The Undersiders were still rather cordial with me.

  Ahh, who am I kidding, These kids fucking hate my guts. Especially that Rachael girl.Been staring at me since I took away her dogs. Kept barking about her Judas and Brutas. Well, fuck you girlie, You’re in my base now. I call the shots.

  Me, Uno mas..dos..tres? Ah, fuck it. I can’t speak a lick of spanish. I could learn it? But I dont wanna. Already know like 6 languages. I think that’s pushing it a little for the average south east asian stereotype. Don’t need to add the polyglot stereotype either. I don't think learning Spanish would help much.

  Either way, getting the kids to stand down and give up these villain nonsense is probably for the best. Rebrand the Undersiders, fix their issue. It isn’t too hard to fix their issue. For now, I’ll solve Rachael’s issue first since its probably the easiest to deal with.

  Then, deal with Brians dumb issue with his stupid custody. Kid might need an adult intervention, perhaps its best if he’s shown to have legal working job as to not appear to be a detriment to society. Perhaps the Mr Laborn might appreciate the gesture, Haven’t really meet the guy, but he couldn’t be that bad since he did take care of Aisha.

  Ugh, so many little butterfly trying to flap it’s wings and yet, Here I am trying to make things better without any repercussion, I just know when shit hits the floor, it will probably be unexpected. Enjoy the peace for now I suppose.

  Now where was I?

  Oh yes Rachael.

  “Hey, are you…spacing out?”

  Lisa said, I turned to her and remembered that their powers were shut down after all. All parahuman powers tend to shut down when they enter the base. I had power dampers installed all over the base. Monica took care of that.

  “Just got a lot of my mind, you kids aren’t exactly doing me any favours with the stunt you pulled, I’m thinking about how to clean your mess and fix your issues, and don't deny it Lisa. All of you have issues. You just don’t know how to deal with it with that teenage brain of yours”

  Lisa just scoffs at me as she kept drinking her tea. Alec have been using the damn Food dispenser to order more hotdogs. That kid..I wonder if he’s just dumb or special. Probably just special.

  The Undersiders sat across from me in the debrief room, power dampeners still humming low and steady, wrists cuffed more out of habit than necessity now. They’d stopped posturing like fucking teenagers on crack,

  There’s no way he mistaken a hotdog Icon for a dick…like seriously? How messed up is the Vasil family when a famous food icon gets turned automatically into “ahhh naruhodo ..this is dickpic..not hotdog” Something is seriously wrong with that psycho family. I should look into more of that later.

  Regent kept shoving hotdog down like he’s famished and gave me a thumbs up when he caught me staring, even gave me a little wink. Yeah…something is not right with that kid.

  Poor kid.

  Next was Brian. ahh..Brian. I honestly hadn’t expected cooperation to come quietly after that lesson in the Barracks.Not from this group, I don't expect them to believe me even now especially when one is lead by Brian.

  What can I say about the kid? Foolhardy. As stubborn as Taylor probably. Nah, he’s plenty stubborn. Even now his arms is crossed as he kept staring at me without breaking eye contact. Such a serious kid. Who kicked your dog when you were little? Probably that dipshit he calls a stepdad from his mother's side.

  Well, if he had a dog I mean. Just because I know his trigger moment doesn’t mean I can’t exactly relate. But looking from the outside, It does makes you wonder how some teenagers are forced to grow up and took up responsibility that they aren’t ready to carry on their shoulders.

  In anycase, they weren’t as hostile just wary.

  That alone told me they’d crossed the line from defiant to thinking. Maybe cutting them off from their powers do wonders for the mind. I will probably let them wear the bracelet. Same bracelet I gave Sophia Hess. Now? She’s a less angrier version without that stupid shard prodding her brain into giving in towards violence and hate.

  Long term shard interactions, especially bad ones aren’t good for the mind. Minor mastering powers here and there, either way. Takes a strong will like someone with a certain Queen Escalation case to simply shrug off shard influence. Let’s hope the poor girl won’t have to suffer like the original timeline.

  Hopefully these guys too as well. To be able to use their powers freely without the prodding of the shards in their mind. That reminds me, I need to check up on Angela about Panacea’s progress with her shard as well. Does she still find curiosity in using her powers differently? Is her powers egging her to distort and try things creatively even if it’s morally ambiguous? One can’t tell.

  Thinking was good.

  Not thinking is what got them here in the first place.

  Or just lack of proper planning for a good plan.

  Last but not least. The feral girl. Rachel was vibrating with…something. Abundant of energy that one. I still can’t take the girl seriously with a cheap plastic rottweiler mask getting held by a thin strip of rubber band around the mask. This half ass effort of a costume, might as well not use one. Her clothes aren’t exactly a costume either. Just everyday clothing. Who am I to judge? I run around with a Hoodie too, so the kettle don’t get to callout the teapot.

  She hadn’t said much since agreeing to my…whatever this is. grudgingly, loudly, emotionally too, rather loudly with a constant growl. The human throat is not designed to keep growling like that, At least she’s sorta willing to work with me instead of against me. But I could feel the question building in her like pressure in a boiler.

  Finally, it burst.

  “Dogs.”

  One word, always with the one word speech.I met her stare without flinching. “Safe.”

  That wasn’t enough for her of course, I would probably need to show her to her dogs later.

  “Where….grrr!” she asked with a growl.

  I stood, tapped my wrist console, and motioned toward the reinforced glass wall lining one side of the room. The opacity faded. The Predator Kernel came into view.

  The space was enormous, contrary to popular belief, some Terran units do have specialize Factory just to produce a specialize unit. The Predator falls on that particular options. Terran steel ribbing curving overhead like the inside of a ship’s hull. At the center sat the Predator units: massive, sleek cybernetic constructs, feline in shape but monstrous in scale. Each one was larger than a pickup truck, armor plating layered like muscle, eyes glowing faint amber.

  And right now?

  They were on the floor.

  On their backs.

