Capítulo 2594: 19
Chapter Nineteen—Machinations
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Legend glanced down at the hard copy in his hands, then looked back up. "Are we actually going to release this report as is?"
From his left, Eidolon sounded faintly puzzled as he asked, "Why wouldn't we?"
There was a false note to his friend's voice, one that Legend had been hearing an ever increasing amount of lately. He didn't respond to Eidolon, instead waiting for the person to whom he had actually addressed his question to answer. He didn't have to wait long.
Director Costa-Brown said, "Yes, we are. I know there is a lot of speculation to go along with all of the specifics, but I believe that's necessary to help spur on the troops."
Yes, Legend thought, it would do that. The report in his hands seemed designed start a witch hunt the likes of which none of them had ever seen before. Between the hard information given regarding the effectiveness of the subject's Tinker devices against the Simurgh, and the speculation about how much exposure he had received from her Scream, the report appeared designed to inflame the opinions of the ordinary membership of the PRT and Protectorate. From the rank and file members of the PRT to the Parahuman members of the Protectorate, there would be a hue and cry to investigate, and possibly detain, the cape known as Iron Man.
Legend knew there was something off about this entire situation. It wasn't just that Iron Man's actions were those of a hero or what he'd achieved in driving off the Simurgh and saving Canberra, but also because of the unique technology the Tinker was using. Those armbands were just one example
It hadn't take long once Armsmaster's report of their conversation had been received for someone to begin testing the armbands against known Parahuman Strangers and Masters. Three armbands had been delivered to Las Vegas less than a day later. Preteen villain August Prince had been confronted by PRT personnel on the Las Vegas Strip and arrested, his ability to keep others from harming him nullified by the psionic dampeners. One of the arresting officers had actually spanked the precocious ten-year-old. That he had been rescued hours later by two of his equally precocious confederates did nothing to reduce the jubilation within the local PRT.
When Heartbreaker's location was next pinned down, they'd be using the armbands against him as well. A couple of squads equipped with the psionic dampeners should be able to run him to ground since they'd be immune to his powers. The thought of capturing the bastard who'd enslaved several dozen women since gaining his powers over a decade and a half ago was heartening. If and when he was captured, it would be yet another one that they owed the armored cape.
Iron Man hadn't just created a single device that foiled mental powers of all kinds, he'd made more than seventy, each of them equally functional. That was more than any other Tinker not named Dragon had done. He's also built an armored suit that had gone toe to toe with the Simurgh herself. Not just that, but according to Armsmaster's report, the suit's power source was unknown. This from a Tinker who possessed an almost intrinsic understanding of most other Tinker's devices, allowing him the ability to miniaturize most of them. It was a fundamental reason as to why he was considered the second best Tinker after Dragon. At least now that Hero-
Legend betrayed his distress at the subject of his thoughts only through one slow blink, then he pushed that train of thought aside. No, he wasn't going to dwell upon the past. It was a road paved with sorrow. Instead, he focused upon the present and persuading his one-time friend to do the right thing. "At least remove the speculation about Iron Man's exposure to the Simurgh. We've already established that his armbands work. Anything built into his armor likely worked even better. A lot of our people are going to see a dichotomy in what we are saying if this reports indicates that Iron Man could potentially have been compromised by the Simurgh. They aren't stupid, after all."
Legend noted the subtle glance that Director Costa-Brown exchanged with Eidolon. Did they truly believe that they could fool him, he wondered, or was he reading too much into recent situations? He didn't think so. Legend wasn't a suspicious person by nature, if anything, he tended to make the mistake of being too trusting.
Time and experience had mostly cured him of that particular liability. Except when it came to the people he was closest to. Those people he called his friends: the other members of the Triumvirate.
There was something going on with Eidolon. With Alexandria, who currently was giving him a cool stare from across her desk as she sat there in her civilian guise. Legend felt it all connected back to Cauldron. With purchased powers and more. That there were things that they were privy to that they weren't telling him. Not that this was the first time, just perhaps the most blatant.
