Chapter 4
Legend held the door open for me to exit the room first. Was that a test of loyalty or a gesture of goodwill? Either way, I wasn't going to run.
All around the hospital, I directed my swarms to eat the squashed bugs forming my dead man's switch, erasing my message to the world.
Legend took the lead, and I walked behind him as we went back the way we came. Even though the other heroes were once again loosely arranged around me, I felt less like a prisoner than before. Confessing about Dinah, and especially being taken seriously, had lifted a weight off my shoulders.
Legend spoke to his earpiece as we walked, giving orders and asking for updates on various situations, including about Shadow Stalker.
"Nothing new," he told me.
I nodded, thought I wasn't sure how visible the movement would be through the thick layer of bugs concealing my identity.
To my unspoken relief, Legend procured a domino mask at the nurse's station, and wordlessly handed it to me. I removed my glasses and put it on behind my curtain of bugs, then put my glasses back on over it and sent the bugs into my utility compartment, save for the ones I was using to keep track of people's movements.
"Can I leave now?" Asked Clockblocker. "I can still help with triage."
"No," said Legend. "This takes precedence, and I'd rather keep all involved parties together until we talk to the Director."
In other words, he wasn't one hundred percent confident that I wouldn't change my mind. Neither was I, if I were being honest.
"Legend," called out a high-pitched voice behind me. "I got your message."
I turned around to see a petite woman with short-cropped black hair, wearing a black tailcoat and knee-high boots over a royal blue bodysuit. Her olive skin was visible behind a black domino mask, as well as her dark eyes and sharp features. She couldn't be more than five feet tall.
"Déjà Vu," greeted Legend. "Thank you for joining us under such short notice. Have you seen Revoke?"
"Couldn't if I tried," she answered, giving me the impression of a private joke.
"Déjà Vu is a precog," Legend explained, turning to me. "Precognitive powers tend to interfere with one another. And Revoke is a point-blank power nullifier, who can't be perceived by Thinkers. With the two of them, we should be able to settle the prisoner situation quickly enough. Ah, here's Revoke."
She was a tall black woman in a blood red suit with glossy armor panels, and a visor covering the upper two thirds of her face. A multitude of small braids cascaded from her helmet, reaching the small of her back. I tried tagging her with mosquitoes, and lost control of them as soon as they touched her.
A squad of four PRT uniforms joined us, and we followed them to the exit.
"These agents are from New York," Legend specified on the way, "so we know they are not affiliated with your former employer. Adwell and Miller will drive us to the local PRT HQ, while Hamon and Shipp will go retrieve your family.
I nodded, and the PRT uniforms lead us to the parking lot. An inch or so of standing water covered the ground, and since this area hadn't been subjected to the tidal waves, I had to assume that it was from the rain alone.
We reached a van, and Miller opened the back doors for us.
Had I known just a few hours ago that I would end up in the back of a PRT van, I might have panicked, but I could hardly have predicted these circumstances. I sat between Miss Militia and Clockblocker, across from Legend, Armsmaster, and the two women.
"Landlines are down, but cellphones still work in some areas," Legend told me as the van started. "Does someone in your family have one?"
"No."
"We'll see if they're at home, then. Most shelters have been vacated by now, but with the state of the roads, it might be a while before people make it back to their home, depending on their location."
I nodded.
The hospital was downtown, as was the PRT HQ, so it was a short ride. Short enough to keep me from second-guessing my decision entirely, but my confidence still crumbled along the way. What if the Director disagreed with Legend's deal? What if they went back on their words as soon as I signed a NDA?
"So, what did you do to Shadow Stalker?" Asked Clockblocker, his voice casual.
"You don't have to answer that," Legend said at the same time Miss Militia called out "Clockblocker," in a warning tone.
"What? I can't be the only one who wonders."
"I didn't do anything."
I glanced at Armsmaster, to see if he would confirm that I was telling the truth, but he was conveniently staying out of the conversation. Next to him, Revoke was giving Clockblocker a disapproving look.
"I know she's a bit trigger-happy, but I don't think she would resort to straight-up murder over nothing," he continued.
"Can you tell me that she's not violent? That she doesn't feel entitled to hurt people just because she can?"
He didn't answer.
"A week ago, I had to get stitches because of her, after she followed me off the bus. That's one incident out of several hundreds. So maybe you don't know her as well as you think, or maybe you've got blinders on, but she doesn't need an excuse to resort to violence, and she doesn't hesitate when she thinks she'll get away with it."
It was hard to read him, given that his costume and mask were full-coverage, but his body language gave me the distinct impression that he was chastised by the venom in my voice.
My career as a Ward was off to a great start.
I continued, more calmly: "I think she snapped after finding out I was a cape because it shattered her sense of superiority."
No one answered as we reached the parking lot of the PRT HQ. The building had seen better days, much like the rest of us, but was mostly intact.
