All right, Mike, one standing by. Mike, two standing by. Mike, three standing by. I can't.
Welcome to Worm, a pair of human radio serial. This series is a fan project paying tribute to Wild Bose Web Serial, Worm, and contains graphic violence, strong language, and adult subject matter. Listener discretion is advised. In 1982, a man with extraordinary powers appeared over the Atlantic Ocean, ushering in a new era of heroes and abomination.
Across the globe, people began to develop powers of their own, turning them upon the world in violent and destructive ways. So began the age of pair of humans. The story of Brockton Bay, 30 years later, an American city dominated by the villains of this age. A man opened the door to my house.
I let myself relax. No shit, Taylor? Hi, Kurt. Been a long time, really recognized you, kid.
How are you doing? Working. Getting by. Better than we were doing.
Now you can come inside or you're going to stand in the driveway for the next five minutes. My job is in the living room, surrounded by familiar faces. He was relaxed in a way I hadn't seen in years, surrounded by friends with a beer in hand. Hey, don't blame your old man.
I'll send him a bar truckload of beer in from our town. Got to drink in. Thought it would include Danny. Drag him along and buy to yourselves.
They know he had plans. It's fine. Hey, Lacey. Give the girl a second to get used to having people in her house before you drop out of her.
Ha, ha, baby. Just a little drunk. I wanted to say, your mom was good people. She hasn't been forgotten.
Sorry if that came out a little direct. No, well, even in a few minutes. It's hard to get around, so other scheduling events tonight, so we don't need to make two trips. Last debate's in the afternoon, then may roll, but right after.
You get to the big the other night? I didn't even know what happened. No, well, that's any indication. There's one bound to be a pisser.
So we're drinking a mellow out, and I'd feel a hell of a lot better if your dad had more than one beer. So we can relax him and hold back from choking on one of those smart bastards. Not about to do that. No, we should cut, but wouldn't be worth it in the end if you wound up in jail and left the daughter of yours alone.
It's all good. We'll go in, stick in beer, off some drunken commentary from the sidelines, punctuate it back to you off-color words. Please don't. You want to sit in a limb and say what sounds good for them?
I was thinking it'd be better to ask the hard questions if we get a chance. A big part of the crowd is going to be people from the north end. A few of them are going to be from the docks. So why don't we ask him what's happening with the ferry?
He's going to brush it off. Not in the budget with everything that's going on. And that's good time for some booing and drunken swearing. Hey, you want to start all right Danny?
No, but you might sway the undecideds just to see how unimpressed we are with the man. Yeah, everyone's on impress with Mayor Christner. Disaster does that. We want someone to blame him, and the guy in charge makes for an easy target.
Yeah, he's a deserving target. There's this thing in Washington talking about what they should throw walls up around the edge of the city, blockade the street shut off services, get everyone out of here. He said no, right? Said no.
That's all probably earns more money this way. Take a few minutes for a story and helping the city help themselves through a percentage. You're not happy. The city was saved from being condemned.
Do you want to be kicked out of the city to leave your home? It's suck, but when we were talking about in the paper, there's a big fund that says I'm recovering the damages. These end-bringer motherfuckers cause. The idea was that they dip into those funds, give everyone what they needed, and ask if it's coming to the homes.
There's no way that's doable. What about everyone who left when they were trying to evacuate? No, no, I'm just saying what the papers did. And they give us what the houses used to be worth?
They'd give us what the houses might be worth now. So, not much. Yeah, we're only worth a few years down the line. After the wrap sets end and mold problems get worse, it's expensive to get supplies into the city, which means they'll be costly to fix things up and renovate.
Not necessarily worth it. I saw construction crews at work. Yeah, sure. There are companies that are buying up all the materials, purchasing land on the Jeep, all in the hopes the city gets stuck together, and the land turns out to be worth something.
It could. Ah, come on. Or to the theory of supervillains. Heroes don't have what it takes.
It used to be we were outnumbered, but they were trying, making a difference in little ways. Now they're never losing. What's the point? Just a hypothetical question, but isn't it better to be in a city that works where villains rule the streets instead of a failed city where the same villains are just in the last prominent position?
Sweetie, I've had a few too many throughout my head around the question. Might be time to stop then, Lacey. I suppose you're asking the question, Taylor. Would you rather be a slave and have her in her free man in hell?
