Chapter Thirteen – The Good Guys

The Heroic Response Force were the good guys. At least, that’s how they appeared in all the movies and shows. Usually they weren’t in the forefront though. No, the people that really got all the attention were the heroes, and sometimes even the more popular villains.

Emily had seen her share of hero movies. They weren’t her favourite genre, but she’d still seen a few. There was a sort of cultural pressure to keep up with the most popular new movie, and in all of those that featured heroes (sometimes played by the heroes themselves, which was always cringeworthy but fun) there were HRF agents in the background.

Emily was barely holding back the shakes as three vans and an armoured truck pulled up in front of the maple depot, sirens blaring and lights flashing.

The vans opened up and five or six agents jumped out of each. Some moved out in a wide circle while others set down cones on the road or laid down big metal panels that unfolded into temporary barricades.

They were all armed, with long shot-gun looking weapons that had yellow-black barrels. Their actual guns were all by the hips.

Emily almost raised her arms when a few of them approached her. “Are you Boss?” one agent asked.

“Huh?”

“Are you the independent hero known as Boss?” he repeated.

“Oh, um, yes, that’s me. The others are just inside. Let me go tell them to, uh, stand down.” She spun on a heel and darted back into the depot. It was to tell her sisters not to cause trouble, she lied to herself while running away from the scary men and women behind her. “Girls, the heroes are here,” she said.

“We fighting?” Teddy asked.

“No!” Emily said. “We are not, because we are also heroes, and heroes wouldn’t fight each other, right?”

Teddy–who was still a two-ton bear–looked like she was thinking real hard for a moment before she nodded. “Yeah, I got ya boss. We’re big damn heroes is what we are.”

“Super heroic,” Athena said. She winked. With her eyes being a bit larger than average it was incredibly obvious, and Emily wanted to hide her face, but then it was too late.

The agents moved in, two on either side of the door, one kneeling, the other standing, then one of them shouted “Clear!” and a couple more moved in. And with them, a hero.

Emily swallowed.

“Ah! It’s the Boss!” Silver Fox said. The hero walked into the place as if he came here every day. He walked with his chest out, his back straight, and his perfectly coiffed hair combed back in a near twirl. “Good to see you again.”

“Uh, hi sir,” Emily said. She wasn’t star-struck, she was star-terrified. “T-this is the villain.” she gestured to the side where Iron Chains was also staring, mouth agape.

“Wait, what?” he asked. “Hey! No, I’m not a villain, I’m a hero! A hero!” Iron Chains said.

“Boss said you’re a villain,” Teddy growled. “So that’s what you are, alright. She’d know better than you what makes for a villain.”

“Yeah, shut up!” the nearest Trinity added.

Silver Fox looked around, took in all of Emily’s sisters, then brought his attention back to her. “Quite the cadre of heroes you’ve gathered. I take it you’re this team’s leader?”

“Uh, yeah,” she said. “I’m their boss. The Boss. Um.”

Silver Fox grinned, somehow both handsome and comforting. “I think I get it. You know, we have a lot of PR services that are free of charge for new and independent heroes, if you’re looking for that kind of help. In the meantime though, do you mind if we take custody of the villainous young man?”

“I said, I’m not a–whoa, whoa, okay, I’m staying quiet,” Iron Chains said. Emily didn’t bother turning around to see whatever it was her sisters were doing.

“Yes, please take him,” she said.

“Wonderful,” Silver Fox said. He gestured, and the agents nearest to him darted over to Iron Chains. Teddy stepped back, letting them grab hold of him where they pulled him to his feet and brought his arms behind his back, all under the watchful eye of other agents with their tasers trained on Iron Chains.

Emily was glad it was all over. Now all she needed… was to wilt as Silver Fox walked right over to her, a couple of agents in less armoured uniforms in toe.

“Should we debrief here, or would you rather take care of that at the station?” Silver Fox asked.

“Um,” Emily said, “debrief?”

“We need to know what happened. Both for our own investigation, and to better understand how to keep… Iron Chains was it? Under lock and key.”

