"Horizon, --Shin-- any advice I can give about retirement... It's not going to come from personal experience. But..." She takes a deep breath, then pauses for a moment before her words come. "... It's the rare opportunity for someone to get to choose to retire in this business. So count yourself among the extremely lucky.
"But saying that... retirement will be challenging on its own. Every crisis you hear about will tempt you. You'll start wondering if you should help out, to suit up and throw yourself at whatever's threatening the city. And, well, I don't have the words to tell you how to deal with those feelings." She pauses again. "Except to say that, you've earned your right to a peaceful life. To a future that doesn't have Dusk in it.
"Remember, Halcyon City will always have threats. And the Alliance was formed to make sure there will always be heroes who rise to protect its people. So... you can rest easy. We've got this."
"Lovelace isn't stupid, and information is her stock in trade," Whippoorwill warns. "She's not going to keep her most valuable assets in an obvious location or anywhere vulnerable. Be mindful of decoy servers or dummy drives."
Her voice comes out strained next. "If you're set on doing this, I'm not going to stop you. I won't begrudge you your closure. But, these are huge risks you're taking. Valerie, most of all. Just... remember walking away is still an option."
"...so our plan is to find out where Lovelace is keeping her intel, then either smuggle it out or find another means of obtaining it. I get that it's dangerous. But we're past the point of pulling out. I would really appreciate your support."
"That's a dangerous game you're playing. But you're right that Valerie was the obvious suspect for the breakout. I'll try to keep the serious heat off her, but there are more than just the Alliance at play."
There's a pause before Whippoorwill adds, "You should also know that one of the people sprung from the site is an old classmate of yours. Ne'veah.
"I'm worried about your team, but see what you can do to unite them for this. I've got a bad feeling about this."
"You are deliberately trying to goad me, and I'm trying to understand what I've done to you to deserve this. Unless your own ego has to establish some sort of verbal dominance? In which case, I'm not interested in playing."
She turns purposefully to Horizon, excluding Conflux from the conversation either purposefully or accidentally by her large wings. "They're dating, huh? This complicates things, but it might be useful -- Wait." Her face is that of grave concern. "Rain is dating Cortex's daughter. He could be in deep trouble, if Cortex is pulling the overprotective dad schtick.
"Talk to him. Find out not only if he's compromised, but if Cortex has ever contacted him. If not, let him know his girlfriend has a sociopathic telepath for a father and he needs to think only respectful thoughts. First Class should circle the wagons. Protect one another. I'll get you more psi-shields as soon as I can."
"It'd be less hard if you didn't scatter snippets of information haphazardly instead of providing a coherent narrative," Whippoorwill responds flatly.
"Sort of like this -- and please correct me if I have anything incorrect: Skyler, a student at Halcyon Prep who was 'voluntold' to join the hero classes, has been recruiting powered students to the CHC, and is incidentally the daughter of Cortex. When First Class and Shane Taylor blew the lid off the CHC's activities, Cortex interfered to protect his daughter's involvement, which was all just a big misunderstanding that we'll laugh about someday--" She grits her teeth, scowling furiously. "Damn him."
She shakes her head clear. "What else is there besides the question of how complicit Skyler is? Seems like Cortex is being overly protective, which honestly isn't like him." She chews her lip in thought. She muses to herself."Unless... how would he react to having a kid? Would his narcissism extend to her?"
She looks at Horizon. "What do you mean how much does Rain know? Why?"
Connie puts her head in her hands. "On the first day of class she said she had been 'voluntold' to be here, and if Yeoman didn't already know what that referred to and never followed up, then he is taking a serious hit in my rankings. You guys have the worst f~&!ing security."
She emerges to further clarify. "No to my best knowledge, she didn't have a brain bug. She ID'd Ringtone and Levitron as vulnerable to 'recruitment,' and I believe made the initial overtures as well."
