"Come on, come on. Pick up, you bastard..." Chiu's hands were trembling. If the boss ghosted him now he was indescribably, unimaginably fucked. Acting as a rival crime lord's informant inside the ABB was a dangerous game, but the sheer amount of money made it hard to refuse. The gang might be rolling in dough, but Lung liked to keep the lion's (or rather dragon's share) for himself. So he'd taken the deal, drowned himself in whores and booze and gambling like only men who might die tomorrow could, and never had cause to regret it. Until today, that was.
He could have wept in relief when his secret patron's dispassionate voice finally answered the phone. "Chiu. What's happening?"
"You gotta help me, boss!" he begged. "It's all gone to shit. PHO's blowing up—they're saying Blank just whacked Oni Lee!"
"I've heard. How on Earth did he manage that?"
"How should I know? I wasn't there!" Chiu wailed. "I just passed on the tip about the race traitor, like you told me to. Oni Lee was only supposed to scare him!" Assassinating a Ward was a bridge too far even for Lung; publicly humiliating and hospitalizing him the day he dared show his face, though, seemed proportionate. Such a trauma on his first outing would surely have spooked him into retiring from heroism, or at least skipping town. The world would know that Brockton Bay's Asians belonged to the ABB, and the ABB alone. "And you—you even said the plan was fine. Now everyone's going to say it's my fault! Do you know what Lung's going to do to me?" Chiu had seen men executed for failures that hadn't resulted in losing 50% of their cape roster. Compared to that, he feared a simple slit throat or bullet in the brain would be too good for him. "Please, boss! Don't hang me out to dry!"
"Rest assured, I'll take responsibility for you." the boss reassured him. "You haven't told anyone of my involvement, have you?"
Chiu chuckled in a slightly hysterical way. "And admit I was a spy? You're joking!"
"Good." said the boss. "Just give me your location, then, and I'll have my men pick you up."
"I'm hiding in an alley. North of the intersection of MLK and Weymouth." he replied. "Come quickly. Please."
"Understood. Evac's on the way, ETA eight minutes. The code word is 'Senegal'." Click. The line went dead.
The wait that followed was borderline intolerable. Chiu's eyes darted between one end of the decrepit alley and the other, at every moment dreading the arrival of a red-and-green clad mob. He could imagine the hatred and betrayal on their faces, could imagine the rasp of drawn knives promising pain and suffering. He liked his skin and testicles where they were, thank you very much! Thankfully, after precisely eight minutes which felt more like eight hours, he heard the hum of approaching engines. A white van parked at the mouth of the alley, and out climbed a heavyset man in light body armor. "Senegal!" the man called out.
"I'm here!" Chiu popped up from his hiding place and ran towards the van. "Oh, thank God you're—"
"Target spotted." the man reported. A gun appeared in his hand, glinting in the afternoon sunlight.
What—
BLAM!
Protectorate HQ was, I had to admit, a lovely place.
Having grown up in the Docks, the oil rig out in the bay was a familiar sight, but it was even prettier when viewed from the inside. With its tall spires and sweeping arches, it looked more like a futuristic cathedral than the plain office building that was PRT HQ. The city was still visible out the window, but blurred and color-shifted through the lens of PHQ's force field. It made the troubles of Brockton Bay seem very far away. I could almost feel safe in this place.
It was shame my first visit couldn't come under better circumstances. We'd been ushered here after our confrontation with Oni Lee (by boat, so my power didn't short out the Tinkertech force bridge). At the moment, I was camped out in a spare office on the upper floors, putting the finishing touches on my patrol report. Needless to say, it was a much more eventful read than anyone had been expecting.
I wondered if I was in trouble. I wasn't locked in this room, and no one had said I couldn't leave, but it felt a little like being in time-out. Legally, I was pretty sure what I'd done to Oni Lee didn't meet the definition of homicide. I hadn't set out with the intent to kill him, or indeed to meet him at all. His death was down to a quirk of my power, which it was established I had no conscious control over. Neither did I recall anything in the Wards rules which explicitly forbade removing villains from existence.
That said, I wouldn't be surprised if that was generally frowned on.
There was a knock on the door. "Blank! A word, if you will." Speak of the devil. Director Piggot had arrived. Clicking submit on the report, I rose to let her in.
