Another day… another hospital shift, this time in the PRT building. Apparently they had their own medical facilities for PRT troops and Protectorate Heroes. Normally Missy would be excited to heal the people that she looked up to, but due to events last night she hadn't caught up much on sleep. She was barely just chugging along as she healed person after person. The real caffeinated coffee Shinji had reluctantly given her in the morning was likely the reason she had even got to this point without falling over.
At least Pixie knew Diarama now. Media was good enough to clear out a good chunk of the smaller issues at once, but Diarama was proof of her growth. It also led to an impromptu Power Retesting as they began recording the improvements in her healing capabilities. ues. Her new spell helped her assist with Troopers with strained muscles, broken bones, and other stuff like that. She had also helped speed up the recovery of those going through physical therapy due to past injuries, which would allow them to get into the field that much more quickly.
Heroes of course took priority which was why Velocity was quickly brought to her after his recent patrol.
"Long day?" Velocity asked as Pixie used Diarama over his leg. He had pulled a muscle in his leg. That apparently happened a lot.
"Yea," Missy admitted as she put a makeshift bag of ice that she had requested onto her head. Headache wasn't too bad, just a dull ache, but it paired horribly with a lack of sleep. She wouldn't have even woken up in time if it wasn't for a combination of Minako's pestering and Morgana outright sitting on her face. Morgana was very fluffy and warm but that also made it hard to stay sleeping when he used his body to stop you from breathing. "Think you're the last one before… my break… uuuuuhh. I need a nap."
"I'll check if you can use the couch in Ward's rooms."
"Preciate it," Missy grumbled as she put her Evoker to her head again. "Dia…rama."
Another round of healing and fifteen minutes later Velocity was bouncing on his leg again. He turned back to her once he finished checking on his leg. "Yea you definitely need a nap."
"Missy Biron," a familiar voice called her from behind.
Missy suppressed a groan and did her best to be professional as she turned to face Armsmaster. "Yessir?"
"Follow me." He then walked without clarifying any further.
"You should probably follow him," Velocity suggested.
This time Missy did groan as she forced herself onto her feet and followed the Hero. She followed him down a couple eventually leading to a very thick and secure door. Armsmaster put in a password, put his finger on his pad, and scanned his damn teeth before the door opened and revealed what was apparently his lab. He told her to sit on a stool and she did so as he pulled something out from an organized cabinet.
He put down a bottle of pills in front of her. "Recent creation of mine while collaborating with another Tinker."
"… You're giving me Tinker drugs?" Missy asked
"Modified Acetaminophen, designed to target the areas of the brain most affected by overuse of Thinker Powers. The same areas stressed when you summon your Projections."
"They're safe?"
"Of course," he replied, sounding almost insulted that she had questioned him. "Already approved by Committee. They're essentially just over the counter pharmaceuticals though they can't be mass produced."
"So you made these for me?" Missy asked as she grabbed the bottle. "Thanks."
"One pill. Every eight hours, no more than three a day," he informed her as she popped a pill into her mouth. "Don't consume on an empty stomach. They should take effect in a half-hour."
"Got it." Missy looked around the lab. "You have a pretty cool place."
"It's one of my spare stations. My main lab is in a secured location with the Protectorate HQ," Armsmaster informed her.
"Still cool."
"A Tinker's lab is their lifeline. It is proof of my effort and hard work."
Missy nodded. It certainly looked like he put a lot of work into all of this. "Tinkers… get stronger when they work harder. Tinker more, right?"
"Yes."
"Then do you ever get the feeling that no matter how hard you work and how much you build… it's just never enough?" Missy asked.
"No," Armsmaster replied quickly as his body tensed slightly. Not that Missy really noticed.
"Yea no you wouldn't feel that way I just… can't heal everyone here without drugs. Can't even stop the Villains."
The Hero remained silent as he let her continue speaking.