Yeah. Free man in hell? Obviously. Fucker, you'd think I'd be doing what I'd do when I'd live in here if it was willing to make nice, suck it up with the guys in charge and do whatever I was told.
What's your answer, Danny? I'd rather not be a slave or in hell, but sometimes I'd worry that I'm both. Maybe we don't get a choice. Eh.
You're the most depressing asshole the friend I've got. Why are you asking, Taylor? I saw some of the stuff coming on the shelters. Some sick people, unhappy people.
It was a long while before anything started getting better, and as I understand it, it was the villains who made the first move and getting things fixed up. Yeah, for their own benefit. You can't rule a hole in the ground. Maybe you.
Or maybe bad people can do good things for the sake of doing good at least once in a while. They're taking charge. They're keeping things more or less quiet and peaceful. It's better than what we had.
The problem with that is we'd be setting humanity back by about 3,000 years if we let that happen. We'd be falling back into an Iron Age mindset and leadership. The people with the numbers and weaponry claim to an area through sheer military strength. That might not sound so bad until you figure that sooner or later person who gets control is going to be someone like Kaiser.
Kaiser's dead. Yeah, okay, but I was speaking in general terms. Could just as easily be long or Jack Slash instead of the relatively benign villains that are in charge right now. Again, it's just a matter of time.
What would you rather have happened? I don't know, but I don't think complacency is the answer. Last night, people kept bringing up the capes. Moderator kept shutting them down.
Today, we'll hear them talk about the crooks running the city here with a candidate's appetite on the subject. Well, we should go soon if we want to get a seat instead of standing around at the sides. Can I get you any food? Taylor, I promised you something.
I'm all right. I had a late breakfast. Maybe when we get back. I'd offer you a drink, but that'd be against the law.
How old are you anyway? I'm 15. 16. That's the 19th.
Your birthday was a week ago. Oh. That's the saddest guy thing I've ever heard. Girl, missing your birthday like that.
I guess you don't have your license then, huh? No. Damn. Open your beard as a new driver so your deck can have another.
I've only had half a toll boy. It'll be driving slow in these streets anyways. See you later, man. Should you be drinking with the kidney damage?
You had trouble standing. I got cleared yesterday. I'm back on the regular diet. Any hurt left is just the muscle in the stitches.
Thanks for worrying about me. Of course I'm going to worry about you. You've changed. It wasn't so long ago that you would have walked into that situation and just clamped up.
Feels like that was a year ago. Anyway, I'm sorry. I hope this would just be you and me having a chance to catch up. They invited themselves.
It's okay. I'm glad you got friends like that. They're a bit overbearing. Windows open to crack.
We can hear you. They're overbearing. But they're all right. Hey, Taylor.
I just want to say thanks for the warning. You told your dad that Shatterbird was around, didn't you? He told us. We were careful.
I don't know if it saved our lives or not. But thanks for watching out for him and helping us out as collateral. You're welcome. The sign's out to pass the old historical courthouse into the auditorium.
Between the camera crews and civilians, five or six hundred people. I looked at the three candidates. Some time ago, Coyle had told us that two of the candidates for office had been bought. Mayor Christner, well, I could remember standing in his backyard him pointing at me, pleading for me to step in and save his son's life.
It was habit now to have my bugs sweeping over my surroundings. When the soldiers began filing out of the bands, it startled me. Men and women with machine guns and body armor, definitely not PRT. The arm of the machine pulled into the middle of the street just outside the front doors.
By the time Coyle climbed out of the vehicle, his soldiers were just pathadors. Why? Not too bored. No, not at all.
If we could have silence from the audience, please. My eye darted across the room, trying to assess the situation. The heavy woman in the front row was up ago. Coyle was in the lobby now, and he was joined by others.
Circus and two others I didn't recognize. A teenage guy and a larger and more athletic man in a heavy metal frame. Thank you to everyone for coming. Tonight is a three-way debate.
Let me introduce your candidates, starting with Mr. Roy Christner, our mayor and incumbents. We also have Ms. Amanda Connor and Mr.
Joe Simon. Tonight's subjects are crying, public safety, and the state of the city. Would you start a stop, Mayor Christner? What sets you apart from the other candidates in your views?