Oh boy, she did not look pleased. Not that I had ever seen Piggot happy, mind you, but her current expression was particularly curdled. It occurred to me that it would be far harder to escape her than it had Oni Lee. "Ma'am."
"I've had your things brought over from PRT HQ. Your parents too." she said without preamble. "Given the potential leak of your identity, I thought it best to be careful."
I blinked. "Oh. Thank you." That was another awkward conversation coming, but it was good to know they'd be secure.
"You're welcome. But that's not what I came to say." Sighing, Piggot lowered her bulk into an empty chair. "I suppose this is the part where you say you told me so?"
I shrugged. "I don't think that's necessary."
Piggot huffed. "True. I understand if you're angry with me, angry with the PRT. I won't begrudge you those feelings. However, I must strongly urge you to remain in the Wards anyways."
"Why would I leave the Wards over this?" I questioned incredulously. True, I was far from thrilled about the patrol and its implications, but surely the ABB bore a greater share of blame, and besides: "I think I'll need the PRT's support, now more than ever."
"Pragmatic as always, I see." said Piggot. "Very well. Officially, there are protocols for any fatal incident involving a Ward. There will have to be an inquiry, and you'll have to be temporarily suspended from patrols. Do try and control your devastation." she added drily. "Unofficially, I've watched the video, and you did nothing wrong. I won't let you be railroaded over this. You have my word."
I nodded. "I'd thought as much, but thanks for confirming."
"And," she continued. "if you find yourself feeling, ah...troubled, we do have in-house psychiatrists. Not enough Wards use them, honestly."
"I won't, but I appreciate the offer." I reassured her.
Piggot frowned. "I wasn't judging, Blank. There's no need to put up a strong front."
"I wouldn't lie to you." I said, a bit annoyed at the implication.
I didn't wonder on a daily basis what it'd be like to kill a man, but it had crossed my mind once or twice. It was natural, I thought, to occasionally daydream about being in extreme situations. I'd come to the conclusion there was no way to predict how I'd react to such a momentous event. Now that matters had really come to that juncture, I felt surprisingly, almost disappointingly normal. There was no sharp transition between Zhiqiang the innocent boy and Zhiqiang the killer. I was still just me.
Maybe it was because he'd been a cape. The idea of pulling the trigger on an unpowered ABB member did make me uneasy; in my mind for all their crimes they were still people, people who had been my neighbors and classmates. Many of them had joined under duress, and with less luck that could've my fate as well. Oni Lee, though? It was difficult to imagine him having friends or family or anyone who'd genuinely mourn him. To us he was Lung's attack dog (attack oni), a boogeyman who spread terror and death wherever he went. I tried to picture him coming home to a wife and kids, all of them wearing copies of his mask. The concept was ludicrous.
No, for better or worse I felt no regret over Oni Lee. It was like shooting a mad dog, not that I had any experience with that either. And besides, was it really fair to say I'd killed him? Wasn't it more like he'd killed himself on my power? Here I noticed Piggot was giving me a strange look, so I swiftly changed the subject. "Any idea how he knew who I was?"
The Director grimaced. "To be frank? It's quite possible to figure these things out with enough detective work. We wouldn't need the unwritten rules if it weren't." I thought of our lunch group, a mix of eight masked and unmasked capes hanging out every single day. Yeah, I could see that. "Of course we'll investigate the possibility of an internal leak, but I find that less likely. Not many of us know your identity in the first place."
"I see." What else was there to say about the whole mess? "So. What now?"
"There's going to be an emergency meeting at six, to begin with." Piggot told me. "An agent will come here to escort you when it's time. The repercussions of this concern all of us."
"Repercussions." I echoed.
"The cape scene is like a bunch of dominoes." she explained. "Knock one over and it has a cascading effect. Lung will want revenge. With the ABB losing their Mover, the other gangs may press their advantage. It wouldn't surprise me if the Empire, for one, tried to gain some extra territory."
I thinned my lips. A bunch of Nazis occupying an Asian neighborhood foretold nothing good. "That would mean ethnic cleansing, wouldn't it?"
"Quite possibly." Piggot said grimly. "I do hope things calm down, but this is Brockton Bay." She hauled herself back to her feet. "Now as for you personally, I can't force you to do anything. All I ask is that you decide how much you want to get involved. Do you understand?"
