The Terror that Came to Winslow: 2

Isolation:

Masters, especially mass human masters, exert their power by a wide range of methods. For that reason, the first priority must be the isolation of potential victims, both from the wider public, and each other. During this time, officers must be alert for the possibility of a Viral Master scenario, and offsite analysts must be prepared to take direct control and issue quarantine measures if evidence of a Viral Master situation arises.

Master Containment Procedures, pg. 23.

*****

The first step was isolation. The BBPD took up positions two blocks away from Winslow, snipers and observation teams taking up rooftop positions while others blocked off the streets. There was no certainty that the effect was limited to Winslow, and nobody wanted to risk the police going into the building coming out as thralls. 

“Armsmaster on scene.” Colin pulled his bike to the side, gesturing at the PRT troopers who were moving forward, confoam sprayers at the ready. Like them, he was looking through a video filter that reduced everything to a digitized layout, along with similar effects for his hearing . Scrubbing details. Well over fifty percent of masters required the victims to accurately see or hear them. The police mostly didn’t have those systems, which was why save for the sniper teams which were equipped with the systems, the police were not looking directly at the building. “Moving in.” He gestured.

“Confirm Armsmaster. Director Armstrong is on overwatch,” Director Piggot said. “Outer shell is ready, Watchdog is observing. Watchdog currently estimates the chance of a Master leaving the city as very low.”

The outer shell. Police and other vehicles deployed at roadblocks on the roads leaving the Bay with drones flying over the less used routes. A Master who was detected would almost always attempt to flee. Masters saw people as tools, usually had no emotional connections and so had no issue moving—they could always get more money from later victims.

And very low was not no chance.

“Did any students leave the structure?”

“A few, but BBPD got here and told them to remain in the building.” A vid window opened up in his visor, showing a similarly digitized view of the school, a few terrified students kneeling in front of it, others at the windows. A police officer was shouting. “Stay in the building, stay in the fucking building or I will shoot you.”

“The officer?”

“In observation, along with the rest of the kids who left the building.”

“Understood. Patch me into the school principal.”

Moments later, a monotone voder sounded. “H…hello? Oh God, I’m sorry, I didn’t—“

“Ms. Blackwell. This is Armsmaster. You must listen to me.”

“Y-yes.”

“Remember your procedures. Each class, along with the teacher, will leave the building. One at a time. The students and teacher will have their hands interlocked behind their heads. They will not speak. They are to keep their eyes on the ground. Any attempt to touch another student, or to disobey instructions, will see them treated as an active threat. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes.”

“They will be secured and blindfolded, this is for their safety, and yours. After the last student leaves, you and the rest of the administration will follow the same procedures.”

“I understand.”

“Very well, my list is as follows…”

The first class to exit was PE, students in their PE clothing, along with the cheerleading team, their uniforms oddly cheerful among the crying faces. They were obeying, staring at the ground, hands locked behind their head, an arms length between each one. PRT troopers with confoam flanked them.

There’s something odd about teens crying.  Maybe it was the fact that they were on the cusp of adulthood. But Colin found it…

Disturbing.

Though in this case, he could understand it. They still didn’t know who the Master was, what they’d done… or if there was a way to solve it.

The forlorn little line got to the PRT processing officers, who moved in and put a bag over their heads, then cuffed them, then guided them, their thick gloves preventing any skin contact, into a bus that would head down to the Brockton Bay Stadium, where temporary isolation units were being set up.

Three classes went without issue, then the fourth…

One of the kids, a slightly chubby boy, was having difficulty walking. He started breathing fast and then moaned. “They’re gonna kill us. They’re gonna treat us like Ziz-bombs!”

And the line exploded, students running everywhere, ignoring the teacher shouting at them that no, they weren’t in any danger, right before he was foamed.

He’d disobeyed the rules and “helpful” bystanders were number 4 in the list of ways Masters tried to fuck with you.

“Remain still!” the inner perimeter moved forward, and some students came to their senses, getting on their hands and knees. One small girl, hairclips flashing, kept running and then moments later was coated in confoam. Another, a redhead, managed to avoid one trooper and then Armsmaster moved in and grabbed her. She was literally frothing at the mouth. Foam would take too long, Armsmaster tasered her, and then she was on the ground, the troopers getting her and securing her as she kept screaming even through the hood.

“Overwatch?”

“Telemetry indicates no change in your vitals,” the voice said. “We confirm you are not compromised at the current point.”

“Understood. Clean up the mess before the next class comes out.” Seeing foamed students likely wouldn’t make their schoolmates happy.

“Armsmaster, we have issues on the perimeter. Parents and relatives are demanding to see their children.”

You would think they would read the manual on shooters, parahuman attacks, and Master alerts, but no. Nobody ever does.

“Can you hold them?”

“Yes, sir. For now.” Another vid window appeared in his visor. A mob of  hysterical parents, demanding to see their children, pushing against a line of riot cops. A bullhorn was sounding: GO TO THE EIGHTH AND MILLAR PARKING LOT. YOU WILL BE PROVIDED INFORMATION THERE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPROACH THE SCHOOL.

“What is Watchdog’s current Master threat activity rating?”  The danger the Master was still active.

“One, sir.”

On the very low end.

“Very well. Dispatch reserve teams to support the police.” Confoam was too expensive for most civilian departments, but it was nonlethal.

“Armsmaster,” Emily Piggot sounded tense. “We have information. Ten students were absent that day. We have four in custody, and are sending teams to check on four others, but we have two POIs.”

“Who?”

“Taylor Hebert, who I am now informed was shoved into a locker, only nobody at the school thought it was that big a deal and even the hospital staff didn’t consider it important… up until an hour ago. I’m sending Triumph and a team to interview her. I want you to check Julia Stevens. She was hit by a car and pronounced deceased within five minutes of Shadow Stalker’s breakdown.”

“Understood. The house or morgue?”

“Dragon is coming in and will handle her body. I want you to check her house.”

“Very well. I do not think any further parahuman involvement is needed at the school.” He looked up as another class came out, one girl freezing and refusing to move until a team cuffed and hooded her and carried her to the van. A report came over the coms that they were ready for the students and administration at the stadium, including food for the next 72 hours. News helicopters were orbiting just beyond the no-fly perimeter.

If they were lucky, it would only be seventy-two hours. With that, Colin got on his bike and headed out to the address he’d been given. BBPD and a PRT team would meet him there.

*****

Even upon notification that  a Human Master  is no longer active, potential victims must be treated as threats. Even if not directly acting under a Master’s influence, their victims have suffered one of the most traumatic and violating experiences possible. Self-harm is a strong possibility, especially in the immediate aftermath of the Master relinquishing control. For this reason, a minimum 72-hour detention period is mandated while PRT investigators and health workers determine the full extent of the Master’s influence…

Human Masters and Victims, pg. 43

PRT Incident Series, Volume 7.