All of this… it was familiar.

The roaring inferno consuming homes.

The taste of smoke and ash filling the air.

The desperate echoing cries of the dying.

Domination was in Hell, and even as a frequent visitor, it never got easier.

The flames had turned the streets into a nightmare, and there was no doubt that this event would cripple the city.

She had long since lost count of how many conflicts she was involved with over her many years as an ECU Hero. Grim might have been the target of this war, but The Pandora Initiative had been unrelenting in their retaliation.

Retribution… She could already hear their sickening honeyed words twisting the ugly truth. They would stop at nothing to portray themselves as unfortunate victims turned valiant heroes, and it was all utter madness.

"All personnel be advised, Grim has been successfully captured and contained," Overwatch relayed. It should have been a joyous occasion, but the consequences weighed heavy. "Remaining Cain activity is dwindling. Uploading last known positions of Cain evos now."

Part of Domination's helmet lit up and displayed a small blue holographic map of Bayside. Red splotches were dotted where the largest battles had taken place. The residential areas were mostly spared, but that's where the good news ended. Much of the city's infrastructure had been destroyed.

Domination couldn't dwell on that now. Instead, she locked on to the closest yellow dot. It was tagged with 'Nemesis', and it seemed like she was the closest unit to respond.

"This is Domination, moving to Nemesis' last known position."

"Detainment squad en route. ETA six minutes." Overwatch replied.

"Now we're going on the offense?" Comet's bitter voice had Domination scowling. Looking over her shoulder revealed Comet floating inside her sparkling bubble, arms crossed. "We've been running around doing nothing while they wreck the city, and now because the big scary guy is gone they let us do something?!"

"You know how this works," Domination intoned. "Our job is search and rescue, protecting civilians is always the first priority," she narrowed her eyes. "Where is your head? You've been bending the rules the whole night."

"Yeah! Yeah I have!" Comet shot back. "I've had to sit back and watch the people in charge twiddle their fucking thumbs while Pandora's massacring anyone even remotely associated with The Cains! People are dying, Mom," her bubble brightened as her power flared in unison with her temper. "We're supposed to be the heroes here, but all we're doing is standing around and watching!"

Domination shook her head. Despite Comet's experience, she still lacked the perspective needed to see the bigger picture. Developing a counter strategy took time, and sending a unit to halt Pandora's onslaught would only result in more casualties. Comet was only commenting on what she could see, not what was actually happening.

"We are not standing by and watching."

"Really?" Comet scoffed. "Because it fucking feels like we are."

Domination took a moment to squash her growing frustration. Her daughter's fiery temper had always been a concern, but she always managed to channel it into passion for the job. It was valuable and made her stand out amongst her peers. Once she was old enough and graduated, there was a very real chance she would become the captain of Bayside's ECU branch. The problem was that she didn't take orders very well. Domination attributed it to age and maturity, but she couldn't deny she shared similar sentiments about how this operation was handled.

"The severity of this conflict demands that our primary focus be on minimizing civilian casualties. Every single one of us was tasked in removing citizens from the warpath Pandora was carving," Domination explained carefully. "I figured you would understand this. We've saved many lives tonight, many of which would have been caught up in the line of fire if we had gone on the offense instead."

"But–but—!" Comet stumbled, trying to come up with the words to argue her point. Domination could have interjected there and shut her down, but she found it best to let Comet try and explain her viewpoint first – or at least attempt to. "—Isn't offense the best kind of defense? We shut it all down before it has a chance to gain traction."

"In some cases, yes," Domination agreed. "In this case, no. By the time we were aware of the situation, Pandora had already mobilized, it was too late."

There was a flash of something Domination recognized in Comet's eyes.

Guilt.

Her daughter knew something about the conflict and was refusing to share it. Domination knew the signs well. Her name – the moniker 'Domination' – had been something she assumed for over twenty years. In this line of work, it was impossible to have an immaculate record. Sometimes she had been forced to make split-second decisions which proved to be disastrous upon reflection.

Every ECU hero had blood on their hands, and the amount only grew the longer they remained in this line of work.

"We… we must've missed something. Somebody should have—"

"Abby," Domination cut her off softly. Despite there being no separation between their hero and civilian identities, it was against protocol to refer to anyone by their real name during active duty. "Something has happened, enough to unbalance you, and it's affecting your ability to think rationally. Please, go home and get some rest. We will speak before debriefing."

