Mountain, meet Endbringer | Glowfic Constellation

"I will write notes on the tunnels until then?"

"That sounds like a fine plan to me."

There is pen and paper galore on the table in the middle of the room.

The result of her next twenty-five minutes is a rough sketch of the sewers and subways near their patrol route. A key up top indicates that triangles equal leaky pipes or tunnels, squares and circles indicate sections in potential danger of cracking or caving in.

The Deputy Chief Director leaves the room after twenty minutes, explaining to her how to accept the conference call, which will appear on the large TV.

Eventually the call appears. Three masked people wearing similar uniforms appear. One of them speaks, and after half a second it's translated to: "Hello, Mountain-[polite form of address]."

In English: "Hello. I am sorry I do not know Japanese. The translator is working, so I can understand it. I hope your country is recovering from Leviathan well."

"We appreciate our concern, and we are very thankful for your help during the fight. Losses would have been much larger if you had not helped."

"I will always prevent senseless destruction if I can."

"That is good to hear. We also heard you were interested in helping us recover from this disaster, and were possessed of uniquely suitable powers, yes?"

"Yes. I can create, shape, and sense stone. I have used this to build roads and bridges in the past, and to suppress earthquakes, reverse landslides, close crevasses. And I enjoy building things."

The three capes nod, and the one in the middle continues speaking. "We have a strict policy about parahumans entering our territory without our knowledge and control, we want to reduce the number of disasters, but we do believe you would be cause for much rejoicing."

"I do not enjoy being controlled strictly. But for the good of all I can tolerate it for a while."

"We do not mean to control you. Only to keep track of parahumans amongst us. You understand that it is difficult enough to keep them in check without adding new ones who do not know our ways and would be more likely to hurt than to help."

"I think I understand. Know that I am not a parahuman. I am something different, a Fate."

"That is interesting. In what ways are you different than a parahuman?"

"I do not know the details. I am from another world where things work very differently. Physics are different. I got my powers in a different way. All Fates have similar powers with different themes. Ocean, forest, plains, mountain. I am not human anymore, I stopped being human when I turned into a Fate. I am not driven to violence like parahumans. I believe I will never die unless all my temples are destroyed - when I arrived here my body had just been destroyed by another Fate, but I appeared in one of your nation's temples instead of my own. I do not know why."

The two capes in the background whisper to each other but the microphone doesn't catch enough of it to be translatable. "And thus the reason you are called Mountain. I see."

She's amused. "There are enough of us that it was seen as vain, but nobody back home made an issue of it."

The three of them nod. "In any case, we would like to extend Mountain-[polite form of address] a cordial invitation to come to our magnificent country."

"I will gladly accept and seek your help on the best way to restore things. Where and when should I arrive?"

"We can provide the method of transportation of choice. A welcome committee will be awaiting you at your arrival."

"Okay. You should arrange my pickup with the Protectorate. I do not know much about airplanes."

"Very well. We are certain it will be a pleasure working with Mountain-[polite form of address], and we will endeavor to make it likewise for her."

"I'm sure it will be. Thank you and goodbye." And she closes the connection and walks out of the room.

Another PRT officer is waiting for her outside. "The Deputy Chief Director would like to see you."