"Circus kicked my a- butt. Skidmark got away. I try and try but there's always something else in this city that's just going bad or someone that's just better than me." Missy shook her head. "Sorry. I shouldn't complain so much. Everyone's working hard, it's not just me."
Armsmaster simply stared at her carefully before answering. "In ideal circumstances… you should join the Wards."
"Another pitch?" Missy sighed. "I'm sorry but-"
Armsmaster raised a hand and interrupted her. "In ideal circumstances it would be more efficient to have you work closely with us. But current policy for the Wards would limit your effectiveness," he admitted.
Missy grimaced. "Even you think it's bad?"
"National Policy mandates that Wards avoid direct conflict with most major Villains if they can. However in Brockton Bay where we are severely outnumbered, that policy is either stifling us or simply ignored due to emergencies. It acts as another roadblock for us taking decisive action with the numbers we do have. That would be especially true if we assigned you primarily to Public Relations and healing. It would be a waste of your varied and growing move set." Armsmaster moved his arms and held both of his hands in front of him. "The situation in Brockton is… unique. I have long since been convinced that there are certain things that need to be done to make substantial progress. However, such methods are often discouraged or forbidden by my Superiors."
"You mean the Director?"
"And the Chief Director of the PRT, yes. We don't always see eye to eye. They have a belief that stability is a priority, even if that leads to a slow decline. I would prefer more… drastic and aggressive measures."
That fact that the lead Hero in Brockton Bay was willing to admit that boded poorly with how things were going. "What can we do then?" Missy asked.
"You have my number. If hypothetically, off the record, you were in a tenuous situation and required my aid, I would have the justification needed to act and send you reinforcements. Justification to say land a blow to the Gangs."
Missy straightened up, the pain in her head a complete afterthought, though that was probably just the drugs. She had a feeling she knew where he was going with this. And she liked it.
"Hypothetically if I were to pick a fight with the Empire…"
"They've threatened you in the past and forced you to be an Open Cape. Any further violation of the Unwritten Rules… and we would be forced to retaliate in kind."
Missy didn't even try to hide the evil smile growing on her face while Armsmaster remained stoic. There was also a familiar beating in her chest that told her that they were going to get along just fine.
"You okay there Sleeping Beauty?"
Missy opened her eyes, moaned a little, and sat up before stretching her limbs. She felt a lot better now after that nap on the Ward's couch, a lot more refreshed, but that might have also been because of the Tinker drugs.
Now that she was awake, she turned to the person that had woken her up. "Clockblocker?"
"In the flesh. And you must be Brockton's resident Angel."
Missy grimaced. "Scion no, not that name."
"Alright Angel."
"Don't call me that!?" Missy groaned before she began muttering to herself. "Really need a good Cape Name."
"Still haven't figured it out?"
"Nope. Any suggestions?"
"Fairy girl? Tinker Bell?"
"Oh. Hah hah." Missy replied, annoyed. "Anything helpful?"
"Sleeping Beauty?"
"… You are so lucky I can't bring my katana here."
"What about that?" Clockblocker gestured to her Evoker.
"You're not worth it."
"Soooo I have to try harder?"
"… I am going to suffocate you with this pillow."
Clockblocker gasped dramatically. "How violent! Weren't you supposed to be a sweet little girl. Was the news lying to all of us?" He stayed in that position even as he got a pillow thrown at his face. "Wow, I should have you arrested for aggravated assault."
"Do the Wards have to deal with this all the time?"
"Yes. Yes we do," Aegis confirmed as he stepped into view. "Clockblocker's a lot like what you see on TV. Always making jokes, really annoying-"
"Hey!"
"But he's one of us. Saved my ass more than once."
"We keeping track? Cause then Gallant and I really owe you a lot." Clockblocker looked at Missy. "You know he takes the most beatings out of any of us. Sometimes on purpose."
"I'm a Brute. I should be taking most of the hits," Aegis replied. He suddenly froze as he looked at Missy's arms. "Who hurt you?"
Missy looked down at the visible scar. "Got into a scuffle with Skidmark. It's fine. I won actually."