Stunned, Comet flinched back.

"You can't be serious! Now of all times?"

"Especially now," Domination's response was controlled but full of authority. "You're questioning every order and all that's going to do is get you killed. I may not agree with some of the decisions Director Oslin has made, but it's my duty to carry them out for the good of the people."

"How is letting those two go beneficial for anyone?! You saw what they did," Comet floated closer, her helmet peeling back to reveal a pleading expression. "You know just as well as I do that taking down Grim is going to earn them just as much notoriety as Grim himself. Give it a week, a month at best and they'll be starting their own gang. We've seen this shit before!" she threw her hands up in exasperation. "We could've taken 'em right then and there."

"Now is not the time to be starting fights with independent—"

"They're criminals—!"

"THEY'RE CHILDREN!" Domination snapped. "Just like you, Abigail! Do not think I am not as horrified as you are from the events of tonight, but I am still under obligation to follow orders – orders that I have to believe are in the best interests for the city and its people!" She took a moment to breathe. "If I question the integrity of the people making the decisions, that opens the door to endless scrutiny. Infighting will start and the entire system will collapse in on itself."

Comet's dread slowly changed with every word. Domination watched her become more curious and conflicted.

"But… no, that won't– it can't," Comet denied. "If it's that fragile, then something has to change."

"It is, and it has, multiple times," Domination revealed with a tired sigh. Her eyes glanced toward the end of the street. It wouldn't be long before the detainment squad arrived and she would need to be there to lead the charge. "It is not the time or the place for this conversation. Either return home, or shape up. I need you with your head on straight. We have a lot to do and this city isn't going to fix itself."

Comet took her words to heart, doing her best to vanquish the uneasiness inside her. It only took a few moments, but she managed to straighten up and summon the remainder of her confidence.

"When I got my powers," Comet started, eager to get the last word. "You told me I could make a difference. I could stop bad things from happening, like what happened to Max's mom." Thankfully, her face was covered and Comet couldn't see how the mention of Eleanor twisted Domination's gut into knots. "I want to prove to him that we're not incompetent – that we're actually what we preach we are, heroes."

"We've saved thousands of lives—"

"But nothing ever changes," Comet's argument came out as a hiss. She gestured to destruction all around them. A large chunk of the city was on fire, while another was flooded with seawater. "We bust up bad guys, knock 'em down, and lock 'em up. Some manage to break out, but the ones we do get rid of just get fuckin' replaced by more!"

"It is the nature of Awakenings," Domination replied neutrally. "We know there'll be an increase in evohumans after events like this, but predicting who they will be is wholly impossible. What exactly are you trying to get at?"

"Grim's done for," Comet stressed. "We don't need to adhere to this stupid cease-fire. If we went after all of them, we could have this city cleaned up by the end of the week. The Cains don't have their leader anymore. Those Pandora bastards are hurting, and—"

"And what? What about Gaea?" Domination's brow rose. "You forget we have an agreement with Melody to stay out of her affairs. She has made it very clear that she does not tolerate ECU interference, and has been known to enforce her boundaries." Her daughter struggled to swallow that. "I understand tonight has been stressful, but you need to understand that we aren't strictly a law enforcement entity. We exist as a means to maintain order and balance. To upset the balance just results in escalation."

"So maintain the status quo," Comet sneered under her breath. "That's all we do?"

"No," Domination shook her head. "I will explain why later. If we linger any longer, the detainment squad won't have my support."

"Fine," Comet grumbled.

Turning, Domination willed the metal platform she was standing on to move. She glided above the street with Comet trailing close behind. It was rather embarrassing, but the detainment squad arrived before she did.

The armored transport pulled up outside a storage facility and opened its doors. Hatches on either side of the vehicle popped open along with the rear, and ECU soldiers flowed out. With practiced ease, they slid into formation and approached the building's main entrance. Their weapons were ready for any threat they may encounter inside.

Domination landed behind the formation as the squad leader signaled out for her to hold. Comet descended slowly but did not land. Instead, she hovered by her mother's side. Each of them observed the building to try and spot anything unusual. Nothing stood out, and the building itself appeared vacant.