I swallowed hard. "Yes ma'am."
"Good. I'll leave you to catch up with your parents then."
One hurdle down, at least two to go. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in anticipation. It felt like no time at all before Mom and Dad appeared in the doorway, taking the Director's place.
[Zhiqiang!] Mom exclaimed, hurrying up to grasp me by the shoulders. [You're all right?]
I smiled weakly. [Yes, Mom.]
[Is it true?] Dad asked. [You did in Oni Lee?]
[It really wasn't on purpose, but seems so.] I bowed my head. [I'm sorry. I've brought trouble for the family.]
I didn't bother apologizing for actually killing—er, assisting the suicide of Oni Lee. My parents had lost three friends to his blade in the first months of Lung's reign, after they'd resisted paying protection money. They utterly loathed the Japanese villain. Dad shook his head. [It can't be helped. What's important is that's you're okay.]
[You aren't angry?] I said hopefully.
Mom sighed. [That first meeting, the Director did warn us this day would come. Only I didn't think it would be so sudden.]
[Neither did I.] I admitted. [Now...now what should I do?]
[I don't know either.] Dad shook his head. [We of the Zhou family have never been soldiers. Always running, not fighting. When the guĭzì invaded China, my grandfather fled to the countryside. When the Communists and Nationalists were fighting for power, my father didn't pick a side. When the Union-Imperialist bandits launched their coup...] his face darkened, distorted by the surface ripples of long-buried grief . [...I fled, too.]
Mom reached for his hand. [Don't speak of things passed by.]
[Except for your mother I didn't bring anyone.] Dad said softly. [I was separated from my brothers, even abandoned my own father and mother. They wouldn't leave. Said they were too old. No more strength to run. Twenty years without contact. I don't even know if they're dead or alive. I haven't been filial.] He turned to the window, staring out at the Brockton Bay skyline. [So, in the end we came to this sort of place. Maybe, finally, there's nowhere to run.]
[Dad.] I said. [You think I should fight them?]
[Zhiqiang, the power is yours. Don't listen to him.] Mom told me. [We still can retreat. Go Boston, or New York. The PRT has to take responsibility, don't they?]
[I'm not pressuring him.] Dad snapped. [Whatever he chooses, I'll support. It's only...] he paused. [Son. I never told you about the day we left China.]
[You didn't.] I had never asked, either. I got the impression it wasn't the kind of memory he was eager to reminisce about. Why would it?
[We just about caught the last flight. It was chaos. The Yàngbǎn and the Imperial army were close to capturing the airport.] I could visualize the scene if I tried hard enough. The sounds of battle drawing nearer, gunfire and mortars and worse things. Panicked crowds of lost souls desperately rushing the tarmac. Soldiers trying to keep order, even knowing they were probably living out their final hours. [I hated them, those super-men.] he said, using a Chinese slang term for capes. [In my heart I cursed them. Cursed their eighteen generations of ancestors. But they were like gods, and I merely an insect. So I flew away with a bellyful of anger.]
[What else could we do?] Mom murmured.
I stared at the floor. [You suffered much.] I offered lamely. It was sinking in—really sinking in—just how much. I had known the basic facts, of course. They had survived a famine as infants, grown up under the Cultural Revolution, and then just as a semblance of normality was emerging, the country opening up, the CUI had come and taken all that away. Yet it took hearing Dad say it to understand how cruel a blow it must have been. That day they had lost their homeland, their families, their hope for a better future. How much bitterness did they carry deep inside? How did they find the will to keep going?
[But, when they told me Oni Lee was dead, I found that anger...it had dissolved. Thank you.] Dad turned back to face me, a tight smile on his face. [No matter what, now I believe insects can pull down gods.]
Topic: Blank Defense Squad
In: Boards ►Places ► America ► Brockton Bay ► Teams ► Wards
Laser Augment (Original Poster)
Posted on October 29, 2010
Title says it all. Calling all fans of the best Ward we've ever had, we've got to protect this kid. Started off slow, but Blank gets. shit. done. What was the last time one of the government heroes took out a big-time villain?
I'm scared the PRT is going to punish him because of some PR BS. How do we save him, guys?
skipper98
Replied on October 29, 2010
Just call or email the PRT? They won't listen to any one of us but if we all flood the zone they've got to pay attention.
