April 14th
Emily Piggot was a thoroughly unpleasant person. She had once had a job she loved, a cause she believed in and a duty to uphold. Then she ventured into the lair of an unknown danger and came out with a broken body, a damaged spirit, and the sting of betrayal from those whom she'd once found common cause.
They had called her a wounded hero. So wounded that she was unable to keep up her old physical regimen and her body had turned to crap. They promoted her to a job she'd never desired dealing with the very sort of so-called heroes that didn't bother to help her and her fellow PRT troopers in the field. She still had her duty, however. That was enough to keep her going and see that everyone else damn well did theirs.
Piggot stared through the observation window at Nova as she tossed practice containment grenades at target dummies. The girl had a decent aim for a beginner. All of her instructors noted she was hard-working, eager to please, and attentive. All ample cause for suspicion when present in a teenaged Cape.
The one thing that mitigated suspicion was how she interacted with Battery. She clung to every interaction like a drowning woman to a life-perseverer. Her eagerness to please was confirmed by the therapist to be a desperation to retain her only human connections so far.
Capes were never paragons of mental stability; it made the director wonder what her personality would be like once her situation stabilized.
Piggot advanced toward her young charge and signaled for her to stop.
"You have been here for three full days and have logged a full week's worth of allotted work training time. Nova, are you trying to get flagged by the Youth Guard for being overworked?"
"No ma'am, if you let me, I think I can re-code some of those entries as recreation time. The definition in the guidelines is broad enough that several of the training exercises could conceivably fall under-"
"Absolutely not. That sort of trick would send up all sorts of red flags."
"But, once I start school, I'll have more demands on my time. If I don't catch up now I'll fall further behind."
"Behind whom?"
"Everyone! Browbeat is joining patrols today ma'am. I know I have so many holes in my knowledge and skills to overcome but if you'll only give me the chance-"
Piggot closed her eyes in frustration. "You are not in a race, least of all with Browbeat. The delay in your induction is due to formal requirements caused by your circumstances while an already active youth hero like Browbeat only had to clear legal ones over his preexisting Cape persona and the ownership thereof."
The girl looked sullen. Well, at least she's got a face for looking pouty. The director mused.
"Stop with the quivering bottom lip. Go shower and change. Panacea is on her way once she clears you physically you can join the patrols and school. The clairvoyant and thinker squads cleared you last night. This morning I received a new cover identity for you. Despite your request, you are not going to be an open Cape. They have a ready excuse for your lack of memory, trauma from an auto accident. Study this file. As of today, you are Mary Johnson. Assault and Battery are going to let you live in their spare room. To the world, you are Ethan's niece and he and Jane have taken you in following your grandparent's tragic demise."
"Grandparents?"
"Cover for Ethan never mentioning a sister. They died when you were a baby. Your grandparents on your father's side raised you who you conveniently don't remember due to the brain trauma-induced amnesia."
"This is a lot to take in."
"Please, given your work ethic, I'll be very disappointed if you don't have that dossier memorized before you start school. Now rush! We're going to be paying Panacea by the hour and while NuWave doesn't charge for charity, Carol Dalton drives a hard bargain for her daughter's service for less altruistic things."
"Yes ma'am," the girl said, rushing off. Piggot shook her head and departed.
"It's down this way, Ames. Too bad Dean isn't here," Vicky said as she led the way down the halls.
Arcadia released the Wards hidden among the student body early most days for vocational training. Which Protectorate patrols technically were. While the children of NuWave were not covered under those arrangements Panacea's work at the hospitals was covered by a similar arrangement while most days Victoria flew off to college for her dual enrollment classes on para-human nature.
Vicky had worked ahead so could afford to take the day off for Cape-related activities. So long as her grades were good the faculty would accommodate her. It was better than the negative publicity that might come from keeping a student in class should something turn out to be a disaster.
Panacea was less enthusiastic about being here but her mother and aunt both expected every member of the family to contribute to maintaining good relationships with the PRT and Protectorate.
They entered the medical wing and found the right waiting room. Inside Piggot and the new girl Nova awaited.
"Hey! I'm Vicky, this is Amy. She's the one going to be checking you out today."
"Poor phrasing Vicky," Amy replied, annoyed.
"Huh? Well anyhow just hold out your hand if you're ready. I'll talk to you so you don't get bored while she works. Are you starting Arcadia soon? Amy and I go there."
"Yes, but umm are we supposed to interact without being in costume? It sort of seems like a giveaway if we're always seen together."