"Confirmation, heat signatures inside!" The captain announced. Quickly, he signaled to Domination. "Breach!"

Domination and Comet ripped the entrance apart and sent it flying. Debris flew backward, and gunfire erupted from inside.

The enemy's bullets didn't reach very far once they left their guns. They were stopped mid-air as Domination strode forward. One by one, Cain gang members were lifted into the air, their weapons stripped from them. ECU soldiers streamed inside, effortlessly restraining the criminals Domination had captured.

Dealing with gang members regardless of their allegiance was more annoying than anything. Domination's experience over the years showed that evohumans could take some punishment before they folded. The difficulty tended to vary depending on what kind of power they had. Rarely did Domination ever find an opponent she couldn't handle. She had near total control of the area around her and nothing physical could harm her unless she allowed it; so when a metallic javelin was launched at her from the shadows, she didn't even bat an eye.

The moment it entered her sphere of dominance, the spear stopped.

Domination turned, staring at the pointed metal intended to skewer her. Despite her absolute control, she could feel another force imposing its will on the object. It inched forward ever-so-slightly, which confirmed that the man they had come to capture was indeed present.

"Nemesis!" Domination called out. "It's over. Grim has been contained. You are without a leader, and without hope. Give yourself up."

The entire building began to shake as various metals around the room began to float. The captain of the detainment squad immediately saw what was happening and ordered a retreat. ECU soldiers evacuated the building in seconds. A moment later, the only people standing were Domination, Comet, and Nemesis.

"You expect me to believe that?" His reply revealed his location, and Comet went straight on the offensive. "Stay away!"

Metal was launched at Comet with blinding speeds. She saw it coming and expanded the bubble to soak in the attack. The projectiles sunk into her bubble and slowed like they were moving through honey.

With a snarl, Comet gathered them all up and used her power to blast them at Nemesis.

He redirected them with ease but almost missed Domination's advance. He stumbled back into the shadows, trying to put distance between the two of them. He knew once she had him within her telekinetic sphere, it would be over.

Retreat was his only option. It was a good thing Pandora's assault had only left him with a broken collarbone, and a fractured elbow. He could still run, but against Comet and Domination, he wouldn't get very far.

Fortunately, he had an escape plan long before anyone came looking for him. Nemesis lifted a hand and pulled all the metallic building foundations to a single spot. The resulting action warped the main warehouse. The sound alone was enough to draw Domination and Comet's focus away from him.

As the building collapsed, he shielded himself as best as he could with his power and fled in the ensuing chaos.

Comet descended into her mother's telekinetic sphere to help her hold up the weight of the crumbling building. Her telekinetic ability was far stronger, but she lacked the fine control her mother had. Holding up a collapsing building was no easy task, but together they both made it look like a walk in the park.

"He's getting away!"

"No, he's not."

Domination flexed the extent of her telekinesis and pushed. Debris flew backward, steel rebar folding like paper as she sent wave after wave of telekinetic energy to carve out a tunnel through the wreckage. Comet wasn't about to float around and let her mother do all the work.

Comet thrust her fist forward and the sparkling force took off, plowing through countless tons of debris. It took a few attempts but she was eventually able to help her mother carve a tunnel to freedom.

Wasting no time, Comet flew ahead to catch up. Unfortunately, when she emerged from the rubble and into the air, she saw countless rows of smaller storage units and Nemesis was nowhere to be found. It had only taken them fifteen seconds to break out of the rubble, so he couldn't have gotten far.

"He's close!"

Domination stepped out of the wreckage and surveyed the area. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the rows of storage units. Comet wouldn't have given it a second thought, but experience put Domination on edge. Using a storage facility as a safehouse only meant they had weapons stockpiled here.

"Overwatch, I need a tech sweep on my position now!"

"Sending," Overwatch's reply was swift, and Domination saw one of the flickering lights in the sky zip over above them. "Zero hotspots, suspected shielding active in the area. You'll need ground teams to proceed."

"We don't have that kind of time!"

"Then I suggest withdrawal. Your safety is paramount."

"Screw withdrawing!" Comet snarled. "We're fine. Whatever he's got won't be enough."

Comet zipped forward, and before Domination could call out to her, one of the storage units toward the end of the yard opened.

Nemesis stepped out with a device in hand.

