New York City, New York
The Protectorate HQ
September 1st, 2007, 10:10 AM…
Hana Washington/Miss Militia POV…
Hana, or Hannah according to her adoption papers after her family was killed back in her Kurdish village halfway around the world, watched the bits of video clips that had been found by their various Thinkers of that morning's incident with Dion when he'd taken down two thugs with more brawn than brains between them.
Sipping at a cup of coffee, having had a late patrol last night even if she hadn't needed to sleep ever since her Trigger Event, she replayed the video clips one at a time with a few well placed taps of the keyboard in front of her, frowning when she got to the part where he quickly disassembled and threw aside the two gunmen's pistols.
Something about the way he did it felt far too military for someone that had no record of service.
Then again, something about him as a whole had itched at the back of her mind ever since his appearance.
She didn't suspect he was up to no good by any means, just something about his demonstrated abilities and this most recent incident didn't add up was all given the background information they had access to.
But he'd also said that he'd gone into isolation of sorts to master his powers when they'd awoken after his parents had been killed, so the reason for why his movements had been so precise was possibly due to whatever training he'd put himself through.
Still, Miss Militia wondered, and pursed her lips as she watched the fight, if one could call it that, play out one more time.
"Hana." She perked up when Chevalier stepped into the small security station, a soft smile gracing her lightly dark skinned face as she turned away from the vid screens in front of her. "Are you still reviewing the footage from this morning?"
"Yeah." She admitted before shrugging helplessly. "It was just bothering me I guess, the way he disarmed and disassembled their weapons. His movements are far too precise, as if he's dismantled guns many times before, something a previous civilian shouldn't be able to do easily."
"You think he's hiding something?" He asked with a slight tilt of his head while he crossed his arms over his chest.
"We all hide things." Hana countered, before shaking her head slightly. "In this case though I think it's just a matter of his personal training while he was in self imposed isolation as much as his school life and life would allow. I could be wrong, but I doubt it's anything to be concerned about."
"But you're still curious." He pointed out.
"Aren't you?" She asked, not unkindly or suspiciously, she genuinely was just curious about this latest peculiarity with their newest member.
"I am." He admitted before letting his arms drop to his sides. "But like you said, we've all got secrets, hun.
"We do, doesn't mean I can't wonder." But in this case she was willing to let it go as she exited out of the various video clips with a sigh but a smile that she levels on her boyfriend. "To be honest I've been meaning to meet him ever since you started to tell me about the guy. What do you think about him though?"
"Well," Robert Gray began as he casually walked towards her chair before sitting on the edge of the console, careful not to sit on any of the buttons, "he responds well to orders for the most part outside of being a stubborn ass when it comes to doing what he believes is right at any given moment. He's selfless, friendly, a generally good guy, and unlike Astrologer, I don't think he's 'too nice'." He doesn't make actual air quotes, but Hannah can still hear them loud and clear. "But…I will say he's a bit too good at fighting considering he's around our age. So maybe you're onto something, but I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth, especially since we need all the help we can get with gangs like the Teeth and the Fallen running around."
"Speaking of the gangs, our Thinkers in Watchdog believe there's good odds that the gangs will respond to Bahamut's presence once he inadvertently starts to go after them given what happened to his parents."
"Yeah…why do you think I've got my team running drills so often?" Robert asked needlessly before running a hand down his face with a sigh. "Astrologer's making that difficult though given how she doesn't trust Dion at all, but considering her mom wound up as one of Heartbreaker's flying monkeys, I can't blame her for having a problem with the dragoon."
"Dragoon?" Hannah inquired, having not heard that word before. Then again, she didn't tend to hang around the base all that much when she wasn't attending school anyway. Her duties as a Cape kept her pretty busy.
"Meh, long story, but basically it's a well known class in a video game series called Final Fantasy. They typically hunt down, tame, or destroy dragons though."
"Any particular reason for that name?" She asked him idly. "Or did he kill any dragons I'm not aware of?"
