Brockton Bay, December 1st, 2010, Wednesday
Amy cricked her neck, glancing down at her phone with a small sigh. It was nearly nine, where were the guides that were supposed to be here?"
She couldn't use her phone as anything other than a watch for the moment, the Faraday cage that was set up around Arcadia worked on everything but certain phones the teachers and the PRT officers had. The PRT had three officers in the school on top of a general supervisor who oversaw everything and had an office on the school grounds.
One worked as the school guidance councilor and was licensed as such, one was substitute teacher who covered if some one was out, and the last was the school janitor.
The obvious officer was there and explained as a contact point for the student body in case one of the students wished to report something parahuman related or some one triggered. Several schools had such officers, at least all the ones Amy had been in had them.
Amy herself was made aware of all the contact points simply due to Druid possibly being needed in emergencies, so several excuses were set up before hand in case she needed to be pulled out of class.
She lowered her phone and looked around at the small group of new students waiting for the guides. Aside from Amy herself, Sophie was there, looking generally pissy as usual, there were two guys, brothers, that had been kicked out of the private school in the area for some reason, but they tested well enough to be moved to Arcadia.
Listening to the pair had found that their father had pulled them out rather than deal with the price hike the private school was going to implement. The last two were a pair of girls who had moved into town around the same time, they had met during the testing and hit it off fairly well.
"She's not here yet? Ugh..."
The group turned to look to the newcomer approaching them and grumbling to himself. He was a scrawny looking teen with dark hair and pale skin. He had a bit of a slouched posture and wore a shirt with a picture of some sort of green claw rising out of water, with the words 'X-COM Terror from the deep' written on it.
Amy blinked as the boys eyes seemed to briefly unfocus snapping back in barely a heartbeat later. If Amy hadn't been looking at his eyes at the time she would have missed it.
She also had a sharp spike of annoyance at something he said, but aside from the initial complaint she didn't think he had said anything else yet.
She was also pretty sure she hadn't met him before, maybe in WoW? Maybe his voice reminded her of one of the huntards in the Guild.
"Alright, sorry for the wait, but I had to wait to get all the schedules printed out for you. My name's Greg Veder. I'll be showing some of you around the campus of Arcadia today along with the slow poke."
"Wow rude much!" a female voice snapped as Greg grinned and turned to look back down the hall as a blonde girl seemed to glide down the hall. She was tall, lean, and tone, wearing a rather pretty dress that didn't hide her form as much as accentuate it without displaying it.
"I was late and I still got here before you." Greg smirked getting an eye roll from the girl, Amy wasn't sure if his eyes had unfocused that time as she was staring at the blonde.
"Hello. I'm Vicky Dallon, I'm here to help this jerk show you around Arcadia."
Brockton Bay, December 2d, 2010, Thursday
"You want her on a patrol?" Emily questioned.
"She requested it herself. Evidently Druid wanted to be out and about at least once or twice. She's on a route that was going to be covered by ClockBlocker before he requested time off for an emergency family situation." Renick offered looking at his paperwork as he stood in front of Director Piggot's desk.
The room had been repaired, though the replacement windows were not in yet so more of the shutters were down. Emily was also working on a temporary desk pulled up from an empty office as Victor's impact with it cracked the surface of her old one. Emily had ordered a special desk made for the office that would be here in a week or two.
She had also claimed the custom Dragonov that Victor had once it had been cleared to not be hiding anything. The weapon was heavily custom and in truth barely even counted as a Dragonov anymore as it had been rebuilt to use point five oh, possibly by Victor himself if he stole the skills of a gunsmith.
It was for that reason Emily decided to keep it, abusing her position a little. It was a completely different beast than the ArmaLite she used to use, but it had more heft and stopping power and she liked it.
"Anything wrong?" Emily asked.
"Quite the opposite, ClockBlocker's' father was released from the hospital, no doubt in thanks to Druid. But it was agreed that he could take a few days off of duty and school in order to have time with him. This opened a position that Mouse Protector was going to fill on a patrol with Alucard, though we felt given the prank war that happened on his first day with her, we decided to nix that patrol. "Renick sighed.
"Probably for the best and the Sidekick program will keep them out of each others hair for a while at the start of next year as well." Emily shrugged. "I've got no problem with the patrol, depending. What's the route?"
"We were planning to use patrol route three bravo." Renick offered.
Emily tapped the screen of her computer looking over the routes. "No, that one passes too close to a known contested block between the E88 and ABB."
"Not close enough for a basic PR patrol however."
"Close enough that Alucard would run towards any gunshots he heard screaming about Chinese take out and Sauerkraut." Emily pointed out.
Renick blinked looked at his notes and sighed." I'll have to make a note that he will do that when the side kicking patrols start. Six Kilo?"
