the rest of the table. His own stomach wasn't queasy or disgusted. Instead, he felt an incredible sadness for Contract. Every time she accessed her powers, she opened herself up to a glimpse of how bad she could go, if she ever made a mistake.
Intrepid had lost control in more than one fight. He'd shot his stun-gun again and again, even after an opponent was down. He'd plowed straight into opponents with everything he had, blinded by rage and battle. Before he triggered, he'd once punched a kid in school, putting his whole swing into it. If he'd been powered at the time, he might have broken the bully's jaw or even killed him.
But Contract had never, and could never, allow herself to be out of control. If she did, if she ever said 'to hell with it' or became unspeakably enraged… she would level city blocks.
Contract glanced over at him, met his gaze, and he remembered her words from that morning. It would be so easy for her to kill herself. Was her own soul one that she saw every time that sense activated?
Intrepid wanted to speak, to say anything, but there was nothing he could think of that she would want others to hear. In his mind, he thought what happened, when you triggered, and traded the lives of five men? What did that truly cost you? What did it buy? But he didn't write it down. It was a question he might never ask, and he would certainly never bring it up here.
Finally, it was Alexandria who broke the silence. Bloody thinker. "Is this the cost you referred to previously? The evil you refused to name?"
Contract shrugged, sitting back in her seat, arms crossed in front of herself, folding herself away. Her tone was quiet, not with calm but with resignation. "Yes and no. With enough Death I could do anything. Even destroy the Simurgh. And I do consider that to be evil. But at the time I made the claim I wasn't thinking of a particular cost, only trying to get you to understand its magnitude."
"Then why bring us down here?" Alexandria pressed. Armsmaster shifted behind Contract, and Intrepid realized he'd been quiet a long time. Somehow, Contract had a way of interacting with the Triumvirate that did not invite intervention.
Even now, she spoke rather than letting Armsmaster answer. "I hoped you would know things about the Endbringers you weren't telling. With more information, I thought we might be able to find a solution. But you're just as blind as I am."
"Not necessarily," Armsmaster rumbled. "Ignorance about their origins does not mean total blindness."
Contract nodded thoughtfully. "What do you know about the Endbringers?"
The Triumvirate shared a glance. It was obvious that they were a well-oiled team, just from observing their very efficient non-verbal communication. Eventually, Alexandria was elected to speak.
"Their powers are very well known to the public. What sort of information are you looking for?"
"Underlying patterns. Non-obvious connections. The Endbringers are undoubtedly linked, which means the same source has produced firepower ranging from manipulative precognition to nuclear inhalation and is using it to play dress-up."
A glance around the table showed the rest of the Wards were as confused as he was. Dress up? The Endbringers? Contract sighed and elaborated.
"Don't get me wrong, the Endbringers are a terrifying threat. My question is why aren't they an extinction event? Barring that question, even more mundane answers might help. How do they communicate with each other? Where does the matter come from, to create them? What underlying truths hold true to all three, and what can we infer from that data?"
The Triumvirate were looking disappointed. Alexandria shook her head. "You might as well ask why haven't they all attacked together? Why do they rotate and coordinate schedules?"
Fi nodded emphatically. "Sure. That would work, too. Why are they going easy?"
Intrepid could already see where her logic was headed. "You think if we can figure out what's holding them back, we can trade directly for that, and let the schedule be a by-product."
"It's the best idea I've had yet. Either that, or we need to find some other universal "Endbringer trait" that we can turn into a weakness."
Alexandria and Legend exchanged a long glance, and then Legend spoke. "I don't know what might be holding them back. Believe me, we've spent a great deal of time and power into trying to find the answer, but never with any success. As for common traits, one does come to mind immediately. They're able to shield themselves from precogs."
"Including whichever cape is protecting your organization," Contract mused aloud, reading the underlying message. Intrepid wondered if she was avoiding the name on purpose, or if she didn't know it.
Very grudgingly, Legend nodded. Contract was quiet while she thought about the new information, so it was Beetle who asked the first question. "Does this precog have other blind spots?"
Legend opened his mouth, then shut it. Contract smirked, shifting in her chair. Intrepid opened his mouth to say it wasn't important, to try to diffuse the situation before Contract said something she might regret, but found he couldn't get the words out. After a long moment, he realized that the reassurance was a lie, because he did think this mysterious organization and its precog were important, and so he couldn't get the words out.
