I was currently enjoying my overly plush office chair – one of the few good things about this damned useless job – when my phone started to make annoying beeping noises at me. As much as I really would have like to just ignore it, it was obviously my secretary calling me. Sighing, I picked up the receiver of my desk phone. I supposed it was about time for my weekly check in on my primary project, after all.

"Melissa." I always prefer to keep things terse when dealing with the help.

"Director, Commander Calvert is here to see you.

"Very well, send him in."

I hung up and watched as the door to my office opened and the little worm made his way in to my glorious presence. As much as I despised dealing with this fool, he was at least useful in his own way. Of course, he required fairly regular reminders of his place in things, but that was just a part of the burden of leadership that those of us born to rule had to shoulder. Sitting up, I steepled my fingers and casually regarded my visitor.

"Commander, take a seat."

He sat down and was obviously carefully schooling his expression to be a neutral one. It didn't really do him any good since I was fully aware that this untermensch was more two faced than Janus himself, but, as said, he had his uses.

"Director. I am here to give my weekly report."

"Carry on." I spoke in an authoritative, yet subtly dismissive manner, just as Father had taught me.

"The Undersider Project is proving to be an asset, especially Subject S. Her Thinker ability is an asset, though she herself is rebellious and can be frustrating to control. I have had to resort to more physical threats on more than one occasion, and I would recommend increased emergency control options being implemented, on the off chance that she attempts to make a bid for independence."

I narrowed my eyes. If he was playing his games again, all the simulated timelines in the world wouldn't save him from my wrath.

"Calvert. You are the one I put in charge of dealing with that band of idiots. They have their place to play in the Grand Design as a disposable asset. Coil's entire purpose is to play the fools in the city off of each other in order to eliminate unwanted factors prior to Consolidation. If you need to implement increased controls on your pets, why have you not done so already?"

As I spoke, slowly spinning blades of iron began to materialize, moving in a slow orbit around Calvert's head. Blatant and gauche? Yes. Effective in reminding the little grass snake of his place? Also, yes.

He gulped in fear, and I managed to keep my smile on the inside.

"Ah, yes. Well, I require some permissions to put the plans I want to in place. So far I have been keeping a grip on Grue by simply using his custody of his sister as leverage, but I would prefer to have there be no actual other options for him but me, and for that I need to have his parents eliminated. You had given specific instructions that no harm was to-"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"Yes. Yes. No harm to the families of assets without permission. I am more than aware of my own directives, Calvert. I am also aware that those directives would not be necessary if you hadn't taken it upon yourself to unilaterally eliminate the family of other assets previously."

I leaned back, pondering the best play in this scenario. Calvert, intelligently, sat there quietly and waited for me to finish. The daggers slowly rotating as they lazily orbited his head also may have been contributing to his sudden outbreak of common sense.

"Very well, eliminate the Laborn parents. Nothing of value will be lost. Place the girl in foster care with one of our people afterwards. Tell the brother that you will ensure he gets his custody. Having her in direct control will allow for a more direct and rapid response if he ever decides to get ideas above his station. Now, continue your report."

"Very well, Director. Your instructions to acquire the civilian identities of certain elements of the Empire Eighty-Eight that are wholly loyal to Max Anders are proceeding apace. Will we be on track for activation of Project Spotlight in late spring or early summer. I currently estimate some time in May, provided all goes to plan. Night and Fog will be recalled to Brockton Bay as per your instructions one week prior to provide support for Purity, as Kaiser will inevitably attempt to put pressure on her at that point."

"Yes, my little brother is nothing if not predictable. If only he'd properly learned the lessons Allfather taught us both. Sadly, in his case, the only tool he actually has is a hammer, and so to him, everything looks like a nail. Still, good work."

I made sure to toss him a little bit of praise, one must use both the carrot and the stick with one's lessers, after all.

"Thank you Director."

I sat up straight and did him, the honour of looking him in the eye. I also dismissed the daggers floating around him.

"Now, I have a task for your and your pet thinker. Our local unwanted rabid dog slipped her leash and shat all over the proverbial floor earlier today. She most likely caused a trigger event in someone of more desirable stock. I want you to determine first, if she did, in fact trigger. Second, if she did, I want to know what she can do. You will use your ability and those of Miss Livsey to safely determine if she is a new parahuman, and if she has a useful power, what the best approach to having her join the Wards would be."

"I'll take care of it. Who is the target?"

"The girl's name is Taylor Hebert, she's currently in Brockton General, recovering from the event that occurred. Her father is a higher up in the Dock Worker's Union, so I suspect that high pressure tactics may not play well. The mother is dead, so a single father might respond better to an appeal for the 'safety' of his bullied child, but I leave all that in your capable hands."

"Noted. I'll make sure it's taken care of."

"Excellent. That will be all, Commander."

Calvert stood and saluted before turning on his heel and leaving my office. I knew he hated having to serve me, but he also had no real choice. He was firmly under heel by decree of my benefactors. Why exactly they had kept me alive during Max's treachery and murder of our father, I wasn't quite sure, but I didn't really care. They'd done so, and they were lending subtle backing to my eventual re-conquest of the Empire and through control of my birthright and the PRT ENE.

In due time, all of Brockton Bay would bow before Iron Rain.