44

The city is quiet Tuesday. Probably too quiet; it's obvious that people are waiting for shit to hit the fan. Both the Empire and ABB have their unpowered mooks out and visible, although actual crime seems low. The Bay's school system is out and Amy and Weaver are back to doing things in the greenhouse. Crystal joins them so you keep yourself away splitting your time between looking through your books for non-lethal spells and checking over what's happening on PHO.

For the former, your abilities at snap Transfiguration are good enough that you can turn someone into a sloth; unfortunately that doesn't seem to completely disable capes, as when you test it on Crystal she's still able to fly, albeit slowly.

You also manage to figure out a quick series of spells that takes debris nearby, turns it into chain, and animates those snake-like chains to overwhelm a person.

On PHO you run a search for your name and it returns sightings of you during the previous day, as well as official statements from one of the spokespeople from the desk of 'Acting Director Janice Templeton' praising you for your 'quick thinking and decisive action in assisting the wounded in the PRT building.' No mention is made of how or that you tracked down and took prisoners afterwards, which you appreciate.

Someone has been telling tales, though, because a number of suspiciously-white-power-esque named posters have all started accusing you of 'kidnapping' and 'stealing children'. You can guess that Purity got Aster (and probably Theo) and ran, although whether they ran to or away from the PRT is an open question at the moment.

As if conjuring the devil by thinking their name, you get a call from your favorite PRT Director. "Have you slept?"

"Yes, actually," her slightly hoarse voice says. "Three whole hours."

"Janice…"

"I'm fully aware it's not sustainable, but I've almost finished shifting actually dependable people around to where they need to be. Anyhow, I called because we're capable of taking the prisoners."

"Alright, do you want them awake or asleep?"

"Asleep if I have the choice. I'm actually at the old North Ferry Terminal at the moment. Come here and find an out of sight spot to bring the capes."

You let Crystal know where you're going and pop over to the area. While it's been cordoned off by fencing, that fencing now has an topping of barbed wire and PRT troops are swarming the place. Deciding that walking in would be better than smokejumping you do and soon enough you find Templeton in what resembles a shed. "Nice joint you got here."

Janice looks okay, although you're suspicious that she's wearing the same clothes from yesterday. "I'll have a transport van pull up from the Rig in a couple of minutes. After talking with them, finalizing personnel changes, and the meeting with you and New Wave, I am going to bed." She sits back and scratches at a cheek. "Piggot lived, she's currently in a coma. Calvert apparently has a brain tumor of some kind and has been moved to the secure hospital facilities in PRT-NY and is sedated. Heavily." He eyes flick up to you with amusement. "Apparently they didn't sedate him enough the first time and he tried to escape. He was caught because he had a catheter in and it kept him there like a leash just long enough for someone to notice."

"How... lovely, Janice."

"Had three stragglers show up as well, so no reason to go calling for a lost little lamb."

A diesel rumble heralds the transport pulling up, so you pop back to the lair, knock the four capes out, and they're quickly deposited and restrained. The news that you dried out Squealer gets a muttered 'thank fucking Christ' from the medic who was going to have to oversee her.

Once they head off you eye Templeton again. "May I?"

She blinks, "If you think you need to."

Checking her over she's fatigued and stressed—not a surprise. There's only so much you can do unless you want to start dosing her with Pepper-Up, but you are able to help a bit. While you're at it you clean and remove the wrinkles from her uniform. The set of her shoulders relaxes a fraction and gives you a look. "I don't actually need a batman, you know."

"And I'm not gonna be yours, but you'll have to deal with Brandish, so…" you pause and cock your head, "speaking of which, should I have my lawyer on speed dial at the meeting?"

"Not for the meeting itself. I'll have a packet available for Calle to look over sent by our lawyers after the meeting itself." She settles back in and pulls over a pad. "I'll see you in a couple of hours."

You head back to your lair and join the girls in the greenhouse for a bit. Weaver is directing swarms of bees like a conductor as they pollinate everything in sight, and Amy is growing some large ivy-looking leaves and stripping them off and having Crystal shoot blasts at them. A pile of mulched parts shows that the leaves have been getting more resistant to the blasts, but there's still a ways to go before they're viable as armor of any kind.

When she's not playing pollination patrol, Weaver apparently has a second mask being worked on, this one being a half-mask. There's an amazing amount of silk being generated, some by enlarged spiders. You're not sure how long it took her to make the mask in the first place, but the second looks like it'd be ready in a couple of days at this rate.

A little before the meeting time, you join up with the adults of New Wave and Laserdream. Shielder and Glory Girl are are their respective houses, and Panacea is at your lair along with Weaver. All three are in communication with the adults in case something happens—neither you nor the others expect anything to be amiss, but this is apparently similar to things they've done previously.

You all take one of your portkeys to the open plaza in front of the old terminal, appearing in quickly-vanishing billows of black smoke. The two flyers take off immediately and the rest of New Wave walks in a triangle formation, Manpower leading. You walk slightly separated, although Crystal's flight pattern takes her mid-way between the ground-bound contingent of New Wave and yourself.

The old ferry terminal is swarming with people, most of which are not PRT. In fact, as you're waved through security and guided to a temporary trailer for your meeting, you notice that most of them look to be from the Dockworker's Union. Danny Hebert is either crying or celebrating, you're not sure which.

The trailer you're let in to is double-wide and obviously someone thought ahead, as it's reinforced and tall enough that Neil doesn't have to stoop. Janice is already there along with a couple of other PRT-suited administrators flipping though paperwork, as well as Armsmaster and Miss Militia. The former of the capes gives you a slight nod of the head as you move to a seat while the latter's eyes track you and narrow slightly.

Seats are offered, introductions are made even though everyone is at least nominally aware of who the others are, and Templeton gets directly down to business.

