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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.
"I suppose that was predictable. But it's bound to leak more, eventually, especially because of non-Protectorate heroes around..."
She sighs. "But linked to me or not, I'm still gonna have to clean up the mess."
"Whatever the Nine end up deciding to do when they catch wind of the Siberian rumors and inevitably believe them, or just decide that someone smearing the name of the Siberian like that requires retaliation."
"No, no, surely not, but usually when they're silent it's because they're planning a big hit soon."
"If they'd been active and, like, visibly going southwest, I'd know to prepare. When they go under like that they can cause pretty much arbitrary mayhem in arbitrary locations."
"...this may not be the best conversation for post-Endbringer-victory snuggles. Sorry."
"You took a long while to go under. I was starting to be nervous it wouldn't pan out, actually."
"Yeah... I was like that because I was nervous it wouldn't pan out, kinda? Except that's not all."
"I mean, I've been mulling over this and all these possibilities and there was a part of me that didn't want to do the Behemoth thing because then I'd need to do it to Leviathan and the Simurgh and then there'll be the Nine and there's everything else and by that point my brain is dividing into a million."