  One of Rachel’s dogs,Judas, was standing on a Predator’s chest, barking triumphantly while the machine responded by slowly rolling side to side, hydraulic limbs moving with exaggerated care. Another dog chased a retracting sensor tail like it was a chew toy. One of the Predators projected a soft holographic light, skittering it across the floor as if it were a laser pointer.

  The dogs lost their minds of course. My cats aren’t dumb, they just don't give a fuck. Like real cats. The one with the laser pointer is trolling. hahaha!

  Rachel cant make head or tails about what she was looking at. Her breath hitched, just barely. Her hands clenched so hard I heard the leather of her gloves creak. What? My cat’s not good enough to play with the doggies? Now that’s just rude.

  “They’re… playing,” she said, like the word didn’t quite fit in her mouth.

  “They’re designed to learn and adapt,” I replied. “Your dogs set the rules. The Predators adapted.”

  On the other side of the glass, one of the giant cyberkitties carefully lowered its head so a dog could climb up onto it, tail swaying in slow, deliberate arcs rather innocently. I almost thought they were real giant cats. I should probably go full suite, make custom skin, maybe install real skin and fur to emulate panthers or Tigers. Big fluffy cyber Tigers. Yeah..that could work.

  As innocent as war machines ever get, maybe I’ll even sell it as a pet for some rich buyers for a personal VIP Tiger personnel.

  Rachel moved before I finished speaking. She crossed the room, pressed her palm flat against the glass, forehead resting against it a second later.

  “They didn’t hurt them?” she muttered. Not a question. A statement she needed to say out loud.

  “No?” I said. “They wouldn’t. Why would they? My cats are adorable.”

  Behind her, the rest of the Undersiders watched in stunned silence, Lisa scoffed and smirked “You mean adorable killing machines”

  I turned towards her sipping tea like some two bit British tea sipper and said “And real cats aren't? What’s your point sherlock?” she just rolled her eyes and kept drinking her tea, and now she notices it’s empty. But she didn’t got up and just frown a little.

  Alec whistled softly. “Okay, that’s… actually kind of adorable, He does have a point Lisa.”Lisa didn’t smile,She was too busy recalculating everything she thought she knew about me.”Uhuh..says the guy who got facesmashed by a tail from that kitty” Regent didn't care and kept watching the screen. Guy seems to be immune to provocation when it suits him.

  Brian exhaled, long and slow. “Why are we still here? Is there a point to keep us here after all of this? We decided we would co-operate.”

  “I don’t need to answer that,” I answered. “I’m not Coil.”

  Rachel straightened, wiped at her face with the back of her sleeve like she was angry at herself for needing to. She turned toward me, eyes fierce but… steadier. Another Predator rolled over, presenting its armored belly. A dog immediately jumped on it.

  Rachel huffed. “Big stupid cats.”

  “Hey, don’t insult my kitties, why you gotta be like that? Are all dog person just like you? Seriously, you’re cramping my vibes here”

  Brian finally snaps and slams the table “Release us. There’s no point to keep us here any longer”

  I snapped my finger and just said “No” I said.

  Brian tried to lean into authority like it still meant something, give and inch and they think you’re suddenly best buddies or something, remarkable optimism. The kind that just doesn't work in the real world. Makes you wonder how they lived their whole lives growing up thinking they can just bully out their way to everything.

  “You don’t get to-!”

  I cut him off with a raised hand.

  “No means No.”

  Just like that, I can. I wonder if its a central theme in the wormverse regarding bullying? Everyone, well no, not everyone. When you think about it, the non parahumans one can be quite reasonable like Director Armstrong, Director Piggot. Parahumans though? Tend to speak with force.

  The room went still when the Predators started rushing in again into the room.Metal claws clicked against reinforced decking as the construct emerged from the side access corridor, head low, eyes glowing a calm amber.The four little terror filling the space in the room, reminding everyone in here exactly how small they were.

  Even Alec stopped fidgeting after he stuff a mouthful of hotdogs.

  One of them knock Brian off from his stupid chair and press on his chest. When is this bugger gonna learn that you really can’t simply demand things without any leverage of your own.

  I could feel Brian bristle, his power pressing against the dampeners out of instinct, like a clenched fist hitting a wall that didn’t move. He stood halfway from his chair, shoulders squared, trying to loom, but unlike before, the whole room shuts his power down.

  “You can’t just lock us up and expect we wou-”

  I tapped my wrist console. The lights dimmed by a fraction. Not enough to panic anyone. Enough to signal. A low, resonant hum rolled through the walls felt more than heard. From somewhere beneath the floor, massive servos engaged.

  The Predator answered and smack him in the face with it’s giant paw, thats several pounds of Neosteel smacking at a kids face. Well, it’s no use treating them live children if they gonna keep misbehaving.

  Brian stopped talking.

  “You don’t get to threaten me or make any demands while I’m here” I said quietly. “Not after what you pulled at the hospital. Not after how close that came to becoming a body count. Seems like someone haven’t learn their lesson. Stubborn aren’t you Brian?”

  Brian kept glaring at me, I could feel the stare from that skull mask of his boring into me, and he hates me, great. Yeah, this one doesn’t have any parental figure growing up, and I’m surprised that they actually react this way? Truly i’m spoiled living on my old Earth back in my world. At least everyone still had common basic decency and manners.

  Musings of a transmigrator…I suppose.

  “You’re not leaving today. You’re not leaving tomorrow. You’re going to sit in the barracks, cool off, think, and realize that for once in your lives, an adult stepped in before things spiraled out of control. Just be glad I’m not Kaiser or Lung. Acting like that will get your heads rolling. Or maybe I’m not intimidating enough.”

  Alec opened his mouth and decided not to say anything. Thought better of it, knew the kid was a little special. Perhaps not dumb, just…unique.

  I take a look at what I’m wearing, Its just a hoodie afterall, the pants of the Spectre armor kinda look like sweatpants if you didn’t look close enough. Huh..”It’s the Hoodie isn’t it?”

  Lisa watched the Predator with narrowed eyes and back to me, she thinks me, making a joke like this is already quite inappropriate and pale away instantly., Even without her powers here, she’s already running probabilities, already seeing that every angle led to the same conclusion without her powers.

