Chapter Text
"Good morning Blazer," Galen greets quietly, and she blinks.
"Good morning Galen." She leans in, waiting, and he sighs. His sharp ears means it's not uncommon for him to bring an issue to her attention if something's happening in the building. She's really grateful to have him.
He nods.
"... It's Phoenix Program related."
Blazer sighs, feeling her stress levels instantly rise. She puts her face in her hands for a second, squishing. Guys used to comment on how she looked cute when she was mad, so it's a habit she tries to avoid at work. But it's just Galen.
The Phoenix Program Z-Team is only a month or two in, and it's been rough. She really had to fight for this use of the program, making heroes and not just support, fight for each hire she picked out of prison that showed promise and agreed to sign up. The Board is up her ass and they'll fist further up there when they get to the quarterly meeting. Maybe even twist while they're in there, if the villains-turned-hero don't start to improve and start acting like a team.
It worked so well for support members; she thought it would go better. Maybe it was too much at once, but she didn't want one Phoenix hero by themselves in a hero team, where they could be ostracized.
Blazer rubs at her face, and looks up at him. What did they do.
Galen, however, points down, towards the entrance of the building. His gestures are always small and hesitant, but he has a pleasant smile when he talks to her.
She wouldn't say they're friends though. She's the boss, so she has to keep a bit of distance. She would totally be friends with him if she could.
"Someone who sounds like a young woman just turned herself in. She wants to join the program."
That is not what she was expecting.
"Oh my gosh?"
Blazer stands, processing. Can she leave her desk? She can, right? There aren't any appointments. She starts walking, and Galen follows her.
"Who is it? She's a villain?"
"Invisibitch, apparently."
Blazer has to think. Has she seen that name before? Probably, actually. Maybe some theft cases, and one time getting arrested from a celebrity's home after sneaking in. That was probably Invisibitch. Was it really the same one? Wow.
A villain turning herself in, just hoping to get the chance at redemption? She has to talk to her.
"What are you going to do?" Galen asks. "It's not really how the program works."
"Too early to say."
Unfortunately, Mandy often doesn't know what she's going to do before she's in the moment. To the dismay of everyone always.
Invisibitch is cuffed in a holding room when Blazer gets down there. Usually villains aren't here for long, they get picked up by the police near the end of the day or at intervals during busy times. She's by herself, with a busted lip that's healing quickly and a massive shiner of a black eye.
Blonde Blazer looks through the one-way glass, and then at one of the guards, who put his hands up defensively.
“She looked like that when she showed, honest. Gotta be at least a day old.”
Blazer looks at her again.
She's so... small. That's her first thought. Not just her frame, she sees shorter women than her everyday without thinking about it. But she's skinny, and she's curled up defensively even though no one else is in the room with her. She doesn't look like she eats enough.
In a way, it makes sense. Your power is being invisible, you might be predisposed to hatred of being vulnerable, or perceivable. It makes her heart ache instantly.
“She's got a terrible mouth, but she cooperated. Showed up on the front steps. I was just about to call collection.”
“Hold on that for now,” she murmurs, and can feel him falter, but she's turned her back to him, and she's opening the door.
Invisibitch-- she really wishes she had a different name to call her-- is frowning until she registers who's walking in. Mandy is used to the reaction that this form gets (maybe too used to it), so she barely notices the way her face goes slack in awe and surprise. Just notices that she is frowning softer now, and her body is down turned towards the table she's cuffed to. Avoidant. Scared?
Blonde Blazer is tall enough that her head blocks out the overhead lighting to Courtney for a moment, and she can't help but be wowed that she's seeing a real hero like her in person. The fluorescent lighting may as well be a halo on her blonde head, and she's big too. Impressive, strong-looking, with a kind face.
So that's what a real hero looks like.
The Phoenix Program is a joke. How are you supposed to compete with this?
Blazer takes the time to pull up a second chair, and sit in it. It still kind of feels like she's looming over her though. They both seem to realize that.