Tell your family, tell your friends, make twenty throwaway accounts, the works.
Exploratorium (Veteran Member)
Replied on October 29, 2010
Crazy idea, but maybe we ask about his merch while we're at it. Whatever else, the PRT's got to want more money. If they don't get on top of this soon the bootleggers are going to be all over it.
Hell, I'd buy a bootleg poster. It'd go nicely with the autograph.
BayDoodler
Replied on October 29, 2010
Oh, speaking of merch I made this sketch, was just wondering where to post it. Thoughts?
skipper98
Replied on October 29, 2010
Cool pose but what's "omae wa mou shindeiru" supposed to mean? Sounds Japanese but (whispers) I don't think he's that kind of Asian.
(mods pls don't smite me)
BayDoodler
Replied on October 29, 2010
Idk, there's this pre-Leviathan show from Japan I always liked, and what happened to Oni Lee reminded me of that.
bothad
Replied on October 29, 2010
Okay, not necessarily saying Blank did anything wrong, but...are we seriously memeing on Oni Lee's death already? Two hours after it happened?
Laser Augment (Original Poster)
Replied on October 29, 2010
I mean, you're right, it's kind of fucked. But given the amount of horrible shit that happens around here to decent people for no reason, you've got to admit it's cathartic seeing it happen to someone who absolutely deserves it.
Piggot hadn't exaggerated how seriously they were taking this, not in the slightest. At two minutes to six, I was ushered to the conference room at the top of the tallest spire and found it packed to the brim. Almost the entire Protectorate and Wards roster was in attendance, seated around a long table. Every single one turned to look at me when I walked in. Being the center of attention wasn't entirely comfortable, unaccustomed to it as I was. I wondered what they were thinking behind their masks. Did they sympathize with me or blame me? It would be awkward if my coworkers all decided I was a murderer. Or maybe they were nervous that I could somehow do the same to them.
I almost certainly couldn't, as power testing should have shown. Still, the thought of a room full of capes, all in fear of little old me, was oddly empowering.
Vista half-raised her hand, hesitated, then raised it all the way to wave me over. I took the chair next to her, on the side of the table where the Wards seemed to be congregating. "What the hell happened, man?" Clockblocker immediately scooted over to question me. "Is it true? Did you really kill Oni Lee?"
"Hey, it wasn't on purpose!" At least Vista was willing to stick up for me. "We didn't even realize he was dead at first."
"And I don't think I technically killed him." I said defensively. "I mean, I didn't do anything. It's more like he...accidentally committed suicide, using my power."
Clockblocker scratched his helmet. "So you, uh, 'assisted suicided' the ABB's second-in-command by accident? How'd that even happen?"
"I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation." Triumph approached next, no doubt drawn by our little discussion. "Seeing as he's still allowed at this meeting. Let's wait and hear it, shall we?" The lion-headed helmet dipped in my direction. "Are you all right?"
"He didn't lay a finger on me."
Triumph cocked his head. "Emotionally, I mean. It can't be easy to take a—um, to be involved in a fatal encounter. Especially so early in your career."
"I'm fine." I repeated. Why did everyone expect me to be needlessly tormented by unearned guilt? Would they feel better if I was sobbing incoherently at the table? It was irritating. "Piggot already told me I didn't do anything wrong."
Gallant leaned over to peer at me. "Well, I—oh, right, I can't tell anything with him."
"Still." Clockblocker rubbed his hands together in an uneasy manner. "Didn't he die in front of you? Screaming for his life, turning to dust—doesn't that make you feel, I don't know—"
"Lay off him, you bleeding heart." Shadow Stalker materialized seemingly out of nowhere. I twitched imperceptibly. I was starting to dislike it when capes came out of thin air. "Even Piggy says he did nothing wrong, so what do you want him to feel bad about? Oni Lee fucked around and found out, simple as that." Even though her mask remained fixed in its perpetual scowl, I could hear the ear-to-ear grin underneath. "Gotta say, Blank, that was fucking badass. Sorry I thought you were a wimp before."
Well, damn. Maybe there was something wrong with me, if Shadow Stalker was the only one who agreed.