I got in my shoulder to verify what I was seeing with my bugs. Young man was making his way up the aisle with a toddler, straight for Coyle. I won't lie, things are bad. The situation's improved from where it was weeks ago, but we're still in an ugly situation.
No less than 40% of the city's evacuated. Hospitals are overflowing. Villains claim to own the streets. I've been involved with the defense every step along the way.
I've discussed the subject with legend with Dragon and with Chief Director Coaster Brown of the PRT. I've been talking with and working with Director Pico to see what actions need to be taken to see the city restored to what it once was. That's set in the bar pretty damn low. No interruptions, please.
Let's hear what Simon has to say. He wants to restore the city to what it once was. I think he was wanting us to forget that half our city was a cesspool before the end-bringer came. Many of you in the audience live in the North End.
You know how bad it was. I sent Mr. Coyle drawing words with my bugs. I'm here.
Stop. He broke up the words with a casual wave of his hand scattering the bugs. The mayor wants to take us back to where we were. That's not good enough.
I'm proposing that we make this an opportunity. The slate, in many ways, has been wiped clean. Let's start over again. Councillor Connor, any response?
Mr. Simon is not addressing the question. He paints a pretty picture, but he doesn't mention the presence of the local super villains or any of the pressures they put on us. Could I attack?
Should I attack? If I left now and maybe stepped into the side hallway, I could maybe avoid the soldiers, get to a vantage point where I could mount a counterattack against Coyle. Except I didn't know what he was planning and my dad was here. This points to a mismanagement of resources.
The mayor would like us to believe that he was involved in genuine efforts to save the city. I can't believe he would want to be associated with the PRT's operations as of late. It wasn't worth it. I stood down, holding my dad's hand.
Ah, I think that's it. Coyle's circus and... Uber were with him. He leads to the left side, holding what looked like a re-gun.
People started running for the other exits, only to have their paths barred as more soldiers emerged. What the hell, Coyle? Mr. Mayor!
This is insanity! Genius sometimes looks like that, to those who didn't see the whole picture. The local heroes are occupied. Fire started at selected locations, areas where damage won't be immediate, but where they cannot be allowed to spread.
One such fire is at your headquarters, my apologies. I went to the target, high priority areas. You bastardered first my niece, and now this? No, she's safe and sound.
As are any people here without a title. If you're Mayor or candidate for Mayor, if you call yourself Chief of Police Lieutenant Director or Major, I'm afraid I can't promise your safety. What are you going to do? Let me demonstrate.
Circus. Hey, knives for fear. I didn't need to remove the bugs to try to see exactly where the knives are landed. The other villains want to seize the city from below.
I would take the more direct route, Brockton Bay is mine. I will make decisions, claim and distribute the taxes, and decide who sits in seats of power. Anyone who would disagree will face the same fate as the Mayor. I rose up enough to get a glimpse of the stage.
The Mayor wasn't dead, but she looks like he might be dying. Was I condoning this by staying silent? You cannot expect this to succeed. Oh, Director Piguet, I must admire your courage, putting yourself in the line of fires so soon after your last escapades.
Kidnapped by the Undesiders, weren't you? This plan of yours was doomed from the outset. They'll send the entire protector out to you. America will demand it.
Or are you so mad you think will let you crown yourself King? Ma'am! No! A monster, maybe.
Better to say I'm a freak of nature and my power is to control my own destiny, to reshape and cultivate it. What do you see here is only the tip of the iceberg? There's a great deployment. Quite.
A shame you won't discover it. Circus? Ah! Where's someone called back with the heroes?
Are you guys out there on the way? Good! Circus, come. Squad captains maintain order here.
We'll be back the moment this is done. The bitches too fat. I think I didn't anything fly. I don't see it through.
There was a flash of light around Piguet. And for Justin and I thought maybe she had powers, but it wasn't her. Mode cop and I was letting them sink into his palm down to the hills. This was raising her hands.
Folding the walls in the barriers to block those equals soldiers who weren't holding their reporters hostage. Kid win was at one corner of the room, firing what looked like concussion glass into soldier and civilian alike. Cheeried head gun that was firing off charges of electricity. A disc the sides of a car tire floated behind his head and shoulders, almost luminescent with energy.