"Oh ew," Clockblocker grimaced. "Did he tell you-"
"Yes."
"Did he say he was going to make you-"
"Yes."
"How is that Pedo still out in the streets?"
"Not defending him, but I'm pretty sure he says that to any woman he's fighting with," Missy replied. At least from what appearances he did have online.
"Doesn't make things any better. You're eleven!"
"I'm a Hero."
"Still eleven! You should've never been threatened with stuff like that."
"I honestly didn't understand half of it. What's cum-stain and why did he want me to suck his-"
Aegis coughed. "You should ask your parents. In private and gently, those are… bad words."
Fine. She'd just have to ask Minako and Shinji about it.
"Still, why did you fight Skidmark?" Aegis asked. "He's dangerous."
"All Villains are dangerous," Missy replied.
"And?"
"Long story. Trying to find a missing girl. It went crazy. Saved her though so that was cool."
"You got hurt."
Missy raised an eye. "You get hurt all the time."
"I'm a Brute and older. You're just a little…"
"A little… what?" Missy asked, very visibly annoyed.
"If you were in the Wards you'd be safe," Aegis replied.
"If I was in the Wards I wouldn't have saved that girl."
"You already save a lot of people using your Powers for healing. Isn't that enough?"
No. No it wasn't. And it was clear that Aegis didn't understand.
"Woah, woah… woah," Clockblocker stepped in between them before Missy could say anything. "Let's not start a fight, we're all friends here."
"You're not my friend," Missy muttered.
"See?" He put an arm over Missy's shoulder and ignored the elbow she jabbed into his side "Best friends! We even have nicknames for each other."
"What nicknames?" Missy asked as she struggled to push him away. He actually wasn't anywhere in her personal space, just that hand on her shoulder, but she was still going to keep hitting him.
"Sleeping Beauty!"
"I am going to throw you out that window!" Missy shouted.
"That's just how she shows her love," Clockblocker replied.
"What is wrong with him?" Missy asked Aegis.
Aegis just shook his head. "So… so many things."
Once Missy finally got Clockblocker off her she made her way to the Ward's kitchen and opened the fridge. Apparently anything in there that wasn't labeled was free game so she took some ham and fruit to eat alongside the rice balls that Shinji had packed for her lunch.
"You eat a lot of Japanese food," Aegis commented.
Missy shrugged between bites of her lunch. "Shinji cooks for me a lot." And she definitely had developed a taste for Japanese food. Who knew raw fish on rice could taste so good?
"Your parents don't cook for you?"
Missy grimaced. "Sometimes… other times there was nothing, so I just went next door. Shinji kinda just makes an extra portion all the time just in case. Leftovers just become Minako's lunch… Should probably ask if he can teach me how to cook. That'd be useful."
After that Missy made a bit of small talk with Aegis and Clockblocker before she finished with her lunch and made her way back to the infirmary. On the way there her phone rang and she picked it up.
"Yo Brat. Heard you gave Skidmark a beating."
"Brad? How'd you find out?" Missy asked.
"Got my sources. Good job back there," Brad replied.
"He got away."
"Going to be off the streets, at least. You cut him good and he has no Brute rating or healers."
"… And how did you find out about that?"
"Already wired some cash through Numberman. Have fun with that."
He hung up and Missy was left staring at an account with a whole lot of zeros.
"Nope." Missy said as she put her phone away and walked to the infirmary. Not dealing with that now.
The rest of her shift went about the same as it usually did. Heal people that were brought occasionally work down a list of those who were injured. Nothing interesting until the two other Wards who had been out on patrol were brought into her
"Hey Triumph, hey Gallant and- Woah what happened to you two?" Missy asked as she quickly began to heal the pair of Wards that had stepped into the infirmary.
"Hellhound," Triumph informed her, his voice notably scratchy,
"Ow." And Missy meant it. She had seen videos showing what Hellhound did with her dogs and what they could do. Wasn't pretty. It didn't help that she had apparently killed someone before. "Doesn't look that bad at least."