  Yeah, no slice. Yall not getting outta here unless I let ya.

  Rachel hadn’t looked away from the glass since I’d shown her the Kernel.

  I turned to her. “You’re the exception.”

  Her head snapped around. “?” She tilts her head a little as if it confuses her. “Why?”

  “You’re released,” I said. “Temporary.You’re going to the Predator Kernel.”

  Brian spun toward her. “Rachel don’t..”

  She rounded on him like a snapped leash. “Shut up.”

  That earned a flicker of approval from me,Finally. Someone sensible, and it had to come from the dog girl.I keyed the door. Rachel’s cuffs disengaged with a soft click. She rubbed her wrists once, eyes never leaving me, searching for the trick.

  “Those are just ordinary cuffs. No tricks.” I told her. “You go see Judas and Brutus. You come back when you’re done.”

  She hesitated, then nodded, The Predator stepped aside as the door opened, giving her a clear path. As she passed it, the machine lowered its head slightly an unmistakable gesture of acknowledgment.

  Rachel paused.

  “…Huh.”

  She didn’t say thank you. She didn’t need to, The door sealed behind her.I turned back to the rest of them.

  “Now what am I to do with the rest of you.,” I said, looking at Brian, then Lisa, then Alec, and thought to myself a little as I got to a chair nearby and sat on it. I snapped my fingers to let the Predators know to be on standby. Brian got up from the floor after the Predator released him from smacking him early and came to sit by my side. The other three Predators were on standby outside the door as it closes and the door sealed tight again.

  “You see, Rachael Lindt? Her case is easy. All she needs is stability in her life and a place to take care of her dogs and any dogs she can take care of. Putting up a shelter in my name, having her work fulltime at a petstore fully furnished with all the amnesties a dog or any animal shelter need and she would fit right in society.”

  Lisa grumbled a little and seems to know what I’m talking about. Alec went back to eating and trying out new buttons as he click on a shwarma button for the food dispenser and ate it, kid seems to have bottomless stomach for once. Panic eating? Stress eating? Probably trying to cope by eating.

  Brian kept glaring, eh fuck this kid. This is why his case is dead last. He’s a pain in the ass to deal with acting like a big baby.

  “ After I handle the matter of her murder case, which I have…infact studied and might be able to overturn it in court due to a gross negligence in the court ruling. Rachael Lindt will be a free person. Parahuman or not, no one says a parahuman gotta automatically be a superhero or villain. There’s always other paths..like mine, or Parian. Independent power users that just don't fit the mold.”

  The Predator settled in the center of the room, curling into a resting posture that still managed to look like it could tear the walls down if I so much as thought about it.

  “Lisa avoided my gaze and look down as she muttered “Easy for you to say, Pray tell if you’re so smart about it, What about me? Since you know so much about Alec, What about him? Think you can protect him from his family? There’s a reason he change his name. His own family is out to get him.What about me? Coil is still out there! You think you’re so smart but you’re wrong.”

  Lisa then look up towards me, getting bolder by the minute. Lisa snapped at me as she got up.She was on her feet, cuffs clinking faintly as she leaned forward, blue eyes sharp and angry in a way that cut past sarcasm and straight into fear.

  “You can’t just keep us in here,” she said. “You really can’t. Coil’s still out there…You don't know how dangerous he is.”

  I didn’t interrupt her. I’d learned quickly that stopping Lisa mid-spiral just made her dig in harder. Even if I do know coil more than her, telling the smartie pants that hates being called stupid and seeing other people smarter than her pisses her off. Best to see where this goes.

  “He doesn’t stop,” she went on, words tumbling faster now. “You take us off the board, he adapts. He always does. You think you know about his powers but you dont, he’s a chessmaster, a strategist. Making use of Mercenaries and killers is just one of his modus operandi. People get hurt because we’re not where we’re supposed to be, and..and!” she swallowed, visibly forcing herself to slow down, “-you’re sitting on information and pretending this is just about us misbehaving but we were forced into this! You think you know but you don't!"

  I leaned against the table. Less confrontational. Not passive either as i tap my fingers to look as if I was thinking deeply.

  Brian watched me closely as he always do, I could see the edges of his jaw turned tight like he wanted to deck me in the face, letting Lisa lash out like this emboldens him either. Alec had slouched back, but his eyes were alert now, but part of him still doesn’t seem to care any other way, Alec can go mum in a second and then psychopath in a second. All he needs is a snap moment, the boy is tracking my every micro-reaction, probably part of his power interaction even if the power shutdowns the habits and ticks of it remains since he needed to be close to a person in order to use his

  Lisa pointed at me. “So what’s the plan huh? You’re don’t seem stupid. You don’t do things without a reason. What are you doing with us? Because right now it looks like you’re neutralizing assets and calling it ‘help.’”

  I exhaled slowly, hmm..what to do, what to say? The truth? The real truth is..I dont really need them at all. The truth is…I rather that these kids just not meddle in cape business, find a job, but then again with endbringers and the world coming to an end soon, is that really the advice I want to tell them? Not really. So i’ll tell them the honest truth then even if it seems rather far fetched.

  “My plan,” I said, “is for you to stop being villains.”

  That landed like a bad joke that nobody laughed at of course, what do you expect? These are teenagers. Alec barked out a short, incredulous sound. Brian frowned. Lisa tilted her head, confused more than offended.

  Lisa stared at me. “That’s it?”

  “Yep. Got no grand design to use your shitty powers” I said. “That’s the goal Just you quitting being villain. I couldn’t care less if you wanna work a nine to five job or go legit with the PRT or solo your ways. After I’m done with Coil, yall free to do whatever the hell you kids want to.”

  I pushed off the wall and stepped closer, hands open, palms out. Not threatening. Not pleading.

  “See, I know what Coil powers really is, unlike you Lisa.You were recruited by a man who split his own future timeline to control you. A man who uses desperation like a leash. He told you this was the only way you’d survive, the only way you’d win. Treat you like a pet, that pedo freak…and then kill you off in another timeline to satisfy his sick urges.”