"Not that we know of." Robert said with a chuckle that had Hannah smiling a little in turn. "But to answer your question, many of his powers seem to mirror a dragoon's abilities as well as their signature weapon being exactly the kind Dion prefers, that of a lance or a spear. Being able to jump to obscene heights in a single bound is the big one though, as well as being stupidly precise with his lance regardless if he's throwing it, or using it as a pogo stick."
"Does gravity mean nothing to him?" She asked, bemused by the image he'd conjured up for her. In answer, Robert turned around, and quickly pulled up video footage of what she quickly realized was a training session in Hero's Playroom.
"That's his first combat and power test footage." He explained as Dion demonstrated just what he was capable of. Hannah had seen a lot of power usages in her time, but she didn't know quite what to make of Dion's powers as he nimbly darted and jumped about, his lance work indeed quite deadly in his more than capable hands.
Not only that, but when he revealed his draconic wings during the 'Airbuster' fight, his power only seemed to grow more pronounced as burst of light emanated from his body even as he flew directly towards the energy beam that was fired upon him, lance leading as whatever power he could command was fed into its tip, allowing him to harmlessly disperse the destructive laser from the robotic war machine's chest.
Hannah could only think of one thing to say as the footage came to an end moments later. "We used to have laws in this city, remember gravity?"
"You know we've also had people like Gray Boy that could fuck with his own personal time while creating torture bubbles of isolated time." Robert reminded her just as quickly.
"That's true, but you know what I mean." She huffed, glaring at the now blank screen in the hopes that what she'd seen would start making sense.
Robert could only shrug helplessly though before he added, "I know, but reality gets bent over a barrel on the regular anymore, hun. Dion's just the latest example of how crazy things are out there on a good day, but I'm just grateful he's on our side."
"Unless the Adepts manage to get their hooks into him." Hannah said with a weary sigh, knowing all too well that many of their newest Wards had been poached by that group over the years.
"I doubt that'll happen." Robert assured her. "Something about Dion, whatever secrets he's got, seems genuine about keeping to his promises no matter the cost. He and Jouster are practically inseparable whenever they're in the same room if that tells you anything."
"The knight and the dragoon, I can see it." She teased lightly, her joke earning a surprised guffaw from her boyfriend.
"I didn't mean it like that!" He laughed as he plopped back onto the edge of the console. "Although far be it from us to shame them if they're into each other."
"Dork." She giggled, standing to her feet before kissing him on the cheek. "Don't work too hard, Robert. I might not need sleep, but your team does."
"Don't worry, it's me we're talking about." He quipped, spreading his arms wide with a charming smile she always loved to see.
That their respective lives kept them so damn busy and away from each other was a note of intense frustration for her however. Still she rolled her eyes at him with another giggle. "You say that, but I know how much you look up to Legend and the rest of the Triumvirate. I also know you still have their action figures, likely all lined up on a shelf again."
"You saw that? I thought I put 'em away?!" He exclaimed, flushing red as a tomato.
Hannah merely smiled teasingly as she started away. "You're not as clever as you think you are, Rob."
"Ugh…there goes my cool image." He groaned, slumping in defeat, although she didn't miss the way his gaze had settled on her ass.
Smirking over her shoulder at him, she was quick to add, "Don't worry, that secret at least is safe with me."
The PR Department offices, 12th floor
11:52 AM…
Sheva Alomar POV…
Some days were enough to make her want to pull her long raven hair out of her head at the root, but days like today as Sheva reviewed that morning's footage was not one of them. It helped that this Dion Lesage, Bahamut as far as his Cape persona was concerned, was making her job so much easier than some of their more troublesome or accident prone heroes on the PRT's roster, especially among the Wards as was too often the case.
Brockton Bay's Wards program was especially bad in that regard, but considering many of those same kids were trying to leave behind very troubled pasts between abusive parents, gang activity in their neighborhoods, and more besides, it wasn't a surprise that they tended to have issues but it made the PR department's jobs harder as a result.
Thankfully that wasn't the case here, at least not nearly as much despite how big New York and its criminal organizations and the like tended to be.