Clockwalker from the final part of the strike party. He stood by a white cloth that had been frozen in time, covering soldiers. This way, evacuate the area at the back of the stage, stick to the sides, and I need medical help for the wounded. Nobody had seen me gathering with my bugs in a futile attempt to try to help you go.
But if they found out Skitter was in the building and won, then it would just be a question of narrowing down which teenage growth at the profile. And if I tried to help and coil one, well, my dad and I would be fucked. Ward's regrouped, optimal range, facing doors now. Clockwalker moved, lending three feet to the left to check, Cheeried.
Cheeried frozen the air. Cubone and Vista seemed to be taking it in stride, both were working together to bind Cheeried. What are you doing? You didn't do anything.
He's a double agent, running for coil. Go, evacuate, get out of here. Bobble! Bobble, by the way, followed by coil leads, circus, and a squadron of soldiers.
His metal friend took the brunt of the incoming fire, and used his arms to shield his exposed upper body from the blast of electricity, and the concussion shots from Kidwind's guns and turrets. Coil dropped to one knee beside Uber, and lead handed up a smoke from remote control. He wasted no time in pressing the button. Kidwind had stopped shooting.
He turned a bulb, who began tearing at his armor. Lead stepped out behind Uber and shot Vista. He took another shot at Clockwalker, who froze himself. Kidwind threw another gun from his side, the holster, and shot lead.
While he finished his natural and Kidwind's armor, for you, what looked to be a power cell. Everyone stick home! The bomb! He sets the bomb!
Sabotage! What?! Well, Jerry Silver Pack wasn't frozen. It's gonna blow!
I got it! Can you teleport out of here or something? I'll try, but no! I saw a flicker of light from the lobby.
The glow of the device and coil beeling around to face us. The swelling energy of the sabotage power supply, coil's body coming apart in pieces. A body fell on me. My dad?
I opened my eyes to look, saw only cloudy white. I could only see a white haze with vague patches of light and dark. They'd been damaged? My dad, right.
I reached over in trouble to find his throat. He had pulse. I put my hand in front of his mouth and found him breathing. I was whole.
He was alive. Anything else would be hard to verify. I was forced to use my bugs to see. The front of the building had a hole in it.
The lobby had been annihilated. I tend to only move one fly over the area, feeling the shattered boards, the blood slick expanses the floor, the charred flesh. Several of the wards were working just hand to the wounded. Clockwalker had saved the wards, apparently, but had been too late intending to himself, and was currently lying prone.
Cherry was gone. Hey, Taylor! You woke up! You heard?
Just a little bit. I might have slipped a disc. Probably nothing to worry about, but I'm going to stay as still as I can with how bad this happened. I've been watching your dad trying to tell if he's breathing or if I'm imagining it.
You didn't freak out, so I'd take it that way. He's okay. He's okay. I think.
Good. Kurt's unconscious, but he's all right. You see Alexander anywhere? No, I can't see.
Okay, you should stay as still as possible. No, I'm going to go see if anyone sits. What's wrong? Kurt's is all.
Stay put. Stay put in to do. I could only draw crude images of the situation from touch. The blurry image is my eyes offered me and through my bugs.
A woman unconscious like my dad. A man. His arms hung to his lower stomach as he writhed in perpetual agony. The mayor.
He had a pulse, but it was ready. One of the knives that impaled his hip had moved. Help. I need help here.
Hey, step aside, kiddo. I've got this. Your name? Taylor.
You shouldn't be moving, Taylor. I'm sore, but I don't think I'm hurt. I wanted to help. What kind of pain?
The bruise's aches? My dad took the brunt of it. My face hurts and I can't see. Don't worry.
Soon as we take care of the critically injured, we'll look after you. I know I've, I mean, I'm okay. I'd rather you guys check to my dad and his friends. Make sure they aren't hurt to help the other candidates and the director.
They were stabbed before the explosion. All of them like this. They were getting help in the bomb blue. I think whoever was helping them got knocked away by the explosion.
Girl here says MSW victims on the stage. Taylor, was it? You're very quiet. You're breathing hard.
I agree. Okay. And a little sore, but I'm okay, really. There are other two need help.
Others are getting help. We've got a lot of people here and very few are serious injuries. You've got to burn on your face. We're going to want to look at that.
We're going to want to look at that later. The reporters are the back of the auditorium. I thought you couldn't see. I remember seeing them there just before it went off.
