Chapter 12 — Interlude (Vista)
The sound of her alarm tore Missy from her sleep, and for a merciful few moments, she thought it was all just a nightmare. She blinked away the sleep, eager to escape the remnants of her dream, but the sight of her surroundings forced the painful truth to the forefront of her awareness.
She wasn't in her room. Neither the one at home, nor the one at the base.
The sheets were softer, higher quality than the ones she was used to, but that wasn't the reason for the move. She clutched the pillow closer, eyes squeezed shut, and inhaled deeply, finding hints of Dean's cologne. It brought back memories, of being close to him, hugging him, going on patrol with him, talking to him, moments she had cherished long before knowing there wouldn't be more.
She'd been looking forward to her birthday, knowing that he would use the excuse to give her a hug. Instead, she got to hold his hand as he died from a crushed ribcage, unable to do anything but cry.
Eventually, the sheets and pillowcases would air out, and she would have nothing left of him but memories and pictures. She couldn't bear the thought.
Emotion rose to her eyes, and she was careful not to spill any of it on the pillow, grabbing a tissue to wipe her tears. She'd set her alarm fifteen minutes early specifically for this, for the daily torture of realizing that she now lived in a Dean-less world.
The others hadn't said anything about her change of room. Chris and Dennis were putting on a brave face and offering her a shoulder to cry on, even though they too suffered from the losses. Dean had been a close friend of Dennis, and even if he wasn't as close to Chris, they got along well enough.
Everybody got along with Dean, even Sophia.
That was another sore point. She wasn't a friend, keeping the other Wards at arms length and often mocking Missy and her crush on Dean, but she was still a teammate, and it sucked that she had defected and forced them all into this situation.
Why had she decided to leave? Had she been spooked by the Endbringer fight, or was something else going on? She knew Dennis knew more than he let on, because he was a bad liar with a terrible poker face, but he wouldn't reveal anything.
She wondered, idly, how Dean would have reacted to Skitter's presence amongst them.
She could imagine him trying to make the best of it, trying to make her feel welcome despite the history that lingered awkwardly between them. Skitter hadn't even apologized, and the memories of the bites and stings of thousands of insects at the fundraiser were too fresh to be comfortably set aside. Did she expect that everything would be forgiven simply because she decided to switch sides?
What would Dean tell her if Missy asked him how to deal with everything?
What would he think, if he could see her, curled up in his bed, crying her eyes out over him?
Her second alarm rang, announcing the end of her daily crying allowance. She was trying to restrict it to that period, at least, but wasn't always successful. Sometimes the emotions crept up on her unexpectedly.
She blew her nose, then carefully made the bed, and returned to her own room to get dressed and check her messages.
The PHO icon caught her attention, displaying over three hundred notifications. She opened it, and found that the bulk of it were private messages, as well as mentions. She went to her private messages first.
You have 264 unread private messages.
Private message from PurpleTurtle:
PurpleTurtle *New Message*: Did you know? Did you cover up for her? You've always been my fave but this shit is disgusting. Disappointed.
What were they talking about? Had something happened during the night?
Other messages were more of the same, some alluding to Shadow Stalker, all accusatory in tone. Some were outright death threats.
She left the application and went to her emails, finding an internal memo received around one in the morning.
Date: May 18th, 2011
From: Emily Piggot
To: [PRT ENE]; [Wards ENE]; [Protectorate ENE]
Subject: Shadow Stalker leak
The PRT ENE reminds its employees that no one is allowed to comment publicly on the confidential information leaked to the media about Shadow Stalker. Any breach will be disciplined accordingly. Thank you.
A leak? About Shadow Stalker?
At the same time as the memo, a new item had been sent to add to her calendar: a meeting in the lobby at seven fifty.
She still had a bit of time before she needed to head out, so she checked one of the PHO threads she was tagged in.
It was gone, a message stating that it had been removed due to breaching the forum's rules.
She checked another, and another, but they all seemed to be from the same removed thread. She continued until she found one that was still active.
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Topic: Shadow Stalker data leak
In: Boards Places America Brockton Bay Discussion (Public Board)
AverageMedian (Original Poster) (Veteran Member)
Posted on May 18, 2011:
Starting a new thread since the other one was removed for breaking the rules. This is the place to discuss the data leak about Shadow Stalker that occurred at midnight on May 18.
Media coverage: Here, here, here and here.
(Showing Page 22 of 24)
[INDENT]
ReadyRescuer (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 18, 2011:
No, what I'm saying is that if its true, then we're all fucked. In North America at least, villains make up a significant portion of of the capes who show up to Endbringer fights, and no one's gonna show up if they think they'll get shanked by someone other than the Endbringer in question.
► HopscotchFrogstar
Replied on May 18, 2011:
Holy shit I met her once while she was on patrol with Gallant (rip) and she seemed normal enough, maybe a bit rough around the edges, but I still got a picture w/ them
marshmallowfluff
Replied on May 18, 2011:
ReadyRescuer wym if it's true? There's a ton of proof.