To Domination's eyes, it shared a similar appearance to a regular modern sidearm, except for a few irregularities. Arcs of purple and red electricity crackled violently around the muzzle, contained only by three golden prongs that extended from the barrel. A transparent sphere was set at the center of the weapon, containing a bright light that shone like a blue supernova.

She realized what it was before Nemesis had a chance to use it.

His focus was locked on Comet. He raised his weapon and fired.

Catherine's heart stopped.

There was a buzz in the air before an arc of light tore through the air. It ripped through Abby's bubble and an ear-splitting boom echoed. Nemesis didn't get to see the fruits of his labor before Catherine had closed the distance to engulf him in her sphere and ripped him limb from limb. He was pulled in multiple directions, pieces of him arcing through the air and coating his surroundings in blood.

Catherine didn't care in the slightest and was already racing toward where Abby was going to land, but thankfully, she managed to catch herself before she hit the ground.

"I'm—" Abby coughed. "—I think I'm okay."

"You were hit by a Tesla Cannon," Catherine breathed. "More of Masquerade and The Iron Maiden's imported mechatech. I should have known The Cains would have more lying around."

"God…" Abby landed and almost buckled under her own weight. "Woah, that's weird. That thing really messed me up."

"If not for the armor, it would have torn a hole through you," Catherine sighed in relief. "Abby, I am no longer asking. This is an order: go home and rest. I will clean up here," she paused, holding up a hand to silence the inevitable outburst. "We will discuss your performance as soon as I am able, and what exactly is bothering you."

"It's nothing—"

"I've been in this line of work since before you were born. I know that look, I've felt it," she placed a hand on her shoulder. "You've taken a life." Abby froze, and Catherine reassured her with a delicate touch. "We will talk about it later. Go rest, that's an order."

"I—!" Abby stopped and looked away. "Fine."

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Taking off, she retreated into the sky.

Catherine watched until her daughter's sparkling vapor trail vanished, before turning her attention back to the rows of storage units. Nemesis sat in a pile of blood, clinging to the remnants of his life. Through his mask, he glared as she approached.

"You could have prevented this," Domination stopped in front of him, looking down. His only remaining limb clutched the Tesla Cannon tightly, but he no longer had the strength to use it. "You brought this upon yourself."

Nemesis gurgled and smiled, revealing rows of bloody teeth. Domination's stern expression twisted into a frown as he struggled to form words.

"If I knew… you would… be… coming," he spat out more blood. "I would've… had this on… hand."

His wounds were fatal, and he would only last another minute.

Too long.

A single thought and his skull painted the ground.

She stood, glaring at the corpse until the detainment squad captain walked up beside her and crushed the tesla cannon under his boot.

"Looks like his mechatech malfunctioned and killed him," he said. "What a shame, I would've liked to interrogate him."

Domination said nothing.

"Max."

Catherine watched the boy pause at the door before looking over his shoulder. His expression was complicated, but she had seen it reflected in the eyes of many children before. Anticipating the worst because he had been called in for a meeting with an authority figure. Breaking and entering was a serious crime, but given the circumstances it was understandable.

Regardless, 'understandable' in this instance would never hold up in a court. Given his age, it would garner pity points from a jury, but Catherine knew it would never get to that point. Given who had committed the crime, the victims of the crime, and what came afterward. The ECU would never share what they knew with the city, she doubted the city even cared enough to prosecute either.

Still, she could never recall Max looking so… stressed. Even Abby pointed out the fact that it had become a trend over the last few weeks.

"Before you leave, I'd just like to put it out there that if you need to speak to me about anything, all you need to do is ask," Catherine paused, trying to come up with the right words. She didn't want to scare him off, because that would cause more problems. "I know I've kept my distance when it comes to my daughter's friendships, but with everything that's happened, I feel as though I should be paying closer attention. I will make the time to lend an ear if you wish to speak in private."

Catherine saw the signs – the tells that children had when they were overthinking things. In her experience, it could mean a number of things, and untimely Awakenings tended to make the list.

When Abby confessed what they had been up to, she mentioned Maxis Troy and his willingness to jump into danger with her. He had insisted on going to find Lucy, despite knowing he was walking into Pandora territory. No normal child would have done that, not one that didn't have a plan or backup going in. To his credit though, he did have Abby on his side.