Miss Militia led the way to the entrance, where the tall, bulletproof glass doors were dotted with mud from the rain, then past the front desk with large pictures of the Wards above it, and down a hall, where we crammed ourselves in an elevator.
The confined space, doubled with the heroes' unspoken agreement to surround me from each side, made me overly conscious of my personal space. Armsmaster towered over me from behind, and every instinct wanted me to turn around or step forward and away from him. Except that by stepping forward, I'd be too close to Miss Militia, who might then turn around and make things more awkward. I had Legend on one side, and Revoke on the other, with Déjà Vu and Clockblocker squeezed in the corners.
The doors mercifully opened on the third floor, and I followed Miss Militia to a conference room with a large table and a dozen seats around it, while Legend asked Revoke and Déjà Vu to wait outside.
Legend sat at the one end, and Miss Militia left an empty chair between them, motioning for me to sit down beside him. On the other side of Legend sat Armsmaster and Clockblocker.
At Legend's demand, Miss Militia pressed a button on the wall, phone in one hand, and the faux-wooden panels split to reveal the television screen behind.
The door opened, and in came an overweight woman with blond hair in a bob, wearing a navy blue suit and skirt.
"I got your message, Legend. What is —"
She stopped when our eyes met. I wasn't sure how recognizable I was with a domino mask, but she took one look at my costume and her mouth became a thin line.
"I believe I am owed an explanation," she said before sitting down at the other end of the table.
"Let's wait for Director Costa-Brown to join us first," answered Legend.
We didn't have to wait for long. The screen came alive with the image of a woman with brown skin and straight black hair, wearing glasses and a black suit.
"Director Costa-Brown," Legend greeted her.
"Director Piggot. Legend. What is the matter?"
"Today, the Endbringer truce was violated," stated Legend in a grave voice, with the same grandiose intonations he'd used when making his speech before the battle. I idly wondered whether he had voice coaching or if it came naturally. "By one of our Wards, no less."
Director Piggot pinched the bridge of her nose, her long-suffering sigh making it clear that she knew who he was talking about.
"Shadow Stalker, a local Ward, managed to see Skitter here unmasked while she was unconscious in the hospital. When she was caught, she attacked Skitter with lethal ammunition before fleeing the scene. The four of us also saw Skitter unmasked while intervening."
"I see," said Director Costa-Brown, looking more severe by the second. "I assume a squad has already been deployed after the girl?"
"Of course, but they haven't found her yet."
She motioned for him to continue.
"It appears that Shadow Stalker's civilian persona was also responsible for Skitter's trigger event. Skitter has accepted to join the Wards as a probationary member, on the conditions that she remains in the city, that her family be placed in protective custody, and that the Protectorate mounts an offensive against a local villain to free a prisoner."
"And I'm not giving you info on the Undersiders," I added.
"Legend," said Director Piggot, "with all due respect, Wards are not your jurisdiction, and it is not your place to make those promises."
"Director," he answered on the same tone, "with all due respect, protecting the Endbringer truce is my jurisdiction."
"A verbal agreement is hardly binding. I don't think you comprehend the kind of conflict of interest and that we would face by keeping her here."
I had to unclench my jaw to speak.
"You're right," I said, keeping my voice even. "Nothing's in writing yet, but it goes both ways."
Bugs gathered on the windows, forming letters, much like they had at the hospital.
She glanced at my message, then looked back at me.
"We can offer you monetary incentive to the destination of your choice."
"I don't care about money."
"You literally robbed a bank," interjected Clockblocker. He sounded almost offended.
"I had reasons. Non-monetary reasons."
"Like what?"
"Not telling without a deal."
"You have to understand that we simply cannot accommodate your demand to stay here," said Director Piggot. "What can we offer you to convince you to move?"
"Nothing. I'm staying here one way or another."
She frowned.
"I guess we don't have a deal after all," I said, rising from my seat. "Enjoy doing damage control."
I turned around to leave, and everyone began talking over each other. Legend hurried to fly between me and the door, with hands in a placating gesture as he pleaded me to stay.
"Enough!" Shouted Director Costa-Brown, and everyone stopped talking.
"Skitter," she addressed me. "You remain in Brockton Bay, your family is placed in protective custody, the Protectorate frees a prisoner from a local villain, and we don't ask you for information about your former group. Anything else?"
Could I ask for my dad not to be made aware of my criminal actions? The problem was that he probably already knew who Skitter was and what she could do, given his assiduous reading of the local newspapers. If I confessed to having bug controlling powers, the connection wouldn't be hard to make. I could hardly pass my power as being something else — Seafood Avenger notwithstanding — unless I wanted to seriously cripple my versatility and pretend to have preternatural awareness of my surroundings or something like that. From what Legend had said, it appeared that they wouldn't necessarily hide the fact that I used to be a villain from the public, which meant that my dad could find that information easily enough. I couldn't think of a way to both remain here, retain full use of my power, and keep my dad in the dark, so I settled for the next best thing.