► PurifyingLight (Unverified Cape)
Replied on May 18, 2011:
Was present at the Leviathan fight. Can't say I would have gone if I'd known this kind of things could happen.
XxVoid CowboyxX
Replied on May 18, 2011:
Holy [censored] I know both of them, they go to my school
LoudRainbow (Cape Groupie)
Replied on May 18, 2011:
Aegis
Gallant
Clockblocker
Kid Win
Vista
Browbeat
We deserve answers
Sandbox_gold
Replied on May 18, 2011:
LoudRainbow
Aegis, Gallant and Browbeat died, btw (RIP)
ReadyRescuer (Unverified cape)
Replied on May 18, 2011:
marshmallowfluff It's still possible that this is a setup to make the heroes look bad. We don't know who leaked the info or why. Could be a villain looking to discredit the PRT.
► LoudRainbow (Cape Groupie)
Replied on May 18, 2011:
Sandbox_gold my bad
Puzzled_curiosity
Replied on May 18, 2011:
ReadyRescuer Could also just be that the PRT knew they were dealing with someone psychotic and covered it up instead of actually doing something about it, until it got out of hand. I mean, the proof speaks for itself.
End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 21, 22, 23, 24
Missy clicked the link claiming to have proof, and found a news article. It consisted mainly of a screen capture and transcript of a PHO post, presumably the one that had been removed.
Topic: Shadow Stalker is a dangerous criminal, and the PRT covered it up
In: Boards Places America Brockton Bay Discussion (Public Board)
HiddenMonarch (Original Poster)
Posted on May 18, 2011:
As you probably know, heroes and villains band together whenever the Endbringers attack a city, and they do so with the unspoken truce that no one will take advantage of the situation to arrest or attack someone.
According to my sources, Shadow Stalker (Wards ENE) tried to murder Skitter (Undersiders) while she was unmasked in the hospital after the Leviathan fight, before fleeing the scene.
Proof: Here and here.
That's only the last of many, many offense that the PRT has covered up.
Shadow Stalker used to be a vigilante, and was arrested for using excessive force. Excessive force being an understatement.
Proof that she killed people: Here and here.
Proof that she crippled people: Here, here, here and here.
There are several other murders that I can't prove, but that happened in the same area, during the same period, and with the same M.O.: Here, here and here.
Now, you might think that it's not that bad, since that's all in the past.
Proof that she was still using lethal ammunition while in the Wards: Here, here, here and here.
What kind of person would do all of that, you may ask? The same kind who would shove someone in a locker full of used menstrual products "as a joke?" The same kind who would go on an extensive harassment campaign with their friends out of costume?
Proof: Here, here and here.
By the way, the victim of the locker incident got powers out of it and became Skitter, so we have Shadow Stalker to thank for that. The same Skitter she tried to kill.
Proof: Here and here.
The rest of the article detailed the alleged proof.
Missy's hand went to her mouth.
Had Sophia really done all of that?
She wasn't the nicest person, to put it gently, but Vista would never have expected that she would go that far. It was hard to believe, even with the overwhelming amount of proof ranging from testimonies of criminals who had witnessed or been on the receiving end of her violence, to an interview with an anonymous PRT officer who had been sent against Shadow Stalker after she allegedly attacked Skitter in the hospital, and a transcript of an interrogation of her handler, to Sophia's own text messages and pictures.
She recognized Skitter — Taylor — in the latter, as Sophia's victim. Her face was blurred, but the hair was the same. There were pictures and videos of her being pushed around, mocked, taunted and having her personal effects forcibly taken or pushed from her hands, and a video of Sophia shoving her in a locker filled with something she couldn't make out, then closing the door and locking it as others laughed.
If it were true that Shadow Stalker had attacked her in the hospital, then it explained her joining the Wards, most likely as an attempt from higher-ups to control information about the Endbringer truce being broken.
She closed the tab and went back to PHO.
Her private messages were more of the same, people demanding to know to what degree the local heroes were complicit or covering Shadow Stalker's crimes, and a few she suspected of being journalists, asking more pointed questions.
A knock on her door drew her attention away from her phone, and she went to open. It was Chris, his visor off.
"Are you coming to breakfast?" He asked.
She nodded and slid her phone in her pocket, grabbing her helmet.
"Did you see the Shadow Stalker stuff?" She asked him.
"Yeah. Had a ton of messages about it from PHO. I can't believe she did all of this."
"Yeah, me neither."
She knocked on Dennis' door, and he came out with his helmet under his arm.
"Morning," he greeted them.
"You knew, didn't you?" She asked. "About Shadow Stalker?"
His smile melted, his eyebrows knitting together.
"Don't try to bluff," she warned him. "There's a reason you always lose at poker."
"Rude much? That was only two times. But yeah, I knew some of it. I guess I can say it now. I was called in when she attacked Skitter in the hospital, and was there when the big guys more or less strong-armed Skitter into joining the Wards to keep it quiet."