Whippoorwill's mouth twists. "The classes weren't necessarily to be a secret. I'll admit they were rather hastily thrown together because we were all still reeling from the Sentinels' implosion." The effort she is making to not roll her eyes is obvious. "And would you really expect an eighty-year-old robot to pick up on that colloquialism?
"I'll find out how she got the invite. I'm open to ideas on checking out the home and how best to approach Ms. Skyler. How strong are her abilities?"
Whippoorwill rubs her face. "All right. Point. But that was puppetry. And magic. Even if Cortex has gotten that strong, he'd have to be close, to pull the strings. Even his stupid little compulsions he's so fond of can't rise to the level of getting someone to commit murder."
She paces back and forth on the rooftop. "This was just a nudge. Skipping over a conversation and jumping immediately to a conclusion -- especially one that means less work and a tidy resolution... it's easy to do. At least, I assume so."
Whippoorwill doesn't look surprised at the teleportation. "That would be Jaunt's doing. He's the CADRE's teleporter. Cortex probably isn't in Halcyon anymore, thanks to him. There's sort of a ceasefire between the Alliance and the CADRE. They rarely operate on U.S. soil and its biggest allies. They don't try to provoke us and generally operate where Alliance intervention would cause diplomatic incidents." She doesn't seem especially happy with this arrangement.
"So, this place where he ditched his tracker? Care to share?"
"Cortex has a kid?!? Whippoorwill exclaims. Then she grimaces and bobs her head side to side. "Well, it's honestly not surprising. He probably has several. But, keeping them safe? Okay, I'm genuinely surprised he would even know they exist, much less keep tabs on them."
She arches an eyebrow at Conflux. "You're being very careful to not provide any clues as to their identity. Unless they're nonbinary. You know who this kid is, I take it? Any chance you'd like to share? Cortex is a sociopath. Getting this child away from him would be a good move."
She folds her arms, frowning as she comes to a conclusion without needing a prompt. "Aaaand you're not going to share anything until you're satisfied I'm not compromised." She sighs. "December 2nd. I met with Horizon about the CHC... we concluded it was a big--"
Whippoorwill pinches her brow and swears under her breath.
Whippoorwill displays a rare showing of surprise. "Cortex? Why would he be involved? He's not connected... well, there's the Estate, but that's tenuous at best. He wouldn't be interested in joining the Archdeacon at all. In fact, he'd probably be a major threat to the collective."
"I would feel like my patience is being tested," Whippoorwill responds flatly. "Do you have a mental block against being direct? Out with it. How is Horizon compromised? And how could I be, if I never even faced the Archdeacon?"
Whippoorwill pinches her brow as Conflux talks to her. "You apparently have a very specific scenario in mind. Care to enlighten me? And I look forward to your extensive dissertation on everything we're doing wrong. Just keep it succinct." She forces a smile. "All right?"
Horizon's arrival delays any retort from Conflux. Whippoorwill turns her attention to him. "No, only two people will be overwhelmed by the rest of the Instigators. Propane, Asphalt and Stormfront are also tough. Unless you can isolate her, you're dealing with four, not one."
Whippoorwill steps back to give Horizon space. She uses that time to address Conflux's question. "Codeword? No. Too easily compromised if our minds were invaded. Countermeasures are in place, however. The Alliance is also fortunate to have a pair of members with nonhuman minds."
She glances back at Shin. "It shouldn't matter, anyway. Heartache manipulates emotions, not thoughts. It's hard dealing with her, even harder when one or more of your teammates have... history. You can go into an altercation knowing she's going to mess with you, and you still can go off the rails. Don't assume she can't affect you. In fact, given what I know about First Class's past... I hate to use the word 'drama.' Pretend I said something with better tact... Heartache could very well cause a repeat of what happened to the Sentinels, even with warning."