"Yesterday was an absolute disaster. The PRT director was poisoned, our main base attacked, and the only reason it wasn't worse was because we had sent most of the administrative personnel home because of an unrelated issue.

"Piggot is in the hospital and will not be able to take up the director's position again. My temporary appointment was made longer earlier today—but it came with some problems. I have one month to effect changes in the Bay. If I fail it's not just my issue, the city will likely be listed as an HOSV, and the PRT may very well either wash their hands of the whole city and let nature take its course, or conversely bring in an increasing number of Protectorate capes and let them try to take down the villains of the Bay. I'm sure you can imagine how well that would go.

"During my predecessor's tenure capes were either with the Protectorate or were—at best—considered problems and troublemakers." Taking a breath she rolls one shoulder a bit. "That's bullshit, and I think the city suffered for it. I understand that you aren't actually corporate capes, but the same provisions apply for any parahumans who are willing to provide assistance. To that end I am reopening the affiliates program—any cape or group who registers will have at least some access to supplies, contact information for the on-call PRT teams, and increased bounty amounts." She stops and eyes the table. You have no real need for PRT supplies, but the other things wouldn't hurt at least. Packets are passed around outlining the program information itself as Templeton gets ready to continue. Leaning forward a bit and looking over to New Wave she taps on the table, "Related to the affiliate thing but not directly connected, I wanted to speak with you because you are the largest independent group in the city." She spares you a glance and grows the tiniest of smirks, "And Warlock."

The small chuckles ease the mood of the room as she speaks again. "In another city with a PRT that worked with local hero groups, you would have already been asked if you wanted to claim a particular area of the city and split jurisdiction of it. However, with the gangs as they are now, I would feel better if you responded to crises just as you did yesterday. What I am hoping for is that we can more closely coordinate in the coming month to bring the gangs somewhat to heel, and perhaps finish the Merchants off completely."

With a look between them, Lady Photon and Brandish apparently decide to let the lawyer go first. "What would be the limits of this proposal?"

"I am not asking you to join the Protectorate. I am asking you to listen to any ops we have planned and tell me specifically if you will assist, and if not, if you would be willing to be visible elsewhere to offset any increased aggression by the other gangs. New Wave and the specific capes in question would be given full credit for all work they perform. If you are willing to directly assist you will be offered access to our tac-net and plans will be changed to include your abilities. If you will allow for it, we will create longer-term plans taking your assistance into account on taking a fight to the gangs and we will listen to your feedback."

Flashbang, of all people, half-raises a hand. "Even with our assistance, that's a lot of capes to deal with."

Templeton gives a chuckle and points at you. "Less than there were. Warlock delivered three Empire capes to New York last week, and captured Purity and Othala yesterday. Your group captured Uber and Leet, and Squealer was recaptured." She looks over at Lady Photon. "Speaking of those capes, I spent the afternoon talking to all of them after Warlock dropped them off. Purity has decided to join the Protectorate, in large part apparently to a conversation she had with you sometime recently. She's currently wrestling with the Image department.

"Uber and Leet will be offered a plea deal—probation and assisting us in the Bay. If they don't take it, they're getting shipped to NYC and letting them continue prosecution. They have spare lawyers on their legal teams to take care of it. I am currently in discussions with Othala and Squealer similarly."

That's more actual progress than the PRT has had in a while. "So what are your high-level ideas about the gangs?"

"It depends. How badly did you cripple Coil's mercenary force?"

You smile with your voice. "What force? The majority have cut and run, I turned fifteen over to the police along with names and known residences of the remainder that had left. Coil himself seems to have been dealt with."

"Wait," Miss Militia interjects, green energy surging just out of sight on her belt, "how many mercenaries did Coil have?"

"About 150."

Silence descends on the table for a moment before Laserdream speaks up. "Those snipers and rocket teams… they were Coil's?"

You nod. "On my sweep of his base yesterday night I was able to go through some of his plans. What happened yesterday wasn't one of his planned scenarios, and the man apparently created new plots as often as you or I breathe. What happened seemed like a number of different plans got stuck in a shredder and he grabbed a handful out and tried to to everything he read all at once, then the gangs took advantage."

Armsmaster stirs in his reinforced seat. "Do you have any ideas on what Coil was attempting to accomplish?"

"Ruling the Bay, one way or another." You hold up your hand and extend a finger. "He had plans for becoming Mayor," a second finger, "being appointed PRT director," and a third finger, "and of being a parahuman Warlord and taking the Bay by force."

A number of voices speak it, but Manpower's is the loudest. "He was crazy."

"Well yes, but no." You get a number of looks at that. "He's probably a sociopath, psychopath, whatever, I'm not a shrink. So he's functionally crazy. He was completely capable of intricate, long-term planning, and in fact was in the process of stage-managing the return of the Merchants to a viable gang in order to keep things in the Bay off-kilter until he was ready."

"So this Ink guy…"

"And two Tinkers, one of which he's been supplying for a year," you add.

"..were Coil plants," the bandanna-clad woman finishes.

"Recruits would be a better description. I'm not sure exactly how, but he recruited them. Maybe there's some kind of villain-recruiting dating app that he swiped right on."

Templeton clears her throat. "So we don't need to worry about Coil. A fair amount of the Empire's strength is gone, and their healer doesn't seem interested in returning. Things are still dangerous, yes, but workable.

"Work is currently being done on both the North and South Ferry terminals, and the force bridge will be configured to allow rapid deployment to and between both locations. I have designs on connecting the remains of the destroyed East terminal once we can better gauge Lung's reaction."

Brandish waves a hand, "Backing up a bit, if you're going to have two or three smaller bases, would you want us to patrol or claim a more western area?"

"That would be wonderful if you were willing to, but I expected that would be asking too much too soon." Running a hand through her hair, the acting director pauses a moment. "I'm not looking for agreement with anything today, but if you have questions I can answer or even start researching, or issues you think we need to address, then fire away."