All of that aside though, Sheva sipped at her pricey cappuccino, the black suited woman all smiles as she turned to the rest of her staff that'd gathered for a semi-informal meeting to discuss how they were going to market their new knight in shining armor, a not so metaphorical knight either by all accounts that she'd heard about the guy. She half expected to hear he was the kinda guy that would help little old ladies with their groceries, not that that was a bad thing of course.
It helped that he was easy on the eyes, which was always a plus in case his identity was ever revealed, though that would also make him an easy target to locate unfortunately. With the combat footage she also had access too though, she doubted he had much to worry about outside of the Slaughterhouse 9 showing up, or an Endbringer.
"So, suggestions on how to get his name out there?" She asked, folding her hands on her glass desk top as she let her amber brown eyes move from face to face. "And I don't mean the usual interviews and photo ops, although those are a given with any of our new heroes."
"Too bad we can't get more of his face revealed from behind that helmet of his," Alice Nguyen grumbled, a sly smile briefly flickering across her round face, clearly sharing a similar thought as Sheva had had already. The Asianic woman was beautiful in her own right, with dark shoulder length hair and pretty brown eyes. Despite being five foot nothing, Alice was always a joy to be around, bringing an infectious energy wherever she went. "He could be on the cover of any fashion magazine he wanted with a face like his."
"How about some collaborative patrols with other knight themed capes?" Edward Sturgeon suggested, the lanky man with short, sandy blonde hair and green eyes was already looking through his tablet feverishly, no doubt trying to find fitting partners for such an occasion. "People like stuff like that. Who knows, they might even team up for good eventually. A modern day Knights of the Round Table situation, folks would love it.
"Up until the metaphorical kingdom collapses you mean." Matthew Addison chimed in with a solemn frown on his slightly too pale face with dark rimmed spectacles perched on his hook nose, which highlighted his equally dark blue eyes. A head of dark brown hair went down to just past his shoulders, completing the image of the stuffy bookish type. "Let's not associate them with a story of tragedy and loss, shall we? People need all the hope they can get."
"While I agree," Sheva cut in, "the Knights of the Round Table are still one of the most beloved groups of valiant defenders that myth and legend has ever produced. Even if their story ended when Camelot fell, when the Round Table was broken along with their bonds of trust in each other, they still did incredible things in the name of the innocents they once protected and fought for. We'll just have to have faith that our hopeful modern day retelling doesn't end the same way."
"What about our strategy though?" Alice asked as she noted down what Sheva had decided upon. "His face being obscured aside, he's already proven more willing than most to kill his enemies if he feels it's necessary. People are already divided about his behavior on that front, with more in favor of his harsh actions against Silverstrike, but those who don't approve are still numerous enough to cause a problem long-term."
"Remind them that Samuel Bryson was a shit with a criminal record a mile long." Matthew bluntly retorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "It would've only been a matter of time before he got himself Birdcaged. At least this way he won't be sucking up what limited resources we have left at this point."
"Yes Matt, we know you're a supporter of the death penalty, there's no need to go over this again." Edward sighed heavily, his exasperation palpable though Sheva couldn't blame him since this was hardly a new argument between the two men. But considering Matt had lost a sister to a villain attack several years ago, Sheva understood why Matt had such a chip on his shoulder when it came to the opposition. It made the work they did in the PR department that much more important though since they kept hope alive for the general public, and Sheva wasn't about to fail in her own mission to ensure that light kept burning as brightly as she could make it.
"Be it as it may, we'll need to address that issue." Sheva agreed, nodding her chin towards Alice who noted it down moments later. "Bahamut is already stated to be on par with the rest of the Triumvirate's members in terms of power. We can't have people afraid of or unwilling to trust him, especially during times of crisis. While I might have my own mixed feelings about his first day in town, I fully believe he's just as valiant and noble as he's so far presented himself to anyone and everyone he's come into contact with even if I will say I think it's more a part of his persona, his knightly demeanor. Having said that, I also firmly believe that his heart is in the right place, and that's what matters most."