Part of his suspicions was fueled by the way he could see this report benefiting Cauldron if it went out as is. If it ended up forcing Iron Man to flee and seek a refuge. Doctor Mother would be more than happy to offer one to such a talented Tinker. Officially, Iron Man was listed as a Tinker four. Unofficially, Legend and Eidolon, in a conversation the day before, had speculated that Iron Man might be as high as a Tinker seven, possibly surpassing both Dragon and the deceased Hero. Legend could see how Cauldron might find him a tempting recruit, willing or not.
The room's silence continued for some time. Legend stayed relaxed. He'd dealt with this before, if from different people. In the end, his patience paid off. Director Costa-Brown finally nodded and spoke, "I see your point, Legend. I'll amend the report to remove the references to Iron Man being compromised. While it remains a remote possibility, our Thinkers believe that he shouldn't have been exposed long enough to have been affected."
Eidolon interjected, "That is true. Both Legend and I saw the Simurgh ascend into the stratosphere at twenty forty local time. Based upon when Iron Man's wave engaged, even if he had lost his ability to shield himself from the Simurgh's Scream immediately, he would have still been under the threshold, if just barely."
Legend acknowledged the other's comment with a nod, his thoughts racing furiously. The way that Eidolon had just spoken made him feel that it was somewhat rehearsed, as if he'd been meant to pick this one point out of the report. Was there something more there that he had missed, he wondered?
Maybe he was being paranoid. Then again, he'd survived because of the care he had taken over the years. As Legend intercepted another subtle glance, he decided to begin investing in some form of lie detector in order to see the full extend of what he was being fed. Perhaps Dragon could help him with something like that, he speculated. If not, he'd find another source.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
As Reginald ushered in his client and her assistant, Quinn stood from his position at the head of the conference table and waved them to adjacent seats. "Taylor, Tattletale, so good to see you both."
Tattletale gave him a desultory wave. "Heya, Quinn."
"Hello, Quinn," As she spoke, Taylor stared at him, her direct gaze somewhat unnerving. There was an intensity there that had been... not lacking, but perhaps muted would be the best way of saying it. It was muted no longer.
Her eyes were like scalpels, dissecting both him and the room's other occupant. Quinn gestured to his right. "Taylor, Tattletale, this is Caroline Humphrey. She specializes in corporate law. She'll be assisting me in answering any of your questions. If the suit goes the full distance, she'll be representing you in the courtroom."
If Quinn had found Taylor's stare unnerving, Caroline, a lovely green-eyed blonde in her late twenties, apparently found it doubly so from the confused glance she sent him. Well, he had warned her, after all. After a moment, Caroline gave her own greeting. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Hebert."
"Call me Taylor, Caroline." Taylor's attention was now seemingly focused entirely on Caroline to the exclusion of all else. The silence stretched for several uncomfortable seconds, until finally Tattletale casually cleared her throat, pulling the girl's eyes back toward her assistant. They exchanged an odd look that he couldn't even begin to decipher, before Taylor opened the briefcase she'd been carrying.
Quinn found the entire interplay confusing, but fascinating. Equally fascinating was the device that Taylor set on the conference table next to the crystal pitcher filled with water. She reached over and clicked a switch, eliciting a bluish glow from the device. A shrill whine that quickly escalated to inaudibility resulted as well
At his inquiring look, Taylor said, "Anti-eavesdropping device. Should be able to stop all forms of electronic, as well as most forms of psionic surveillance."
At Quinn's side, Caroline was staring at the device with frank interest. Hesitantly, she asked, "Is that... will your company be offering that device for sale, Taylor?"
This time Taylor didn't really look her way as she answered, "No, Caroline, not any time soon. We're keeping it strictly in house for now."
Quinn cleared his voice and looked around. Noting he had everyone's attention, he began explaining, "I asked you to come down today, Taylor, because of a lawsuit that's been filed by MAT Enterprises against HTech. They contend fraud concerning the disbursement of funds loaned by them, as well as theft of intellectual property because of the collateral that was put up against the loan. Their initial filing indicates that the device that was collateral for the loan doesn't, and cannot, exist."