"Not so long as it's balanced. Avoiding each other would be just as noticeable. You just have to spare some time for non-Cape friends," Vicky smiled.
Nova looked over at Piggot who was ignoring the Dalton sisters in favor of reading some reports and she spoke without looking up. "The NuWave youths aren't my concern thankfully but, the Wards do occasionally have to be reminded not to cluster so much."
"Right. Balance. I'll work on that," Nova nodded, wondering how she'd know what was excessive when she had little frame of reference to work with.
"This seems to be taking longer than normal. You usually only need an instant to get a read on someone. I hope you are not milking this for billable hours," Piggot groused at Amy.
Panacea spoke with awe in her voice. "This is amazing. I can't tell how old she is because her body is constantly fixing its own methylation. Nova, your entire body is suffused with some sort of energy that is affecting it as far down as I can sense. I think it goes beyond the molecular level, which is where my ability stops."
"So she is like Alabaster?" Piggot asked. Thinking about the pale white Cape whose power reset any physical damage to his body every few seconds.
"No, he returns to a static state. This process is dynamic. It is so strange there are places where oxygenated compounds appear where there is no oxygen to process. In other places compounds they just- they just vanish. It seems to cause some cell damage but those cells are quickly eliminated by the healthy ones. Who replicate at an enhanced pace. " Amy started her face alight with the wonder of discovery.
"What you're describing is quantum sublimation of matter and energy. They are being pulled or pushed into and out of the film that separates the universe from the omniversal aether. The damage is being caused by the flux that accrues around and seals such breaches in space-time as platelets do in the blood; it's the pressure valve for equalizing the conservation of energy," Nova recited as if from a textbook.
The three other women stared at her for a few seconds before she responded. "What?"
"Where did that come from?" Piggot demanded.
"I don't know. The same place as my knowledge of mathematics and such? I don't remember where I learned any of it but I had to have some sort of schooling."
"Wherever you come from I don't think your schooling in physics lines up with ours. At least it doesn't sound like it does," Vicky explained.
"But- you know there are parallel worlds I read about the portal that used to exist to
Earth Aleph. They studied the work of Professor Haywire. So, physics has models that account for how matter and energy shift from different universes causing variations in vacuum energy that are countered by flux effects. Which in turn can be used to measure the effects on the fundamental forces," Nova said, slightly panicked.
Vicky shook her head gently. "Not a clue."
"Then you're using the old Telluric energy model with undifferentiated energy types."
Amy shook her head. "Only a very few Thinkers and Tinkers work with parallel universe physics. It sounds like in your world it was a more mature field."
"Cars, cell phones, television I knew what they all were, they didn't seem odd to me. I figured if I came from another world it would be closer like Alpeth."
"As enlightening as this is, let's wrap up the medical checkup," Piggot ordered.
"Right, well, the field seems to be controlled by nodes on the brain. They're oddly shaped and placed for Corona Gema and Pollentia but I wouldn't say alarmingly so."
"Clear bill of health then?" Piggot asked for clarity.
"Yes, she's the healthiest person I've ever examined."
"Good, now that that is done we can go get something to eat and hang out. No reason to waste the rest of the day," Vicky smiled.
"Out? Oh, no. I still have work to do. I have-" Nova began.
"Exceeded your work quota hours ago and are free to go, in fact, I insist you do so it will look better on our reports," Piggot ordered in a tone that brooked no defiance.
"You know the view out here is really nice," Nova admitted.
"Yeah, it's better in the morning if you ever get up that early. The sunrise over the Rig is neat. the forcefield distorts the light and sort of amplifies the colors," Vicky said between bites of frozen yogurt.
"She could, I'm betting with the way that energy sustains her biology Mary likely doesn't have to sleep or eat unless she just wants to," Amy ventured.
"Huh? Oh yeah, me. Well, I don't see a reason to stop. I don't think I'd feel human if I didn't. I have a feeling that it would be bad to lose that connection," Mary ventured.
"Getting used to a new name must be so weird. I mean I picked out Glory Girl and it still took some time before I instinctively linked it to myself."
"I don't know being called Nova seemed natural, Maybe I went by that before or something that sounds like it. What I remember and what I don't is frustrating. Amnesia is weird."
"It is. But, not like that. Case 53 amnesia is not natural. Something did this to you. No known medically caused memory loss is so selective," Amy explained.
"I wonder if it can be undone then?"
"Not by anyone who's ever tried. I don't touch brains. They are far too complex. The slightest touch can have so many repercussions. The smallest organic damage can potentially make you act like a completely different person. Pandora's box."