"She ran us over with a dog while she was getting away," Gallant explained. "We were told not to pursue, which I don't think either of us were capable of."
"Aegis I think could probably handle her and a dog," Missy theorized. "Clockblocker maybe if you got him close. And I also got a few ideas for myself."
"I'm sure you do, but she is a dangerous person. Please be careful if you run into her," Gallant said.
"Alright. I will," Missy conceded as she shifted focus on Triumph. "By the way, do her Powers only work on dogs or do I have to worry about other animals?"
"She's only done dogs so far."
"Phew. Morgana should be safe then."
"Morgana? You got a pet?" Gallant asked.
"I guess?" Missy admitted. "Kinda just showed up. Does his own thing in the day but shows up at night." Pixie finished casting her spells. "Alright clean bill of health for you two. Try not to get run over again and Triumph go easy on your voice for a few days."
"Thanks," Triumph replied before coughing and clearing out his throat. "Don't have to explain to Dinah why I got hurt now."
"What did you do before I was around to heal you?"
"Cancel plans, hide things, deflect. Pissed her off I think but it was better than her worrying."
"She does worry a lot," Missy agreed. "She also nag you about school?"
"All the time. Keeps complaining if I even suggest not going to college."
"Oh not the college lecture," Missy commiserated with him. "Why do I have to worry about that? I'm still in middle school!"
"You're close with Rory's cousin?" Gallant asked.
"She's my best friend. She helped me out a lot in school even before I got powers and I do really like her, but it's just that…"
"She's Dinah?" Rory offered.
"She's Dinah," Missy confirmed.
"Well glad she has people taking care of her," Gallant commented.
"Pretty sure it's the other way around," Missy muttered.
Missy's phone buzzed. As did everyone else's in that room. Used to drawing her Evoker, she had hers out first and was looking at the screen to see what was going on. It was only that she heard the loud sirens wailing in the that thankfully stopped soon enough at their location, but were still going on at one other city in the world.
Endbringer.
And their location… Lagos, Nigeria. That was where Behemoth was reported to be attacking right now. With Ash Beast and other Parahuman Warlords rampaging throughout the continent there weren't many other bastions of civilizations left in Africa. So to have Lagos now being attacked by an Endbringer wasn't going to make things there any better.
Triumph took one look at her face to know what she wanted to do. "You're not going."
"Bu-"
"None of the Wards are. We don't have permission for Endbringer fights. And only Aegis and Clockblocker are allowed for the clean up after."
"Then I'll get permission," Missy replied. "From my-…" Wait no there was no way her parents would ever let her participate in an Endbringer fight. Not even Minako would either.
Missy's phone rang and she quickly picked it up. "Minako?"
"Missy. Don't"
"But-"
"Missy, your parents, Carol, and I all agree that you aren't allowed to attend Endbringer fights. You're not ready for this yet. It's an Endbringer… you need more time to get stronger. And that won't happen if you die fighting one now."
Missy clicked her tongue. As much as she hated it… Minako was right. She would probably just get killed fighting an Endbringer and it was a risk to even be in the same land mass as it, even if she stayed on the backlines to help with healing.
"You can help out after the fighting's done. There's still a lot of people you can help after. Please just come home for now," Minako begged her.
"Alright," Missy hung up and looked at the two Wards. She wondered how they felt about all this. Guilt that they weren't going? Or was it relief that they and their home wasn't involved? "I'll see you guys later I guess. Can only help out with the cleanup too."
The two Wards bade her farewell as she had someone escort her out of the PRT facility. They made sure to keep her out of the way of the people actually going to participate in the battle. A battle that would likely see a good number of them dead.
A/N
Clockblocker calls her a kid, but he's willing to fuck around with her just like he does with everyone else. It's something that Missy does appreciate deep down, that he doesn't treat her any differently.
As for Armsmaster, well he's the pragmatic sort that cares more about capability than age if given the authority to make said choices.