"Merchants recently took that area and are linked to the arson that closed the police station in the district." Emily offered as Renick nodded muttering that he had missed that in his reading." Look it's her first one out, just give her the basic PR patrol along the Boardwalk. The two of them can start at the south end and head up to the Palanquin before they turn around and swing through midtown to finish up. Lot's of photo ops of the new ENE members, some autographs, and there might be a mugging or some shoplifting that Alucard can stop in the stupidest way he can think of. " "Ahh One Charlie. That can be arranged, I can shift Moon Dog and Mouse Protector to Three Bravo for the night."
"Alright. How long is Vista going to be out?"
"The Youth Guard rep insisted on at least two weeks for her to work out the 'trauma' she underwent." Renick offered.
"Are they paying for counseling? Suggesting a therapist?" Emily asked.
"No."
"Then how the fuck do they expect her to 'work it out'?"
"If i knew the answer to that and countless other questions, that group wouldn't be such a pain in the ass." Renick offered.
"Well I'm going to have to deal with them sooner or later myself. Also did you vet my request?"
"I did, we have three agents who fit the bill, and all three of them are willing to go along with it. I plan to have the three all look into different targets as well to muddle the issue if they are found out citing a Ward welfare check. One will be keeping an eye on Gallant, one on Stalker, and the final on Vista."
"I expect the one watching Gallant to be found out given his skills, and I would put money on Vista spotting her tail as well, Stalker is questionable that she will spot the tail or just lose them. But inform them that they are watching the family not the Wards save in Stalker's case. I want to know if what I've been told is legit or just something misunderstood. And i want to know the second that girl does something stupid."
"Of course."
Brockton Bay, December 3d, 2010, Friday
"Castlevania? That's all we have?"
"Well he's not hot enough to be Bloodrayn, and i doubt any one even recalls that one after Bowle murdered the series. Everything else is generic vampire bullshit. Worse than zombies. I mean hell, some vampires are nothing more than sparkling zombies."
"Yeah yea, don't remind me of that shit. zombies are overdone any way lately. I mean i can probably make a whip that would work with some bullshit power up or even those boomerang crosses, but there's no real part for me to play in that and Alucard was the good guy in the best of those games. Not to mention he's been seen in the day time and is on the Martha Stewart show as much as Snoop Dog. We'd be feeding the boomer video games cause violence crowd with that."
"That meatloaf recipe was great though."
"Yeah we need to make that again."
"What about using the monsters then. Flying medusa heads?"
"Oh gods... i don't even want to think about those things, let alone try and make them, forget it. At least if we do something with Druid we can just pull from the Warcraft stuff. Think Boom Cow would give some druidy tips?"
"She'd probably root for the Ward if she knew who we were, girl is angry."
"Fair enough. Hmmmm, I do have an idea for that sword that shoots glowing energy swords, how do you look in green?"
"Like the hero of time!"
"Ugh that was the worst game in the series, top down version was better than the gimmicky 3-d."
"BLASPHAMY!"
Brockton Bay, December 4th, 2010, Saturday
It said something for reputation that stepping into the noisy club brought all the conversation to a screeching halt, the music scratching into silence a moment later like the start of one of those 80's flashback montages about how some one got into some mess or another.
Slayer shifted her gaze across the crowd from behind the goggles she wore, her blonde hair pulled back into a long ponytail that she was not known to wear, but fit with her plans. The armored PRT 'uniform' that had been her costume for years was unchanged as were the side arm and other gear she usually wore.
That the logo for the Protectorate had been torn off along with her rank pips was something lost on most, though judging by the few swears that could be heard in the silence it wasn't enough for her to not be recognized.
Behind her Alucard practically floated in wearing the classic zuit suit he was known for before coming to the bay, and near him was Druid who looked annoyed at the whole mess, at least to those who could read the girls posture and constant eye rolling. Granted Slayer knew that was an act and Druid was loving this.
Slayer ignored the stares and made her way directly to the bar, with nearly every eye following her movements with a few glancing with worry at Alucard and confusion at Druid.
A young black man stared at her from behind the bar swallowing a little as he glanced to the door and the bouncer there who simply shrugged.
"I'm here to have a word with your boss. It won't take long." Slayer offered the bartender, her eyes darting down to the name tag he wore, noting the name 'Brian' on it.
Brian glanced to one of the other bartenders who nodded and headed to the back of the bar to pick up the phone.
"So how's your sister?" Slayer asked hiding the smirk as the man jerked.
"Better." Brian frowned. "Still a pain in the ass though."
"That's to be expected from kids." Slayer offered noticing Druid glaring at her and Alucard smirk wider. "Any trouble getting custody?"