Maybe he thought himself safe regardless of what they faced. It was a possible conclusion, but one slightly out of character for Max. That wasn't how she remembered him.

Catherine's brief interactions with him over the years led her to think of him as an attentive, empathetic boy with a good head on his shoulders. He was more mature than most for his age on account of having to take care of his crippled mother, but beyond that, she couldn't make any accurate guesses. She was too involved with work as Domination to be a part of her daughter's social life. She didn't want to force it either. Catherine had seen the results of that before and it never ended well.

However, the boy she just spoke with felt distinctly different from the boy she remembered. He came off as guarded and cautious, which wasn't necessarily outlandish for a teenage boy, but those characteristics were an established pattern with those who were hiding an evohuman identity.

Then again… Max had just survived a traumatic event.

If that was all Catherine had to go on, she would have dismissed her suspicions then and there, however, Abby shared something remarkably interesting with her after the lunch period. Information that Lucy shared brought a new light to the 'traumatic event.'

Max's attacker had been an evohuman – one that went by the name of Displacer.

The moniker was known and fairly low priority on The ECU's database. His involvement with Pandora was linked so he was on file, but he was only responsible for petty crimes. Small things, and very irregularly.

Displacer was a D-Class Cosmikinetic, capable of short-range teleportation. He could also teleport the people around him to wherever he decided in a small vicinity. Even with the combat training Pandora was sure to have given him, he was nothing a senior ECU hero like her couldn't handle.

But a normal teenage boy?

Absolutely not.

Abby claimed Max got lucky and knocked him out – his words, allegedly. While that could have happened, Displacer dying in the burning building didn't sit quite right with her. The building didn't catch fire for several minutes until after they'd left, so Displacer should have regained consciousness far before then. Even confused, there was no way he couldn't have escaped with his power. So either Max had put him in a coma during their fight or killed him outright.

Both were very unlikely events.

Nothing about this felt like it fit and Catherine thought she knew why. Assuming Max was an evohuman fit much better, especially given his parentage. Awakening wasn't unlikely. However, without solid proof or an outright confession, she couldn't push him. Putting an evohuman of unknown strength into a corner was far too dangerous.

Max's attention shifted and he glanced at his phone. She saw a split second of contemplation before he looked back at her and smiled.

"Thanks for the offer," he replied. "If anything comes to mind, I'll put the message through Abby."

It had been a shot in the dark, a last-ditch effort to see if she could pull anything out of him.

"I appreciate the consideration."

It was a cordial, neutral response, but it left Catherine feeling hollow. Her training and experience told her that Maxis Troy was an evohuman, and the grudge he'd inherited from Eleanor meant he was unlikely to ever be an ally. Depending on how Abby finds out, it would leave her devastated, which left Catherine in a perilous position, one that no mother would ever want to find themselves in.

Does she tell her daughter, or keep her in the dark?

Until Catherine knew for certain, nothing good could come from sharing this information with Abby. She was already stressed enough about what had happened at Lucy's home. The therapy would help, as it did for Catherine many years ago, but she wasn't sure therapy could mend a deep wound like betrayal.

Max left, allowing Catherine to return to her work. She closed off her communications with headquarters because of all the buzz around Ajax's arrival. There was too much noise, and that meant an endless stream of distractions for her. The paperwork in front of her wouldn't get done if she was stuck listening to everyone gushing about the new arrivals. She was tasked with caring for Minerva High, so that's what she was going to do.

Not long after the final bell rang, Abby appeared at the door. She didn't announce her presence. The only reason Catherine knew was because of her power. The way Abby felt inside her sphere was distinct.

"Still busy?" Abby asked as the door opened. "Doesn't look like you've made much of a dent in that paperwork."

"I offered to take some work off the Headmaster's shoulders. I am starting to regret that decision," Catherine replied, eyeing various slips of paper. "In times like these, the handling of institutions like Minerva should be done by those qualified to ensure everyone's safety. That's not intended as offense to the Headmaster, but some things will be changing around here," she eyed some more paperwork. "Not all of it is school related."

"You brought reports here?"

"A few, specifically involving The Queen's Court."

"Oh?" Abby's brow rose. "What's going on with them?"

