Chương 21: Chapter 21
By the time night fell in Brockton Bay, the smell of smoke had finally begun to fade. A full day after the walking disaster known as Lung ripped through the heart of ABB territory and disaster recovery teams were still digging civilians out of the rubble. The shattered concrete beneath Colin's boots was scorched black, a grim reminder of the power he had unwittingly unleashed.
Lung had never been particularly... stable, but this was by far the largest act of devastation the gang leader had ever engaged in. Colin wasn't certain which particular action triggered Lung's descent into foam-mouthed insanity, perhaps it was the stress of defending his territory, or the pain Colin had inflicted, but it certainly appeared to begin with Colin's abduction of the ABB's tinker. Thus, there was little he could say in his own defense; Armsmaster's career was well and truly sunk, and he would be shipped off to Nebraska on Monday.
Colin found that he wasn't nearly as bitter about that fact as he thought he would be. If anything, he was more angry at his own decisions than those of Director Piggot.
Intellectually, Colin understood that capturing both Bakuda and Oni Lee would probably save more lives in the long run than Lung's tantrum had claimed, but half of being a hero was ensuring people felt safe. Such a feeling was difficult to achieve when a dragon might knock down your house with you inside it. Citing statistics would not help here. Especially after the Protectorate's dismal performance last night. Going after Bakuda without assistance had proven to be a costly mistake; a decision, he realized, made more to soothe his own ego and satisfy his need to be useful than any sort of objective analysis. He was far too used to relying on himself. With even one more hero as backup, he might have been able to fend off Oni Lee's pursuit before Lung could find him. As it stood, even on his motorcycle, Colin could not outrun the teleporter.
Caught between a raging monster and bloody gang war, the Protectorate chose to back up their own, for a given definition of 'back up'. They did, in fact, spend most of the fight 'backing up' from the increasingly destructive Lung, while the ABB, with no capes for support, and no heroes to intervene, crumpled like cheap tin foil. The whole bloody affair was caught on camera and thrown up on PHO within minutes, with the title Heroes withdraw; streets run red. Perhaps if the Protectorate had managed to take Lung into custody they could have salvaged this particular disaster, but even that avenue was denied to them.
That was the crux of the problem, really, beyond the bad press and the online flame war. Someone, or perhaps something, had taken down Lung. The home video recording of the event was grainy and unfocused, shot from great distance as Lung took flight, only to immediately arc down to the ground. Seen that way, one might almost assume the ABB leader had intentionally changed direction.
Armsmaster's helmet camera, with exponentially higher quality and definition, painted a very different story. Colin could see the moment clearly in his mind's eye: the monstrous form of Lung bearing down on the fleeing convoy of heroes, the shockwave of displaced air that shattered every piece of glass within three blocks and turned Lung's chest into jelly, the look of pained surprise on the monster's face as his scales and skin were torn off his body. The minor earthquake Lung's bulk caused as he slammed into the ground.
So why was the earth at his impact site so completely flat? Everything within twenty meters was destroyed, but the ground was pristine.
"Dragon, I'm here." Colin spoke under his breath. He was, for the first time in months, outside in his civilian clothes. His power armor was rather badly damaged, though even if it was not in need of maintanence, he would be hesitant to wear it while the city wanted him lynched. An armored bodysuit beneath his casual long-sleeved shirt and jeans would suffice for his task here, and a standard PRT earpiece served as communication.
"Excellent!" Dragon's voice, calming and serene as always, answered him, "Please set up the sensor suite in a hexagonal pattern. Make sure you leave at least thirty feet between each rod."
Colin unzipped the duffel bag at his side and removed a metal cylinder about the size of his forearm. With a deft twist, the thing extended to nearly six feet in length, with a spike jutting from one end. The increased size nearly tripped Colin, and he struggled to plant the sensor into the ground.
"Couldn't you make it any smaller," he grumbled, mostly to himself. Ideas for miniaturizing the device he held quickly trickled into his head, but he pushed them away.
"The original design was the size of an oil rig and built to monitor Behemoth." Dragon replied dryly, "I think I made it plenty small."
"You exclusively use ten-foot tall drones."
Dragon made a muffled hmph noise, "Then we are lucky you are diligent with your fitness regimen."
"Yes, I always took great care to maintain my physical peak." Colin said stoically, "Perhaps, had I performed my other duties with equal care, I would not be in my current position."
The silence was long and awkward, as Colin reflected that perhaps he was slightly more bitter than he'd first thought.
Dragon spoke again as he planted the final rod in the middle of the hexagon, "You know... there's always a place for you in The Guild, Colin."
"I know. Thank you Dragon." Colin sighed, as he activated the sensor suite. Each cylinder opened at the top, unfolding like umbrellas and revealing several screens filled with data. He tweaked a few settings as he pondered his own motivations, "I think that I might re-brand myself. Make a fresh start." Colin smiled slightly at the thought, "I still believe in The Protectorate, I just haven't figured out my place in it quite yet."
"I'm sure you'll find it." Dragon said reassuringly, "Just remember, the offer is always open."
Colin hummed in acknowledgement, and punched in his final commands. The sensor suite hummed, and Colin could feel the ground vibrating very slightly. Hundreds of readings scrolled past the tiny screen, and Dragon gave a small gasp.
"Oh my." her voice was grave, and sent chills down Colin's back.
"What's wrong?" he demanded urgently, eyeing the landscape with suspicion.
"Well..." she answered slowly, "You were right. The ground around this area has been disturbed. Specifically, something has displaced earth for as far as these sensors can scan. That's... oh about 40 meters down."
"Ah." Colin murmured. "That's, uhh- Huh."
"Yes."
"And... it wasn't Behemoth right?"
"I think someone would notice, Colin, if an Endbringer showed up in Brockton Bay." Dragon's voice was about as patronizing as she was capable of being, "I'd suspect, in fact, that everyone would notice."
Colin glanced at the control rod beside him, and opened his mouth.
"No, there is nothing wrong with my tech." Dragon interrupted him in a huff.
"Well then," Colin glanced around with a frown, "I don't suppose we can blame this on the Simurgh?"
Dragon snorted at his characteristically weak humor, "No Colin, we can't blame this on the Simurgh."
"I see. Well, I'd better tell the Director that a shaker of unknown power and affiliation has possibly captured Lung." Colin nodded to himself, "That conversation will go splendidly I'm sure."
Dragon's soft laughter showed her agreement.
Having his suspicions confirmed did little for Colin's mood. Being right did not change the fact that he would be leaving the Bay come Monday morning. He would be leaving the city right as an unknown and devastatingly powerful new parahuman made an appearance. The remnants of his pride demanded that he fight to stay, that the city would need his skills.
Reality ground that feeling beneath its cold heel.
Pride had no place in his life now, and, after Monday, neither would Brockton Bay. He would leave the city in Hannah's capable hands, in the hands of the many teammates he had spurned or ignored over the years, and trust that they could handle it. They would succeed where Armsmaster had failed, he was sure.
After all, just one person alone could not change the world.
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