{1} Questions for Templeton

-=-=-

Brandish looks at you and gestures. You guess she wants you to ask first so it's less like a lawyer-cape attack? Beauty going before age?

"Are you getting any useful assistance from the other branches?" It's similar to what you asked her the previous day, but with others around and after she's been appointed director for a longer time.

Templeton manages a half-smile. "Actually, yes. I talked with Director Wilkins in New York; we will be providing 'training' for some of their newer squads. That should keep us staffed enough to work out of both north and south terminals as bases for now.

"Which reminds me, part of the conversation included Director Armstrong of Boston as well; both are on the lookout and will warn me if any gang members or notable capes go 'missing' so we can be forewarned. Accord's people have been seen doing something, so we may have visitors. I will let you know as soon as I know more."

Brandish asks the next question. "Are you expecting anyone else to actually sign on as an affiliate?"

Janice looks over to Miss Militia and Armsmaster. The latter shifts his armor slightly and speaks. "There are a half-dozen independent capes who we deal with on an irregular basis. Of those, four seem like they would be willing to accept at least the basics of affiliation. I do not have enough information about the last two."

Miss Militia takes up, "Parian is unlikely to accept, especially with the increased gang tension. I'm unsure if she'll even put on any shows for the foreseeable future. Sere… I haven't talked to them in over a week, but they tend to keep to themselves and may well join instead of taking 'just' affiliate status."

Laserdream actually cuts in, looking up from her phone. "How are the Wards going to be involved?" Ah, she must be relaying some of this to the younger group.

That causes Janice to give Armsmaster a look and huff a humorless laugh. "I'd like to keep them as far away as possible. Currently plans are to have them patrol 'claimed' areas and handle PR appearances. Protectorate capes will no longer do visibility patrols, they will be handled by Wards. We may also host one or two of the Wards teams from New York to assist in this; again it will be considered training for them."

On the way out you slip Templeton a note about having seen Shadow Stalker doing solo patrols with live heads and you hear her weary sigh as you walk out of the door.

-=-=-

You all make it obvious that you've left the meeting site in order to keep strange rumors of your abduction or the like from circulating. You'd handed out individual portkeys and you watch as each cape disappears before you're walking alone and ignoring the cameras pointing at you. After a few more steps you turn and sweep your hat from your head, bow, and dissolve into smoke.

You drop Weaver off at the same park as yesterday and then join up with New Wave, who have all gathered in the Pelhams' house again and are… vigorously debating. In fact they're vigorous enough you can hear them through the closed patio door.

Letting yourself in you sit and listen and it seems there are a couple of different items being 'debated'. The younger group is all in favor of taking the affiliate status and going all-in on taking the fight to the gangs. The older generation seems to agree with the affiliate status, but are not so sanguine about getting into a bunch of fights.

…and then Amy apparently dropped the bomb about wanting to be a combat-cape. No one except Laserdream seems to like that idea. Even when she mentions the existence of that defensive ritual you did on Crystal (and she still doesn't mention she's had it done, the little sneak) there are huge objections. To be fair to the rest of the capes they're not objecting because Panacea brings them a fair amount of reflected fame, but because they don't see how she could turn her ability into something combat useful. You can almost taste Amy's irritation, and you're sure that as soon as she does a bit more work on her outfit there'll be a demonstration going on, possibly involving grinding her relatives' faces into the dirt.

Nothing gets fully decided; Brandish is going to explore what's being offered with associate status, and there's some grumbling that the kids are going to plan to face off against their parents to try and force the issue of a splinter group. You have a sneaking suspicion that Laserdream will head said splinter group and will try to draw you in. Panacea however gets completely sidelined for the moment and looks grumpy about it.

You're checking your cape phone before bed and Templeton has sent you an email.

Warlock,

All three women you had as prisoners have either decided to join the Protectorate or at least break away from their previous gangs. To assist in this, we generally offer small physical changes that can be done by simple surgeries or similar methods. In this case all three would feel more comfortable if larger changes were made. While I am completely okay with contacting Quinn Calle to work out the particulars, I would like to ensure you'd take these cases in the first place. Please let me know if you are okay with this; if so I will push forward with Calle. If not I will need to try another avenue.

The two that haven't joined up have talked about aligning themselves with the PRT and creating a group of independents. As they would likely be on probation they wouldn't be 'true' independents, but the general idea stands. They were even talking about reaching out to other independents and/or rogues like Parian, Sere, or yourself. While I have my doubts you'd be interested in joining a group, I did want to float the idea by you. If such a group does get formed, perhaps you could be available for them to bounce ideas off of, or in a mentor-type role?

Janice.

-=-=-

You send back an email with an affirmative about surgery for capes, although as always you reserve the right to refuse anyone for any reason. As for the second paragraph you don't commit, but you do say that you'd be willing to consider it, but once again you'd need to know the particular people involved.

In the morning you forward the email on to Crystal and Amy with a note to pass it on to Weaver. You note that if anyone wants changes to their appearance that you are totally willing to do so, but you would prefer if they would run any ideas they had past at least one of the other ladies first, or even better to have one or both of the others nearby when you do it for second opinions. You offer some anecdotes about what Sandralina wanted versus how it would have looked if you actually did it to illustrate why you're asking for that.

-=-=-

The gangs continue their… visible lurking on Wednesday, but school is back in session and normal services seem to have resumed. No one seems all that interested in classes though, so after some texting back and forth with Crystal and packing girls in like sardines into her car you end up hosting the lovely ladies of S Klub (minus Sarah once again) for lunch. Even with the additional chairs you had Aelfie grab you and your girlfriend exchange smirks when the entire group ends up sprawled across your bed at one point or another.