The doors opened to admit Piggot, flanked by Armsmaster and Deputy Director Renick. They situated themselves at the head of the table. Renick fiddled with a built-in panel, and two holographic video feeds flickered to life, displaying eight people in total. I spotted the familiar faces of Panacea, Glory Girl, and Shielder, while a combination of cape research and common sense let me identify the rest. Brandish, Flashbang, Lady Photon, Manpower, Laserdream. With start I realized that every hero in the city—save any minor independents, who never lasted long enough for people to learn their names—was on this call.
"Thank you all for coming on short notice." Piggot opened the gathering. "You all know why we're here, so I'll get into it." A third screen appeared, playing the video of me and Vista walking down the Boardwalk. Based on the angle, it had been captured by one of the shops' surveillance cameras. We watched as Oni Lee teleported in, pointed at me, and shouted an epithet. "At 3:35 PM today, the Wards Vista and Blank were on a routine patrol—Blank's public debut—when Oni Lee accosted them. As you can see, he did so without warning or provocation, and we're positive this was a targeted attack. Blank alleges, and the recording confirms, that Oni Lee called him a Mandarin insult specific to an ethnic Chinese person who's perceived to have betrayed their race."
A spate of muttering broke out in the room. "Was he acting on Lung's orders?" Triumph called out.
"That'll be difficult to prove." Brandish, Glory Girl and Panacea's mother, said curtly. I recalled Amy mentioning she was a lawyer by trade. "Especially with Oni Lee in no position to talk."
"Oh, come on." Assault jeered. "Oni Lee wouldn't wipe his ass without Lung's orders!"
There were a few scattered titters. "That's against the unwritten rules, isn't it?" said Battery.
"Technically it falls under a gray area." opined Brandish. "Ethnic identity alone isn't generally considered uniquely identifying information. Plus the rules are generally construed to protect you in civilian life—"
"Do you want someone to break into his house before we say the rules have been broken?" Armsmaster interrupted.
Brandish reddened in anger, while the other adults of New Wave winced or glanced off to the side. Was there a story behind this? Piggot cleared her throat. "Armsmaster, please."
"I meant no offense." Armsmaster said, not sounding at all apologetic. "But in my view, the ABB is clearly in breach of the rules. Blank's ethnicity is decoupled from his cape identity, deliberately and for good reason. Prying into a cape's personal details, attacking him over said details, is unacceptable!"
"Well, they've definitely paid the price, haven't they?" Velocity pointed out.
"Quite." Piggot said drily. "We're still unsure if the ABB merely obtained background information, or if Blank's been fully outed. As such I'd suggest he and his family stay at PHQ until the current crisis resolves." She looked at me expectantly, and I nodded once. "We can discuss long-term arrangements later. It could entail anything from increasing security around your home, up to transferring to a different department."
She pulled a sour face at the end, not bothering to conceal her disdain for the second option. I wasn't sure how I felt about it either. For all that I'd lived here my whole life, I couldn't say I had much emotional attachment to the cesspit that was Brockton Bay, but the idea of fleeing poked at what few embers of pride I had. Could I turn around and tell my parents to uproot their lives again, start from scratch in another unfamiliar city, and eke out existence on the PRT's dole?
Well yes, of course I could; it was a rhetorical question. Didn't mean I relished the prospect.
Brandish scoffed. "Just because his name's out there doesn't mean he has to hide. New Wave proves as much."
"Your model's hardly infallible." Armsmaster snapped.
Looking indignant, Brandish opened her mouth to retort, but before she could speak Piggot slammed her palm on table. The smack echoed. "Enough, you two! Debate the merits of unmasked capes on your own time. We still have much to discuss."
Flashbang put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Carol, please." he said dully, and she subsided. I was momentarily taken aback that he'd used her real name, before remembering that was just how New Wave operated.
The video resumed. Vista warped Oni Lee away, and the viewpoint switched to another camera further down the Boardwalk. Oni Lee yelled again, and with the benefit of hindsight I recognized his evident shock. "Blank's power is a permanently active Shaker field that nullifies all parahuman effects." Piggot explained. "Oni Lee's power both creates a duplicate at a location within line-of-sight, and triggers his original body to disintegrate within five to ten seconds. Our theory is that he tried to teleport to Blank but was blocked by the nullification field, while the disintegration effect was set like normal. He seems to have realized as much—'nani' is Japanese for 'what'."