Very few people were badly hurt to stay calm. It's the most important thing to do right now. If I hadn't used my bugs, would I have been able to tell she was lying? I am calm, but I don't want you to worry about me.
My dad. The bald guy by the stairs? My barber is looking after him. Let's make sure that you're okay.
As the medical professionals left, a young woman slept into the curtain closure. Hey, you're alive? Lisa? Honey Bt.
Brain Mantis R. You're blind. Damn, that sucks. Yeah.
My dad? He's okay. Look down on him. You woke up and was asking after you.
He doesn't like me very much anymore. You took me away from him. He'll blame you for that because it's easier than blaming me, I guess. I guess.
We can get you a healer or something. Couldn't ask someone like Othala. Have Regent or grew user powers? Othala isn't around.
Why are someone with healing powers? They won't want to come here. Words probably out of a sowning the city. Well, we have options.
I know. I'm not worried about me. Look at me as what happened. So many were hurt or killed.
Lots hurt. Not to be killed. From what I've seen and hurt on the subject. But that's not important right now.
What are your priorities? My dad. It is fine. My territory?
The fire's strategically placed. No one here are real layers. Nobody hurt, but I think you'd Molotov when you're barracks. Setting the fire high so people had a chance to get out.
The others grew. They weren't anywhere nearby. We're going to meet up with them soon. It's just that we're in.
Donna. And now you're on track. We've talked about plans. And Coyote's alive, right?
Mm-hmm. And it's better for us. He's probably happy. Everything's coming together for him.
Just the way he wanted it to. Which means that for right now, today is going to be our best bet for talking to him. Getting Adam when he's in the mood to release the tyke. No, come on.
Out of bed. So we just ask and hope he's feeling good enough to say yes. We should take anything we could get. And that includes approaching him on a good day.
Can we check on my dad before we go? They were moving him when I poked my head in. I told him I might take you to my dad's clinic where the load won't be as high. If you're okay to be moved.
He didn't like that, but he agreed. My dad's going to be okay. He was fine. No sign of any deeper problems are pain.
Are we to blame for this? No. Don't set yourself on that path. We didn't know.
We couldn't know. And we weren't complicit in any way. I was there. I could step up and tell something that I didn't.
Done what? Fuck back. Help the wards? No.
Best case scenario. You might have tripped him up. But it wouldn't have been worth it. Here, watch your step in the stairs.
I have my bugs and everything. I can figure it out. That's fine. I mean, to suggest like a training program that you should spend a while blindfolded and you can see it or rely on your power to see.
Check your brain to the point where you can actually process that info. I guess you're kind of beating me to that bunch. It's not that funny. Okay.
All right. Stepping outside now. The crisis is over over this way. Nice thing about the city being in this state.
It's easy to find parking spots. We'll stop by your place so we can grab your costume and meet up with the others. And then we'll find Coyle. Find him.
He's not at his base? No, he's not at his base. As of now, Coyle's dead and gone. He's sticking to his civilian identity.
Which is going to be meeting him and talking to him sort of difficult but we can do it. Is he Joe Simon? No. One sec.
The base was empty. It had been cleared out completely. I could feel out the whole complex with my swarm. The traveler said gathered in one room above the vault that Noelle was presumably being kept in.
They noticed the bugs were venturing outside onto the walkway. Ah, scare! You're here alone. My teammates are upstairs.
We wanted to have words of Coyle but he wasn't free to talk till sundown so we've been killing time and waiting around. There's so a bit of time. I sent some movement down here. I need to stretch my legs to keep my injuries from earlier today from sitting up.
So I decided to take a bit of a walk. And they're saying blood. I can signal them in a heartbeat if I have to. Just saying.
You know Coyle's dead, right? I saw it happen so I have a very good idea of how dead the man is. You're keeping eyes on your teammate? No?
Noelle is fine. You don't need to concern yourself over here. If you're done checking off on us or visiting or whatever you want to call it, you can go. Your duty's done.
You've paid your respects to the other team while you're in their territory. Listen, I don't want us to be enemies. We're not. We're on the same side.
But it sounds like there's more to that. We're not friends, skitter. Let's not pretend like we are. You've got your goals.
We have ours. You want to work together to tackle a situation like the dragon thing? Fine. Great.