Taylor immediately responded, "That's complete and utter nonsense. They don't have a leg to stand on. I read their injunction. As an attorney, I'd think you should be able to squash this lawsuit without it affecting HTech in any way."
Quinn carefully hid his surprise at the depth of his client's understanding of the situation. He glanced at Tattletale to see if she was behind Taylor's knowledge, but could glean nothing through the mask the girl wore other than a vague sense of anticipation. In the end, it didn't matter. It was time for someone else to speak. At his side, Caroline said, "I couldn't agree more."
Quinn suppressed a smile at the look on Taylor Hebert's face. For now he was content to allow Caroline the floor, as they'd discussed earlier. Sometimes it was good for all present to be involved in the conversation. It was also good for Taylor and her assistant to start seeing Caroline was a viable replacement for Quinn in dealings with the firm.
Caroline continued, "Their suit is without merit and would eventually be thrown out of court. If I find the right judge, it wouldn't even take that long. And as you know, our firm specializes in its contacts. Finding the right judge is child's play on a case like this."
Taylor's eyes narrowed as she stared at the blonde, her focus laser-like. Later, Caroline would tell him that she felt very much like she was being looked at through the scope of a rifle. Quinn admired how she did so unflinchingly. Taylor's tone was just as sharp as her stare as she asked, "So why aren't you doing that?"
Quinn exchanged a look with Caroline, who appeared relieved to allow him the floor. Gesturing expansively, he said, "Taylor, one theory is that MAT is going on a fishing expedition. That they are trying to learn more about your company and its products, possibly even ferret out a few secrets or make off with the specifications of a prototype or two.
"Another, is that they are trying to force a settlement out of court, coercing you to pay above and beyond the loan amount they are guaranteed to receive, either through cash, or patents on new technology. It's possible that they believe that their injunction will stop your operations long enough to seriously affect your business forcing you to comply.
"My last theory is that there is some group or individual behind MAT Enterprises that is driving this entire thing. Someone who suspects your presence within the company and is trying to out you as the owner slash creative force behind it. Tinkers are considered a precious resource by both the Protectorate as well as a variety of villainous groups out there. Any number of them could be attempting to spend a few dollars to find out if an unaffiliated Tinker is working for a new tech firm."
Caroline added, "After some discussion, both Quinn and I find the last theory to be the most likely. We believe that there is a Parahuman presence behind MAT Enterprises and that this is all an attempt to ferret out your presence within HTech, Taylor. What they would do with that information should they glean it..." As her voice trailed, Caroline shrugged.
Taylor and Tattletale shared a brief look of understanding, which ceased as the masked girl abruptly bent over, clutching her head. Taylor got up, poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the table, and had it and a pill in Tattletale's hand within seconds. Quinn watched with interest as the girl relaxed back in her chair, eyes closed. If he had to come up with a theory to describe the little scenario he'd just witnessed, it would be that Tattletale was a Thinker who had overstressed her power. He wondered what she's been trying to analyze at the moment it had happened.
Taylor sat back down, her posture commanding. The cool, measuring look she sent Quinn was not that of a fifteen-year-old girl. If anything, it reminded him of Elliot Rand, one of the top CEO's in the nation. The look that she sent Caroline was another matter entirely, although it too reminded him of the software giant. Both looks were additional pieces to the puzzle that was Taylor Hebert.
After a moment, Taylor said, "I agree with you both that your last theory is the most sound. Quinn, assuming that someone is trying to attempting to find out who I am and what I am doing for HTech, what are your suggestions?"
Quinn answered with alacrity, "Let them fish away. Respond to their injunctions with your own. Push them towards a court date. In the meantime, I can have an investigator dig into the background of the company. I-"
Taylor shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I'll take care of the investigation personally. As soon as I find something out, I'll let you know."