Whippoorwill's voice comes out stern. "Horizon, stop. Heartache fits, but we don't know for certain. We're going to do this methodically, and more importantly, smartly. We're going to find her, but the more emotion you're feeling, the stronger she'll be. So stay frosty. Got it?"
Whippoorwill mutters to herself, not reacting to Conflux's revelation. "Doesn't make sense. Sentinels weren't on the Instigators' radar."
She taps her ear. "Whet, need you to cross-reference every possible sighting of the Instigators from three months ago. Rumors, traffic cameras, cell phones, everything. I need to know where they were when the Sentinels imploded."
Whippoorwill's face is tight when Conflux appears on the roof. It's clear something she heard in the recording has her deeply concerned. She barely acknowledges the newcomer as she starts inputting information into her gauntlet's computer.
"Could you play it again?" Whippoorwill asks, focusing on the readouts of her computer.
Whippoorwill helps her protégé back to his feet. "Shin, I have a lot to atone for. I don't see my attempts to be a hero as a sacrifice, but necessary. I'm fighting for a redemption I know I'll never earn. I admit that colored how I've trained and pushed you, because I saw you and Dusk as the same person.
"I was wrong, and I'm so sorry for that." She removes her domino mask as she looks at him. "You don't have anything to atone for. Dusk's actions are not yours. You're innocent."
The sincerity and regret is plain on her face. "I trust you, and whatever path you've chosen for yourself. I'm sorry I didn't see it earlier."
Shifting topics back to the mystery of the Sentinels' breakup, Whippoorwill restores her domino mask and considers his question. "Absolutely it's worth it. Siph-- Valerie has been found, but Psyche is still missing, for one thing. And if everyone was acting off... that's too much of a mystery to leave unsolved." She pauses to consider. "Did you record S-- Valerie's statements? It might be good to listen to them again, even if she won't cooperate further. Or if she's willing, you could drill down, look for things she specifically can remember. There might still be a clue in your memories, muddy as they are."
Whippoorwill looks shocked and takes a moment to process. But she puts a hand on his shoulder and looks him in the eyes. "Shin, I'm not -- nor will I ever -- be disappointed in you for something like this. I've known you've been putting an unhealthy amount of pressure on yourself and I've tried--" She stops herself with a shake of her head.
"I'm proud of you. You don't have to do this job full-time in order to have my approval." She steps back and looks over the city as the wind sets her hair blowing wildly. "There's always the mission. The dangers out there. But... I understand if you don't think you can do it forever. Even I... won't be doing it forever."
She falls silent for a moment, then turns back to Horizon. "I'm proud that you're still thinking of helping others. I know the legal system is frustrating. For all the good we do, it should be on our side more."
She offers him a sympathetic smile. "Sorry to hear about the brick wall. I take it Siphon's memories weren't any better than yours?"
"I don't mind you using the Refractalry's warp-lane. It'll probably make more sense anyway, in case there are those watching your movements. And it doesn't even have to be sinister; you've apparently got a fan base already. They tend to pay close attention to that stuff." Whippoorwill indeed doesn't seem like a hugger, remaining businesslike though not completely standoffish.
"When Whetstone or I aren't here, you'll have to slip in past the security systems. Going down to mosquito size or smaller should get you through. I have no issues with you setting something else in place in case you have to deter anything smaller than that. Just clear it with Whetstone first, so we're not stepping on each others' toes." She turns to him. "Can you think of anything else?"
He shakes his head. "The meteorite was out in plain view for years, so hopefully where it's at now will last for just as long or longer. Let me know of any specific threats, so I can include in what the perimeter scanners look for."
Once Femtite answers, Whip urges her back outside. "We should get back. I think Horizon wanted to talk to you."
Moving Ceremony
Ordnance agrees to visit Horizon later. "It will be a pleasure. It was good seeing you again. Tell Femtite I hope she likes her home's new home." The shapeshifting robot alien reconfigures into a hoverjet and blasts off into the sky.
