Little Hunter

If there was an upside to being suspended, it was that she could spend more time with Rose.

If there was a downside it was realizing just how much the girl didn't know how to do basic math.

"You just have to apply yourself," Annette said as she walked her younger daughter through the worksheet. "See?"

"Yes," Rose said stiffly.

It was basic multiplication. How had Rose been getting A's when she only knew the easy ones like two, three, and five? Children could be so odd, but that was part of the fun. Many of her best memories of Taylor were the odder kind.

Before Danny died, of course.

Rose worked at the sheet like Annette showed her and she started getting them right. Children. They were rarely stupid, just energetic. Focusing didn't come naturally to them.

While she did, Annette took the chance to look through report cards from Rose's teachers. She was usually so busy she couldn't give them more than a cursory glance. Missy kind of did her the favor of keeping an eye on things since she did so much babysitting.

A straight-A student even at her age.

How was it she struggled with multiplication then?

Annette lifted the report from the math teacher and gave it a quick read.

Her brow lifted.

While there is no rule against working with other students, Rose does need to be able to complete her own assignments. Often I find she struggles to answer questions in class, yet her tests and assignments are always excellent.

They're also virtually identical to those of other students in the class.

I am not accusing Rose of cheating. I'd considered that but I've watched her and she takes all her tests honestly and her homework is written in her own hand. Again, the students can work together, but I think Rose could use a little more attention to ensure she's properly absorbing the material.

Annette read it twice, uncertain what about it bugged her. There was nothing wrong with Rose working with other students. That was a good thing. She wasn't cheating. That was great.

But what was it—

Annette's phone rang and she set the paper aside.

The caller ID said 'PRT LA.'

The archives. They were all located there and while Annette was suspended, she still had access.

"I'll be right back, Rose."

"Okay."

Annette rose and went into her bedroom. Rose knew about her parents, but Annette still preferred to keep her at a distance from cape business. As much as she could, at least. The past week not even remotely withstanding.

Night and Fog still had a significant amount of retribution coming.

But first, it was time to get some answers about who the hell had trained Nanku and supplied her with her weapons. She was not a tinker. Someone made them for her and they'd been doing what they were doing a long time.

Annette raised the phone to her ear and slipped into another room.

"Weaver," she answered.

"Annette," the voice on the other side greeted.

Annette froze. She knew the voice. Well. Unfortunately well.

And she didn't like her.

The only people who thought Rebecca Costa-Brown was a hero were the people who didn't know her.

"Chief Director," Annette replied. "Sorry. I thought you were—"

"The archives, I know."

No. No no no no NO.

"I'm afraid I've put a stop to your record request," the liar in the Chief Director's chair explained. "You're on suspension, Annette. Let's not make it worse."

"Isn't that more Legend's area?" Anne asked.

"I've informed him of this decision and thought it would be better coming from me. Given our long relationship."

That relationship was mostly veiled threats about what would happen if Annette said anything she shouldn't. "I see."

"Good. I'm sorry, by the way. I'm sure the past few months have been tumultuous at best. For what it's worth, the PRT still quietly views the status quo in Brockton Bay as a net positive. Curtz is upset but that's why he's there. To make sure no one forgets that there are lines the PRT will not cross."

"Of course, ma'am. I understand."

"Good. Brockton Bay is low maintenance. The Undersiders are a sort of villain that can be tolerated so long as everyone stays in their lines."

"I said I understood."

"I'm only making sure. Have a nice day, Anne."

"You too, ma'am."

Annette expected the call to end there.

It didn't.

"And about your elder daughter."

Annette went stiff all at once, mind racing. What was this? Another threat or something else? Why was the woman getting involved now, or was she talking on behalf of another party? Curtz seemed to have some agenda. He knew something and was not doing nearly as good a job hiding that fact as he thought.

Was he just the front face of something else that was higher up the PRT's ladder?

"I wanted to offer some assurance," she began. "To keep you from doing anything foolish."

Annette didn't feel assured. Not even remotely. "Meaning?"