"She really attacked her?" Asked Chris.
Dennis nodded. "Wasn't pretty either. Skitter also told us about some of what has been leaked, about her using lethal ammo behind our backs and being responsible for her trigger event."
"Do you think she might be behind the leak? Skitter?"
He shook his head. "I'm not sure how much I can say, but no. I'm pretty sure it's someone else."
"We should go to the canteen before all the pastries are taken," said Missy.
"Should we…" Chris trailed off, gesturing to Taylor's door.
Missy wasn't sure what to answer. She didn't particularly want to see the girl, especially with this whole mess with Shadow Stalker twisting her stomach. On the other hand, said mess also shed a new light on her, one that she didn't know how to interpret. Had she turned to villainy because of Sophia's bullying? Should they reach out, pretending like nothing had happened? Feel sorry for her? Did she blame them as complicit to Shadow Stalker? Was that why she was avoiding them?
"She's not there," said Dennis, to Missy's relief. She wasn't ready to interact with the girl more than in passing, not when all of her emotional capacity was focused on processing Dean's death. "She was called for an emergency during the night, which I'm guessing has to do with the leak."
"Do we know what the meeting in the lobby is about?" Asked Chris as they walked out of their headquarters and toward the elevator.
"They haven't said," Denis answered. "A press conference to do damage control, most likely."
"Do you think she really killed people?" Missy asked in a small voice.
"Seeing what she did to Skitter, I don't have trouble believing it."
The conversation came to a lull in the elevator, as they put on their respective helmets.
The cafeteria was alive with more agents than usual, and whispered conversations following the three Wards as they made their way to the canteen. They grabbed food with their best poker faces on (it helped that Clockblocker's helmet was full coverage), and Vista answered Linda the lunch lady's prodding with a simple "no comments."
She carried her tray with a blueberry-cheese danish, a banana and a coffee (one cream, two sugars, the way Dean liked it, which was a silly thing but still made her feel closer to him) to their usual table in the middle row as Kid Win followed with his peanut butter toasts and chocolate milk, and Clockblocker with his bowl of Frooty Toots. They ate in silence, both to keep the nosier people from spying on them, and because the circumstances eclipsed any small talk they might otherwise have shared.
All the while, Vista mentally replayed every interaction she had with Sophia, searching for any sign she might have neglected. Hadn't she noticed how violent Sophia could be when dispatching criminals? Hadn't Carlos and Rory warned her to tone it down before? Was there something they could have done to prevent all of this? What share of responsibility did they have in her actions?
She finished her breakfast without finding answers.
They brought their trays and dishes to the rack in the corner and headed to the lobby. There, they found the higher ups, Legend, Miss Militia, Armsmaster and Piggot, along with Maureen, Glenn and a handful of agents. None of them looked like they'd gotten any sleep the previous night. Armsmaster was hunched over in a way she had never seen before, him who usually stood so proud, and was nodding along to what Glenn was saying. Miss Militia and Piggot were talking to Maureen at the reception desk, while Legend was nursing a cup of coffee with a thousand-yard stare.
One person stood out, and Vista recognized Taylor by her hair and height, as she was otherwise fully covered in a black and yellow costume with a short dress over a bodysuit and some yellow armor pieces. She was reading a piece of paper in the corner, presumably her prepared speech.
Visibly, the higher ups had decided that the best way to distract from the scandal was to shove the new Ward in front of cameras. Vista didn't know how to feel about that. It was as if they were telling the world that they were already moving on from the deceased.
Where did that leave her, when she couldn't?
Outside the doors, agents were installing a stage and a podium, while journalists waited, cameras at the ready.
"Wards!" Glenn exclaimed, turning to them. "Good to see you, though I wish the circumstances were different. As you might have guessed, today, we are doing damage control. Armsmaster is publicly stepping down as leader of the Protectorate ENE, and we are introducing your new colleague. Don't worry. You won't have to say anything, but now more than ever, it is important to present a united front."
A united front? Clockblocker, Kid Win and Vista were a united front. She could pretend for a few minutes in front of journalists, but Taylor's arrival in their midst changed things no matter what, as did Shadow Stalker's betrayal.
What would Dean do?
Dean would smile and make the new recruit feel welcome. She didn't think she could manage either.
Her eyes settled on the photo of him that had been reprinted in black and white, above the front desk, looking so young.
What would he say about the Shadow Stalker situation?
He would see it as a failure on his part, because he was the kind of person who always saw the best in people, no matter how little there might be. At the same time, he would try to comfort her and tell her that it wasn't her fault for not seeing anything, and she would have to point out that it wasn't his fault either, to which he would answer that with his power, he should have known.
Teeth clenched, she tore her eyes away from the picture before the emotion could reach them.
"Everyone ready?" Asked Maureen.
Various nods and sounds of agreement answered her.
She opened the door, and held it open as everyone filed out. They took place on the scene, beside the podium, and Legend took the mike.