Dinah laughed joyfully as her friend continued to pull her around the dance floor. Clara was weird, at times a force of nature, but she just had a presence and personality that made you want to act freely around her.
That was why Dinah couldn't hide the wide smile on her own face or the brightness in her eyes as they danced. They had room around them but there was a constant desire to stay close, so Dinah did. Always within contact of Clara and ready to be twirled around again. She had almost felt disappointed when they had finished dancing, only to have Clara still hold her by her hand as they got back to their table.
Her hands were warm and soft. Dinah held on, simply passing the time by being with Clara. There were a few people giving them disapproving looks, which was honestly kinda expected considering the influence the E88 had on Brockton Bay and the conservative views of a good chunk of the upper class in this city, but she didn't care.
She should've but she didn't. So what if she was being a bit touchy with her friend; This was worth it. Besides not everyone was disapproving and Dinah was pretty sure her own mother approved judging by the grin she shot in her direction during their dance.
"I didn't know you could dance," Dinah commented.
Clara smiled. Not a manic grin or mischievous smile. Just something… gentle. "Daddy took me to classes when I asked him to. Even joined a few of them with me."
Clara did have a very strong relationship with her father, even as a single parent he always seemed to have time for her. He was certainly a better parent than Missy's were. Dinah didn't need to spend much time with that family to realize how dysfunctional they were.
No wonder Missy got Powers.
"So. Did you have fun?" Clara asked coyly.
"I did," Dinah replied.
"Then let's do it again."
"Okay."
Clara tapped her on the arm. "Heads up."
Dinah looked in the direction Clara pointed her to and saw that Missy was being swarmed by adults that were really insistent on talking with her. "We should probably go help."
Clara shook her head. "It's fine, I think she's already got help."
That was true. It wasn't long before Glory Girl and her date suddenly came over and used her overwhelming presence, likely Power assisted, to part the crowds and give Missy some room. After that she brought Missy to the rest of New Wave that attended the gala, the group acting as sufficient protection.
"Besides." Clara intertwined the fingers of her hand with Dinah's. "We don't spend enough time with just the two of us."
Dinah turned away, unable to hide the light blush on her face that Clara clearly noticed. "Okay."
The party was long since over by the time Kaiser was able to set an impromptu meeting with Rune and Hookwolf. It was sudden but several unexpected incidents had happened at that party, most of them actually quite pleasant.
"Missy Biron is a girl of many talents," Kaiser commented after hearing both of their reports. Brad sending her in his place to deal with his targets was actually quite brilliant. It allowed him to keep his head down while letting someone else do the work that he had been unable to do. And if she happened to get hurt on her escapades, well then Medhall would come by with some help. "I'm surprised someone so young could lead on the dance floor. Or even get Theo to dance." Now that was a revelation. Even if it was clear the boy was a subordinate, at least the person he was deferring to was worthy of it.
How… interesting.
"Her friends also danced a lot," Rune commented. "Together. In front of an audience."
Indeed. Two young girls dancing together. Not unheard of in this day and age, and rather charming in a way. However there were those in the Empire, and others that were sympathetic to the ideology, that would have issues with two girls in a situation that could be seen as overly intimate. "Make sure everyone is aware that it's just children playing." And that's all it was. It was like playing dress-up or sleepovers. Once they were of age they would simply outgrow it and find proper men anyway.
Kaiser opened his palm and formed a spiked crystalline shape of metal. "Her powers are truly strange though. Is she really telling the truth?"
"Don't think the girl was bullshittin," Hookwolf replied. "Believes Power of Friendship applies to her. Thinkin it might actually."
"Really?" Kaiser asked. "You'd trust in the words of an 11-year-old girl?"
"Nothing shows otherwise. So yea."
"And you Rune?"
"She's a girl scout. A tough girl scout, but still all about that power of friendship," Rune replied. "Wouldn't be the weirdest power that existed."
True. Parahuman Powers had the potential to be particularly strange. His own by comparison was quite simple, if powerful.
"Then you have made strides toward being one of those bonds, judging from your own reports. And my own son seems to have developed a mutual kinship with her," Kaier contemplated. "Befriend her and help set up meetings with her and Theo."
"You sure? He's a bit of a…"
"I'm well aware of my son's flaws. Perhaps he'll gain something from being around a confident young girl like her and if they do get closer…"
The girl had strength or rather she would eventually have it. Even if Theo himself was likely unfit to lead that didn't mean the person who he was ultimately matched with couldn't advise him or ultimately take his place. Unlike the Grunts that made up most of the lower ranks Max was no misogynist, he could accept a woman in a leadership position so long as they had the strength and will to back it. Much like Iron Rain before her untimely death.