You want to back door ballistic? Don't be the boss to recruit back KPUs. Try to take down. Hey, that's fine too.
Really? I love what you pulled. I'm not jumping for glee, but I get it. So are business associates, but not friends.
Just simply put. There has to be more common ground there. We can't meet share boxes and talk about ways to mutually benefit our territories. The fact that you have to ask that is a pretty good indication how cool you are about this.
Let me count the ways. One, I don't get a rat fuck about my territory or the people in it. None of us do. Two, we don't plan to be here much longer anyway.
Either Coyle feels his end of the bargain and we're out on the hell hole or he doesn't and we take a hike anyways. Take our chances elsewhere. Three, again. There's no common ground to be found and I'm not interested in hunting for it.
There's two things I wanted in this world and being part of Coyle's thing was my way to get those. You were useful only as far as you helped make Coyle's thing work and that's over now. But, bluntly, you don't have anything to offer me. I get the picture.
Okay. Friendships off the table. Even a friendly business relationship would be pushing it. That said, as one local warlord to another, I'd like to extend an invitation.
We're going to talk to Coyle and I'm saying you're free to come. You dense motherfucker. Coyle's dead. Do we really have to maintain the charade?
Coyle went through a lot of effort putting together his grand plan and he died in a glaze of glory and violence just like he wanted. Do you really want to spoil that by going on about how he's still fucking alive? Like you said, we're on the same side. If you didn't know, you'd be more upset than you are now.
My pretending is dead when he's alive, especially when it's getting in the way of larger conversation about the man. And my invitation to come here really has to say. You mean outside of the possibility that you're wired? Am I saying the wrong thing?
I mean, whatever. I don't have anything to say to him that I haven't already said. Maybe you aren't getting the point. We went out of our way to help you once.
Rescueing grew and it nearly got us carved out by bone saw. I don't care about the undersiders. I don't care if you got a hundred trillion dollars and wind up. King's the planet and I don't care if Coyle kills you.
We're out of our business with Coyle and that's as far as my interest goes. Alright, point taken. Listen, I get that maybe we haven't gotten along so fantastically, but I really do wish you guys luck with your circumstances. Whatever they are.
I hope you get what you've been looking for. Sure. Let's get out of here. He's tense.
Too much comes down to what happens in the next 48 hours. Believe me, Genesis, I get that. Well, then good luck with your thing. Don't take this the wrong way, but I hope I never see you again.
You should be careful, Impa. If you're standing too close to building beds, you're making yourself a prime target for a sniper. Dude! You said this was for bulletproof!
I said they might be. I'm not going to take some non-metal shotgun pellet through. I don't think they'll stop a bullet. Either way, I'd really rather not stop it.
You think he's going to take shots at us? If he opens fire on us, are we really in a position to take cover? Or if he bombs out the first floor of the building or calls in the teams if he's in charge of? Can we really get down?
I'm not getting that vibe, but he's figured out how to trick your power. Any solutions? My first hand hasn't cost you my eye gut stuck on top of the building. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice.
We call Thomas Cabare and he agreed to meet us, but just in case he decides to level the building rather than have a conversation, I want to stop a way down. I'm pretty sure that the length is right. I hope I got the links right, because I used up a lot of still here. Acorn, so we each hold one or tie one around our wastes and then jump off the side of the building, swing out over the intersection.
Awesome. Pretty sure? Pretty sure. I've tried to stagger it, so it still stretches out over horizontal lines.
I set out between buildings, so we aren't just dropping straight down the street. But it's elastic, and I can't account for how much stretch they'll be in the material. If he's got a gunman, too, we're left there dangling over the middle of the street? It's one option.
One. We'll have your darkness, so they won't necessarily have a clear shot. I do have your box. Our opponent here knows exactly what we can do.
He's worked with us and observed us for weeks, accepting imp and I. He's worked with you guys for months over a year. So, no, he's not going to do something like underestimate the range of my bugs. He's going to have snipers that are just beyond my usual range, and I won't be able to fight back.
Your relay bugs? Dying. But yeah, I'll bring him up. I suppose Knight-like tonight warrants using up the rest of their reserves.
And you can fly on that beetle thing. I can, but I'd almost rather use the cord than swing down street level. If I'm flying and they get a lucky shot off, I'm pretty fucking screwed. They hit me, Atlas won't ease me to the ground.