  Lisa flinched. Subtle. Almost imperceptible but its hard to take what I say without her powers on.

  “I’m telling you he lied. That snake is never gonna release you.”

  She opened her mouth to fire back, but I kept going.

  “I want you to disband, No more Undersiders.” I said. “Ideally? Non-cape lives. School. Jobs. Something boring enough that nobody dies when you make a mistake. If you insist of making use of your powers? Join the PRT or an independent group or something, Like New Waves. They hiring blondes. You’re a blonde girl, you fit in just nicely.”

  Brian stiffened. “You think that’s realistic?”

  “No,” I admitted. “I think it’s possible. There’s a difference between hoping for it, but I know deep down inside, you aren’t gonna take that route. Some routes are simply incompatible..take Jean Paul Vasil here for example.”

  Alec didnt react but I could feel his emotions just dim a little as I uttered his old name, He doesn’t seem to like it. I looked at each of them in turn.

  “Lisa, you’re brilliant. Even without powers I think you’re rather resourceful. You need stability and boundaries you didn’t get handed growing up, and I know running away is hard, but sometimes, to start a new beginning, you really need to learn to let go”

  Her jaw tightened, but she didn’t interrupt, I dont know if she understand what I just said, let’s just say she probably did and I dont need to spell it out for her regarding her brother.

  “Brian, you’re trying to be something for people who never asked you to bleed for them. That doesn’t make you noble. It makes you exhausting to deal with. Seriously bro, lay off the serious look. Don’t need to act and look like you’re a professional. You’re wearing a plastic skull mask for god sakes and your powers don’t even work here. That edge factor loses its meaning, and you think you could still act tough? Drop it asshole.”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  He looked away and cough trying to mask his embarrassment, perhaps I was a little harsh on the kid, but he really needs to tone down the maturity level a little, its not normal.

  “Alec,” I said, “You like video games right?.”

  He scoffed, quieter this time.

  “Honestly, I don't really have anything to say to you, keep it up, you’re doing great. If you wanna stay with me. I got all the console games and a library of stuff I’m working on. Ever thought of making video games for a living?” I finished, “I could do that for you, set you up a gig where you can play games all day, make games all day and eat pizza in a cozy room without anyone bothering you.”

  Alec wasn’t sure but he seems to be interested as he finishes his Shwarma and turned to look at me “ When do I sign up boss”

  Brian snapped his head “Alec! What the hell?!”

  Lisa finally spoke again, voice lower now. “And Coil?”

  “Coil,” I said, “is already losing ground. Deadline is tonight. No matter what he does he wont be able to see it By tomorrow morning? All your problems will go away.”

  That got her attention and I can kinda tell what she wanted from me, I interrupt her before she could say anything and raise my hands.

  “I’m not asking you to fight him,” I continued. “I’m not asking you to spy, sabotage, or play double agent. That’s how you get buried.”

  I met her eyes squarely.

  “I’m asking you to walk away.Leave the grown up stuff to me.”

  Silence settled in the room, heavier than before.

  Lisa rubbed her arms, thinking hard enough it almost looked painful. “You really believe that if we just… stop… he won’t come after us?” she scoffs at the notion that it would really be that simple.

  “I believe,” I said carefully, “that Coil only chases pieces he thinks he can still move. The moment you stop being useful, you become a liability. And Coil doesn’t like liabilities he can’t control.”

  Brian looked up. “And if he decides to erase us anyway?”

  “Then get erased like a btich. What? Suddenly you want protection?” I said, “you won’t be able to do shit anyway and you won’t be contributing to the national stat as the next victim of some creepy Pseudo villain, nah. You stay put. I dont need kids to muddle up my perfectly orchestrated operation”

  That earned me a long look from Lisa with a scowl. Yeah, I probably call her dumb and she got offended in a roundabout way huh? Teenagers gonna angts. Can’t do anything bout it. I’m considering letting her watch my operation tonight since the plan was already in motion with Monica’s help.

  She leaned back against the table, eyes unfocused at what I said.Kids worrying about their own lives even as I try my best to reassure them. It doesn’t sit well with me. It also doesn’t jive well thinking that a bunch of kids were coerced and were forced to handle it themselves without any help. These kids didn’t have anyone to turn to. The only adult they turn to, is trying to use them and eventually kill them off.

  It’s no wonder these kids don't trust adults. After all they been through, the adults failed them, the system failed them. Bunch of kids were forced to grow up in a world that doesn’t care about them. Add power interaction and shard shenanigans into the mix, and its right towards the psychiatrist.

  I just stared at her thinking about what to do, Out of everyone here, I’m mostly worried about Lisa and Alec. Rachael has the grit and personality to tough it out even if she runs on dog logic. The girl will live and even thrive in a normal society. But Lisa and Alec? Nikko Vasil is a monster, not fit to be a parent. To be able to get out of that place is a miracle itself, The fact that he didn’t turn out like them was gods intervention. There’s no way the kid doesn’t have grit strong enough but even so, he’s scared of himself, scared about what he could be, scared that he will turn into what his father is, his family does.

  That’s no way to live.

  Lisa on the other hand haven’t move on from his brother’s suicide, that incident scarred her for life, shaped her to what she is today, from her powers to her interaction with people, to her need to prove she is smarter than anyone else because if she isn’t…well, the alternative is to admit that she fucked up with what happened to her brother and eventually everything she ever did up to this point.

  And I think it’s also partly the shard in the head doing all this shit, not letting up, keep egging them on into depression.

  It’s not a pleasant thing having powers in this world.

  So I decided on something on the fly.

  Trust goes both way I suppose. If they kept blocking me at every chance I try to help, it’s not gonna end well, might be stupid, might be a little naive of me, but there’s one thing I know about people, is that…when negotiating, it’s best to do face to face..with your actual face.