Meanwhile Conway is organizing the Femtite fans, getting them to move out of the cold open air and into a nearby hotel ballroom for a little reception. Once the heavy coats are removed, several people in the crowd are wearing Femtite or other First Class cosplay.
About fifteen minutes later, Whippoorwill and Femtite emerge from Alliance HQ. "I don't know if you want to brave that craziness, but I've definitely got other places to be," the winged hero comments, pointing to the impromptu convention of Femtite fans.
She folds her arms and looks at Horizon with an arched eyebrow asking an unspoken question.
Whippoorwill arches an eyebrow at the princess dress, since the vibe of the interior of the observatory is clearly comfy sweats and exercise apparel. She doesn't comment, however.
The Alliance member watches Femtite inspect the new housing for the meteorite, but waves down the thank yous. "Please. That's not why we're doing this. With the fate of so many lives at stake, I wish I could offer more protection. Secrecy and misdirection is the best we've got, and it'll have to do for now. I trust you'll be discrete when you come here to visit?"
"The HQ is a glaring target for enemies. That's why we don't keep anything of real value there," Whippoorwill explains. She takes flight again and enters through a hatch near the old telescope.
Inside is a clean and open workspace with a living area, a small dojo and aerial obstacle course, and observation platform. An older gentleman with a heavy vest full of tools is on the lower floor. He waves up to Whippoorwill. "You brought the alien? Color me surprised."
"Not much choice. It's her world, after all. Femtite, meet Whetstone. Whetstone, Femtite." The man gives a little salute, then points to a spot behind Femtite on the observation platform. A small node of heavily reinforced metal is barely noticeable in the overall structure. "That's the real home for the meteorite. Not as glamorous as the fake in the HQ, but so much better protected. And, most importantly, secret. Light comes in from the other side through the highest grade of transparent ceramics. It should be able to withstand a direct strike from anything with less strength than Captain Stalwart."
The Alliance leaves little time for Q&A after the ceremony, with Imagerie and Ordnance deflecting questions and Whippoorwill immediately heading toward the Refractalry. She bids Femtite to follow her with a movement of her head.
"Wait!" Conway's voice calls out and he hurries after Fems, but he immediately falters once the winged hero also turns and her eyes fall on him. "Wow..." he stammers as he appears starstruck seeing both heroes again with the dazzling Alliance Headquarters as a backdrop, but recovers with force of will. "I-- I will. Call you, I mean. Yeah. Um. Yeah."
Whippoorwill gently takes Femtite's arm. "Let me show you the security measures we've got in place," she says as she nods to acknowledge Conway, then guides her into the Oblique Dimension's mothership.
Femtite:
They enter the grand atrium, which is brilliantly lit from the clear panels allowing plenty of natural light. Numerous displays and monuments of former heroes and their great deeds fill the wide open space. Whip waves to Captain Stalwart, who is installing the Nanometeor's pedestal in a place where it will get plenty of light.
"Further in, please. Stay close." Whippoorwill keeps walking, pausing at an entryway into the HQ's inner chambers to input an override for Femtite. The interior of the Refractalry is similarly open and spacious, but the odd and shifting angles hinted at in the atrium is dominant. She sees patterns on the floor that appear to be pathways to help guide one through the mind-bending geometries at play.
"Okay. Real close this time. Follow me exactly." Whippoorwill spreads her wings and with a few powerful beats takes flight. She rises into the air and heads straight towards a tilted part of the ceiling, then takes a hard right and disappears!
When Femtite follows the same pattern, she gets a dizzying experience of the whole ceiling parting and the entire Refractalry falling away! When she recovers her bearings, she is back outside, hovering a few feet above a rocky, hilly ground crusted with stale snow and ice. The landscape is open and sprawling, revealing Halcyon City easily several miles away, while looming over her is an old observatory!