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“Oh, right,” Emily said. “Here is better, I think. Uh, maybe outside?” it would be easier to keep an eye on her sisters that way.

“Sure thing! I was about to suggest that anyway. It’s best to do these kinds of things under the light of the sun. Besides, it makes for better photographs. Have you ever been on the news, Boss?”

“N-no?”

“Well then! First time for everything.”

Emily turned towards her sisters, and Sam, and waved them over. “Okay, I’m going to talk to Mister Silver Fox. You four, uh. Sam, you keep them close, alright?”

“I can try,” Sam said. “I’m not exactly a pro babysitter you know.”

“Just do your best?” Emily tried.

“Hey, wait,” Teddy rumbled. “Why do we need to follow her? We’re higher ranked. She’s just a minion.”

“Uh,” Emily said. “You don’t. I mean… I need you three to work hard guarding Sam. Since she’s… just a normal person and isn’t as strong as you. Okay?”

Teddy’s eyes narrowed. “Okay,” she finally said. “Okay, this will be fine.” Emily turned and headed out the door, squinting for just a moment as the bright sunlight hit her. She had to step to the side a moment later as a team in hazmat-like suits darted into the depot.

The vans had moved a bit, and long strands of bright yellow tape were hanging from poles across the street behind which HRF agents were watching over everything. Beyond them, a few concerned citizens had come out to watch, and the news was there.

Emily tensed a little as she noticed two crews unloading cameras. A reporter-looking person was talking to one of the agents, she kept glancing towards where Emily was standing, then pointing to… where Iron Chains was being held back by two burly agents in what looked almost like plate armour, if painted all in matte black.

“Boss!” Silver Fox called out. He waved her over, and Emily dragged herself to stand next to him and the tablet holding agent next to him. “This is Allison, she’ll be recording and taking notes.”

“Alright,” Emily said. “What do I say? Or do?”

“Could you describe the situation leading to the fight with suspect Iron Chains?” Allison asked in a monotone.

“Uh,” Emily said. “Just before or…”

“Usually it’s best if they know how you discovered they were a villain,” Silver Fox said. He pointed to the name and title floating above his head. “Not everyone leaves their tag blazing like this. Villains least of all.”

“Right, well, we spoke to a few locals and it turns out that Iron Chain’s been taking money from some local shops.”

“Awful,” Silver Fox said while shaking his head. “To extort money from people that way. A protection racket, I imagine?”

Emily nodded. “That’s right. Him and a few others. Uh, young men. Some were with him, but they ran off.”

“Too bad, that,” Silver Fox said. “Could you describe them?”

Emily tried to recall what they looked like but was coming up blank. “One had a beanie? Uh, they were both white… young, I guess.”

The hero’s face twisted into a frown. “So, this villain not only started to extort the locals, but started his own gang. Taking the young and foolish under his wing and leading them into a life of villainy.”

“Uh,” Emily said.

She turned as a siren went off.

Her sisters were all next to the big armoured personnel carrier, one of the agents showing the girls, and Sam, the buttons on the dashboard. Trinity had climbed in at some point and was very obviously pressing everything to try and shut the sirens off.

“Yeah, leading children into villainy,” Emily said. “Right. A-anyway. We got here and ran into him, then we beat him. That’s it.”

Silver Fox looked at her, then nodded. “I suppose that might have to do. You’re wise to keep your companion’s powers under wraps, information like that has a tendency to leak in all the worse ways. By the way, well done, Boss. You’ve done the city, and the world, a service today. Now, if you don’t mind, I think someone needs to address the press, unless you wish to accompany me?”

“No, please, go ahead,” Emily said.

She sighed as the man left. A glance at the sky hinted that it wasn’t even noon yet. She still had classes to go to, and sisters to wrangle.

Emily watched as Iron Chains was pushed into the back of a van while the cameras rolled.

Quest Complete!

Queen takes Knight

Defeat Iron Chains

Reward: +1 Skill Slot for defeating, capturing, or killing a powered adversary. + Villainy for properly securing your territory!

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