View Flat HTML
View Metadata
Search Post
Glam talks to Armsmaster about the possibility of maybe being given access to confidential files on the Slaughterhouse Nine and is, somewhat predictably, completely shut down, on grounds that the rules are there for a reason. They try sharing their strategies, Armsmaster thanks them for it and assures them he'll look into the raised matter, but they still need to wait until they're a full member of the Protectorate to take advantage of these resources.
And is that supposed to make them more likely to want to stick around? Ugh.
The three following weeks are fairly quiet and peaceful for a change. No major engagements, the Empire Eighty-Eight has been keeping quiet, the various Asian gangs reduced once more to fighting each other, the Teeth haven't yet rebuilt. Blasto, Lung, and Oni Lee are still awaiting trial, though it's likely the tinker will be given a lighter sentence in some parahuman containment center while the other two will be sent to the Birdcage.
And then, somewhat earlier than would normally be expected, telltale seismic activity is registered in Pretoria, South Africa. The capes wishing to help must make their way to New York, to depart in an hour—small aircraft is waiting at the PHQ for the trip there.
Eventually they get back to Brockton Bay. One of the surviving bots goes for double chocolate muffins and hot cocoa and brings them back and they retire to Sadde's room.
And in Sadde's room, they go lie on their bed and don't unmask.
"He'll probably flood the shit out of everything for miles around but, you know, he's already done that, another one and last is worth it."
"If he goes inland he can cause way more damage than he already did, not that completely destroying a country isn't pretty extensive..."
"And he's fast, too, so it might be even harder than it was with Behemoth, but - uh, I think if you kill one you need to kill the next one or people start thinking you can't for some reason -"
"Well, I'm gonna try anyway, and if the reason that stands out is 'he's really ducking fast,' well. No one's ever called the Siberian a speedster."
"Yeah. I think we can do it but there will be collateral damage."
Sigh. "That's their M.O. Everything they do leaves collateral damage, and what Behemoth did before he died just proves my point that they are, in fact, holding back."
"And if the other two decide to make up for what their lost brother would've done..."
"Yeah, what actually worries me most is that - there used to be only one of them, I don't know if 'three' was the maximum or if we can expect any skipped scheduled smackdowns when there's two. But I don't think not killing the fucking things because we're timid is the right call."
"...oh shit, what if this makes a new one appear? There was four years between Behemoth and Leviathan, and eight between Leviathan and the Simurgh..."
"A new one might have appeared anyway, no one was killing them before, maybe sixteen years post Lausanne we'd have been saying hello to Death Destroyer Of Worlds, but not killing them is the wrong response."
Snuggle. "I'm reminding myself as much as anything. We don't know how they respond to what we do; so we have to decide independently of that; and I am in favor of deciding to make the fucking things blow up. Considering Scion was on hand to contain it I would even describe the explosion as 'satisfying'."