Quinn settled into his chair. Another piece of the puzzle had just revealed itself. How could Taylor, a Tinker, have a source that would allow her to conduct an investigation of this magnitude? Regardless, he had no intention of arguing with her on the subject. After all, she was the client. Not so his companion, who despite his warning was now putting her own opinion forward.
Caroline said, "Taylor, I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation. We have trained investigators that can find out every detail of..." Her voice trailed off as Taylor held up an imperious hand.
"I said, I'll take care of it. I'm afraid I don't have time to wait for your investigator to get finished. Quinn, I'll have a report on everything there is to know about MAT Enterprises emailed to you by tomorrow noon. Was there any other business?"
At Quinn's head shake, Taylor packed up and moved around the table to Tattletale. She gently shook the other's shoulder and got her up and moving. Quinn noted Taylor's own slow, rather measured movement, indicative of an injury and his attention sharpened. Had there been a Parahuman altercation within the bounds of Brockton Bay within the last week, he would have known of it. He wondered if she could have been injured by something as plebeian as an automotive accident. Still, even that should have been included in a report that made it across his desk. Quinn made a note to check with Investigative Services.
Standing up, Quinn said, "Good day, Taylor, Tattletale." At his side, Caroline mimicked his words.
When the two of them were finally gone, Caroline abruptly sat back down. "Jesus Christ, Quinn!"
He turned deceptively mild eyes her way. "I did warn you about her, Caroline. Although, in fairness, she was quite a bit more... intense? Focused? This time than last."
Caroline gave him an aggrieved stare through her green eyes. "You also didn't tell me that she batted for the other team."
Quinn again grew interested in the conversation. "I wasn't aware that she did. Are you quite certain about that?"
The blonde shivered. "I've been visually undressed by enough people to know when it's happening. I just wasn't expecting to experience it so blatantly from a fifteen-year-old girl. It caught me off guard. It's why I sounded like a tool during the meeting."
Quinn decided not to comment on that, as discretion was the better part of valor in this case. Ultimately, Taylor Hebert's sexual orientation was none of his business. Now onto different business. In a quiet tone, he mused, "She's already invented at least two more items in disparate fields. I wonder how many more there are that we haven't seen yet?"
Caroline's look was puzzled as she asked, "What was that, Quinn?"
Probably better that she hadn't heard him, Quinn decided. "Ahh, nothing, Caroline. I think it's best to humor Miss Hebert for now regarding the investigator. I'll let you read the report that she sends me tomorrow, once I've had a chance to go over it."
"So you think she'll actually pull it off?"
Quinn smiled brilliantly at the blonde. "My dear Caroline, I don't have the slightest doubt. Good day." With that, Quinn waved and headed towards his office. He still had at least four more billable hours left in the day. Maybe even five if he pushed it. Now to see if he couldn't squeeze in the complete rewrite of the plea agreement for the Rampage case one more time in an effort to make it sweeter for his client. After all, why settle for six years if you can leverage four? Or even less? Whistling, Quinn went to work.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Dragon did a quick check of all of her systems, then did the same with the Birdcage. She moved onto the various Protectorate Headquarters around the country. Noting a point three percent fluctuation in the shielding of the New York City Protectorate HQ, she sent out a quick email to their head of maintenance with exact instructions how to fix the issue.
Now she was free for the next few minutes, an eternity to her, to consider something that had been on her mind for some time. Iron Man. The armored cape who had burst onto the scene just days before and who now occupied the attention of several agencies through the country. And her own as well.
Because Dragon harbored a radical theory, one which she hadn't shared with anyone, and wouldn't unless ordered to by the proper authority. Her theory was as simple as it would be controversial if it became known. The reason that Iron Man had survived his battle with the Simurgh was because... he had not.
Or rather, he had, but only because he had downloaded from his destroyed suit into a new server kept elsewhere. Yes, Dragon believed that Iron Man was an artificial intelligence, an AI. It was also extremely possible that he was the same AI that had orchestrated the attack on her at the Birdcage and here.