Intrepid snapped his jaw shut and glanced at Legend. Had the hero also tried and failed to lie?
Contract seemed to think so, because she re-worded the question. "What other blind spots does this precog have?"
"I decline to answer that question," Legend responded instantly, and Contract winced, but waved a hand in acknowledgement.
"Fine. That's your right." She rubbed at her temples, thinking.
It was then that Eidolon finally decided to join the conversation. "Regardless, there is no proof that the gaps in the vision of a single precog are all related."
Intrepid had noticed before that Eidolon's physical presence belied the power at his disposal, but right now the hero's voice was duller than normal. He was easily overshadowed by his teammates, by Contract, even by Armsmaster's imposing armor. For the second most powerful cape in the world, he was almost small. Intrepid glanced at Contract, and mentally revised his statement. One of the top three, anyway.
Legend nodded, but didn't verbally agree with his teammate.
"Protected from precogs. Never human. Not really living…" Contract mused aloud. "What else?"
"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way," Beetle offered, twisting to look directly at Contract and putting her back to the Triumvirate. "What one piece of information would be the most helpful, moving forward? Not just for your power, but for the Protectorate as a whole?"
"Their origin," Alexandria answered immediately. Then she tacked on, "Assuming that they are actually being generated, somehow."
Beetle nodded. "We don't have enough juice to kill an Endbringer. But can we get an answer to that question?"
Contract looked thoughtful, and though Eidolon started to speak up, Alexandria waved him off.
"We'd only get one shot," Contract said eventually, staring into space. "One chance to ask the question exactly the right way to get useable intel."
"What is the root cause of the Endbringers?" Vista proposed immediately. Contract shook her head.
"That has way too many answers. You could say 'a cape' or 'capes in general' or 'powers'. At best, you might end up getting the root cause of all powers as an answer, but that most likely won't help against the Endbringers."
"What about, 'what is the direct cause of the creation of the Endbringers?'" Clockblocker offered. The Triumvirate seemed content to let the Wards talk, at least for now.
"Use manifestation instead, in case they're not actually created but are sort of spontaneously occurring. I know you don't think it's likely, but let's not take chances," Kid Win said.
Gallant was writing on the whiteboard as Beetle spoke up, "Describe the most direct cause of the manifestation of the Endbringers in such a way that the people in this room will be able to recognize it."
That was better, but not perfect. Intrepid closed the loophole even as he saw it, "Recognize it and not mistake or confuse it with someone or something else."
There was a moment of silence, then the Wards all looked at Contract. "That will take all the collateral of the accelerated timeline, as well as all the extra energy I have stored. But it can be done." She looked toward the Triumvirate.
"Anything to add?"
They looked at each other, but slowly each shook their head. Contract nodded, turned to look straight at Armsmaster. "Sir?"
Intrepid noticed both Legend and Alexandria shift when Contract showed respect to Armsmaster. Were they pleased to see that she at least looked up to one Protectorate hero, or did the contrast make it abundantly clear how disrespectful her behavior was with them?
Armsmaster didn't answer immediately. "Would it be better to wait and use this leverage for something else?" he finally asked. Contract gave the question several seconds of thought.
"I'm not entirely certain that we're going to have another opportunity for us all to be gathered in one place, speaking civilly. If the origin of the Endbringers turns out to be actionable intelligence, this might be the best possible platform for it to be revealed."
Armsmaster nodded thoughtfully, and read out the agreement that Gallant had written on the board, changing it as he did so. "Describe the most direct cause of the manifestation of the Endbringers. Do so in such a way (a) as to be recognizable with the people and resources available in this room and (b) as to avoid confusion, misinterpretation, false identification, or mistakes."
Contract nodded back, so respectfully that it might have been a salute. Then she simply said, "May it be so."
There was a gust of air, and one of the blank pages that Kid Win had put on the table was picked up by the wind. The page flipped end over end a couple times, and landed in front of Contract. She picked it up, and stared at it. She looked at Armsmaster, but he shook his head. Then she stared at the Triumvirate, and handed the page to Beetle.
"If you would do the honors."
Beetle cleared her throat, and read, "David."
There was a collective silence as everyone held their breath. Beetle looked up in confusion. "That's all it says. Just David."