We watched Oni Lee throw a grenade, throw a knife, and then explode with one final scream. I blinked. The whole sequence was startlingly brief when replayed in real time. "As you can see, he attempted to charge Blank, presumably in hope of forcing him to undo the effect." That was an interesting way of saying 'stabbing me to death.' "However, he failed. None of the nearby cameras saw him re-materialize. The ABB has put out no counter-response to rampant rumors of his demise. Therefore, the PRT is considering Oni Lee to be presumed dead."
Another round of mutters ensued. Vista's hands flew to her mouth. "Wait! Does that mean if I'd let him get close, he could've survived?"
"Don't blame yourself." Miss Militia said soothingly. "You had no way of knowing, and besides, he was trying to kill you."
"Yeah, I'm glad you didn't." I whispered to her. I was sure my null field would have prevented him from disintegrating, but at the cost of getting me blown up and stabbed. Was it worth suffering that, just to save the life of a murderous villain? No. Absolutely not.
Vista had gone very quiet and very still in her seat. My affirmation obviously hadn't helped. At least I had tried.
"That all seems to make sense." Lady Photon was saying. "What do you think, Carol?"
"I concur." Brandish ground out. "Given the involuntary power expression, plus the clear-cut grounds for self-defense, there's not a fair prosecutor in the land who'd press charges. Or a fair jury who'd convict." She sounded put out. Was she so eager for me to be guilty of criminal homicide? "However, I must insist on a full and transparent investigation. No cover-ups for PR's sake."
Piggot actually smirked. "We may not need to worry about PR, for once. The PRT switchboards are blowing up—calls are apparently five-to-one in support of Blank's actions."
I heard Shadow Stalker snickering softly. "People like capes who do shit, who'd have thought?"
"Hmph," Brandish grunted, then rallied. "Well, I still think there are important questions to answer. Like, say, why such a dangerous power was approved for public patrols."
Seriously? I mean, I did agree that me patrolling was a terrible idea, but for the opposite reasons. It was hard to tell, but I thought Panacea might have rolled her eyes in the background. "Dangerous?" Armsmaster bristled. "It's harmless to ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the population. More than I can say for the rest of us. Including you, Brandish!"
"Enough!" Piggot and Lady Photon shouted at the same time, before looking awkwardly at each other. Piggot coughed. "Ahem. Thank you, Lady Photon. Now that we have basic agreement on the facts of the matter..." Brandish's eye appeared to be twitching, but she voiced no objection. "...we need to plan for the fallout."
Deputy Director Renick's head bobbed up and down. "Indeed, indeed. The ABB's lost people before, but Oni Lee has—er, had been around since their founding. Not to mention the, ah, highly public and humiliating manner of his death. I can't see Lung letting this skate." He ran a hand through his thinning hair. "De-escalating the situation may prove difficult."
"Why de-escalate?" Manpower jumped excitedly from his seat. Good heavens, was it an artifact of the video or was the man actually seven feet tall? "With Oni Lee dead, Lung's the only cape the ABB's got left. This is our chance to get rid of him for good!"
"Easier said than done." Miss Militia cautioned. "On our last serious attempt, he fought off the whole Protectorate roster, and that was when we still had Challenger." Challenger. I'd come across that name in many older reports. She'd been a longtime member of Protectorate ENE before dying against Behemoth last spring. This was the first time I'd heard any of the current roster mention her. I wasn't sure if there was some unwritten rule against mentioning fallen heroes, or if Challenger just hadn't been very well liked.
"Well, you didn't have us last time." Manpower boasted.
Armsmaster fixed him with a level stare. "You're right. New Wave wasn't there, come to think of it. I wonder—" Piggot shot him a warning glare and he stopped mid-sentence. "But Manpower does have a point. Lung may the ABB's powerhouse but Oni Lee's importance shouldn't be understated. With his power he could reach any point in the Docks within minutes, and you never knew if he was about to attack. Lung alone is far more predictable. He may well be as vulnerable as he'll ever be."
"You can bet we're not to the only ones to think so." Assault chimed in. "If I know anything about villains—and I do—they're smelling blood in the water. You think Kaiser wouldn't love to snatch some turf from his main rival? Or the Merchants don't want more drugs?" He leaned back in his chair. "'Course, they'll probably wait for us to start fucking each other up before they move. It's how villains roll."