"A clean slate would be nice," I said. I didn't mind being on probation, as penance for my criminal actions, but seeing how quickly Director Piggot had denied the terms of my agreement with Legend made me want to add conditions out of principle. "And veto rights about my image."
"Done," said Director Costa-Brown. "In exchange of which, the truth of Shadow Stalker's actions remains in this room."
"Except my dad," I answered. "If I have to tell him the truth about everything else, then I'm telling him the full story."
"Acceptable, but he'll have to sign a non-disclosure agreement too. Do we have a deal?"
I glanced at the thin line of Director Piggot's mouth.
"We do."
Director Costa-Brown smiled. "Director Piggot, I trust you to make it work."
"Yes ma'am," answered Director Piggot, who couldn't have sounded more unenthusiastic if her superior had asked her to eat glass.
The screen went black.
"So what's the answer, then?" Asked Clockblocker as I sat back down. "Why did you rob a bank?"
To get a group of teenage supervillains to trust me, I couldn't say.
"Coil wanted us to keep you guys busy while most of the Protectorate was away. I didn't know it at the time, but it was a diversion to allow him to capture Dinah."
"Dinah Alcott," said Director Piggot. "Kidnapped from her home on Thursday, April fourteen. You know where she is?"
"Coil has her. He also has spies in the PRT."
The Director sighed.
"I know."
"You know?" Asked Miss Militia with wide eyes.
"Dragon has identified three of them. We were hoping to gain insight into Coil's operation and occasionally feed them bad intel. Director Costa-Brown approved it."
"I believe Skitter has sufficient insight to justify flushing out the spies, not to mention the security risk to her if they remain," said Legend. "I also requisitioned Revoke and Déjà Vu to counter the precog."
"Can I go now?" Asked Clockblocker. "Some of us have families to check up on."
"You may," said Legend. "Please send in Déjà Vu and Revoke."
Clockblocker nodded and hurried out the door.
The two women entered, taking place beside Armsmaster across the table.
"Now, Skitter, tell us about this Coil and his captive." Legend ordered me.
I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts, then told them everything.
Coil sponsoring the Undersiders from the beginning. Him wanting us to do something big at a specific time to keep the Wards busy while the Protectorate was elsewhere. His orders to embarrass the local heroes at the Forsberg Gallery. Meeting him for the first time afterwards in the armored limousine. The coin trick. How he described his power.
"Controlling destinies? That sounds like a load of bullshit," said Déjà Vu in a chirping voice that didn't fit with the swearing. "I can think of at least a dozen powers that would succeed at the same coin trick. He's posturing for sure."
"Tattletale said it was true, vague as it is, and I believe her."
Legend motioned for me to keep going, and I resumed my summary of that night.
"He said his goal was to control every aspect of the city, and that he was already moving into his endgame. The ABB was wiped out. He leaked the identities of the Empire Eighty-Eight capes to weaken them, and wanted the Protectorate and Wards in a tenuous position to force a restructuration. He said that this way, it would take long enough to regain your footing that he would have the opportunity to make his move."
In his seat, Armsmaster was seething. The others hung to my every words.
"Two of the three mayoral candidates for the coming election are his puppets, same thing with the city council. Once he was in control of the major players, he wanted us to hold territories in the city."
I continued with what I had found out yesterday, with the location of his base under the construction site near the shelter Leviathan had breeched. I was asked numerous questions about the security measures and Coil's soldiers, and answered them the best I could. Then I went on about Coil's attempts to find out the identities behind every opposing faction, law enforcement included, to finish with his reveal of Dinah in an attempt to convince us to accept his offer. I related her state, his use of drugs to keep her compliant, his revolting use of the word "pet," and her falling numbers once I realized what was going on.
"So the numbers aren't set in stone," remarked Déjà Vu. "They change when circumstances changes. We can use this."
"With the timing, it could have been the Endbringer skewing the numbers," answered Revoke.
I continued with my fight with the Undersiders, their differing view points about Dinah's fate, and Tattletale's theory that it was a loyalty test, culminating in me leaving the team just before the sirens rang.
My throat itched when I finished. I hadn't talked this much in a long time.
"Thank you for trusting us with this information," said Legend. "We'll consult a few other resources before making a game plan, and we'll keep you updated."
I nodded.
"Well then," said Piggot, "I believe there is paperwork to draft."
Legend gave her a winning smile as she rose from her seat and exited the room.
"What about my dad?" I asked him.
He pressed his earpiece to ask, and nodded as he received an answer.
"The troopers haven't reached your house yet. With the state of some of the roads, they have to make detours."
I nodded, heart in my throat.
It seemed unlikely that Coil or Sophia would go after my dad so soon, while the city was still in chaos after the Endbringer's attack, but I couldn't help the pang of worry that wormed its way through my mind. Had he made it to a shelter in time? Had he been amongst the casualties of the shelter beneath the library that Leviathan had breached?
Director Piggot came back with an armful of paper.