That much she was happy to see everyone give nods or murmurs of agreement towards, having been secretly worried that there'd be some dissension in the ranks. That would make things easier moving forward even if they might not agree on how he'd handled Silverstrike. Still, at least Dion was shaping up to be one of their more popular heroes already, and in their world, popular meant inspiring, which naturally led to people feeling a renewed sense of hope. She just hoped he'd last longer than Hero had because losing another paragon like him once Bahamut established himself would be crushing. Sheva just hoped they'd never have to find out because they'd lost enough good people as it is.
"Let's see how well he does on his own first." She decided eventually. "We can have him participate in team ups once we've got a better grasp on him as a person. In the meantime let's make sure he doesn't get unmasked. His controversial entry into the hero society no doubt has put a few more people on alert than usual." A series of nods were quick to follow, which made pressing on all that much easier. "The last thing we need is another New Wave inspired murder. Alice, get in touch with our boy, make sure he understands the risks of saying anything on social media, although I doubt that'll be a problem given what we know about him already."
"Yes ma'am." Alice said with a cheer that was impossible to ignore as ever.
"Matthew, while we don't want anyone to connect his civilian identity with his Cape persona, his actions this morning should still be given its place in the spotlight. A civilian willingly taking down two thugs with guns isn't something that happens everyday."
"I'll see if I can't get something together through our usual channels." Matt assured her, his usual dour mood disappearing now that he had something to focus his attention on.
"Edward, damage control."
"On it, boss." Edward replied, needing no further explanation given their previous discussion.
"Let's make him the Protectorate's newest shining star, people." Satisfied that her orders would be carried out without fail, Sheva smiled as her team got up and promptly left to see to their assigned tasks, leaving her to turn to the image on her computer screen. "Don't let us down Dion Lesage." She quietly said, her words as much as a prayer as they were a command meant only for her own ears. She saw great potential in this young man, despite his rough beginning, and she hoped he wouldn't disappoint her, let alone the rest of the world at large.
Because as Matt had stated previously, they needed all the hope they could get.
Hell's Kitchen Central High
September 3rd, 7:36 AM…
Dion Lesage POV…
Sitting in the principal's office was far from an enjoyable experience, even if the meeting in question wasn't related to some incident or another while attending classes. Today was no different as he found himself standing in front of a rather unpleasant older woman's desk. For some reason the African American woman in front of him reminded Dion of Amanda Waller's live action appearance in DC's Suicide Squad as she prepared to give him the third degree. "Now look, you might've been given some recognition for your selfless bravery in stopping a robbery just two days ago, but that kind of thing doesn't fly with me, Mr. Lesage. It's reckless and stupid to throw yourself into danger like that, and I won't have your death on my hands if you decide to cause trouble under my watch."
He very much wanted to argue with her, but Stephen wasn't stupid. Reckless maybe, but he wasn't about to piss off Principal Wendy Newman before he'd even begun his first day. "I understand ma'am, but-"
"No buts, no exceptions." She cut him off, her eyes narrowing as she slowly stood to her feet in an effort to try and tower over him. That was an exercise in futility though since he was several inches taller than her, but it didn't stop her from trying. "You might be a Ward, Bahamut, but you're under my authority so long as you remain inmyschool, and I have no time for heroes thinking they can do whatever they like simply because you're with the Protectorate. You try any of that shit while on school grounds, you'll be out the door before you can blink."
"...You don't like heroes, do you?" He dared to ask.
"I just don't like people like you, period. Villain, hero, independent, we didn't need any of you people before the first Capes started appearing, and we sure as Hell don't need you now. Yet between the Youth Guard sticking their noses into everything, and the Protectorate thinking they're actually doing anyone any favors by putting their heroes on pedestals, filling their heads with nonsense, people like me have to play by their rules. So no, don't expect me to ever warm up to you, even if you're somehow able to take down an Endbringer."
He couldn't help but think that Principal Newman had had to deal with troublesome Wards before, and that it'd soured her opinion considerably, hence why she was far from enthused when it came to his presence here. Not that he got to dwell on such thoughts for long as she slid over a student handbook that he dutifully picked up. "I suggest you read it from front to back as soon as you get home, Mr. Lesage." Despite her choice of words, Dion knew it wasn't merely a suggestion. Principal Newman would string him up by his guts if he crossed her. "And try not to lose your student ID." She grunted as she handed over the little plastic card that he put into his wallet with a nod of his head. "I'm glad we understand each other. Now go on, I expect you to be on time for your first day on Monday, Mr. Lesage."