“So... You turned yourself in,” Blazer repeats, not sure where to start. Awkward. Invisibitch's eyes, they're intense, even with the cuffs practically dwarfing her little wrists, and the shiner on her face. “That's a first, for us.” For the motivation at least.
“Guess I don't have the patience for the long game,” the smaller woman mutters, drawing out the words with a lot of weight through her tiny mouth. Then she chuckles at her own joke, a joke Blazer is pretty sure she's missing. “I'm not going to answer any questions. I have to join the Phoenix Program.”
Blazer bites her lip.
“It's... not exactly how this works.” For one, her strengths are mostly already covered by Coupé (Coop? She's pretty sure that's the nickname she's been hearing). Stealth, fighting, speed. “But I'm not ignoring that you surrendered to us. That's... pretty ballsy.”
Invisibitch lowers her gaze.
“Agree to disagree,” she says, bitter. She leans forward, because her hands are cuffed to the table, and rubs at her eye. "Anyone got a cigarette? Or, I'm guessing I'm not allowed to smoke in here."
Blazer's imagination runs wild. Invisibitch has never been affiliated with any groups, but clearly something has gone very wrong. Maybe she had some kind of close-call, or dodgy experience. Maybe there are men after her.
She's so small.
What exactly is chasing her, that she would run to authorities? She can feel that headache coming on, even through her amulet.
What a mess.
“... If you won't answer questions, or explain what drove you to this, how can we know you're genuine about wanting to do better? How can we trust you?”
“Maybe you shouldn't.”
Invisi- gosh, changing her name would be first on the list- she stares at her. Communicating silently, but Blazer doesn't know the other half, whatever's not being said out loud. They just met, this is a stranger. When she looks at her, pleading, what does it mean?
She can feel herself caving.
There's just something about her. Something desperate. Asking for help. She wants her to succeed.
“... Alright,” she sighs, and stands back up. Invisi- Visi? She looks down at the table, even smaller, smiling with a “what can you do” expression. “I'll make the first move then. I'll trust you.”
“What?”
Visi looks gobsmacked. And maybe afraid.
“I'll trust you, that you want to turn it around, and I'll vouch for you.” Blonde Blazer in all her glory stands above her, looking fond. Courtney, deep down, feels dread. “In return, you'll have to start trusting me one of these days. But we won't ask until then.”
The genuine surprise, that's what makes Blazer feel good about her choice. She thinks.
“I have 23 hours before we have to release you. I'll have to rearrange the budget, do all of your paperwork, and get approval before you get handed over to jail. If you get brought there, you could be in there a while.”
Courtney can't think of anything to say. Is it too late to dissuade her somehow? She feels... awful.
“I can't- You can't just fucking trust me,” she argues, scrambling, and Blazer smiles a little bit wider, still close-lipped. “I'm- you have to know who I am.”
“I can. You feel like thanking me later, you can always buy me a beer,” Blazer says, and it's so normal and casual Courtney is speechless again. Blonde Blazer drinks?
Blazer thinks about what she just said, takes in the shock, and holds up a hand.
“Hang on, not as- Strictly professionally. Actually, we should scratch that, I'm going to be your boss.” she finishes, embarrassed. “That came out wrong, I wasn't trying to- Yeah, I'll go.”
She has so much fucking paperwork to do. She's going to be here all night.
“Oh,” she remembers, turning at the door. “You don't mind if we change your name, do you? Invisibitch, it's a bit of a... tough sell, I think.”
“Do whatever you want. I guess.”
Blazer smiles again.
"I'm rooting for you," she tells her, like the sun, and then she's gone.
The heavy door clicks shut, and autolocks.
...
Courtney is still in shock, fingers and lips numb. She's... in. She has to... do this. Be in the Phoenix program.
Shroud was right, again.
Her eye aches.
The door clicks shut, and she thunks her head onto the desk. Remembering the way they found her again, beat the shit out of her outside her apartment and dragged her back.
Join the Phoenix Program.
And what? Try to make amends for killing a man? It's not even real.
She'll never be able to apologize for that. She killed Mechaman.
And for what? Lung capacity?
...
Blazer might believe in her now, but Courtney knows the truth. She could never be a hero.