He had once thought his ex-wife had these qualities too, but ultimately Kayden had strength but lacked the will. It was one of the reasons they had ultimately divorced. The woman was set in her ways and had simply had too many other flaws to ever lead by his side, the only highlight of their brief marriage was the child she had borne.
A potential heir to replace Theo should he truly be unworthy. A girl with potential to inherit their strength but with Kaiser's will. But it was likely many years in the future before that could come to fruition. Missy Biron on the other hand was young but not too young, at a point where she would rapidly develop and be quite impressionable to the influences around her. It wouldn't be hard to gradually shift her beliefs with the right people or perhaps introduce parts of the organization that weren't quite so dogmatic.
She could learn to understand the practical benefits of being part of an organization like this even if her beliefs didn't completely match. It was the same with Kaiser himself. He didn't particularly care about minorities or gay people at all, they were simply a fictional enemy to lead the masses along that he inherited from his father when he took control of his Empire.
Either way, so many ways to go about it. Rune, Medhall, Hookwolf, even the girl's own mother who had proven quite susceptible to Kaiser's false praise. The woman was unspectacular, even more so than the father, but she had her uses for the time being.
This was all speculation and thought work though. There was no guarantee nor was it likely that the young girl would develop in a way he wished or needed… but she did have potential. So much more than Theo at this point, though he might have something productive he could do for once.
"She wasn't raised with Empire. Won't be easy playing matchmaker with her," Rune replied, clued into his thinking.
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't make the attempt," Kaiser replied as he closed his palm and crushed the metal that he had held to dust. It wouldn't hurt him or the Empire to devote some more resources toward acquiring Missy Biron. "We'll see how their relationship develops and work from there. Also do ingratiate yourself with her. Whether Theo succeeds or not I do expect you to be her closest female confidante. You've already made much progress, just take that next step further."
"… alright," Rune replied.
"Play your games," Hookwolf commented. "But honestly, Yer underestimating the brat."
"How so?" Kaiser asked out of genuine curiosity. It wasn't like Hookwolf to be so hesitant. "Didn't you convince her to do your work?"
"Girl's naïve and itching for a fight. Send her to fuck up some real trash? Fine. But what yer doing, don't think she's weak or dumb enough for that," Hookwolf replied.
Kaiser suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Why was Hookwolf of all people choosing now to be so doubtful? Perhaps he just thought too much of the young girl that had struck him a few months ago. "We shall see."
Piggot decided to personally watch Missy Biron's Power Testing. It was an additional round of testing that had been highly encouraged by the PRT after they had gotten a report and seen videos of her creating a nuclear blast on the coastline. An event that had sadly been as public and viral as everything else about this girl ever since she got her Powers.
"Frei!"
Piggot, along with everyone else observing, watched as the girl's Projection used its Power in an observation room that was both isolated and insulated to avoid any potential radiation. As expected, the results were quite explosive.
"High amounts of concentrated radiation at the time of the blast localized to a surprisingly small area. There is little to no radiation after the explosion subsides," Armsmaster explained as he read the readings on the nearby devices.
"So we'll only get cancer if we get blasted in the face?" Assault asked.
"The burns and concussive force would likely take priority in that situation."
So low chances of the girl single handedly making Brockton Bay an irradiated zone… as she was now. She was clearly growing stronger and if her Powers to someone nuclear blasts also evolved-
"Forbid her from using any nuclear abilities while she's in this city- no country," Piggot commanded. "And have the girl scheduled for monthly Power Testing. If she's going to gain and practice new Powers, then it will be under our supervision in a secure environment."
Armsmaster nodded. "Should we have her charged and taken in?"
"No. She didn't actually harm anyone or the environment apart from that one fish." Potential for destruction alone was not grounds for an arrest despite how much it irked Piggot otherwise. Capes in general were just too dangerous to be allowed to run around unsupervised, but in the end there were lines and policies she couldn't cross. Someone like Tagg certainly would though, even if it meant bringing the entire city into chaos in the process. "We will give her a strong warning and ensure that she complies with our restrictions."
Missy Biron then summoned an… animated cartoon snowman that danced around on its feet? It was like something straight from a children's cartoon.
"Hee Hoo!"
The snowman then proceeded to completely envelope the training dummy in a large chunk of ice. It said something that that Projection was probably one of the least problematic Powers that the girl had, and also very visually appealing.
"Add the new Projection and Cryokinesis to her list of Powers," Piggot sighed.