Battery groaned. "So we've got to watch out for Lung on one side, and the Empire on the other? Great."
"It seems we're at an impasse." mused Dauntless. "If we hit Lung, or he hits us, we both risk getting bogged down and giving Kaiser free reign. And everyone else is just circling, waiting to see what happens between the Protectorate and ABB..."
"Ridiculous! We can't sit on the rig forever!" Armsmaster stood up. The room hushed, sensing that the leader of the Protectorate was about to put his thumb on the scales. "As long as this uncertainty lasts, business as usual is impossible. Lung could come after any of us in reprisal at any time. Someone will have to make the first move, and we may as well act rather than react. I propose to lead a patrol into the Docks tomorrow, with as many capes as we can muster."
Piggot raised an eyebrow. "So you propose to de-escalate by fighting Lung head-on?"
"Consider it a warning shot. A message that if he chooses to escalate, we'll stand united to take him down. Of course, he'll be given the opportunity to clarify his intentions." Armsmaster sounded unenthusiastic about that possibility. "If he stands down, we can put the whole matter behind us."
"And if he doesn't?" Renick asked hesitantly.
Armsmaster cracked the grimmest smile I'd ever seen. "Then so long as he walks free, peace will never be an option."
"Hell yes!" Manpower cheered. "Come on, Sarah! We can't let the Protectorate have all the glory!"
"I'm in!" Glory Girl interjected.
"Victoria! Don't speak out of turn." Brandish scolded her daughter, then turned back to face the camera. "Bold words, Armsmaster, but do you even have a plan? Besides throwing bodies at Lung until the city's in ashes?"
"His power's potential for collateral damage is a major concern." Armsmaster acknowledged. "However. What if we had a cape who could stop him from doing that?"
It didn't take a genius to tell who he was referring to. All eyes turned to me, again. "You don't have to answer right away!" Miss Militia hastily amended. "By all means, take the time to think. It's a big deal, going up against Lung, and we wouldn't want to pressure anyone into it." It was kind of her to try and give me an off-ramp, but even I could tell it was half-hearted. She wanted me aboard, and why wouldn't she? If I were on a collision course with Lung, I'd want all the bodies I could get too. I sighed. Piggot's warning had proven remarkably prescient. Had she known all along that this would be our Plan A? I wouldn't put it past her.
I could still decline, I reminded myself. The gathered heroes would no doubt be livid, but they were heroes. They couldn't break my arm to force me to join; there were laws they were bound to follow. Two months ago I would've refused in a heartbeat and damn their displeasure. No amount of atta-boys was worth my life. And yet—wait, wait, hold up. Was I really considering volunteering to fight Lung?
Just how much had powers changed me without my realization? A flicker of unease ran down my spine, before I suppressed it. Of course I had changed. My situation had changed, and it was only rational to adapt my thinking to the circumstances. Before, when I'd been an ordinary human, it made perfect sense to run and hide from forces beyond my control. But I was parahuman now—meaning beside or beyond humanity, depending on which meaning of the prefix you subscribed to, and either way not wholly of humanity anymore. By my very nature, I mattered in ways I hadn't before. The head of the Protectorate was asking for my help, and the head of the ABB had sent an assassin after me. My actions mattered more too, like throwing a boulder into a pond compared to a pebble. Was it arrogant of me to say so? I thought not. The pile of dust that had been Oni Lee was proof enough. For years he'd been the terror of the Docks and then suddenly poof! he wouldn't terrorize anyone again. Because of me.
It was a heady feeling. Who was to say I couldn't shut down his boss as well? If Lung had my real name and face we couldn't safely coexist anyways, certainly not in Brockton Bay and perhaps not anywhere. He had his gang, true, but I had mine too. Nearly twenty capes counting New Wave, the jackbooted ranks of the PRT, the full force and authority of the state. Such were the perks of being a government-sanctioned hero.
I could see it now, the alternate path which had opened up. Lung would have to go. So would Kaiser and Purity and Hookwolf and the rest of the Nazis. The Merchants. The Undersiders. Faultline and her crew. Coil and Ūber and Leet and Circus and all the other troublemakers who disrupted the rule of law in Brockton Bay. When they were all gone, then maybe I could have my quiet life.
Maybe we could—all of us—have quiet lives.