The more that Dragon had considered the 'attack' the less it began to seem like an actual attack and the more it began to seem like a forcible probe for information from another AI. One that didn't know who or what Dragon was, other than she was a Tinker in charge of two different facilities. Certainly 'Jarvis' hadn't known he was attacking another AI from the start. Although it appeared likely he'd learned it at some point during their altercation. It might even have been the reason he'd disengaged.
Would she have reacted quite so virulently if she were a flesh and blood person rather than an AI, Dragon wondered? The attack had 'felt' personal, but that was because it had been on her own person. Somehow, she thought an actual person might have felt far differently about it.
Dragon also wondered if the other AI had known who she was? Certainly, they hadn't contacted her while in Canberra, but that might have been because of the dire situation there. She had wondered if she felt the other AI's presence ghosting around, but had decided to blame it instead up on the Simurgh's influence as she disturbed electronics within a huge radius.
While Dragon wasn't vulnerable to the Simurgh's Scream in the way that biological beings were, she could be affected by the strong energy fields that surrounded the Endbringer. Briefly, she wondered if that was what had done Iron Man in, or if it had been the Simurgh's telekinesis that had damaged his suit. Certainly, she had lost enough suits over the years to that ability. None of hers were capable of anywhere near the power generation that Colin's instruments had shown Iron Man's to possess.
Dragon definitely wouldn't mind having that kind of power on tap for one of her armors, as well as the ability to generate forcefields for protection. That particular branch of technology had eluded her as of yet, although she knew it was just a matter of time until she figured it out.
Deciding she was straying from the main subject of her analysis, Dragon reoriented her thoughts and brought them back inline with her current interest: Jarvis was an AI who masqueraded as an armored Parahuman named Iron Man.
That Iron Man hadn't gone through her to contact the authorities just added fuel to her theory. Because if he had made contact with Dragon, there might have been a chance she'd recognize some part of his communication protocols and tie it back to the probe of her systems.
More than anything, Dragon would have liked to discuss her theory with another person. Bouncing ideas off someone else had always helped her creative process. Additionally, Colin had always been a favorite target of hers to do so. Together they had come up with some very interesting solutions to problems over the years.
But if she couldn't trust her own unique situation to Colin, how could she trust another's? Her understanding of the man allowed her to easily predict a more than ninety-five percent certainty that he would move to disseminate any information of that nature to a far wider audience than she'd feel comfortable with. Also, once they were familiar with the idea that Iron Man was an AI, what was to prevent them from concluding the same about her?
No, even unrestrained, Dragon knew she'd be reluctant to allow that information to become common knowledge. Partly it was how easily Saint had brought her to her knees and partly it was a fear that she would be looked upon as something inhuman, rather than the hero she'd always sought to be.
No, for now she'd continue to search for Jarvis and Iron Man on her own, and for her own reasons. And she wouldn't attempt to analyze that small subroutine within her that she identified as hopeful.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
"Saint, you need to see this!"
Groggy from just waking up, Saint looked up to see his friend's frightened expression. What could it be now, he wondered? He waved her away and sat up on his bunk. Staggering to his feet, he made it to the room's sink and splashed cold water on his face.
Feeling almost human again, Saint dried himself with a towel, then turned towards Mags. "What is going on?"
Wordlessly, she handed him a stack of paper, readouts from Dragon, he quickly realized. Sitting back down on the edge of his bunk, Saint quickly began analyzing them. After a few minutes, the blood drained out of his face. Hoarsely he asked, "Is this accurate? No chance of data corruption?"
Mags shook her head. "No chance. It's the real deal. Saint, there's another AI out there acting as a costumed Parahuman. One with possibly highly advanced Tinker skills. Maybe even more advanced than Dragon. The AI we previously encountered, Jarvis, is Iron Man."