At other points you have one or more hanging over your shoulder as you cook. It's pretty simple stuff, but Savannah gives you a hard time about serving her 'grits', and sticks her fingers in her ears when you try to argue that it's polenta instead. Amazingly, pointing your whisk at her and telling her that if she continues to argue that you'll put her over your knee and spank her doesn't help in the slightest, but does get a fair bit of catcalling from the other girls.

Your joking comment about spanking ends up sparking… well, something at least, as Savannah is the first to find a reason to 'squeak on past ya' as she rubs her butt against you, but she's far from the last. Yes, you live in a small apartment, but they end up swirling around you like they're on a merry-go-round.

After eating you move from the kitchen table to your couch and bed. You take the couch and end up with Karen and Sierra on it with you. The rest of the girls are sitting around Crystal like attendants swarming a queen. Soon-Yi was the one lucky enough to snatch up your pillow and you wonder if there'll be drool on it when you get it back as she hugs it to herself while blushing.

Crystal ends up telling tales of her fight with Hookwolf and some of the hunt for Uber and Leet. Sierra has put her head on your shoulder and is doing her best to discreetly feel your thigh muscles with her free hand while Karen gets a front-row seat to your cock bulging against your other leg. Her own hands are ever-so-slowly creeping from where they were sitting in her own lap over towards the thick outline in your jeans.

A clap rings out and the girls startle and look at your girlfriend. "James, honey, could you go get us some ice cream?"

Your eyebrow is threatening to escape your forehead with how high it rises, but you manage to extricate yourself from the girls and give everyone a good look at your… muscle definition… as you grab a jacket and flick a listening spell at your coffee table. You're barely to the street before your Lady drops the verbal bomb you've been waiting for.

"So, were none of you going to say anything about how hot James and I look when we fuck?"

The stone fucking silence drags on for almost a minute before you hear the bed shift and someone cough. Crystal roars in laughter and that apparently breaks the spell the girls were held under, as the Klub's voices overlap as they alternately apologize or rave about what they saw.

It's apparently unanimous that it was the hottest thing the girls have ever seen. Soon-Yi manages to break her normal silence with a pertinent question, though.

"How did you manage to… just take all of that?"

There's an earthly chuckle from your girlfriend. "I didn't the first time. I was on my period and he managed to get me off with just his hands, right? Well, I was going to return the favor and pulled his dick out and just kind of freaked out real quietly for a minute. Luckily I was able to get the head in my mouth, so I mostly stroked it. Couple of days later when we finally did it there was lots of lube involved." There's a cough, and you can almost hear the fabric of the truth stretching. "I really wanted to take him all the way in though, so I later had Amy do some work and make it so I stretch enough to take him completely."

"That's totally cheating, girl." Savannah exclaims.

"I mean, yeah," Crystal retorts, "but I'd've been able to do it given time. I just got impatient because after the rest of the magic he does with his fingers and tongue I wanted the whole thing." There's a snort and a pregnant pause, "Besides, Sarah supposedly took him all the way without any help."

Ah, the sex question was Fat Man, and this one was Little Boy. A one-two punch. This time the silence only hangs for a few moments before cries of 'I knew it!' ring out. Then things go silent and you hear a sigh. Susan's voice is clear, though, with no hesitation. "Yes, she took him all the way, that's why she was barely able to walk the next morning." There's the sound of the bed shifting and she continues, "I got dragged into it and blew him, and the next morning managed to deepthroat him."

The 'whaaaaaat?' is pretty much unanimous from what you can tell. You take your time as you mosey towards the closest corner store.

Susan answers a couple of questions about being able to take you all in her throat before Crystal butts her way in again. "And when James and I had a threesome with her, she didn't take all of him but he's good about giving you just enough to not hurt, right?"

You'd guess the girls have exhausted all their surprise, because instead of shrieks or exclamations it's pretty quiet and you can hear the brunette's laugh easily. "Yeah, but you weren't any help. You told him to fuck me, but he actually lubed me up first. And yeah, I took like three-quarters of him? maybe? and James was real good about not going too deep, but he seriously went right up to the line." She giggles, "I still get goosebumps thinking about it."

Even taking your time you've managed to get the ice cream and throw a preservation spell on it as you text Crystal. You're unsurprised when you're told to wait a bit, as the conversation is still in the gutter from what you can hear.

"Savannah, if you wiggle your ass at my man one more time I'll be tempted to let him smack it and see where it goes from there."

"Ah'd lahk to be able to walk, thanks," the southern girl responds with a bit of a twang.

"Fair enough," Crystal says smugly. "Anyhow, I wanted to go ahead and get it all out in the open, because I know all of you watched us. Best to be honest."

Sierra asks the question that you're sure others wanted to ask. "Is this just an open relationship or what? Who chooses?"

There's more bed noises, so you assume everyone's shifting around. "Like, just last week he and I discussed that we don't have an open-open relationship, but we can decide on… guest stars… together. James is super laid-back about the threesome stuff though. He told me about Sarah and Susan the next day before we decided to start dating and we promised to be exclusive. And he has been, everything that's happened has been started by me once I realized that he was totally cool with letting me experiment…"

Discussion veers off into your defeet back on Valentine's Day and you're cleared to come back to your own apartment. Walking through the door you can feel every eye on you. Not that that's completely different from earlier, but there's an additional hunger in the way their eyes track you as you grab spoons. Skimming thoughts shows you in six separate fantasies, although Crystal and Susan's are pretty similar. Notably, while Savannah's still has her taking you anally, even in fantasy land you're going a lot slower and more gentle than when she imagined it last week. Karen, bless her vanilla little heart, is trying to figure out how footjobs work in her head and all that tells you is that you should never allow her feet anywhere in or around your crotchal region.