"I know there are rumors about the Refractalry having secret angles that can take us all over the city. While technically true, there's not all that many of them. This is one, and what I use to get here," Whippoorwill explains. She gestures to the observatory, with its old battered dome. "My secret workshop and armory. And the real home of the Nanometeor."
Whippoorwill frowns at Horizon. "We've talked about this. Imagerie came up with the idea to move it inside our HQ, but she didn't think it through. I have no idea how a subatomic world is going to react to the odd geometries within the Refractalry. And it's the height of recklessness to take a 'let's see' approach."
"Stand down, Horizon," Whippoorwill says sternly. "It's an Alliance tradition so you're not on the hook, the hospital selects the kids, and they'll all be sent back before nine. I don't go to those things. Never have; never will.
"Have a good time."
=================
Chastity steps out of the restroom and immediately winces at the unexpected shout. Rubbing her ear, she spots tiny Femtite. "Hey! So, you waited for me. Or have you already gone to see the kids? I know we took a while."
He slips an earpiece in and keys his comm to Whippoorwill's. "I know the city needs it's guardians, sensei, but I would have hoped you would have sponsored a child to come here with you before you went out on patrol." He comments with some mirth. "I'll be glad to sub out for you if you want to take a break."
Whippoorwill's voice is stiff. "I did sponsor a child. She's there." She sighs. "Look, I'm not a partyer. You have fun; you've earned a break.
"Besides, there's a few things I'm following up on."
Victoria sets the gun down and accepts the nonlethal weapon. Then she goes about gathering her few items and stuffing them into a well-used backpack.
While she does that, Horizon talks with his mentor.
"She's how old? Probably better you take her to Unity. Sounds like she could use some companionship. While you're there, run the Hull ID through Clocktower. It can connect to the Coast Guard databases and check if it's in any US harbor. I have a suspicion it won't be, since the Tepes went missing in Martinique. That's the next place to look for the yacht. Then see if we can pick up their whereabouts from there."
She pauses, then adds, "Don't think I haven't noticed the timing of you needing to visit the Caribbean during winter break."
"Who are you talking to?" Victoria asks, appearing next to Horizon with her bag packed and ready to go.
"I've been working on something ever since I learned of Nanometeor's existence. It's always felt too vulnerable there in the museum. I had Whetstone try to come up with a protective containment. He might have a prototype ready. See if you can convince Femtite to agree to move the rock. Secrecy may no longer be the best protection anymore."
There's relief in Chastity's voice. "Oh, good. I was really looking forward to watching the Nutcracker with you."
There's another pause. "That's sweet, though, what she said about being with you. But I can see it. You're so positive, and free with compliments -- I don't know how someone could be your friend and not feel good about themselves. I'm glad you're staying as Maeve. She makes a good friend too."
There's a muffled voice heard on the other end and Chastity says, "What?" The phone gets jostled. "It's just Maeve! ... She was just telling me about a friend of hers from Ireland, and ... yes! No, I was just asking if she was still staying in Hal-- ... well, yeah! She's homesick and I'm trying to be supportive. ... Uh-huh. Oh, okay."
The phone is moved and Chastity's voice becomes clear. "Maeve? It's time for electronics to go off. I'll see you tomorrow."
That doesn't seem to be the issue that Chastity has with Jonathan. If anything, having a boyfriend allows her to be close with Maeve without drawing scrutiny.
She seems to be planning on staying friends, if the resumed friendship with Connie allows it.
Whippoorwill is quiet while Horizon reports. "All right, good news about the meeting. That makes sense for Caio, but it can be rough for some. Let him know there's support out there for former powered people. If you think he needs it.
"Feya has been keeping us informed about the changes in magic. You should stay observant of your other magical teammates -- especially Max. See if she's detected anything."
The topic of the lost time sets a moment of quiet from his mentor where Shin can almost see her thoughtful expression. "Okay, keep me posted about what you find. But keep your mind open -- it makes sense that you'd automatically assume it's temporal in nature, but lots of things can create the illusion of lost time. Dimensional slips, mind control, hypnosis... don't get locked into one possibility."