  Lisa was fuming mad, she wanted to rant on, I know she could, and would. Could probably listen to her rant and be patient and understanding. Some things can’t be forced. This is one of those things. I’ve already shown how inevitable it is to go against me, but I don't need to play that card. Sometimes I forget that these are just kids. Lisa is only 16 this year. Alec is 15 and Grue..is 17. Didn’t even finish high school.

  I reached up before any of them could say another word.

  The clasps released with a soft click, the familiar pressure easing as the mask separated from my face. Cool air hit skin while I remove the specter helmet as it retracts into the visor. I set the helmet down on the table between us,I took off my mask and showed my face.

  Just… me.

  “I’m not that smart” I said. “Not really.”

  Their reactions came in a wave of emotions, different spectrum I reckon by the definition of the various emotes they are doing with their stiff body language. I reached into my Hoodie and pulled out a small remote and click it.

  They tensed but they really shouldn’t be. I might regret this but I think if they still double down after this, I’m not gonna bother with them and left this here for a whole week till they wise up again, Either way, I turn off the power inhibitor. Let the shard influence them again, see how it goes, I’m recording this so I could make the bracelet to block the shards influence later. But for now, powers that be, is returned to the rebellious teenagers again.

  Ugh..I’m already regretting this but I know this is the right call.

  The hum of the power inhibitors died,. I felt it immediately the faint electromagnetic spike as Grue’s darkness brushed the air and recoiled, Regent’s power flexing and settling, Lisa’s ability snapping back online with all the subtlety of a brief headache as she wince and holding up her head a little, but I could see her eyes darting around, the powers began to work again, that’s a relief.

  Brian’s eyes widened for just a fraction, instincts screaming that this was wrong, that people like me didn’t do this, shouldn’t do this. Eh..like a give a fuck what Brian thinks, the guy is hardcoded to not accept things easily, getting his approval is a waste of time. Only time will tell if he turns around. It has to come from him..This is why I hate stubborn people, Might make a case that I might even hate dealing with Danny little girl. She’s a stubborn fool if the source is accurate, meh. Not my problem…yet.

  Alec straightened fully Once his powers kick in, humor gone as he stared like he was trying to catalog every detail for later, I notice a brief grin on his face before he continues munching on something else. Was that chimkin nuggies? Huh..didn’t know they have that option. Either way, I think he’s a little more animated having his powers back. Oh well… Some people take it so well with their shards without getting any side effects. Must be nice.

  Lisa was taken aback the most by all of this.I could see it in her face, the way her power stuttered as it recalibrated around a truth she hadn’t predicted. The mask mattered. Symbols mattered. And I’d just discarded mine for a gamble of trust and she knows it, or will know about it. Not sure how her super sleuthing powers work but they tend to observe minute detail from body language to parsing information into behavior and all sorts of data sets im not familiar with in how shards extrapolate the information from.

  Might as well introduce myself in earnest.

  “My name is Jason Lin,” I said evenly. “Frankly? All of this? Not tinker power. I have no powers. Just lots and lots of knowledge crammed into my brain. Im smart..but not that kind of smart. I know how to build things organically. Call it human ingenuity.”

  Don't know how much of that is being transmitted to Lisa’s Investigator shard, but for now I’ll let in a little to gain a little.

  “I’m trusting you,” I said. “Because trust has to start somewhere. And because if I wanted to hurt you?, you already know I can, You can try, I wouldn’t recommend it of course…What’s the word? Fourth time’s the charm? Usually there isn’t a fourth time.”

  Alec let out a low whistle. “You know this is how people die in villain monologues, right?”

  “Villain? Me? I’m just a builder that build things.,” I replied. “ I’m not here to monologue, just telling you without any pretenses. Roll the dice, see how it goes. Play your cards right and maybe something magical can happen? Who knows..”

  Brian clenched his fists, then slowly relaxed them. He looked at the inhibitors on the table, then back at me. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know.”

  Lisa finally spoke, voice tight. “You’re insane.”

  “That might be true. No sane person will give that many chance to a group that tried to take you down three times in a row. Or maybe I’m just stupid, not insane. Too dumb to know when to call it quits and stop giving a bunch of kids a chance.”

  She rubbed her temples, visibly fighting the urge to spiral. “You know what you just did? You gave us leverage. You gave me leverage.”

  “I gave you a choice,” I corrected. “There’s a difference, leverage means you got something above me that I can’t counter. As of now? You got shit on me.Come on Lisa..play the game, roll the dice.Ask your smart question kid...You know you wanna.”

  I met her gaze, unflinching.

  “You ..how do you know all of this? What even are you? My powers aren’t making any sense now! How is it you know almost everything about us! That’s not possible! Y-you must have some sort of powers!”

  I gestured to the open room, to the unlocked door. “You’re not prisoners anymore. You’re guests. You stay because you want to figure things out about me, I get it, To you, I might seem a little unusual. Isn’t that weird that your little investigator powers is telling you that I dont have any super powers? And I’m not really a cape? Heheh! That’s funny.” I laugh a little know that I knew some sort of meta joke and she doesn’t of course she picked it up, but I didn’t care. It’s just funny to see the smart girl trying to out smart something she can’t out smart because there isn’t anything to outsmart-

  “S-stop doing that~! Stop! Oh my god! You’re so insufferable!”

  Wow..mind reader much? trippy.

  Silence stretched again, but it was different now. Less like a standoff. More like standing at the edge of something unfamiliar.

  Lisa exhaled slowly. “You’re betting everything on us not screwing you over.”

  I smiled faintly. “No. I’m betting that if you do, it won’t be because you didn’t have a better option. Because that was the stupid option and I still win anyway.”

  I picked up the mask, turning it once in my hands, then set it aside instead of putting it back on.

  “For now,” I said, “I’m just Jason. And I’m asking you to just trust me, let me deal with coil, and I’ll deal with your problems for you. I fix things. It’s what I do, or at least it’s what I want to do. Make things better, make Brockton Bay great again. Maybe build a wall for the Slaughter nine”

  “What?” Brian panicked a little. Lisa too, she seems to garnered some sort of information about that but I don’t think I was thinking about the S9 at all, well, maybe how to rehabilitate everyone if I have the option. If not? Oh well. At least I tried.