"New recruits, ones picked up in the wake of Grim's rampage," Catherine sighed. "It's come to our attention that Gaea may have managed to get her hands on a few victims that were subjected to Grim's experimentation. Him and his mystery biokinetic."

Abby's expression turned to shock and horror.

"But I thought we got everyone out of their stupid bunker with Ionizer's experimental teleportation tech. Are you saying they had more labs?"

"That would appear to be the case," Catherine confirmed with a reluctant nod. "Regardless, with Ajax here, we shouldn't have any issues preventing anyone from causing chaos. We've needed this reprieve for a while now."

Abby scoffed.

"Tell me about it. We finally bring Grim down and now some smug bitch has replaced him with her knight in shining black and green armor," her expression darkened with every word, and Catherine could see her powers involuntarily begin to activate. "I can't believe we just let them go, especially with what we know about Upgrade. We had him dead to rights, and we're told to just 'let them go.' Yeah, let's see how that works out when the guy's turning our city upside down in three months."

"Seer's prediction may spell doom, but Mentalist predictions are not so clear cut," Catherine sighed. "Admittedly, you do have a point. Madhouse's existence is concerning."

"Ajax will get 'em," Abby said confidently. "And I really wanna be there to see it happen."

"We've talked about holding grudges, Abby. It isn't healthy and it compromises your ability to make snap decisions," Catherine lectured. "You have to learn to let it go. Sometimes criminals are able to escape, the best you can do is—"

"—Ensure I do better next time, yeah-yeah I get it," Abby crossed her arms and challenged her mother's stare. "Just because I shouldn't, doesn't make it easy. I let them escape because prioritizing the civilian's safety took precedent. I just… it rubs me raw. I could've done both, but Ionizer was stressing me out. I already had so much on my mind because our training patrol for Prosperity was so far out of the way."

"Ionizer was reprimanded. Believe me, nobody was happy to hear about his decision, least of all Sparrow."

"Yeah I bet. Is he still replacing her as our leader or has that idea been flushed down the shitter?"

"In a manner of speaking…" Catherine paused to consider her words. The Ionizer situation had taken a backseat since his discovery of The Iron Maiden's involvement. It was a subject Director Oslin had yet to revisit. "He was dismissed from that role."

"So much for his transfer," Abby snorted. "Why don't you apply for it? You've been helping Sparrow out with our training since I joined. You're basically second in command anyway."

"Conflict of interest. Though, I imagine with what's happened recently, that concern could be set aside in favor of practicality," Catherine replied, gathering her things. "I'm heading back home early. I suspect I'll be asked to meet with General Jessamine before the night is over and I would rather get that out of the way as soon as possible."

"Chronos, huh?" Abby mused as they left the school premises. "Have you ever met?"

"...Yes."

"Oooooh, I know what tea sounds like," Abby grinned. "Come on, spill. I could do with a distraction. You've always got some fun stories to share about these kinds of people."

"Tea?" Catherine scowled. "More slang I am unfamiliar with."

"C'mon Mom, you're not that old. What's she like?"

The haunting memories came in droves as if Catherine only experienced them yesterday.

The woman now in charge of ECU operations in New Elpis had a reputation many younger members were unfamiliar with. Ruthlessly efficient and lacking in the empathy department. The last time Catherine worked under General Jessamine was fourteen years ago, on an assignment in France. With the power bestowed to her by the United Nations, she issued sixteen Termination Directives to several high-profile evohumans.

There had been outcry and protests, but ultimately every single one of them had been fulfilled.

Catherine had been involved in half of those, several of which where she had dealt the killing blow. One of them had been a twelve-year-old boy. She still remembered the face he made when they arrived, full of terror. Paxton cried, even begged for forgiveness, all while orders were screamed at her over the radio to complete the mission.

Once she returned to base, Chronos congratulated her on the successful assignment.

"Dedicated," Catherine decided. "Uncompromising."

"Sounds exactly like what this city needs," Abby replied.

Catherine didn't have the heart to rebuke.

Arriving back home, they found the Citadel blanketed by the shadow of Ajax's Mothership. Soldiers were actively patrolling the perimeter where the building's forcefield ended, and the delivery tubes attached to the exterior gave off a hum loud enough that she could feel it. Catherine and Abby had barely made it out of the front entrance's decontamination chamber before being accosted by one of the guards.

"Domination, we've been trying to reach you for hours. What were you doing?"