"Hope was in Pandora's box, Amy. people remember all the evils getting out but seem to forget hope was there to sustain us through them," Mary said sadly.
"Well, you remember that," Vicky pointed out.
"Yeah and that I like peaches and strawberries mixed better than either alone. I can't tell you where I went to school, what grade I was in, or anyone I knew. I can't even remember why I know the things I do know. Did I like Greek mythology? Was it something I had to study for a class?" Mary worried.
"Well, at least you'll have some friends at school. You already made two who can hang out with you without Piggot snarling about clustering too much," Vicky pointed out.
"Yeah, I do think I'll enjoy that."
"What do you say we go shopping or maybe to a movie?"
"I'm good for a movie if we go now to a matinee. If we wait and have to pay full price I'm not sure I can swing it. I didn't get to deposit my birthday check yet. That means shopping is out, you always manage to convince me to buy something even when we go to just look," Amy said giving her sister a withering look
"Movie it is then there has to be something good playing."
"The new horror movie in that franchise you like to make fun of came out this week," Amy pointed out.
"Oh yeah, that would be fun."
"We're not going to get in trouble for you mocking it while the movies are playing will we?" Mary dithered.
"Relax, the theater will be mostly empty, we'll sit well away from anyone," Vicky reassured her.
None of the group learned till much later that the Wards had responded to a bank robbery while they were out. Despite not catching the perpetrators of the crime the team, sans Sophia, who was not present, had managed to reclaim some respect in the director's eyes.
They avoided property damage and escalation. The stolen money was all insured and barely any property damage was inflicted. None of which would be deemed the Wards' fault.
Downtown
Dinah Alcott was having a horrible day. Disaster had been stalking her for weeks. She had managed to use her power to evade the men seeking to kidnap her. She had known she couldn't keep avoiding them indefinitely. They only had to beat the odds once.
This time they had caused a car wreck. A van had plowed into her mom's car. Seeing her mom unconscious behind the wheel she fought the headache she was going to the doctor for.
Pushing her recently acquired power she felt the tumbling numbers moving with every action the percentage of odds for escape fluctuating. She ran ducking under a railing she narrowly avoided a tackle.
Not bothering to look at her assailant she sped up pushing to get into an ally. A tranquilizer dart hit the brickwork near her hip. She leaped up on a dumpster avoiding a bolo and pulled herself into an open window.
She was in a bedroom. She took two steps toward the phone then feeling the odds change spun to dive into the closet. Kicking hard the panel of the closet collapsed she escaped into the other apartment. Ran for the door. opening it she took off up the emergency stairs.
Out of breath, she reached the roof of the five-story apartment. Her legs burned, slowing from fatigue she crossed a makeshift walkway onto the roof of another building.
The numbers rocked up and down as she descended a fire escape. She saw something her power revolved around answering questions she wasn't supposed to pick outcomes. There was a path that ended the chases. Bracing against the coming pain she stepped out of the alley flagged down a Taxi and gave them an address.
She fell over in the back too tired to answer the cabbie's panicked questions. He'd take her where she needed to go.
Later that day
Mrs. Alcott was very worried thanks to the airbag she had escaped injury but her daughter was missing. The police were searching but with every passing minute, the odds grew longer.
Her husband had left work and both called every friend and connection they had. Her brother was mayor; they knew the police commissioner. Surely someone could help.
When help came it was from an unexpected direction.
A Lincoln pulled into their driveway. A very thin old man in a well-tailored but older-style suit and thick glasses stepped out. Then incredibly Dinah stepped out the passenger side.
The old man strode up with a brisk pace that seemed out of sync with his age. He knocked on the door and waited. He didn't wait long as the Alcotts raced to the door.
"Hello, are you this child's parents?"
"We are! How did you find her!" Her father gushed
"Money. I paid her ransom. You see, your daughter is a parahuman. She is a precognitive, the gangs want her power. Not just the ones here in town either."
"Oh God, we have some contact with the Protectorate." Her mother exclaimed.
"Hold on, let's not be too hasty. I work for McLeod Underwriting and Annuity."
"The insurer?" Her father inquired puzzled.
"The same. Sir, we can offer you a consulting job that pays forty grand every two weeks."
"You. What?" His wife asked.
"Watchdog seeks to prevent the destabilization of money markets by para human fueled speculation. The amelioration of risk is not only less regulated but harder to prove."
Both parents looked at each other.