  Lisa paled as soon as that train of thought left my mind. I wonder if she was able to read that, was it my body language? Wonder how the powers extrapolate that

  “Y-youre definitely c-crazy…you’re trying to..to rehabilitate the nine? They deserve a bullet to the head! Every single one of them! The fuck is wrong with you?!”

  Sheesh, can’t even think in peace as she reads me like a book. Must be my expression or micro eyebrow jiggle physics or something, I wonder if I should wear my Spectre helmet on again?.

  Brian just stares at Lisa and then turned to me “You wanted to do what?”

  “ Go home Brian” i snapped back at him.

  I turned to Lisa and said “ As for you, If you want front row seats seeing your former boss getting their ass kicked stay at the base with Rachael. Everyone gets to stay here except dear old Brian here.”

  I turned back to the skull wearing flabbergasted kid and said “You have an apartment don’t you? Don’t you have online classes to attend or something? Go be a brother for Aisha or something or make up with your dad or something, unless you want a visit from me to your father’s gym? “

  Silence again…Alec raise up his hands and asked “If I stay, Do I get a playstation for my room? And can I get Grand theft auto three from Earth Aleph? I heard that game was kinda sick! Been meaning to play it since-”

  “Shut up Alec!, fuck your games!” Lisa snapped back and then turned at me and glared.Lisa didn’t relax.

  Not really.

  I could see it in the way her eyes tracked me, unfocused but sharp, the way her fingers twitched as if she were sketching her finger in the air trying to make sense, Trust me you dont girl, you dont have to context..

  Her power was chewing on me like a dog with a bone it couldn’t crack and I really can’t blame her, and that unsettled her more than any threat ever could. Ahh smart people… It’s fun trolling them. I think I can see why Coil likes to bully her. She’s full of that booli energy. The kind of kid you just wanna mess for fun because it’s funny.

  She finally said it. “You don’t have powers.”

  I nodded once. “Correct.”

  Her laugh came out thin and humorless. “That’s impossible! How is that the truth?! Somethings wrong..are you sure you aren’t inhibiting my powers to a lower setting?”

  I stayed quiet and let her talk. Good theory though, but nah, totally off, Power dampers is down in the barrack, but the minute they got out it’s back on again. Lisa needed to exhaust every angle before she could even consider believing something.

  “You know what Brian’s power actually interacts with even with the part with the microwave and radio signal..,” she continued. “You know what Alec’s limits are, what Rachel’s trigger did to her head, what my power refuses to touch. You knew Coil was Calvert before I did. You knew things I haven’t told anyone! W-whaa..who, how? If it’s not you..then it must be someone that told you”

  Ohh, she almost got that right, almost! Such a shame.

  Her gaze drilled into me. “And you build cities. Factories. Mechs.And ..you're telling the truth, they aren’t tinkertech at all, space age science far more advance than this world could ever create.. I checked..I... It’s just… engineering. Advanced, impossible engineering, but consistent…Y-you’re from another world aren’t you?”

  She swallowed. “So either you’re lying, or the universe is Oh fuck…was Professor Haywire correct? You’ aren’t from around here are you?”

  I leaned back against the chair, folding my arms. “I’m not a parahuman, that’s all Im gonna say”

  Brian frowned. “Then how do you explain all of this?”

  I looked around the room, the steel walls, the distant thrum of the Command Centre, the faint vibration of machines that could outproduce half the city if I let them.

  “Context,” I said.

  Lisa’s head snapped up. “That’s not an answer.”

  “It’s the only honest one. You need the context. Try harder will you?”

  I took a breath. This was the dangerous part. not because it put me at risk, but because once I said it out loud, there was no putting it back in the box, hmm. Might as well. She’s a thinker 8 or 9 at best.

  “I’m not from Earth Bet,” I said. “And I don’t mean that metaphorically.”

  The words hung there.

  Alec stared at me like he was waiting for the punchline. Brian’s posture shifted, protective instincts flaring. Rachel just watched, silent, measuring.

  Lisa didn’t blink.

  “You’re telling me,” she said slowly, “that you’re an off-world baseline human with no powers… who somehow knows all about us here, understands parahuman mechanics better than most Thinkers, and brought an entire military-industrial ecosystem with you.”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  Her mouth opened. Closed. She dragged a hand down her face.

  “Okay,” she muttered. “Okay. Fine. Let’s assume that’s true. That still doesn’t explain the how.”

  “It does,” I replied. “Just not in a way your world is used to.”

  I gestured vaguely upward, toward a sky that hid more than it revealed.

  “Where I’m from, humanity didn’t stop at gunpowder and crude reactors. We learned how to build at scale. How to automate logistics. How to design systems that don’t rely on gifted individuals, travel the stars..meet a couple of hostile aliens. Proceed with genocide and shit.”

  I met her eyes again. I think the word genocide caught them offguard a little.Especially Lisa, seeing her reaction is fun. Yeah…teasing the tattletale is fun

  “Stop that! Y-you’re ..you think you’re better than me! W-why isn't my power saying anything about this? How are you doing this?!”

  “What does the Investigator say?” I asked and Lisa eyes went erratic for awhile before another headache attacked her this time a little harder. Oof…can’t even delve that hard huh? Must be a hardcap manton something or something something..I dont know. Thinkers are kinda bullshit if you ask me.

  I just laugh it off, poor girl. “The Terran tech you’ve seen? It’s not magic. It’s not tinker intuition. It’s accumulated knowledge of decades of iteration, war-driven innovation, and industrial doctrine.”

  Lisa’s voice was barely audible, still trying to rub her head from the pain. “You’re saying anyone could do this.”

  “No,” I said. “I’m saying anyone trained could do this eventually. Given time. Infrastructure. And the willingness to think big add that with honest human ingenuity, yes…eventually you could…Anyone got the potential to have that big brain moment.”

  Her power flared again. I could almost feel it brushing against me, trying to latch onto something and sliding off again, cant parse what you don't know. Shards can only extrapolate knowledge from past cycles.