Converstation is a little stilted as it slowly starts back up, but soon enough you're all laughing and joking again. There are a lot of speculative looks shot at both you and Crystal, though.

The ladies leave a bit before dinner, and once she's dropped them off Crystal uses the new destination you've put in her anklet portkey to hop back to the apartment and throw her arms around you. "Did you enjoy dangling the theoretical presence of my cock in front of the Klub, dear?"

Crystal gets set off into a fit of the giggles. "You spied on us, didn't you?"

Your look must explain everything, because she launches into a second set of giggles. "Oh man, they kept swinging between wanting it and being scared of it. Speaking of…."

Somehow her sexy sweet-talk ends up with you naked as the blonde cape coats your erect cock in clay and holds up a booklet for you to cast spells from. After making a master mould you have time to make one copy before it's patrol time with New Wave.

Lady Photon had spoken with Templeton and decided to patrol the border between Downtown and the Coast where the ABB and Empire have been... 'posturing with intent' is the description that was passed on. You point out that if word gets back to Kaiser he might be just a little pissed at you still. The more experienced capes collectively shrug and decide to keep their eyes peeled a bit more than they already were.

With a bit of time to work before you patrol, you set everyone up with a charmed earring or ear-cuff using the Transmissus charm notes you found last week. They're pretty basic for now, but you key them so that cape names work, as well as 'all' or 'everyone' for general broadcast, and 'flyers' and 'ground' to cover both levels.

Everyone also has an emergency portkey set to go off to the Pelham house in case of serious damage, unconsciousness, or verbal trigger. Amy is at your lair, but will be alerted if there's an issue (and of course Aelfie can provide assistance if needed). Shield necklaces are also handed out, then everyone deploys via a portkey.

The area that was chosen to drop in is a park in sight of the coast, right around where the basketball courts are. The sudden appearance of eight capes—seven in white, one in funereal black—causes dead silence to descend immediately.

"Flyers, in position," Lady Photon orders calmly, and moments later the four flying capes hover above you. You move out roughly south-west at a slow saunter for a bit, gang members and wannabes of both major groups scattering before you.

Once you've left the park and are heading down a street the flyers start to orbit, occasionally breaking off and paralleling down nearby streets for a time. After another mile or so everyone comes back and grabs a hand on a conjured hoop and you all drop back to the park where you started. It was a suggestion that Shielder had come up with; it ends up being a good one as there's a fight going on between some tattooed E88 thugs and green-and-red clad ABB. Flashbang is calling 'eyes clear' almost immediately and one of his orbs goes off in the middle of the fight, knocking everyone away and stunning them temporarily so that you can do so longer-term.

The PRT had obviously coordinated with the cops as well, and you only have to wait a few minutes before the BBPD pulls up and loads them all in. Lady Photon handles the paperwork while the flyers swoop around and you test out your smokejumping. The exact distance you could previously cover was an estimate, but you're pretty sure you can go at least twice as far as you could previously, still at the same screamingly-fast pace.

"So, Warlock, can you take people with you on the smoke-thingy like you can with the other stuff?" Glory Girl asks.

You pause. "I… actually have no idea. Originally I would have said no, but now that I've done it enough I might be able to."

"Well, what would happen if it doesn't work?"

"The most likely result is nothing. I suppose we could just explode into smoke never to reappear ever again." You flip a hand in a shrug.

"Nice!" Shielder interjects, then laughs when he hears sighs from his parents as he flies over them, "I call dibs."

Lady Photon cuts in as if on autopilot, "No casual nihilism at the dinner table, children." There's a pause as she parses what she just said and then sighs again. Manpower—of course—laughs.

After the pickup is completed you ground pounders take a portkey back to where you left off while the flyers slowly sweep the path back to you. It seems that your innovative tactics scared people as the previous small groups of gangers on street corners and the edges of alleys showing their colors are completely gone.

While waiting for the group of flyers to catch up Brandish steps close to where you're chatting with Manpower. "Did I hear correctly that you're dating Amy?"

You swing your mask towards her. "I have been told I'm dating your daughter, yes."

Carol pounces on that. "You were told by who?"

"By Amy, of course," you say. "Now, before you try to lawyer me, Laserdream has informed me that Amy has previously been totally uninterested in relationships. I'm doing my best to let her 'date' a dude with a silver mask on his face and trying not to break her heart and have half the world try to kill me."

Manpower cuts in. "She's been spending time in your lair, though."

You shrug. "Yes, with Laserdream, and the last two days with Weaver. She likes getting dirty in my garden." You smirk internally at the simultaneous blinks from both capes. "It's a greenhouse, actually."

"Why do you have a—" "Wizard. Potions, right?" Carol and Neil talk over each other and you point a finger at the smaller figure when she gets it right.

"What else can your potions do?" she asks only somewhat suspiciously.

"Primarily healing. I can do blood-replenishment, generalized 'healing', bone-regrowth, that kind of thing. Main issue's that I can only do one healing at a time by myself, and I can't currently brew up a huge batches of anything, so I'm mostly experimenting. Amy helps by growing the plants." You pause, "And Weaver apparently helps by pollinating them and leaving spiders all up in the greenhouse. I'm waiting for a centipede around the right size to ride to show up any time now."

Glory Girl has appeared and is flying a loop around your group and talking to her father as Carol rubs her arms uncomfortably. "Doesn't that bother you?"

With a gesture you transfigure all of the trash piles on the street into close to a hundred ravens who swivel their heads and regard the three of you with dead eyes and a loud kraa. "Not particularly."

You untransfigure most of the birds but leave a couple to fly ahead and perch on things and croak ominously.

Neil is actually one of the things that gets perched on, and as the other three flying capes arrive and check in you explain to him and then the others that your birds aren't actually alive. "Seriously, if it got hit with something it'll turn back into whatever I make it from. So you'd have a fistful of garbage."