"For a few hours of Dinah's time, every evening and the occasional weekend trip you will find you receive a lucrative new revenue stream. Money which, even a fraction set aside can provide not only an excellent college education and a generous trust for when she comes of age. As well, your brother Mrs. Alcott will receive the favor of a political action committee and gain a sizable donation."
"Is this legal?" Mr. Alcott asked.
"This is business. I assure you that everything will be conducted in a business-like fashion. Nothing prosecutable will come back on any of us. Paying ransoms' or paying off troublemakers to keep away other troublemakers are actions not smiled upon by law enforcement. However, sometimes we do what we have to do."
"I think we can work something out. We still have questions of course."
The old man spent the next two hours putting their fears to rest then left on the way out he made a call.
"Coil? Yes, it's Bo. It's done there was no trouble. No, you were severely underestimating white suburban people's tolerance for white-collar crime. Their relations to politicians'- shady deals are par for the course."
Early morning on the 15th
Armsmaster frowned as he watched the insanity on his screen. The so-called Doctor Danger had released a new webisode. Wonderful response to my first webcast. You are all amazing. I'm still reading the fan and hate mail. A couple of things stuck out. First this 'lovely' email from the pratfalling pair themselves Uber and Leet.
"Really guys you have a video game-themed comedy program. We are not in competition and you're demanding a duel to the death over it. You missed a golden opportunity to challenge me to Mortal Kombat you got it! Kombat with a K.
"So, I in turn challenge you, both of you. That's right I'm taking a handicap. Best two out of three against you both. If I win a shutout four-match victory with no losses. You guys have to help me with one Danger Zone excursion. If you win the same I have to help you guys pull off one caper. less-than-totally victory and you guys apologize and put a link to your show on my page again Visa Versa if you win and I'll plug your work when I admit defeat as a bonus. We tie and we link to each other and call it settled.
"The second surprise is I was contacted by a very special bunch who seem to have drawn inspiration from the Brockton Insurance Group robbery slash expose. Here they are everyone's favorite lovable misfits Grue, Tattletale, Regent, Bitch, and in her first public appearance Weaver! The Undersiders!"
Canned cheering started as the screen split showing the Undersiders sitting in a warehouse on cheap folding chairs.
"Thanks for having us Doc," a domino-masked young woman with a fox-like smirk and tight purple bodysuit, named Tattletale replied.
"Please for you guys, Danger is fine. No need for formalities. So you guys sent me a wealth of information stolen from the Bank of Brockton. This is pretty damning stuff, internal memo's noting that certain neighborhoods were no longer 'pure' enough to warrant investment, requests for under the-table deals to lower appraisals for minority-owned property, special rates for certain privileged people, who are all white, and close business associates of companies that seem to have an understanding which as Brockton Insurance Group was one of those organizations I think we can picture what sort of understanding they mean."
"Yeah, it was pretty sick, Danger when Tattletale showed me what she'd learned. I knew it had to go public and you had the format to do that." Grue broke in. His voice was slightly distorted by the skull-faced motorcycle helmet he wore with black leathers as a costume.
"I'm psychic so when you scratched the surface I was able to dig deeper. The Empire 88 has a number of allied companies," Tattletale explained.
"What else would a merry band such as we do but hit them where it counts? The purse," Regent added. He wore a poet's shirt and tight pants. His face was concealed by a carnival mask topped with a small crown.
"A fine line of reasoning. You seem to have a gift for logic, Regent," Danger replied.
"I'm not going to make this out to be something that it isn't. We are in the game for the money and some adventure. We're not saints or even Robin Hood. That being said, we're not averse to striking a blow for the little guy when we chance upon it." Grue explained.
"As a Libertarian, I have to say a good deed done from free choice is worth ten done from compulsion," Danger replied.
"Wait, didn't you say you were going to take over the world?" Tattletale asked, perplexed.
"Yes."
"But your chosen political position is one of freedom of choice."
Danger became animated with his response gathering speed as well as volume. "Exactly. I will teach the world personal responsibility and guarantee their individual freedoms whether they like it or not. If I have to drag them kicking and screaming by force. They will learn, oh will they learn. That they have to decide for themselves what is best! Lest they suffer the wrath of Danger!"
For a second the Undersiders' confused faces and carefully still body language was all there was to see or hear. Before suddenly Danger shifted back to a normal cadence.
"Moving right along, let's hear from Bitch. I hope your dogs are all fine after such a heist?"
"Yeah. They're good." The sullen youth replied moving uncomfortably at the sudden attention. She wore a hooded coat over worn jeans and a tee shirt. The only concession to being a Cape was a cheap dollar-store plastic dog mask.