  I doubt the Xelnaga or even Amon would allow a couple of worm to mess around with the void, not to mention according to Legadman, the void in this universe is surprisingly pure. No Xelnaga here, no Amon, just a pure pristine void. Kinda like the force untouched.

  She stared at me, shaken.

  “And the meta knowledge?” she asked. “You know about triggers, Endbringers, don’t deny it, you do..”

  Oh, she can delve that far? I wonder what else she knows. She laughed again, softer this time, almost broken. “Do you have any idea how terrifying that is?”

  I nodded. “Every day. Don’t know how much your power tells you. I doubt it knows much. If only you knew.”

  I straightened, letting the weight of it show just a little.

  “But here’s the part that matters, Lisa. I don’t need you to believe me, My plans are set in stone, Things were in motion before the Undersiders came into the picture. Fact is? You’re not that important in the scheme of things”

  Her gaze dropped to the floor.

  For the first time since I’d met her, Lisa Wilbourn looked genuinely lost not because she lacked information, but because she finally had too much. Ahh fuck. Perhaps I bullied her too much and-

  “..stop thinking so much! God damnit! My powers wouldn’t shut up when it comes to your scatterbrain yapping!”

  Wow..rude.

  Investigator..what the fuck? Let up a little. Your host is gonna have a migraine at this rate. Shards gonna shards I guess.

  I left the kids as I instructed the Marines to watch them. I turned off the inhibitor within the Barracks but the minute they got outside, it shut their power down again. I told the Marines and SCVs that only Brian is allowed to leave the Command Centre. Other than that they are free to roam the ground.

  Kid is probably running back home to check on his little sister. The rest of the other undersiders didn't have anyone else outside of their hideout. Alec seems happy to have a room in the Command centre I set up next to Trainwreck's room with a playstation and all the chimkin nuggies he can dispense from the canteen Not sure if its healthy? But hey its terran food, everything is made from pseudo plant tofu. It should be fine. Hana’s been complaining its too healthy.

  . I believe the two of them will bond better than friends once he gets back from New York later this evening with Lena and Monica. Trainwreck loves playing video games as well.

  Rachael seems content to stay at the Kernel. Well..it’s not a traditional Kernel, there’s a mini repair centre and even a bedroom inside for a technician to fix them. Other than that…Brutus and Judas seems to like playing in the playpen for the Cyberkitties. The Predators don't seem to mind. All ten of them seem to understand that they are guest.

  That left Lisa. She’s still staying at the barrack prison for some reason. Still reeling in from the headache, I already provided her with some medicine, she can even dispense it at the terminal within the barracks just as I taught her, Terran medicine is wonderful afterall, she almost wants to grab several strips and shove it around her costume, I told her it wasn’t necessary and if she needs it she can just keep ordering it,

  Didn't think Lisa was a hoarder though. Seeing her stacks strips of pain killers into her bra is just…odd.

  Oh, its already close to 10 am ? Im surprise that didn't take long.

  Have to meet up with Danny to deal with her daughter and apparently her daughter issues too. What could happen?

  —----------------

  Okay, that could have gone a lot more smoother if I knew what I was getting in, glad I came in with my casual outfit and brought in the necessary document for blackmail Uhh I mean, evidence of fraud and bribery.

  Sigh..

  You would think the PRT wouldn’t assign the same dumbass agent I was trying to avoid, 1 month after she joined and suddenly the agent was already involve in siphoning money into Blackwall personal account instead of money going to the school sponsoring a Ward member for the right cause, they fallback on the same timeline and did the deed anyway.

  I thought it would take time honestly, didn't think they go straight to the illegal stuff the first few days When she just joined the ward. Thats like the first week I arrive here in Brockton Bay.

  Wow, talk about greed.

  In any case we were able to hash things out with blackwell, The agent will probably face repercussion, Blackwall will probably face disciplinary issue from the Head of the school board, Id push it anyway. And Shadow Stalker did somewhat apologize to Taylor. At least they seem rather amicable whispering around like kids do. Instead of …you know. Bullying each other to kingdom come deliverance. Without the swords, just your average beatdown.

  I still think Taylor still have some issues with Sophia but something happened yesterday, something I’m not aware of, but Danny seems to be.

  So I had to ask the man himself what's the deal. Danny removes the big giant gun from the truck. Now its looks like just any ordinary four wheel drive truck I gave to him. It got a new paint job too, now all black instead of Terran blue.

  I like the blue, but eh…it’s his truck now. Sophia Mother had to leave for work so she left Sophia in my care. In the back, Taylor and Sophia sat shoulder to shoulder Too close for kids who were supposed to hate each other but I intend to find out. Whats the deal with that?

  Friggin butterflies flapping their shit again.

  Their voices were low, overlapping whispers, cut off every time Danny shifted gears or hit a bump in the road. I caught fragments, half-words, pauses that carried more weight than the speech itself. I wonder what they are talking about, It kinda bothers me.

  “So,” I said casually, breaking the rhythm, “..You mentioned there was… an incident yesterday Danny, what’s the deal with that?.”

  Danny’s grip tightened on the wheel for half a second. “Yeah. That’s one word for it.” Danny said to me while he eyed the back of the seat with the rear mirror.

  I turned slightly, enough to see him from the corner of my eye. “I heard Sophia stepped in when some ABB guys tried something with Taylor.” Girls didn't seem to pay attention to what we were saying, That just made me even more curious as to what happen.

  Danny cleared his throat. “That’s what the police report, and also what the police didn’t write down. Sophia got hurt while trying to protect my daughter”

  I nodded, filing that away. “Sophia got hurt.” Huh…she didn’t use her powers?

  “Head wound,” Danny said. “Not serious, but enough blood to scare the hell out of everyone.”

  I glanced back then and she looks fine now. Probably use the bracelet cadeceus mini I installed. It probably healed her up. I wonder why the shield wasn’t deployed. Was the hit not life threatening enough so it didn’t register? Is that why she got a headbash? I should probably recalibrate the sensitivity but then again, if she can handle it, it might not be as bad as it seem and only seems to bleed a little? I need to have a proper look at the equipment again to see if it actually works as intended.