Chambers was going to have both a field day and a nightmare scenario to deal with once he arrived in Brockton Bay. It would be entertaining to watch if it wasn't for the fact that she was going to be the one that would have to deal with him.
Lung read the report given to him by one of his lieutenants. Concise and to the point as he demanded, for his time was valuable. Those who disobeyed and filled their reports with nonsense and fluff would find themselves quickly replaced.
Skirmishes against the Empire at the border of their territory, hmph same thing as usual. Chorus enacting violence against civilians, not worth the time to even acknowledge unless they dared to do so in his territory. The Merchants though, they were trying to interfere with ABBs drug trade. That would not do.
Some extermination of some vermin might be due if they continued to overreach.
Then a line about one of the ABBs brothels being raided by the local police that he simply read once before setting it aside.
Lung was a sedate individual, much more preferring to eke out the comforts he had acquired himself in Brockton Bay and only going out when he had to. Though he was the face and leader of the ABB he had little involvement in the business and day to day activities of the Gang. So long as he was given the tithe he deserved he was content to leave them be and run themselves, only ever getting involved against personal slights or when dealing with opposing Capes.
Capes and those under their backing were simply something that the regular people couldn't deal with. That was something he acknowledged and thus saw as his duty to deal with. Police on the other hand were not Capes and were the responsibility of regular people, those under him. A brothel being raided was not his responsibility. It would be the responsibility of those dumb or foolish enough to have been caught by the police in the first place.
Lung continued reading the report until he finally made it to the final note at the bottom. That one got him to raise an eye. It also got him to take out his phone and watch a currently circulating video.
Missy Biron. A problem of the Empire by their own creation. A Cape that previously he had simply acknowledged as existing before moving on to other things.
Now though there was a bit of outcry from his own men.
He could see why.
Her Projections were varied and included various European myths. He knew because… well it was a hobby of his. He enjoyed reading myths and fairytales in general no matter the origin. It had been an amusing and increasingly likely possibility that the girl would even use the Empire's own mythology against them.
That was also why he very much recognized the Oguchi-no-Magami of his own people's mythology. A divine beast capable of seeing into the hearts of humans, protecting those who are good but punishing those who are evil.
Heh. How fitting for a city like Brockton Bay.
And a little white girl had the audacity to summon it and not only that, but have it create a nuclear explosion. Hiroshima and Nagasaki might've been before Lung's time but its history and legacy was deeply ingrained in his people's culture. Or at least what remained of it after Leviathan's rampage.
The irony of it all could be quite humorous… if it wasn't so insulting.
Lung straightened up until he sat straight on his La-Z boy.
What punishment was that insult worth though? It was not intentional, that much was clear by the girl's reactions on video. And she was young. Even he could acknowledge and make allowances for the folly of youth in general.
Hmm.
On one hand there was the slight the girl had done to the ABB with her blatant summoning of an Asian figure that then proceeded to create a nuclear explosion. On the other the girl was a black mark on the E88s reputation and a constant reminder of their failures anytime that she was seen. Her mere existence provided entertainment and value so it might not be worth having her captured or killed.
Also one of the people she had saved in that apartment fire happened to be the chef for his favorite Oden place... so that was worth a minor boon.
Lung called one of his lieutenants and they stood there solemnly as he gave them his decree. "I will deal with this girl myself on my own time."
A simple command that ensured that the girl was his responsibility. Capes should deal with Capes and this would prevent the folly of the Non-Capes under his rule attacking her. For now though he was content to leave her be and let her be a problem for everyone else.
If she proved to be a threat or insulted him any further, then he would be honor bound to hunt her down. However, if she did happen to summon more beings of his own people's mythology, especially some of the great Kami… well then perhaps they could be used to galvanize his people and inspire further loyalty. The racial requirements of the ABB were simply something that had existed before he had taken over and consolidated all the groups. It had its uses… but he could be a bit more flexible on that point.
So yes if the girl did eventually prove to be valuable enough then he would bring her to heel himself.
When and if that time came she would bow to him or die.
"And that is why I invited you here today," Igor told his companion that sat across from him. Someone he invited to help with a particularly complicated situation. "As you can tell the situation is quite complex and thus your influence along with others is necessary. If you can spare the time of course"
"I see… well that explains the Current Velvet Room. Much more grand than what my Trickster was left with, though that could be excused for that imposter of yours."
"So. Do you accept?"
"Mreeeoow. Of course I do. Ren's a bit busy with his baby daughter anyway." An anthropomorphic black cat smiled from his seat, his eyes already sparkling with mischief. "Besides, a Phantom Thief's work is never done and I always did want to take on another protégé."