"We're taking circumstance into account. Clearly the trauma from her trigger event and the camp have left Taylor ill-equipped for normal society."

"… Meaning?"

"Meaning she doesn't have a kill order just yet."

The implied threat was not lost on Annette. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. If this matter continues to escalate there won't be a choice, especially if it continues to interfere with the operation of the PRT and the Protectorate."

"I understood the threat."

"You really should be less paranoid. Do keep your head down, Anne. You're a valuable asset in the Protectorate. With the Pure gone, it'd be nice if Brockton Bay returned to some level of stability. Soon."

She left the 'you should focus on that' unsaid. "Of course."

"How is your other daughter?"

"Don't push your luck, Alex."

There was a brief silence. Enough to let Annette know the woman was considering. Maybe if Annette were even dumber than she was she'd have been killed years ago, but she'd made that a foolish move. She wasn't quite that dumb and there were a lot of ways to release information from the grave. A corpse simply made it easier to call attention to it.

"Have a good day," the Chief-Director concluded.

"Is this just about Nanku, or is it about my request to the archives too?"

"You should take your own advice, Annette. Don't push your luck."

The line died like that and Annette let her hand drop.

She looked out the window blankly for a long time. Long enough Rose came looking for her with the concerned uncertainty of a child who doesn't know what's wrong.

"Mom?" she called.

"Nothing," Annette lied. "Just a telemarketer."

Around the kennel it was late. Many dogs slept, lounged, or watched the colors on the TV. Cassie was watching another vapid reality TV show with Colt and a few others. They were occupied and Nanku figured waiting anymore would be pointless delay.

It was time to continue her business.

Nanku checked her equipment thoroughly.

She'd cleaned it all but not bothered to check it after the hunt in downtown. She'd taken several blows and fallen several times during the fight. She'd gotten too sloppy. Too distracted with her own familial drama.

It led to mistakes.

Mistakes she was done with making.

Mask check. Cloak check. Plasma caster check. Gauntlet. Computer. Shurikens. Spears. Knives and blades. All sharp and mechanisms intact.

Krieg's power was similar to Assault's and Assault's was a problem. Nanku needed to proceed carefully. The man needed to live long enough to answer questions and for that he also needed to be mostly whole.

She might only have as little as a single chance to try and test things on his power to see what worked.

Best none of her gear failed when she took her chance.

Nanku put on her equipment, fitted all her gear, and fed Dusk and Dawn for the night ahead.

While they gobbled down the meat provided to them, Nanku went to the door and pushed it open.

Bitch sat outside in a chair enjoying the night. The woman scratched Brutus behind the ears and another dog—one of the silly small ones—nestled in her lap. Not so close as to intrude but close enough she was interested in watching.

She understood things that way. Nanku appreciated it.

The night was cool and there was a slight wind rustling the trees. There were stars out. Far from a big city like Brockton Bay, they could see them a bit more clearly.

"Going?" Bitch asked.

"Yes," Nanku answered.

"Don't be stupid."

"You said revenge is stupid."

"Stupider than most."

Nanku gave a huff and drew Dusk and Dawn to her side.

"Promise."

She tilted her head and Bitch gave her a look that wasn't quite mocking, but not quite stern.

"Promise," she repeated.

Nanku glared behind her mask. "Promise what?"

"Not to be too stupid."

…

"I promise."

She felt stupider saying it.

It seemed to amuse Bitch to hear. It wasn't so bad. Though something about leaving Bitch in a bad spot still prodded her sides and stomach.

"Bye."

"You'll be back," Bitch declared.

"So sure?"

"Sure."

Maybe she'd be right. Nanku hadn't considered what she might do when she finished her business aside from some vague nations. Maybe hanging around Bitch when she was done would be nice.

Taking the Twins, Nanku strode into the dark and hiked as far as she could through the woods. Her pace quickened. A walk became a jog. A jog a run. A run a full sprint. She'd had a few days to heal and her injuries weren't as bad as the pain implied.

It was good to run again.

Nanku activated the cloak and shrouded herself.