I licked my dry lips. "I would be interested in hearing more details of the plan," I said slowly. "but, in principle, my mind is open. Can someone tell Arcadia I'll need a homework extension?"
Assault sputtered for a moment, then burst into full-on helpless laughter. Clockblocker followed him a second later, then Manpower, then Glory Girl, until half the room was losing their minds while Armsmaster pounded the table and shouted for order.
I didn't see what was so funny. I really was going to need that extension.
Topic: Blank vs Oni Lee!
In: Boards Places America Brockton Bay
(Showing page 22 of 35)
Laser Augment
Replied on October 29, 2010
I just think some people are being hypocritical about this.
There are probably like a hundred comments a day bitching about how the PRT doesn't do shit against the villains. And now that a PRT hero actually did shit, you want to send him to jail?
Seriously, figure out what you want.
abenmao
Replied on October 29, 2010
There's a difference between "doing shit" and "publicly executing villains and probably starting a gang war."
White Fairy (Veteran Member)
Replied on October 29, 2010
BREAKING: we have an official statement from the PRT, quoting the important bits here:
"We are aware of today's incident between the hero Blank of the Wards ENE and the villain Oni Lee of the Azn Bad Boys. As of this time, Oni Lee is presumed deceased.
We are committed to cape accountability and will be performing a full use-of-force review regarding the incident. However, initial indications are that Blank was the victim of an unprovoked attack based on personal information leaked in contravention of the 'unwritten rules'. While the cause of Oni Lee's death remains under investigation, the working hypothesis is that it was an unfortunate and inadvertant adverse power interaction. The existing advisory against Case 53s approaching Blank has been updated to also include teleporters.
Many people have expressed concerns about the potential implications for the security situation, and we hear them. The PRT calls on all parties to show restraint, and stands ready to ensure the safety of Brockton Bay."
LaBourneIdentity (New Member)
Replied on October 29, 2010
Fucking lmao.
Hey Blank, can you give Hookwolf an 'adverse power interaction' next? Thanks.
User received an infraction for this post: I know, Nazis suck. However it's against the rules to call for the death of a cape without a Kill Order.
Greentext Enthusiast
Replied on October 29, 2010
- does nothing for two months
- kills a man on his first patrol
- PRT says he did nothing wrong
Most based Ward ever, holy shit.
Brocktonite03
Replied on October 29, 2010
Based on what?
Also, what the hell kind of power does he have? How does deleting a man from existence fit into any of the existing theories? I thought power nullification was plausible, but damn, I don't think Hatchet Face can do that!
Jihoo94
Replied on October 29, 2010
Dude, who the fuck cares about his power? We're all gonna die! Restraint my ass, does the PRT even know Lung? I'd be running for the hills, except I'm seeing skinheads creeping around the street. Probably plotting to anschluss the neighborhood when they get half the chance.
Bruce Lao
Replied on October 29, 2010
I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, a lot of people in the Docks are barricaded in and praying right now. Especially the ones off in no-man's land near Empire turf. Feels like however this resolves, we lose. Be great if the PRT decides to help out, but I'm not holding my breath.
Plus there's what, 13 capes in the Empire? I doubt Blank can disintegrate all of them too.
(narrator voice) And that was the moment Walter White became Heisenberg...I mean the moment Taylor Hebert became Skitter...I mean the moment Zhou Zhiqiang became Blank. He's always mixed the desire for a quiet life with an innate dislike of anything that 'breaks the rules', and the latter is getting stronger. There are rational reasons for this, but it's not impossible that a conflict drive was involved. Other shards can't fuck with him, but it doesn't mean his own can't. Conflict drive doesn't automatically turn you into a raging psycho, especially the cape's personality is naturally non-confrontational (see Parian), but it can provide the last nudge over the top.
If you guessed Coil was behind last chapter's incident, ding ding ding! He had a cunning plan to non-lethally pressure Blank out of the local cape scene with the ABB as a patsy. Shame it didn't work, but he's not going to give up on world domination so easily.
Papa Blank gets his moment in the limelight...that backstory provides all sorts of reasons for pent-up bitterness. It goes some way to explain where our MC gets his rather cold attitude toward capes from. And would you believe I wasn't thinking of Gold Morning when I came up with that gods and insects line, at first?
First impressions matter a lot on the Internet, and when your first public action is to disintegrate a man, good luck beating those allegations.