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There were two Thomas Calvert's happening simultaneously. This would normally be cause for alarm, but due to his parahuman power, it was an easy trick. In one of the two split timelines, the supervillain Coil sat in his lair, staring into a bank of computer screens as his mercenaries approached the house of Dinah Alcott. It was a riskier strategy he'd care to admit being comfortable with, but desperate times and all. Especially since his other pet was still at large, causing havoc with the PRT. Everyone was on edge nowadays in Brockton Bay. Master/Stranger codes were in effect across the board, for cape and civilian alike. Attacks and robberies at seemingly random locations and with odd goals in mind had only just started to have a wider pattern. Tinker labs hit but their best toys left behind. The Medhall building for preserving fluids and surgery tools and six or so lab rats. Even Armsmaster had been the target of a daring raid, a group of experimental nanomachines that he by all means should not have been working on being stolen. Something that Coil should know nothing about.
But he wasn't just Coil. As the Undersiders began their distraction robbery of a bank, in another timeline the humble employee of the Parahuman Response Team sighed into his champagne flute. It was an impromptu fundraiser event, something that Calvert had actually been on board with as a safe event he could escape to in case the kidnapping went wrong. He'd been more and more reliant on his ability to split timelines these recent days. Better to have a surefire backup path with the little rat scurrying hither and yon. Still, he might have been able to push for a better event venue. Or better catering… Calvert sipped his champagne and smiled at the stoic Armsmaster who was here both as punishment and as security, and was undoubtedly hating both in equal measure. Good. Let the man seethe. Anything to drive another wedge between Director Piggot and the team.
Coil leaned forward, squinting at the computer bank. His mercenaries hit a snag it seemed. They were just standing outside the Alcott house, shuffling and looking nervously at one another. And the distraction wasn't… distracting. The bank alarms had been thrown, but the brats hadn't stuck around. Something was wrong. He leaned forward to call his men off only for something to flicker across the screen. A dark helmet with a downward facing sword embossed on it, and three glaring orange eyes on the left. Coil cursed and slammed the killswitch on the monitors. His admittedly ridiculous looking bodysuit of a villain outfit did afford him eye protection, but he still covered his face just to be sure.
He had basic knowledge of his pets abilities, but even cursory interrogation with Tattletale by his side told him there were hidden depths that he decided to err on the side of caution for. Especially if she managed to open another one of those 'gates' she had muttered about under the drugs… Coil grumbled and went to call his mercenaries back. This timeline was a bust, but it might afford better information if he stayed just a little-
Calvert jerked, champagne snorting out of his nose as the whiplash of a timeline suddenly ending caught him off guard. A few guests turned to see if he was fine and he waved them off, coughing and smiling weakly. He paused, gathering his thoughts. Something had cut off the Coil timeline. Something, or someone, had not only found out where he was in the whole of Brockton Bay, but also made it past every guard he had on staff, the numerous traps and false pathways, the literal vault door he had for his innermost sanctum, and then… What killed him? That was the only idea that came to mind about how his timelines could shatter like that. The band on stage began their warm-up as Calvert got his breathing under control.
He rubbed his eyes and tried to think. The only ones he knew who could have betrayed him and gotten in to get him were his handpicked captains (whom he paid very well to not even consider betraying him), and Tattletale. But she couldn't do that. He had seen her on the screens running out of the bank. And she wouldn't be stupid enough to attempt a double cross at this point in time. Not when he had so much over her still…
He reached for his phone to see if he could sniff anything out about an explosion downtown (the only other thought was that his self-destruct mechanism must have malfunctioned and gone off) as the lights dimmed. Odd. Must be a special number or a singer to raise money or whatever he had pushed as the cause for this gala. Then he heard Armsmaster curse. Then he saw Miss Militia try and apply a domino mask while also summoning a gun. Then both froze in mid motion. As did the rest of the crowd. And the first thrumming chords began. Calvert slowly turned back to the stage, glass cracking under his grip as he saw who now conducted this scene.
"From the spotlight, I can see you…" a deeper pitched robotic voice rang out. A metal claw grasped the standing microphone and brought it up to a sleek black helmet, featureless, aside from a downward facing sword and three twitching orange eyes. Eyes that locked on to Calvert. "Play your cards right, kill your stage-fright, this could beee youuu~"
Calvert tried to split timelines. Nothing happened. Icy panic gripped him. He tried again, and again, and again. Each time he reached for his power it felt like jumping for something high on a shelf, only to miss it by inches. "If aaalll the world's a stage, let's set it on fiiiire!" Damocles advanced, snapping her fingers. A line of flames curled up and around her armor, something that was impossible for her cape ability. Calvert darted over to Armsmaster, hammering against his chest, trying to help him wake up. "So you be the spy and I'll be the liar…"
"Wake up you over-hyped tin man!" Calvert hissed, slapping Armsmaster across the face. Nothing. Like hitting a mannequin. Made of rocks. His hand hurt. Wide eyes glanced behind him. She shouldn't be this strong. None of this made sense.