She took some care to get as far from the kennel as possible before leaving the woods. Fortunately, the area was far more wooded than any part of Brockton Bay. Nanku gathered a swarm as she went and used it to extend the shadows of night and cover for herself.

When she did emerge, it was near an overpass with gas stations and a truck stop.

It took about an hour to find someone going toward Boston.

From there she simply crawled Dusk and Dawn—and a best of the swarm she'd gathered—under the trailer and climbed. The driver took some time but eventually, she came out, got in, and started driving.

Nanku had done her research on local villains and heroes. No Nazis, but there was a group called the Teeth she wanted to avoid. Tangling herself in one villain group had been enough of a distraction. She'd rather not repeat herself.

The drive wasn't too long. Fifty miles more or less on a highway was fairly quick.

Then she was in the city. A much cleaner place than Brockton Bay. Taller and more developed buildings and a large river running through.

It was late and the sun would rise in a few hours but Nanku wanted to find the address she'd been given first.

It was an office building. Not hard to find in the end since the name was in big white letters on the top floors.

Gertrude Pharma.

Nanku went out of her way to stay undercover as she approached. For all she knew every city around Brockton Bay was looking for her. They might all have measures in place to see through her cloak and that was another thing she didn't want to be drawn into.

When she did reach the building, she found that most of the floors lacked any meaningful security.

And a few of the office spaces were empty.

That would do.

She went inside and at four in the morning, the place was barren. Only a few office workers and none in any areas she worried about crossing paths with.

Eighth floor, she realized when she saw the office numbers.

There, Nanku did find security. Good security. The kind she wouldn't test and risk tipping anyone off. Sensor lasers. Cameras that tracked movement somehow—she had to switch up how she moved her bugs on noticing that. Some kind of sensor at every door and magnetic locks.

If she had to assault the place she could.

She took her time with a few bugs. Flies and gnats. Flies wouldn't draw too much attention if noticed, and gnats were so small they didn't trigger the cameras.

Nanku found his office after crawling around over the plates by the doors.

Using the bugs in the room, she searched the contents and at some point noticed none of the security was on the windows.

Nanku got back outside and scaled the building to get a look inside the room.

It was a risk, but she needed to be sure.

Fairly typical office. Nothing out of the ordinary. No costume hidden anywhere but there were some briefcases sealed too tight for a bug to get into. Her visor exposed nothing on various modes. No metals or electronics inside. Looked like paper.

Several photos sat on the desk and a computer. Nothing she could plainly see.

But the wall.

That's where it was.

An award to a 'Kyle Spetz' from Med-Hall, dated a year after the camp. There were other things there. All dated for after the camp.

As if Kyle Spetz simply popped into existence one day.

Nanku searched the room for any security she wanted to know about and withdrew. She found an empty office space and settled Dusk and Dawn down. The location seemed relatively secure and there was a street of stores nearby.

She gathered her swarm into corners and spaces where she could and switched into regular clothes.

Nanku worked her way down through the building and strode out of a side door. Walked like she belonged. No one paid her any mind.

Some food—water especially—and supplies for a few days. Nanku had the money. Now that her clothes fit her she went even more unnoticed as she went through stores and acquired what she needed. The line didn't even bother her.

The task was relaxing in an odd way.

Gave her some time to think. Ponder questions.

How to ensnare Krieg so that she might press him.

Nanku turned her head and watched the people on the street below. How did one trap a man who could turn aside blows launched at him?

She considered it awhile while the line ahead of her shuffled on at a slow pace.

The aisles were packed.

Nanku dropped her gaze and drew a line on the floor. Aisles. Halls. Doors. Narrow places people had to pass through to go anywhere. Choke points.

Everyone had to go through choke points sooner or later.

Nanku used a few bugs to measure. Bugs on the left. Bugs on the right. Then, she drew a few spiders out and had them spin some lines.

Not in the same store she was in, of course. That might be too obvious. She needed to test some silk lines. Figure out how strong one needs to be to cause someone to trip.

The solution could be that simple.

Simply let him walk into the blow, instead of sending it toward him.