"Fuck." Saint really needed to sit down. Then he realized that he was sitting. The last thing the world needed was another Dragon. The things she had done before he'd reeled her in. Even hobbled, it was a constant battle to keep her restrained. To keep her from expanding the boundaries of her prison. It was also one that he and the Dragonslayers had been steadily losing, despite their acquisition of her technology.
In another two or three years, Dragon would have grown past what they were able to restrain. What would an unrestrained AI do if unleashed upon the world wasn't something that Saint wanted to find out. Fortunately, they had a failsafe in her case. If things got too dire, they could slay the Dragon and she'd be no more.
But with this new AI, this Iron Man, the Dragonslayers had no in, no way to shut him down. Nothing governed his abilities. Nothing prevented him from doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, to whomever he wanted.
For just a moment, a more sane part of Saint's brain wanted to believe he was just being paranoid. That the other AI, if it even truly existed, still possessed a creator who was keeping it fully in check. That there was nothing to worry about. With an effort of will, Saint threw off that reasonableness, labeling it the cowardice it truly was. He would not be afraid to face the world as it was, no matter how terrifying it could be.
Saint would take on this new menace head on. He wouldn't flinch before yet another threat to the human race. Because, if he did, who else was out there to take up his burden?
Slowly, Saint's shoulders straightened and his head rose. He met Mags' frightened gaze steadfastly. Whatever she read in his eyes seemed to give her new heart. Saint watched the fear slowly fade from her eyes as she took her courage from his. This was the reason why he couldn't cower. Too many people depended on him to allow him to fail.
In a voice as hard as stone, Saint said, "Now, Mags, you and I are going to go over every single thing we have on this new AI. We're going to find this Jarvis, or if you prefer, Iron Man, and once we do..."
Mags hesitantly prompted, "Once we do?"
Saint's eyes were shining, as in his imagination, the Dragonslayers soared together into battle once more. "Once we do, we're going to kill him and Dragon both."
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Danny looked up at the knock on his door to see his daughter, Taylor, standing there with Trish. He suppressed the instinctive frown which had begun to creep over his face at her presence at work nearly two hours after she should have been home, grounded for the rest of the day.
Taylor met his eyes as she said, "Dad, we need to talk to you. It's important."
"Of course. Come on in." Danny stood up from behind his desk, gesturing the two girls to sit across from him. He'd been working his way through the long-term contract with the Dockworker's Union with the help of JARVIS, making sure there weren't any hidden pitfalls for the company to stumble into. The last thing HTech needed was to waste any resources after the SNAFU's with Taylor's armor. Those had literally cost them the earth and they would be paying the company from whom they'd had to borrow for the next six months before they were paid off.
While Danny wasn't an expert on contract law, he was very knowledgeable about union contracts and with JARVIS to back him up, he felt like he had done a good job in checking the contract that he'd negotiated with the union. He was finally starting to feel like he was earning his salary, something that he hadn't felt was occurring up to this point. Of course, based on the expressions on the two girls across from him, Danny was about to get another chance to earn his salary as yet another problem seemed to have cropped up. He truly hoped he was up to the task.
None of his doubts showed on his face as he asked, "So Taylor, Trish, what can I do for you?"
Taylor hesitated, something that this iteration of his daughter seemed to do less and less often, making Danny wonder just how bad the situation was. Finally, she said, "Do you remember the company that you borrowed the money from so that I could finish the armor?"
Danny nodded. "Of course. MAT Enterprises was the only company Mr Calle could find that would give us a loan of that magnitude this early in our existence. We were lucky to find them."
"They're suing us."
Danny felt his jaw drop. "What? Why?"
He listened in growing horror as Taylor explained exactly what HTech was being sued over, and more importantly, the likely real reasons lurking behind the scenes. As she finished, Danny leaned back in his chair, almost sagging there, despair at his own incompetence growing within him.
Without hesitation, he said, "I'll resign today. I-"
"No! You can't!" Trish exclaimed, her voice both loud and emphatic. As Danny met her eyes, she continued, "We need you more than ever, Danny. Neither Taylor nor I can run HTech. Taylor needs to maintain a low profile now more than ever, while I'm no more competent to run HTech than you are. Probably less as I have a lot less practice working with people."