Everyone chuckles as he very carefully puts the transfigured bird down away from where it had perched on his head and pats it gently.

Now that everyone is back together with nothing new happening, you apparate ahead of the group while disillusioned to check for possible ambushes along your most likely route and find nothing obvious. When you arrive back in the middle of the group after announcing yourself though, everyone's head is on a swivel. "Problem?"

"We saw an ash pile."

You cast your mind sense out as far as you can push it and your finger comes up to point to an open window about half a block ahead. "He's there."

That was apparently loud enough for the cape to hear, as Oni Lee's mask appears in the window frozen as everyone's attention turns to him. You try to push into his mind if only to read his next move and…

…and find so very little.

In a normal cape they have a mind full of thoughts and feelings and desires with the shard feeding bits of information to them in addition to their normal mental processes.

Oni Lee's mind is stomach-turningly quiet. Instead of a cacophony of things you need to sort through to actually read thoughts you can perceive the shard clumsily prodding parts of the brain to simulate something like a human being. Currently he's following orders, and you can watch as the dragon-masked cape's words play back like a looped music sample, echoing in the emptiness of Oni Lee's head. "Watch New Wave and this other cape. Do not attack them for now unless they attack you first. Do not draw attention to yourself."

You drop your arm and murmur, "To all, I'm tracking him. Please look away, or at least not directly at him."

It's obvious the moment they all stop paying attention as the blip of his mind also appearing behind you in an alleyway as the first gutters out gives you a queasy feeling. "He's behind us and just watching. Let's continue moving and I'll have a raven watch him. I'll have it caw and attack him if he tries to attack us."

Lady Photon asks how you were able to detect the ABB cape but Manpower chimes in. "He had a human-detection spell back on campus, right Warlock?"

"Yes," you agree, "and I'd like to point out that I knew that something weird was going on because Oni Lee barely qualifies as human anymore. Like I was getting a ghost return because he has the right shape but he doesn't have enough going on upstairs to really count."

Everyone is silent and tense as you continue the next few blocks and you keep a running tab on where the ABB cape teleports to. He finally seems to head back south and you follow via apparition and verify that he's heading towards the center of Asiatown.

When you return the group spreads out and starts moving more to the north and south but it appears that word has spread and not only do you not find anyone, but PRT reports from the on-duty commander and the patrols out and about mention that general gang members are fading back into houses or otherwise not being as visible as they have been for the past two days.

After reaching the end of the planned route Shielder swings down and claims the dibs he called on trying to smokejump. You look around at the faces and while Lady Photon looks mildly concerned no one says anything so you snag the flying cape and jump.

It… just works. You can tell that you're 'carrying' a passenger, but there's no way for you to drop him or separate during your jump. When you arrive you do toss the teenager into the air and he laughs and turns to you. "Holy shit!" he says softly checking to make sure his mom didn't hear, "That was super fast. Can you dodge between those cars on the way back?" You laugh back and hold out a hand.

When you arrive back in front of the group Eric is still smiling as he relays the feelings to the group. "It's like being on the fastest rollercoaster you've ever been on, but without feeling the wind. It's faster than any of us, even Crystal, but you can tell what's going on, and Warlock seems to be reacting to stuff all in time. The zig-zag doesn't jerk you around, you just kind of do it. It's awesome."

Glory Girl is the next to ask, and you take the opportunity to change things up and go through a chain-link fence and underneath a car. When you get back to the group she's wide-eyed and twitchy. She flies over and drapes herself on her mother. "I need to apologize to Ames for all the times she told me to slow down. It's not nearly as fun when you're not the one driving."

Even the normally dour Brandish has a smirk on her face as she pats her daughter's head. "I'm sure Amy will appreciate it."

Everyone else gets a turn to familiarize themselves with the process before you return to the Pelham house and Amy checks everyone over. She even takes the apology from Vicky with good grace before jumping on your back and demanding a ride. She really should have expected your response of 'in front of your whole family?'. The adults seem to have expected it as well as they all laugh, even Flashbang. The kids groan but laugh at Amy as well as she slides to the ground and hides her face in mortification.

You pick your cape girlfriend back up and hold her to you as you wind through the trees in the backyard and she smiles at you before looking at her family and blushing again and making up some kind of excuse to leave the room.

During the chat with New Wave, Lady Photon and Brandish comment that they're leaning towards affiliating, primarily for the access to PRT teams and the ability to get confoam to restrain capes. They're further considering claiming part of the Captain's Hill area and perhaps part of the South Docks area.

Before you go Brandish hands you a pill bottle and leans in. "If you can do anything to make it easier for Mark to stay current on his pills it would be great." She swallows and her eyes slide away from you over to her husband where he's talking to Vicky and a returned Amy. "I would feel better knowing he's at the top of his game."

You return to your lair and both Amy and Crystal pop in a little later to give you kisses and chat a bit before you head off to bed. Amy has been chatting with Weaver, and both girls are firming up their decisions to partner together and try caping. Crystal has suddenly become mother-hennish and is making noises about joining up with the two of them, at least at first. Possibly in costume—Amy's going to have a mask and has come up with a way to tint her hair green using some kind of chlorophyll-based dye, and Crystal is considering raiding the trunk with Aelfie's help to become a witch, with a 'wand' to disguise her blasts. None of the three are quite sure about grouping up with Othala or Squealer at first, at least until they have some experience working as a smaller team.

You can see where this is going, though: they're going to try and make you part of this, and they'll start making noises about the two of you unmasking to each other.

-=-=-

"Look, just ask the question girls."

Amy sets her shoulders and bats her eyes at you. "I know you like being independent, but would you consider joining Weaver and I on a team?"

"Sure."

"It's just—uh, okay."