Sighing, Whippoorwill acknowledges Caio's point with a shrug. "Just because something is popular doesn't make it right. There are actions we can take that would be tolerated in the public eye but we don't because we have to hold ourselves to a higher standard." She taps a couple buttons on her gauntlet and a black-clad, muscled brute with big shoulder pads and pouches everywhere appears on screen. "The Brutalizer, for example, didn't kill but broke spines and caused major trauma to his victims -- who were villains. He was somewhat popular.
"He was also the first person Captain Stalwart fought when he came onto the scene." She smirks with clear satisfaction.
After a pause, Whippoorwill turns her attention to Horizon and his question about the CADRE. "I'm not going to stand here and reminisce. There are dossiers on all of them. Briefly, there's the field leader Zero-G. Gravity manipulator, controls the battlefield with pockets of intense or no gravity. Cortex is a powerful telepath and has no ethics in how he uses it. Headlock is very strong and fights in a pro-wrestler style. Hairnet manipulates her hair -- don't laugh, she's a deadly close-quarters fighter. Jaunt is their teleporter, rarely seem in the field. Siesta can knock you out with a specialized psychic attack. Woofer and Tweeter are brother and sister. He generates low bass vibrations that can shake apart concrete, while Tweeter goes high, which can shatter glass."
Whippoorwill shakes her head sternly. "No, we don't condone lethal vigilantism. Dealing drugs, while illegal, does not warrant the death penalty -- to say nothing about imposing it without a trial.
"If that's not reason enough -- and it should be -- there's the fact that the dealers escalate in response. They start shooting at pigeons with automatic weapons and innocents get shot in the panic. She's not a solution."
Whippoorwill cracks a rare smile at Horizon's request. "All right. I think you've earned it. Though... maybe you should finally get around to giving yourselves a name for your team."
Whippoorwill's lips press tightly and she shakes her head. "I've promised. As much as I'd like to satisfy your curiosity, I can't say. I trust you, but it's a secret I can't risk ever getting out. Not even the Alliance knows."
Whippoorwill would probably share most secrets, but this seems one she's bound not to share.
She wants Shin to not be upset that she's not telling him what she said to Ciandra.
She seems to be getting ready to trust Shin with some more secrets about various threats to Halcyon City and the Alliance.
Whippoorwill shakes her head at the mention that people will be unhappy that the "villain" got away. "Don't worry about that. Remember what I've told you: worrying about public opinion usually keeps you from making the right decision. Villains escape all the time. Alien attackers require a very sensitive touch, since we don't want to foolishly get Earth embroiled in a conflict." She sighs and taps her forehead. "It's their mindset. Trying to understand something not of this world... The cultures on this planet are frequently the cause for brutal wars. You should be proud of what you did tonight, but keep perspective. It stopped the fighting but Praetoria still will have to account for her actions."
Whippoorwill looks uncomfortable when Horizon mentions the Ciandra matter. "There won't always be an elegant solution. Sometimes, they're messier or more costly than you could ever know."
She puts a hand on his shoulder. "Not wanting to go that far pushed you into finding a better solution. That's important. Do you see why I work so hard on understanding as much as I can?"
Whippoorwill gestures to Horizon to step aside. Once several yards away, she positions herself so she can view Alcott and Praetoria but they can't see Shin's face. Softly, she says, "Only you and Praetoria have been to Luz 7. I need your assessment of the place. What sort of people are we dealing with? Let's say we subdue Alcott and contain him here. Is Praetoria right? Would we be looking at a potential invasion?"
Whippoorwill is mostly quiet during the recap, only asking a few questions for clarification.
She thinks for a moment, then tells him, "Old Town's a maze. It's dense, and there's not much green space. Lua's an out-of-towner, so she's not going to blend in easy. She won't be able to hide long. I'll give the Crimefighters a heads up, tell them to be on the lookout for Brazilian werewolves."
