"The legal situation is, uh, more complicated than that, but basically yes? Police for parahumans. Well, more like SWAT, but they do handle arrest and short-term confinement."

"How bad are they at coordinating with normal police?"

"Mostly pretty okay? Depends on the region a little bit, local personalities and whatever but- normal police mostly don't want to get involved fighting a parahuman."

Hmmm...

She's got a couple other questions about law enforcement - and about laws around the use of powers. 

Sure, Ellie knows some things. The laws are nominally about protecting industries from being monopolized or some Thinker crashing the stock market every other week or public safety. Simplifying heavily, it's illegal to use powers to make money. And if you're not in the Protectorate, it's illegal to use your powers at all.

So... Your options are 'be a cop' or 'do crime'? Okay that's even fucking stupider than the War on Drugs, or hell even Prohibition, and those were really fucking stupid. Like if you criminalize not being a cop, then your cops are about to be really fucking outnumbered.

Yeah, that might have something to do with how there's only one Protectorate and a whole bunch of gangs in town.

It doesn't fit her grand supervillain aesthetic but she is totally gonna put 'A. C. A. B.' in giant letters over her awesome supervillain lair's entrance. That's how fucking stupid those laws are.

"Yeah, if I get a chance, I'm so putting that on blast. Apparently being a cool supervillain who provides an alternate option for powered people - capes? - and doesn't do lame stuff like gangs do is gonna be a public service! Fucking idiot politicians, seriously - ugh, I wanna be a doctor, damn it, not a fucking, 'fix your stupid laws you idiot' advocate."

"Such a terrible burden you bear. I salute your sacrifices for the greater good."

She sticks her tongue out. 

Ellie nods solemnly in acknowledgement.

"You're not making fun of me, are you?"

"Who, me? Perish the thought."

"Excuse you, supervillaining is a very serious business!"

"Which is why I'm giving it the respect it deserves."

Rudest cape consultant! 

One gets what one pays for.

Will Ellie be nicer if Ruby gets her fancier baked goods? 

It's a distinct possibility!

She'll need to learn more about the offerings in the city, then! Or figure out if she can drop off radar enough to take Ellie on a real outing somewhere more exotic...

Start with the pastries. Work up from there.

Fiiine.

Smile!

Yeah, even with the teasing she can't help but smile back. 

Anything else she wants to know today?