Contract was still staring at the Triumvirate. Slowly, the hairs on Intrepid's arms were starting to stand up. The tension in the air was quite literally a physical phenomenon.
"I know that none of my teammates are named David," Contract said. She didn't raise her voice, but something in her tone was terrifying. "And even more tellingly, for the second time this morning, you three didn't so much as glance at each other. Earlier, you didn't glance at each other when I revealed my past with a particular organization, so that corruption is wider spread than I believed."
Intrepid had heard voices described as dripping with contempt. But he had never before heard such a voice for himself. Contract continued, "And now, a second, time, you are carefully not making eye contact. You know who David is. You each know that the others also know, otherwise you'd be verifying. So I'm only going to ask once. Who is David?"
Adrenaline was pumping through Intrepid's bloodstream. His body was entering fight-or-flight mode, even though his teammate hadn't actually moved yet. But he could see the tension in Contract's posture, and hear her struggle for control over her voice and emotions.
"We will handle this situation. Your help has been much appreciated," Alexandria said coolly, standing up.
Contract was on her feet before the rest of the Triumvirate could stand, and she brought her hand down on the conference table with a ringing CRACK.
"Sit. Down." Contract growled out. Alexandria gave her a contemptuous look, and Contract repeated herself. "Sit down, Rebecca, because you will not like what I do if you refuse."
Intrepid felt cold fear wash over him as the two women engaged in a staring contest. Contract knew Alexandria's secret identity. Knew it, and was using it as blackmail, despite what she'd told Clockblocker. Unless her secret identity was itself somehow illegal?
His brain abandoned the question when he realized - again - what was happening. She was actually blackmailing one of the ten strongest people in the world. It was one thing to talk about it, and another to sit and watch it occur.
Nobody moved while the two powerhouses just stared at each other, until Eidolon finally spoke up. "Are you absolutely certain that this is the truth?" The hero sounded… depressed. Defeated.
"Yes." Contract didn't glance away from Alexandria. "I have complete and total confidence that the information provided is the completely accurate answer to the question we asked."
Eidolon's shoulders slumped, and what little air of heroism he'd had seemed to fade. It was bizarre to watch, particularly when Intrepid had seen him in action, fighting seven or ten villains single-handedly.
"Eidolon," Alexandria started to say, sounding… comforting? Coaxing? It was a much warmer tone than any other he'd heard from her, anyway.
"No, Alexandria," Eidolon cut her off. Despite his slumped posture, his tone was actually growing stronger. "Facts are facts."
Alexandria gaped at her teammate while he, in turn, sat up a little straighter and met Contract's gaze. "I am David."
Intrepid's brain sort of froze at that, while he tried to assimilate it. Eidolon, the hero, the Triumvirate hero, the hero who had been leading the Houston Protectorate from day one… was responsible for the Endbringers? Was their source? Their most direct source?
Considering the oath of vengeance that Contract had sworn, Intrepid did not expect her to react to that information by sinking slowly back into her chair. With a huff, Alexandria also sat back down. But instead of looking furious, Contract was looking at Eidolon in a way that was calculating.
When she spoke, it was surprisingly calm. "Ever since I learned about your powers, I've always been disappointed. And after I got my own powers, I think it's safe to say that I actually hated you. You can choose any power in the world, and yet you spend very, very little time as a healer." Silence met this confession, as everyone tried to figure out where Contract was going with it. "You could have saved millions of people, but you chose not to."
Contract took a deep breath. "Or so I always assumed. But the paper didn't say that Eidolon, the powered alter-ego is the most direct cause. It says that David, the man, is the most direct cause. You don't actually control your power, do you?"
Eidolon was looking down and didn't speak. Instead, Legend answered for his teammate. "Eidolon is given whatever powers he subconsciously needs at the moment."
Contract gave a jerky nod, looking sick. The dread was growing in his stomach, and Intrepid had to spit the truth out before it choked him.
"Are you saying that Eidolon, the Triumvirate hero, subconsciously produced the Endbringers that have killed nearly a billion people? It was all some big accident?"
Eidolon flinched. For a moment, Intrepid wasn't sure if he felt small, in the face of this betrayal, or twenty feet tall, that he could bring Eidolon to flinching. He heard his own words, again, and just felt sick.