  Sophia met my eyes without flinching. There was a thin line of dried blood at her hairline, mostly hidden by a cap she hadn’t taken off since we picked them up. So she didn’t take a bath since yesterday? Dear lord…eww Sophia. What the hell? Taylor looked down at her hands, fingers laced tight in her lap.

  “ABB don’t usually go after lone kids in daylight,” I said, keeping my tone neutral. “Especially not near school routes.”

  Sophia snorted quietly. “Blame Taylor for that, she went into ABB territory on her own, I tried to stop her.”

  Taylor elbowed her gentle, but pointed as she glared back “If you haven’t chased me, I wouldn’t have run”

  I raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like there’s more to the story.”

  Danny sighed. “Jason…”

  “Chill, I’m not here to get anyone in trouble,” I said. “I just want to know what actually happened.” Why the hell is Danny acting like Im a troublemaker? I've been doing daycare service all day, Children in the morning, children in the afternoon, hell, i just adopted one, my life is turning into a childcare facility. What the hell is my life getting into?

  The truck rolled to a stoplight. Outside, a gull screamed, sharp and obnoxious. Danny glanced at the rearview mirror, then back at the road.

  Sophia spoke first. “They followed her, trying to bag her like they kidnapped girls and put them into one of those sex factories..Heard the flame king has been going around busting ABB caps and torching the place up, but new ones always popped up”

  Taylor stiffened.

  “From three blocks back,” Sophia continued. “I noticed that these guys were cutting into the docks territory just recently. By the way, that scary psychic bitch stop by to save us from the ABB mooks. Came with that tyke of yours too”

  I turned fully in my seat now looking at Sophia “ You mean Legadman? Schneider was with her too?”

  “Yeah,” Sophia said simply. “ Then she did something weird to Taylor here and her eyes glowed”

  Oh,...Oh…OH fuck, What? I turned to Taylor she seems to avoid my gaze and stared at the trucks window to avoid my gaze. So she’s has a Psi rating? Why am I not surprised? Of course the Queen of Escalation had to be right at the center point of things. Queen Administrator. Queen of escalation, Queen of the Blades? Fuck no. There aren’t any zerg here..let’s hope she doesn’t go for the Kerrigan route or this world is fucking doomed. Forget Endbringers. An ever evolving Alpha zerg will ate that up, evolution is a bitch to match after all.

  I snapped back at Sophia again and said “Does she know that…you know, you’re a cape now?”

  She just gave me a blank stare “What do you think? Bitch ass snitch, Some Asian you are”

  I just rolled my eyes “Oh shush, you did that on your own, besides…”

  Taylor finally looked up. “Am I cape now?”

  Danny’s jaw clenched, How do I explain this? Ahh crap. I really didn't think this through. When Legadman said she found another potential, I didn’t think it was Taylor. Ugh..another headache and another kid to deal with, and its my friends kid too.

  Sophia’s voice dropped as she doesn't want to deal with this at all. "That's when I stepped the fuck out, You know anything about this? Either way, doesn't matter. Not like Taylor here could do what that woman could-Urk! Stop that! what's your problem!"

  Taylor elbow her twice this time with a little more force as she dug into Sophia's ribs while glaring at her with those spectacles too big for her frame.

  I let the silence stretch, giving them space. I watched that exchange closely. The way Sophia angled herself just a little closer to Taylor, protective even now after she gotten an elbow, she doesn't seem to realize too. The way Taylor leaned in, almost unconsciously. Well? They certainly bonded over …something I guess. Whatever their history was, yesterday had shifted it.

  Not sure I like where this is going, this is turning into a bigger headache than I thought. I just want Sophia to apologize, smooth things out so that the locker incident in the future wont happen, not derail it into a new path line and now she change class? From bug girl to …Psionic? Psychic Taytay? What the hell…Ghost Taylor doesn’t sound so bad, but damn it this isn’t what I wanted for the girl. Is this even the right thing? Give her powers or naw? It’s really up to her isn’t it?

  I had a feeling she wants it too. Dear goddess. If you’re watching are you enjoying this? Is my life plot your entertainment now?

  “And the injury? Did you use the bracelet?” I asked.

  Sophia shrugged. “One of them swung wild. Caught me in the head when I shoved Taylor behind me. Bracelet healed me up but didn’t activate the shield”

  “Then that floating lady showed up with a kid,” Taylor said quietly.

  “Floating? Nah she was flying like an Alexandria package” Sophia added, a hint of awe creeping in despite herself. “Eyes glowing. Telekinesis power in the air. ABB guys ran like hell. One of them even piss while floating and the pee just floats around too, that was cool as hell.”

  I wince at the thought of pee floating around, Sophia thinks that’s cool? What the fuck? Girl has issue if she thinks floating pee is cool. Ugh…I need to educate her about the importance of hygiene or something. Will that came off as too preachy? Am I a boomer now? I am aren't I?

  Danny exhaled slowly. “And that’s where the official story ends, I’m not sure what to believe, woman that could fly, psychic women with your adopted kid, the fact that my daughter eyes glowed yellow, Tell me something Jason…is this your doing?”

  Danny seems rather accusatory, well…not my doing, but how the hell do I explain it to him? The light turned green. The truck rolled forward again.

  I leaned back in my seat, staring out at the road leading toward the boardwalk. Kids shouldn’t have to deal with this. But if yesterday proved anything, it was that Brockton Bay always surprises me..

  Now, how do I deal with an angry dad thinking I gave her daughter glowing eye powers without sounding like its a me problem?

  Ya see the shit I got to deal with?

  Why me?

  **********************

  A/N

  A little too long again, woops. I kinda wanna make it shorter but its hard to wrap things around making things shorter when summarizing stuff.it does left alot of things unsaid but this chapter isn't very good I think? I mean, I could do better but I still wanna continue from J'son story and I'll try moving with the plot properly after this. ahh..skill issue.