Interlude Armsmaster & Dragon

-Transcript of audio conversation with Colin Wallis-

"How long are you going to brood Colin?"

"I'm not brooding."

"You are frustrated and thinking obsessively about the events at Brockton Bay Central Bank. I think that fits the definition of Brooding fairly well."

*sound identified as a sigh* "You are right. As always."

"Not always."

"Is there any more news?"

"Vista is out of surgery and all signs point to a full recovery of her jaw."

"What about her knee?"

"Sixty percent range of motion, more with physical therapy."

"The others?"

Gallant remains in critical condition. Clockblocker is still in surgery and Willow Wisp is still comatose."

"New Wave?"

"Glory Girl is still much in the same boat as Willow Wisp and Panacea iiiiisss, let's just say unwell."

*Sound identified as table struck with an open palm* "No changes then."

"No."

"Where did we go wrong, Dragon? How did we not see that Shadow Stalker was capable of this?"

"As I have told you before Colin, when it comes to people, there are no easy answers."

"Yes, I am aware, but-"

"But maybe we are not seeing the bigger picture here."

"I have enough questions as it is."

"But are they the right ones?"

"I would like to think so. But how can you ever be sure until the answers come to pass?"

"Philosophy? From you?"

"I have been reading through the list of books you have sent me."

"I'm glad, though my intention wasn't to give you more tools with which to enable your brooding."

"Funny."

"It wasn't meant to be."

"Back to your question. What are the right questions?"

"Sophia while not easily quantified is still a known threat. The Undersiders have been crippled with the arrest of two of their members so they have fallen lower on our list of priorities. The kids, while injured are capable of recovery. But-"

"The bomb."

"Yes."

"It was obviously a tinker bomb which leads me to believe Bakuda is involved."

"Miss Militia's report of Tattletale's interrogation seems to corroborate that line of thought."

"The girl is a Thinker. Her statement can't be trusted."

"She did save Willow Wisp's life and that is based off of your own preliminary report."

"I know."

"Then what is bothering you?"

"For Tattletale to have been unaffected by the bomb she would have had to have been out of range or to have had countermeasures against it."

"Which she did not."

"No, but she could have hidden behind appropriate cover."

"Colin, the bank manager was found dead behind the marble counter."

"He coul-"

"His autopsy matches the other civilians that were caught in the radius. Heart Failure due to extreme stimulus to the nervous system."

"A pain bomb."

"It would appear so, yes. To an extreme degree."

"Disgusting."

"This, coupled with the two other incidents that can potentially be traced to her show an alarming degree of versatility."

"Yes, her range of potential destruction is concerning."

"Colin, it is down right frightening. Tinkers by their very nature can build machines that violate the known laws of physics. So far Bakuda has demonstrated the abilities of some of the most fearsome villains rolled into a package that can be transported by mundane methods and detonated at will. The only saving grace is that the bombs, so far, cannot be reused and so another would have to be built."

"Unimaginable pain much like the Butcher and a time freezing bubble not too dissimilar from Gray Boy's time loop."

"I shudder to thing what other twisted explosive Bakuda comes up with but as thing are now if we were to calculate the potential threat, she could very well be S-Class."

"I will add that in my report to the Protectorate."

"As will I to the Guild, but it can't stop there Colin. Steps need to be taken and now."

"If she could be turned her power could do much to slow if not stop the Enbringers."

"Without a real grasp on her abilities that is a dangerous bit of hope Colin."

"Yes. It would be much like putting blinders on any reaction force."

"Indeed."

"What preliminarily actions would you recommend?"

"Hit her with everything we can muster by the end of the week. Show that attacks on the city, it's civilians, and the Wards will not be tolerated."

"Bakuda does not strike me as the type to build her workshop in the open. How do you purpose to find a tinker's workshop, a bomb tinker no less, without casualties?"

"I do not know. Yet. All problems can be solved."

"But will the answer be palatable enough to swallow?"

"You have been reading the books I sent you."

"Try not to sound too surprised."

*sound identifies as rustling papers and use of a keyboard*

"Colin?"

"Yes?"

"The Wards. Brockton Bay is too dangerous for them."

"The world is dangerous for Heroes and it is only getting worse. It's not just Brockton Bay."

"How can we justify sending them out again? Willow Wisp, Gallant and Glory Girl May not even recover from this, yet we will ask the others do do it all again."

"Because we must. Every year the ratio of Villains to Heroes continues to grow. We need these young men and women more than anyone realizes."

"But they are not young men and women. They are kids. Vista is only twelve-"

"She is our most experienced Ward.

Putting her age aside, Vista has consistently made sound tactical assessments and shows a unique aptitude for mission planning."

"But it's her age that concerns me Colin. What kind of impact will these experiences have on her later in life?"

"She-"

"If she lives that long."

"It's just as I said, Dragon. We need them. As much as it galls me to say it, it is the truth. It was my hope that the Wards could respond to the calls for Heroes that were low risk allowing the Protectorate to be on guard for greater threats."

"When powers are involved there are no minor threats."

"We will have to disagree on that for now."

"I suppose we will."

"I am going to put the final touches on a couple of suits and send them your way."

"When should I expect them?"

"Thirty six hours at the latest."

"I will clear a hanger for you."

"Thank you. Call me if things change with the kids."

"The Wards will be fine."

"Promise me, Colin."

"I promise."

"And quit your brooding."

"I'm no-"

-connection terminated-

Author's Note: I hope that this chapter read well enough that everyone was able to follow who was who throughout.

Seems like Sophia has been saddled with the reader's mark of death. Let's hope I don't disappoint how ever things turn out for her.

Next up is Lisa and boy do I have a bunch I want to put into the chapter. I've already decided where and how I'm going to end it. I just need to fill everything up to that point without muddling the timeline. Maybe I will put the Taylor and Lisa double date in her interlude. The next arc will be a...well let's just say there are not a lot of places I could squeeze that bit in.

Huge thank you to you whom have Fav/Followed and to you whom have Reviewed, I just can't thank you all enough!

K. Raiden