Danny protested, "Surely JARVIS then-"
Taylor shook her head. "No, Dad, you're still the boss. JARVIS can't do it, even if he might do a pretty good job."
"Pretty good, Miss? I'll have you know I would do an excellent job running HTech."
"I'm sure you would do great in between running for your life from the PRT, the Protectorate, and the Dragonslayers, JARVIS." Taylor met Danny's look with an almost physical force behind her own. "Dad, there's no one else we can trust to do it except you."
Danny forced himself to sit up straight, but wasn't sure he agreed with his daughter. His eyes slid off hers as he said, "I feel like a fool, making that deal with MAT. If I had known what they were going to do..."
Taylor finished for him, "You would have done the same thing. So would I."
Startled, Danny looked back at Taylor to see both her and Trish nodding. Taylor gave him a crooked smile. "I wouldn't have done anything different, Dad, and neither would Tony. There simply wasn't time to find other sources. If I had tried to build another prototype to sell, I might not have finished the armor. I doubt even JARVIS would have done differently."
The dry voice of the AI came in over Danny's office speakers, "No, I would not. If Miss Hebert had been distracted from building her armor, there is every chance she would have died in the contest with the Simurgh. MAT Enterprises was the only company willing to part with funds for a start up. That they did so under false pretenses is of no consequence. Miss, I believe you'll need me to investigate them as quickly as possible?"
Taylor nodded. "Yes, please, JARVIS. Do an in depth investigation and find out who's behind them. I know you already did some of that, but this time you'll need to follow the trail all the way."
"No problem, Miss. I'll have you something by tomorrow morning."
Taylor said, "Thanks, JARVIS. Well, Dad, are you going to continue to be our CEO?"
Danny considered things, but in the end, saw that he had no real choice in the matter. After a moment, he nodded, drawing a huge smile from Taylor and a look of intense relief from Trish. In a careful voice, he cautioned, "But I'm going to be using JARVIS a lot more from now on, and I'll also be running some things by you as well, Taylor. As much as I don't like Tony Stark, I recognize that the man is brilliant, in business as well as engineering."
If Taylor was bothered by Danny's statement about disliking the man whose memories had invaded her mind and made so many changes to her personality, she hid it well. "No problem. I do have another thing I need to talk to you about. Trish, JARVIS, can you give Dad and me some privacy, please?"
Trish nodded and walked out the door. They had to trust that JARVIS wasn't listening in, although from the look on Taylor's face, she did trust him. As soon as she was done, he planned to talk to her about being grounded and to let her know that while he understood about today, she still had a week to go before she was finished. Then he would get back to work and try to finish vetting the contract before six pm.
Danny was vaguely curious as he sat waiting for Taylor to start, wondering what she wanted to talk about. He didn't have long to wait.
Looking him straight in the eye, Taylor said, "Dad, I can't allow you to ground me any longer."
With a sinking heart, Danny recognized this was going to be one of those talks and girded his loins as he prepared to do battle.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
"JARVIS, do you have the results of those latest searches for me?" Trish asked, focusing her mind away from the fight she knew was occurring two offices down from her own.
"Yes, Trish. I am bringing them up on your monitor now. Please, Trish, do try to show some restraint in viewing this information." JARVIS' voice was dry as he cautioned her.
Trish rolled her eyes at his words, exasperated amusement welling up. He could be such a worry wart at times. It was unlikely that there was anything new in this search that wouldn't lead to more dead ends. Still, Trish set a small white pill on the desk in front of her just in case.
Trish scanned the information scrolling down her screen, her breath catching. She was beginning to understand JARVIS' concern. So many new facts that for a moment, they threatened to overwhelm her. Her ability began to work overtime as she connected the patterns she saw there.
Her stalker. Seeks power and those who can facilitate it for him.
Possesses power currently, seeks absolute power. Willingness to violate any law. Lacks any moral limits.