"I switched off my communications," Catherine replied bluntly. "I was trying to get some desk work done and Ajax's arrival was impeding my progress."

"Ah," the soldier mumbled awkwardly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound demanding. I've been asked to pass on a message in case of your arrival here. General Jessamine has asked to see you."

"I'm aware."

"You were already told?"

"No, I expected it," she moved past the stunned soldier. "Come with me, Abby."

"Actually, Comet has a Rookies meeting with Sparrow," the soldier interjected. He flinched when Catherine turned to glare at him. "That… was the second message I was asked to pass along."

"Yeah that sounds about right," Abby sighed. "With Chronos and Ajax here, Sparrow is probably wanting to go over some stuff with us. We can…" she paused, meeting her mother's gaze. "We can talk more about the 'Max' stuff later, right?"

"Later," Catherine muttered under her breath. "I will see you around dinner."

Abby strolled off in the opposite direction, leaving Catherine to her thoughts.

Navigating the hallways, she found the elevator that would take her to Chronos' office. Even on the ride up, she couldn't help but feel anticipation building in her chest. From the moment it was announced, Catherine knew something bad was happening. When the earthquakes started, it didn't take a Mentalist's power to link the two things together.

Catherine lingered when the elevator doors opened. Her eyes drifted to Director Oslin who stood amongst a litany of ECU office workers. He seemed to be giving a speech of some kind, and when their gazes met, he paused briefly. It was only for a second, so he didn't draw undue attention to her arrival. That second was all Catherine needed to realize how much was going to change around here.

Stepping out, Catherine followed more hallways until she found herself outside the Director's office. It wasn't his anymore, and it wouldn't be for a while. Posted outside were two guards decked out in the most sophisticated power armor she had ever seen. They were built like tanks, six and a half feet goliaths that made her feel like she was standing next to Liberation.

"Domination," one spoke, a voice so heavily synthesized that Catherine had to wonder if there was even a person in there. "The General is waiting for you."

Without a word, Catherine opened the doors and walked through.

Chronos was a slender woman with platinum blonde hair. She was dressed in a stark white power armor that covered her whole body up to her chin. It was similar to the armor Nanoforge made for ECU heroes nowadays, but Chronos' armor had been commissioned from Ajax. It was top-of-the-line, and much more sophisticated than what Nanoforge was capable of making.

Brown eyes looked up from the desk and met Catherine's stare.

"You're late."

"I was busy."

"We're all busy," Jessamine replied, crossing her arms. Catherine offered only silence as a reply. Jessamine let the silence linger for a moment before clearing her throat. "You've certainly grown since we last met."

"Hopefully you mean figuratively, I haven't grown since I was nineteen," Catherine said easily. "In which case, I would hope so. With work like this, there is no shortage of troublesome situations."

"Indeed. I can see you're no longer green."

"Experience tends to have that effect."

Jessamine gave a slow nod.

"I'll cut to the issue at hand. I've already informed your colleagues of the reason behind Ajax and I's presence here, though I suspect you already know why."

"The earthquakes."

"The one behind them," Jessamine confirmed. "Foresight shared a disturbing prediction over a month ago that involved a series of cascading events that lead to overwhelming global destabilization. Bayside has been identified as ground zero, but the root cause is still in debate. Foresight is unable to confirm if the one behind the earthquakes is the cause, the catalyst, or it's just a big coincidence."

"It's unlike his predictions to be so muddied." Catherine commented.

Jessamine heaved a sigh.

"It seems that there are too many variables at play, so many that even Foresight cannot seem to follow a single future properly," she explained. "Regardless, it's all we have to go on, and so here we are."

"Has Gaea been made aware?"

"I would be surprised if she hasn't. She and The Mountain communicate regularly, so I wager that they will be conducting their own investigation," Jessamine paused as she flipped a page from an open file in front of her. "I see here that a similar report was made a few weeks ago. Seer made a prediction involving the collapse of The Pandora Initiative, The Queen's Court, and this ECU branch."

"Concerning Madhouse, yes."

Jessamine's lips thinned.

"I've read their file. What is your opinion on them?"

Catherine didn't need to think about her answer.