You laugh. "I'm willing to join a team that makes decisions as a team, and preferably allows solo action as well. I am not willing to have a leader who makes all the decisions unless I have a hand in either picking that leader or a chance to be the leader myself."

Amy opens her mouth and then shuts it again with a thoughtful look on her face. "Yeah… okay I see what you're getting at. With just the three—"

"Or four!" Crystal offers.

"—of us that shouldn't be a problem. And if we work well as a team beforehand then maybe adding people on later wouldn't be a problem."

The two of you ignore Crystal calling for Aelfie to bring her robes and a pointed hat in the background.

"We'll have to get together, talk, and practice. If you feel good enough about it I may also unmask to her." You smirk at the widening of Amy's eyes, "Especially since I'm pretty sure I know who she is already."

Both Amy and Crystal stop and stare at you. You stare back. "Who else has hair like that?"

Amy groans and smacks her head on the table while Crystal prances in in her witch outfit riding a broom. "Abracadabra!"

You snatch the pencil she was using as a wand out of her hand. "Oh no, that's way too close to one of the worst spells you can cast. Let's not."

Since you're already holding her hand she grabs the other and flutters those baby blues at you. "Maybe you could work up a tattoo to let me do some of the things you do?"

That brings you up short. "No teleportation, but I could do maybe two or three spells. And it would involve actually tattooing you." You lift her chin up with a finger when she slumps. "Magical tattoos. They wouldn't be visible until you use them, and they'd last… a couple of months? Not sure, it'd really depend."

You tow your flying girlfriend over to the table. "That's one of the problems I have with things—I could create 'capes' with judicious use of tattoos and rituals and enchanted items, but then that's all I'd end up doing, and that lack of action would kill me." You pause for a second. "Not that that's what you're asking me to do right now, but if I empower people it would need to be enforced by secrecy spells and only be a very few people."

Crystal wraps her arms around you and Amy joins a moment later. "Oh, hells yes. If word got out you were a power granting Trump—because they'd never believe you were a wizard—we'd have the CUI burning the city down to get you."

Kissing both of your ladies you smile and turn to look at Amy better. "Weaver and I can unmask whenever, but I'm planning on doing a magic show on the Boardwalk tomorrow. I talked to Templeton and she's putting some words out so that hopefully people will show and have things seem normal."

"Ooh, what're you going to do, make the Rig disappear?"

"Seriously Ames? Janice would shoot me herself. Nah, I'm gonna give my origin story, and maybe a little story about why I decided to become a cape."

Amy looks at Crystal, who is laying with her head on your shoulder. "He's gonna make everything up, isn't he?"

"I can smell the bullshit from here."

"Screw both of you, and not in any of the fun ways."

-=-=-

Apparently the two girls also discussed the email you forwarded this morning as well, and Amy's already done some work on Weaver. All she mentions is fixing her eyes, but you skim her mind a bit and discover that Taylor desperately wanted some boobs, so some of your plantlife was sacrificed into biomatter to grow Weaver a cup size. Nothing magical, so her breasts aren't going to turn colors or anything.

Amy has a list as well, but it's very different than it would have been if she was asked last year, or even the beginning of last month. She asks for some firming and tightening, getting rid of stretch marks from where her breasts grew suddenly during puberty, things like that, but one of the main requests (and one you reject) is to have her pubic hair grow in the shape of your symbol. You're willing to charm it that was temporarily, but that's a little too… it's just a bit much, like she's trying to one-up the smut she writes about the two of you.

Somehow fixing her up—which you could accomplish with a flick of your wand and a few minutes—turns into her naked on your main table as you and Crystal poke at the pale, beautiful flesh and talk about her like she's a piece of meat. It's a good thing the table is charmed, otherwise the wood finish would never recover, as dripping wet as she is.

While you're all still talking (and Crystal is explaining the vibrator she made earlier to a panting Amy), you feel the intruder wards you set on Coil's base go off. You'd set them so that you'd be warned if anyone entered the hidden entrances, but before they'd pass through the gates and doors to the base proper. Feels like three humans and three animals—so the Undersiders minus one, you'd assume. Do you do anything?

{3} Undersider inside-ers

-=-=-

They're still making occasional comments half an hour later while you finish up the changes to Amy and the wards ping you from Coil's base. When you explain what your sigh is for and make a 'get off my lawn' comment Amy proposes an idea.

…a horrible idea.

A few minutes later the Undersiders (minus Grue) are lingering near one of the gates when you kick the door open from the inside and stomp out in boxer shorts and a stained wifebeater, your potbelly stretching the material. Your half-full forty-ounce of Olde English gets frothy as you bring your hand up to point unsteadily at them. "Whaddaya want, you fucks?"

Bitch (and dogs) jerk and orient on you due to the volume and you hear a soft snerk from Regent. It actually takes Tattletale a moment as she scans you and you push into her head to get a better handle on what she's seeing.

Wow, you are pissing her right the hell off. As with Coil, her shard pumps information into her head rather than just snippets of feelings. Your skill at false seemings is apparently pretty damn good, as Shardlock Holmes is telling her that you are, indeed, a white-trash hick who just wants them off your lawn. Her actual brain knows there's no way in hell, but the shard insists—insists—that it is indeed the case, and is giving her a headache just pushing back against it.

"Hey Tats, I said I'd be your Coil, baby, but I didn't mean to show up like this." You let out a ferocious belch that echoes off the walls and would probably peel the paint if there was any. "I mean, I'm down if you are." You thrust your hips in the least seductive manner on earth as your everything jiggles.

Regent has started openly laughing when a shouted "Cleetus! Where'd the hell you go, daddy?" comes from the open door and a heavily-pregnant Panacea waddles out in a robe with her hair in curlers.

They're poking fun at you floats through Lisa's mind before the shard adds mocking you.

Making you look stupid.

Regent leans against the wall and wheezes laughing.