"I heard a rumor that all of your dogs are rescues. That's great."
"Yeah, I try to help out dogs where I can."
"Awesome, any tips for those interested in adopting a shelter pet?"
After a moment of silence, she shrugged "Yeah, get to know the breed and dog to make sure they're a good fit. Lots of older dogs sit around and it's too bad they already know things they need less training."
"Great advice when I was a kid my mom got us a Weimaraner. She wasn't a bad dog but she was almost more than we could handle. So much energy, so hard to keep up with. We were careful to find her a better home when we moved into a smaller place."
"You know it was a good place?"
"Oh yeah, great folks, lots of room. They already had two already and she got along with both of them."
Bitch just nodded in nonverbal approval.
"So, that leaves Weaver. Cool mask by the way is that actual chitin?" Danger asked as segway.
"Umm- sort of chitin bonded together in a matrix of spider's silk," Weaver said touching the side of her yellow eyes bug-faced mask.
"Oh, cool, that should have some impressive tensile strength. You seem to really be a multitasker with how you keep track of all your insects and arachnids."
"Yeah- I guess so. It helped keep track of all the people at the bank. I mean ideally, we didn't want to hurt anyone. If we could help it," she said, turning a bit to glance at Grue and then back to the camera or more likely monitor near it.
"Well of course that's just professionalism. No one goes in looking for trouble unless they're psychopaths. And no one likes working with a psychopath," Danger said, nodding.
"Yeah, definitely. None of these guys are. Psychos I mean they're a pretty good bunch. I think we could do a lot of good together."
"So, the newest member vouches for the group treatment of the newbies, and the Undersiders are willing to contribute to the good fight where applicable. Thanks for being on the show guys."
"One last thing Doc you embarrassed Shadow Stalker, so watch your back she carries a grudge. She's repeatedly ambushed me due to her thinking I wronged her," Grue warned.
"She's got good aim too and still uses lethal rounds when the PRT isn't looking. Grue ruined my favorite couch with blood stains when she pincushioned him last time," Regent chimed in.
"Ouch! Good thing you're a tough dude, Grue. I'll keep that in mind," the host replied as the view shifted out of the split-screen.
"That ends today's show and coverage of the great Brockton Bank robbery. You heard it here first folks. People might hunt you, they might judge you, but be brave and tune in to our next Dangerous program to hear all the Dangerous information we'll bring you. Once again links to the Brockton Bank documents below!" And the program faded out.
"Any luck tracking it?" Armsmaster asked.
The monitor changed to show the digital avatar of the elusive Tinker known as Dragon. "No, I had hoped with the digital nature of theft at B.I.G. pushing Watchdog and the NSA to help on this. He just vanishes in fact I suspect he is uploading from multiple physical locations simultaneously then programs running on innocuous sites are rebuilding the stream into a complete form."
"He's more Watchdogs ballpark so far but his publicity stunt targeted the Wards. That attacks the Protectorate reputation by implicating we can't protect our trainees"
"I don't think that was the intention, Colin. He looks to be 13 or 14. That is why Piggot sent the Wards in. A group of kids being beaten by a kid has much better optics than an adult group looking to have used excessive force to bring in a youth." Dragon reasoned.
"Any such consideration is gone. A Trump Tinker? That's too dangerous a combination to hesitate on use of force" Colin said with a deep frown.
"As a seemingly well-intentioned vigilante perhaps he can be redeemed if approached carefully." Dragon offered.
"I doubt it those Capes that think they are already doing good are normally too stubborn about going their own way to become team players"
"Still it would look good to Legend to at least try. Think of how ENE would look if it succeeded. You'd have a Trump Tinker and a complete powerhouse added to your Wards in the same month." Dragon cajoled.
"Perhaps," Colin said in an I don't buy it tone.
"The Guild is eager to see what your newest Ward can do. If she can get a couple of years of specialized Wards training in by the time she's 18 we could have a serious new force to level at the S class threats."
"I am too. It's curious how slow the main offices are about clearing her for more advanced power testing. The ranges out in Nevada could give us a clearer picture of her actual top outs." Colin said with a frown.
"I've noticed, it's made the Guild curious as well. Do you have any suspicions about why?" She asked.
"Piggot thinks it's political. The Youth Guard would spring if we put her into rotation before she's of age but if her full power is top tier the temptation may prove irresistible."
"Perhaps," Dragon said, mimicking Colin's previous tone.
"I better go, I still have some paperwork to catch up on. Let me know if there are any breakthroughs.
"Of course Colin."