"I'll be here, ma'am." He assured her.
With a quiet sigh, he left the woman's office, wondering what must've happened to have turned her against Capes in general. He wasn't about to ask Wendy herself by any means, but he was willing to bet someone had at least part of the story, enough for him to figure it out on his own from there. Not that solving the mystery regarding her hatred of Capes would change anything between him and her, it was more to satiate his own curiosity.
Pushing such ponderings aside in any event, he glanced at his student handbook, and saw his locker number had been written down below a place for him to sign his name, saying that he'd read and understood the rules that he was expected to follow from now on.
Finding it was pretty easy from there thanks to the map that was included with the small handbook. He might not enjoy getting up in the mornings, but he had always had a good sense of direction, something he was glad to see had survived the jump into this world.
As for Central High School itself, the school wasn't too bad from what he could see. Despite how unpleasant Principal Newman was already turning out to be, she did her best to run a tight ship if the clean halls, the graffiti free walls, and the security cameras he could see at various points along the ceiling were anything to go by. It was too early to tell if the teachers would be any good of course, but he was willing to hold out hope for the time being until he was proven otherwise. That and nearly anything would be better than Brockton Bay's Winslow High from what he could remember, so he was definitely hopeful his time here wouldn't be too bad.
That said, he wasn't really looking forward to attending high school again.
Smiling ruefully to himself, he started towards the door with an amused shake of his head, wondering when he'd gotten so damn old. Being in the body of a sixteen year old again didn't make that feeling any less pronounced, but he was secure enough with himself to find the whole thing funny rather than disheartening as he made his way back to the bicycle he'd bought just yesterday. With how close his apartment was to his new school, it wouldn't be a problem for him to go to and fro every morning. All in all though, his new life here was slowly taking shape, and he was getting used to things overall.
Now he just had to hope he didn't blow his own identity anytime soon.
The Simurgh POV…
[Analysis: inconclusive.] It was the same result anytime she tried to perceive Bahamut.
The Simurgh had rarely failed to find a solution to a problem, since her powers allowed her to plot a course that would ensure the problem in question was handled to her satisfaction. Yet for some reason, Bahamut wasn't responding in a fashion she was used to, and she was growing increasingly frustrated, a rare emotion for her to even contemplate. Not even Contessa had caused her so many issues.
[Shard Network queried: Designation Bahamut.]
[Processing request. Error detected, Shard Location and Designation unknown
[Further information required]
The only conclusion she could draw was either his Shard had severed its connection to the network, going rogue though she found that incredibly unlikely, or it was malfunctioning not unlike the Shard that had created an army of self adapting, self replicating, machines controlled by an AI that'd originally been created by a now deceased Tinker.
The only reason she hadn't intervened was because every now and again, a Cape would get it into their head to break the quarantine that'd been set up around the now long abandoned town of Eagleton, Tennessee, giving the Shard there more information to work with, which only served the Network as a whole. Whoever or whatever Bahamut was, she needed more information to work from because any attempt she made to precog a solution wound up with only one outcome.
[Precognitive routine initiated. Error! Error! Precognitive routine interrupted!]
Without fail, the Hope Killer's attempts to predict his movements, to find a path that would allow her to effectively combat him, resulted in her seeing a flash of a teeth filled maw before the future she tried to perceive abruptly ended before anything useful could be gleaned. Even trying to predict his movements through more tertiary means didn't work, as if his Shard had found a way to completely subvert the Network in such a way as to prevent her from getting anything out of it. Whatever was going on, the Simurgh wouldn't let it stand for much longer, but for the moment the only thing she could do was observe him from afar. That much she could still do, and it was the only reason she hadn't already hunted him down and destroyed him. So for now he was safe, but soon enough that would change. Besides, crushing their hopes by crushing him once he established himself would serve her purposes well enough in the end.
She would just have to bide her time.