"This is excellent." Doctor Mother looked in wonder at the man beyond the glass window as another physician was finishing the daily checkups.He had come out unscathed from drinking the vial, except from a slight mutation to his skin where his neckline met his shoulders. Skin-coloured scales had begun to grow there, blending in with his flesh. "His power is exactly within parameters. Not as powerful as Panacea's, but he too can make significant modifications to human biology. Both to heal and to help cushion the reaction of vials.""Incredible," Doctor Mother walked up and touched the glass, "what are the limits?""Given what I've found," I explained, "the more powerful the vial the more time it would require to prepare the body. For some powers, such as Alexandria's and Legend's, the body wouldn't be able to handle it. Then there are powers like Eidolon's and Gray Boy's, where I simply don't have enough data to even begin.""We only have three samples of the foreign element that created Eidolon and Gray Boy. Enough for three vials, but no more."The foreign element… The residue from the third entity, I suspected. Powers that were not limited. Meaning they almost always resulted in terrible mutations. In a way, Gray Boy too was a mutation. I motioned for us to walk away from the room."Our other tasks?" Doctor Mother asked."Weaver and Contessa have taken care of thirty percent of Cauldron dissidents since we last spoke. Most were convinced to come back into the fold, at least until we're done. As for everything else… No progress in slowing down Eidolon's power decay, and little progress in healing Noelle. Tattletale has managed to find a way to keep her mental state stable, but I don't want to rely on Noelle's powers.""If her cloning power works on Eidolon… That's not a force multiplier we can ignore. You know that.""That's a decision that is not up to you anymore, Doctor Mother. We discussed it.""I know." She nodded without any hard feelings. There was no resentment in her voice. To her, it was simply a clinical observation that Noelle should be used in the fight.I agreed. Partially. But I would not sacrifice my morals to take down Scion, not until there was no other choice.We stopped at the door to Doctor Mother's office."Begin preparing for large scale operations with Panacea. Involve Panacea's companions in the Wards if possible, to keep her stable. Taking into account recovery times and Panacea's mental stability when dealing with the vials, we should be able to start creating large numbers of combat parahumans within two months. Before the next Endbringer attack, if we manage to keep this hidden from them.""Understood. Should I take the lead if you become unavailable?""No. Put Alexandria as head of this operation."That made Doctor Mother raise an eyebrow."She may not show it, but I know she cares for her Wards, deep down. And Panacea is one of them. I trust that Rebecca will make the right call, at least when it comes to this.""Very well. I'll contact you if anything changes." Doctor Mother opened the door to her office and walked in.With that said, I turned around. Leaving Doctor Mother to her work.
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The days passed without regard for our efforts. The planet continued to spin around its axis.Brockton Bay continued to rebuild itself all the while. The city was now unrecognizable, three months removed from Leviathan's attack: modern and sturdy structures had taken the place of all of the buildings destroyed by the Endbringer. The boat graveyard had been fully cleared out, as had most of the sunk coast.It was a new city. Thanks to Dragon's and Tattletale's effort in making it into a stronghold against corruption. A fortress for the End of the World.The only reminder of the destruction was the tall black marble monument dedicated to the fallen heroes. An obelisk, with the names etched into each of the faces. Even now there were fresh flowers left at the feet of the monument.Other names were etched into the marble too, carefully carved with a small combat knife:'KOOROW - BULLIT - MILK - STUMPY - BROOTUS - JOODUS - AXIL, GINGIR'I walked up to the monument, brushing my fingers against the names.Another monument, just like this one, had been built in Toronto. I had visited it the day before, memorizing the names of the dead.People that I could have saved, were I given enough time to prepare. But the world was not waiting for me. For us.Each day that passed, each obstacle I met along my path, was a life lost. A person, with their desire, their fears, their flaws, forever gone.I felt a bug land on my shoulder before I heard her footsteps.Taylor wasn't in her costume. She was in her running gear, as this usually was the hour for her daily runs.As she walked closer she too looked at the memorial obelisk."I haven't forgotten my promise." I told her."I know." Taylor stepped to the side of the monument, reading the names etched into the black marble. I didn't have to see her face to decipher her emotions at that moment."Why did you ask to meet here then?" I asked."