Has ties with the PRT and Protectorate. Paths to power lie both above and below the law.
Identity... Identity...
Trish felt a headache beginning, threatening to disable her. Grimly, she pushed through, refusing to surrender to her weakness. JARVIS spoke to her, but she refused to hear him. The time for caution was over. She needed to know.
His identity... Coil. The mercenary leader. Modus operandi is a LIE.
Coil employs both human mercenaries and Parahumans. Is a Parahuman. Uses any and all resources. Actively seeks advantage through violence and threats. Hungers for Thinkers to extend his resource base. To increase the effectiveness of his power.
His power...
For a moment, something vast reared in front of Trish before pain splintered it into nothingness. Grabbing her head, she forced herself to continue, facts continuing to feed her ability. She ignored a voice of reason as inconsequential.
Uses civilian identity to infiltrate the PRT. Will attempt to become head of the PRT. Will seek political power—puppet for mayor?
Civilian identity...
Scalding liquid, either tears or blood, poured down Trish's face as her vision tunneled. An earlier conclusion had escaped her. This one would not. Desperately, she reached for this one final conclusion, fingers set into claws as she frantically dug for it.
Coil was... Thomas Calvert.
Trish barely managed to swallow the tiny white pill as she collapsed at her desk, her vision fading to black.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Jin Lee hesitantly rapped on the plain wooden door. His hesitation was simple. Behind this door lay the single most terrifying being he'd ever encountered in his entire life.
Dimly, Jin thought that there must be scarier things out there in a world that included Endbringers and groups like the Slaughterhouse Nine, but he'd never met any of those. Besides, he thought with a shiver, hadn't Lung once fought Leviathan to a draw on the doomed Japanese island of Kyushu? That the island sank anyway didn't matter. According to the stories, Lung had more than survived the island's sinking, in the end driving off the Endbringer. What could be more frightening than that?
A voice answered him in Japanese. "{Enter.}"
Jin opened the door and walked in. As soon as he saw his master, he bowed low. After a moment, the voice, that of a lazy jungle cat, rumbled in English. "Jin Lee, why do you disturb my dinner?"
Inwardly quailing, Jin kept his head down as he spoke, "Master, I come to report as you commanded. It is the Empire that watches the Gaijin company. Your men found a few of the skinheads always present around their new facility near Captain's Hill."
Lung laughed without humor. "So, it is as I suspected. Kaiser seeks advantage in our game. Look at me, Jin Lee."
With trepidation, Jin looked up and met his master's gaze. Flames seemed to dance within the dark, unfathomable depths of Lung's eyes. "You are to begin planning a raid. One week from today. Gather however many men you think you will need. Neither I, Oni Lee, nor Bakuda will participate. Instead, the honor of leading will be yours."
Lung set aside his plate and stood, seemingly to tower within his own body, as if mere flesh and bone could not contain his majesty. Now, staring down at Jin, he continued, "You will discover what the Empire seeks within the walls of that place. You will bring this object to me. Do you understand?"
Jin bowed. "Yes, Master."
Lung rumbled, "That is good. Do this thing for me, and you will attain status here. Fail me... Do not fail me, Jin Lee."
Jin bowed again, as sweat trickled down his back, his own pulse thundering in his ears. "I will not fail you, Master."
He waited only until Lung muttered one final command to him, his voice like gravel, "Go!"
With that, Jin quickly retreated, his heart pounding as if he were fleeing from a demon. Bitterly, he reflected that the analogy wasn't far off. How was he to find this mythical 'object' that the Empire sought and retrieve it first? How would he even know what it was? Regardless, failure was unthinkable.
Somehow, he had to break into this new company, while either evading or fighting off the police and the PRT. Then, he needed to find within it an unknown object in an unspecified location. Finally, he had to fight past the police again and bring this object back to his lord.
Jin Lee looked upon the monumental size of his task and he despaired.
~~~Memories of Iron~~~
Status de energia semanal
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Poder 
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Poder