Switching topics, she says, "We've isolated the suppressor in Chiros' supplements, and are continuing to administer them to the students. The actual cure is still days, if not weeks away. If Lua's got some sort of connection to the Franklin students who got the wolf compound... that's not good. I have no idea how her ability will interact... but we have to presume she'll have some sort of control if she's that strong.
"Here's what I need you to do: we're a week and a half away from the full moon, which I assume means Lua will be at her strongest, but also Caio at his most dangerous. Taking her on sooner is better. See if you can get Caio to agree to sit this one out. He's helping by providing you with information, focus on that. If she can make him go berserk like he went with the Mongrels, that puts all of you in danger. If he insists... you'll have to make that call."
"My wardrobe just needs to be backless. I don't have any special insights to what someone with fur needs. As far as others who are in a similar situation, let's see... Smilodon comes to mind but he doesn't wear much more than a loincloth. Calico wears a body stocking, but she doesn't have fur.
"We might be able to find something. But most outfits are made to be durable and protective. If regular clothing isn't comfortable, I can't imagine anything heavier will be. I can ask some of our tech support people if they've got any suggestions," she offers.
"I just hate it when you give someone a second chance and they squander it," Whippoorwill replies with a sigh.
"He was involved in the trafficking of Wy. That drug was a mess. At least this one doesn't seem to influence the behavior of those who took it... at least maybe before the actual change. Keep a close eye on Grace, would you? Ne'veah was also adamant to not being tested. We've got a small sample size, but we really don't want anything bigger than what we've got already.
"Anyway, I tracked Lester to one of his distribution hubs, but then, so did Mourning Dove. She's a homicidal revenant. And drug dealers are her targets of choice. The fight was bloody, and Lester needs to count himself lucky he didn't catch a bullet for his involvement. He ultimately cooperated in rounding up the last of the Wy hubs, Mourning Dove killed a lot of the people above him before she was stopped, and the whole ugly mess ended up getting Lester around five years at the state penitentiary."
Whippoorwill steps back, letting Grace's teammates step in and comfort her. She remains a presence in Unity Base as she slowly coils her whip and attaches it to her waist.
There's a sharp crack! and Grace feels something tight around her leg, halting her progress. With frightening speed, Whippoorwill's whip had lashed out and caught her before she could get a few bounds.
"Grace. Stop a minute and think." Then she deliberately flicks her wrist and loosens the whip, letting Grace free.
"And you never told me that the Steel Guardian is dead," Whippoorwill adds solemnly. "You need time to process. You'll get it. I promise. But please help us."
Whippoorwill winces like she's had this conversation already and it didn't end well. "Grace, you're Steel Guardian. A hero. Your cooperation now can help hundreds of students who have been taking a mutagenic poison for months. Please."
Grace, she's shifting your Savior up and your Danger down. What do you do?
Whippoorwill looks less than pleased, but she gives Grace a sympathetic look. You're Grace? Nice to meet you, but sorry for the circumstances."
She rubs her face and takes a moment. Then the Allia member becomes ver serious. "I'm sorry that this happened to you. I can assure you that there are very talented scientists who will be working to figure out what the supplements are and how they changed you -- and how to reverse it." Her tone becomes cautiously insistent. "Please allow us to study this change in you, okay?"
She quickly looks to Shin when an idea comes to her. "You were the young lady brought to Alliance HQ, right? We need to compare that data with Ne'veah and Grace here." She gestures at Grace. "You're our best bet to figure out how the supplements work."
Rendezvous teleports in with several duplicates of Tenfold as well as Foray of the Alliance. They're clearly relieved that Caio is under control and that Femtite's alien tech has prevented any of the Mongrels' wounds from becoming fatal. They secure the scene and turn it over to agents of A.E.G.I.S., letting the remaining members of the team finally take their leave and go back to base.