...it's a reminder to me," she continued to walk around the monument as she spoke, "I could have been on here. Rather…"Her eyes stopped at a name. 'Iron Falcon'. Not from Brockton Bay."My armband was broken at some point. Dragon announced me as dead. And without my armband, Armsmaster could not account for my position. Which could have saved my life.""I don't think Colin would have treated you the same as Kaiser, Taylor.""I don't think so either… But who knows?" She sighed. "It's not very nice, right? Thinking like this of someone who is now a key part of our team. And someone that, by most measures, has been a hero for all of his career. Unlike me.""This isn't about Colin. Taylor, speak your mind.""Things are moving too fast. And the reason why I wanted to meet you here…" She walked up to me, taking three sealed and folded letters and handing them over. "I don't want to end up as a nameless hero on a memorial. If something happens, give those letters to the people they're addressed to. One is for you, and that's my will."I wanted to say something. To tell her that there was no need.But I simply nodded my head instead.Taylor too had nothing left to say. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the monument, before she smiled my way and took off running. Keeping up with her daily routine.
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Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months.Long before we were prepared, autumn was upon us. The leaves turned golden and began to fall.The world saw an unprecedented plummet in criminal rates in all countries that were under Cauldron influence. Many African warlords were deposed or lost their support. Not enough to fully change the state of the continent, but progress was being made.As a result, the number of natural triggers during these months dropped even more drastically.But it was far from peaceful. The worst of the criminal gangs, those that managed to survive having their funding suddenly stolen from them, felt the winds of change and began fighting for their survival. Western Europe was engaged in an urban war with the Gesellschaft, the Elite turned against the PRT and began aggressively attacking the economy of the American continent, while the Chinese Union-Imperial made full use of the chaos to increase their global power.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.We had struck first, so we were still at an advantage, but at the same time the more days passed from the Simurgh's last attack the more we were forced to put forces in reserve. Most of our resources began being focused into the new vial treatment, and in preparing for the next Endbringer attack.The months came and went.
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An important meeting between the highest authorities in the PRT was being held. I spectated from the PRT headquarters in Los Angeles.The room below was filled with chatter as the highest leaders of the Protectorate and PRT argued and discussed between themselves on the screens. Some of the Wards were also there - the team captains, or those that were soon to be promoted into that position.They were discussing about Toybox, or rather, the price the Tinker mercenary group had requested for their collaboration."Their help could be the key element in bringing down the Endbringer during the next attack. I say that it is a reasonable price they're asking for." Director Tagg proposed."That is unreasonable!" Legend protested. "There's still plenty of civilians we must take care of in that city!""Legend. Remember that we outrank you." Director Piggot reminded the hero."Brockton Bay is going to fall, eventually." Tagg argued back. "At least this way we can make the two criminal groups fight among themselves."I wasn't in the room, rather I was listening from outside. Next to me was Contessa."What's the outcome of doing what Tagg proposes?" I asked her."Toybox is acting as a proxy for the Elite. If they get to Brockton Bay, the Elite follow. Something happens, and the PRT loses hold of most of the west coast.""I see.""If we had shut this deal down without discussion, Tagg would have simply gone behind our back. Now he won't. And it is about time you walk in." Contessa pointed with her head towards the stairs.I followed her direction, walking down the stairs. I kept track of the conversation through the voices alone.Legend became furious the more Director Tagg talked. Piggot abstained from intervening too much, if not to 'put the parahumans back in their place'. Alexandria's body double kept quiet, but so did Rebecca in her Chief Director role. Eidolon only whispered