Miss Militia

Though she tried to remain focused on the road, her mind couldn't help but drift to the man she encountered in the store earlier. It was simply a whim that led her to the tea store that night. Falling asleep afterwards without any control was slightly terrifying, but despite the fact that she reported the incident to the director afterwards, she felt more well rested than she ever had before.

If not for her position as a Protectorate hero, she might have gone back again. The experience of a deep sleep was something she rarely experienced since her trigger outside of a few rare instances. She could sleep, if she really tried her best, but it was rarely restful due to how her power worked. She'd put it out of her mind since then, focused on running some surface investigations on the man, even after the little mishap with Missy.

None of their investigations uncovered anything of this magnitude.

"Armsmaster, thoughts?" Director Piggot slumped tiredly against the headrest of the seat. Hannah felt sympathy for her, even if she wasn't her first choice in directors. The meeting with Maxwell had been conducted at a late hour to avoid any incidents.

She could almost feel his eyes twitching from left to right, as if he was reading something on his visor. "Most likely possesses an anxious attachment style. Anger and fear at the possibility of losing his sibling would be normal, but not at the levels he expressed. Fear of being abandoned. Possibly linked to trigger event. Lost of parents linked to trigger event?" He titled his head in thought before shaking it. "Deaths occurred in 2005. Car accident. If he was being truthful…" The hero stilled for a second in shock. "...he triggered between the time of his birth and being three years old."

"Excuse me…?!" She gasped before shutting her mouth. Hannah hadn't meant to do that. What he revealed was simply too shocking."Wasn't I the youngest trigger?" She thought. How did a child at that age even have the presence of mind to trigger?

"If his words are to be taken at face value, he triggered before the founding of the PRT and Protectorate in 1993. Maxwell Li was born in 1990. It is possible that he miscalculated or lied." Armsmaster hedged a guess. "All possibilities seem fantastical at best."

"I'll see if we can get Watchdog on this." Director Piggot's voice echoed through the van with authority, shutting down the topic entirely. "Carry on."

"Understood." Colin's voice shifted, clearly he nodded. "Claims of decriminalization of ABB organization seem to be accurate. Police reports in former ABB territory show a marked decrease in criminal activity. Multiple applications to lease and purchase land in areas of high traffic such as the Boardwalk, a lot near Arcadia, and even a lot near the Rig, have been filed by the Ryujin Industries entity. ABB members who were handed over were primarily shown to have violent rap sheets. Testimonies from the recovered women indicated no signs of abuse after his takeover. With the facts added together, it is likely that he truly means to change the ABB from the top."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Director Piggot growled in her throat. Hannah shook her head lightly, even as she kept her eyes on the road. This wasn't new. Director Piggot had always distrusted Parahumans. "What about the Empire Eighty-Eight?"

"Maxwell Li shows no indication that he would actively go after them. His file on record has shown no altercations with them due to keeping to the area controlled by the Asian community. He is likely being truthful about his intentions. However, contact with known Parahuman Strider indicates possible relations with organizations outside of Brockton Bay. We do not have evidence for whether that is the case or who it is at the moment." Armsmaster rattled off, as if he was reading a prepared script. He likely was. Though he could communicate normally, he found it more efficient to be prepared beforehand, even for meetings like this. A relatively minor quirk for a Parahuman, all things considered.

"Fine." Director Piggot allowed before barking. "Threat analysis!"

"Other capabilities remain as per our previous debrief. Maxwell did demonstrate the Master or Shaker effect Velocity observed during his altercation with Lung. His emotions were elevated when the ability was used." Armsmaster paused and hesitated, wondering if he should bring up the fact. "Unknown ability is analogous with that of Glory Girl."

"What about the tea?" She piped up from her driver's seat. Everyone in the van turned to stare at her.

"The…tea?" Velocity asked in confusion.

"That was the very reason we kept an eye on him to begin with. How do you feel right now, Director?" Hannah inquired softly out of concern.

The woman in question frowned and placed a hand on her torso. It looked like she was applying pressure for a minute before squinting her eyes tersely. "Fine. I feel fine. The pain has subsided." Emily continued to feel around her body, as if noticing for the first time that her vessel was different. "I feel light. Lighter than I've felt in years. There must be something in that tea…!"

"I can't come to a conclusion without a chemical analysis." Armsmaster started. "But research on the Yellow Gold Tea Buds has revealed that while it has health benefits, they are not this immediate or noticeable." The man seemed to be out of his comfort zone as he shuffled in his seat slightly. "The gold he mentioned has no nutritional effect despite the claims of representing health, but it seems to have had an actual effect on you."

The director paused in thought before slumping slightly. "Get the doctor on call. See if there's an actual effect on me."

"Very well. What will our stance on Ryuu be going forward?" Hannah questioned.

"Simple." Emily Piggot sat up straighter. "The Empire Eighty-Eight will undoubtedly sense that the ABB has been weakened now that they've 'reformed' into Ryujin Industries. If it escalates too far, we'll intervene. But if Ryuu manages to do as he said and takes out Kaiser and his cronies, the PRT and Protectorate will go all in to arrest him for his crimes."

"But director…!" Hannah wanted to protest. She didn't care about the psychological analysis that Armsmaster delivered or the grander strategies of the PRT, all she saw was a child… man terrified to lose the last of his family and taking steps to prevent it.

"Enough." She declared sternly. "Whatever his intentions, he still killed someone. That makes him a suspect under our purview until he's proven innocent. If the situation unfolds as we envisioned, it's possible that we'll be able to control the city as mandated for once in our tenure here. This discussion is over."

Hannah bit the inside of her mouth. Everything in her wanted to rebel at Piggot's words. "To trigger at such a young age, what must he have gone through? Was it as bad as…" She cut herself off mid thought with a shake of her head, that was a dangerous thought to have while driving. Whatever he went through must have been mind bendingly horrifying to trigger at such a young age. The fear she saw in his eyes when he let his guard down and explained his reasons and intentions… She genuinely didn't think he was a threat. The director had given her orders. Hannah slumped against the wheel. Orders are orders.