"From the background, you could hear me…" Damocles stepped closer, pushing over some council member or something. "Highest billing, made a killing, they revere me…" Calvert flinched, memories dredged up beyond his control. Waiting ever so patiently, using two timelines for information, manipulating who Damocles used to be into meeting with Shadow Stalker as the Ward representative at a key moment, letting him swoop in when she was…
"That beautiful mask you wear, is aaaallll I desiiiireeee!" Damocles was in front of him, claw tracing across his cheek. He didn't notice her speed up. Calvert stumbled back, grabbing a tray from a frozen waiter and slammed it against the villain's head. Claws speared the thin metal, wrenching it from Calvert's grip. "So you be the spy and I be the liar…"
Calvert decided it was best to run now. He raced away, spine tingling as Damocles used her stolen tinker tech to dissolve the metal under a hungry swarm of nanites. The band played on. "Face to face to face again," Damocles sang. Calvert stumbled, more memories flashing. Tiny moments, in both lives, of him crossing paths with her and not noticing. Periphery flashes, figures in a reflection, passing by in hallways and sidewalks and- "And through the camera lens we ascend!" The final piece of the puzzle was revealed and it sent Calvert sprawling to the ground. Their first true meeting. Coil and Sidestep. He had introduced himself through a screen, staring into her wide and terrified eyes. A taste of catharsis for all the trouble she had caused him before. A classic villain speech. Only…
'Only she could always use her power through a camera,' Calvert realized, fear gripping his chest. The brief image of her in the other timeline, there was no way…
"You're a minor part!" Pain in his foot. Something metal and heavy broke it. "I'm the major star!" A solid boot kicked Calvert over on to his back. Damocles gestured. Everyone else in the room bowed to her. "HA! The credits are more than just the eeeeeennnnndddd!!"
Her clawed hand lashed out. Calvert began to choke as Damocles hoisted him into the air. "'Cuz the truth is…" She leaned closer, fake eyes twitching to lock on to Calvert. "I despise youuuu…" Claws scraped across vertebrae. "I will tear apart-" another finger snap, "all these works of art-" the gathered crowd looked to Calvert, naked hate across every face, "that disguise youuu!" He punched that stupid helmet. It clanged in time with his funeral dirge.
"I'm making a final cut, it's down to the wiiiiirrreeee!" The eyes went dark. That section of the mask split and pulled back with a hiss. A single section of the face that lay under the pomp and show was revealed. Calvert scrabbled to try and touch it, to hurt it, to make her let go. The hum of the starving nanites in her gauntlet began again. "So you be the spy, and I'll be the liar…" And the timeline went dark.
.
.
.
"You're sure he's out?" Damocles didn't look back at her accomplice. She needed to focus on her own task.
"Positive." It had taken getting used to the booming robotic tones of her suit, but Taylor had found it handy in establishing her persona. Everyone paid attention to the loud villain after all. She would have to send Armsmaster a third thank you card. She wondered if he'd pop another blood vessel. "I almost have his codes now. The scene ended, so I just need to convince him he's dead for a little bit."
Tattletale shuddered as she worked on Coil's main computer. "Have I ever said how freakish your powers are?"
"Yes."
"Good." The blonde went back to work, wincing as her own ability activated. Damocles didn't bother setting up the feedback loop this time. They both knew the other knew by now, and if Sarah wanted to try and blackmail her, she could certainly try. Taylor brushed against Tattletale's mind just to make sure the balance of power here was still established.
"Done. Routing numbers, code for the self-destruct mechanism, and the physical locations of his own blackmail material." Damocles scrawled the information across a notepad and tossed it over. Tattletale caught it easily and began to disarm the device. Damocles took the moment to lean back against the wall, power suit helping to control her breathing. And whisk away the trickle of blood falling from her nose. Her powers were getting stronger. But it still didn't mean she could control that many people for that long without rest and not suffer consequences. Still, it had been good, refreshing her Sword dangling in Coil's mind, just for the feeling of seeing him open the door for her and Tattletale.
Didn't mean her head feeling like it was splitting open each time Coil tried to use his power was pleasant. Forcing him to pick the wrong one each time hurt. A lot. And having him experience an entire false reality while Tattletale worked in the background felt like she was pressing hard against another 'gate' before it could open to her. But it worked out. And with the click and green notification on the computer screen, Taylor felt herself truly relax.
"There we go. As agreed, you get half of his squirreled away wealth, which I am currently sending right now, and I get the other part PLUS whatever's left of his organization." Tattletale stretched in her chair, joints popping. She glanced at Damocles. "Offer is still open for our little gang, you know. We'll be moving up in the world after this. Plus, Rachel has been asking about you." There was a hint of teasing in her tone. Taylor was too tired to care. But Damocles had to respond.
"Maybe," the villain said, walking back over to Coil. "I feel like me breaking every unwritten rule might put a damper on how the other cape's see you if I joined. Plus, I still have a few more things I want to do."
Tattletale snorted. "Right. Vengeance and dominion and whatever else you said on the bridge. Stirring stuff." Orange eyes twitched to lock on to her. Tattletale decided to take the hint. "Welp! I better contact the others, make sure they got out alright." She stood up and pulled out a burner phone. "Anything fun planned for my dear former boss there?"
"I had something in mind," Damocles rumbled. She put her claws against the masked face of the man who had kidnapped her, used her, twisted her into the furious, starving monster she had become. The nanites swarmed out, directed by her own powers and the comforting presence of the Rat King network in her suit. She felt the thread holding her control over Coil snap. His head jerked further into her grasp. "But this is good enough for him." The blade fell.