next to Legend to attempt to calm him down.All around the room people whispered among themselves, trying to understand the dynamics of what was happening. The chatter kept escalating in volume, until eventually the Chief Director raised her hand.The room quieted down.The door in front of me opened.I walked in.Every hero and officer in the room immediately focused on me. Some were wide-eyed, and others whispered my name. Contessa's work. She had subtly established a mythos around me, releasing online footage of my telekinetic contest with the Simurgh, and instructing Eidolon and Legend to compliment me in their official speeches to the press. Later, footage from my brief visit to Eagleton also leaked online. All this, coupled with my actions in Rome, had raised me almost to the height of the triumvirate.I had further strengthened my reputation by openly collaborating with Dragon in surgically striking against the worst criminals in the world. Anytime a critical amount of criminal leadership met in the same place, I quickly appeared and arrested everyone in the surrounding area.Everyone in the room cleared a path from the door to the table at the center. I walked across the room while keeping my eyes locked onto Rebecca's own cold gaze."This is very theatrical." Dragon commented in my ear with a slight chuckle."You're not giving up Brockton Bay." I simply stated."Excuse me?" Director Piggot raised an eyebrow. "You forget your position, Blackwall.""And you forget empathy, Director Piggot. The Undersiders have proven themselves again and again to be a powerful asset. Closer to mercenaries, than a full on criminal group like the Elite.""Brockton Bay is in criminal control. This way we can declare it a quarantine zone and save resources." Director Tagg spat back."This is not up for discussion. Give up Brockton Bay and both me and Dragon walk away.""That," Rebecca finally spoke up, "is reason enough to shut down this conversation. Tell Toybox that we're refusing their deal. Then start tracking them down. If they won't help us, then they're just another branch of the Elite."As she said those words, Contessa left the building through a Doormaker portal. Already moving on to the next task."Let's move on to the next topic," Rebecca glanced at me, and at the other heroes in the room, "PRT only. You're dismissed."
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"Not even they can fully control the poison they injected in the PRT."Arsenal was waiting outside, clad in his power armor as always. It had gone through significant changes, and now he wielded firepower equivalent to mine. The outermost layer of the armor was now made of black crystalline metal. It was a weaker version of Adriana's own black metal, and rather than function as a full on block for parahuman perception, it simply made him 'fuzzier' to Thinker powers. They'd still be able to see him if they focused.We spoke through the comms, as we were surrounded by other Protectorate heroes and Wards."We're rooting out the worst, but some are much more entrenched than others. Tagg's work in dealing with Simurgh victims has given him a lot of political leeway." I answered Arsenal's words."Heads up, Arsenal's algorithm is showing irregularities. I haven't pinpointed it yet. It could be an Endbringer attack, or something else." Dragon suddenly interrupted the conversation.Immediately I went on alert.Arsenal's algorithm, a further iteration on Dragon's initial work, deeply analyzed undergoing world events, trying to predict the subtle changes that preceded terrible attacks.I felt a fly land on my forehead. Its movement was odd.Weaver wasn't here.The fly released something into my eye.My attention instead fell on a similar fly that landed on the hand of a closeby officer.I unsheathed my nanothorn sword to sever his arm from below the elbow. Just in time, as the hand immediately changed color and began growing mouth like openings that violently bit at the air. As the hand landed on the ground, the fingers began violently spasming.Arsenal had also begun to react, fully closing his power armor and triggering an electrical shockwave from his spear. The electricity spread through the room extremely rapidly, knocking unconscious everyone in the room but most importantly zapping away at the flies.My crystal arm shifted, turning into a similar implant to one I had created in the past. From my body a red electrical current spread all around, imitating what Arsenal had just done. The world around me slowed down as I broke into a sprint.I moved through the hallways at my maximum speed, killing as many flies as I could reach. At the same time the alarms began to finally ring at full volume, with Dragon announcing the danger:"BONESAW HAS RELEASED BUGS IN THE BUILDING, STAY AWAY."In the distance, a tide of canine monsters spread through Los Angeles.Rachel...