A little later, after S/M/G's coming to an understanding, and maybe interrupting
Whippoorwill arrives at Unity Base, showing a number of scratches but a concerned expression. She checks on the injured and inquires after Steel Guardian. If asked about her own injuries, she gets an annoyed expression.
"Ne'veah didn't come quietly, but she's safe," she explains. "Those mutations are no joke. And she didn't seem interested in a cure. I wish I knew if that's coming from her or the change.
"But enough about that. How's Steel Guardian?" she asks.
"Nathaniel Rohde? That's Chiros' real name. Okay, this just got upgraded to a Level One threat. Stay there and secure the warehouse until specialists can arrive. Make sure the Mongrels aren't there -- check for basements, sublevels, anything nearby where they might be hiding. Wait. How much of your team's there? Probably shouldn't engage unless you've got numerical superiority. Vespid's still in custody, so you've got four of them to worry about. I'm going to see who from the Alliance or Heralds can be there to back you up."
"You can fetch them, or have Caio bring them to the Refractalry," Whippoorwill says. "We'll run the analysis, or get it to the DRF."
Percy:
The image bows to Indarius. "By all means! Take care of yourself."
Once he returns with his tea, the projection continues. "Dragon blood, huh? That could explain having more power than most human mages. I'm not sure what you mean by time-traveling, though. Why do you think it's time-traveling?"
Whippoorwill arches an eyebrow at Shin, but doesn't say anything more until they reach the Refractalry.
Once inside, she flies straight to the central computer and starts the AI running a number of different searches regarding Lester Lawrence, Chrysalis Pharmaceuticals, and area high school athletics. It immediately brings up several local sports articles commenting on the stellar play of the various high school sports teams and how a large number of players have shown significant improvement over their previous year.
Whip slams her fist down on the console at the statistical information.
At the call to arms, members of the Alliance begin to show up, and members of the Heralds start to call in. As the greatest heroes of Halcyon City show their attention, the winged woman turns to her protégé and gives him the floor.
Whippoorwill looks like she's just eaten something sour. "Drugs, mutations, and Wy? Horizon, I can't believe you haven't brought me in until now. I'm going to need to get the Alliance on this -- or maybe the Heralds. If what you're saying is remotely true, it's too big for your team."
She pauses for a moment while she thinks. "Okay. Call them up, tell them they are not to make a move unless they hear otherwise. Tell them this comes from me, if there's any disagreement. You and me, we're going to to Alliance HQ for a debriefing." She begins to take flight.
Whippoorwill looks sternly at him. "And you're just now telling me? Shin, forget the dance for a moment. What are you planning to do about this drug ring?"
Horizon on the patrol seems more than a little amped up. He wants to find trouble to deal with today that's not too complicated. There's a tension like a taut wire in his flight in the air around his mentor.
"Out with it," Whippoorwill says after they stop to free a person trapped inside a car after an accident on the freeway.
Whippoorwill takes Horizon out on patrol. It's a cold, blustery day. Thankfully, rather quiet.
=================
Saturday morning, whoever
If anyone follows Blake in the morning, he has a brief rendezvous with a van like he described a few blocks away from the campus on his morning run. The van continues on its way as Blake resumes his jog.
Whippoorwill nods grimly. "See what you can do to keep the team away from any missions. It doesn't sound like you're in the right head space; we won't call upon you except in the direst of emergencies. Don't take this to mean we're benching you. Just giving you time to regroup, all right?" She looks in his eyes for signs of resistance.
"I don't necessarily think it was a mistake bringing Praetoria along. Better that she be a part of the effort than arriving on her own -- and don't think you would have been able to convince her to stay behind. As it turned out, yeah. She went off mission and made the situation more dangerous. But don't worry about her for right now, you need to keep an eye on Max. Make sure her new 'family' isn't as strong and supportive as the one you're providing, okay?"