"Nah, dad gave up on trying and mom was deemed unfit to be any where near kids." Brian offered clearly not liking the fact that this cape knew anything about him or his sister.
Slayer didn't bother to hide a small smile, knowing random things like this would keep people guessing, particularly if the boy reported this to his boss.
The other tender came over and muttered something to Brian who nodded and turned pointing to a door labeled employees only." Head down the hall, take the stairs on the left, then it's the second door on the right."
"Thank you." Slayer offered heading for the door and walking inside with Alucard and Druid right behind.
The office the three ended up entering was clearly not the main office of the building, it seemed more of an interrogation room with desk and a couple of chairs in it and little else.
The tinker goggles she wore, ones that had been forced on her despite her wishes, that she had never given back in lieu of throwing her normal goggles at Armstrong, had completed the room scan noting three cameras and other recording devices as well as the armored state of the walls and the hidden door behind the desk.
None of it she really cared about, Slayer's focus was on the four people in the room. The bald man on the right of the desk was about average height but had the look of some one who was considered morbidly obese, his skin was some what pale and partially translucent allowing Slayer to make out the shadow of his skeleton and organs, though odd growths covered his form. Thankfully he was wearing pants at least.
On the left of the desk was a orange skinned boy with a long lizard like tail and blue hair. He wore a vest of some sort and a pair of biker shorts, though he was clearly keeping away from the others and the desk.
Further to the left of the boy was another young man, this one holding a scepter of some sort and looking highly annoyed. He was also wearing a cheap domino mask, a tiny crown and what looked like a green sundress that he had evidently thrown on given he had on one sock and a flip flop as well, the dress didn't seem to fit his build any way.
The woman sitting at the desk drew the most attention. She wore a suit, though she also wore a pair of dark gloves that seemed pulled on from her uniform, and a armored welders mask.
Slayer did her best not to smile at catching the group unprepared, though she did approve of how quickly they got together. Faultline and Slayer stared at each other a moment, before Alucard spoke up.
"Look kid I get you might be in an experimental time in your life, but the green really does nothing for you." Alucard offered to the boy in the dress.
"I know, it's horrid, I'm more of an Autumn color,but the new line isn't out yet, and the company that makes these dresses are too good to wait." Regent shrugged." You guys also popped up before I could touch up my make up."
"Fair enough." Alucard nodded.
"So, what do I owe the pleasure of this surprise visit?" Faultline questioned.
"Don't look at me, I'm on a Wards patrol with him and he just waltzed in like he wanted a beer." Druid offered walking over to look at Newter curiously, something that took the lizard boy by surprise.
Faultline sighed as Gregor smirked a bit.
"Just a few questions actually. First and least is to ask how Trainwreck is settling in." Slayer offered.
Gregor frowned as Druid started questioning Newter about his biology.
"He is doing fine and settling in, you are rather well informed..."
"I live in this town now, I find it good to keep tabs on things." Slayer shrugged as Druid started trying to find out a place that Newter's sweat didn't form to be able to try and check him over. Her own medical knowledge of it and his gender limiting where she was willing to try to contact his skin.
"Even so." Faultline grumbled as Gregor shifted his attention between Druid's check up and the two women. "Why are you really here?"
"Right to the point hmm? I've come to double check a rumor i heard that you don't take jobs in Brockton Bay, no matter the price."
"AKK" Newter yelped as Druid finally poked a finger into the boys ear.
Faultline glanced to the boy as Druid chided him for moving and told him he needed more calcium in his diet.
Regent seemed rather impressed any one was touching Newter at all.
"That is true, though who would we work for any way? The rage dragon that hates non Asians, the Nazi's or the druggies?"Faultline offered." And none of the few independents can meet our prices."
"Just making sure. So long as you keep to that there will be no issues with my plans." Slayer offered as Druid pulled her finger from the squirming boys ear cleaning it off with an alcohol wipe discussing a few things with him that sounded like simple body make up and possible neutralization of his toxin which had everyone but Faultline and Slayer turn their attention to her.
"Do I want to know?" Faultline asked.
"You might want to know, but I'm not revealing targets unless you want to help, which then means you would be working here." Slayer shrugged. "I just wanted confirmation of your non involvement before i started."
Druid checked over Gregor frowning at his biology though answering a few questions the man asked.
"I know you have a reputation Slayer, but Brockton Bay doesn't treat solo independents well and i doubt you can get your old partner to show up all the time to help with him being in the Protectorate now."
"I'll worry about that when I get to it." Slayer smirked and turned to leave.
"That's it, show up and ask something common like that?" Fault Line growled."Next time call first."
"Maybe." Slayer chuckled heading out the door with Alucard dragging Druid off as well, the girl was trying to set up an appointment to do more checks on the fascinating case 53s.