If they hit Atlas, nothing I can do to stop falling. Besides being on the ground means I have the utility Atlas brings to the table. Being matched on him means he and I are essentially one unit. I think they're overthinking this at the door.
No. We plan for every possibility. I'm wrong. We don't lose anything.
If we plan for a situation that does come up, we'll be glad we did it. You're going to talk to yourself insane in the worrying about this. If she hasn't already. And I don't think she will in the next ten minutes.
You sense them on the ground scooter? They're on the way up? I can sense them as they reach the base of the building. Thomas Kabare would be the man who led the way, and the men who followed him were outfitted in PRT gear.
Undecidors. After your last interaction with Director Pagawa, I assumed you would want to speak to me and try to establish ground rules. We know it's you boss. The travelers were a bit more circumspect.
Second what? Totally down, guys. Director Kalver. Would it be too much to ask for your squad to wait downstairs?
I asked for you to stay out of costume until further notice. Without due respect, Director, I was injured as a bystander in Quail's attack. I would have been hurt if I had been costumed. Until everything cools down, I think my team and I will play it safe.
Well, I can respect that. Nothing serious, I'm assuming. Serious? Yes.
But it's nothing life-threatening and nothing that can't be fixed. Well, my apologies. I am not infallible. I just checked for listening devices.
You aren't recording this, which means I can answer any questions you have. How much of that was planned? Oh, more than you suspect. Every person in that room who was not the audience was accounted for.
Mr. Simon and Miss Connor were selected and recruited. Well, in advance, circus and chariots were hired nearly a year and a half ago. Uber in need were more recent acquisitions and well, train wreck died at an inconvenient time.
Most reporters were selected and stationed well in advance, claiming the rear of the room where they would bear the brunt of the attack. So, speak. They didn't die. As with circus, Uber in need.
Hiya! Wait, circus was a guy? Depending on your definition of guy. I can't tell if you're a guy posing as a girl when in costume or a guy who poses as a guy when in play class.
It's confusing. I'll tell you there's a compliment, I guess. The three of them and most of the reporters were removed from the premises in time. I needed news reporters in place who would be able to catch the details I wanted them to catch some editing of the footage, just prior to it being sent to the news station served to smooth the rough edges and highlight key points.
Making the girl look worse, for example. Among other things, of course. Appearances are one of the most important things here. Which area to help?
We created a rough emulation of Tricks' powers. The reports were swapped. The reports were swapped out. A sufficient amount of raw biological matter was swapped in.
Human matter? That's what people will say, which is the most important aspect. Rest assured, no serious harm was done. Service's abilities allowed us to place the knives in non-lethal areas better that Director Pago looks as ineffectual as possible, then simply perish.
The same applies to the mayor, Joe Simon and Ms. Carnot will recover, but Simon won't concede the election, supporting Ms. Carnot, despite his strong showing, it will help shake the notion that things were staged. But they were.
Every part of it. Indeed. The bomb, too? Eh, the status-torged power supply was real, but it was a metal suit housed at a teleportation apparatus to detect when it was removed from the premises.
It's, and my agents were teleported out before the final true detonation. Sir Kasuba and Leech will be leaving Brockton Bay with a sizable reward for their efforts. I don't expect they will need to return to a life of crime, but I believe they will use a different identity and modus operandi if they do. Ah, yes sir.
Good. It isn't worth killing good health these days. Should my ultimate plans fail or fall through here? It's better to have individuals like them on reserve.
And us? Your part in Brockton Bay isn't entirely over yet. As Director, I will lead a slow but successful campaign against Brockton Bay's villains. The Travelers will be the first I expect.
Strike squad, Mikey, our tea agents will catch them off guard, but they will ultimately escape the capture. We'll avoid it being captured. Probably. We'll get captured and break out before there's an issue.
And then we don't come back to Brockton Bay. We will wind up establishing presences in your vices. It seems you have a fun grasp on what's going on. I won't waste time reiterating anything then.
Any questions? Why become PRT Director? Why not mayor? Because all eyes will be on the mayor after this recent fiasco.
Mr. Simon will serve as a red herring, drawing all suspicion to him before he defers the election to his corner. Besides, who would you rather rule? A dozen capes or 50,000 unpowered civilians.