"Unruly children with too much power and far too much ego. Information about them is difficult to find and the quality of their equipment has had a sudden increase. Either they've found themselves a sponsor, Upgrade has been downplaying his ability, or he has gained a sudden surge in power much like Gaea did," Catherine mused, her thoughts drifting to a certain member of their group. "Regardless, Seer's prediction made specific mention of Upgrade's involvement in the coming weeks."

"The one with the tentative S-Class Mechakinetic rating. I saw the Cosmikinetic supplement to his file?"

"Based on our observations of his power during Grim's rampage," Catherine clarified. "Its mechanics are unknown – some kind of touch-based transmutation with restorative properties. Our Mentalists are almost certain he is capable of improving any technology in a similar fashion, hence the name."

Jessamine let out a scoff of amusement.

"A termination directive on him would have every Mechakinetic on the planet in an uproar," she chuckled mirthlessly. "What is the decided upon solution for confrontation with Madhouse?"

"Did Sparrow not inform you?"

"I'm asking you."

Catherine scowled. That was just another way of saying that Jessamine hadn't bothered inquiring because she had only just read the file about Madhouse when she brought them up a few seconds ago.

"Non-aggression for first contact. We will try to negotiate with Mentalist support to uncover their motivations, but everything we know about them does not paint them as malicious and, if possible, recruitment is far preferable to capturing or killing them."

"I see," Jessamine drummed her fingers across the desk. "I will be considering an alternative solution should negotiations break down." Catherine's blood turned cold. She didn't even need to ask because she knew what was coming. "We won't have time to deal with the antics of children with the incoming threats. Should they overstep, I will issue Termination Directives for Madhouse."

Catherine suppressed her urge to argue.

"Understood."

"It's a shame such power is placed within the hands of children, but such is the case nowadays," General Jessamine lamented. Catherine noted a dramatic shift in the general's mood. "Now, I'd like to discuss something more… private with you."

Catherine's brow rose.

"Concerning what?"

General Jessamine placed both hands on the desk and leaned forward. Her expression became dark and ugly, which caused a hostile atmosphere to permeate the room.

"Why was I not made aware of Binary's dismissal?" Jessamine's demand was cold, devoid of any understanding. "Not only was she a generational talent, but an evohuman unrivaled in their field. I was under the impression her reprimand was performative and that she was still working here under contract," she paused, analyzing Catherine's impassive demeanor. "I've already spoken to Director Oslin. His answers were unsatisfactory, and frankly outrageous. You were closest to her, so I want to hear it from you."

An uncomfortable weight descended upon Catherine. It was like the Sword of Damocles had finally fallen. She had immersed herself in her work since the incident to try and forget, but she knew this day was coming.

Why did General Jessamine not know? That in itself had implications that chilled Catherine to the bone.

"I have nothing to do with why that information was never passed on to you, so for that I have no answer," Catherine started. "As for why… she was suspected to have aided Cyberspace in breaching our systems—"

"Ridiculous," Jessamine seethed. "There is no evidence worthy of such an allegation on file. Under whose authority were these charges levied?"

"Director Brighton."

The name left a bitter taste on Catherine's tongue.

"Of course… how convenient that she's dead," Jessamine growled. "This is problematic. I was hoping to recruit Binary's expertise. What is she doing now?"

"Ma'am, I don't believe that's wise."

"Why not?"

"She doesn't hold our organization in the highest regard. In fact, she is rather bitter about the dismissal, accusations, and the incident that followed."

"Incident?"

Catherine's eyes narrowed. She had to know, right?

"You may have heard of it. Seismic Shock?"

Jessamine straightened up, disbelief written all over her face.

"Binary was involved? Why were the details of this incident kept so vague? I—" Jessamine's fist hit the desk as the realization struck like lightning. "Director Brighton, that bitch…"

"I… I had no idea," Catherine shook her head. "I thought the reports you and the rest of The ECU received would have been thorough."

"Apparently not," Jessamine rubbed the bridge of her nose. "This is not the first time something like this has happened, and unfortunately I doubt it will be the last. However, Binary's disposition troubles me. Her skills are essential, and it seems The ECU has suffered without them. I intend to change that."

Catherine's breath hitched.

"Ma'am?"

"I'm in no capacity to be making personal visits. Consider this your first assignment," Jessamine said. "I want Eleanor Troy back here under any circumstance, and I want it done yesterday."

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