Interlude 1# Piggot

Director Emily Piggot, also known as the director of the ENE PRT branch in Brockton bay wasn't happy. She seldom was, but today was one of those days where nothing went right.

First there had been another attack on what she could only assume to be a dog fighting ring run by the empire, but because the aggressor, presumed to be Hellhound, hadn't informed them beforehand they had come late and by the time they PRT squads arrived to secure evidence, there hadn't been anything conclusive left behind. I just wasn't possible to proof that this hadn't been an unprovoked attack on a perfectly legal MMA gym, everyone knew different, but the law didn't care about knowledge, only proof and so they had to watch as empire member after empire member went free to room the city at their leisure.

The next few days the empire would posture, Hookwolf would be even more aggressive than normal and she would have to organize more stringent patrols in that area while increasing the amount of backup available. Which meant additional hours for her and her men.

Then the fiasco with the aerokinetic happened and now she had to deal with a loose cannon, at least a blaster 6 and mover 3, who decidedly did not want to there, but also didn't manage to kill anyone, so she had to follow the Chief Directors plan and pull this cape into the fold.

"You succeeded with Shadow Stalker and now she is one of the most valuable members of the Brockton Bay Wards and a beacon of hope for reformed villains" she had said.

"It is your responsibility to ensure that this cape becomes a productive member of society" had been her orders and how she loathed them.

Why was it her who had to take in the crazies and aim them in the right direction. Shadow Stalker might have been one of the most successful wards on the surface, but she was even more trouble than most other capes.

Through the new one might have her beat. Leandra Archie Nightcastle, 15, powerful combination of blaster and mover powers and already a killer. Her only victims to have died were ruled self-defense, but the case had at least ben rushed, if not outright manipulated. The same judge had given custody to a bunch of empire affiliates who had tried to steal the inheritance of said cape after all.

She should have been informed much earlier, it was part of her jurisdiction, but the paper trail had been a lot slower than usual. Suspiciously slow, so she had to pull a few trusted agents away from more important things to look for a leak. Someone had even suppressed the news coverage, not an easy feat, which implied there had been someone influential behind the whole thing.

It wasn't hard to guess that the Empire had their fingers in there, but again, the law hungers for proof, which she didn't have.

If that had been all, she could have dealt with it and moved on, but no, the crazy cape had to attack one of the few independent hero teams, inside their home off all places. To make the situation even more messed up, she had also taken her crippled brother along for the ride, a brother she herself had crippled during her Trigger, the same brother she almost killed again on the front lawn of the same hero team she had attacked and it was only thanks to that teams healer that he had survived the night. And regained his limbs, they would have to check for thinker and possible master powers. There is no way Benjamin Eric Nightcastle had just coincidentally profited the most from the whole ordeal.

The reports of damages to the streets and houses in the neighborhood where just trickling in and it was only luck none of the innocents caught in the fight had been harmed permanently. Panacea, she loathed to admit this, had done a good job healing those involved. She had reportedly even healed some minor imperfections and prior ailments, so no one would be inclined to press charges. Which was the only thing that had saved her sister, Glory Girl, from staying in the same cell block as Ms. Nightcastle. Glory Girl had done more damage herself than the reported storms of razor sharp blades of air. That girl has impulse control issues and it is only a matter of time until she is brought in. She could wait.

But for now she had to deal with this new cape, and her brother as well. With the whole guardianship issue they had uncovered, combined with the attempted thefts and the miscarriages of justice done to and possibly for them, they had to deal with a clusterfuck of wrong information, false leads and interference by different parties trying to disguise their own involvement. At least 2 county judges, 5 police officers and 3 lawyers would have to contend with the law they so stupidly disregarded. Then they would have to review and scan their entire communications network to find the leaks and plug them.

It was one of those rare days where normal baseline humans without any powers were just as much trouble as the parahumans. Oh how she loathed it.

And now it was time for her dialysis. She had already missed the one last night. At least the aerokinetic would stay sedated for another few hours.

She groaned in response to the knock on the door.

"Come in."

Renick opened the door and stood at attention.

"Speak up, what is it?"

"Yes, Sir. The Youth Guard is here again. They wish to speak with you in regards to the Nightcastle siblings."

This day couldn't get any worse.

The door opened again.

"Sir, medical has informed me that codename Blast is showing signs of waking. They are asking for permission, to administer another dosage. Alternatively they ask to be allowed to retreat behind the blast shield."

"Permission not granted. There is no reason to sedate a innocent teenage girl. I have already filed a complaint for the first incidence. The entire situation could have been avoided if you hadn't acted on your own volition, there is a reason the Youth Guard exists. None of you have the right training."

And there was Ms. Marlene Johansen, Youth Guard representative and one of the hardiest people she had ever met.

Emily wished for the thousands time for a nice, cool drink, but her kidneys would never allow her such frivolities. Not anymore. It only reminded her just how much her naivety had cost her and why capes needed to be controlled rigidly and there on the other side of her desk was one person who just didn't understand that. She didn't want to deal with this, she didn't even want this new cape, no matter how powerful she would turn out to be. Shadow Stalker might have proven that "problematic youths" with to much power could be effective, but she wasn't blind the the decline in successful team operations and the tension between the wards.

But she had been given her orders and they were clear, she had to find a way to appease the Youth Guard while making sure her chief director got another successful example of a redemption story, no matter how much it was going to cost her and the ENE.

She should have never taken this job, but she was a soldier and she would deal with it, just how she had dealt with everything else.

Her liver twinged painfully as she turned to her new opponent and prepared for another fight, for a director she wasn't sure she could believe in anymore. To many of her orders where designed to set her up to fail. She just didn't know why.