"More importantly," Alexandria cut in, glaring at Contract, "what can we do about it? You were so eager to find the source. What good does this information produce?"
"Well there is the obvious solution, which at least would prevent the creation of more abominations."
Intrepid felt distantly that he should have been shocked or appalled that Contract's first suggestion was deadly force. Instead, he just felt a quiet sense of satisfaction at the thought that somebody had to pay for all the people they hadn't been fast enough to save from Behemoth.
"Unacceptable," Alexandria replied.
"It's one death in the face of billions!" Contract shot back.
"And what about the ones that are still out there? How long will we last without Eidolon to fight them?" Legend put in.
"Assuming that they don't pop like soap bubbles when he dies?" Beetle asked hopefully, but Contract shook her head.
"No. Behemoth was closer to Nilbog's creations than the Siberian projection. The Endbringers aren't human, not living exactly, but they are physical manifestations. They aren't being actively sustained by his power or life-force. Directed, maybe, but not sustained."
"Wait, the Siberian's not a person?" Clockblocker asked, at the same time that Armsmaster snapped out, "When were you in contact with Nilbog?"
Contract looked startled. "Of course the Siberian's not a person. It's a cape projection." She glanced around the table and seemed to realize that this was news to everyone else, even the Triumvirate, if Intrepid was reading this facial expressions correctly.
"Okaaay, you didn't know that either," Contract acknowledged, reluctantly. "That's not important right now. The point is that killing Eidolon probably won't kill the existing Endbringers. But since we don't know how many more might be possible, letting him live is a decisive risk."
"Can we restrain the power in a less drastic manner?" Miss Militia asked, eying the Triumvirate carefully.
"You mean like neutralizing his powers?" Vista suggested.
"Or locking them down." Miss Militia corrected her. "If we made a list of ten very explicit powers for his subconscious to choose between, and Endbringer generation wasn't on the list, that would keep more from being made."
Eidolon looked up at the suggestion, but Gallant scoffed and answered, "At what cost?"
Contract waved her hand distractedly. "Before we even ask that question there's the fact of the Endbringers already in existence."
"Can you turn them off?" Kid Win asked Eidolon directly. "Destroy them, or order them not to attack?"
"It's a subconscious power," Intrepid pointed out, fighting to remind himself of the same thing. Eidolon had not intentionally murdered billions of people. He couldn't have. "If he didn't know he was doing it, telling him so doesn't change whatever subconscious issue manifested them in the first place."
"Therapy?" Gallant suggested.
"And how long would that take?" Vista asked scathingly, staring at Eidolon hatefully.
"If we can't deal with the subconscious issue," Beetle suggested, "can we change the power so it's directed by his conscious control? Let him control his powers, and consciously direct the Endbringers?"
Contract physically flinched at that, jerking abruptly. "Damn it," she whispered.
Alexandria leaned forward eagerly. "Is that a yes?"
Contract resumed her earlier death-glare. "Can I further empower an asshole of a man who is responsible for hundreds of millions of deaths, including the death of Ashland Texas? Can I put that sort of firepower in the conscious control of an individual who knew his teammate was part of an abominable organization, and is likely a member of that same organization himself?"
Contract's voice and tone escalated as she worked herself into a righteous fury. "Can I further arm a man who is clearly psychotic? His own subconscious desires resulted in the sinking of not one, not two, but three countries!"
She stood up, leaning on the table, pressing forward, while her voice dropped in volume but not intensity. "Can I put into his hands the ability to destroy the world, on the mere hope that he decides not to use it? Can I trust him to use this new power to dismantle the Endbringers, and not to create another ten just for kicks?"
With a sigh of disgust, she dropped into her seat. At the same time, Eidolon's whole body spasmed so hard that he fell out of his chair. She dropped her head down, staring at her hands.
"I just did," she whispered, voice full of self-loathing. "Now get out."
For a long second, no one moved. Then Contract looked up, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Leave us the hell alone."
Something in her face or manner convinced the Triumvirate to obey. They stood and walked cautiously to the elevator, which opened immediately. As they left, Contract crossed her arms on the table, put her head down, and wept.
Intrepid hardly noticed their departure, because he was focused not on what Contract had said, but how she said it. Judging by her cadence, Contract was deaf.