[SLTS]—❈—05.1:: Interlude:: Emily Piggot

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Emily Piggot (Director PRT ENE)

The worst part about having a parahuman with the kind of power that could alter the workings of an entire organization (even one as large and as powerful as The PRT/Protectorate) come in for power-testing within your jurisdiction, was that everyone got all up in your business about it.

Musa (civilian name: Aiden Whitaker) had been in for a little over twelve hours yesterday, and within that time, he’d traversed most of the North American continent, and healed over a hundred people of a range of maladies so wide that power experts (in so much as anyone can be an expert on that woo woo shit) were practically smoking at the ears trying to figure it out.

More annoyingly, according to the boy himself, he had eight more powers, two of which were a shield that could block anything, and a sword that could cut anything.

No testing had been done on these yet, and ordinarily, there would be quite a bit of eyebrow raising at a parahuman (especially a young one) claiming to have any sort of unbeatable or unrestricted power. But then, the boy had also claimed that his healing and portal powers were unrestricted too, and gone right ahead to back up his words, so no one really wanted to be the doubting Thomas right now.

In fact, Emily’s deputy, Renick, had even gone so far as to jocularly (for now) refer to the boy as some kind of Eidolon-lite.

When Emily had calmly pointed out to the man that Eidolon was a trump with a singular power, not the grab-bag that Musa clearly was, and so his comparison was not only wrong but nonsensical, the man’s reply had been a simple; “Tell that to the press.”

And honestly, Emily wished the press was what she had to deal with right now, because as she’d lamented already, the worst part about having a cape like Musa show interest in joining The Wards in her jurisdiction was that everyone was up in her business about it.

So when said cape pulls a hitherto unknown thinker power out of thin air, to know that his prospective teammate was a deranged sadist (which honestly wasn’t that impressive, seeing as anyone with eyes in their fucking head could spot the crazy on that girl from a mile off), Emily found herself in the unenviable position of being the Director who lost the golden goose because she couldn’t keep her house in order.

Which was just bullshit.

When the call came in from Chief Director Costa-Brown, Emily was waiting and ready.

She hadn’t reported anything about Musa storming off fifteen seconds after meeting Shadow Stalker yet, it had only happened an hour ago after all, and even though Stalker had been detained for now (under suspicion of illegal activity), the girl wasn’t talking, both out of stubbornness and because she knew that they didn’t really have anything on her.

The worst part was that if they tried to push any harder, those fucks at The Youth Guard were likely to get involved, and then they’d really get nowhere.

Honestly, if it wasn’t for Stalker’s personality, likely no one would have taken the accusations of an unaffiliated unknown like Musa seriously.

So, yes, Emily hadn’t reported the matter yet, not only because there was hardly anything to report, but also because it had only happened an hour ago.

Despite that though, she had zero delusions as to what the call from the Chief Director was about, because, once again, when a cape like Musa shows up looking to join The Wards in your jurisdiction, everyone gets up in your business about it.

Emily Piggot accepted the video call, and the face of the Chief Director appeared on her computer screen.

The woman did not look happy.

‘Good’, Emily thought, neither was she, because as far as she was concerned, this whole shitstorm was Costa-Brown’s fault.

“Emily,” Costa-Brown said curtly in what could be charitably called a greeting.

Emily felt a fleeting urge to reply with a similarly curt “Rebecca”, but she decided that that might be too much.

So, instead, she said; “Chief Director.”

Costa-Brown didn’t miss her tone.

“Explain,” the woman on the screen commanded.

‘Like you don’t already know,’ Emily thought, but she obeyed nonetheless.

“Apparently, Musa has some sort of olfactory thinker power that he kept secret; he got a read on Shadow Stalker, and decided he didn’t want to be on a team with her,” Emily explained succinctly.

“Why did they meet in the first place?” Costa-Brown asked.

Emily had asked herself that question too, and had felt some regret at allowing Musa’s meeting with the wards to take place.

That had only lasted until she’d realized though, that if she’d refused such a simple (and seemingly harmless) request from the boy, odds are good that he would have walked, and she would have still wound up in this situation.

Only then, there would be no Shadow Stalker to blame.

“Musa asked to meet his prospective teammates before signing up,” Emily explained to the Chief Director. “It seemed like a—.”

“I’m not asking why you let him meet the wards,” Costa-Brown interrupted. “I’m asking why you let him meet Shadow Stalker. Based on her file she has a history of uncooperative and disruptive behaviour, why would you let them meet, knowing how important it is that we recruit Musa?”

Emily scowled. “Chief Director, the boy asked to meet the wards. What was I supposed to do, tell him Shadow Stalker came down with a cold?”

“If you had to,” Costa-Brown growled. “Instead, because of your lack of foresight, we now risk—”

“Lack of foresight?” Emily asked, unable to stop herself and not really caring to try.

She had never been the kind of woman who let things like authority stop her from saying what she felt she needed to say, even if, interestingly enough, she’d also always been the kind of woman who could never bring herself to disobey a direct order.

“Chief Director, need I remind you that it was you, who ordered me to make Shadow Stalker a ward? I wanted the girl sent to prison where she belongs, but you told me that we would be better served with her as a ward.

“For the better of a year, I’ve had to keep a wild, loose cannon under a semblance of control. I’ve had to deal with complaints from her teammates, the PR department, her superiors, and even her own mother.

“The girl has been nothing but a problem the entire time she’s been here, and I’ve dealt with it. Quietly. But now that the consequences of a decision you made, is rubbing off on you, I’m incompetent?”

Emily took a breath to calm herself, and her side hurt with a deep, familiar pain that she ignored with the ease of experience.

The Chief Director’s eyes bored into Emily through the screen.

Emily stared right back.

Finally, Costa-Brown said; “You are going to contact Musa; you are going to thank him for bringing Shadow Stalker’s indiscretions to light; and you are going to ask for his help in making sure that she does not harm anyone else.

“Bring him in, have him use his thinker power to dig however deep a hole he wants to and help him bury her in it. Then get him to sign a contract, even if you have to make him king of the fucking wards to do it.”

Emily scowled.

She hated this; sucking up to some… kid, because he had a boohoo and the universe decided to reward him with Godly powers for it.

It went against everything she stood for.

And yet, Emily Piggot had never been the kind of woman who could refuse a direct order, so she nodded; “Understood, Chief Director.”

“Good,” Costa-Brown said.

The Chief Director reached forward to cut the call and then paused; “Oh, and Emily?” she said. “Do endeavour not to get in a room with the boy until after he’s joined, will you? We don’t want him picking up on your prejudice.”

The call ended.

“Bitch,” Emily muttered to the blank screen.