The poison whispered into Tattletale's mind makes her see red and she flicks her fingers at Bitch. A whistle and pointed fingers from the canine cape and her three dogs turn to charge you even as Tattletale herself begins to pull something gun-like from a waist pack.

Your oppugno jinx makes the concrete tigers you had previously transfigured target the dogs, Bitch and Regent get hit with orbis jinxes, and Tattletale gets hit with an expelliarmus and stuck to the wall.

The pack of tigers have pinned Bitch's monster dogs and Amy walks over to disable their meat suits. She goes to touch the closest flank when she stumbles, putting her arm in range of snapping jaws.

"Ow," Amy mutters, looking at the arm that's trapped between jagged teeth before they wither away showing red welts on her arm.

Regent's reaction is a lot louder through the conjunctivitis curse to his mask-covered face and the stinging spell that hits his neck.

"Bitch, get your dogs to stand down or I'll simply remove their heads. Regent, twitch someone's muscles again and I'll snap one of yours."

You push deeper into Lisa's mind. She looted everything she could get her hands on and has been contacted by Accord—well, one of his Ambassadors—and told that if information wasn't gathered about Coil's whereabouts that she will feel Accord's ire turned upon her.

"What did I tell you two days ago? Do you seriously believe that just because I joke about things that I am actually a fool?"

Tattletale looks at you and her shard feeds her exactly the kind of information you're projecting with your false-seeming. Drunk, slovenly, easily-manipulated, stage magic powers. She's smart enough to realize that she's not going to get useful information from you and her eyes track Amy instead. Not actually pregnant, attracted to Warlock, sexually submissive, previously suici—

Your snapping fingers in her line of sight cuts her shard's puerile line of thought off. A conjured screen gives you a bit of privacy. "Let's use our words this time."

The purple-clad cape pauses a moment and takes a deep breath, then seems irritated when your eyes don't even flicker towards her chest. "Coil owed me money, so I'm trying to collect."

"Bzzt. How's life on Accord's shitlist? I told you to watch where you took the money from."

Her mouth tightens, "How did you—you were watching."

"I was watching. Look, I totally get being in it for the money and bitches, but it's a really bad time to be villains in the Bay. If your brain tumor is chapping your ass enough that you want to start a fight, can I suggest doing it somewhere else?

The frustration that has welled up inside her finally breaks. "Why did you do this anyway? Why destroy two of the gangs and destabilize everything?" Her eyes flicker and her shard and brain collaborate on a hypothesis. "You want to control Brockton's underworld yourself. You started with the weakest known gang and moved on to Coil when you found he was looking into Merchant stash houses."

"Not at all. Coil considered himself above the petty little rules that most capes follow; he tried to spy on Laserdream's boyfriend thinking he was me. I'm not, but I did have security there for that very reason." You create a chair and sit back, putting an ankle on your knee and roll one wrist. "Turns out that among his extensive mercenary group he had surveillance specialists watching a number of capes here in the city. Including you."

She scoffs and you rattle off her apartment address and the location of the audio tap. You also mention the team who was tasked to track her down if she ever tried rabbiting. It's probably unhealthy to enjoy her increasing paleness but you do anyhow.

You stop when Amy peeks around the screen and tells you the baby's kicking. You laugh and dispel your creations, then bodybind everyone together. Sticking conjured business cards on their foreheads you loom over the three humans and three dogs. "I left contact information on the cards—it's through my lawyer. If Grue's still hurt from last week I'll heal him this time, but he'll have to deal with me talking to him while I do it. I'm also willing to speak with Accord's people, if only to keep him from trying to spread to Brockton." You pause and look them over, noting that all three dogs have been completely healed of old wounds. "Let me make a suggestion—leave me and mine the hell alone, and I'm happy to do the same." You turn the cards into portkeys and send them off to right in front of their base.

With a clap you shut the base door and transfigure it into smooth, featureless wall. Amy waddles up next to you and nuzzles your side as your bellies make a face-to-face kiss impossible. "That was fun."

You frown at her and dispel your transfigurations with a wave. "You got bit by a monster dog, Amy. I almost took off Regent's friggin' head when he did that shit."

Behind you, Laserdream flies in from where she had hid using Aelfie's house-elf magics. "Yeah, they almost all got it when that happened."

You apparate everyone to the lair and throw yourself onto the bed. "Confession time, discounting the white trash accoutrements seeing Pregnacia was hot as hell."

There's a thump as Amy misses her hop onto the bed with a startled 'what?!' and Crystal almost runs into one of the bedposts while flying and laughing. You come close to hurting yourself laughing as the short healer scrambles onto the bed with a flaming face and swats you on the belly a couple of times.

Crystal manages to steer correctly and flops down in between the two of you and pulls you both down to lay on her breasts. You and Amy make faces at each other across the distance of Crystal's chest until the girl smashes your faces together and you all roll around in a pile. Amy ends up on the bottom on her belly with you laying over her and Crystal's lips by her ear. "It'd be appropriate for the mistress to be heavy with her master's child, wouldn't it?" Amy moans and rocks against something—Crystal's fingers you presume—as the older girl continues. "Taking his seed and nursing his sons at her breasts."

Amy comes, pawing at the bed before going liquid and limp. After a minute of cuddling she pokes Crystal in the nose. "Hot, but I'll keep it as a fantasy for now." She kisses you both and rolls out of bed to head back to the Pelham house. "I'll bring Weaver by tomorrow after school."

After the two of you are alone you raise an eyebrow. "Pregnancy play before she's even lost her virginity?"

Crystal laughs as the two of you start stripping off clothes. "I know her computer password. You should see the stories she hasn't posted to her capefixxx account yet. How do you feel about being called Daddy?"

"Eh…"

"Fair enough." She extends a leg towards you and you start with kisses on her toes. "Come and lay with me, my lord."